After completing the challenge of choosing ten of the most influential albums in my life I felt that they were too important to me to go by without explaining why they are influential and how they have changed me in some way. So here goes.
Week 1
Def Leppard – Hysteria
Let’s start at the top! This was clearly my most played album in my early teens. I was given a tape by a close friend with Hysteria on one side and Bon Jovi, Slippery When Wet on the other. It was my introduction to the band from Sheffield in England and was my first “band crush.” Although I subsequently went on to enjoy their earlier albums of On Through the Night, High n’ Dry and Pyromania more, Hysteria was the most influential. DL went from a raw, typically British heavy rock sound to a more polished and “USA friendly” sound with great riffs and harmonies and Joe Elliot’s distinct lead vocal. One of the big reasons for the change in sound was that drummer Rick Allen had a car crash and had to have his arm amputated. This meant that Rick had to re-learn his trade with a specially made drum kit where he uses his feet. Hysteria hit the US in a big way and gained Leppard worldwide fame. Taken from Wiki:
As one of the world's best-selling music artists, Def Leppard have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, and have two albums with RIAA diamond certification, Pyromania and Hysteria. They are one of only five rock bands with two original studio albums selling over 10 million copies in the U.S. The band were ranked No. 31 in VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" and ranked No. 70 in "100 Greatest Artists of All Time"
Week 2
U2 – The Joshua Tree
What an album this is and still very much holds up today. My mum takes credit for this one as it was her vinyl LP and she played it over and over. Its emotionally charged and uplifting sound was a big comfort and inspiration in some of those tough older teenage years. The Edge’s unique guitar sound and Bono’s awesome delivery made this Irish band a force to be reckoned with. Although the lyrics were not as politically charged as ‘War’ they still had powerful undertones and certainly struck a chord with me. Taken from Wiki:
U2 have released 14 studio albums and are one of the world's best-selling music artists in history, having sold more than 170 million records worldwide. They have won 22 Grammy Awards, more than any other band, and in 2005, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. Rolling Stone ranked U2 at number 22 on its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Throughout their career, as a band and as individuals, they have campaigned for human rights and social justice causes, including Amnesty International, Jubilee 2000, the ONE/DATA campaigns, Product Red, War Child, and Music Rising.
Week 3
Simple Minds – Live in the City of Light
Simple Minds are a Scottish band and were my first ever live gig. The venue was the Cardiff Arms Park now the Millennium Stadium and the whole experience just blew me away. The euphoria and hysteria of being at a major concert in a big stadium left its mark on me forever and I will never forget that feeling. It was an experience that I shared with a very close friend who sadly passed away less than 6 years after the event, after a drug overdose. R.I.P. Daniel.
The Live in the City of Light album was the same tour as the one that I witnessed and is a great example of how good these guys were live. Taken from Wiki:
Simple Minds formed in Glasgow in 1977 and became the most commercially successful Scottish band of the 1980s. They achieved five UK Albums chart number one albums during their career and have sold an estimated 60 million albums. The band scored a string of hit singles, becoming best known internationally for their 1985 hit "Don't You (Forget About Me)" (UK #7, US #1, Canada #1), from the soundtrack of the film The Breakfast Club. Their other more prominent hits include "Alive and Kicking" (UK #7, US #3, Canada #3) and "Belfast Child" (UK #1). In 2016, they received the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors.
Week 4
Pink Floyd – Meddle
Credit to my Dad for this one. Again music was important to my parents and it rubbed off on me. Meddle may be a slightly odd choice of Floyd album compared to the more famous albums, but it’s one that captured me. From One of these Days’ terrifying baseline to the epic journey of Echoes in which Floyd arrived as a progressive rock band. They even have a sample of ‘the Kop’ (Liverpool FC fans) singing the famous ‘you’ll never walk alone.' Taken from Wiki:
Pink Floyd were an English rock band formed in London in 1965. They achieved international acclaim with their progressive and psychedelic music. Distinguished by their use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, extended compositions, and elaborate live shows, they are one of the most commercially successful and influential groups in popular music history. They were inducted into the American Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. By 2013, the band had sold more than 250 million records worldwide.
Week 5
Foo Fighters – Wasting Light
The Foos are my favourite band and I could have put every single album they have ever made in this but I had to choose one, and it’s a peach. I started taking note of the Foos in the late nineties because of their whacky videos and the fact that they don’t take themselves too seriously. If you haven’t seen them, Learn to Fly, Everlong and Walk videos are hilariously funny and very creative.
Wasting Light was much anticipated and didn’t disappoint. It literally is made in Dave Grohl’s garage and recorded in analogue tape. Every track is an absolute beauty from Bridge Burning through to Walk. A special mention for ‘I should have known’ which in my opinion, is Dave writing publicly about Kurt Cobain (Nirvana) for the first time. This theory is backed by the fact that Butch Vig (Nevermind producer) produced Wasting Light, his first full Foos Album and Crist Novoselic (Nirvana bass player) plays bass on that track. I have watched the Foos live at Wembley with eighty five thousand other people, at Rock en Seine in Paris and The Sports Arena Budapest and on the 22 June I will be at London Stadium to watch them again.
Week 6
Del Amitri – Twisted
This Scottish band were supporting REM on the Monster tour at Cardiff Arms Park. Even though I was there to see REM, Del Amitri left an impression on me and I became a fan. We even went to see them live again. Twisted was their current album after I saw them in Cardiff. It is a slight change up from their usual stuff with lead guitars from Harvie a little more prominent. From the chirpy ‘Roll to Me’ (Their biggest ever hit) to the beautiful lyrics of ‘Driving with the Brakes on’. My personal favourite is ‘Crashing Down’ which is more melancholy with a slightly grungy feel. Taken from Wiki:
Del Amitri is a Scottish alternative rock band, formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1983.[1] The band grew out of Justin Currie's Jordanhill College School band and came together after a teenaged Currie placed an advertisement in the window of a music store asking for people who could play to contact him. The band was formed with the original line-up of Currie (bass and vocals), Iain Harvie (lead guitar), Bryan Tolland (guitar) and Paul Tyagi (drums). Currie and Harvie are the only members of the band to remain present throughout its history. They are also the main songwriters of the group.The band have had five Top 10 albums in the UK, and one Top 10 single, "Roll to Me", on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.
Week 7
Meat Loaf – Bat out of Hell
Another album you can trace back to my father. It was his vinyl LP that I would have abused and played over and over. The rock anthem sound is huge and Meat Loaf delivers as good as any front man or vocalist ever could. Paradise by the Dashboard Light to this day is one of my favourite ever songs. Interesting fact: Meat Loaf is in Fight Club and Wayne's World! Taken from Wiki:
Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday; September 27, 1947), better known by his stage name Meat Loaf, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is noted for his powerful, wide-ranging operatic voice and theatrical live shows. His Bat Out of Hell trilogy of albums (consisting of Bat Out of Hell, Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell, and Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose) has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide. Almost 40 years after its release, Bat Out of Hell still sells an estimated 200,000 copies annually and stayed on the charts for over nine years, making it one of the best-selling albums in history.
Week 8
REM – Out of Time
My first taste of REM was Out of Time and it gets the nod but Automatic for the People could have been the choice too. It reminds me of a time when we had a group of friends that hung out together and had some good times. I played both albums on repeat for a long time. Both albums contained massive hits like ‘Losing my religion, Shiny Happy People (OOT) and Everybody Hurts and Man on the Moon (AFTP). One of my favourite songs is Sweetness Follows.
Taken from Wiki:
R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, that was formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist/backing vocalist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe. One of the first alternative rock bands, R.E.M. was noted for Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style, Stipe's distinctive vocal quality and obscure lyrics, Mills' melodic basslines and backing vocals, and Berry's tight, economical style of drumming. The band continued its career into the next decade with mixed critical and commercial success, despite having sold more than 85 million albums worldwide and becoming one of the world's best-selling music artists of all time. In 2007, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in their first year of eligibility. R.E.M. disbanded amicably in September 2011, announcing the split on its website.
Week 9
Queen – Live Magic
Queen have been one of my most consistently listened to bands throughout my life. A four piece band with a massive sound, Roger Taylor with the rock drums, Brian May with the legendary guitar, John Deacon on bass and of course the legend that is Freddie Mercury as the lead vocal and ultimate showman. This is a live album taken at Wembley, Knebworth and Budapest. My one regret is that I never took the opportunity to see Queen live when Freddie was still with us. Taken from Wiki:
Queen's earliest works were influenced by progressive rock, hard rock and heavy metal, but the band gradually ventured into more conventional and radio-friendly works by incorporating further styles, such as arena rock and pop rock, into their music. Estimates of their record sales range from 150 million to 300 million records, making them one of the world's best-selling music artists. Queen received the Outstanding Contribution to British Music Award from the British Phonographic Industry in 1990. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001. Each member of Queen has composed multiple hit singles, and all four band members were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2005 the band received the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors, and in 2018 they were presented the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Week 10
Iron Maiden – Live after Death
Pandering to my heavy metal tendencies, Iron Maiden are probably Britain’s biggest metal export ever. The lyrics are brilliantly created based on historical moments like the Battle of Britain and the native American massacres are delivered in this punchy and rhythmic explosion all helped by Bruce Dickinson’s immense operatic style vocals. The album was recorded in Long Beach, California and The Hammersmith Odeon, London and includes most of my favourite hits. My personal favourite is ‘The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner.’ Taken from Wiki:
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. The band's discography has grown to thirty-eight albums, including sixteen studio albums, twelve live albums, four EPs, and seven compilations.
Pioneers of the new wave of British heavy metal, Iron Maiden achieved initial success during the early 1980s. After several line-up changes, the band went on to release a series of UK and US platinum and gold albums, including 1982's The Number of the Beast, 1983's Piece of Mind, 1984's Powerslave, 1985's live release Live After Death, 1986's Somewhere in Time and 1988's Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. Since the return of lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson and guitarist Adrian Smith in 1999, the band have undergone a resurgence in popularity, with their 2010 studio offering, The Final Frontier, peaking at No. 1 in 28 countries and receiving widespread critical acclaim. Their sixteenth studio album, The Book of Souls, was released on 4 September 2015 to similar success.
Despite little radio or television support, Iron Maiden are considered one of the most successful heavy metal bands in history, with The Sunday Times reporting in 2017 that the band have sold over 100 million copies of their albums worldwide. The band won the Ivor Novello Award for international achievement in 2002. As of October 2013, the band have played over 2000 live shows throughout their career. For over 35 years the band have been supported by their famous mascot, "Eddie", who has appeared on almost all of their album and single covers, as well as in their live shows.
So there you go, my 10 most influential albums. I hope you enjoyed the music and walking down memory lane with me.
Thanks for reading.
Gaz
