I know Roberta Flack from her massive hits ‘Killing Me Softly With His Song’ and ‘Tonight I Celebrate My Love.’ Both wordy titles, I’ve just realised. Other than that, I haven’t listened to an album in full. This album starts off with the rich jazzy sounds of a double bass. Accompanied by Flack herself on the piano and a stab of brass.

The Supremes were a hit machine. They enjoyed 5x #1 albums (which makes it even weirder to include a compilation), 12x Top 10 albums and 12x #1 singles, making them the most successful American group on the US Billboard Hot 100, amongst other achievements.

From start to finish, this album is an industrial rock masterpiece. Trent Reznor, the only constant member of Nine Inch nails was, and continues to this this day to be totally innovative.

Wasn’t sure what I thought, and to be honest, still not entirely sure. It has has some cool elements, but it also has some annoying elements like the 41 seconds of water running in ‘Sing Swan Song.’

Two albums for the price of one and another entry from Chess Records. Bo Diddley’s first and second albums packed with some of his most endearing songs, but more than that, riddled with his signature beat. That’s right, signature beat. Bo Diddley pioneered a beat that has been used in literally thousands of songs.

Al Green’s voice is astounding and he is certainly one of the greatest soul singers of all time. The songs on this “record” are aesthetically similar, even though they’ve been cobbled together from various albums, which gives it the sound of a cohesive record.

Sinead O’Connor is an artist that is often thought of as a one hit wonder thanks to cover of an obscure Prince song, ‘Nothing Compares 2 U.’ That, coupled with her antics on and off stage, have arguably taken the spotlight off of what a great record this really is.

This, the fourth album by Jason Isbell, was recorded following a stint and rehab and without the backing of his band, The 400 Unit. An often stark record relying heavily on Isbell’s astounding vocals and lyrics.

The debut album by American rapper, Kid Cudi, is a concept record. Narrated by rapper, Common, the album is separated into four acts, telling the story of an aspiring anxiety-riddled musician journeying through life to eventual success.

The second album to be released by Lorde when she was all but 20 years old. Following the breakthrough success of her debut album, she took some time off, travelling between her native New Zealand and New York. Reeling from her first heartbreak, she wrote this record, encapsulating the feelings of young love and break ups.

Justin Vernon turned folk music on its head with this album. Fusing elements of stark electronic music and his acoustic guitar with the combination of his falsetto & baritone vocals and often choral arrangements.

This understated album, is one of the most influential albums of all time. It’s likely you’ve never heard it or even heard of it, but you’d know its influence. In 1968, The Byrds member, Gram Parsons, left the band after refusing to accompany them on a tour of South Africa (after some convincing by Keith Richards and Mick Jagger). Two months later The Byrds bassist, Chris Hillman joined him. The two formed The Flying Burrito Brothers (geddit? Byrds / Flying?).

Hands up if you’ve heard of Laura Nyro before. I certainly hadn’t. I always find it surprising when I haven’t heard of an artist like the stature and quality of Laura Nyro. You can’t have heard of all the musicians in the world ever, but it seems unusual to have never heard of one as influential as this.

This album opens with a very familiar yet unfamiliar guitar and bass line. I’d never heard the song, ‘That Lady, Pts. 1 & 2’ before, yet I know this so well. I searched the depths of my brain and realised that it was heavily sampled in the song ‘i,’ from Kendrick Lamar’s landmark album, ‘To Pimp A Butterfly.’

This is a one hour, eleven minute compilation of Nigerian musician, King Sunny Adé’s music pre-signing to major label, Island Records. Adé is one of the first African musicians to gain international success and is one of the most important afrobeat musicians of all time.

In their early years, The Beach Boys were primarily known as a singles band, singing about surfing, girls and cars. When it comes to albums, it’s hard to look past ‘Pet Sounds.’ That album was such a landmark record, that it almost overshadows everything else they ever did. ‘The Beach Boys Today!’ is the album that actually cemented them as an “albums” band.

After the release of his first #1 album, the smash hit, ‘Now,’ in 2001, Maxwell disappeared for the most part. In the years following ‘Now,’ he only played 6 shows. 8 years later he finally resurfaced with this, his fourth studio album, ‘BLACKsummers’night’ (not to be confused with his fifth album, ‘blackSUMMERS’night’).

A strong return to form for a band that had seen some decline in popularity since the release of their 1972 album, ‘Exile On Main St.’ As bands often were back then, the Stones were incredibly prolific having released 3 albums in between the two (for a total of 5 albums in 6 years).

While his music is infectiously joyous and very danceable, it is often quite samey. And that goes from song-to-song and album-to-album. This record features the single, ‘Bongo Bong,’ a song I remember discovering on MTV back in 1998/1999.

‘400 Degreez’ is the third album for New Orleans rapper, Juvenile. Featuring the singles, ‘Ha’ and ‘Back That Azz Up,’ the album is 4x Platinum in the US and remains the highest selling album on Cash Money Records.