The first, what I’d imagine to be, divisive entry into the list; the sophomore, and only 9.5-month-old album of One Direction’s Harry Styles.

Bonnie Raitt had hit rock bottom. She was dropped by her label, Warner Bros. Records for poor sales, she had a major alcohol and drug problem, she had to dissolve her backing band as she could no longer afford to pay them and negotiations with Prince’s Paisley Park Records fell through after a skiing accident that landed her in the hospital for 2 months.

A raw and emotional open latter that goes through all the emotions from nostalgia to regret to anger and of course the big questions of life – “Why do I have to pay attorney fees?” Gaye’s voice sounds amazing on this record. His signature falsetto is astounding.

This, the only studio album the Ronettes ever released, is as much Phil Spector’s record as it is theirs. It’s a production triumph. Instruments upon instruments upon instruments creating the massive Wall Of Sound, the production technique that Spector pioneered.

The second studio album by Boys II Men (the title gives that away). Boys II Men were ubiquitous in the mid ‘90s.

The second new entry in the list and yeah, I was surprised as you are to see Shakira’s name. She of ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ & ‘Whenever, Wherever’ fame. Take nothing away from Shakira. She’s a megastar.

Why is a record filled with Mbaqanga, maskanda, mqashiyo & isicathamiya on the list? Music that I grew up listening to. Music I would subsequently study at uni and be heavily exposed to in my formative years working in CD retail in South Africa. This time, forcing myself to think about the music thanks to the reviews, and not recovering from a run, a few things have become blatantly clear to me. I did a bit of research and my suspicions were confirmed.

I wanted to love this. I really did. I know artists that I really admire, like Bruce Springsteen, for example, really look up to this band and album (Springsteen covered one of their songs, ‘Dream Baby Dream,’ on his album, ‘High Hopes’ – that song not from this album).

This was the album that made me re-do the countdown. Not wanting to spoil it for myself in case I did decide to do it, I thought I’d check the bottom two albums and make my decision off of that.

‘Funeral’ is the debut album by Arcade Fire, released in 2004.