st227

FEATURE MUSIC

most beautiful verses in all of pop history: the incomparable Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic. Adele, 25 (2015) Few albums of the '10s were anticipated with quite as much frothing and trembling as 25 , Adele's follow-up to the record which broke her worldwide (2011's 21). “Hello, it's me,” came the vocalist's celestial greeting on impeccably chosen lead single Hello ; what follows showed listeners that Adele had matched her life's watershed moments of motherhood and quarter-life crisis with a distinct musical evolution, though her knack for heart-mincing melodies hadn't been left behind. The 1975, Being Funny in a Foreign Language (2022) On The 1975’s fifth record, the Cheshire four piece present meandering and hazy melodies, clipped guitars, and wailing saxophones. They're all supported by lead singer Matty Healy’s half-murmured, half-shouted lyrical work, which is – as always – shamelessly self reflective. The 1975’s ability to make a record feel like a free-flowing rehearsal accidentally caught on tape is firmly on display here. Oasis, (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995) Did you know that Oasis's second studio album was the best-selling record of the '90s? Yes, the entire decade. It's not surprising when you look back at the stellar tracklist, full of the sauntering, bratty Britpop which the Gallagher brothers captain so well: Wonderwall, Don't Look Back in Anger, Roll with It, Some Might Say, She's Electric, Morning Glory , and Champagne Supernova are all here for you to enjoy. Pink Floyd, The Dark Side of the Moon (1973) The Great Gig in the Sky, Money , and Us and Them rolling out in that specific sequence – take that! The wow-factor of Pink Floyd’s eighth album is undeniable, and it's listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-charting album in history. After topping the Billboard Top 200, Pink Floyd’s psychedelic meditation on insanity remained in the chart for 740 straight weeks – that’s around 14 years! King Crimson, In the Court of the Crimson King (1969) As far as debuts go, you rarely get something as immediately influential as King Crimson's In the Court of the Crimson King . The prog rockers' astonishing melding of rock with classical, jazz and symphonic elements grabbed listeners by the hair, including Pete Townshend of The Who, who considered it “an uncanny masterpiece.” Arctic Monkeys, AM (2013) “It sounds like a Dr Dre beat, but we've given it an Ike Turner bowl cut and sent it galloping across the desert on a Stratocaster” – no journo could possibly top Arctic Monkeys’ debonair frontman Alex Turner’s own

Arctic Monkeys

description of his band’s chart-topping fifth album, AM. Its opener and sexy second single Do I Wanna Know? (D.I.W.K) was the band’s first to enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart, effectively breaking Arctic Monkeys Stateside. The Beatles, Abbey Road (1969) The Beatles' 11th studio record – the last LP the Fab Four would release while still publicly together – is now a few years past its Nifty Fifty anniversary. It's revered for the band's then-radical decision to use Moog synthesizer amongst the record's blues and pop-rock sounds, which sent many purist critics into hysterics, though fans loved it; Abbey Road hit number one around the world and has reached multi-platinum status in numerous countries. Lewis Capaldi, Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent (2023) Suffering through the external and internal strains of a life in searing spotlight, Lewis Capaldi still manages to retain his uncrushable wit and unflappable knack for sculpting some of the most endearing (and enduring) pop gems out. His heavenly voice and humble vision make Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent one of the great modern pop albums. Florence + the Machine, Lungs (2009) If you weren't moved when you clocked Florence Welch's mind

compilation album displays the peerless cool of Mick and co., with not a lemon to be seen amongst its 40 huge tracks. The Smiths, The Queen Is Dead (1986) The provocatively-titled third album from The Smiths was jointly produced by frontman Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr, and arrived just one year after the seminal Meat Is Murder. It contains two of the most superlative songs ever recorded: There Is a Light That Never Goes Out and The Boy with the Thorn in His Side. Coldplay, Ghost Stories (2014) Chris Martin and his bandmates got spooky with sixth album Ghost Stories , produced in part by guests Avicii, Timbaland, and electronica royalty Jon Hopkins. Described by Martin as a "journey into learning about unconditional love", Ghost Stories ' synths and electronics made for some truly celestial beauty, and the record went to number one in over 100 countries. David Bowie, Let's Dance (1983) The co-producing flair provided by Chic's Nile Rodgers – along with, off course, the

undeniable talent of a newly bleach blonde David Bowie himself – sent Let's Dance on a chart-tearing trajectory upon its release. It established Bowie as a major superstar, entering the UK

albums chart at number one, and became EMI's

blowing style on Kiss with a Fist , Dog Days Are Over or You've Got the Love – all from the singer-songwriter's aptly-named debut album

fastest-selling record since The Beatles' 1967 smash Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Florence + the Machine

Dua Lipa, Future Nostalgia (2020)

Lungs – you'd have to have been pulseless. Lungs announced the arrival of an utterly original new voice, and won Welch a Brit Award for Album of the Year. The Rolling Stones, Forty Licks (2002) There's no getting away from the fact Forty Licks delivers musical excellence on a silver platter. This 40-year career-spanning double

The strangely paradoxical title of Dua Lipa's second album was inspired by the artist's aim of creating a sound which encompassed both modern dance-pop, and the electronic disco LPs she loved growing up. Lipa's bold move was a success, sending Future Nostalgia to number one in several countries and earning the emerging star a Grammy and a Brit Award.

75