Favourite Popular Music Albums for this year:
?? Highway 61 Revisited, Blood on the Tracks--- Bob Dylan
Dylan's finest records in my opinion, the first a watershed moment in lyricism, the latter brilliant concept album. I did enjoyed Bringing it All Back Home, Basement Tapes and Time Out of Mind (Blonde on Blonde and John Wesley Harding not that much, except Visions of Johanna from the former and All Along the Watchtwoer from the latter), but the ones I listed are my favourites.
?? Getz/Gilberto--- Stan Getz & Astrud Gilberto
My entry into Brazillian music's one of the classics from that region. This Grammy winning album's minimalistic style is celebration music accompanied by a very enchanting vocals in Astrud Gilberto. A Latin America's masterpiece Girl from Ipanema, introducing Bossa Nova, is in this album.
?? Graceland--- Paul Simon
This album was one of the albums that introduced world music to Western audience. In this case, Simon makes use of South African and Western African sound to produce a glowing and luminous achievement.
?? Supernatural--- Santana
Another blast from Latin America, but this album's more maximalist than the previous album. This album won everything it was nominated for at Grammy Awards in 2000 (9).
?? Sign of the Times--- Prince
Another standard in terms of album's structure, the album blends jazz, funk and R&B to capture the streets of America. The standout track is not the celebrated title track but Adore, one of the finest love songs (that can serve as everyone's wedding song).
?? Joshua Tree--- U2
Another masterpiece, this album looks at themes ranging from transcendence to politics with incredible lyricism. The album was influenced by the band reading works from Norman Mailer to Flannery O'Connor in order to understand the vision of America. I first listened to this album about four or five years ago and it's fantastic.
?? Kind of Blue--- Miles Davis
Another re-listen, this jazz album hasn't lost its touch.
?? Songs--- Amealia Rodrigues
More of a compilation than actual album of one of the greatest European musicians.
?? Speakerboxxx--- Outkast
Double album, the first half's more energetic and rap-like, the other half more of rhythm and blues. One of the century's most innovative albums.
?? Rumours--- Fleetwood Mac
This album, another blockbuster from 1977, looks at relationships in different forms.
?? Random Access Memories--- Daft Punk
I listened to this album more than three times per day, a brilliant (sadly the French duo's last album) electronic album that celebrates music. The most memorable track got America, and the world at large, dancing: Get Lucky.
?? Midnights--- Taylor Swift
Another brilliant album that looks at, in her own words, dreams, personal nightmares and anxiety.
??????? Synchronicity--- The Police
The band's last and finest album, another re-listen. Songs, inspired by the psychological theories of Jung and Koestler, range from psychology to romance and existentialism. A classic song's Every Breath You Take, from this album. This album, along with another blockbuster, Thriller, dominated the charts the world over in 1983. (Both album had the most Grammy noms that year, the latter with 12).
?? Ray of Light--- Madonna
This is her most intelligent and adventurous record, making use of Eastern instruments, with lyrics influenced by Buddhist philosophy.
??????? Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack--- Bee Gees
Another blockbuster, soundtrack of John Travolta's breakthrough movie (haven't see it yet), features some of the finest songs in Disco, now Dance, music from the title track to the instrumental pieces like Manhattan Skyline.
?? Songs in the Key of Life, Innervisions--- Stevie Wonder
Wonder's magisterial milestones, the songs in the first album, almost three hours long, ranges from tributes to Duke Ellington, to politics, philosophy and call for universal harmony and peace. The album styles ranges from Jazz, to instrumental, to soul, gospel and funk. Standout tracks: Pastime Paradise, Always, Isn't She Lovely. The second album, meanwhile, is more compact and symphonic, with just 9 songs. If you remember the movie Silver Lining Playbook (starring the ever beautiful Jennifer Lawrence in her Oscar winning role), the song played during the dance scene with co-star Bradley Cooper features in this album: Don't You Worry About A Thing.