Waaaaay back in 1987, when I first got into music in my early teens (gee that's 20 years ago, wow), there were a clutch of albums that made me a music fan for life and definately put me onthe path of wanting to be a musician.

there are those albums:

Sign O The Times, Prince

My favourite album of all time. Everytime I hear it, there's something new I never heard before. maybe it's the different environments in which i have listened to it, but it's everytime. THE masterclass of pop music.
It straddles all the styles of music I love and it's by the most fearless performer I know of.

The Finer Things, Steve Winwood

Ok so this guy gets a lot of flack for his 80s popularity becuz of the synths on this album but I will be the first to tell you, it's one damn fine and funky record. There's some shit hot session dudes on it and Chaka. And if Chaka is on it, you know it's got to be funky. Steve Winwood comes from that old school groove world as much as he comes from that English folk world. He's another guy that encompasses all styles of pop music and the reason i wanted to be a keyboard player.

The Joshua Tree, U2

Now this is one soulful record. Bono was right when U2 won the award for Best Album for this album. He said ,"It doesn't matter if you use real drums or a drum machine or even if you can't sing. It's all about soul."
Too right.

Graceland, Paul Simon

Ya ok it came out in 1986 but it was still hot in 1987 and it's a pretty cool album. I love the mish mash of musical styles and the pop lyrics in an African context was a brilliant stroke of genius.

Tunnel of Love, Bruce Springsteen

Man there is some hurtin' on this album. Another soulful piece of music taken str8 outta someone's life. Whether this was real or not, I love the intimacy of Tunnel of Love. It's a beautiful ode to love gone wrong.

Invisible Touch, Genesis

Hmm ok I can see where you might start to doubt me but really, this is one slick album with some of the best production values I have ever heard. This is the album that made me want to produce music. Hugh Pagdham is a genius

...Nothing Like The Sun, Sting

A mature and peerless album. Incredible lyrics, amazing performances and the future all wrapped up all in one.




It's taken me this long to get these albums on cd but they mean the world to me and they will always live in my top ten favourite albums of all time.

Anyone have any albums that do that for you too?

i started seriously getting into music in 1987, buying records
with my pocketmoney or asking them for birthdays and x-mas.

the first albums i either owned, borrowed and made tape copies
of or had my mom buy for her own collection (lol) were:

prince: lovesexy (first cd i ever bought, altho this was already '88)

eurythmics: sweet dreams & savage (followed by back catalogue)

pet shop boys: actually (my mom owned this album and i learned to love it)

madonna: true blue

sinead o connor: the lion and the cobra

george michael: faith

new order: substance (got this for xmas)

bruce springsteen: tunnel of love (my brother owned this but i played it most)


so, apart from bruce springsteen, i guess anybody taking a closer
look at my record collection would have been able to tell me that
i'm gay all the way back in 1987

Nice list of albums u got there.
I wonder how it would have looked for the 90s
I mean the first list
[Edited 2/27/07 12:12pm]

George Michael - Listen without Prejudice - amazing
Don Henley - The End of the Innocence
Prince - SOTT - nothing to say - it's prefect
D'Angelo - Voodoo - the vibe is amazing
Lauryn Hill - even to a 40 something white gal, this album is perfect
The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
The Beatles - Revolver
Marvin Gaye - What's going on
Paul Simon - Graceland - an all time fav