#39: Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain (1984)

Zack: If you are going to listen to any music by Prince, there are two things you should know. One, he is a musical legend whose genius extends into a variety of genres including R&B, pop, dance, rock, funk, and even a little new wave. Two, he is a horny little man. His musical erection may not be as pronounced on this particular album, but the song Darling Nikki is still rumored to have been one of the songs that sent Tipper Gore into a tizzy and got those little parental advisory stickers slapped on the front of everything cool. Not bad for one of his tamer works. This Grammy-winning album is deep and complex both lyrically and instrumentally. The lush layers create more of a sensation of exploration rather than simple listening. In short, it is an awesome album by an awesome artist that will have you doing the uncommon combination of both dancing around the room and air guitaring.

Favorite Tracks: Darling Nikki; Purple Rain; Let’s Go Crazy

Emily: Prince is one funky, bizarre little man. He throws together so many disparate elements in his music, and they all interconnect wonderfully. He's one of the only musicians ever who can make badass guitar solos, R&B crooning, funk beats, and lyrics about a girl masturbating with a magazine sound amazing together. Although there's no distinct plot, there is a sense of a story throughout (perhaps because it is the soundtrack to Prince's movie of the same name). All in all, Purple Rain showcases Prince's genius talents as a songwriter, singer, guitarist, and creative mind.

Favorite Tracks: When Doves Cry; Darling Nikki; Let's Go Crazy

#38: Simon and Garfunkel - Bookends (1968)

Emily: This album is split into two halves - Part 1 is a concept album about aging, and Part 2 is unused songs from the soundtrack to The Graduate. Oddly enough, the outtakes are much more compelling than the new material. The concept part was just strange to me. I mean, there's an entire track of just old people talking. Although the second half is perhaps less cohesive than the first, the individual songs are strong enough to stand on their own as singles. Overall the tone is quiet and wistful, which is not too exciting but is the classic Simon and Garfunkel sound.  I much prefer when they up the tempo, adding musical interest to Paul Simon's clever lyrics.
Favorite Tracks: Mrs. Robinson; A Hazy Shade of Winter; Save the Life of My Child

Zack: My first inclination for this review was to have Emily’s and my own overlap in a beautiful harmony. But then I realized that that may be a bit hard on our readers because our words would be so soothing that when you doubled them up it would just be too much. When I think of Simon and Garfunkel, I think soothing. Well, that, and this clip from an episode of Futurama… Bookends is no exception. It will caress you down into a relaxed state and sing to you beautiful words that mean very little when actually contemplated. One of my favorite quotes of all time is from an interview between Paul Simon and Dick Cavett where Simon explains that the reference of Joe DiMaggio. “It's about syllables, Dick,” he said. “It's about how many beats there are.” The pair would later go on to claim that the shout-out was because they wanted to honor the great DiMaggio for his integrity, but we all know that the real answer is the simple one. Bookends ultimately comes down to simplicity. There is nothing terribly complex about it, and its beauty lies in that fact.

Favorite Tracks: Mrs. Robinson; A Hazy Shade of Winter; Old Friends

#37: John Coltrane - A Love Supreme (1965)

Zack: Well, dearest readers, this is our first recorded experience with the jazz genre so how about we try and make it memorable? There are two perceptions about jazz defined by two very different people: those who think it’s what you hear when you get into an elevator that makes you want to go at the speaker with a crowbar, and those who are casual listeners but wouldn’t say they love jazz. These people, best described by the term “aficionados,” won’t say they “love” jazz because jazz is too cool for emotions of that magnitude. In order to be a true jazz fan, you have to have a slight tinge of ambivalence towards jazz. Otherwise, it just doesn’t work. Once you find a jazz aficionado that matches that description, it is important to find out what their instrument of choice is, for that is the key to unlocking the secret of their true personality. Some people, like my mom, enjoy the saxophone. These people are classy individuals who have a bit of an inner freak. My reason for saying so? Funk music. A lot of the best funk bands around have a prominent saxophone blasting out the most ridiculous noises you’ll ever hear, but still with a smattering of jazz roots in there. If the person is a trumpet fan, watch out! They’re probably very masculine and virile. This dates back to European monarchies where trumpets introduced the king, aka the biggest badass in all the land. Personally, I love when a nice drum solo comes along, especially in the beginning of the track Pursuance of this album (don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten what I was writing about in the first place). People who favor drums in jazz instrumentation like to march to the beat of their own drummer but are still fond of hearing what others' have to say. At this point, you may be wondering what I have based this album analysis/horoscope on. Absolute speculation and nonsense is your answer. But seriously, jazz is a genre that is often thought of as being boring, but everyone should at least try it out and see what they think. This album is perfect for just that. There are plenty of instruments that are all given opportunities to shine, and hopefully one of them will connect with you.

Favorite Tracks: Pursuance; Resolution; Psalm

Emily: ...there's really not much I can say after that. What I liked about this album was the spirit of improvisation. Each instrument feeds off of the others, working together to create a multilayered sound that is the essence of jazz. Since it was recorded live in one session, the listener can truly feel the musicians interacting, organizing, and developing the sound of the album. Though I'm not usually a jazz fan, that feeling made the album exciting to me.

Favorite Tracks: Pursuance; Acknowledgment; Resolution

#36: Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (1980)

Zack: If you want to know what punk is/should be, then you need not look farther than this album. Every single one of the criterion are met. It’s loud, fast, and anti-establishment. Their sound is somewhat a compromise of the punk rock sound of bands like The Ramones with the hardcore punk movement that formed in the 80s. The songs are short, averaging a bit more than two minutes apiece, but they pack those two minutes filled with rebellious goodies. Tracks like Let’s Lynch the Landlord and Stealing People’s Mail carry a sense of anarchy that is to the point of ridiculous, but other songs like When Ya Get Drafted contain a legitimate political message that isn’t lost amongst the cacophony of guitars and drums. The album ends with a punk rendition of Viva Las Vegas, which I took as an illustration of how the music scene has progressed through the years.

Favorite Tracks: Viva Las Vegas; Holiday in Cambodia; California Uber Alles

Emily: Dead Kennedys are punk with a sense of humor. This album doesn't have one cohesive message, which is a good thing. It allows them to vary the tone of the album between over-the-top calls for anarchy (Stealing People's Mail, I Kill Children, Let's Lynch the Landlord), tongue-in-cheek nostalgia (a cover of Elvis's Viva Las Vegas), and more serious political messages. Songs like Kill the Poor, When Ya Get Drafted, and Chemical Warfare are still relevant today, which can either show how progressive the Dead Kennedys were, or how little the country has progressed (but that's a rant for another day). What brings the album together, rather than content, is the sound. Dead Kennedys are classic punk, through-and-through. Through short, fast bursts of guitar-and-drum rage, their message(s) are conveyed with a sense of rage, urgency, and anarchy - the core mission of the punk movement.

Favorite Tracks: Kill the Poor; Viva Las Vegas; California Uber Alles

#35: Michael Jackson - Thriller (1982)

Emily: Thriller is the top-selling album of all time. Not of the '80s, not of pop music, not of Michael Jackson - but the best selling album, period. After a complete listen, it's easy to see why. Michael Jackson was truly a pop showman. He knew exactly what worked to appeal to the widest range of listeners. Thriller is neither a pop album nor an R&B album. Jackson pulls from both genres and many more to create a unique sound anchored by his distinctive, unmistakable falsetto voice. Because of this, its appeal spans across genres, races, cultures, and generations. Thriller is as relevant today as it was in 1982 - it is a quintessential example of pop music at its best.
Favorite Tracks: Billie Jean; Thriller; PYT

Zack: If Michael Jackson was the King of Pop, then Thriller has to be the biggest jewel in his crown. As Emily pointed out, Thriller is the best selling album of all time, but she didn't point out how big of a margin it wins by. It over doubles its nearest competitor. Thriller was and is a cultural phenomenon. Its something that can never be duplicated by an artist whose likes this world will never see again. What made this album really special for me was the fact that we decided to listen to it on vinyl. Listening to any great piece of music is awesome, but getting to do it on vinyl always enhances the experience.
Favorite Tracks: Beat It; Billie Jean; Thriller

#34: The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (1966)

Have you missed us? School kinda took over our lives for the past two weeks. But finals are over and we're back with new reviews!

Zack: It’s not difficult to see why this album is on the list. Pet Sounds is one of the best classic rock bands of all time at their absolute best. Sure, it’s a little off balance as far as subject matter (an old teacher of mine once said that The Beach Boys knew three things and that’s it: surfing, cars, and girls). Every song seems to be a hit love song, but that may just be because the way The Beach Boys construct their songs is so poppy and fun that they all feel like love songs. There are a pair of instrumental tracks that help keep the flow of the album moving as a whole. Let’s Go Away for Awhile and Pet Sounds are both awesome on their own rights. But the best part of the album is, without a doubt, Wouldn’t It Be Nice. It’s just such a perfect example of what The Beach Boys are all about. You put that song and it doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re at, or what your day was like, you’re going to be smiling and bobbing your head and loving every second of it.

Favorite Tracks: Wouldn’t It Be Nice; Here Today, Sloop John B

Emily: The Beach Boys seem simple on the surface, singing pop songs about love, girls, and California, but beneath that pop mentality is complex yet beautiful melody. This really shines through on the instrumental tracks, which to me were two of the best on the album. They have a lush and romantic sound complemented by exotic instruments. This sound is reflected throughout the album, but by no means does that mean every song is the same. Each one is intricately crafted with unique instrumentation, melody, and lyrics - and each could stand on its own as a classic pop single.

Favorite Tracks: Wouldn't It Be Nice, Pet Sounds, God Only Knows

#33: Britney Spears - ...Baby One More Time (1999)

Emily: This album brings back fond memories of being 8 years old and dancing around my bedroom, and of singing and dancing around my dorm room with my roommates ten years later. Either way, this album is nothing more than it claims to be - fun, light, bubblegum pop sung by an innocent(?) 16 year old. The ballads are a bit bland, but the upbeat singles are a lot of fun to sing and dance like a fool to, especially the iconic title track. A hell of a lot has happened to Britney since then, and arguably her music got better, then worse, and then better again, but it's fun to look back at where she started.
Favorite Tracks: ...Baby One More Time, (You Drive Me) Crazy, Deep in My Heart

Zack: Well if we must discuss this album, I suggest we start with the cover. She's so cute but there's a clear gleam of brewing badness in her eye. Big props to everyone involved in that one because I'm a huge fan. Musically, this album is exactly what it says it is going to be: upbeat and poppy. It's pretty heavily sanitized, silly, and shallow, but that's what pop music was in the late 90s and, more or less, what it is like today. Britney is on this list not because of how talented she is but because of how influential she was. This album is arguably the most important of all from the teeny-bopper era and it earns its place because of that.
Favorite Tracks: ...Baby One More Time; (You Drive Me) Crazy; The Beat Goes On