If you consider yourself a true music lover and have a record player in your home the chances are you own most of these records on vinyl already. Of course, the act of collecting records is extremely personal and the perfect vinyl list is impossible to create. However, in the spirit of curation we put together our collection of outstanding albums that all music lovers can appreciate, regardless of your preferences.
We hope you enjoy our list below of 50 albums we consider essential to own on vinyl in no particular order.
Nirvana – Nevermind (Released in 1991)
Nevermind has sold over 30 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. It was responsible in part for bringing both grunge and alternative rock music to a mainstream audience, and has been ranked highly on lists of the greatest and most influential albums of all time, as well as being ranked as the best album of the 1990s, by many publications.
Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain (Released in 1984)
Purple Rain is the sixth studio album from Prince, it is his first album to feature billing of his band, The Revolution. Purple Rain became Prince's first album to reach number one on the Billboard 200.
Critics have noted the innovative ad experimental aspects of the music, the synthesis of electronic elements with organic instrumentation and full-band performances.
Michel Jackson – Thriller (Released in 1982)
Thriller is the best-selling album of all time, with sales of 66 million copies worldwide. Regarding the importance of Thriller, Rolling Stone wrote; "It's hard to imagine the present-day musical landscape without Thriller, which changed the game both sonically and marketwise."
Billy Joel - Cold Spring Harbor (Released in 1971)
A must have for any Long Islander and one of my all-time favorites to listen to growing up!
Cold Spring Harbor was named after a hamlet of the same name in the Town of Huntington, New York. It is located on Long Island Sound near Joel's hometown. The front cover was photographed at Harbor Road in Cold Spring Harbor.
The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds (Released in 1966)
Pet Sounds is regarded by musicologists as an early concept album that advanced the field of music production, introducing non-standard harmonies and timbres, and incorporating elements of pop, jazz, exotica, classical, and the avant-garde.
Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon (Released in 1973)
The Dark Side of the Moon has sold more than 45 million units worldwide and spent 937 weeks on the Billboard 200 - more time than any other release in modern history. It is hailed by critics as one of the of the greatest albums of all time.
Notorious B.I.G. – Ready to Die (Released in 1994)
Ready to Die is the debut studio album by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G.
The partly autobiographical album tells the story of the rapper's experiences as a young criminal, and was the only studio album released during his lifetime.
Dr. Dre - The Chronic (Released in 1992)
The Chronic is the debut studio album by American hip hop producer and rapper Dr. Dre. Dr. Dre’s production has been noted for popularizing the G-funk subgenre within gangsta rap. The Chronic is regarded as one of the most important and influential albums of the 1990s and one of the most well-produced hip hop albums of all time.
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Legend (Released in 1984)
Legend is a greatest hits collection of singles in its original vinyl format and is the best-selling reggae album of all-time.
As of January 2020, it has spent a total of 609 nonconsecutive weeks on the Billboard 200 album chart—the second longest run in history.
The Beatles - Abbey Road (Released in 1969)
Abbey Road was the final Beatles album to be recorded (not released). The iconic album cover photo was taken on the zebra crossing near the entrance of Abbey Road Studios.
Amy Winehouse - Back to Black (Released in 2006)
Back to Black is Amy Winehouse’s second and final album which was influenced by the pop and soul music of the 1960’s girl groups. Winehouse captured the sounds from that time period and blended them with contemporate R&B and neo-soul music, with the help of producers Salaam Remi and Mark Ronson.
Stevie Wonder – Songs in the Key of Life (Released in 1976)
Songs in the Key of Life is often considered a culmination of Stevie Wonder’s “classic period.” Songs in the Key of Life debuted at number one on the Billboard Pop Albums Chart, becoming only the third album to achieve that feat and the first by an American artist at the time.
Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde (Released in 1966)
Blonde on Blonde was rock’s first double album. This album completed the trilogy of rock albums that Dylan recorded in 1965 and 1966, starting with Bringing It All Back Home and Highway 61 Revisited.
Daft Punk - Random Access Memories (Released in 2013)
Random Access Memories pays tribute to late 1970s and early 1980s American music, particularly from Los Angeles.
It became Daft Punk's first album to top the US Billboard 200, and also topped the charts in over twenty-five countries. Its lead single "Get Lucky" was a critical and commercial success.
Fleetwood Mac – Rumours (Released in 1977)
The Rumours studio sessions were marked by hedonism and strife among band members that shaped the album's lyrics. Despite the bands internal issues, Rumours garnered widespread acclaim from critics, with praise centered on its production quality and harmonies. It won Album of the Year at the 20th Grammy Awards and has sold over 40 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time.
John Coltrane – A Love Supreme (Released in 1965)
A Love Supreme was recorded in only one session. It was one of Coltrane's bestselling albums and one of his most critically acclaimed. It is widely to be one of the greatest albums ever recorded.
Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On (Released in 1971
What’s Going On was the first album to credit Marvin Gaye as a producer and the first album to credit Motown’s in-house studio band, the Funk Brothers.
It is a concept album, categorized as a song cycle, with most of its songs segueing into the next and ending with a reprise of the album's opening theme.
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue (Released in 1959)
Kind of Blue is regarded by many critics as the greatest jazz record and one of the best albums of all time. It has influenced music across multiple genres, jazz, rock, classical, and many deem it to be the most influential albums ever recorded.
Paul Simon – Graceland (Released in 1986)
Graceland was created after Simon became fascinated by a bootleg cassette of South African township music. It features a mixture of pop, rock, a cappella, zydeco, isicathamiya, and mbaqanga. He collaborated with African and American artists and following its completion, toured alongside South African musicians, combining their music and the music of Graceland.
Van Morrison – Moondance (Released in 1970)
Moon Dance helped establish Morrison as a major artist in popular music. Personal favorites on the album include “Moondance”, “Crazy Love”, and “And it Stoned Me.”
Paul Loren – Paul Loren is Available (The songs of Sammy Cahn & Jimmy Van Heusen)
Full Disclosure, Paul is one of my dearest friends and the flagship artist of Lakeside Management Group. However, this album stands on its own and showcases Paul’s modern versions of classic songs in his own leisurely and soulful way. www.paulloren.com
The Strokes – Is This It (Released in 2001)
Is This It is the debut studio album by the Strokes. The band strived to capture a simple sound that was not significantly enhanced in the studio. The album's original cover photograph caused controversy for being too sexually explicit, and was replaced for the US market.
Garth Brooks – No Fences (Released in 1990)
No Fences is the first country album I bought when it was released and is Brook’s best-selling studio album to date which solidified him an international super-star.
The Beatles – Revolver (Released in 1966)
Revolver was the final recording project before The Beatles retirement as live performers. It is considered by many to be their finest work due to band’s creativity and inspiration including “Eleanor Rigby” and “Yellow Submarine.”
The Clash – London Calling (Released in 1979 in England and 1980 in US)
London Calling reflects The Clash’s interest in styles beyond Punk, it includes elements of reggae, rockabilly, ska, New Orleans R&B, pop, lounge jazz, and hard rock.
The album was a top ten chart success in the UK, and its lead single "London Calling" was a top 20 single.
N.W.A. – Straight Outta Compton (Released in 1988)
Straight Outta Compton was N.W.A’s debut album and viewed by many as the pioneering record of gangsta rap. The production for album was done by Dr. Dre and DJ Yella.
Nas – Illmatic (Released in 1994)
Illmatic was the debut album by Nas and it received rave reviews from most music critics, who praised its production and Nas' lyricism, it is a landmark album in east coast hip hop.
Jay-Z – The Blueprint (Released in 2001)
The Blueeprint is produced by Kanye West, Just Blaze, Bink, Timbaland, Trackmasters and Eminem. This was JAy-Z’s 6th studio album which debuted at #1 in US and held spot for 3 weeks.
Kanye West - The College Dropout (Released in 2004)
The College Drop Out won Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. Hit singles include: “Through the Wire”, “Slow Jamz”, “All Falls Down”, “Jesus Walks”, “The New Workout Plan.”
Taylor Swift – 1989 (Released in 2014)
1989 was executive produced by Max Martin and Taylor Swift along with help from Shellback, Ryan Tedder and Jack Antonoff.
Grammy Awards include Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal making Swift the first female solo artist to win the former category twice. First week sales for the album were1.287 million.
This album included 7 hit singles: “Shake It Off”, “Blank Space”, “Style”, “Bad Blood”, Wildest Dreams”, “Out of the Woods”, “New Romantics”
Miles Davis – Bitches Brew (Released in 1970)
Bitches Brew marked Davis’ continuing experimentation with electric instruments, he rejected traditional jazz rhythms in favor of loose, rock-influenced arrangements based on improvisation.
The album initially received a mixed response, due to its unconventional style and experimental sound but in subsequent years, Bitches Brew gained recognition as one of jazz's greatest albums.
Nina Simone - Wild Is The Wind (Released in 1996)
Wild Is the Wind is Nina Simone’s sixth album and is compiled from several recordings that were left over from sessions for previous albums.
Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited (Released in 1965)
Highway 61 Revisited is named after the American highway that connects Dylan’s birthplace to southern cities famed for their musical heritage. Highway 61 runs 1400 miles generally along the Mississippi River from Minnesota all the way down through Louisiana.
Johnny Cash – 16 Biggest Hits (Released in 1999)
16 Biggest Hits is a compilation album that contains 8 of Cash’s 13 #1 country hits and has sold more than 3 million copies in the US alone.
Elton John- The Very Best of Elton John (Released in 1990)
The Very Best of Elton John is a compilation of his greatest hits from 1970 to 1989. It was never released in the US.
Hank Williams - 40 Greatest Hits (Released in 1978)
40 Greatest Hits is a two-record greatest hits compilation by Hank Williams. This is considered to be the best-selling record of his career.
Etta James – Tell Mama (Released in 1968)
Tell Mama was produced by Rick Hall at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. It contained her first Top 10 R&B hits since 1964 – “Tell Mama” and "Security".
Aerosmith – Get A Grip (Released in 1993)
Get A Grip is Aerosmith’s most successful studio album. Selling over 20 million copies and becoming the bands first album to reach number one in the US.
The Doors – The Doors (Released in 1967)
The Doors was The Doors debut album featuring “Light My Fire”, “Break On Through (To the Other Side)” and “The End.” It is considered central to the progression of psychedelic rock.
Carole King – Tapestry (Released in 1971)
Tapestry was King’s second studio album and one of the best-selling albums of all time, with over 25 million copies sold worldwide.
Simon and Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits (Released in 1972)
Simon and Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits was the first compilation from duo two years after they split. The album is a mix of original studio recordings and four previously unreleased live recordings.
Maroon 5 – Songs About Jane (Released in 2002)
Songs About Jane was Maroon 5’s debut studio album. Prior to this they were known as post grunge band, Kara’s Flowers. The majority of the tracks and lyrics were inspired by Adam Levin’s ex-girlfriend, Jane.
Gloria Gaynor – Love Tracks (Released in 1978)
Love Tracks includes Gloria’s #1 hit “I Will Survive”. Her most recent release is a Gospel album titles “Testimony” which she won a Grammy for earlier this year.
Anita Baker – Rapture (Released in 1986)
Rapture won 2 Grammy Awards including Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for “Rapture” and Best R&B Song for “Sweet Love.”
Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced (Released in 1967)
Are You Experienced was the debut studio album from the Jimi Hendrix Experience. The album features Jimi Hendrix's innovative approach to songwriting and electric guitar playing which soon established a new direction in psychedelic and hard rock music.
We The Kings – We The Kings (Released in 2007)
The self-titled debut album which included platinum single “Check Yes Juliet”. Another personal favorite and a band that is near and dear to my heart!
Whitney Houston – Whitney (Released in 1987)
Whitney Houston was the first woman to debut at #1 on US Billboard Top 200 Album Chart.
First 4 singles off Whitney peaked at #1 on Billboard Hot 100, along with three #1s off previous album gave her 7 consecutive #1 hits, surpassing the Beatles and the Bee Gees.
Elvis Presley – For LP Fans Only (Released in 1958)
For LP Fans Only is a compilation album of previously released tracks, although so hard to find, released during his absence while serving in the military.
The Ronettes – Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica (Released in 1964)
Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica was the only studio album from The Ronettes and produced by Phil Spector. Original vinyl copies of the album are rare and change hands for hundreds of dollars.
Linda Ronstadt – The Very Best of Linda Ronstadt (Released in 2002)
The Very Best of Linda Ronstadt is a hits compilation album that stayed on Billboard’s Country albums chart for well over a year.