1. Gary Numan - The Pleasure Principle (1980)

Gary Numan bravely ditched his Tubeway Army band name quickly after the successful ‘Replicas’ and went solo with this next release ‘The Pleasure Principal’ just a few months later. He remained at the cutting edge of synth musical development in this era, incorporating with this album a heavy use of the viola and piano sound. The release of ‘Cars’, which largely remains his most famous single, instantly put him back at the top of the charts. The album is full of sweeping moods, the use of the moog synthesiser defines this album, which is regarded highly now as groundbreaking music from the early 1980’s that defined a generation of bands that was to come. If anything it still remains a pretty unique sounding album that will completely fill the room with soaring layered chords and deep bass rhythms overlaid electronic keyboard effects.

2. Kate Bush - Aerial (2005)

Kate Bush returned 12 years after the release of ‘Red Shoes’ to craft a spectacular double album called ‘Aerial’ This album contains an impressive variety of musical styles from the beautiful solo piano pieces of ‘A Coral Room’ more electronic rhythmic styles of the single ‘King Of The Mountain’. Darker brooding pieces are found in ‘How To Be Invisible’, and the war inspired ‘Joanni’ which is extremely atmospheric. The second disk is another of Kate’s conceptual journeys, this time from dusk to dawn with a bird chorus theme. Its smooth jazz inflected layers of bass rhythms, piano, intricate guitar work and beautiful vocals are amazing, and effectively joins a number of songs into one piece of music. There is a lovely ambiance to this second disk of the album that is simply beautiful to listen to. The cover and booklet are extremely well put together and ooze quality.

3. Genesis - A Trick Of The Tail (1976)

‘A Trick Of The Tail’ is the most beautiful of the Genesis albums, with a slightly softer approach to many of their previous albums and a musical style that remains enthrallingly atmospheric and acoustically intricate throughout, with many standout tracks. The guitar work on ‘Entangled’ is quite outstanding and the soaring melody of ‘Ripples’ define this record as one of the greatest. There are many quaint stories told including ‘Squonk’, a mythical creature who when captured dissolves itself into tears, and ‘Robbery, Assault, and Battery’ a more light-hearted song about a burglar. The lengthy track ‘Mad Mad Moon’ is stunning and is one of my favourite tracks of all time. The excellent cover illustrations capture images from the songs themselves and all helps to draw the album together as a whole to make it a well thought through concept.

4. Tubeway Army - Replicas (1979)

Tubeway Army fronted by Gary Numan provided a new dark and engaging synthesizer sound with their second album ‘Replicas’, capturing dark sci-fi story elements and translating them into haunting tracks that linked into a clever cover design. Emerging from their more punk orientated debut, the collection of songs mixes upbeat keyboard tracks such as ‘Me I Disconnect From You’, with more moody and dark hits such as the classic off-key ‘Are Friends Electric?’ and the sinister ‘Down In The Park’. There are also heavier rock guitar led tracks including ‘You Are In My Vision’ and then two great instrumentals to finish. Its synthesiser usage was a groundbreaking new musical direction which spawned many bands of the early 80’s, and Gary Numan was indeed the pioneer of a new electronic era. This album can still give me goosebumps when I play it.

5. Depeche Mode - Ultra (1997)

Depeche Mode matured gradually and progressively from their early 80’s teenage pop beginnings before paving the way for their best period of songwriting which included the popular ‘Violator’, the more menacing ‘Songs Of Faith & Devotion’ and the stylish ‘Ultra’. There is something more mature, varied and interesting about ‘Ultra’, with a greater use of guitar rifts and even an uplifting orchestral arrangement. The singles ‘Barrel Of A Gun’ and ‘Its No Good’ are elaborate, edgy and almost gothic in style, but alongside this are the orchestral strings of ‘Home’, the softer sung ‘Sister Of Night’ and the almost country style of ‘Freestate’. Interspersed through the album are two instrumental tracks ‘Uselink’ and ‘Jazz Thieves’ in a throwback to their early releases. The whole album stands out as well conceived, hard edged and intricate.

6. Kate Bush - Never For Ever (1980)

Never for Ever was the third Kate Bush album and was the first record by a female British artist to top the UK album chart. It is much more diverse than her previous offerings, and was her first to be composed on synthesizers and drum machines as opposed to piano and orchestra, in particular she used the Fairlight CMI. Her variety and storytelling came to the fore in this album with a waltz style hit singles ’Army Dreamers’, and the famous ‘Babooshka’ relating the feelings of a wife who seeks to test her husbands fidelity. ‘Breathing’ is a much darker and deeper track about a nuclear holocaust from the perspective of a fetus that knows it is about to die. It is both haunting and involving. This album was more creative and unusual in its composition with greater use of different instruments including orchestral backgrounds. It remains one of her best.

7. David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust (1972)

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars is an absolute masterpiece of rock and roll music. It opens with a wonderful build up track called ‘Five Years’ and progresses through some dramatic soaring electric guitar numbers including the excellent ‘Moonage Daydream’ and ‘It Aint Easy’ onto the strings of the classic single ‘Starman’, with faster paced rock numbers like ‘Suffragette City’. The way it is sung is distinctive and captivating in true Bowie style, and the storyline concept here helps to round this into a creative concept. As a latecomer to early 70’s music, this album was a revelation and gave me a whole new perspective on my actual preferred music taste.  Other great Bowie albums for me include ‘Hunky Dory’ and ‘ Station To Station’.

8. Fleetwood Mac - Rumours (1977)

Fleetwood Mac, one of the all time great bands of the 70’s had a number of changes to their line up over the years, but peaked with two albums in the mid 70’s, the self titled ‘Fleetwood Mac’ and ‘Rumours’. The latter is hailed as one of the all time greatest and it is clear that the band were at the peak of their writing skills when they crafted this masterpiece. Penned by various of band members it is packed full of hit single level material with guitar work and rhythms that are simply excellent and with a real depth of intricacy to the musical layers. The most popular tracks include ‘Dreams’, ‘Don’t Stop’ and ‘Go Your Own Way’ but many others are instantly recognisable. The 2004 deluxe edition is an amazingly clear re-mastered recording and also has a superb band history write up in the booklet. It is a highly recommended edition of a classic album.

9. The Beatles - Abbey Road (1969)

It took me far too long to get around to buying and listening to this album, and only the recent remastering project encouraged me to try it. This was however another relevation for me easily showcasing why this band is still so revered and popular today. This is almost flawless, a perfect mix of pop and rock with many simply excellent tracks. On the pop side of things you get ‘Maxwells Silver Hammer’, ‘Octopus’ Garden’ and ‘Here Comes The Sun’ and the more prevailant rock style includes two of my favourite ever Beatles tracks ‘Come Together’ and the long track ‘I Want You (She’s So Heavy)’. The first 9 tracks represent a more standard length album approach, followed by a series of shorter peices which for the most part combine together as a whole. This is an awesome record and is my favourite Beatles album.

10. Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic (1974)

Since i properly discovered Steely Dan in 2000 (a little late i know) they have quickly emerged as one of my favourite bands. Their blend of rock, pop and jazz makes for a superb listen and their musicianship for its time is simply amazing. Pretzel Logic was their 3rd album, with generally shorter tracks than usual but every one of them is a winner here, with great hooks, witty wordplay and lovely solo instrumentals. Each track is layered using different instruments that blend superbly and the overall production quality is excellent. The most famous single is ‘Rikki Dont Lose That Number’ but this is a complete star quality album with many great songs including ‘Barrytown’, the double drumming on ‘Parkers Band’ and the excellent Duke Ellington intrumental cover ‘East St. Louis Toodle-Oo. Also this grows better the more that you listen to it.

11. Gary Numan - Telekon (1980)

‘Telekon’ remains Gary Numan’s most intricate and musically detailed work, a dark and moody synthesiser sound that reflected his disillusionment in the pressure of being famous. It has haunting melodies and engaging sounds which merge into beautiful but often sombre songs. The release deliberately gave fans extra value by leaving the hit singles ‘We Are Glass’ and ‘I Die You Die’ off the original LP release to create space for more new tracks. This artist remains unique and groundbreaking, I certainly have never found an album that sounds similar to this one, with standout tracks that include the electric themed detail of ‘I Dream Of Wires’ alongside the soaring chords of ‘The Aircrash Bureau’, which was written out of his love for flying planes. A change of musical direction and sound begun just after this release with his next release ‘Dance’..

12. Kate Bush - Hounds Of Love (1985)

Kate Bush is a creative genius, writing groundbreaking music and creating fabulous stories with real emotion through her lyrics. The release of her 4th album was ‘Hounds of Love’ and was greeted with critical acclaim. Side one is an exhilarating song collection, from the haunting and successful single ‘Running Up That Hill’ to the layered heavy drum rhythms of ‘Hounds of Love’ and ‘The Big Sky’ and including the immense orchestral arrangement and storyline of ‘Cloudbusting’. Side two is more conceptial called ‘The Ninth Wave’ intertwining amazing vocal sounds and lyrical imagery that takes you on a journey through the consciousness of man who is near death. Musically this moves swiftly from soft and beautiful to dramatic and haunting, and is a fantastic and involving achievement, packed with variety and clever twists and turns.

13. Genesis - And Then There Were Three (1978)

Following the departure of Steve Hackett from Genesis, the 3 remaining band members Banks / Collins / Rutherford (hence the title) wrote slightly shorter and more accessible mainstream tracks for this album which included their most successful top 3 hit single up to that time in ‘Follow You Follow Me’. Included are excellent slower heartfelt tracks ‘Many Too Many’ and the rhythmic ‘Snowbound’, and the album has an overall consistent ambiance and moody quality. There is an amzing series of tracks to chill out to from The fantasy setting of ‘Scenes From A Nightsdream’, to the ballad ‘Say Its Alright Joe’ and ‘The Lady Lies’ sandwiched between the more famous single style releases of ‘Many too Many’ and ‘Follow You Follow Me’. My introduction to Genesis with this album leaves this 70’s era to be my favourite period for the band.

14. Depeche Mode - Songs of Faith & Devotion (1993)

‘Songs of Faith & Devotion’ was the follow up to the critically acclaimed ‘Violator’, and a brave change of direction into a dark and more menacing period only touched upon before in ‘Black Celebration’. This is a powerful album as ‘I Feel You’ and ‘Walking In My Shoes’ blast out a dramatic opening. Martin Gore not only upped the aggression here using Gahan’s vocals, but he also added more use of variable sounds and effects to increase the depth of tracks. The track ’Judas’ is an amazing piece of work where the track lingers on after the vocals into a further two minutes of music with an Indian undercurrent that carries you away. Lyrically this is one of their best, offering spiritual insight and questions about faith and religion. This album was at the core of a great era for Depeche Mode, a darker place that was much starker and more cleverly conceived.

15. Depeche Mode - Violator (1990)

Depeche Mode became a worldwide sensation with the release of ‘Violator’ in 1990, a significant step above anything else they had produced before, and acknowledged in the industry as an all time great electronic album release. With strong baselines, a more dance orientated feel underlines much of this album. ‘World in my Eyes’, ‘Halo’ and ‘Policy of Truth’ are very upbeat, but in between these are slower and more intricate laid back tracks of ‘Sweetest Perfection’ and ‘Waiting for the Night’. The two most recognisable singles are ‘Personal Jesus’ and the immense ‘Enjoy the Silence’, the latter recognised as one of the greatest singles ever released. The orchestral ‘Clean’ is an outstanding end to the composition. It remains a defining moment for this band, and was a launchpad for their darker writing period to come over their next two releases.

16. Duffy - Rockferry (2008)

Duffy is a Welsh singer and a newcomer in 2008, along with hype for once justified with this album ‘Rockferry’. The music throws you back to the 60’s with edges of Motown and Blues and comparisons to Dusty Springfield and Sandie Shaw. The album blends in soft and sensual vocals with some wonderful orchestral string arrangements. ‘Mercy’ is the most uptempo track and was the high profile single and very much Motown in its direction. The debut single ‘Rockferry’ is more soulful and soaring musically with a neat guitar introduction near the end. This album is relaxing, beautiful and has so many great tracks. A deluxe version adds in 7 new tracks, all very much in keeping with the style of the original release and pretty much makes this a double album. My only complaint is that some tracks faded out a little too quick when I was keen for the music to linger on.

17. Peter Gabriel - So (1986)

Peter Gabriel was destined to release a really classic album, and ‘So’ is a deep bass driven composition that quickly grabbed its place amongst the greats. The two most uplifting and up-tempo tracks ‘Sledgehammer’ and ‘Big’ are well known singles, but alongside these lie the equally convincing and slightly more evocative tempos of ‘Red Rain’, ‘In Your Eyes’ and ‘That Voice Again’. Two tracks have guest vocalists, the softness of Kate Bush on the heart-wrenching ‘Don’t Give Up’ is arguably the more heartfelt duet ever recorded, and the more exploratory half spoken/sung ‘This Is The Picture’ with Laurie Anderson is amazing. Everything here is still topped by the thoughtful and laid back beauty of ‘Mercy Street’. The music on this album also doesn’t fade out too quickly after the vocals, allowing you to drift along and enjoy each track far more.

18. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (1975)

To follow up a release to ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’ was always going to be tough, but Pink Floyd arguably exceeded it with ‘Wish You Were Here’. This album is bookended by parts 1 and 2  of ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’ making is more an extensive piece of music than a casual collection of different songs. The lengthy opening has become recognisable as one of the all time great intros. The music here is at times relaxing, sometimes exhilirating and very involving. It is music to sit back, absorb and let it take you on a journey in your mind, and is written i feel to be listened to completely in one sitting despite it being separated into 6 tracks. This is definitely a classic album, and really doesnt seem to age either. Match that with a very cool cover and you have another something which really deserves to be rated so highly by so many people.

19. Orchestral Manoeuvers In The Dark - Architecture & Morality (1981)

OMD are one of the greatest early synthesizer bands of 80’s, with their early and more adventurous albums being the most enjoyable. The third album stands out as an exceptional creation, ‘Architecture & Morality’ is a somber affair, drawing you in with brooding sounds and creative musical journeys. The upbeat tracks ‘Georgia’ and elaborate drum layers of ‘Maid of Orleans’ are a stark contrast to the soulful ‘She’s Leaving’ and ‘Souvenir’. The more creative pieces such as ‘The New Stone Age’, the 8 minute meandering build up track ‘Sealand’ and the closing melodic ‘The Beginning And The End’ are really well created, and take unexpected directions. The cover is appealing, and has appeared in many different colours from the light green original LP, to the original blue CD in the mid 80’s and now the yellow/orange of the excellent remastered edition.

20. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I (1969)

Led Zeppelin are an iconic group, regarded under the heavy metal umberella which undersells the variety of their music. With Jimmy Page and Robert Plant in the line up most of their albums are special and usually the choice album is Led Zeppelin IV which includes the classic ‘Stairway to Heaven’. However their debut album whilst being less polished is the one that stands out as so impressive. It enjoys a real mix of styles from rock, blues to folk and even has an early touch of punk in evidence. Its use of the strong lead guitar rifts to drive the tracks was groundbreaking and the layered guitar effects are excellent. In particular the rhythmic bass guitars on ‘Babe I’m Gonna Leave You’ and the closing epic ‘How Many More Times’ are a stunning listen. They have many great albums to their name but this was has the greatest variety and ambition.

21. Genesis - Wind & Wuthering (1976)

This is another epic storytelling album from Genesis prior to the departure of Hackett, with epic tracks such as the ten minute epic ‘Eleventh Earl of Mar’ and the creative storyline of ‘One for the Vine’ following a progressing rock style with changing musical arcs and great lyrics. ‘Your Own Special Way’ is the first romantic ballad for Genesis and marked a great many that would subsequently follow under the pen of Phil Collins. ‘Wot Gorilla’ and ‘All in a Mouse’s Night’ carry a more humourus nature, the latter telling an insightful story from a mouse’s perspecive. ‘Blood On The Rooftops’ is another moving piece of music before launching into a superb classical guitar driven style which then leads into ‘Unquiet Slumber for the Sleepers’. This is another beautiful Genesis album containing so much musical variation with superbly crafted music to sit back and admire.

22. Orchestral Manoeuvers In The Dark - Crush (1985)

After a string of great early albums Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark moved closer towards more mainstream popular songs with ‘Crush’, mixing a slightly harder edge at times with some great hit singles such as ‘So In Love’, ‘Secret’ and ‘La Femme Accident’. This album’s more edgy tracks include the amusing ‘Block Block Block’, the lovely lilting vocals of ‘Women III’, and the more aggressive sounds of ’88 Seconds In Greensborough’ and ‘Native Daughters Of The Golden West’. Two other tracks ‘Crush’ and ‘Lights Are Going Out’ are less like pop songs in their content and reminisce in style to earlier albums where the group try something a little different, with sound effects and repeated vocals mixing together. This is a great album, and probably the last true classic from OMD although ‘Pacific Age and ‘Sugar Tax’ are both worth seeking out as well.

23. Ultravox - Rage In Eden  (1981)

Rage In Eden was the second album following the recruitment of Midge Ure as lead singer, and the follow-up to the classic ‘Vienna’. This was Ultravox’s finest moment, the programmed heavy synthesizer baseline running throughout this record, overlaid with soaring chords and extra drums rhythms is exceptional. It is a consistent and ambitious piece, all the tracks fit together well alongside each other and at times run blended into each other. ‘The Voice’ and ‘The Thin Wall’ were both singles and are true masterpieces, both lengthy and engaging. There are also a couple of slower more unusual and haunting tracks on the album. The cover art symbol is a neat idea, and has appeared in different forms over the years. Rage In Eden is often the forgotten album by Ultravox, but I believe it is their best and is now released as a 2 disk deluxe remaster.

24. Visage - The Anvil (1982)

Visage was a New Romantic band formed in 1978 combining Steve Strange with amongst others the Ultravox members Midge Ure and Billy Currie. Their great opening album ‘Visage’ contained the famous single ‘Fade to Grey’, but their follow up album ‘The Anvil’ truly stands out as one of the best. It contains a rhythmic undercurrent feel from Ultravox but has much more of a dance mix initiated by Steve Strange’s nightclub roots. All but one track is upbeat, with the final track ‘Whispers’ a soft keyboard instrumental with a slow build up. The best tracks include ‘Damned Don’t Cry’, ‘The Anvil’, ‘Night Train, ‘The Horseman’ and ‘Look What They’ve Done’. The original cover is excellent with its black and white photo surrounded by a matt black textured border and neat title font is a treat. This is a defining album from the New Romantics genre.

25. Gary Numan - Dance (1981)

Gary Numan turned to the ex Japan bass player Mick Karn to layer this record with a fretless base sound beneath his complex synthesizer rhythms, and added a splash of saxophone too. This album wrongly received criticism on its release as Numan moved away from his chart success style to make new music the way he wanted. As a result this release now stands the test of time well, and has two tracks approaching 10 minutes long in ‘Slowcar To China’ and ‘Cry The Clock Said’ which standing out as amazingly involving and clever pieces. The main single ‘She’s Got Claws’ did make a good chart run, and the drum driven track ‘Crash’ and keyboard turkish styled ‘Stories’ show that he had not lost his touch in creating short tuneful songs. ‘Stormtrooper In Drag’ is a now added extra track to the CD which became a most popular live track with fans.

26. Van Morrison - Moondance (1970)

The follow up to the highly regarded ‘Astral Weeks’ album was ’Moondance’ a jazz inflected and swinging rock album which is packed full of excellent tracks which keep your feet tapping gently along to the soulfull vocals and superb melodies. The host of great songs include ‘And It Stoned Me’, ‘Moondance’, ‘Caravan’, ‘Into The Mystic and ‘Brand New Day’ but this is an album you can play right through without ever flinching. The musical arrangements are lovely and include touches of saxaphone, flute, jazz piano, female backing vocals and a choir. Lyrically this a strong and poetic and times too. Overall this is a beautifully blended album and very catchy with many melodies that stick in your head long after they are played. This a more mainstream easy listen that ‘Astral Weeks’ and is my preferred one.

27. Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells A Story (1971)

Whilst the late 70’s releases from Rod Stewart have been far more familiar to me over the years starting with ‘Do You Think I’m Sexy’, it is an early album release ‘Every Picture Tells A Story’ that has become a recent firm favourite. This is a blend of rock and roll, mixed with some excellent acoustic instrumentation and a small dash of country here and there. At its core are the back to back masterpieces of ‘Maggie May’ and ‘Mandonlin Wind’ which form a stunning musical listen and these are supported by the more all out rock numbers of the title track and ‘I Know Im Losing You’. This album also contains surprises with great instrumental interludes including an arrangement of ‘Amazing Grace’ at the end of the track ‘That’s All Right’. His follow up album ‘Never A Dull Moment’ is also worth a listen but this is by far his best release.

28. Kate Bush - Lionheart (1978)

Lionheart is often the overlooked Kate Bush album, but its striking LP fatefold cover is worth a second chance on its own. Give it a chance and you may be completely drawn in to its melodies during a late night listen.  What is really great about this album is the way it flows together and centres around her vocals and piano playing skills. At times it is just beautiful, ‘In Search Of Peter Pan’ and ‘Oh England My Lionheart’, and then sexy ‘Symphony In Blue’ or expansive ‘Wow’ and then also haunting ‘Hammer Horror’. It also has upbeat moments like ‘Dont Push Your Foot On The Heartbrake’ and ‘Fullhouse’. ‘In The Warm Room’ is a sensual masterpiece. The sum of all the parts to this album make it so much more enjoyable and it becomes a great album to chill out and unwind to. As only her 2nd release this one is perhaps more mature than expected.

29. Bryan Ferry - Boys and Girls (1985)

Bryan Ferry emerged from the already massively successful Roxy Music into a solo career which began with the album ‘Boys and Girls’. It continued the direction of Roxy Music’s final album ‘Avalon’ which incedently is also quite brilliant, world of the smooth chill out rhythmic experience. The singles released were ‘Dont Stop The Dance’ and ‘Slave To Love’ but musically the whole album is quite excellent with orchestral overtones and many layers and textures which create a soundscape to become completely emersed into. This is definately a cool album with neat cover pictures which set the scene perfectly into a sensual, laid back and extremely satifying experience. Follow up albums never quite matched up to ‘Boys and Girls’ although ‘Mamouna’ is definately worth seeking out and is the closest match to this release.

30. Eagles - Hotel California (1976)

The Eagles had their biggest album success in 1976 with ‘Hotel California’, the title track also becoming one of the all time classic singles. This album was put together over the course of two years as the follow up to ‘One Of These Nights’ and it is full of fabulous songs spawning 3 hit singles including the opening three tracks starting with the most famous and followed by ‘Life In The Fast Lane’ and ‘New Kid In Town’. The closing track is another epic over 7 minutes long called ‘The Last Resort’. The album contains variety with a mix of rock, blues and a little country with guitars overlaying electric and acoustic and with occasional orchestral themes. This is one of great 70’s albums and one which i am only now beginning to really appreciate.

31. Sarah Slean - The Baroness (2008)

Sarah Slean is a Canadian singer songwriter who is little known in the UK, which is a real shame given her amazing talent. Her vocals are sweet and enticing, and at times simply quite beautiful. She has released around 4 albums/ep’s prior to The Baroness in 2008, but it is this latest album that really caught my attention and stands well above her previous releases. A superbly produced and lyrically strong record which is recorded with a band and whilst piano led contains a range of instruments which also at times include some lovely orchestral strings. The whole album is exceptional, although only a few tracks are faster paced ‘Euphoria’, ‘Sound Of Water’ and ‘So Many Miles’. Some of the slower tracks are breathtaking and emotionally charged ‘Shadowland’ and ‘Looking For Someone’. One of my favourite discoveries last year.

32. Electric Light Orchestra - Discovery (1979)

The Electric Light Orchestra spearheaded by Jeff Lynn uniquely blends modern style pop songs with classical orchestral overtones. ‘Discovery’ has a slightly more disco orientation compared to their previous releases particularly with the uptempo ‘Shine A Little Light’ and ‘Last Train To London’. There are a selection of slower and more thoughtful tracks ‘Confusion’, ‘Midnight Blue’ and ‘Wishing’ and a lighthearted story tale in ‘Diary Of Horace Wimp’. The album concludes with a new wave thumping beat of ‘Don’t Bring Me Down’. There is no weak track here and the remastered sound is quite superb really bringing the wonderful string arrangements to life. Topped of with a really neat Arabian Knights theme to the album cover, this is a beautiful album standing up well against their other great releases ‘A New World Record’ and ‘Out Of The Blue’.

33. Ultravox - Vienna  (1980)

This was the first album by Ultravox following the arrival of Midge Ure, and is generally speaking an up-tempo synthesizer album. ‘Astradyne’ is the opening 7 minute instrumental, a fabulous start which is quickly followed by a series of fast paced tracks including the excellent ‘New Europeans’ and ‘Sleepwalk’. The variation kicks in later on with the more repetitive basslines of the classic single ‘Vienna’ and the intruiging ‘Mr X’ both overlaid with intermittent chords and strong vocals. The closing track ‘All Stood Still’ is another great fast paced track with a rock style to it. Extra tracks on the latest release include ‘Alles Klar’ which is a great build up track in the vein of ‘Mr X’ and originally a ‘B’ side to ‘All Stood Still’. This is another classic 1980’s album, and is the one that brought Ultravox their biggest success.

34. Dusty Springfield - Dusty In Memphis (1969)

One of the greatest female vocals of the 60’s, Dusty Springfield’s Memphis album has grown in reputation over the years, after being somewhat overlooked at the time of its release. Containing superb Atlantic records production and beautiful instrumental arrangements backing Dusty’s smooth and soulful vocals, this is really lovely album. ‘Son Of A Preacher Man’ is the most successful track of course, but here everything is just gorgeous and well presented with other classics including ‘Windmills Of Your Mind’ and ‘Breakfast In Bed’. The version of this album to buy is the Rhino remastered edition (pictured) as it contains 14 extra tracks from another Atlantic session which accompany the original eleven album tracks. This is one of the smoothest albums of all time to chill out to.

35. Genesis - Selling England By The Pound (1973)

The greatest progessive rock album, featuring Peter Gabriel on vocals and the excellent guitar work from Steve Hackett. An excellent album cover depicting scenes from within the songs binds the composition together nicely. This is one of the best Genesis albums, a mixture of short and long tracks, ranging from quiet acoustic pieces to full blown extravaganza with guitars, piano and synths underpinned by Collins’ drumming. The longer epics include ‘Battle of Epping Forest’ and ‘Firth of Fifth’ which opens with an amazing baroque piano piece from Tony Banks. Lyrically the songs paint pictures and tell stories in Genesis’ unique fashion complete with splashes of humour. It takes some concentrated listening at times but this is a  masterpiece which is musically strong and varied.

36. The Skids - The Absolute Game (1980)

Emerging out of the punk era, Stuart Adamson and Richard Dobson formed the backbone of an energetic band called The Skids introduced via a great debut single ‘Into The Valley’ in the late 70’s. Their 3rd album was ‘Absolute Game’ which is the most well rounded of them all with soaring guitar solos and anthemic chorus lines. Dobson’s lyrics are strong, and the lead guitar work from Adamson is quite brilliant with drumming varied and layered. Stand out tracks include ‘Circus Games’ where children’s vocals overlayed the chorus line, the more aggressive and punk edged ‘Out of Town’, and then ‘Women In Winter’ with its superb guitar solo. Captain Oi records have remastered and re-released this CD in 2008 and the quality is fantastic, not just the sound but the package with an involving booklet including write up notes, full lyrics and images of the singles covers.

37. Gary Numan - Jagged (2006)

Gary Numan after his groundbreaking early releases has re-emerged with a darker, harder sound following up ‘Pure’ released in 2000, to the now the highly acclaimed ‘Jagged’ which officially restored him to his creative peak. ‘Jagged’ is much heavier album, a deeper bass synth and guitar thunders through many tracks with a terminator style effect, overlaid with many layers of interesting sounds, noises and rhythms and with catchy anthemic style repeated chorus lines. All the tracks are detailed and layered, some are inspired and while ‘Halo’ is more single in its style, ‘In A Dark Place’ was actually released. ‘Slave’ is one of the more varied, clever and intricate songs. ‘Haunted’ overlays real drums to add more depth to the track, and the whispered scaryness of the title track ‘Jagged’ is truly astonishing. This is great to listen to on good quality headphones.

38. 10cc - Deceptive Bends (1977)

10cc are one of those groups that have released a host of really popular singles such as the amazing ‘Im Not In Love’ and the musical ‘Wall Street Shuffle’, while their albums are more of an aquired taste. Often they are indulgent, slightly weird and humerous. Having worked through their back catalogue, it is ‘Deceptive Bends’ that stands out as their greatest, oddly perhaps as this was after the influencial Godley & Cream had left the band to Stewart & Gouldman. ‘Depective Bends’ is 10cc at their most listenable as an album from start to finish, full of great hooks and melodies, and with less emphasis on pushing the boundaries. This is a safer listen for sure, but a much more enjoyable one and the 11 minute closer ‘Feel The Benefit’ is superb. It also has a really neat cover too.

40. Chris Rea - On The Beach (1986)

’On The Beach’ has always been a favourite album of mine, and drifts in and out of my top list from the time to time. This is a melodic, almost laid back album, and always seem right to be played on a summers evening. With great flowing tracks from the opening trio ‘One the Beach’, ‘Little Blonde Plaits’ and ‘Giverny’, Chris Rea doesn’t hold back on the music, continuing tracks well after the vocals are over, such as on ‘It’s All Gone’ and ‘Just Passing Through’. Numberous instruments take centre stage during the album including saxaphone and a typical 80’s keyboard sound. The band play superbly on this album and make it a treat to listen to. My recent high regard for this release has been rekindled after i picked up a replacement LP copy to play on my Rega turntable, and it certainly didn’t dissappoint. Also catch his album ‘The Road To Hell’ which is almost as good.

37. Simple Minds - New Gold Dream (1982)

Simple Minds were formed in 1977 by lead singer Jim Kerr, but it was not until their 5th album ‘New Gold Dream’ that they were lifted from relative obscurity into mainstream chart success. It is critically considered their best work backing onto the New Romantic movement this is a mix of vocal and instrumental songs driven by layered guitars and synthesizers, strong bass lines and a fairly unique soft and slightly echoey drum rhythm. The most famous tracks are ‘Promised You A Miracle’ and ’Glittering Prize’, with the former obtaining singles chart success at #13, while the album itself peaked at #3. ‘New Gold Dream’ is a beautiful album, being tuneful, melodic and fairly unique in its sound even compared to Simple Minds other material. It contains two long instrumentals and most tracks are close to or exceed the 5 minute mark in length.