Three cheers to classic albums

WHETHER THEY’RE CLOCKING UP 10 YEARS OR 50, THESE RECORDS ARE TOPS

2021-01-18 -

2 CAMERON ADAMS ADELE – 21

021 is the year some of the biggest albums in musical history celebrate milestones – here’s some of your favourite records blowing out candles this year.

10 years (released January 24, 2011) While we wait for a new Adele album, her breakthrough release turns 10 this year. It has sold 1.2 million copies in Australia (only Adele and Delta have sold seven figures in Australia since 2000) and is close to bumping out Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms to enter the Top 5 highestselling Australian albums of all time, joining Meat Loaf, John Farnham, ABBA and Shania Twain.

CAROLE KING – TAPESTRY

Half century

(released February 10, 1971)

One of the most iconic albums ever made, for its backstory as well as its songs. In the 60s, King was a songwriter behind the scenes (penning The Loco-Motion among many others). After divorcing, she decided to sing her own tunes. Her first album flopped, the follow up would sell 25 million and include classics I Feel The Earth Move, So Far Away, It’s Too Late, You’ve Got a Friend and her versions of hits she’d written for others Will You Love Me Tomorrow and (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman. Still the blueprint for authentic singer songwriters.

JONI MITCHELL – BLUE

Half century (released June 22, 1971) Another classic turning 50. Some songwriters claim they’re writing honestly about relationships … then there’s Blue.

MICHAEL BUBLE – CHRISTMAS

10 years

(released October 21, 2011) Christmas has joined the exclusive seven figure club in Australia and has been No.1 in six different years since.

NIRVANA – NEVERMIND

30 years (released September 24, 1991)

The album that changed rock music forever turns 30 this year – it’s now sold over 30 million copies. It’s hard to imagine there’s anything left in the vaults, we’ve even heard a rough cassette demo of the first sketchy version of Smells Like Teen Spirit, but there’s talk of a 30th anniversary box set to come.

MARVIN GAYE – WHAT’S GOING ON

Half century (released May 21, 1971) By the end of the 60s Gaye was done with his record label Motown and its boss Berry Gordy wanting to repeat his pop formula. He also had a drug habit, tax problems and dark, depressive moods. Gaye started writing about police brutality, social injustice in America and the Vietnam War and created his masterpiece – a socially conscious concept album. Gordy hated it and tried to stop it being released. It’d go on to be the label’s biggest selling album – until Gaye’s Let’s Get It On two years later.

THE HUMAN LEAGUE – DARE

40 years (released October 16, 1981) Proudly stating they didn’t use any “real” instruments, just synthesisers, Dare is the ultimate 80s pop album – shiny on the surface, with a dark underbelly. Bucking all pop trends, it was Dare’s fourth single, Don’t You Want Me, that set it up for global domination.

THE STROKES – IS THIS IT

20 years (released July 30, 2001) Fun fact, this was released in Australia first, a month before the rest of the world, as the band were touring here. The New York band also changed music – at the time pop and dance dominated and The Strokes dragged rock back into the mainstream, while still remaining “alternative”, opening the doors for other bands to get noticed. Still sounds incredible.

CROWDED HOUSE – WOODFACE

30 years (released July 8, 1991) They’d lost America with their second album Temple of Low Men. With Tim Finn joining, Crowded House recorded this third album in Melbourne (the inspiration for Four Seasons in One Day).

Woodface would go on to be wildly successful in the UK and Europe and is home to national anthems Fall At Your Feet and Weather With You.

GUNS N’ ROSES – USE YOUR ILLUSION I & 2

30 years

(released September 17, 1991)

No one was going to say no to Guns N’Roses in 1991. They followed Appetite for Destruction with two albums, released on the same day. Not sold as a double album, but two individual albums – two and a half hours of music with epics like November Rain.

MORE ANNIVERSARY ALBUMS

10 YEARS

Ed Sheeran + (2011)

20 YEARS

Kasey Chambers – Barricades and Brickwalls (2001)

Daft Punk – Discovery (2001) Aaliyah – Aaliyah (2001)

30 YEARS

REM – Out of Time (1991)

●Baby Animals – Baby Animals (1991)

40 YEARS

Men at Work – Business as Usual (1981)

Duran Duran – Duran Duran (1981)