With the help of streaming music services like Spotify, unable to sleep late nights turn into wild discoveries of music from all eras of my life. Favorite album collections on vinyl, then (shudder!) 8-track, then cassette, then CD, then downloads have now morphed into one massive database of all the best music ever produced in my lifetime. Which brings me to this yummy list of my Top Albums of All-Time.
21 – Adele – the definitive voice of her generation
A Charlie Brown Christmas – Vince Guarldi Trio – so many childhood memories
Age of Consent – Bronski Beat – the first out gay male album – anthem overdrive
Alf – Alison Moyet – the 80’s became complete with Alison’s iconic voice and music
Bette Midler – Bette Midler – I discovered Bette in high school and fell in love
Bring Ya’ to the Brink – Cyndi Lauper – funk dance boom Cyndi
Christmas Songs – Diana Krall – hands down best Christmas album ever recorded
The Circus – Erasure – Vince Clarke and Andy Bell create synth magic.
Colour By Numbers – Culture Club – from college to young adulthood Culture Club paved the way
Come on Over – Olivia Newton-John – dreamy music from the 70’s pop queen
Crying on the Bathroom Floor – Will Young – Will covers female artists gorgeous songs
Dendrophile – Justin Vivian Bond – Justin invokes all the power of V’s live performances here
Diva – Annie Lennox – the definitive album of the mid-90’s
Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band – Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band – the best dance album ever
The Dude – Quincy Jones – iconic early 80’s dance album must-have
Echoes – Will Young – dreamy Brit pop lusciousness
Fever – Kylie Minogue – I went to Berlin in the early 00’s and caught Kylie fever
Future Friends – Superfruit – every song is fabulous, but the title track slays me
Goddamned – Jay Brannan – I heard Jay sing in Shortbus. This album proved he was more than just a beautiful boy. Stunning sexy folk music
Heaven – Jai – the most underrated album of all-time, dreamy, ethereal.
Ingénue – k.d. lang – the definitive voice of her generation and the best album of her career
Introspective – Pet Shop Boys – synth pop dance perfection
Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 – Janet Jackson – are you shocked this made my list? Me too, but I have every song memorized and get teary-eyed over more than a few. Enough said
The Lexicon of Love – ABC – defined my senior year in college. Headphones and tragic break-ups
Like A Prayer – Madonna – Close seconds were Erotica and Ray of Light but this feels like my Madonna
Night Ride Home – Joni Mitchell – the soundtrack to my first California trip with Dennis in the early 90’s
Nightclubbing – Grace Jones – my favorite Grace album from the woman who I thought would usher in a shift in global consciousness. There’s still time Grace
Once Upon a Time – Donna Summer – The Queen of Disco does a concept album
Patti Austin – Patti Austin – Patti’s pure music makes me giddy
Rufus Wainwright – Rufus Wainwright – complicated intelligent music
Savage – Eurythmics – the most underrated album of all-time. Exquisitely perfect
The Stars We Are – Marc Almond – first there was Soft Cell, then Marc Almond went solo and I swooned
Sound Magazine – The Partridge Family – hard to choose just one, reminds me of my lip-synching with a hairbrush childhood
Sound of Water – Saint Etienne – the only band listed three times
Supermodel of the World – RuPaul – Black hair is a revolution
Tiger Bay – Saint Etienne – an early perfect album with Marble Lions my favorite Saint Etienne song
Whammy! – The B-52’s – this is the album to freak out to
What’s New – Linda Ronstadt – a perfect marriage of rock goddess and big band swing
Words and Music – Saint Etienne – their latest album is absolute perfection
Hat tip to Spotify which helps me remember all the best music of a lifetime and more.
In 2019, I created a Spotify playlist of the best songs from every decade of my life: 1960’s – 2010’s.
Take a listen: Philip at 60 on Spotify
Updated: 2/2024
Reel Charlie 