Here they are, in reverse order:
10. Rumours, by Fleetwood Mac (1977)
I still remember buying this album - one of my first records - back in the late 70's, when I had reached an age of musical "maturity". I wasn't all ga-ga over Kiss so much and was open to the more adult-sounding music that involved actual singing and great instrumental talent. I loved Rumours just as much as I did Kiss' Destroyer. Certainly, the songs off the album were more durable and still sound fresh and vital today. I associate Rumours with a warm summer morning, teenaged me lounging in my basement bedroom with the little window open to let a breeze in, basking in the folky-rock of California superstars Fleetwood Mac. From Second Hand News to Gold Dust Woman, every song is a gem... rockers and ballads and everything in-between.
9. Saturday Night Fever (original movie soundtrack), by Bee Gees/Various artists (1977)
Though I didn't see the movie until several years after its release, I was well aware of the music that appeared in it. A friend of mine, who I believe saw the film, had the soundtrack album and he played a bit for me. At first, I wasn't too sure about this disco stuff, but after a few days of letting the idea sink in, I hit the record store and picked up the Stayin' Alive and Night Fever 45 rpm singles. These Bee Gees hits bore a hypnotic beat that made you sort of want to twitch, as though you were dancing. But I wasn't a dancer, so forget that action. But between the catchy melody, driving percussion, and falsetto vocals, this stuff grabbed me. I wasn't a huge fan, for I never bought anything more by the Bee Gees (other than a CD compilation decades later), but I was at least more open-minded about this new genre.
8. Millennium, by The Backstreet Boys
This stuff was never aimed at my demographic so I have no opinion, other than I'd probably hate it.
7. Dirty Dancing (original movie soundtrack), by various artists (1987)
Okay, back in '87 I was immersed in heavy metal, with some prog-rock and lighter rock fare like Huey Lewis and ZZ Top to round things out. I was not listening to pop or dance music at the time. My set of personal Commandments prohibited it. So I never saw the movie and my only exposure to the music was probably through someone else's radio. Even today, when I look at the soundtrack's song list, the only titles that look familiar are The Time of My Life and Hungry Eyes; we've all heard these a billion times whether we wanted to or not. When I skim through the Dirty Dancing tracks on Youtube, I hear tunes - like some of the Motown and rock'n'roll oldies - that are slightly familiar to me after a lifetime of TV and movies.
6. Eagles: Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)
The highest-selling compilation album in history, this hits package pulls together the best of the Eagles' first four albums. I've always liked the laid-back country-rock of the Eagles. This set of California light rock blended guitar twang with perfect vocal harmonies on some of the best songs ever written. Witchy Woman and One of These Nights are among my favourites. I had the cassette tape of this hits album through the 80's and 90's, then I finally wised up and bought the Eagles six studio albums, all excellent, some more than others, but there's no questioning the artistry of the band.
5. Bat Out of Hell, by Meatloaf (1977)
Yet another biggie out of '77. Now... I have odd feelings about Bat Out of Hell. I remember hearing friends at school talking about the album and its big fat singer named after mom's kitchen specialty. I knew nothing about the music at all, yet once I laid eyes on the album cover, I was sold. I mean, what 13-year-old boy wouldn't go nuts over a picture of a dude on a motorcycle rocketing out of a grave, with a huge bat-winged creature perched atop a church steeple in the background? Dramatic action depicted in bright red hues. Wow! The music had to be just as good as that album cover, right? Nope. I was disappointed. I wasn't nuts about all that piano and orchestral stuff, though the soaring guitars on the title track were quite cool and otherworldly. But I couldn't get past Meatloaf's style of singing or the sort of music that dominated the album.... sort of like Beach Boys done like a stage musical. Does that make any sense? Anyway, the album was huge, as were its Top 40 singles. Meh.
4. The Bodyguard (original movie soundtrack), by various artists (1992)
I have no recollection of the movie, though I have a funny feeling my wife at the time might have either dragged me to see it or rented the home video one night. Anyway, whether I saw it or not, the movie music meant nothing to me, if I ever heard any of it. That sappy I Will Always Love You has been covered and splashed all over the world since '92, so we are all sick of that by now, right?
3. Dark Side of the Moon, by Pink Floyd (1973)
So nice to see one of my favourite rock albums in the top three spot. Dark Side was among my first record purchases when I was a young teen, so there will always be a special place in my heart for its mad lyrics and prog-rock ingenuity. Even after all of Pink Floyd's subsequent legendary albums, I still come back to this one the most. The Floyd experience is most evident on Dark Side of the Moon: put on the headphones, turn up the music, lie down, close your eyes, and float along to the thematically-linked series of songs that chronicle one's descent into madness. Floyd explores other ideas (greed, conflict, the passing of time), too, but it is the off-kilter ramblings and maniacal laughter that first drew my attention. Truly a milestone and a huge influence on modern rock music, right up there with Sgt Pepper.
2. Back in Black, by AC/DC (1980)
It was a major surprise to me when I learned Back in Black was in the runner-up position. Among my favourite hard rockin' bands of the 70's and 80's, AC/DC was best known for heavy riffs and sexually suggestive lyrics. All in good fun! But I never for a moment thought this was so successful that it'd be so high on the all-time best-seller list. When the album was released in '80 I bought it immediately, and it was the very first thing I played on my new sound system. My dad hated it. This was one helluva record, jam-packed with powerful hooks and screaming vocals... the perfect party album. And I did hear this disc at many parties. The real kicker was when I heard the title track blasting in a club one night, the floor full of people dancing. To Back in Black. Wha? Anyway, the big hits aside, this is one deep album; from start to finish we've got rockers of various tempos to take us on a hard-drinking journey on that highway to hell. So have a drink on me, mate!
1. Thriller, by Michael Jackson (1982)
Thriller more than doubled the sales of Back in Black. Crazy! Now back in the day, when I was rocking out to AC/DC and Iron Maiden, there was no freakin' way in the world that I was gonna like Jackson's dance-pop music. My friends and I openly derided this sort of stuff on a regular basis. It was our mission. We were all about guitars and drums and cooler, headier pursuits. MJ was not cool to us. A couple of decades later, I gave Jackson a chance and bought Thriller. After dabbling in 90's electronic music and a bit of dance, I felt a little more prepared for Thriller. And yes, I really did - and do - like it. The Motown horns work perfectly with the synthesized percussion and funky, expressive vocals. I can better appreciate the pop side of things here and now recognize just how good this is. I'm no expert on this genre (far from it, actually) but it's easy to hear how Thriller's superior songwriting leaves its competition... and anything since... in the dust. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' and Billie Jean are faves; I'm a bit worn out on the overplayed hits like Thriller and Beat It.
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