There's been a fun little Facebook post going around. People are listing their favourite ten albums from their teen years. Well I am a sucker for a list, so knew I had to make one - even though this is really going to age me! The idea is, don't think too hard, just write down the ten albums you remember shaping your teen years. Love to read yours in the comments section.
I feel very lucky to have been a teen in the late 80s / early 90s. There was some amazing music, and even though I love new music, my favourite year in music is still 1989! So read my list and see if any of these very pop albums influenced you too.
1 - The Bodyguard - Soundtrack
One soundtrack, so many amazing tunes, No wonder it is still the highest selling soundtrack of all time and will never be replaced. Let's talk Whitney songs, for a collection of songs featured in a film, this really could be considered Whitney's opus. "I Have Nothing" and " Run To You" are exquisite ballads, "Queen of the Night" and "I'm Every Woman" are bangers and Whintey's cover of Dolly's "I Will Always Love You" may be one of the most beautiful songs of all time. Combine that with some great other tracks including classics from Lisa Stansfield and S.O.U.L S.Y.S.T.E.M, that featured a pre Drag Race Michelle Visage, and it is a legitimate classic. And plus, it was a great film.
2 - Diamonds & Pearls - Prince
This may be controversial, but this is my favourite Prince album. I was finally old enough to "get" Prince and his music, and I could understand how complex and brilliant he was as a musician, lyricist and singer. It was just after this album that I got to see Prince play the Sydney Entertainment Centre, what a brilliant show. But this album, incredible. The two most popular songs from this album, "Cream" and "Diamonds & Pearls", are great, but it was the other singles that stole my heart. "Gett Off" is 70s inspired funk with a sexy edge, "Insatiable" is a song designed to help make babies and "Money Don't Matter 2 Night" is a heartfelt ballad that should be revisited if you don't know it. This was a beautifully consistent album that was easy to listen to.
3 - Hormonally Yours - Shakespear's Sister
Shakespear's Sister had a great first album with two incredible singles, but it was on their sophomore album that they really hit their peak. I remember watching the film clip for "Stay" for the first time and just being totally blown away. It really is such a unique track and the film clip is a wonder. Then it was followed by the brilliant, "I Don't Care", again pop quirkiness at its best. Plus there's the poetic, "Hello (Turn Your Radio On). As a whole, the album shouldn't work, it is bizarre but utterly engaging.
4 - Let's Get To It - Kylie Minogue
While this album may not have the strongest of Kylie's singles, it has a special place in my memory and heart. I had just gotten a Discman around the time I got this CD and I played it a lot. I would go for walks and play this CD on repeat, I knew every song so well. Favourites are, "Finer Feelings", an underrated gem that showcases Kylie's vocals, the heartfelt duet, "If You Were With Me Now", and the very funky, "I Guess I Like It Like That". I saw Kylie in concert around this time and my love for Kylie was at its highest.
5 - Like A Prayer - Madonna
Now this isn't just a favourite teen album, this is my favourite album of all time. I have written about this album often and its impact on my life - it even made the basis of one of my theatre shows, "Everything I Know I Learnt From Madonna". This album is in all ways perfect, each song tells personal and complex stories and the singles were exquisite. You can tell a good album by the strength of its album tracks, and these are brilliant, "Love Song", "Til Death Do Us Part" and "Promise To Try" to name a few. I literally used to listen to this whole album every night before bed in 1989. I still play it a lot. Brilliance, sheer brilliance.
6 - Love and Kisses and .... - Dannii Minogue
The other Minogue sister is often overlooked but as a teenager I actually preferred Dannii as a singer. Just like Kylie's "Let's Get To It", I played this CD a lot on my discman. I have very vivid memories of travelling on the train listening to this, trying very hard not to sing along with those catchy lyrics. The original "Love and Kisses" album was great, but when it was re-released with additional songs, it was brilliant. Now look at these great singles, "Love and Kisses", "Success", "I Don't Wanna Take This Pain", "Jump to the Beat" and the still addictive, "Baby Love". These are perfect little slices of pop with slick production and great vocals. I still wish more people had listened to this album.
7 - Martika's Kitchen - Martika
One of my highlights of 2016 was finally getting to see Martika perform live in Sydney at the Enmore Theatre. It was worth the wait. While Martika's first album was a corker, it was album number two where she really shone. With a lending hand from Prince, Martika perfectly matched pop with R&B and funk and made an album that is easy to dance to. "Martika's Kitchen", the song, is sexy and seductive and a whole lot of fun, "Colored Kisses" is super sweet and "Don't Say U Love Me" deserved to be a single. Though the best cut on the album is, "Love... Thy Will Be Done". It began as a prayer Martika wrote, and with help from Prince, became one of my favourite songs of all time. It is perfect in so many ways.
8 - Marvin the Album - Frente!
Frente! may seem a strange fit on a list that contains a lot of pop divas, but Frente! made my last year of high school bearable. There's a simple beauty to their songs that is honest and heartfelt. Angie Hart has a unique and distinctive voice that has always added an extra flair to the Frente tunes, and their songwriting skills are brilliant. "Ordinary Angels" really is an Aussie classic, and as kitsch as "Accidently Kelly Street" was, it is still such a sing-along classic. Plus there's the brilliant, "No Time" and "Cuscatlan". I got to see them do this whole album a few years ago in Melbourne, it made the teenage me so happy!
9 - Rhythm Nation 1814 - Janet Jackson
Janet is an icon and released so many great albums, but "Rhythm Nation 1814" will always be her best. Let's face it, there were like a 100 singles from this album to make the US top 5 (actually it is an impressive 7). Just listing the singles would be like a Greatest Hits collection most artists could wish for, "Miss You Much", "Rhythm Nation", "Escapade", "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" and "Black Cat", just to name a few. This album proves why Janet will always be an important part of the history of pop music.
10 - Very - Pet Shop Boys
This one came out while I was in Uni and having a horrible time away from home, music was my salvation. And what better escapism could you get than the kooky world of Pet Shop Boys. This still remains my favourite album of theirs. Super pop and super fun, Neil and Chris have such a brilliant knack of producing catchy tunes that stand the test of time. Highlights here are "Can You Forgive Her?", "Yesterday When I Was Mad", "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind Of Thing" and "Theatre". This album moved me from being a fan to a super fan.
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