Five unique pop-albums.

I find it hard to say which pop-albums that are the best-however there are a few that I find absolutely unique and sort of creating their own worlds. Here are my five contenders with no internal ranking
1. The Beatles-Sergeant Pepper-A groundbreaking,mezmerising musical trip. Perhaps influenced by substances and phaycedelia but also very much by Lewis Carrol and all things British- including music-hall. No other album sounds like this
2 The Kinks-Village Green Preservation society-This masterpiece is even more brittish than Pepper. Lovely melodies and arrangement with a bittersweet nostalgia and sense of loss.
3. Beach Boys-Pet Sounds. Don t know any album with such sublime arrangements, harmonies and melodies. Combined with poignant lyrics,One of a kind.
4. Paul and Linda McCartney-Ram. Free from the Beatles Paul created a real popmusic-gem. It s an album that really exist in it s own world with a truly eccentric/eclectic music to go by. An embarrasment of musical riches as fresh today as on release day
5. Big Star-Radio City. Their second and perhaps best album. Beatleesque harmonies, Byrds jangling guitar combined with real muscular rock grit and also a somewhat mystic feel. Another album that really doesn't t sound like any other.

Guess there are others that deserves a mention. Suggestions?

 

Glad you said unique and not greatest.

 

What s the greatest is entirely subjective-maybe uniqiue is as well but it s still a different aproach.

 

These 5 have always sounded pretty unique to me.

Graceland - Paul Simon
What’s Going On - Marvin Gaye
Talking Book - Stevie Wonder
Blow By Blow - Jeff Beck
Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan

 

Trout Mask Replica. Sign o the Times. Tusk. Psychocandy. Yeezus.

 

Gravity Dance - The Horse Flies (combines elements/instrumentation of blue grass with a post-punk and art rock vibe. I love the zany lyrics and the neurotic David Byrne-ish vocals).
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God Bless Tiny Tim - Tiny Tim (N0 explanation necessary)
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Lil' Beethoven - Sparks. (The band's glorious 2000 century reinvention combining orchestral sounds with the patented sense of the absurd)
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Dazzle Ships - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (early pop album to use samples/found sounds)
,
It's Heavy in Here - Eric Matthews (smooth pop music with trumpet and a Beach Boys element).

 

if you want unique, you left out Abba. Nobody else sounds like them. 4 bars into it and you know immediately who it is.

 

Avalanches - Since I left You sounds so unique and remarkable. I love that album, it's beautiful and uplifting and powerful, quirky and distinct.

Aphex Twin - I Care Because You Do
Cause it's the Twin, maaan

 

5 unique pop albums:

1. HAPPY MONDAYS - Pills 'n Thrills 'n Bellyaches
2. TOMMY JAMES AND THE SHONDELLS - Crimson & Clover
3. DION - Runaround Sue
4. SANDIE SHAW - Reviewing The Situation
5. MY BLOODY VALENTINE - mbv

 

Ok Computer - still sounds ahead of its time
New Gold Dream
Sgt. Pepper
Avalon
The Queen Is Dead - no one quite like Morrissey

 

First to come to mind was the Moody Blues' Days of Future Passed.

I listened to it a few weeks ago and was blown away at how well it still holds up.

Ground-breaking fusion of orchestral and rock elements.


And I'll agree with one mentioned above -- God Bless Tiny Tim

.

 

Todd Rundgren, A Cappella (every sound was his voice)
10cc, Sheet Music
Sparks, Kimono My House
Avalanches, Since I left You

 

Yellow Magic Orchestra - Solid State Survivor
Felt - Forever Breathes the Lonely Word
Broadcast - The Noise Made by People
Scritti Politti - Cupid & Psyche 84
Serge Gainsbourg - Histoire de Melody Nelson

 

Maybe because I'm from Sweden and don t want to pick a Swedish band. Also must confess I never owned anything from Abba.
Agree though that they were a unique band

 

One each from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. These were all genuine pop albums, which had massive hit singles and sold to mainstream music fans:

Small Faces - Ogden's Nut Gone Flake
T.Rex - Electric Warrior
Soft Cell - Non Stop Erotic Cabaret
Pulp - Different Class

I'll add Adam and the Ants - Kings of the Wild Frontier to make up the five.

 

Love - Forever Changes
The Zombies - Oddessey and Oracle
The Police - Synchronicity
David Crosby - If I Could Only Remember My Name
Boston - Boston

 

Unique pop albums? Trying to separate this from great pop albums that just perfected the current trends is difficult.
1. Scritti Politti-Cupid & Psyche 85
2. B-52's-Debut Album
3. Beck-Odelay
4. Eric Matthews-It's Heavy In Here
5. Swing Out Sister-It's Better To Travel

 

Swing Out Sister - Somewhere Deep In The Night
The Neon Philharmonic - The Moth Confesses

 

When i think about the words Pop and Baroque this is what happens:

 

Franco Battiato - La Voce del Padrone
Brian Eno - Another Green World
The Velvet Underground - Velvet & Nico
Air - Moon Safari
The Cure - Disintegration

 

Eilert Pilarm - Eilert Forever
Wesley Willis - Rock n Roll Will Never Die
Bongwater - The Big Sell-Out
Sam Sacks - Sing it Again, Sam!
Tuli Kupferberg - Tuli & Friends

I'd say each was unique in their own way...

 

Human League - Dare
Propaganda - A Secret Wish
KLF - The White Room
Yello - One Second
Leftfield - Leftism

 

Very interesting topic! I think that the following albums are very successful at "creating their own worlds"; all of them have an internal logic and unique soundscape.

Suede - Dog Man Star
The Stone Roses - S/T
Echo & The Bunnymen - Ocean Rain
XTC - Apple Venus, Vol. 1
Joni Mitchell - Hejira

Honourable mention: Portishead (S/T)

 

I love Joni Mitchell's Hejira and it s a unique album. But a POP-album? Well in a very broad definition perhaps but In not sure.

 

Fantastic selections!!!