Caitlyn’s Top Five Albums of All Time

Life Thru a Lens – Robbie Williams

1997

Rob’s debut album. This CD was what got me through the last three months of my high school career. I literally listened to it 24-7. The music is raw, at times angry, and displays the cheeky humor Williams would become known for. Although not his technically best work, this album has a special place in my heart because it saw me through a difficult time in my life. It should have a special place in everyone’s heart because it captures the first steps of a major star. On it Rob pleads ‘Let me entertain you,’ and that’s just what he has done becoming one of the most accomplished and talented entertainers of our generation.

White Ladder – David Gray

1999

A nearly perfect album. A beautiful combination of folk strains and dance beats. Gray is a brilliant lyricist, both concise and profound. When writing about love, he manages to elegantly and clearly state all the conflicting emotions everyone feels but few are able to express. The songs are lush and hypnotic, although at times a bit depressing. However, Gray’s voice keeps the tone warm and I have always found the album to be healing, soothing, and comforting. If we all could possess the empathy these songs have, the world would be a better place. 

New Miserable Experience – Gin Blossoms

1992

I love this album so much because it brings to mind my misspent youth. For me this is the CD that best captures the spirit of America in the early 90’s. Full of anthems for the slacker culture, it’s the best CD to listen to while eating cereal in your pajamas on a summer’s afternoon. All the songs are about finding love, losing love, getting drunk, and driving around. The sound is a delicious mix of upbeat tempos, soaring guitar rifts, and bright vocals with sad lyrics. It is as if to say ‘things are bad but I’m not going to let that get me down.’

On How Life Is – Macy Gray

1999

Without a doubt one of the best soul albums ever, period. Besides having fantastic songs on it, this album is beautifully put together. The way each song leads into one another is, for lack of a better word, perfect. It is a diverse collection held together by Gray’s distinct vocal stylings and the great funk beats. ‘On How Life Is’ does cover all of life with songs covering a range of topics from devotion to God, to sex, to murder and provides lots to groove about at the same time.

A Swinging Affair – Frank Sinatra

1957

Because every list needs a little diversity. This album fulfills the promise of its title. Let’s face it, Sinatra is one of the most talented vocalistsin the history of mankind, and this album showcases all the best of his abilities. Featuring classic songs by the likes of Cole Porter and Gershwin, Sinatra swings it fast, he swings it slow, and provides vocal deliveries smoother than butter. It was once claimed that the majority of babies born in Philadelphia were conceived to the music of Sinatra, and listening to this album it isn’t too hard to see why.