The 20 Absolutely Must-Buy Vinyl Records – 2019 edition
We all know that listening to vinyl records is like CDs, only more expensive and honestly kind of a hassle. Every three or four songs comes time to flip over or change the record, you have to clean the dust off incredibly carefully and if you scratch it, it’s going to skip and the disc is ruined.
It just sounds better though. In the same way, 35mm film looks better than digital, there’s something about the warmth of both of the older technologies that brings something special to your experience. I love my Fluance turntable and speakers, and going through my collection never fails to remind me that I’ve got some gems just waiting to be played.

Having said that, everyone has to start somewhere and my collection has a lot to be desired. I’ve read a number of this sort of article that seems to copy and paste the same Pink Floyd, Led Zepplin, and Beatles albums. Of course, they’re amazing, but there are so many that are missing. These are the kind of albums that a particular kind of song lives on. The tunes that you might hear on a radio station while you’re driving on a road you don’t normally travel. The ones you wish you could remember the title but can almost hum the tune.
In no particular order, here are my top 20 albums that you absolutely must own – on vinyl.
Oasis – Definitely Maybe
Gorillaz – Demon Days

Elbow – Mirrorball

Frank Sinatra – Ultimate Christmas
Barenaked Ladies – Original Hits
The Guardians of the Galaxy Soundtrack – Delux Vinyl Edition

Arctic Monkeys – AM

Lana Del Rey – Born to Die
Regina Spektor – Far

Kimbra – Vows

Lily Allen – It’s Not Me, It’s You

Wilco – Ode to Joy (pre-order)
Madness – One Step Beyond (1979)

John Coltrane – Blue World
Miles Davis – Kind of Blue
Sia – Everyday is Christmas

Darkness – Permission to Land

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars
Beastie Boys – Check Your Head

Experience Hendrix – The Best of Jimi Hendrix

Update
I posted this list on Reddit and got absolutely rinsed for being basic. So, they shared their top album recommendations. It looks like I’ve got a lot to listen to.
R/Lanark77 said: 20, some old and some new.
- Public Image Ltd – Metal Box
- Throbbing Gristle – 20 Jazz Funk Greats
- Mogwai – Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
- The Durutti Column ‎– The Return Of The Durutti Column
- Death in Vegas – Scorpio Rising
- The Nectarine Nº9 ‎– A Sea With Three Stars
- Idles ‎– Joy As An Act Of Resistance
- Coil – Horse Rotovator
- Swans ‎– Soundtracks For The Blind
- Shannon Shaw ‎– Shannon In Nashville
- Massive Attack ‎– Heligoland
- Earl Brutus ‎– Tonight You Are The Special One
- The Go! Team ‎– Thunder, Lightning, Strike
- Sparks ‎– Kimono My House
- Leftfield ‎– Leftism
- The Residents ‎– The Third Reich ‘N’ Roll
- Swell Maps ‎– … In “Jane From Occupied Europe”
- Psychic TV – Force the Hand of Chance
- Big Black – Atomizer
- R. Dean Taylor ‎– Indiana Wants Me
Did I miss any? Add them in the comments below.
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Michael Kwan
September 20, 2019 at 9:43 amNice list. Totally on board with Frank there, but still a little too early in the year for Christmas tunes. Crank that Beastie Boys and Miles Davis please.
jamesrcsmith
September 20, 2019 at 9:05 pmIt’s never too early for Christmas tunes.
Mover
August 13, 2020 at 2:38 amStevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life and Talking Book