It was meant to be just a straightforward matter. We didn’t really set ourselves the challenge of selecting the full, authoritative top 10 vinyl albums for audiophiles – because in fact this is only a list of recordings from a range of hundreds or thousands – yet still it seemed similar to choosing one of your limbs you’d least like being ripped off by a bear.
We were able to pull together a compilation of the 10 albums we listened to which we believe encompass the full spectrum of formats, types, and sonic character.
The hi-fi will be placed through its paces and it will help to expand your music tastes a little. Just a side note, make sure you preserve these vinyl albums properly with an automatic record cleaning machine to keep them in great condition.
Symphony No.5 – Mahler
For newcomers of the classical form, this is the perfect entry stage. Mahler’s symphony forcefully engages the audience. The composition starts with a mourning march, though by the 2nd movement, it has reached full swing and is performing its own special character.
Remember that it is not pleasant background music — anytime you think it’s OK to relax, Mahler hits you with a bombardment of trumpets, or some big drums; just like a good suspense movie, it holds you on the edge of the seat, right through the very end.
There are over two thousand separate copies of Mahler’s Fifth on vinyl, but I personally enjoy the specific pressing of Kubelik conducting. The recording follows the initial analog tape from the Bavarian Radio Archives, and thus it possesses a real, authentic feel that other digital records neglect.
Radiohead – Hail To The Thief (2003)
Following Kid A and Amnesiac, Radiohead have essentially reverted to being guitar five-piece band, albeit without forgoing the novelty and genre blurring that made those albums so popular. Even, original record pressings were pressed at 45 RPM for completeness.
Dark Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd
Until you whine, we want you to remember: This album spent 950 weeks on the Billboard charts Mad Though the fanaticist can dispute, there is no doubt that the sonics of this album are impeccable.
There are several pressings available — several that will cost you at least four figures — but the edition you purchase on Amazon or at your nearest record shop would always impress. The album includes several tracks such as the thumping pulse on the opening track “Breathe,” the maddening alarm clocks in “Time,” and the well-known “Money.”
Miles Davis – Bitches Brew (1970)
Miles Davis treated fusion as a summary of the music he was focusing on during the early 70’s. However, Bitches Brew mixed modal jazz with punk drumming to establish jazz-rock, one of the most popular styles of the 1960s.
Kind of Blue – Miles Davis
This is one of the best jazz albums, by one of the genre’s greatest musicians. While he has a rather large collection, this book is often selected when he is listed. The sheer sophistication of his horn playing was daunting, and the depth of his tone was dizzying.
Davis’ music was mostly classified as bop, hard bop, or fusion. Try his later work Bitches Brew, if you dare. The presentation was a complex and unpredictable demonstration that is clearly objected to KOB.
Suggested collection: One Direction Album and Solo Album
My Bloody Valentine – Loveless (1991)
The album poster for shoegaze, Loveless is a masterwork mixing massive riffs with dream-pop haze, littered with overdriven and reverb guitars, congratulated by a classic sleeve of cherry-drop psychedelic rock.
A Capella – Todd Rundgren
While most people recognize Todd Rundgren for his two biggest songs, “Hello It’s Me” and “Bang on the Drum All Day,” he has a fascinating and divergent career. In 1985, he played this particular collection of songs with no instrumentation whatsoever—only his voice. Rundgren has described this record as one of the simplest and most challenging he has made. The stronger your sound setup, the simpler it would be for you to perceive and discern the separate harmonies playing.
Wish You Were Here (1975) – Pink Floyd
Are you a genuine audiophile if you don’t possess a copy of the seminal Pink Floyd album? You can definitely listen to vinyl albums, however most audiophiles have them anyway.
Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway – Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway
Also accessible even in high-res digital format, you will find a nice copy of this album in a used vinyl shop for under ten dollars. The sounds of these two music stars merge together and sound almost as strong as music by the more popular musicians. This album can either impress people (if you’re a first-time listener) or pull back wonderful memories.
The Beatles – Abbey Road (1969)
There are also experimental and fascinating The Beatles albums besides Rubber Spirit. Even if one lacks the importance of ‘straightforward’ pop music, Abbey Road is (if nothing else) evidence that ‘simple and direct’ pop music can be art.
Explore more about The Beatles: How Many of the Beatles Are Still Alive
Lists still test me and I would admit these were not exactly my best ten fav albums of all time. The bulk of the songs on this list have one thing in common: good quality sound. For audiophiles, isn’t it the most significant thing?
