Albums turning 20 and 25 in 2022

Posted January 12, 20224 yr

30 albums turning 25 in 2022
12 January 2022 | By Ian Wade

1997 was a watershed year for British music. Not only had several Britpop-associated acts seen an upturn in their fortunes, with a wide range of guitar-based turns scoring chart-toppers, there was the arrival of some influential new voices, a bunch of great new pop acts and a massive crossover for dance music. Let’s have a look at a few of them…

All Saints – All Saints
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 1.48m
A classic debut stacked full of hits with three Number 1 singles for the combat-trousered quartet.

Baduizm – Erykah Badu
Official Chart peak: 17
UK chart sales: 309k
The arrival of a new voice in nu-soul, Baduizm is a modern-day classic.

Be Here Now – Oasis
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 1.97m
Recorded to be as colossal as possible, this third album by Oasis sold 663,389 copies in its first week becoming the fastest-selling album in the UK.

Blur – Blur
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 560k
Scarred by the whole Britpop kerfuffle, Blur returned with a noisier, more experimental fifth album featuring the deathless classic Song 2. All together now: WOO-HOO!

Butterfly – Mariah Carey
Official Chart peak: 2
UK chart sales: 305k
Mariah’s sixth album and what she claims is her ‘magnum opus’ is a record of emancipation and long-sought freedom tooled with heaven-sent melisma and a more urban-leaning edge.

Dig Your Own Hole – The Chemical Brothers
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 382k
The Brothers’ second album, and widely regarded as one of the greatest dance albums of all time, with two Number 1 singles (Setting Sun and Block Rockin’ Beats).

Homework – Daft Punk
Official Chart peak: 8
UK chart sales: 381k
The French duo’s debut helped kick off a gallic disco explosion and is one of the most influential dance records of the 90s.

Homogenic – Bjork
Official Chart peak: 4
UK chart sales: 216k
The third album by Bjork saw her morph away from a left-of-centre pop star into a full-blown arthouse auteur.

In It For The Money – Supergrass
Official Chart peak: 2
UK chart sales: 328k
Second album by the indie herberts came packed with crackers.

Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space – Spiritualized
Official Chart peak: 4
UK chart sales: 209k
Game-changing third album for Jason Pierce and friends, initially packaged like a box of tablets.

Left Of The Middle – Natalie Imbruglia
Official Chart peak: 5
UK chart sales: 1.2m
Natalie’s debut featuring the classic Torn, which saw her fight against pre-conceived notions of what kind of pop star a former Australian soap star should be.

Let’s Talk About Love – Celine Dion
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 2m
Celine’s fifth English-language album sold millions thanks to a certain theme from a little movie called Titanic. Maybe you've heard of it?

Life Thru A Lens – Robbie Williams
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 2.1m
Robbie’s debut didn’t too badly at first, but once Angels was released it set his rise to superstardom in motion.

New Forms – Roni Size / Reprazent
Official Chart peak: 8
UK chart sales: 337k
The winner of the 1997 Mercury Music Prize.

OK Computer – Radiohead
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 1.5m
Often cited as one of the greatest albums ever made, Radiohead's obsession with a consumerist society slowly being suffocated by technology makes it an essential listen to anyone wanting to explore the anxieties prevalent in the 21st century.

Pop – U2
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 480k
Not considered one of U2’s greatest, Pop was Bono and chums letting loose and having a laugh.

Portishead – Portishead
Official Chart peak: 2
UK chart sales: 341k
Following up one of the key albums of the 90s was a tough task, but Portishead just about managed it.

Postcards From Heaven – Lighthouse Family
Official Chart peak: 2
UK chart sales: 1.4m
The second million-selling album from the Newcastle-based duo.

Radiator – Super Furry Animals
Official Chart peak: 8
UK chart sales: 104k
Fantastic technicolour acid-fried pop magic from the Welsh wizards.

Spiceworld – Spice Girls
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 1.6m
World domination continued with the second blockbusting album from the famous five, which would become their final album to feature input from Ginger Spice.

Supa Dupa Fly – Missy Elliott
Official Chart peak: -
UK chart sales: 73k
One of the great debuts announcing one of the most influential artists of all time, Missy Misdemeanour Elliott set the tempo for female rap artists to come - from Megan Thee Stallion, Azealia Banks and Cardi B.

Talk On Corners – The Corrs
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 2.97m
Breakthrough second album from the Irish family band, selling shedloads around the world.

Tellin’ Stories – The Charlatans
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 344k
Chart-topping classic from Tim and the boys, recovering after tragically losing keyboardist Rob Collins the year before.

The Colour And The Shape – Foo Fighters
Official Chart peak: 3
UK chart sales: 638k
It may’ve been the second Foo Fighters album, but seeing as Dave Grohl had all but made the debut by himself, it was their first as an actual band.

The Fat Of The Land – The Prodigy
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 1.5m
The Prodigy went massive in the mid-90s with Number 1 smashes Firestarter and Breathe. This third album topped the album charts literally everywhere!

Urban Hymns – The Verve
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 3.4m
Another third album that was literally everywhere by the end of the year was this, aided by singles Bitter Sweet Symphony and The Drugs Don’t Work.

Vanishing Point – Primal Scream
Official Chart peak: 2
UK chart sales: 184k
Screamadelica may get all the ‘best album ever’ plaudits but we reckon Vanishing Point is just as good.

When I Was Born For The Seventh Time – Cornershop
Official Chart peak: 17
UK chart sales: 147k
Breakthrough album by Tjinder and Ben which contained the single Brimful Of Asha.

White On Blonde – Texas
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 1.7m
A major case of back. Back. BACK for Sharleen Spiteri and her boys, retrieving them from the dumper

Word Gets Around – Stereophonics
Official Chart peak: 6
UK chart sales: 955k
The Welsh trio’s debut

January 12, 20224 yr

Celine Dion :wub:

Such an amazing album. Makes me feel soooooooooo old

January 12, 20224 yr

Author

Iconic albums turning 20 in 2022
30 December 2021 | By Ian Wade

2002 had it all – a host of new pop names (Will Young, Gareth Gates, Blue, Avril Lavigne), some other acts going for an adult market (Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera), a handful of rebirths (Sugababes, David Bowie) and debuts (Libertines, Interpol, The Streets, Norah Jones) and every shade of pop from Latin (Enrique Iglesias) to wonky psychedelia wonder (Flaming Lips) represented. Here’s a handful of some of them...

A Little Deeper – Ms Dynamite
Official Chart peak: 10
UK chart sales: 499,000
The first rap album to win the Mercury Prize.

A New Morning – Suede
Official Chart peak: 24
UK chart sales: 40,000
Even Suede themselves aren’t terribly keen on this album, according to Brett Anderson, but we liked it.

A Rush Of Blood To The Head – Coldplay
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 3 million
No difficult second album, this. The eighth biggest-selling album of the 21st century.

Angels With Dirty Faces – Sugababes
Official Chart peak: 2
UK chart sales: 931,000
With bangers Freak Like Me and Round Round, this was a triumphant birth of Babes 2.0.

BRMC – Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Official Chart peak: 25
UK chart sales: 228,000
This Californian outfit’s debut had a brace of tracks that are still shorthand for moody rock today.

By The Way – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 2.2 million
A chart-topping eighth album from the punk-funk dads.

Come Away With Me – Norah Jones
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 2.6 million
The smoky jazzy blues of Norah’s Grammy-winning debut sold over 27 million copies worldwide - and score four weeks at Number 1 in the UK.

Come With Us – Chemical Brothers
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 217,000
Fourth (and third Number 1) album from Tom and Ed with help from Richard Ashcroft and Beth Orton.

Escape – Enrique Iglesias
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 1.5 million
Hero was enormous, as was this, making Enrique the first Latin act to score the chart double.

Escapology – Robbie Williams
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 2.1 million
Fresh from signing a massive new record deal, Robbie showed no sign of heading to the dumper as his fifth album spent seven weeks at Number 1 in 2002.

Evil Heat – Primal Scream
Official Chart peak: 9
UK chart sales: 58,000
Bobby and chums channel dystopia with another scoop of futuristic boogie rock and roll.

Finisterre – Saint Etienne
Official Chart peak: 55
“The perverse possibilities of the Barbican. You could be invisible here. You can get a notion of floating above the city”

From Now On – Will Young
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 895,000
Will’s debut album containing the biggest-selling single of the decade, Evergreen.

Full Moon – Brandy
Official Chart peak: 9
UK chart sales: 148,000
Brandy went from strength to strength with the banger What About Us? and this, her third long-player.

Geogaddi – Boards Of Canada
Official Chart peak: 21
UK chart sales: 63,000
The mysterious Scottish duo finally got around to following up their legendary debut Music Has The Right To Children.

Heathen – David Bowie
Official Chart peak: 5
UK chart sales: 217,000
The legend’s 23rd album which saw him reunited with producer Tony Visconti.

Heathen Chemistry – Oasis
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 1.15 million
Noel claimed that this was Oasis’ second-best album, better than (What’s The Story) Morning Glory(!).

Highly Evolved – The Vines
Official Chart peak: 3
UK chart sales: 150,000
Garage rock was quite a thing in the early noughties, and came no better than this debut from the Australian trio.

Justified – Justin Timberlake
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 2 million
Recorded while NSYNC were on hiatus, Justin took some songs that Pharrell had apparently written with Michael Jackson in mind and launched his solo career.

Let Go – Avril Lavigne
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 1.8 million
A storming debut selling over 16 million copies, and the launch of a new pop-punk queen.

Nellyville – Nelly
Official Chart peak: 2
UK chart sales: 769,000
With Dilemma and Hot In Herre onboard, Nelly’s second effort became one of the biggest-selling rap albums of all time.

One By One – Foo Fighters
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 901,000
The fourth and biggest album yet for Dave and co., with classics All My Life and Times Like These.

One Love – Blue
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 1.4 million
All Rise for the boys’ debut album (which they’ll be taking on tour in celebration this year, fact fans).

Original Pirate Material – The Streets
Official Chart peak: 10
UK chart sales: 745,000
The birth of a new and exciting voice, Mike Skinner was the poet laureate of working class nightlife.

Phrenology – The Roots
UK chart sales: 81,000
The soul outfit’s commercial breakthrough.

Read My Lips – Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Official Chart peak: 2
UK chart sales: 844,000
Sophie shimmied onto the murderous dancefloor and into the limelight with her effervescent debut.

Release – Pet Shop Boys
Official Chart peak: 7
UK chart sales: 53,000
Midway through making new tracks for a Best of, Chris and Neil instead decided to turn those numbers into an eighth album.

Sea Change – Beck
Official Chart peak: 20
UK chart sales: 90,000
Bad news for Beck splitting up with his girlfriend. Good news for listeners though.

See This Through And Leave – Cooper Temple Clause
Official Chart peak: 27
UK chart sales: 76,000
Ferocious indie-facing Brit rock from a band that should’ve been massive.

Songs For The Deaf – Queens Of The Stone Age
Official Chart peak: 4
UK chart sales: 632,000
Josh Homme brought Dave Grohl and Mark Lanegan onboard to create their pulverizing breakout album, includes the monstrous No One Knows.

Stripped – Christina Aguilera
Official Chart peak: 2
UK chart sales: 2 million
Both Dirrty and Beautiful, Christina’s fourth album saw her properly transition into a major star.

The Coral – The Coral
Official Chart peak: 5
UK chart sales: 383,000
Wonky Scouse psychedelic folk, this debut saw the Liverpudlian band cross over into the major league.

The Eminem Show – Eminem
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 1.9 million
Marshall’s fourth album was the most anticipated release of the year and went on to sell over 27 million copies worldwide.

The Last Broadcast – Doves
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 411,000
Their second album, and first chart-topper for the Mancunian trio, featuring the stellar There Goes The Fear.

Thinking It Over – Liberty X
Official Chart peak: 3
UK chart sales: 693,000
Once Hear’Say had been (and gone) the Popstars runners-up had a chance to step into the spotlight with slick pop bangers like Just A Little.

Turn On The Bright Lights – Interpol
UK chart sales: 138,000
The music scene in New York in the early noughties was a-buzz with renewed energy post-Strokes, and Interpol’s debut was worthy of just as many plaudits.

Under Construction – Missy Elliott
Official Chart peak: 23
UK chart sales: 260,000
Missy came to bring the pain hardcore to the brain. Ooh baby what’s your name? Under Construction was banger after banger.

Up! – Shania Twain
Official Chart peak: 1
UK chart sales: 788,000
The follow-up to the squillion-selling Come On Over was released in three versions to appeal to as many people as possible, which was a gamble that appeared to work.

Up The Bracket – Libertines
Official Chart peak: 35
UK chart sales: 318,000
Considered one of the great debut albums, at a time when UK indie was in rude health and nowhere near a landfill.

What My Heart Wants To Say – Gareth Gates
Official Chart peak: 2
UK chart sales: 589,000
He may have played second fiddle to Will Young, but lovely Gareth won over plenty more fans with his debut.

Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots – Flaming Lips
Official Chart peak: 13
UK chart sales: 322,000
The Flaming Lips had a slow and slightly wonky path to a commercial breakthrough with this, their tenth album, thanks to the heartbreaking Do You Realize??.