Music
Lancaster’s all-time favourite albums

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A few weeks ago, we wandered around campus asking people what their all-time favourite albums are, so here is what we found out about the music taste of Lancaster University students! It’s a rather eclectic list…

Comedown Machine by The Strokes
Wallis – Fine Art

“This album has really got that classic rock band feel, the way the guitar, drums and bass all work together is something I enjoy! That’s the sort of music I like to listen to and I think that this album is one of the examples of the genre at its best. The lead singer [Julian Casablancas] is great too, he has a wild vocal range. I think that, along with varied melodies, the album fits so many different situations so well! I can listen to it in whatever mood or wherever I am: car journeys and pres are probably the go-to scenarios because there are some great sing-along tracks, but there a few nice reflective songs on there too.”

Les Misérables – 25th Anniversary Edition
Rachael – Law and Criminology

“I don’t really listen to a lot of albums, I usually listen to the odd song here or there, but this album is something that I don’t really get tired of and I know almost all the words! The vocals of the actors are incredible and they convey such a range of emotions: you laugh, you cry and everything in between in this two-and-three-quarter hour demi-opera. I think that is the best thing about it, there is such an array of style in the songs because they portray different characters and have to react to the story and tell the story just through song – it’s really beautiful.”

1989 by Taylor Swift
Jonathan – English Literature
“It’s essentially just a masterpiece of modern pop music! It’s much more varied and subtle than her more recent efforts on Reputation and I think it perfectly combines her personal experiences and storytelling of her earlier albums whilst successfully making the transition to pop superstardom.”

Now That’s What I Call Disney
Lauren – English Language and Linguistics

“For me, it epitomises childhood happiness and the joy of youth! It’s hard to think about anything that might be going wrong in the world when you’re listening to ‘Hakuna Matata’. I had ‘Whistle A Happy Tune’ from The King and I on while writing an essay the other day and it just made everything seem fine [laughs]. There’s a song for everything on this compilation: motivation from ‘Make A Man Out of You’ [Mulan], romance from Cinderella, friendship in Toy Story, female empowerment in Brave. It teaches some really important lessons while spreading good vibes – what’s not to love?”

Wild World by Bastille
Fiona – Social Work

“I’ve always loved Bastille so I was really happy when they released this. I found it quite late actually, they don’t release a lot of music so it can be hard to keep track of. I felt like I had to make up for lost time when I came across it and got a bit too into it and listened to it so much. I’ve seen Bastille live and they’re so good! They have such an array of music: happy songs, sad songs and all of them are great. It’s got really good cover art too, so it’s good for your eyes as well as your ears and you can’t say that about many albums!”

Like Clockwork by Queens of the Stone Age
Tom – English Literature and Philosophy

“This album was unlike anything I’d heard before, it’s the reason I first got into the band and why they’re one of my favourites now! It’s an eerie wash of blues, rock and psychedelia that really intrigued me: it’s a bit moodier than some earlier work but that’s part of the introspective journey of the album – particularly evident in ‘I Appear Missing’. The songwriting and guitar-work is stunningly original, it’s a colossal album, totally unlike anything you’ll ever hear again.”

Rumours by Fleetwood Mac
Michael – English Literature

“Without a doubt this is the greatest record to ever grace my ears, it’s a true discographic masterpiece – the peak of one of the best groups of all time! Rumours collects the fallout of the band’s heartache and substance abuse into a neat package brimming with lamentations of love and the gritty spirit of regardless continuation. Realistically, the album should never have been made, the group shouldn’t have stuck together after all they went through at this time. But they did, and the outcome is perfection. Every single track is excellent, Stevie Nicks’ vocals and lyricism transcend time and has been unrivalled despite the evolution of music. In short, this album is nothing short of iconic.”

The Spark by Enter Shikari
Izzy – Entrepreneurship

“For the lyrics on this album, Rou Reynolds [lead singer] has connected with his emotions and things that have gone on in his life recently, such as a break-up and the death of some family members, but he’s also discussed the political turmoil that we’re currently experiencing. The record speaks to so many people, it’s so relatable and really inspiring. On the track ‘Airfield’, I love when he sings “When the wind’s against you / Remember this insight / That’s the optimal condition / For birds to take flight”, because he’s trying to say that if you’re going through a difficult time, it can be just what you needed to make you change things for the better.”
This Nation’s Saving Grace by The Fall
Kobi – Computer Science
“It really set a benchmark for post-punk that was to come, especially because of his vocal delivery and his attitude. It’s intentionally horribly mixed which I quite like! A song from it that I really like is ‘I Am Damo Suzuki’, which is about 6 minutes of Mark E. Smith proclaiming that he’s the lead singer of Can. It has defined how I view music and art and I wanted to remind people of his work as he died recently.”
Reskinned by Larkin Poe
Ruth – English Literature
“On ‘Reskinned’, Larkin Poe revisit their previous album ‘Skinned’ and it marks a transition from their first EPs to a more fully-formed sound. They move from a blues sound to something much more Nashville, it has more rock in it. It’s mixed better, the instrumentation is better and there’s more pedal steel which I like!”
Life’s Not Out To Get You by Neck Deep
Tom – Physics
“This is the album that always comes to mind when people ask me what my favourite album is. I like pop punk as a genre because it’s easy to listen to when I’m working or doing anything pretty much. It’s the first album that got me into the genre and I must’ve listened to it hundreds of times over by now, I know all the words and tend to put it on out of habit. I really want to own it on vinyl!”
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