Alt-J An awesome wave - it really is considered as a whole in its creation. There are interludes, dips & swells in the energy, and a whole journey of sonically related songs which keep introducing new variations and sounds.

Sufjan Stevens the BQE - another album that really should be enjoyed as a whole journey, it follows the daily commute of so many along the Brooklyn Queens Expressway in NYC. It wanders from orchestral to electronic noise, and is a wonderful album to put on for a slow Sunday morning.

My favorite is The Beatles Revolver.

Revolver is, IMO, the best transitional album - the songs are all approachable, yet remain experimental. The execution is polished.

While many will say that Sgt Pepper is the Beatles’ best album, over the years I found myself leaning more toward Revolver. Pepper is a great concept album, but there are only a few memorable songs. Most people have heard the majority of Revolver at some point in their life.

So if I were to pick one album that represented the Beatles at their height as a pop music band, it would be Revolver.

not sure what kind of genres you are into, but for hip-hop I’ll recommend “illmatic” by Nas

my GOAT in the rap game, the best lyricist and storyteller

I didn’t live in NYC during the 80s/90s but the way he paints a picture with his words makes me feel like I’m really there experiencing it all

here’s a video with the lyrics to the opening song NY State of Mind

there can be quite a bit of slang or inside references used in hip-hop, so for anyone who feels overwhelmed when trying to parse the meaning of some lyrics I’d recommend looking up the songs on genius.com which always has great explanations and breakdowns

(explicit lyrics warning)

https://youtu.be/vni9Gt6CIXc

https://genius.com/albums/Nas/Illmatic

To Pimp a Butterfly - Kendrick Lamar

It’s a hip-hop album with a strong focus on themes of race in America and mental health. Lamar’s lyricism is incredible.

The instrumentation is equally great, drawing inspiration from jazz, funk, and soul.

The Kinks, Preservation Act 1 & 2

The Kinks modernized rock, progressing through similar phases as The Beatles, they became increasingly experimental, taking on many different genres and instruments. I believe that The Beatles and many others learned different avenues to expand their sound from listening to The Kinks. Preservation Act 1 & 2 were a exposition into the realm of rock opera. It touches upon super modern an relevant concepts, such as crooked politicians, gentrification, getting old, censorship, etc. It plays out like a story, so please take the time to listen to the albums in order and not skip around. It is a master class of diverse rhythm and harmony. Any one of the songs on each album can get stuck in your head for days. In my mind, every some including the intro are hits. If you like the album and want to listen to other ones by them, I would also recommend The Village Green Preservation Society, Schoolboys in Disgrace, Muswell Hillbillies, Everybody’s in Showbiz, Misfits, and Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One. What’s so interesting about The Kinks is you can ask someone else what their favorite albums are and they may list totally different ones by them from what I listed because they were so versatile across several decades, but I like these the best.

Tool - Lateralus. It's an album best played from start to finish, and takes a very dynamic ride that I interpret as a ride through human consciousness, communication with others and ourselves.

Red (Taylor's Version) - Taylor Swift

It's hard for me to pick a favorite album because so many of hers have had an impact on me, but Red really is just that album!! It has a beautiful blend of genres (pop, rock, more electronic tracks, country) and it covers every aspect of love — the infatuation, the rose tinted glasses, the hurdles and triumphs and the eventual fallout. Not to mention All Too Well (10 Minute Version) just being an absolute masterpiece of emotional storytelling.

I choose Taylor's Version specifically because Red, in a way, is Taylor reclaiming herself from a troubled and not so great relationship (which she at the time perceived as normal) and so the parallel of her now also reclaiming her work just adds another layer to the mix.

I'll have to check it out. Obviously a man of taste

The Stage - Avenged Sevenfold

It's a metal album with a pretty big departure from their normal sound (going from more traditional Heavy Metal to more Progressive Metal), and dropping a Single (the title track, The Stage) then the full album by surprise. It's their first conceptual album with a focus on where humanity is (in 2016), how we interact with each other, our progression with technology, and our place in the universe which is still very interesting and fun to unpack. The extended version includes their covers of songs they grew up with in Southern California, ranging from Spanish folk songs to Pink Floyd. It's fantastic to hear a band truly enjoy expanding their sound and creating music they want and seem to love.