no UFO?
fake news
lmao

 

I have 5 UFO albums on vinyl. I just discovered this band a couple years ago. I have no idea how I missed them back in the 70's

 

I own probably around 70% of these albums on vinyl.

 

Rumours- Fleetwood Mac

I am so sick of this.
In our early married days we lived in a 5th floor apt. One day, new neighbours move in next door. Young couple, where the wife would constantly play just that album over and over ad nauseam for what seemed like a year.

 

That list is hilarious because it exposes the demographics of the 'audiophiles' involved. Like how is there no jazz or classical (I don't really like those much but like, those genres have a good few spiritual experiences within them surely). It's like they put the Prodigy on there so that it wouldn't be all 70s prog rock/something without electric guitar, but skipped so much seminal work as regards music production; like pick a dub record you twit.



Appologies, my ex was crazy like that. Can't stand Fleetwood Mac and it drove me batty too.

Our landlord at the time lived downstairs and every Saturday morning was a Bruce Springsteen marathon. Now I donl;t mind the Boss, but I don;t need 3 LPs in a row. I was getting it from both sides.

 

I played the balls off a lot of those albums - very good choices. I checked the whole list fully expecting Joni Mitchell to get snubbed, only to find they squeezed her in at #50.

I think I would have limited it to one album per band / artist - there's so many other worthy albums they missed. Also some strange (to me) choices - I would have thought Yes 90125 would appeal to audiophiles more than Close to the Edge. Great list thanks for posting.

 

I would have thought Yes 90125 would appeal to audiophiles more than Close to the Edge.

Fragile would be my choice.
Two other replacements on that list would be Allan Parsons - I Robot and Frank Zappa - Over-nite Sensation. For me.

 

!

 

That felt like clickbait. Some excellent choices....some that should have been replaced by far more worthy albums....IMHO of course.

 

People who call themselves "audiophiles" are almost invariably peculiar middle-aged men who buy music to listen to their hi-fi systems. They're creepy. You shouldn't pay attention to their advice.

 

One that was probably overlooked, but cool on headphones
Special Forces by Aluce Cooper

 

Brothers In Arms was a pretty well made album.

 

A few odd additions in my opinion. I have never even heard of the band Marillion, and they have 2 albums on the list. Not saying unworthy…
The 2018 album by 80’s Pop-Waver Kim Wylde… same Kim Wylde singing about “Kids in America”? Who knows… maybe it’s good.
Soul Mining by The The. I own that record, but it doesn’t stand out in my head has an “audiophile” level production. Maybe. I’ll have to revisit.

Notable miss… no Sgt Peppers?

 

Notable miss… no Sgt Peppers?

As a milestone in terms of production and concept, I'd say yes (along with something like Good Vibrations). But it's missing that FM, hi-fi quality they're looking for here that won't solidify for a couple of more years with the advent of 8-tracks and solid state desks (which was maybe evidenced by the Beatles only showing up for mono mixing sessions until the White Album). So for the Beatles the first hi-fi album would be Abbey Road.

Also +1 on The The, but Dusk is a much bigger sounding record. Lung Shadows sounds massive.

Edit: missed that Kind of Blue was included here so will add the Beatles bounced a lot of their tracks losing sound quality along the way. KoB would be one take direct to tape allowing bigger sonics to be retained well before 8 track recorders.

 

My wife doesn’t go near my LP’s. She knows I have a lot… but not the contents. For a laugh I read the list with the upfront “do I own it on vinyl”?
She did really well!

 

Fat of the Land is an interesting inclusion for me. I haven’t listened to anything from that album on headphones since about 1999 but maybe I’ll go back. It makes me wonder about a lot of those electronic Big Beat groups. I remember Chemical Brothers and Death in Vegas albums sounding good but Ive not sat and listened to one for decades.

 

on headphones

Being an 'audiophiles' list, their selections are not based on the music, like 'best of' lists, but rather sound quality and production value?

 

my older sister was into the supremes ... same 45 over and over and over ...
then she'd switch to the sound of music LP ... side 1 , track one ... press repeat.

amazing how often the power tube "fell out" after she put the seabreeze record player away .

BTW , list of some very good bands / music ( and some I've never heard of ) ...
when I finally got around to a decent sound system , the ears were already starting to fade.
could never figure out if it was from the noise at work , or the wife's nagging.

 

Title says it all I guess.
Top 10
1) Dark Side of the Moon- Pink Floyd
2) Rumours- Fleetwood Mac
3) Aja- Steely Dan
4) Amused to Death- Roger Waters
5) Breakfast in America- Supertramp
6) Wish You Were Here- Pink Floyd
7) The Fat of the Land- the Prodigy.
8) Close to the Edge- Yes
9) Brothers in Arms- Dire Straits
10) In the Court of the Crimson King- King Crimson.

https://www.headphonesty.com/2025/09/albums-everyone-listen-life-audiophiles/

I own a lot of these. A few on CD, most on vinyl.

What?! Boston's debut LP didn't make the list?! That almost blasphemy!!

 

almost forgot about that one ...

 

IMO..... Regardless of Boston's debut LP being on vinyl or CD, both sound great!! On topic... But off topic... I recently hooked up my 80's vintage Rockman soloist & I'm working on a new recording that I'll likely post in the not too distant future.

 

There’s a handful of albums there that I’m not familiar with but lots of excellent sounding records and maybe a couple I would have left off the list in favour of alternatives.

 

Audiophile list? OK. Good stuff all around.

Artistic list? Top 50 creative and influential albums. They missed about 49 of 'em.

 

The Cars should have been on that list. Moving in Stereo was so cool.

 

LOVE Roy Thomas Baker's (the man who helmed Bohemian Rhapsody) production here - so dry yet with a lushness at the same time. He, along with Ken Scott (White Album, Ziggy, Devo), definitely had a certain touch.

 

Not sure if it was mentioned but the group involved here was decidedly British based on the inclusion of all the Marillion - as well as the Prodigy and Alphavile.

Btw, if I was to include an 80's synth album it would definitely be the Human League's "Dare" and not Alphaville. Probably the best sounding synth album I've heard having tons of ambience and choice arrangements - along with being very warm and very analog!

 

Btw, if I was to include an 80's synth album it would definitely be the Human League's "Dare" and not Alphaville.

For me, it's Scritti Politti's Provision, mostly for the sonic gut-punch (in a good way ) that is Boom! There She Was:

 

Is their a version of the list that doesn't require me to scroll?

I'm tired today (sore mouscles).

 

OK, I scrolled through the whole thing. Was somewhat dismayed that I have never heard of some of those groups.
Then I went back and re-read the intro text for the article. Sad that musical quality, innovation, and technical merit played no part in the selections.
Here's what it said...

You’ve probably heard music that sounds good. But have you heard music so immersive it turns your living room into a concert hall? According to thousands of audiophiles who obsess over every frequency and soundstage, these 50 albums represent the pinnacle of recorded sound.
Beyond being critically acclaimed, they’re technical achievements that reveal new details with each listen. It doesn’t matter if you’re using a $50,000 system or basic headphones. You’ll be mesmerized every time.

Yeah, right. Well, that's 20 minutes of my life I'll never get back.

 

Well, that's 20 minutes of my life I'll never get back.

Actually I'd say a good chunk of these are high quality albums even before the sonics.

 

Sound quality? Production values?

Hemispheres?
2112?
A Farewell to Kings?

pffft

 

Sound quality? Production values?

Hemispheres?
2112?
A Farewell to Kings?

I get the sense if the group behind this were Canadian instead of British, Rush would supplant all the Marillion lol. And if they were American, Boston would have made the list.

 

Last year I made an effort to listen to all my vinyl, in alphabetical order by artist, chronologically within the artist. I stalled in the "Ro" section. As much as I like The Stones, (I named my first guitar Brian), I challenge anyone to listen to everything from England's Newest Hitmakers to Hackney Diamonds without any other artists in the queue.

But I digress..... Billy Joel's Glass Houses jumped out of the speakers. A f*a*n*t*a*s*t*i*c sounding record.

 

Last year I made an effort to listen to all my vinyl - Billy Joel's Glass Houses jumped out of the speakers. A f*a*n*t*a*s*t*i*c sounding record.

Nice - it was always a cool feeling like I struck gold when I'd play test a used record at the store and come across an album or pressing that did that

 

I’d add Queen II. Any audiophile would have to appreciate the beginning of Ogre Battle.