Five Albums To Listen To Before You Die

Matthew Blaustein explains why these five albums should be at the top of your musical queue.

I am, in every shape of the word, a music nerd. I probably spend over 2/3 of my day listening to music in some shape or form, whether it be during studying, at the gym, or mixing songs with my DJ controller. With the countless hours I have wrapped up listening to thousands of different tracks by hundreds of different artists, here are my top picks for albums you have to listen to before you die.

The best of the best:

Ready For The Weekend, Calvin Harris, 2009

His last album before he found worldwide success with hit single "Feel So Close", Calvin Harris' Ready For The Weekend is a relatively-forgotten ode to days of future past. With elements that give off a distinctly post-1980s vibe, the groovy album is fun all the way through. Highlights of the album include "Ready For The Weekend", a unique track blending elements of synth-pop and soul, "I'm Not Alone", which was Harris' first club house track and indicative of the path his music would take in the future, and "Relax", which pairs a mesmerizing guitar riff with Harris' ethereal vocals and grinding synths. The magnum opus of Ready For The Weekend is "Flashback", a track which contains Harris' best vocals on the album and is an anthem for the ages. However, some songs falter: "Yeah Yeah Yeah La La La" is more annoying than enjoyable, "Worst Day" contains Harris' whining about a failed relationship, and "The Rain" contains some lyrics that are childish and unnecessary (I'm looking at you, "the sun brings out her sex appeal"). But Ready For The Weekend, as a whole, is a masterclass in balancing technology, genres, and elements of music from different generations.

Favorite Song: “Flashback”

Least Favorite Song: “Yeah Yeah Yeah La La La”

Silence in the Snow, Trivium, 2015

The seventh studio album by American metal group Trivium, Silence in the Snow is a masterclass of booming vocals, shredding guitar solos, and heavy drums. I like to call Silence in the Snow the deadlift album—because no matter what song album you play, there is not one track on here that would be out of place on a workout playlist. Highlights of this high-impact, booming collective are the dynamic "Blind Leading the Blind", the voyaging "Until the World Goes Cold", the booming title track "Silence in the Snow", and the oft-overlooked dark tones of "The Darkness of My Mind". However, my one nitpick is that the album does get somewhat redundant at a few points: more specifically, "Dead and Gone" and "The Ghost That's Haunting You" sound like they are two parts of the same song. Nonetheless, Silence in the Snow is a phenomenal listen the entire way through.

Favorite Song: “Blind Leading the Blind”

Least Favorite Song: “The Ghost That’s Haunting You”

Clarity (Deluxe Edition), Zedd, 2012

I had the utter privilege of getting to see Zedd live in Madison, Wisconsin last year, and all I can say is wow. There is not one artist that I have gotten to see perform live that has brought more energy to a crowd than this man, and the very same energy is echoed in his discography. Clarity (Deluxe Edition) is the prime example of this. With beautiful vocals from talented artists such as Matthew Koma, Ryan Tedder, Ellie Goulding and more, Clarity (Deluxe Version) contains an incredibly diverse selection of songs. There are smash hits such as "Clarity" and "Stay The Night" as well as under-the-radar melodies such as "Lost At Sea" and "Push Play", and even the weaker songs on the album ("Codec", "Stache", and "Hourglass") are still phenomenal in their own right. Unlike the other four albums on here, one specific song caused me to put this on the list over albums such as deadmau5's 4x4=12 and Avicii's True: the sheer brilliance that is "Follow You Down". This song combines the haunting vocals of American artist Bright Lights with a beautiful array of synths to create a calm, grooving classic that Zedd, to this day, has not topped.

Favorite Song: “Follow You Down”

Least Favorite Song: “Codec”

Lifelines, I Prevail, 2016

The debut album of Michigan-based metalcore band I Prevail, Lifelines is a treat to listen to in its entirety. Lifelines tows the line effortlessly between mainstream rock, heavy-hitting metalcore, and even some elements of acoustic pop. Hard-hitting songs like the lead single "Scars" and the ferocious "Come And Get It" set the tone for Lifelines, but the real beauty of this album is found in songs where there is harmony between calm, clean vocals and chaotic, heavy choruses: songs such as "Chaos", "Lifelines", and "Stuck In Your Head" are perfect examples of this analogy. Although admittedly the latter half of the thirteen-track album is somewhat weak (with the exception of "Worst Part of Me"), Lifelines is, in totality, an album to remember.

Favorite Song: "Scars"

Least Favorite Song: "Already Dead"

U & Me, Tritonal, 2019

Out of any artist in electronic music, Tritonal has had the misfortune of flying under the radar in many aspects, whether it be the fact that the genre is so overly saturated at the moment, or the stereotype that they're just another "white frat-boy DJ group" along the lines of Two Friends or The Chainsmokers. But the Austin, Texas-based duo, consisting of Chad Cisneros and David Reed, have an ability little seen in the genre: each and every single one of their songs is filled with emotion. Their 2019 album U & Me is no different: it's rare for an album this long (nineteen songs!) to have such a strong, consistent impact on the listener, both aurally and emotionally. From impactful future bass tracks like "Just Like U" and "Diamonds", to the beautiful and enchanting "Medicine", to even the Matoma-esque tropical house "Quit U", there is truly something for everyone on U & Me. But the pinnacle point of U & Me is their lead song, "U Found Me", which is a progressive house journey containing enthralling vocals about gratitude as well as a massive drop. Several songs feel somewhat boring (in particular, "Real" is super skippable), but the overall makeup of this massive album is staggeringly impressive. This album flew under the radar upon its release, but make no mistake—if Tritonal keeps producing albums just as good as U & Me, the mainstream is in their future.

Favorite Song: "U Found Me"

Least Favorite Song: "Real"