There is one bad thing about year-end lists that nobody talks about. They are a snapshot of what you listened to mostly all year, but only from new releases. Music, as an art form, is timeless, and that simple fact makes it difficult to ignore older records during a particular year. An album a friend recommended, that record critics love, or even artists or bands you were attracted to because their name is cool, there’s always something you want to listen for the first time that isn’t new.

Here’s 10 albums that represent that.

A Tribe Called Quest – People’s Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm (1990, Jive/RCA Records)

As I immerse myself in the world of hip-hop and rap I can’t help but feel overwhelmed. There’s a lot of essential music in the genre, one that has been alive for more than 3 decades now. A Tribe Called Quest is an East Coast rap group that is influenced by jazz, world rhythms and the changing nature of the world at the dawn of the 90’s. In this, their debut, released 28 years ago, is amazing how the beats and verses don’t feel outdated, and of course the album is impossible to resist if there’s a song like ‘Can I Kick It?’ in the middle of it.   

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers – Caravan (1963, Riverside)

One of the most important and influential groups in jazz history, Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers where at the peak of their powers in the early sixties. Impulsed by the jazz classic title song composed by Juan Tizol and Duke Ellington, the album is a showcase of a hard-bop era group that knew exactly how to distill their sound. Completed by two compositions of saxophonist Wayne Shorter, one of trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and two deftly interpreted standards, this album is an essential release of the legendary, shape-shifting group.   

Fiona Apple – When The Pawn… (1999, Clean Slate/Epic)

The complete title of this album is a poem that would be, in this format, at least 3 lines long, if you want to read it, you can see it in the cover. Fiona Apple is a singer-songwriter that first came to be known for her excellent debut, Tidal, released when she was 19 years old. The wisdom and truth behind her lyrics where enough to recieve acclaim and put high expectations in this, her second album. And she delivered. Starting by the tongue-in-cheek nature of the title to the nuanced, cohesive and blues-influenced songs, Apple proved for a second time in a row that she needed to be taken seriously. And she still does to this day.   

Hot Chip – In Our Heads (2012, Domino)

This is the fifth effort of Hot Chip, an english electronic band that rose to moderate level fame with a few hits in the 00’s and 4 strong dance/electronic albums. In this album, maturity was apparently a main influence. The songs are deeper, and at moments it can seem that there is not fun left, but there is, it’s just more focused. The band doesn’t forget how to make great melodies in top of the addictive rhythms, and this album cemented them as an important band in the independent and alternative scenes. 

  Mos Def – The Ecstatic (2009, Downtown Records)

I first knew this album in 2011, I didn’t listen to it completely, and apparently, I put it aside for 7 years. That was a mistake. Yasiin Bey, born Dante Terrel Smith, better known as Mos Def, saw in this release a new-found vision. Called by critics as a return to form, the album is richly textured, with use of samples both of old records and world sounds. The lyrics have a wide range of themes, united by Bey’s consciousness of his place in the world and how it changes around him. The music morphs and expands at every corner resulting in an album that is essential in the hip-hop scene of the century.  

My Bloody Valentine – Loveless (1991, Creation/Sire)

I guess, this is the most important album of this list, because the existence of it and the universal acclaim it has have been in my mind for as long as maybe 9 years and I finally listened to it. But, why I didn’t listen to it before? Well, shoegaze has never been a genre I would want to blindly dive into and expect to love it instantly. So I slowly immersed myself into it, getting used to the beautiful and haunting melodies and the personal and introvert lyrics behind layered effects and thick instrumentation. Little did I know that the experience would be smooth and evocative. This album completely fulfilled my expectations of it and now I agree that it is probably the most important in the genre. MBV will release music soon. This time, I’m putting all my attention.   

Spiritualized – Sweet Heart, Sweet Light (2012, Double Six Records)  

It is no coincidence that this band released one of my favorite albums of 2018 and that they also appear on this list. The fact that I loved And Nothing Hurt, and that I already cherished Spiritualized’s classic Ladies and Gentlemen We’re Floating in Space, forced me to wander deeper into their discography. And this album is another marvel. Still influenced by Jason Pierce’s older, more psychedelic material, Sweet Heart, Sweet Light, was a dive into territory a little more unknown, and considered a strong return after a few weak releases. With its sweet power-ballads and powerful psych-rock tunes it is surprising that it maintains a low profile in the rock scene, specially because it is the statement that pushed Spiritualized into a new era that, up until this point, is straight in the right track.   

    The Clientele – Strange Geometry (2005, Merge/Pointy)

Oh, this band. Remember what I said about been attracted to an artist because of their name? Exhibit A is these guys. Also, if I had made a list similar to this one about 2017, they would’ve appeared too. They’re just so good, and not that new. Based in England, the band fronted by Alasdair MacLean, released a few singles in the late 90’s and then compiled them in their first full-length. The lo-fi nature of the indie rock melodies gives them a unique spot in the scene. In this, their third album, they polished a little more the production, but kept the slighty psychedelic and sweet nature of their songs. A few experimentation with solos and trippy textures gave this album a push and resulted in strong evidence that The Clientele is a solid act, and they still are today.  

    The Radio Dept. – Clinging To A Scheme (2010, Labrador)

The third album by this Swedish indie-pop band is a showcase that their own brand of dream pop could get sweeter and more intricate. They don’t entirely abandon the lo-fi nature of their more obscure-sounding debut, but the fact that most of these songs sound upbeat and charming works extremely well, and those songs are the strongest in the record. Writing about life challenge’s and their place in the world, frontman Johan Duncanson, evokes another kind of purpose with his more present voice. Sounds bright, sounds dramatic, sounds great.     

The Radio Dept. – Lesser Matters (2003, Labrador)

The first piercing chords of ‘Where Damage Isn’t Already Done’ introduced me to this band. Then, when I heard the verse and the voice sounds like it’s whispering directly to you but the drums appear to be in the other side of the room, I couldn’t help but think: where is this album going? Of course, the lo-fi dream pop of The Radio Dept.’s first album is what made them charming in the first place and it doesn’t stop at guitars and drums. They use synths, voice effects and keyboards to embellish their songs, keeping the sense that you’re hearing it live from a bedroom. The albums takes you through its simple narratives about searching for meaning softly without losing your attention. Cozy music at its best.