I’m guilty of not listening to enough REM. I may make up a hospital playlist.
Sounds like a good plan mate 
Taking this thing to the Top 50 then…
No.54: “The Rising” by Bruce Springsteen (2002)
This is Bruce Springsteen’s very personal album whereby most of the songs are about the events of the aftermath of 9/11. There are lighter moments, but the general tone and mood of the album is sombre and reflective. However, it’s a superb record as his poignant lyrics testify, and the E Street Band are on usual top notch form. One of my favourite later-period Springsteen records.
Sleeve image:
Videos:
Extra video(s):
“Concert for Heroes” video:
Concert video: Live in Barcelona 2002, 1hr. 40mins:
Interview:
Track Listing:
- “Lonesome Day”
- “Into the Fire”
- “Waitin’ on a Sunny Day”
- “Nothing Man”
- “Countin’ on a Miracle”
- “Empty Sky”
- “Worlds Apart”
- “Let’s Be Friends (Skin to Skin)”
- “Further On (Up the Road)”
- “The Fuse”
- “Mary’s Place”
- “You’re Missing”
- “The Rising”
- “Paradise”
- “My City of Ruins”
Personnel:
• Bruce Springsteen – lead guitar, vocals, acoustic guitar, baritone guitar, harmonica
• Roy Bittan – keyboards, piano, mellotron, Kurzweil, pump organ, Korg M1, crumar
• Clarence Clemons – saxophone, background vocals
• Danny Federici – Hammond B3, Vox Continental, Farfisa
• Nils Lofgren – electric guitar, Dobro, slide guitar, banjo, background vocals
• Patti Scialfa – vocals
• Garry Tallent – bass guitar
• Steven Van Zandt – electric guitar, background vocals, mandolin
• Max Weinberg – drums
• Soozie Tyrell – violin, background vocals
• Brendan O’Brien – hurdy-gurdy, glockenspiel, orchestra bells
• Larry Lemaster – cello
• Jere Flint – cello
• Jane Scarpantoni – cello
• Nashville String Machine
• Asif Ali Khan and group
• Alliance Singers
• The Miami Horns
No.53: “Escape” by Journey (1981)
My favourite Journey album, as it would be many people’s to be honest. Escape contains THAT single ‘Don’t Stop Believein’, the biggest, mightiest air guitar anthem of all-time probably (and then again with its ‘comeback’ courtesy of teen sitcom “Glee” (!!). But that’s not the only highlight. We have the classic ballads ‘Open Arms’, ‘Who’s Crying Now’ and the finale of the powerful road song ‘Still They Ride’. Steve Perry’s amazing, soaring vocals were never better than on the classic album.
Sleeve image, other images:
Videos:
Concert vide: Tokyo 1981, 1hr. 30mins (approx.):
Interview:
Documentary, 1983:
Full album (audio):
Track Listing:
- “Don’t Stop Believin’”
- “Stone in Love”
- “Who’s Crying Now”
- “Keep On Runnin’”
- “Still They Ride”
- “Escape”
- “Lay It Down”
- “Dead or Alive”
- “Mother, Father”
- “Open Arms”
Personnel:
• Steve Perry – lead vocals, producer (tracks 12–14)
• Neal Schon – lead guitar, backing vocals
• Jonathan Cain – keyboards, rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Ross Valory – bass, backing vocals
• Steve Smith – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Produced by Mike Stone incidentally, who produced the classic first Asia album.
No.52: “Stranglers IV: Rattus Norvegicus” by The Stranglers (1977)
Debut by the men in black, the Doors-influenced prog-punk band who call themselves The Stranglers. Still their best album by far, although they have of course released some terrific music over the years (and continue to do so). What do you want from an album?: The brilliant, viciously angry introduction to the record ‘Sometimes’, the awesome 1976 debut single ‘(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)’, the loitering ‘Hanging Around’, the summer smut of ‘Peaches’, the grand finale of the dirty and disease-ridden images of the fantastic ‘Down In The Sewer’. And the legendary concert show closer ‘Go Buddy Go’ wasn’t even on the album, that’s how good the record was.
Head and shoulders musically above anything else the punk movement, this album is stunning.
Extremely hard to find original clips from 1977, but I tried my best!
Sleeve image, other images:
Videos:
Extra video(s):
Concert video, 2016:
Documentary:
Personnel:
• Hugh Cornwell – guitars, lead and backing vocals
• Jean-Jacques Burnel – bass guitar, lead and backing vocals
• Dave Greenfield – keyboards (Hammond L100 Organ, Hohner Cembalet electric piano, Minimoog synthesizer), backing and lead vocals
• Jet Black – drums, percussion
No.51: “Avalon Sunset” by Van Morrison (1989)
And so to my favourite Van Morrison album.
Avalon Sunset is probably best known for the inclusion of the instant classic song ‘Have I Told You Lately?’ which has been covered by everybody since and was in fact my wedding song to my wife.
The rest of the album is noted for its lush orchestration and beautifully mellow songs, opting for a heavily religious theme throughout. The only abhorrent disaster concerning this album is its opening song ‘Whenever God Shines His Light’. Not a bad record at all, but as it’s a duet with Cliff Richard it lowers the tone of proceedings to basement bargain levels. Still, ‘Contacting My Angel’, the uptempo folky tracks of ‘I’m Tired Joey Boy’ and ‘I’d Love To Write Another Song’, the gorgeous splendour of ‘Orangefield’ and the spoken word ‘Coney Island’ make this record a truly wonderful release and a more mellow and relaxing album is hard to find.
Sleeve image, other images:
Videos:
Concert video, ‘In The Garden’, 1989:
Track Listing:
- “Whenever God Shines His Light” (Duet with Cliff Richard) – 4:58
- “Contacting My Angel” – 4:57
- “I’d Love to Write Another Song” – 2:52
- “Have I Told You Lately” – 4:20
- “Coney Island” – 2:00
- “I’m Tired Joey Boy” – 2:29
- “When Will I Ever Learn to Live in God” – 5:38
- “Orangefield” – 3:50
- “Daring Night” – 6:10
- “These Are the Days” – 5:08
Van Morrison albums in Floydy’s Top 1000:
051-Avalon Sunset-1989
057-Moondance-1970
061-Astral Weeks-1968
076-No Guru, No Method, No Teacher-1986
077-Too Long In Exile-1993
088-Hymns To The Silence-1991
123-Poetic Champions Compose-1987
130-A Sense Of Wonder-1985
140-Enlightenment-1990
163-Into The Music-1979
182-Beautiful Vision-1982
269-Van Morrison, His Band & The Street Choir-1970
296-Days Like This-1995
310-Tupelo Honey-1971
345-Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart-1983
370-Irish Heartbeat (with The Chieftains)-1988
408-Saint Dominic’s Preview-1972
535-It’s Too Late To Stop Now-1974
719-Common One-1980
796-Back On Top-1999
819-Born To Sing: No Plan B-2012
100-51:
100-BOSTON-Boston-1976
099-CROWDED HOUSE-Together Alone-1993
098-NEIL YOUNG-Harvest-1972
097-CROSBY, STILLS & NASH-Crosby, Stills & Nash-1969
096-BOB DYLAN-Blonde On Blonde-1966
095-BEATLES-Magical Mystery Tour-1967
094-WHO-My Generation-1965
093-BOB DYLAN-Bringing It All Back Home-1965
092-CHRIS REA-Shamrock Diaries-1985
091-BEATLES-Please Please Me-1963
090-BLONDIE-Eat To The Beat-1979
089-PINK FLOYD-The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn-1967
088-VAN MORRISON-Hymns To The Silence-1991
087-PRETENDERS-Pretenders-1980
086-TRAVELING WILBURYS-Vol.1-1988
085-BILLY JOEL-Storm Front-1989
084-LED ZEPPELIN-Led Zeppelin III-1970
083-BEE GEES/VARIOUS ARTISTS-Saturday Night Fever-1977
082-TOM PETTY-Full Moon Fever-1989
081-SUPERTRAMP-Breakfast In America-1979
080-ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA-Out Of The Blue-1978
079-LLOYD COLE-Don’t Get Weird On Me Babe-1991
078-PINK FLOYD-A Momentary Lapse Of Reason-1987
077-VAN MORRISON-Too Long In Exile-1993
076-VAN MORRISON-No Guru, No Method, No Teacher-1986
075-U2-The Joshua Tree-1987
074-PAUL MCCARTNEY-Tug Of War-1982
073-BEATLES-A Hard Day’s Night-1964
072-BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN-Darkness On The Edge Of Town-1978
071-CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG-Déjà Vu-1970
070-JEFF WAYNE/VARIOUS-The War Of The Worlds-1978
069-WHO-Quadrophenia-1973
068-JOY DIVISION-Still (Studio Demos/Live)-1981
067-JOE JACKSON-Body & Soul-1984
066-LLOYD COLE & THE COMMOTIONS-Rattlesnakes-1984
065-GENESIS-Three Sides Live-1982
064-ROLLING STONES-Let It Bleed-1969
063-BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN-The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle-1974
062-BEACH BOYS-Pet Sounds-1966
061-VAN MORRISON-Astral Weeks-1968
060-BOB DYLAN-Highway 61 Revisited-1965
059-NEIL YOUNG -Freedom-1989
058-WHO-Who’s Next-1971
057-VAN MORRISON-Moondance-1970
056-PINK FLOYD-Pulse (Live)-1995
055-R.E.M.-Automatic For The People-1992
054-BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN-The Rising-2002
053-JOURNEY-Escape-1981
052-STRANGLERS-Stranglers IV (Rattus Norvegicus)-1977
051-VAN MORRISON-Avalon Sunset-1989
More at the weekend 
Reading these lists in the cold light of day brings it home to me how much work you’ve put into this Floydy
Thanks buddy, much appreciated
If I’d have thought about it beforehand a little more and the time it was to take I wouldn’t have attempted it. Whatever, it’s there now for good (hopefully) and I see it as a reference exercise for others to seek out some decent music for their collections.
As I mentioned earlier, I intend to reach the Top 40 this weekend. Taking into account my holiday in three weeks’ time, it’s doubtful we’ll get it all done by then as I’m not rushing through those final classic albums. I’ll pause the thing at a relevant point, maybe around the Top 20 mark. See how far we get
No.50: “Dancing With Strangers” by Chris Rea (1987)
This wonderfully descriptive album is my favourite of all Chris Rea’s albums. As usual, he concerns his narratives with songs about his homeland, or otherwise topical situations of the time. The big single here is ‘Let’s Dance’, the massive pop hit of ’87. There are some utterly gorgeous “love songs” such as ‘Loving You Again’, a ballad so rich in its orchestration you’d think it was Barry White performing it! Another couple of favourites are the Cold War song ‘Gonna Buy A Hat’ (“like that Mr. Gorbachev”) and the delectable ‘Windy Town’ about time on the road and going home again. The only slight downside to the album is the rather downbeat ‘Joys Of Christmas’ which for some reason opens the album in a very sombre tone. It’s a good song with a strong, meaningful lyric but get past that and it’s a wonderful album.
Sleeve image, other images:
Videos:
Concert video:
Full album (audio):
Track Listing:
- “Joys of Christmas” - 5:15
- “I Can’t Dance to That” - 4:19
- “Windy Town” - 4:25
- “Gonna Buy a Hat” - 4:25
- “Curse of the Traveller” - 6:26
- “Let’s Dance” - 4:07
- “Que Sera” - 5:23
- “Josie’s Tune” - 2:19
- “Loving You Again” - 5:40
- “That Girl of Mine” - 3:41
- “September Blue” - 3:09