Certain songs can suddenly whisk you away to a different time and revive memories from the good old days. You can almost catch the scent of the vinyl record or feel the weight of a cassette tape in your hands. If you love music or the nostalgia it sometimes brings, we present 25 albums from the yesteryears that music buffs still love.
1. Rumors by Fleetwood Mac (1977)
Listening to this album is like hopping into a time machine and landing smack dab in the middle of the '70s. You'll get transported to a world of feathered hair and bell-bottom pants. It's a place where love is passionate and complicated, just like the relationships of Fleetwood Mac themselves.
2. Thriller by Michael Jackson (1982)
From the first beat of “Wanna Be Startin' Somethin',” you know you're in for a wild ride. It was the ultimate Halloween anthem that never failed to get many attempting the zombie dance. Even Vincent Price's haunting narration added that extra touch of spookiness.
3. Abbey Road by The Beatles (1969)
We can't talk about Abbey Road without mentioning its cover. That simple image of John, Paul, George, and Ringo strutting across that zebra crossing has become etched into many fans' collective memories. It's the perfect visual representation of the feeling of carefree youth and endless possibilities for anyone who cares to revisit.
4. Jar of Flies by Alice In Chains (1994)
Each track on this album is a bittersweet journey through the valley of nostalgia. From the moody acoustics of “Rotten Apple” to the ethereal harmonies of “Nutshell,” it'll feel like Alice In Chains took a trip to your angsty teenage soul and wrote all your secret thoughts.
5. The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd (1973)
The entire album's beauty comes from how Pink Floyd captured people's anxieties and existential wonderings that were common at the time. Pink Floyd was into many things that would make Socrates proud but with trippier visuals and a killer guitar solo.
6. Blood on the Tracks by Bob Dylan (1975)
Blood on the Tracks is the kind of album you press play on when you need to go down the rabbit hole of self-pity and reminisce about that one person who broke your heart and left you eating ice cream straight from the tub. It's the perfect soundtrack for those late-night drives where you contemplate life's meaning while singing along with tears streaming down your face.
7. OK Computer by Radiohead (1997)
Tracks like “Exit Music” and “Lucky” are like a space shuttle to the days when you had to sit by the radio, fingers poised on the record button, just to listen to your favorite songs. It's a nostalgic nod to a time when making a mixtape required precise timing and a lot of patience. You can't help but smile at the good old days of rewinding and fast-forwarding.
8. Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys (1966)
Pet Sounds will make you feel you are walking down memory lane, even if you weren't born in the '60s. It'll make you want to wear a Hawaiian shirt, grab a piña colada, and pretend you're cruising along the California coast in a vintage convertible. It's the soundtrack to an imaginary summer filled with sun-soaked days and beach bonfires.
9. Dookie by Green Day (1994)
This album may have been released almost three decades ago, but its energy and rebellious spirit are timeless. Just one listen, and you'll find yourself instantly where pagers ruled. Dial-up internet was the height of technological sophistication. Just imagine yourself dusting off an old yearbook and reliving bittersweet high school memories — the good, the bad, and the cringe-inducing.
10. The Velvet Underground & Nico by Nico and The Velvet Underground (1967)
Nico's hauntingly deep voice was the deal for many people. You know, that kind of singer who could make a telemarketer's pitch sound like a melancholic lullaby. And then we have The Velvet Underground, the band that combined art and rock in a way that makes you want to don a beret and start spouting poetry in a dimly lit coffee shop.
11. The Joshua Tree by U2 (1987)
The nostalgic vibes continue with “I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For,” a song that resonates with anyone searching for their missing socks or car keys. We've all been there, desperately rummaging through life, hoping for divine intervention. Thanks to Bono for the reminder that life's journey is a perpetual quest for the lost and the misplaced.
12. Raising H by Run-D.M.C. (1986)
Raising H will make you want to throw on a tracksuit, probably grow a mean mustache, and practice your best Run-D.M.C. dance moves. It features all of the elements that made the '80s hip-hop scene so iconic — funky beats, slick rhymes, and those trademark Run-D.M.C. ad-libs that'll have you shouting “Yeah!” at the top of your lungs.
13. Lemonjelly.ky by Lemon Jelly (2000)
Each track on this hit oldie album is a sonic adventure packed with melodies and rhythms that'll make you want to tap your feet and grin like a fool. It's the musical equivalent of finding a forgotten bag of jellybeans in your pocket. This delightful surprise brings back memories you didn't even know you had.
14. Everything in Transit by Jack's Mannequin (2005)
Everything in Transit by Jack's Mannequin takes you back to 2005 when flip phones were all the rage, and Myspace was the coolest thing since sliced bread. Andrew McMahon's raw and heartfelt lyrics will hit you right in the feels and make you reminisce about those days when heartbreak and teenage drama were the end of the world.
15. Tallahassee by The Mountain Goats (2002)
Tallahassee paints a picture of a couple's crumbling relationship. It's the kind of album that makes you want to curl up on the couch and indulge in good old-fashioned wallowing. Despite the melancholy, warmth and familiarity seep through each song.
16. Graduation by Kanye West (2007)
It may be hard to imagine a time when Hip-Hop was saturated with excellent albums filled with songs that could transcend generations. But once you move from “Good Morning” to “Champion,” you'll remember why Kanye is one of the GOATs, despite whatever controversy hounding him.
17. Arrival by Abba (1976)
Talk about an album filled with songs with so many relatable lyrics, and Abba's Arrival tops the chart as it did in 11 countries at the time of its release. “Knowing Me, Knowing You” will have you thinking about that long-distance relationship you struggled to keep (kudos if that worked out), and “Money, Money, Money” about the endless rat race chasing wealth and fortune.
18. Catch A Fire by Bob Marley and the Wailers (1973)
Bob Marley's Catch A Fire creates so much nostalgia during every listen. It takes you back to when the world was first introduced to Reggae. Bob cleverly covered different societal issues faced by his kin in “Slave Driver,” “400 Years,” and “Concrete Jungle” and made the world listen.
19. In The Wee Small Hours by Frank Sinatra (1955)
Once you hit play and In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning starts, your mind travels back to a time you probably conjured up, thanks to the numerous Hollywood projects set in the 50s. If you were fortunate to be born in Frank's swing-jazz era, it'll evoke a feeling of nostalgia.
20. The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill (1998)
There was a time when female rap had substance, or at least there was a Lauryn Hill to make up for every Sexyy Redd, Ice Spice, and Sukihana of our time. Lauryn started the wave of merging genres into hip-hop for female emcees and did it beautifully. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill is reminiscent of a time when talent, substance, and passion mattered.
21. Pocket Full of Kryptonite by Spin Doctors (1991)
Not many artists or bands can boast of a debut album that is so good that decades after its release, every song still has incredible replay value. From “Jimmy Olsen's Blues” to “How Could You Want Him (When You Know You Could Have Me),” the Spin Doctors take you back to days when you idled around and had no cares in the world.
22. Illmatic by Nas (1994)
Illmatic dropped in '94, and the world knew it had just discovered one of the greatest MCs that'll ever walk the earth. Every bar and rhyme scheme was carefully and expertly laid. Illmatic is so nostalgic for loads of hip-hop buffs who were introduced to the genre by Nas.
23. Night Flight to Venus by Boney M (1978)
Although time capsules are still the stuff of fiction, Boney M's Night Flight to Venus might be the cheapest and most realistic way to step into the past. And if you are fed up with a Mariah Carey Christmas, Boney M's “Mary's Boy Child” and “Rasputin” will take you back to a time when things were simpler.
24. Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone by The Walkmen (2002)
The Walkmen put their heart into this story about friendships, with lyrics and visuals twisted in ways to trigger nostalgia with every listen. It covers themes of betrayal, loneliness, failure, and hope for a better future, something everybody is familiar with.
25. Sounding The Seventh Trumpet by Avenged Sevenfold (2001)
Sounding the Seventh Trumpet was a widely received heavy metal album even outside of the pyro and slam-dancing crowd. Avenged Sevenfold screamed about the apocalypse, redemption, and other subjects and had metalheads headbanging when it first hit the airwaves.
Source: (Reddit).
Boloere Divine Seibidor, fondly called B.S., is a Nigerian-based writer and poet. Her favorite topics include music, especially Hip-Hop, film, lifestyle, and fashion. She's been published by Feral Journal, Fantasy Magazine, The Temz Review, and most notably, Wealth of Geeks. She enjoys romantic dinners, movie nights, and touring new sights. When she's not writing, she's delving back in time to the underground world of Hip-Hop, watching TikTok, or visiting the cinema.