The Bucket Tracklist #1

by Kate Giff

I am a massive fan of music; most of my money goes on gigs, my favourite people are all musicians, and my favourite hobby is writing about music. That being said, I feel like I’m a bit of a fraud in that there are hundreds of thousands of classic albums and tracks that I’ve never heard. I try to remedy this by trawling the internet for the lists of “Things To Listen To Before You Die” from the likes of Rolling Stone or NME Magazine, but to be honest it’s a little overwhelming, and I usually revert back to artists I already know I like – which is what led me to start this column: a comprehensive breakdown of what are supposedly the best albums of all time, from all over the internet and music magazines. Each week I’ll be discussing either an album or a few songs that have been recommended, or that I recommend, from Bob Dylan to Jay Z. Hopefully this can be helpful to anyone who, like me, wants to find some amazing new music, as well as some classics.

For my first brief introductory instalment, I thought I’d start with some of my favourite songs. These are what make up what I call my “Ultimate Album”, which are the fifteen songs that I’d be happy to exclusively listen to for the rest of forever. Obviously, these are my recommendations for people looking for new music, and I definitely advise people to make their own, as it makes you really think about what music you love and why. Here’s my Ultimate Album (as of September 2015):

  1. Golden Brown – The Stranglers
  2. Mojo Pin – Jeff Buckley
  3. Jolene – Dolly Parton
  4. (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher – Jackie Wilson
  5. Where Is My Mind – Pixies
  6. Fast Car – Tracy Chapman
  7. Once I Was – Tim Buckley
  8. Take the Night Off – Laura Marling
  9. A Change Is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke
  10. Sittin’ On The Dock Of The Bay – Otis Redding
  11. Warm Foothills – Alt-J
  12. Worship Me – Laura Marling
  13. Arizona – Kings of Leon
  14. Knocked Up (Lykke Li vs. Rodeo Remix) – Kings of Leon
  15. Moonshiner (Cover) – Bob Dylan

I aim to keep updating this, and hope after a few months of listening to and writing about new music, I’ll have new favourites to add to this list, and that anyone reading this will as well.

In the meantime, you can listen to my Ultimate Album on the PearShaped Spotify playlist for The Bucket Tracklist #1.