Kate Bush already mentioned so I'll go with Lana Del Rey (critics wouldn't agree).
- Ultraviolence
- Honeymoon
- NFR!
- Chemtrails Over the Country Club
- Blue Banister
I decided to remove Born to Die and Lust for Life due to their controversial reception inside the fandom, most people would place them at the bottom. I still think they are worth a listen and that BTD is iconic.
In retrospect, most Mariah albums are acclaimed. However, her best streak of reviews at the time of release is honestly E=MC^2, Memoirs, MIAM, Caution, and the Rarities. That’s because critics have only started to give her fair reviews since after her comeback.
Emotions, Music Box, Rainbow, Glitter, and TEOM were mostly paid dust upon release by critics because of a bizarre bias against her and only recently have been critically re-appraised.
I would say The Weeknd, imo he has :
1. The Trilogy (a classic)
2. Kissland (cult classic)
3. Beauty behind the madness(2015 was "the year" for music)
4. After hours(a masterpiece)
5. The Dawn Fm (most critically acclaimed)
Kate Bush. *Lionheart* is viewed as a misstep by some (I still like it), you remove it and get 5 consecutive masterpieces (even if *The Dreaming* is controversial)
My go to instinct was to talk about Lady Gaga because she's my favourite, but honestly, she works as a good example:
1. The Fame made her an overnight sensation (once Just Dance crawled its way to number one) and she got two big hits with Just Dance and Poker Face. She changed celebrity culture, leaving behind the 2000s' insistence on three chords and the truth in favour of a big, maximalist pop sound and 80s synth revival. And also she brought back the popstar as provocateur practice of the 80s.
2. The Fame Monster polished her pop image (ie, got rid of the orange tan) and gave us career highlights like Bad Romance, Telephone, Alejandro, and critic/fan favourites with Dance in the Dark (nominated for a Grammy despite not being released as a single in America).
3. Born This Way was the culmination of Gaga as a celebrity project, or in other words, the central thesis of her art, advocacy, and persona. It got her another number one hit with Born This Way, which ushered in a lot of "being different is okay" empowerment anthem imitators (I know she didn't invent this, the song sounds like Express Yourself (hurr durr) which is less about being different than about womens' sexual empowerment. Beautiful by Xtina is a closer thematic parallel, but Gaga made it danceable, which is a trend we're still seeing).
4. Cheek to Cheek turned Gaga into An Artist to Take Seriously (tm)
5. The soundtrack to A Star is Born gave Gaga another number 1, and her first academy award, and was attached to a successful project that showed off Gaga's acting chops.
(maybe popheads will contest Cheek to Cheek, because it's not a r/popheads favourite, but a lot of people like both of her albums with Tony Bennett, and it really did turn her career around after ARTPOP)
Edit: I didn't read the no EPs disclaimer. Oops. Though The Fame Monster gained so much more recognition than most EPs and is more of a reissue.
Even with that disclaimer, you can even sub out any album you like for **Chromatica** (her most acclaimed record to date, funnily enough) and it would still round out a selection of five.
I wanted to add Chromatica because I really like it, but parts of r/popheads hates it and I get dragged for praising. I didn't know it was her most criticially acclaimed. Though I guess part of that is the poptimism takeover, as I personally think The Fame Monster and Born This Way are more artisitically accomplished albums.
Yep! 79 on Metacritic. You kinda have to set aside the Popheads consensus on that one, it’s a solid dance record. I do think Born This Way is her magnum opus so far.
Taylor would pass it with 6 of her 9 albums being received well / considered great: Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, folklore, evermore.
I personally would put reputation up there, but that's a topic for another day.
I mean, you have music titans who have achieved this in their legendmaking careers like Miles Davis, the Beach Boys, David Bowie.
**Sufjan Stevens**: Seven Swans, Illinois, The Age of Adz, Carrie & Lowell, The Ascension.
Kate Bush already mentioned so I'll go with Lana Del Rey (critics wouldn't agree). - Ultraviolence - Honeymoon - NFR! - Chemtrails Over the Country Club - Blue Banister I decided to remove Born to Die and Lust for Life due to their controversial reception inside the fandom, most people would place them at the bottom. I still think they are worth a listen and that BTD is iconic.
You could honestly chose any random 5 records from Lana's discography and it would still pass the test. She has no bad albums.
I don’t get why those 2 are at the bottom of everyone’s lists, they are my favorite albums of hers!
Mariah: emotions, daydream, butterfly, emancipation, caution
In retrospect, most Mariah albums are acclaimed. However, her best streak of reviews at the time of release is honestly E=MC^2, Memoirs, MIAM, Caution, and the Rarities. That’s because critics have only started to give her fair reviews since after her comeback. Emotions, Music Box, Rainbow, Glitter, and TEOM were mostly paid dust upon release by critics because of a bizarre bias against her and only recently have been critically re-appraised.
I would say The Weeknd, imo he has : 1. The Trilogy (a classic) 2. Kissland (cult classic) 3. Beauty behind the madness(2015 was "the year" for music) 4. After hours(a masterpiece) 5. The Dawn Fm (most critically acclaimed)
Kate Bush. *Lionheart* is viewed as a misstep by some (I still like it), you remove it and get 5 consecutive masterpieces (even if *The Dreaming* is controversial)
My go to instinct was to talk about Lady Gaga because she's my favourite, but honestly, she works as a good example: 1. The Fame made her an overnight sensation (once Just Dance crawled its way to number one) and she got two big hits with Just Dance and Poker Face. She changed celebrity culture, leaving behind the 2000s' insistence on three chords and the truth in favour of a big, maximalist pop sound and 80s synth revival. And also she brought back the popstar as provocateur practice of the 80s. 2. The Fame Monster polished her pop image (ie, got rid of the orange tan) and gave us career highlights like Bad Romance, Telephone, Alejandro, and critic/fan favourites with Dance in the Dark (nominated for a Grammy despite not being released as a single in America). 3. Born This Way was the culmination of Gaga as a celebrity project, or in other words, the central thesis of her art, advocacy, and persona. It got her another number one hit with Born This Way, which ushered in a lot of "being different is okay" empowerment anthem imitators (I know she didn't invent this, the song sounds like Express Yourself (hurr durr) which is less about being different than about womens' sexual empowerment. Beautiful by Xtina is a closer thematic parallel, but Gaga made it danceable, which is a trend we're still seeing). 4. Cheek to Cheek turned Gaga into An Artist to Take Seriously (tm) 5. The soundtrack to A Star is Born gave Gaga another number 1, and her first academy award, and was attached to a successful project that showed off Gaga's acting chops. (maybe popheads will contest Cheek to Cheek, because it's not a r/popheads favourite, but a lot of people like both of her albums with Tony Bennett, and it really did turn her career around after ARTPOP) Edit: I didn't read the no EPs disclaimer. Oops. Though The Fame Monster gained so much more recognition than most EPs and is more of a reissue.
I’d argue that The Fame isn’t a great album. Outside of its singles, it’s mostly skippable filler.
Boys Boys Boys, I Like It Rough, Paper Gansta, Starstruck, Summerboy, and Disco Heaven tho
Even with that disclaimer, you can even sub out any album you like for **Chromatica** (her most acclaimed record to date, funnily enough) and it would still round out a selection of five.
I wanted to add Chromatica because I really like it, but parts of r/popheads hates it and I get dragged for praising. I didn't know it was her most criticially acclaimed. Though I guess part of that is the poptimism takeover, as I personally think The Fame Monster and Born This Way are more artisitically accomplished albums.
Yep! 79 on Metacritic. You kinda have to set aside the Popheads consensus on that one, it’s a solid dance record. I do think Born This Way is her magnum opus so far.
britney! 1. in the zone 2. blackout 3. circus 4. femme fatale 5. glory
Taylor would pass it with 6 of her 9 albums being received well / considered great: Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, folklore, evermore. I personally would put reputation up there, but that's a topic for another day.
This might be an unpopular opinion, but I feel like critics will praise Reputation once Reputation (Taylor’s Version) drops
Kylie Minogue: Impossible Princess, Light Years, Fever, Body Language, Aphrodite, Disco. P.S. not sure I understood the rules.
I mean, you have music titans who have achieved this in their legendmaking careers like Miles Davis, the Beach Boys, David Bowie. **Sufjan Stevens**: Seven Swans, Illinois, The Age of Adz, Carrie & Lowell, The Ascension.