From the classics to those rare gems you forgot about, each week music blogger Sam Smith reviews an album celebrating an anniversary. Offering a mix of history, quirky facts, and of course tunes, catch anniversary albums every Monday on Morning Glory with Geneva for your fix of music history.
This week, Sam takes a look at the cult classic from Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson "Winter in America." Released in 1974, this album was one of the seminal protest records of the mid-70s and is now considered as one of Scott-Heron's best albums.
This week, Sam takes a look at the debut album from New York rapper Nas "Illmatic." Released in 1994, "Illmatic" has gone on to be considered one of the greatest rap albums of all time and helped set the blueprint for male solo rappers in the future.
This week for our final NZ Music Month album we took a look at the third and final studio album from indie darlings The Mint Chicks "Screens." Released in 2009, "Screens" marked a change of direction stylistically for the band towards a more 60s inspired pop sound.
This week on anniversary albums, Sam takes a look at the debut album from Stellar* "Mix." Released in 1999, "Mix" was a critical and commercial behemoth going 5x platinum and remaining one of the best-selling NZ albums ever.
This week, Sam kicks off New Zealand Music Month by looking at the 3rd and final studio project from hip hop group @Peace. Released in 2014, "@Peace and the Plutonian Noise Symphony" is a modern masterpiece and an exercise in experimentation within the "jazz rap" framework.
This week, Sam takes a look at the debut album from Atlanta rap duo Outkast "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik." Released in 1994, this album set the scene for the decade to come in Atlanta rap and helped established the thriving scene in the city which continues today.
This week, Sam takes a look at the sixth studio album from Prince "Purple Rain." Released in 1984, this record established Prince as a worldwide pop star and went on to become one of the biggest selling albums of the 1980s.
This week, Sam takes a look at the debut album from Queen Latifah "All Hil the Queen." Released in 1989, this record became a pioneering album for women in rap and set the scene for future female MCs to step up to the mic and dominate the scene.
This week, Sam pays tribute to the late Scott Walker by taking a look at his 1969 album "Scott 4." Walker began his career as a pop star with the Walker Brothers before becoming undertaking a successful solo career that influenced everyone from Bowie to Jarvis Cocker.
This week, Sam takes a look at the breakthrough album from disco group Sister Sledge "We Are Family." Released in 1979 and produced by Chic members Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, this record was a smash hit for the sisters and became an instant disco classic.