21 Albums Worth Thinking About

We put together a list of the albums that are worth thinking about, with notes on how they affect us. See if they have a similar impact on you.

New Order – Power, Corruption, Lies

Feeling old and melancholy and need something to fill up some empty headspace? Here’s your prescription:

Grateful Dead – American Beauty

Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart observed how his music helped ease his grandmother’s Alzheimer’s symptoms. Read more here.

Arvo Part – Spiegel im Spiegel

A soothing album to calm down to or perhaps invoke on a sleepless night.

Big L – Lifestylez Ov Da Poor and Dangerous

Big L was widely respected for his freestyling abilities, and a recent study illustrates specific brain functions that most likely enabled his flow.

Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP

If Big L is not your style, try Eminem, another gifted freestyle rapper whose brain would probably make an intriguing study.

Everything But the Girl – Amplified Heart

An album for the grieving.

Crooked Fingers – Red Devil Dawn

Call up this album for long, pensive drives.

Wilco/Billy Bragg – Mermaid Avenue albums

When you’re alone on a Saturday afternoon with nothing to do (in a good way), listening to this is what you want to be doing.

Rosie Thomas – Only with Laughter Can You Win

The resonant vocals of Rosie Thomas will sync up with a broken heart’s mindstate.

Steve Reich – Music for 18 Musicians

Listen for focus!

George Michael – Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1

Alone on a Sunday morning? Listen without prejudice.

Charles Mingus – Pithecanthropus Erectus

Wild and unpredictable, this album unlocks whatever mechanism in my brain stores happiness.

Little Feat – Waiting for Columbus

No matter what I'm doing or how stressed I might be, at the first sound of this swamp-rock album, my mood immediately lightens and I am delightfully overwhelmed by a carefree and ready-to-move kind of vibe.

Yo La Tengo – Painful

Really, any Yo La Tengo album helps me to clear my mind.

Steve Earle – Copperhead Road

A lonely album for revelers, the perfect emotional accompaniment.

Andy Williams – Moon River & Other Great Movie Themes

When I'm feeling a bit nostalgic, or just need a good, self-soothing cry, I put on this album, which not only reminds me of my childhood, but was an all-time favorite of my late father.

Tom Waits – Bone Machine

Oozy, clanky and weird, this album unlike many commands my full attention, like I can actively feel my brain lighting up.

Thomas Newman’s score for American Beauty (NOT the soundtrack!)

This album puts me on the edge of my seat, sort of energized and anticipatory.

Justin Townes Earle – Harlem River Blues

When you’re on your third beer on a sunny day, crank this. Loud. Your brain will thank you.

Lori Carson - Where it Goes

The somber state of breakup aftermath is enhanced by these sounds.