Albums with Truly Outstanding Songs

Recently, while out jogging, I was listening to a particular album which made me ponder the following question – how many albums do I own that have more than one truly outstanding song on them? I’m not talking about albums with lots of good, or even lots of excellent songs on them (for I own many of those), but those with more than one at the true height of sublime songcraftery, the kind of songs that subconsciously you are waiting for even while enjoying the rest of the album. The life-affecting songs, the truly epic. These songs must be serious candidates for a 50 song shortlist to take to a desert island. With the standard bar set suitably high, I undertook a survey of my music collection to see which albums manage to score more than once (greatest hits etc do not count).

The results were interesting. There were a number of my favourite albums on there, but also many which would not feature in my all time top 20 album list. There were a couple which are not even my favourite album by that particular band. Only one band has two albums on the list. More incidentally (or is it?) there is a distinct clustering to the back end of the alphabet. Only one album would commonly be considered ‘worship’ music. Only two albums pre-date the 1990s. Two albums had three songs on them that made the grade. But perhaps most surprisingly, three of my favourite bands – Idlewild, R.E.M. and Blur – did not get a single album onto the list.

So, in alphabetical order by artist, I present the 17 I own albums containing more than one truly outstanding song (songs listed in parentheses):

The Decline of British Sea Power (Fear of drowning, Carrion, Lately) – British Sea Power
Grace (Grace, Hallelujah) – Jeff Buckley
An End has a Start (Smokers outside the hospital doors, The weight of the world) - Editors
Asleep in the Back (Powder blue, Newborn) – Elbow
No Name Face (Hanging by a moment, Simon, Quasimodo) – Lifehouse
This is my Truth, Tell me Yours (The Everlasting, If you tolerate your children will be next) – Manic Street Preachers
(what’s the story?) Morning Glory (Don’t look back in anger, Some might say) – Oasis
OK Computer (Exit music (for a film), Lucky) – Radiohead
The Low Sparked of High Heeled Boys (The low sparked of high heeled boys, Many a mile to freedom) – Traffic
() (untitled 3, untitled 8) – Sigur Ros
Takk (Glossoli, Milano) – Sigur Ros
The Queen is Dead (Cemetry gates, There is a light that never goes out) – The Smiths
Harmonies for the Haunted (Lost in time, On my own) – Stellastarr*
Dog Man Star (The wild ones, New generation) – Suede
Arriving (Your grace is enough, Mighty is the power of the cross) – Chris Tomlin
All that you can’t Leave Behind (Beautiful Day, Walk On) – U2
My Secret is my Silence (I came in from the mountains, Every line of a long moment) – Roddy Woomble