Ahead of celebrating his birthday with us your favourite DJ’s favourite DJ, Mr Thing, has selected his top 40 albums from the last 40 years. Just don’t ask us how old he is!
They are all in date order and we have included a few videos for ya.
For a full playlist of videos from the chart check out the Youtube playlist HERE
Don’t forget to check out the event HERE we have an incredible line up of DJs and tickets are only £4!
Stevie Wonder – Talking Book (1972) – Reminds me of being a child, my Mum used to play this in the car all the time, one of her all time favourite songs is on here (Superstition), and one of mine as well (You’ve Got It Bad Girl).
Stevie Wonder – You Are The Sunshine Of My Life http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWst-r26whI
Al Green – I’m Still In Love With You (1972) – One of the albums i first found in my early crate digging days, and i’ve still got the original, beat up copy i found all those years ago! One of my favourite songs on here is Simply Beautiful and introduced me to a) Al Green and b) the genius of Willie Mitchell.
Al Green – Love and Happiness http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsU6_eSG4k4
James Brown – Black Caeser Soundtrack (1973) – Another LP that completely blew me away at an early age, it came from my Uncle, who gave it to me because he knew i liked James Brown. When i got it home i couldn’t believe the wealth of breaks and amazing music on it, i still have my original of this LP he gave me too.
James Brown – The Boss http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC2ZY2loo74
Donald Byrd – Places & Spaces (1975) – One of the things i love about Hip Hop is how much i learnt about other music i from it. I got into this LP because of Jazzy Jeff’s A Touch Of Jazz record from the 80s and it opened up a whole other world to me, in this case the Mizell Brothers, amazing record. My only regret is that “Think Twice” from the earlier LP isn’t on this one.
Donald Byrd – Places and Spaces http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMVVVp4brQ0
Marvin Gaye – I Want You (1976) – Stone cold, classic Marvin. “Come Live With Me Angel” is incredible!
Marvin Gaye – I Want You
Run-DMC – Self Titled LP (1984) – Basically this album contains the record that changed me musically – Sucker MCs. I’d never heard anything like it, i was 13 years old and i’ve never looked back!
Run DMC – Sucker MC’s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOKMWSR2Aio
Beastie Boys – Licensed To Ill (1986) – The Soundtrack to my teenage years!
Beastie Boys – Posse in Effect http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ucq95ERRVEA
Run-DMC – Raising Hell (1987) – I still remember buying this on tape from Woolworths the week it came out, still play it a lot to this day!
Run DMC – Raising Hell http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu3EgLRApvU
Eric B & Rakim – Paid In Full (1987) – Again, still on heavy rotation since release, Rakim is one of the greatest ever.
Eric B & Rakim – Paid In Full http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6aAFkP0BGU
Public Enemy – It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back (1988) – I was already pretty obsessed with PE at this point after my friend played me Yo! Bumrush The Show, but the anticipation for this album was crazy for me. I remember one of my friends bringing it down to our local youth club after he’d bought it on import and we listened to it, by the time it got to Terminator X To The Edge Of Panic i was going mad!
Public Enemy – Don’t Believe The Hype
Ultramagnetic MCs – Critical Beatdown (1988) – Very futuristic stuff for 1988, even now the way Ced Gee was using the samples and the whole subject matter was way ahead of it’s time, classic stuff!
Ultramagnetic Mcs – Critical Beatdown http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfMwjl2ydm0
Boogie Down Productions – By All Means Necessary (1988) – I know most people would go with Criminal Minded over this one, but this one was a slow burner for me and i listen to it a lot more, amazing LP.
Boogie Down Productions – My Philosophy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHEl1HiybQo
Jungle Brothers – Straight Out The Jungle (1988) – The most budget sounding LP ever, with very basic drum loops with the music scratched and spun in over the top, it’s a very authentic record and totally brilliant. This is always in the car!
Jungle Brother – Straight Out The Jungle
Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique (1989) – How on earth they went from Licensed To Ill to this … i’ll never know, but i’m glad they did. There will never be another album like it, just purely for the sample clearance carnage alone! Bits of The Beatles, Jazz Fusion LPs, rock breaks, all flung together and so well done, i love this album.
Beastie Boys – Shake Your Rump http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BptQHAW2T5M
Jungle Brothers – Done By The Forces Of Nature (1989) – A massive leap on from their first LP, still retained the same cut and paste style of production but stepped it up, love it!
Jungle Brothers – Done By The Forces Of Nature http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqGdicZqrHM
Demon Boyz – Recognition (1989) – The production on this reminds of a more polished version of what the Jungle Brothers were doing on their debut, bits cut in, amazing scratching courtesy of DJ Devastate, but slickly done and totally british as well, classic record!
Demon Boyz – Recognition http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpPXqn70q9A
London Posse – Gangster Chronicle (1990) – I was waiting and waiting for this LP to drop, London Posse are one of my favourites.
London Posse – Gangster Chronicle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VpcpgOUH_0
Hijack – The Horns Of Jehrico (1991) – They had most people at fever pitch after a couple of blistering singles (Style Wars, Badman Is Robbin etc) but the album didn’t dissapoint, no one sounds like Hijack, NO ONE! And the scratching … so influential on a whole generation of DJs trying to work out how on earth they did them.
Hijack – The Syndicate Outta Jail http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkqEAWhvoaw
Organized Konfusion – Self Titled LP (1991) – Thank you Gilles Peterson i may never have heard this record if it wasn’t for you! I caught this on his show driving home late one night, he played Open Your Eyes, totally blew me away. uptempo, gospel chorus and amazing lyrics. Tracked down a copy of the LP and been a favourite ever since!
Organized Konfusion-Prisoners of War http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO0EWrnsbOY
A Tribe Called Quest – The Low End Theory (1991) – “Back in the days when i was a teenager/before i had status and before i had a pager…” over the most hypnotic double bass sample, i was hooked from the first 8 bars. Absolutely incredible LP.
Tribe – Check The Rhyme
Gang Starr – Step In The Arena (1991) – Already a big Gang Starr fan from the first LP, this was such a huge step from that one, it really cemented their rep in the scene at the time, solid from start to finish.
Gang Starr Just To Get a Rep http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTES6Zr4PB0
Pete Rock & CL Smooth – All Souled Out (1991) – Only an EP … but what a way to introduce yourself and prepare everyone for what was to come a year later …
Pete Rock & CL Smooth – The Creator
Pete Rock & CL Smooth – Mecca & The Soul Brother (1992) – This one has it all, the perfect combo of MC and producer, every track, every skit, thought through to the last, wow!
Pete Rock & C. L. Smooth “They Reminisce Over You” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiOcVWQY2bc
Masta Ace Incorporated – Slaughtahouse (1993) – Probably threw a lot of people off after his Cold Chillin’ debut with this one, but what an album!
Masta Ace Inc – Slaughtahouse http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IJFJVcfi5U
A Tribe Called Quest – Midnight Marauders (1993) – I still listen to this as much as i did when it came out, it’s perfect. Tribe at the peak of their powers!
Tribe – Electric Relaxation
Nas – Illmatic (1994) – I remember when i got this, my friends from home gave me money to get them copies too on the day of release, i walked into Red Records in Soho and they were playing The World Is Yours, people in the shop were going absolutely crazy, i couldn’t wait to get home to listen to it, the lyrics, the production, everything … undisputed classic LP!
Nas – The world is yours http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5PnuIRnJW8
The Notorious BIG – Ready To Die (1994) – Annoyingly when this first came out it only had 8 tracks or so on the vinyl so i didn’t actually hear the rest of this until a bit later when they did the double LP version with everything on and bonus cuts (true story), i didn’t buy CDs at all then! But what an album, his flow and delivery were so special, and pretty unmatched.
The Notorious B.I.G – Everyday Struggle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rogvlB2SP4k
Pete Rock & CL Smooth – The Main Ingredient (1994) – Another classic, fast forward free classic from Pete & CL, the use of samples and the whole way this album is put together is brilliant.
The Main Ingredient – Pete Rock & CL Smooth http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbY5j0Ei7w8
Raekwon – Only Built For Cuban Linx … (1995) – Again, i know most people would go with 36 Chambers but this for me is my favourite of the Wu Tang records, RZA is on fire on this LP, the beats are just screwface inducing craziness!
Raekwon – Criminology http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yUk683Sl3U
The Roots – Illadelph Halflife (1995) – Total contrast to Raekwon! Such an amazing LP, the combo of Bob Power and The Roots is great, it sounds so so good! And when you hear the whole LP you can’t believe Clones is on the same album, so different to everything else on here.
The Roots – Section http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab-GPHZdwYo
Jay-Z – Reasonable Doubt (1996) – A smart LP, had all bases covered but didn’t sound like it was forced and the combo of Jay with Premier, Ski & Clark Kent is just too much!
Jay-Z – Dead Presidents
Gang Starr – Moment Of Truth (1998) – It’s always hard for me to choose ANY of the Gang Starr albums but this is possibly my favourite of all of them, i was pretty speechless when i heard Above The Clouds for the first time. “The style of rhymes has elevated, the style of beats has elevated … but it’s still Guru & Premier” the intro said it all!
Gangstarr-Above The Clouds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ucvta7xDo_4
Slum Village – Fantastic Vol. 2 (2000) – The genius of Jay Dee! Not a weak cut on this whole LP, the entire thing down to the sequencing is just amazing. I some of of this on various bootleg 12″s before it came out, still gets me everytime I hear it.
Slum Village – Climax http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgV3n7sd34w
Common – Like Water For Chocolate (2000) – Jay Dee again, all over this LP. A perfect fit for Common as well, Thelonius on here even has Slum Village guesting on it! A groundbreaking LP.
Common – The Light http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_-qRcHAhzk
M.O.P. – Warriorz (2000) – This record reminds me of being on tour with DJ Vadim, i bought it while we was on the road. I was a big M.O.P. fan already but this is my favourite whole LP of theirs. And the production by Premier & Nottz amongst others brings out the best in them. Rowdy!
MOP – Cold As Ice
Jaylib – Champion Sound (2003) – Jay Dee & Madlib? Rapping other each others beats? Sign me up.
Jaylib – The Red http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRzRSCRZweY
Madvillain – Madvillainy (2004) – I have to be honest i wasn’t a huge Doom fan before this record, i had the KMD stuff but this … is just brilliant. The chemistry with them and how they fit together is great, Accordian still shuts down parties to this day!
MF DOOM – Accordian
De La Soul – The Grind Date (2004) – This is my favourite whole album of theirs too, it’s no nonsense, big tunes all the way and an amazing line up of producers too – Jay Dee, Madlib, 9th Wonder, Jake One, Supa Dave West (very underrated), always in the car!
De La Soul ft. Yummy – Much More http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7znTkgEQaU
J Dilla – Donuts (2006) – Love this because it was so influential and so very different to what he had done previous to this, the sound is so crunchy and so chaotic, and has hidden messages all the way thru which you discover on repeated listens, even more amazing when you consider the conditions it was made under.
J Dilla – Stop (Donuts) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeXSPdWZPc0
Mos Def – The Estatic (2009) – Could’ve made any old pop nonsense at this stage but made really out there LP rapping over Madlib, Dilla & Oh No instrumentals instead, the Casa Bey track at the end where he goes over the entire length of Banda Black Rio’s Casa Forte is my favourite!
Mos Def – Supermagic
