Some familiar names topped the Billboard Hot 100 on the weekend of January 24, 1955: Dean Martin with ‘Memories Are Made of This,‘ The Platters with ‘The Great Pretender,’ and Tennessee Ernie Ford with ‘Sixteen Tons.’
At #4 that week, on its way to a 4-week stint at #1, was the novelty track ‘Rock and Roll Waltz’ by vocalist Kay Starr. The track, written by Shorty Allen and Roy Alfred, depicts the singer coming home to find her parents dancing (a waltz, naturally) to her rock and roll records.
Concluding a countdown of my favorite albums of 1996…
#1 – If You’re Feeling Sinister – Belle and Sebastian
Before I get to my best album of 1996, I want to mention Belle and Sebastian’s debut album, Tigermilk, which came out earlier the same year. That great release would easily have a spot in my top ten but I decided to leave room for other artists.
It’s remarkable that the Scottish septet recorded both that album and If You’re Feeling Sinister in the span of a few months. Talk about a burst of creative genius. I love those productive early years in a band’s history when classic songs just pour out.
Continuing a countdown of my favorite albums of 1996…
#2 – The Road to Ensenada – Lyle Lovett
Lyle Lovett’s sixth album is the greatest work he ever released, and sadly the last great album in his catalog. In the 30 years since, he has released a half dozen albums mostly featuring covers of other artists’ work.
His first half dozen albums, on the other hand, were all fabulous, and The Road to Ensenada was the culmination of everything special about him. A little bit country, a little bit jazz, very funny but equally sad. A band that plays its heart out and one of the best voices in popular music.
Continuing a countdown of my favorite albums of 1996…
#3 – New Adventures in Hi-Fi – R.E.M.
I owned a lot of CDs back in the days before streaming, and for a select few of them I can recall the exact time and place they first came into my possession. One such album is R.E.M.’s New Adventures in Hi-Fi, the band’s final release as a quartet.
My soon-to-be-wife bought this CD for me while I was on a work trip to the Dominican Republic and surprised me with it when she picked me up at the airport. As a huge R.E.M. fan, I’d been anticipating the release for months and cursing the timing. But thanks to her thoughtfulness, I was able to hear it ASAP.
Continuing a countdown of my favorite albums of 1996…
#4 – Odelay – Beck
Beck had released four albums before Odelay, including three in 1994 alone, but this record put him on the map as one of the most talented and creative minds in popular music.
Odelay is a glorious smorgasbord of genres, instruments, and techniques. But Beck doesn’t just cram all of those elements into one album, he blends them together in every song. He was splicing hip-hop and country together before Lil Nas X or Shaboozey were even born.
Meet Me In Montauk 