Tag Archives: Decades 1995

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Song of the Day #5,809: ‘Philosophy (Live from Sessions at West 54th)’ – Ben Folds Five

Concluding a countdown of my favorite albums of 1995…

#1 – Ben Folds Five – Ben Folds Five

This is the third debut album in my top five, making a case for 1995 as a banner year for new talent.

Of all the acts I discovered in the 90s, none blew me away quite like this amusingly named trio out of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Singer-songwriter Ben Folds on piano, drummer Darren Jesse, and bassist Robert Sledge quickly cemented their status as one of my favorite bands, largely on the strength of this wonderful album.

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Song of the Day #5,808: ‘Ladder’ – Joan Osborne

Continuing a countdown of my favorite albums of 1995…

#2 – Relish – Joan Osborne

Almost every album on this list is by an artist I’ve stuck with, for at least several more releases if not an entire career. This one is different.

Singer-songwriter Joan Osborne has released 13 studio albums, one less than a year ago. I might have listened to one of them briefly when it came out, but otherwise my appreciation for her is based completely on the excellence of her debut album.

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Song of the Day #5,807: ‘Ray’ – Aimee Mann

Continuing a countdown of my favorite albums of 1995…

#3 – I’m With Stupid – Aimee Mann

I have a fondness for gateway albums, the first work you hear from an artist who goes on to be a favorite. Often those records remain among my favorites even if other work eclipses them creatively.

Aimee Mann’s I’m With Stupid was my first real exposure to the singer-songwriter, apart from knowing the hit single ‘Voices Carry’ by her band ‘Til Tuesday.

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Song of the Day #5,806: ‘High and Dry’ – Radiohead

Continuing a countdown of my favorite albums of 1995…

#4 – The Bends – Radiohead

The most critically celebrated Radiohead album of the 90s is 1997’s OK Computer, and deservedly so. But I’ve always been partial to the band’s sophomore release, The Bends.

This album finds the band in a sweet spot between the straight-forward grunge of their debut Pablo Honey and the more experimental rock of future releases. The songs here are rather conventional but, due to the band’s performance and Thom Yorke’s yearning vocals, they’re extremely emotionally effective.

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Song of the Day #5,805: ‘Vow’ – Garbage

Continuing a countdown of my favorite albums of 1995…

#5 – Garbage – Garbage

This album might be the most 1995 record on my list of 1995 records. Garbage’s sound — alternative rock with a side of grunge — had its heyday in the middle of that decade.

And I’m not sure anybody did it better than this unlikely quartet, made up of three male American record producers and a mesmerizing Scottish female lead singer.

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