Albums Turning 50 in 2025

2025 is set to be an incredible year for 50th anniversaries, from Bowie's genre-switching 'Young Americans', to Fleetwood Mac's self-titled release and Pink Floyd's Seminal 'Wish You Were Here', our contributors reflect on their top picks.

David Bowie - 'Young Americans'

Bowie's 'Young Americans' sees a swift departure from the overt glam-rock of its predecessors ('Aladdin Sane' and 'Ziggy Stardust...'), instead opting for a raw and non-theatrical approach to his sound. Self-described as "plastic soul", 'Young Americans' marked the beginning of a new era that birthed the seminal Berlin Trilogy.

Lana Williams @_lanaajade

Bob Dylan - 'Blood On The Tracks'

Bob Dylan’s 'Blood on the Tracks' turns 50 this year, and its raw, unfiltered emotion remains as gripping as ever. Often called his “breakup album”, this 1975 masterpiece is more than just heartbreak—it’s storytelling at its most visceral. With aching lyricism, intimate instrumentation, and a voice that cracks with lived-in pain, Dylan invites listeners into his most personal work, all while tapping into new depths of vulnerability. Yet, for all its sorrow, the album radiates warmth, its melodies wrapping around you like an old, familiar embrace—proof that even in despair, beauty endures. 

Danielle Holian @danielleholian_

Pink Floyd - 'Wish You Were Here'

Pink Floyd's album 'Wish You Were Here' will always hold a special place in my heart due to its references to former frontman Syd Barrett. My favourite track on the album is the poignant opener, 'Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pts. 1 - 5)'.

Emily Teague

The Grateful Dead - 'Blues for Allah'

Despite being one of their lesser-known records, 'Blues for Allah' boasts an incredibly experimental seven tracks that sits on the philtrum of classic '70s rock and jazz-infused country.

Lana Williams @_lanaajade

The Rolling Stones – ‘Sticky Fingers’ (Reissue)

Is there a more iconic rock album than Sticky Fingers? This is the record that truly elevated the trajectory of the Rolling Stones, confident, outrageous, and packed with legendary tracks. Every single song in this record marks a strong point and sets a precedent for the direction rock music and even guitar music more broadly would take from then on – and with Marianne Faithfull’s recent passing reminding us of her own impressive footprint on rock history, there is no better moment to go listen to ‘Sister Morphine’ once again. 

Chiara Strazzulla

Brian Jackson, Gil Scott-Heron, and The Midnight Band - ’The First Minute of a New Day’

Gil Scott-Heron questions the categories people tried to place his music in by saying “We used to call our music midnight music, we used to say our music came from the first minute of a new day” and in this album, he explores topics of politics and revolution with his poignant spoken word and poetry. This sentiment combined with the electric Jazz and Funk fusion from The Midnight Band and Brian Jackson affirms that this album expresses Scott-Heron’s effort to not be confined to one voice, viewpoint or genre.

Isabel McDermott

Gloria Gaynor - ‘Never Can Say Goodbye’

Gloria Gaynor’s debut ‘Never Can Say Goodbye’ is a groovy blend of her own tracks and covers, including the Four Tops’ ‘Reach Out I’ll Be There’. It has spectacular dance-floor energy and proved popular in clubs at the time, helping cement the mainstream popularity of disco throughout the ‘70s.

Kai Goulder

Brian Eno - 'Another Green World'

The dense textures of 'Another Green World' submerge you in Brian Eno's rich musical landscape. Using mallets to play guitars and feeding pianos through speakers Eno twists preconceived

understandings of musical composition for his own whimsy - creating an album that signalled the beginning of his love affair with ambient music.

Eylem Boz

Led Zeppelin - 'Physical Graffiti'

Housing some of the band's finest work — 'Kashmir', 'Ten Years Gone', and Page's severely underrated guitar work on 'The Rover', to name a few — 'Physical Graffiti' showcases exactly what makes Led Zeppelin so great. It's ambitious, sprawling, and complex in all the best ways. 

Megan-Louise Burnham @mgn.lb

T.Rex - 'Bolan's Zip Gun'

Without Visconti, 'Bolan's Zip Gun' saw T.Rex branch out from their well-established glam sound, leaning on Bolan's love of science fiction for an eclectic, playful, and American-infused blend of rock and soul. While a far cry from T.Rex's earlier work, it still revels in eccentricity and romps in an effortless, understated groove.

Megan-Louise Burnham @mgn.lb

Fleetwood Mac - 'Fleetwood Mac'

Fleetwood Mac are an iconic quintet that deserves all the recognition they get. Their self-titled release encapsulated an entire era and inspired countless other artists.

Lucas Marshall @_lucas_joshua

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