25 Essential Electronic Albums

Although this might not be the most extensive list of electronic albums, these are all essentials. Every single one of these records is either (one of) the best in its electronic sub-genre or broke new ground in a particular style of electronic music.

Go, enjoy, pick it apart and argue it to death:

25. Portishead - Dummy (1994)

Because: Maybe the major innovations in trip-hop had already happened by the time this album came out, but nobody had done it this well or in such a cohesive way. Portishead typifies the sound of trip-hop while constructing a nearly perfect pop record. This is one of those albums where the music remains shrouded in mystery; you never really know who is playing what or how they're playing it and the band sounds like an organism all its own. p.s. - Apologies to Blue Lines.

24. Daft Punk - Homework (1997)

Because: Basically, there is no record more integral to the growing interest in dance music. It took a while to really sink into the collective mind of the stateside crossed-arm naysayers, but it did. Perhaps the best indicators of this are MSTRKRFT's LP and everything Ed Banger Records has released. Daft Punk's influence owned 2006, culminating at Coachella last year, but their careful, studied and signature mix of techno, house and funk all started here. Stop the music.

23. Aphex Twin - Richard D. James (1996)

Because: Although I'm not really smart enough to comprehend all that is happening on Richard D. James (nor is anyone other than Richard D. James), I will argue that it's awesome based on three reasons: 1. It contains samples from this game. 2. Although it is inspired by Squarepusher and Luke Vibert, it might the most (possibly the only) essential drum'n'bass album ever and it was Aphex Twin's first time with jungle music. 3. It contains the lyric: "I would like some milk from the milkman's wife's tits." Bonus points for the additional five tracks included on the US version, one of which was "Milkman."

Also, while we’re on the topic of Aphex Twin, here’s a major career highlight:

22. Cluster - Cluster 71 (1971)

Because: This is one of the few early krautrock records that basically dismiss any semblance of rock music. It might be a little spacy for some but, without a doubt, it informed much of what Brian Eno would do later. Brian Eno also collaborated with the group on two albums in the late ‘70s (both of which are worth seeking out). Last, but definitely not least, legendary producer Conny Plank was often considered the third member of Cluster.

21. Harmonia - Musik Von Harmonia (1973)

Because: "The World's most important rock group." -- Brian Eno. Eno would later collaborate with Harmonia on 1976's Tracks and Traces but this album is the real shredder. Harmonia is a krautrock supergroup featuring NEU!'s Michael Rother and both members of Cluster, whom Brian Eno was also a huge fan of. Highlights on the album: the disjointed, mechanical sounding bass on "Dino" and the spaced out warmth of "Ahoi."

20. Throbbing Gristle - 20 Jazz Funk Greats (1979)

Because: To begin with, it's gotta be difficult to build so directly on what Suicide had done two years earlier and still make it sound this original. The album is every bit as haunting as Suicide's debut but it also employs a sense of space that their predecessors had not. The album's creaking synthesizers are the perfect tapestry for it sparse, creepy lyrics. Bonus points for the album's influence on industrial music.

19. The United States of America - The United States of America (1968)

Because: It's sort of hard to understand exactly how a group of UCLA students pulled off a record this unique in 1968. Although it's one of the least-discussed albums on this list, that speaks only to its consistency. The album drags on a couple of tracks but the USA more than makes up for it on standouts like "The American Metaphysical Circus" and "Love Song for the Dead Ché." In a bit of folklore, the recording sessions drove the band apart and they broke up soon after, making this their only true release.

18. The Orb - Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld (1991)

Because: It was one of the defining ambient house records and set quite a standard for glitch music. It's pretty safe to assume that artists from The Books and Aphex Twin to Justice and Mum built on ideas that The Orb had explored half a decade earlier, at least. "Little Fluffy Clouds," one of The Orb's biggest hits, is a perfect example (although the Cumulo Nimbus mix from the Deluxe Edition is slightly sharper).

17. Bjork - Debut (1993)

Because: It's hard to pick a single Bjork album to represent her as she's one of the most diverse electronic musicians out there, but also because Bjork is consistently innovating and always writing solid material. This isn't necessarily the best Bjork album, but as her official solo debut away from The Sugarcubes, it established Bjork as a forerunner, superstar and a total anomaly in electronic music.

16. DJ Shadow - Endtroducing..... (1996)

Because: In retrospect, it doesn't seem like DJ Shadow quite had his shit together the way this album purported (read: The Outsider). Still, there are albums from time to time that come along and smash any preconceived notions of what was possible within the confines of a given genre, this is one of those albums. Shadow's ability to meld his distinct taste in samples with his time-signature-less beats is absolutely original. No one before or since has sounded remotely similar.

15. Liaisons Dangereuses - Liaisons Dangereuses (1981)

Because: Many a Chicago/Detroit DJ has cited this album as a major development and a major influence. The album, mixed at Conny Plank's studio, is certainly ahead of its time, utilizing all the major elements of house music that are still intact today on records from Kompakt (microhouse) right through to Sasha (progressive house). If nothing more, this record showcases the range of Plank's influence on modern music in general. Speaking of, is it just me, or does the track below bear more than a resemblance to Bonde Do Role? Also, Chris Haas was getting his electro punk jollies out with Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft in addition to his duties in Liaisons.

14. Giorgio Moroder - From Here to Eternity

Because: Giorgio Moroder helped stack the blocks of disco, but here he proves he could do just as much damage as a solo artist. Ignore the stache, ignore the style, the album is just slightly more cohesive and innovative than E=MC2, but it does a much better job of showcasing just how far ahead of his time Moroder was in both production and songwriting. Keywords: vocoder, kick drum. Who needs Donna Summer?

13. Tangerine dream - Phaedra (1974)

Because: The title track, which lasts for more than 15 minutes, sums up everything they had done up to this point. Their weirdo ambient space music reached its peak here and with an array of 2 or 3 synths per member, the band calmly re-imagines the entire ambient music aesthetic. Granted, it's not Legend, starring Tom Cruise and soundtracked by the German synth-heads, but what is?

12. NEU! - NEU! (1971)

Because: For starters, Kraftwerk wouldn't really be Kraftwerk without NEU! Drummer Klaus Dinger and instrumentalist Michael Rother were both in an early incarnation of Kraftwerk, but it's Dinger's infamous motorik beat, which Kraftwerk would later adopt for its breakthrough, Autobahn, that was first featured here on "Hallogallo" and "Negativland." Also, if you think you're unfamiliar with NEU!'s influence, compare the two tracks below.

11. Cybotron - Clear (1985)

Because: For starters, Missy ought to be semi-ashamed of herself. After all those years bangin' out original shit with Timbaland, you go and ape Juan Atkins' best work Diddy-style ... tsk, tsk. At the same time it makes a good point. Cybotron was so far ahead of its contemporaries with Clear, 20-years to be exact, that Missy sampled the title track in its entirety for "Lose Control," making it a top 10 single in 2005. In addition, Clear set a precedent for Juan Atkins' expressive work, which he would continue without Cybotron immediately following this album. This album is more or less the birth of techno, combining influence from Kraftwerk, Giorgio Moroder and even Tangerine Dream.

Also, while we're in Detroit, we might as well throw this one down:

10. David Bowie - Low (1977)

Because: Even though the album owes huge debts to Brian Eno, krautrock in general and Brian Eno's development of krautrock ideas, this album is the pop equivalent of all the influences it exhibited. It is highly regarded in Bowie's catalog and often considered one of his most influential albums. For proof, turn on the radio. Although the record's second half is based purely on synthesizers, the first half's perfect mix between guitar-oriented rock and synth tapestries is a clear prototype for where popular music was headed. Also, props to Tony Visconti, who produced the album, and Conny Plank, who refused to produce the album.

9. Larry Levan - Live at the Paradise Garage

Because: From Daft Punk to Frankie Knuckles, I think we can all agree this is a fine starting point. Although this is a DJ mix, it showcases the moment/era where the 4-to-the-4 beat transitioned from being called disco to being called house. p.s. - Classic West End, and Journey Into Paradise are just as good.

8. Brian Eno - Ambient 1: Music for Airports (1978)

Because: After collaborating with Cluster and Harmonia, Eno was prepared to take his ideas of this so-called "ambient" music to a new place entirely. Although he had experimented with some of the ideas on this album before, this is the first time he'd dedicated an entire album to the concept of generative music, aside from maybe Discreet Music. One excellent factoid about this album: "2/2" was recorded at famed krautrock producer Conny Plank's studio.

7. Silver Apples - Silver Apples (1968)

Because: This album managed to precede any sort of classification from its own era. The album is not only a ferociously ambitious debut that anticipated krautrock and many defining elements of electronic music, but also one of the first electronic records that sounded like a rock record. The group's ambition is perfectly exemplified by bandleader Simeon's "Simeon Instrument," which he played with his hands, feet and elbows. He said it "consists of several oscillators hooked up to filters and other wave - distortion circuits, then to on/off pedals or switches, sometimes even keyboards." [quote link]

6. TONTO's Expanding Headband - Zero Time (1971)

Because: Although this electronic duo is rarely credited for it, they were at least half of the brains behind Stevie Wonder's classic period (which you can hear all about in the clip below). The duo used the world's largest synth, TONTO, (the same synth that's on those Stevie Wonder albums) to create something that literally sounds otherworldly in a way that few recordings have.

5. Suicide - Suicide (1977)

Because: It is often said that electronic acts like Soft Cell, Erasure and Yaz wouldn't exist without Suicide. While that might be an overstatement, they certainly wouldn't be the same without them. And Suicide never sounded as good as they did on their self-titled debut, which is as menacing as an album could ever be. They move effortlessly from the bouncing of "Johnny" to some of the most repetitive trance-inducing music put to record on the opening track, "Ghost Rider."

p.s. - The Boss has said in the past that he was a big fan of the terrifying "Frankie Teardrop" and he has often covered "Dream Baby Dream." Doesn't that just warm your heart a little bit?

4. Depeche Mode - Speak & Spell (1981)

Because: This album is the ‘80s. Although it doesn't signify much of what Depeche Mode would become, aside from synthesizers and Gahan's throaty inclinations, it is the electro-pop masterpiece. Although Violator is probably a better album from start to finish, Speak & Spell is a blueprint for the synth pop that dominated the ‘80s. The album owes its sonics to Kraftwerk, Yellow Magic Orchestra (in fact this is a near CC of Solid State Survivor) and Gary Numan but its songwriting genius to Vince Clarke, who would go on to explore the sound with Yaz and Erasure. Hey, Martin Gore, have you ever heard the term, "sleeping giant"?

3. Wendy Carlos - Switched-On Bach (1968)

Because: On top of the fact that this was the first classical album to sell 500,000 copies, it also perfectly displayed what a synthesizer was capable of. While it was quite a showcase (and a major selling point) for the ever-trustworthy Moog, a point further driven home by Carlos' explanations on the reissue, it is held back ever so slightly by the fact that these are merely new performances and not original compositions.

2. Kraftwerk - Trans-Europe Express (1977)

Because: Although Autobahn is widely considered to be the Kraftwerk masterpiece, Trans-Europe Express featured productions and songs that would be on par with an electronic Beatles record, setting an unreachably perfect standard. It's hard to believe that this work could be built on, but leave it to some dude from South Bronx to give that kind of thinking the middle finger. Possibly as important as the original, Afrika Bambaataa famously sampled the title track from this record and more or less created electro with one fell swoop.

1. Brian Eno - Another Green World (1975)

Because: Brian Eno made Kid A 25 years before Radiohead did. Ok, so maybe that's a bit of a stretch, but the truth is he melded his rock sensibilities perfectly with the ambient space that he would explore persistently throughout the following 30 years. The album features five tracks with vocals, the rest are dedicated entirely to the brilliant musicianship captured by this albums players, which included John Cale, Robert Fripp, Percy Jones, Phil Collins (wtf?) and of course Mr. Eno himself.