When you think about your favorite music album of all time, how does it make you feel? Who do you think of? Why do you feel this way? We've polled the Treehut office for our first compilation of favorite music albums. Each album here is presented by a different member of our team and a memory on how it played a pivotal role in their life.
Sample here to get a taste of something new to you or rediscover tunes you didn’t know you wanted to hear again:
1. Let's Get It On / Marvin Gaye
This super-sultry offering was Marvin Gaye’s 13th album. All in all, it is an irresistible blend of smooth soul, doo-wop, and quiet storm.
For Susana, it is also bound up in a now-fun memory of a first date gone awry:
Susana: "So, I was reminiscing about one of my favorite albums, and it brought back some funny memories.
I must have been in junior high, and my parents let me go on my first date. He was a year older than me and had a car. Needless to say, I was feeling pretty cool.
We saw the movie, ate popcorn and all that. I was having fun. My date drove me home, and we talked and laughed both with a palpable nervousness that all young people experience. As we neared my street, he reached over and changed the CD.
What clicked on was both unexpected and hilarious. It was Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On." OMG. He pulled up to my curb and moved in to seal the deal. I pecked him on the cheek and ran away, not knowing what had just transpired.
To this day that song and that album hold a special place in my heart and draws a smile to my face any time I hear it."
- Sway EP / Marian Hill
Marian Hill holds the distinction of being Shazam’s number-one searched artist or group, with its seductive vocals and smooth melodies. The Sway EP was released in 2015 as a follow-up to their debut EP, Play.
Arthur is so enthusiastic about this album, he didn't mind experiencing it alone:
Arthur: "This album is pure bliss! Full of a range of songs to listen to during any occasion. It's so great, I went to go see them in concert by myself! Thats how captivating the music is. Great content, captivating melodies, and a smooth, bass-heavy production makes Sway by Marian Hill one of my favorite albums. It just puts me in a great mood."
- Space Jam: Music From and Inspired by the Motion Picture / Assorted Artists
Released in 1996, we dare say this original soundtrack album has managed to be even more popular than its cult favorite movie, going platinum six times over.
Roy relishes the fact that this soundtrack makes it possible for him to musically experience one of his favorite early movies:
Roy: "This album is a masterful piece of nostalgia and has a special place in my heart and in my life. I can still remember going to see this movie with my family and being obsessed with it for years. Albeit a few replacements in, the album is still in my car and never disappoints with classics from Coolio, Quad City DJs, Monica, The Monstars,' and even Bugs Bunny himself. I think that this soundtrack had as much to do with the Tune Squad's big win as did Michael's Secret Stuff. "
- 21 / Adele
Released in early 2011 and named for the age she was when it was released, here we get Adele's distinctive vocals and an American country and southern blues influence layered onto a folk and Motown soul sound.
Alexis recalls Adele as a welcome companion while coming-of-age:
Alexis: "Adele’s 21 has helped me through my teenage breakups. It brings back memories of high school and going through a rocky relationship. This music always gave me solace and helped me grow into myself as an individual going off to college. The metaphors in the music are visually appealing and I love the sound of her voice.
This album will always bring me back to being 17 and taking on the world."
- Californication / Red Hot Chili Peppers
Brought into the world in 1999, this 7th studio album by the Red Hot Chili Peppers showcases a softer, more melodic side that marked a shift from their earlier work.
Aissa appreciates the way Californication unexpectedly helped color her understanding of home state and identity:
Aissa: "Even though this album had come out much earlier, I remember first really hearing it in high school because I was crushing on this soccer player and found out that it was his favorite album. Anytime I hear a song from this album today I still, by reflex, associate its dark, California-cool vibe to him. It feels as though that's the way people tend to enjoy most songs and albums--by associating them with a person, place, or experience in an abstract way. That crush was probably just a convenient vessel for the excess of feelings we all tend to have in high school and misplace in other people. So, I thank that misguided experience for my discovery of this album, and by extension, playing a formative part in my Californian pride and imagination."
- Sublime / Sublime
The third and final offering from ska band Sublime, this triple-platinum self-titled album firmly rooted itself into mid-90s alternative rock.
Cody reminisces on the way Sublime seeped into his early-adult, distinctly Californian landscape:
Cody: "The California dream. It can mean a lot of different things, but to me, it means moonlit nights and sand-filled days. Growing up in California is as cliche and epic as you've been told.
As young groms, our days ran on urethane and fiberglass. That is, skateboards and surf. No other band embodies our adolescent angst and total energy as much as the band Sublime. Our summer overflowed with Sublime and their baselines: being young, chasing girls, and causing as much trouble as possible.
To us, there was no equal. I will never forget those days of melting sunsets and CD tape decks.
Another one of my favorite Sublime albums has got to be Second-hand Smoke."
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We all love our hit singles, but we also take pleasure considering them in the greater storyline and overarching theme of an album. What are some of the music albums you always return to for comfort? Got a short, meaningful 8-word lyric you want to carry with you but not quite ready to commit to tattoo? We've got an alternative: engrave it onto a everyday watch. Shop our styles for a clean canvas and get the job done today!
Share your engraved lyrics with us by tagging @treehutco or by including our hashtag #treehutco on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Youtube.
