Hyundai Motor UK commissioned a survey that reveals the British public believe Michael Jackson’s Thriller to be the most inspiring album of all time. The classic 1982 record was identified as the album to have had the biggest impact in the British public’s lives. Since its launch it has sold around 66m copies worldwide and features some of Michael Jackson’s biggest single hits, including Billie Jean, Beat It and Wanna Be Startin' Somethin.
Second spot went to The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, while third was secured by Abba and their Gold: Greatest Hits compilation. Other life-changing records in the top 40 include Definitely Maybe by Oasis, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon and David Bowie’s Heroes. While all of them are wonderful choices, what happened to Genesis and Invisible Touch, David Bowie’s Blackstar, or The Beatle’s White Album?
Music means so much to so many people in the UK. It creates memories, inspires change and lifts moods. It is so often a key part of the driving experience and a quarter of those polled stated that it was, while driving, they listened to most of their music. We can all relate to sitting in the car and listening to the end of a favourite song, even once a destination has been reached.
Nadine Shah, who is on this year’s Hyundai Mercury Prize shortlist for her record, Holiday Destination, named PJ Harvey’s Let England Shake and Blur’s Think Tank as the albums that have most inspired her. She told FCD: “Think Tank really embodies where Blur was geographically, when the group made it. They were in Morocco and you can really hear that throughout the album, it’s just great.”
Ed Sheeran made the Top 40 thanks to his album, X, and he has been joined by the Spice Girls for their debut album, Spice, and Robbie Williams for Escapology. Rock royalty, Queen, is also in the Top 40 for A Night at the Opera, alongside other legends of rock, Led Zeppelin, for Led Zeppelin IV and Black Sabbath for Paranoid. Past winners of the Mercury Prize made the cut too, including Arctic Monkeys’ Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not and Different Class by Pulp.
The 1960s was identified as the decade to have produced the most inspiring music to date and a number of records from that era appear in the list, including albums by The Beatles, The Doors and The Beach Boys, in addition to The Mamas & The Papas and Bob Dylan. The research also found three quarters of respondents were inspired by a piece of music, while 81% had an album, to which they turned during difficult times. Two-thirds said music made them happier, while half said it made them feel less stressed, or anxious, and a third said it comforted them.
Strong connections to a piece of music, to a level at which they felt as if the song had been written about them personally, were experienced by almost half the survey respondents. The other half said their home was the place, where they tended to listen to their favourite music, although a quarter usually enjoyed the sounds in their cars.
The greatest Mercury Prize winners of all-time were also identified, with Arctic Monkeys coming top for their debut album. Elbow came second for The Seldom Seen Kid and Pulp came third for Different Class. Jorja Smith, who is also up for the Hyundai Mercury Prize, told us: “My favourite albums are Frank by Amy Winehouse and The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauren Hill. They’re both just so real and a great album is one that you can listen to and not think about anything else.”
Now, it is over to you…what is your favourite album of all time? If you want to, tell us why and how it made an impact on your life. It is just for fun but we shall publish the best responses.
