LIKE A ROLLING STONE, BOB DYLAN (1965)

 

Clocking in at six minutes, Bob Dylan’s monumental single was like no other 45 that came before it. With its densely expressionistic lyrics and bluesy barroom groove, it was a work of high art and the very antithesis of ephemeral pop. As Bruce Springsteen said: “It sounded like somebody had kicked open the door to your mind.”

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THAT’S ALLRIGHT, ELVIS PRESLEY (1954)

The King’s f rst single hit the record shops in Memphis on 19 July 1954 and its iconic aftershock is still felt today. His hillbilly version of the Arthur Crudup song was fresh, exciting, sexy and was the music post-war youth had been waiting for. Elvis was still a teenager when he f rst got behind the mic at Sun Studios – he was about to redef ne popular music.

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I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND, THE BEATLES (1964)

 

The f rst Beatles 45 to be recorded on new fangled four-track equipment, I Want To Hold Your Hand signif ed a spike in the sophistication of Lennon and McCartney as songwriters.

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Cocteau Twins ‎– Blue Bell Knoll (1988)

Five albums in and the spellbinding Cocteau Twins continue to reach new heights, with Capital releasing the LP in the US. Blue Bell Knoll oozes such a magnitude of texture and atmosphere you can almost feel it leaking out of your speakers. Carloyn's Fíngers is up there with their finest moments. Robin Guthrie remastered the album for a 2003 reissue, with a 180g edition following in 2014.

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Julee Cruise ‎– Floating Into The Night (1989)

A landmark record for the genre, that proved as much of a pinnacle sonically as it did cinematically, with much of the music made in collaboration with David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti being used for his cult TV show Twín Peaks, as well as appearing in Blue Velvet and Industrial Symphony No. 1. The instrumental version of Falling was picked as Twín Peaks' theme song, elevating Cruise from unknown status. Her voice is the essence of dreaminess, and when merged with dense soundscapes and the hum of a Fender Rhodes it can be a transcendent listen.

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Mazzy Star ‎– So Tonight That I Might See (1993)

On their follow-up album, Mazzy Star plunged even further into a dreamy world. The utterly glorious Fade Into You is the perfect album opener, allowing the listener to fade into the band's world. What follows is deeply hypnotic and almost trance-like at times, the ghostly presence of lnto Dust devastating in its beauty.

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This Mortal Coil ‎– Blood (1991)

The final album from the 4AD supergroup and a double one, too. Featuring a mix of covers and originals, Blood finds the bond cementing a sound and style that truly became theirs. Matching beauty and eloquence with a haunting frailty, it remains an absolutely distinctive record that many bands hove attempted to emulate.

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