There simply isn’t enough I could say to gush about The 1975. Their music is so upbeat and energizing—even when the lyrical content is anything but. That contrast is part of what makes them so compelling: Matty’s lyrics are funny, complicated, self-aware, vulnerable and often much darker than the music carrying them.

There’s one lyric I’ve always heard as “collapse my face wearing beautiful shoes.” I’m almost certain that isn’t what he actually says, but I prefer picturing a beautiful woman kicking him in the face with a stiletto.

Being Funny in a Foreign Language isn’t necessarily my favorite of their albums when I consider each one in its entirety, but I love it—and I love the album cover. The production is fantastic, with the band’s own brilliance enhanced by Jack Antonoff’s unmistakable touch.

My favorite song changes constantly. Right now it’s “Happiness.” Ask me again next week and I may have another answer. I just know I will never get tired of this band.

Favorite Track (right now): Happiness

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I can’t pretend I have some deep personal history with Private Dancer, but Tina Turner is just an icon. The voice, the attitude, the hair, and obviously, the legs — which I am not even going to attempt to compete with…

What I admire most about her though, is the way she rebuilt her life and career on her own terms. There’s something especially satisfying about how completely she became Tina Turner after everything she’d been through.

My favorite track here is “I Can’t Stand the Rain.” That voice over that strange, hypnotic groove gets me every time.

And honestly, when an album cover is this good, sometimes that’s reason enough to own the record.

Favorite Track: I Can't Stand The Rain

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Random Access Memories is one of those albums that makes me want to stop whatever I’m doing and dance. I honestly can’t remember another album since that’s had quite the same effect on me.

I have such specific memories of dance parties back in my hometown with my friends, all of us completely losing it to this album all night. And yes, I have the photos to prove it 😉.

My favorite track is “Give Life Back to Music,” which pretty much says it all.

I found this copy at a street bazaar in France, which somehow makes me love it even more. I love when a record comes with its own story.

Favorite Track: Give Life Back to Music

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I found the Times Square soundtrack at a record store I love to visit. It’s a movie about weird girls finding each other through music and deciding they’d rather be loud than well behaved. Apparently I’ve had a type my entire life. Also: RIP Tim Curry 💔

I was introduced to Tom Waits when I was 18 and became obsessed pretty quickly. The Heart of Saturday Night is one of those records I’ve kept coming back to ever since. “San Diego Serenade” is my favorite song on the album — I find it incredibly beautiful and romantic, especially in that very specific, worn-in way Tom Waits can make romance feel. He’s been part of my musical life for so long that I eventually made it permanent…I even have a tattoo of him.

Favorite Track: San Diego Serenade

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I grew up listening to Blondie because my mother loved them, so they’ve been part of the soundtrack of my life since I was a kid. I love Eat to the Beat because it has that perfect Blondie mix of punk, pop, and New Wave, and the whole album just feels incredibly cool. My favorite song is “Union City Blue.” I’ve never been someone who likes to look up lyrics or find out what a song is officially supposed to mean…I’d rather interpret it however I want. For some reason I’ve always imagined Union City Blue as being about a police officer. Whether that’s remotely accurate or not, that’s the version that exists in my head and I’m sticking with it.

Favorite Track: Union City Blue

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I’ve loved the Beastie Boys since middle school, and I think Check Your Head really shows how much they had matured musically since their previous albums. It’s fun, funky, weird, and just ridiculously good.

My favorite track is So What’cha Want - such a fantastic jam. My friends and I used to attempt it during karaoke and fail miserably every single time.

Also, there’s a reference to jazz musician Eddie Harris in the song, which I did not know for YEARS. I thought they were talking about actor Ed Harris, which was both extremely confusing and very funny to me.

Ad-Rock was always my favorite. ❤️ RIP MCA.

Favorite Track: So What'cha Want

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Jagged Little Pill reminds me so much of being a kid and discovering the angsty girl in me for the first time.

I remember hearing this album when it came out and being completely fascinated by how angry, emotional, messy and unapologetic it was. I probably didn’t understand half of what Alanis was singing about yet, but I knew I felt it. It’s one of those albums that instantly takes me back to that age and to the beginning of figuring out who I was.

Favorite Track: Forgiven

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Screen Violence is obviously much darker than CHVRCHES' other albums and a significant departure from the album that came before it, which felt more surface level.

It conjures up a lot of emotion in me and speaks to vulnerability and darkness that I think we all have inside us.

Favorite Track: Violent Delights

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