The Albums That Changed My Life

These four albums might just change yours

Music is an outlet, a release and my favourite art form that us a species has ever created. I thought I would return to these four albums that have changed my life in more ways than I can count and share what I learned from them.

Not only did I want to write about these four albums and the lessons I’ve learned, but I also wanted to remind people that the album itself is crucial in the world of music. But the world of music, more specifically the physical side of music, is slowly dying. Streaming is taking over, and it’s looking bleak for the album enjoyers and record collectors.

Back then, if we bought an album, we used to be forced to listen to it even if we didn’t like it. It was a handshake deal once you forked over your cash for the CD, and regardless of whether it was your jam or not, you listened to it. You formed an opinion after listening to the records entirety, unlike today.

In today's world, we love the skip button, and we form opinions on albums quicker than ever before. We can blame the streaming services all we want, but ultimately, we do have control over that. So I urge you to explore these albums and not skip a track during your playthroughs. Listen to it, front to back. Like it’s supposed to be. And maybe, just maybe, these four albums will change your life, just as they have for me.

To read for free, click here

Blonde on Blonde — Bob Dylan

I’ve listened to a lot of Bob Dylan in my life. It’s hard not to, seeing as this man has a lengthy discography — his music is everywhere and Bob Dylan has grown to be my favourite artist. Starting out, though, I wasn’t a fan, not in the slightest. But that may have been because of my distaste for Folk music when I was younger. Folk was just a genre that I threw on while I was on road trips or if I was camping. I was more focused on Rap and Alternative. That is, until I decided to take my love for music more seriously. I bought my Sennheiser headphones three years ago and gave Bob Dylan a proper shot.

I made a few mistakes when I started to listen to Bob Dylan, though. Seeing his endless list of albums and singles, I started from the bottom and quickly got lost. I became sick of him by the time I hit his fourth album. I was rushing it and doing the complete opposite of taking my love for music more seriously. So I made a deal with myself. I swore that I would listen to one album a week and replay it as much as I can without forcing myself to listen to it. I wanted to enjoy it. I just wanted to listen, and that was it.

That leads me to ***Blonde on Blonde***.

The first album that cemented Bob Dylan as my favourite artist. Sure, Blood on the Tracks is amazing and a “true to form” of the Bob man, and Highway 61 Revisited is a banger, but nothing compares to Blonde on Blonde for me. I love its plucky storytelling and poetic light lyrics. Each song feels like it fills an intended purpose. I Want You is light, quick, and I call it Bob's pop song, and on the other hand, you have Just Like A Woman bringing in the soft flowy-ness Bob is great at.

My favourite tracks are Visions of Johana and Temporary Like Achilles, as I deeply relate to Visions of Johana, and I just love the story behind it. Temporary Like Achilles is a great and slow burn, but I really found my love for it while walking in the bustling streets of Toronto, cheefing a cigarette, finding my way to Union Station.

This album is perfect for every aspect of my life, and it changed the way I listen to albums. The world of streaming music is fast-paced and short. We love the skip button, and we don’t really appreciate the album as a concept like we used to. Before, you’d have to buy the record and play it front to back. Dissecting it and finding your favourite songs and so on. Nowadays, we skip songs in seconds and skim albums. Especially if they have more than ten songs. Blonde on Blonde and deciding to take my love for music more seriously retaught me to appreciate the album as a whole. And now, when an artist has tons of music, I get excited. I have lots to listen to. And for a very long time.

If you need an introduction to the Bob man, I’d love to help you get started.

[embed]Bob Dylan For Beginners Here are eight songs to get you startedmedium.com

Gibbous — Doc Mino

What can I say about ***Gibbous* that I haven’t said before? It’s an album I can’t stop listening to. Doc Mino, the genius behind this masterpiece, knows how to write deeply evocative lyrics and play sensual and relaxing instrumentals alongside them. This album, for me, is truly one of a kind.

Gibbous is incredibly relatable and not in the sense that the issues and stories explained throughout the record are simple or common; it’s life and its ugliness presented to you on a silver platter. It’s shown to you in a way that you haven’t seen it before. It causes this movement to not only focus on what is being told to you, but also on how you feel about everything. More so about how you feel about yourself and what you’ve done in your life. These eight songs transport you to a completely different space and time; whether you like it or not, it’s happening.

Blonde on Blonde taught me to appreciate an album. Gibbous changed the way I think about music in general. Gibbous inspired me to write about music for the first time because it was an album I recommended to everyone in my life — I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I even reached out to Doc Mino through Instagram, and we spoke for months. I became a Stan for the first time, and it was great. I found a deeper admiration for music through Gibbous, a love I didn’t think was possible. Gibbous showed me just how powerful music is and how it connects us.

It’s fun reaching out to the artist, even if they might not respond. But what’s better is fully investing in a piece of art and losing yourself in it. It’s your life; you should go crazy about what makes you happy. Who's to say you’re wrong in doing that?

I recommend the entire record, not any one song, but the whole thing.

If you’d like to read more about the album, you can do so here.

[embed]The Four Records that Broke My Speakers Here is a review of four albums for any occasion that you won't find on Billboardmedium.com

In Tongues — Joji

Joji is a fantastic artist and extremely theatrical. I followed him during his early days on YouTube under the handle, Filthy Frank. He wasn’t known for music back then, but rather for baking cakes full of hair. I was young, and it was hilarious to me. Give me a break.

But when he started making music, under the alias Pink Guy, it was similar to his work on YouTube, not taken seriously because it was a gag. And again, I thought it was funny. I admired him for his courage to be unfiltered and insane, while also doing whatever he wanted. I looked up to that side of him. Eventually, he dropped YouTube and left the Pink Guy persona behind to pursue a serious role in music. He donned the name Joji and released his first single, Will He, embracing the changes. ***In Tongues*** dropped shortly after, solidifying everything, and I was floored. At first, I couldn’t grasp that you had this guy, a giant prankster, a joke, which he was good at, and now, turned into a low-fi demon singing about lost love and the monsters deep inside him. He gambled it all to chase a life in a serious career in music and do what he loves.

I realize I haven’t spoken much about the actual project.

In Tongues isn’t just all of what I mentioned; it’s more. For me, it represents that you can do whatever you want in life, but you must take risks. Alongside risk-taking, In Tongues is a great post-breakup album.

The song Will He will make you cry. Bitter fuck is short and sweet, and Demons is crunchy and fun. Every song on this record creates this strange hellish landscape where you find yourself surrounded by your fellow heartbroken lost travellers. This album may be short, but you’ll find yourself relistening to it quite often as the environment you find yourself in is quite peaceful.

Some people want to change the genre they play in, and some want to change their image. Who's to say they can’t do both?

Nebraska — Bruce Springsteen

This one's tricky for me.

***Nebraska** is a sad and cold album, to say the least. But what makes it beautiful is how it was created. Bruce recorded Nebraska* in the bedroom of his New Jersey home using a four-track cassette recorder and pushed it to it’s absolulte limits by recording ten of the most intricate and dark songs he's ever made. By creating it the way he did, the entire album carries this hollowness that creates an eerie environment that is supported by the extremely well-written lyrics and striking chords. This record is personal, and Bruce isn’t wearing his heart on his sleeve; he's handing it to you. He’s not asking to be judged; all he's asking of you, is to listen.

Nebraska changed my perspective on authenticity and what it means to be unapologetically yourself. If The Boss, Hall of Fame rock’n’roll legend Bruce Springsteen, can do it, so can I. If he has a vision in mind, and wants this album to be a specific way, I can create what I want, the way I want to, with my vision in mind and not give a fuck. I can be myself, I can be true to who I am, no matter who I want to be.

Atlantic City and My Father's House will change your life.

Got hooked on Bruce Springsteen? Don’t worry, here are a few more songs for you.

[embed]Bruce Springsteen for Starters Here are 9 songs to get you startedmedium.com

It’s important to do the album justice if you decide to press play. Listen to it front to back; treat it like a piece of physical media, especially if you aren’t going out and buying the disc or vinyl itself. Only then, once you let the album take over, you’ll hear things you may not have heard before; you may just find a deeper admiration for music. Or you may not like the album, but at least you gave it a fair and honest shot.

These are just the first four of many albums to leave a lasting impression on me, and I’d love to hear the ones that stuck with you.

[embed]I’ve Listened to 50 Albums So Far in 2026. Here Are 5 You Have to Hear. Spanning experimental, indie rock and alternative, these are the albums that I have loved this yearmedium.com