My Top 5 Favorite Albums to Play on Vinyl

Taking a break from album breakdowns, I’m going to write a short write up on my favorite vinyl records that I have to play on my record player.

My considerations for this list are based on my mood while listening to them, and my willingness to play through the entire record at once.

5. “Freudian” – Daniel Caesar

Daniel Caesar’s “Freudian” has been one of my favorite albums of the past year, even though it was released in 2017. The R&B album is the perfect spin for a day when you are feeling a mix of emotions, or are just looking for relaxing music to have playing in the background while doing homework.

Some of my favorite tracks on this album are:

• “Get You” ft. Kali Uchis 
• “Best Part” ft. H.E.R.
• “Hold Me Down”
• “Blessed”

It’s tracks like these that are enough to relax me either during a rough day, or on a day that I just need some time to myself after a busy schedule.

4. “An Evening with Silk Sonic” – Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak.)

Released at the end of 2021, Silk Sonic is a band formed of superstar artists Bruno Mars and Anderson Paak. The two came together to create a “70s esc” album and it did not disappoint. The album is an extremely easy play through, and I tend to listen to it when I’m having a very good day or admittedly before I go out for drinks with my friends.

Some of my favorites from this tracklist are:

• “Leave The Door Open”
• “After Last Night” with Thundercat and Bootsy Collins
• “Smokin Out The Window”
• “Skate”
• “Love’s Train”

Again, this album is not difficult to get through in one listen, as it keeps the listener interested and entertained throughout the entirety of the tracklist, with each song being unique and different in its own way.

3. “Love Sick” – Don Toliver

“Love Sick” came in at number one for my favorite album released in 2023, and so it makes sense that it would also make an appearance on this list. With a variety of R&B and Hip-Hop styles throughout the tracklist, it is certainly a fun listen all the way through.

Some notable tracks on this album include:

• “No Pole”
• “Embarrassed” ft. Travis Scott
• “Leave the Club” ft. Lil Durk and GloRilla 
• “Private Landing” ft. Future and Justin Bieber
• “Slow Motion” ft. Wizkid
• “If I Had” ft. Charlie Wilson

I spent a lot of time talking about this album last week, so I’ll keep it short by saying I highly recommend this album to any fan of music, you are guaranteed to find at least one song you like, if not more than one.

2. “Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon” – Pop Smoke

“Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon” is one of my all-time favorite Hip-Hop albums. The posthumous album from Brooklyn rapper Pop Smoke is similar to “Love Sick” in the sense that it provides a little bit of something for everyone. The deluxe version of this album has 34 tracks, and manages to keep me intrigued throughout the entire project.

My favorites on this record are:

• “Aim For The Moon” ft. Quavo 
• “For The Night” ft. Lil Baby and DaBaby
• “44 Bulldog” 
• “Creature” ft. Swae Lee
• “Mood Swings” ft. Lil Tjay
• “What You Know Bout Love” 
• “Got It On Me”
• “Dior”
• Showin Off Pt.1 and Pt.2” ft. Fivio Foreign
• “Backseat” ft. PnB Rock
• “Imperfections (Interlude)” 
• “Paranoia” ft. Gunna and Young Thug

I just named 12 songs off of the tracklist that I consider my favorite. That should say enough about this album. But I’ll end by saying that this project is a classic, a word that gets thrown around too much in the Hip-Hop community. It is a record that I frequently put on my record player when I am doing homework in my room.

1. “To Pimp a Butterfly” – Kendrick Lamar

Lastly, my favorite album to play on my record player is Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp A Butterfly.” This album is considered by many Hip-Hop fans to be among the greatest of all time because of its influence not only in music, but in society. The album covers a lot of social issues, and the rough childhood of Lamar, and is an extremely entertaining listen every time because of the unique production.

My favorite songs on this tracklist are:

• “Wesley’s Theory” ft. George Clinton and Thundercat
• “King Kunta”
• “These Walls” ft. Anna Wise and Thundercat
• “u”
• “Alright”
• “How Much A Dollar Cost” ft. James Fauntleroy and Ronald Isley
• “i” 

This album is the epitome of hip-hop music. In my opinion, this is the greatest album of all time. Everything from the vocals, production, and influence makes this album an all-time classic, and frequents the top five conversation among almost any long time hip-hop fan.

These albums are great plays in general, but something about throwing them on the record player and hearing the raw audio is so fun and exciting. I am still continuing to grow my record collection and I’m sure this list will eventually change, but these records stand out and are good play for certain emotional and physical situations.