ANNIVERSARIES: Albums turning 10 in 2017

Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare

I’m 100% sure that everyone has a point in their life at which they become aware of music and its potential to impact you; most likely at around 11/12. Albums that come out around this time undoubtedly hold a special place in your heart, and while some of those are a little questionable for me, they’re proudly accompanied by Arctic Monkeys’ Favourite Worst Nightmare.

I listened to Favourite Worst Nightmare in full for the first time in a long time the other day, and 10 years on, it’s still just as wonderful: with an added air of nostalgia. ‘Old Yellow Bricks’ and ‘Fluorescent Adolescent’ soundtracked my school years, and I remember sobbing when witnessing Alex Turner and Miles Kane perform ‘505’ during 2011’s Suck It And See Tour. Though I’m sure I’d say the same for all of Arctic Monkeys albums, for varying reasons, Favourite Worst Nightmare is particularly special. (Melissa Svensen)

There’s no one who hasn’t been slightly influenced by Arctic Monkeys. You can even go Pryzm and hear everyone singing their hearts out to ‘Fluorescent Adolescence’. Favourite Worst Nightmare is the record that furthered AM’s career and saw them move on from their MySpace days to become the iconic act they are today.

It showed they had something else to offer. You often see Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not and Favourite Worst Nightmare clumped together, but the latter is much louder, faster and meaner-sounding. As soon as they race their way into opener ‘Brianstorm’, their development is hard to miss. Matt Helders’ intricate, supersonic drum beats will always something you’ll marvel at every time you have a listen.

Favourite Worst Nightmare just resonates maturity. There’s none of the mic dropping we see nowadays. They just got on with recording, and did it as quickly as possible to get on the road to play the new tunes live. Follow-up albums are always a big hurdle for bands to overcome, but they did it perfectly. It’s a record like this that make you remember why we all love Arctic Monkeys. (Becky Rogers)

Mika – Life In Cartoon Motion

I recently rediscovered Life In Cartoon Motion. I was in Rome with my boyfriend and for some reason Mika came up, and I remembered just how much I used to adore him. I remember when the album came out, and Mika was doing a signing in HMV: my friend and I had got him a bunch of flowers (I’m still not sure why?), but he was late and had to cancel the signing and just perform. As he came off stage, with a tamagotchi round his neck, he noticed us, forlorn with a bunch of useless flowers, and invited us under a measly bit of rope to say hi. 10-year-old me died.

While that’s probably a large part of why it holds such a dear place in my heart – fond memories, and all – I refuse to believe it’s anything but a fantastic album. Between ‘Lollipop’ and ‘Any Other World’ it’s an emotional rollercoaster; and so much fun. (MS)

When I was 10, I begged my Year 6 teacher to let us use Mika’s ‘Happy Ending’ as our leaving song. Though they chose Chris Brown’s ‘With You’ instead, 10-year-old me knew they were missing out on this guy who was offering something completely different and new.

Mika rejected the advice from a record label to make more ‘commercial’ music like Craig David, and stuck to his guns to make the “one-man band circus master vision” he loved from 80s and 90s artists. He was never afraid of holding up his middle finger to the record companies, and even released ‘Grace Kelly’ as a huge fuck you to everyone telling him to be something else.

That’s part of Mika’s charm. He was always what he wanted to be, and everyone loved it. Life In Cartoon Motion debuted at number one in the UK, the lead single ‘Grace Kelly’ stayed there for five weeks straight, and it’s sold over 7.8 million copies to date. 10 years on, and the record labels who rejected him for not being the norm must still be having sleepless nights. (BR)

Babyshambles – Shotter’s Nation

The cool answer to the question ‘what’s the best Babyshambles album?’ is Down In Albion, but the correct answer is Shotter’s Nation. With Stephen Street having replaced Mick Jones on production duties and Mick Whitnall taking over from Patrick Walden on guitar, Pete Doherty and co’s second effort sounds more focused, more direct, and altogether more impressive.

The opening trio of ‘Carry On Up The Morning’, ‘Delivery’ and ‘You Talk’ are unashamedly catchy and the ear-worming hooks remain unrelenting from then on. To top things off, closer ‘Lost Art Of Murder’ is as poetic as anything Doherty has penned.

Sadly, this album is also to blame for tricking me into thinking ripped jeans, braces, and a trilby hat could be my ‘look’. (Rob Conlon)

Avril Lavigne – The Best Damn Thing

When Avril Lavigne burst on to the pop-punk scene in 2002, she was the much needed alternative for girls across the globe who didn’t quite fit the Britney Spears sweetheart stereotype. She released a record-breaking debut album, had perfectly straight hair, and hung out with sk8r bois. As a lanky shy teenager, I was determined to mimic her every move.

Fast forward to 2007 and the release of her third album The Best Damn Thing, and she was still as defiant and mischievous as ever, but this time she was blonde and actively threatening to steal your boyfriend. ‘Girlfriend’ was the lead single on the album, and it achieved massive commercial success.

‘When You’re Gone’, ‘Hot’, and ‘The Best Damn Thing’ were also big earners for Avril, but personally I preferred lesser known tracks ‘I Can Do Better’ and ‘Everything Back But You’ – but that’s probably because I was a lovesick loser harbouring a lot of angst. Whatever the album, Avril’s always around to remind you that you’ll never be as cool as her, but at least you can smash around to her pop-punk tunes whilst trying to be. (Kate Crudgington)

Rihanna – Good Girl Gone Bad

Get your ‘Umbrella’ out, because I’m about to shower you with praise for Rihanna’s third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad. Released in 2007, this album saw the Barbadian superstar discard her relatively innocent image and embrace her sexy dark side.

The album spawned five singles: ‘Don’t Stop The Music’, ‘Shut Up and Drive’, ‘Hate That I Love You’, ‘Rehab’, and the Grammy award-winning ‘Umbrella’. Dance floors across the world were filled with Rihanna’s R&B/pop sounds, and I’m yet to meet anyone who doesn’t know all of the words to ‘Umbrella’.

She achieved further success when she released a Reloaded version of the album in 2008, which featured the absolute banger that is ‘Disturbia’. She’s recorded another five successful studio albums since Good Girl Gone Bad, including the highly independent and personal Anti. If that doesn’t make her feel like ‘The Only Girl In The World’, what will? (KC)