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Poll: Oliver Kemp's 50 Favourite Records Of All Time

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Poll Closing Date: Monday, 6 July 2026 00:00 (in 5 days)

Oliver Kemp runs a newsletter called Deep Cuts. He published this list of his 50 favorite records, and I thought it was an interesting (and relatively cohesive) list that could also inspire discussion amongst ILXors. So let's poll it!

Bark Psychosis - Hex
Stars Of The Lid - And Their Refinement Of The Decline
Bruce Springsteen - Darkness On The Edge Of Town
Alice Coltrane - Journey In Satchidananda
Autechre - Confield
The Blue Nile - Hats
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Fugazi - The Argument
The Tuss - Rushup Edge
Björk - Homogenic
Fennesz - Venice
Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
Global Communication - 76:14
Fela Kuti - Gentleman
Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport
Pink Floyd - Animals
Nina Simone - Pastel Blues
Cardiacs - Sing To God
Dirty Three - Horse Stories
Frank Zappa - Apostrophe(')
Carole King - Tapestry
Daft Punk - Discovery
John Coltrane - Ascension
The Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free
Underworld - Beaucoup Fish
Prince - Purple Rain
Fishmans - Long Season
Bowery Electric - Beat
Danny Brown - Atrocity Exhibition
Sun Kil Moon - Benji
Tim Hecker - Ravedeath, 1972
Talking Heads - Speaking In Tongues
The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute
Miles Davis - Miles Smiles
Slint - Spiderland
Talk Talk - Laughing Stock
Glenn Branca - The Ascension
David Bowie - Low
Faith No More - Angel Dust
Tom Waits - Blue Valentine
Opeth - Watershed
Portishead - Dummy
Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile
These New Puritans - Field Of Reeds
Slowdive - Souvlaki
Skee Mask - Pool
Mr. Bungle - California
Don Caballero - American Don
Brian Eno & David Byrne - My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts
Joe Hisaishi - Hana-Bi


― wipes chooser (unperson), Monday, 29 June 2026 15:00 (yesterday)

Hats

there's like 20 others i feel bad that i can't vote for but Hats is just unfair

― ciderpress, Monday, 29 June 2026 16:02 (yesterday)

If anyone's curious about his ranking, I listed them top to bottom, so Hex is #1 and Hana-Bi is #50.

― wipes chooser (unperson), Monday, 29 June 2026 16:27 (yesterday)

It's probably not the best album on there, but I feel like Bowery Electric's Beat was a super-formative record for me, so I'm voting in support of that one.

― emil.y, Monday, 29 June 2026 16:32 (yesterday)

If you search for his name, you'll also find the substack in which he provides a bit of detail about his approach to the list as well as short blurbs on each entry. It helped me to understand his process a bit better, which should be understood as unabashedly subjective. I will probably vote for "Watershed" - it was a bit disappointing to me when I first heard it, but it has grown into perhaps my favorite Opeth album.

― o. nate, Monday, 29 June 2026 17:22 (yesterday)

Paul's vs Journey is a tough call, went with the Beasties

cool list!

― Serfin' USA (sleeve), Monday, 29 June 2026 17:31 (yesterday)

No Stereolab so I’m picking Slowdive

― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Tuesday, 30 June 2026 12:41 (thirty-four minutes ago)

interesting list. one of the more interesting things is his riding for the streets in the year 2026 (i respect it)

― mobb derp (voodoo chili), Tuesday, 30 June 2026 13:06 (nine minutes ago)

POX
Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
Nina Simone - Pastel Blues
Pink Floyd - Animals
Carole King - Tapestry
John Coltrane - Ascension
Prince - Purple Rain
Danny Brown - Atrocity Exhibition
Talking Heads - Speaking In Tongues
Miles Davis - Miles Smiles
Portishead - Dummy

― nicky lo-fi, Tuesday, 30 June 2026 13:09 (five minutes ago)


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