FLASHBACK FRIDAYS: INTRODUCTION- A Year Long Exercise into the 52 Most Impacting Albums in my life thus far!

Have you guys ever stopped and just wondered, thought about the age of all the music you currently consume? I mean, let me break it down for you if you’re feeling confused. If you look at a sample size of around 10 random songs from your iTunes or Spotify or whatever music streaming device you listen to, what percentage of tracks would be from 2010 onwards? Maybe around 90% I reckon… But what percentage would be from 2017 onwards? 50%? Why is this the case? What  is it about people these days that think ‘oh, it’s pre 2017, I’ll skip this song and listen to something more recent (and better!)’?

The fact is… I don’t know. And for me to try to get into the minds of people, and come up with a reason, and also solution to us being bored with music in general, and always wanting to hear the latest song; would take a long, long time, across several posts. Frankly, I’d imagine if I did that, and tried to write an exposition, you’d be frustrated, and bypass this post, and other posts similar, even if the message of what I’m trying to communicate, is something we all need to hear. So instead I will say this.

Though it’s more than ok to keep up with the latest music and listen to the latest artists and songs, I reckon if you do that at the expense of other hit tracks from the 80’s and 90’s and 2000’s, or even a hit song from last year, then that could start to be worrying. We may be more of a consumerist than we think (discarding a ‘new’ song even after a week, to hear the latest track, then the cycle repeats itself!), and how do we stop this slide?

It’s not easy, there is no answer, and we’re susceptible to this too. I mean, at this site, we have reviewed the latest albums (which you can view here!), and while that’s a good thing, I have recently started wondering why we haven’t, and why don’t review albums from 5, 10 years ago, or even longer? Or even if it’s not a review, just voice our thoughts and opinions for a few paragraphs, and tell the story of how ‘album such and such from this year’ impacted our lives in many different ways? Do we deem albums pre 2010, or even pre 2017, not worthy enough to have an extensive post written about it, because it’s ‘old’ and not current?

This year, I have decided to write something bold, something courageous, something daring. Something sustained, something every week, and something that will hopefully at the end of it all, will change my outlook on music forever. ‘Flashback Fridays’ is something I just thought of today, but it’s nonetheless very close to my heart. (Let’s pray this doesn’t become like all of the other blogs we’ve started but haven’t been successful in posting on a regular basis…)

For the next 52 posts (for the next year or maybe just less than that), I will write my thoughts, and opinions (not a review per se) of 52 albums that I have found influential in my life thus far, and how these albums have shaped me to be the person I am today. With albums spanning quite a few decades within my list of 52, you guys are in for a treat as you hopefully join me for a yearlong ‘project’ if you want to call it that, as I delve into which albums impacted me in which area of my life (and in some posts, I may elaborate further, with a specific example on how a certain album or song has impacted on a certain pivotal event in my life…).

It’s a time for me to be vulnerable, through me showing you the music that speaks to me the most- and at the end of the 52 ‘mini-reviews’, I can hopefully give you all a bit more insight into how music has impacted and shaped my life, and hopefully remind you all that an album isn’t bad by any means if it’s made in the 20th century. And vice versa- an album may not be fantastic or even good, just because it’s just released in the past year, month or week. So who’s with me? Ready to embark on an adventure and find out more about who I am as a person? Ready to learn more about myself and which songs helped me through trials and tribulations? Let me remind you, that each post may have a different layout, it all depends on how God leads me when I’m writing each post. Anyway, see you all next week, and below, is the list of 52 albums that I plan to dive deep into.

  1. Arriving (Chris Tomlin)- 2004
  2. New Map Of The World (Paul Colman Trio)- 2002
  3. Jesus Freak (dcTalk)- 1995
  4. Into The Light (Matthew West)- 2012
    1. Into The Light (Matthew West)- 2012
  5. R.I.O.T. [Righteous Invasion Of Truth] (Carman)- 1995
  6. Wherever You Are (Third Day)- 2005
  7. Move (Third Day)- 2010
  8. Blessed Be Your Name (Matt Redman)- 2005
  9. Woven And Spun (Nichole Nordeman)- 2002
  10. The Generous Mr Lovewell (MercyMe)- 2010
  11. Almost There (MercyMe)- 2001
  12. The Beautiful Letdown (Switchfoot)- 2003
  13. Diamonds (Hawk Nelson)- 2015
  14. Born Again (Newsboys)- 2010
  15. Response (Phil Wickham)- 2011
  16. The Light Meets The Dark (Tenth Avenue North)- 2010
  17. Live Like That (Sidewalk Prophets)- 2012
  18. Casting Crowns (Casting Crowns)- 2003
    1. Casting Crowns (Casting Crowns)- 2003
  19. The Struggle (Tenth Avenue North)- 2012
    1. The Struggle (Tenth Avenue North)- 2012
  20. Restart (Newsboys)- 2013
  21. Beauty Will Rise (Steven Curtis Chapman)- 2009
  22. The Glorious Unfolding (Steven Curtis Chapman)- 2013
  23. All In (Matthew West)- 2017
  24. King Of Fools (Delirious?)- 1997
  25. This Is Not A Test (TobyMac)- 2015
  26. Overcomer (Mandisa)- 2013
  27. Gold (Britt Nicole)- 2012
  28. Life Is Beautiful (The Afters)- 2013
    1. Life Is Beautiful (The Afters)- 2013
  29. On Fire (Peter Furler)- 2011
  30. Listen To The Sound (Building 429)- 2011
  31. How Can It Be (Lauren Daigle)- 2014
    1. How Can It Be (Lauren Daigle)- 2014
  32. Go (Newsboys)- 2006
  33. All In (Stellar Kart)- 2013
  34. Brave (Moriah Peters)- 2014
  35. All Things New (Steven Curtis Chapman)- 2004
  36. Crave (for KING & COUNTRY)- 2012
  37. Come To The Well (Casting Crowns)- 2011
  38. What If We Were Real (Mandisa)- 2011
  39. The Cutting Edge 1&2, 3&4 (Delirious?)- 1996
  40. The Story Of Your Life (Matthew West)- 2010
  41. The Spirit Of Christmas (Michael W. Smith)- 2014
  42. Christmas Stories: Repeat The Sounding Joy (Jason Gray)- 2012
  43. Chain Breaker (Zach Williams)- 2017
  44. The Things We’ve Been Afraid To Say EP (Tenth Avenue North)- 2018
  45. Wildfire (Rachel Platten)- 2016
  46. Blown Away (Carrie Underwood)- 2012
  47. Smoke And Mirrors (Lifehouse)- 2010
  48. What To Do With Daylight (Brooke Fraser)- 2003
  49. Vice Verses (Switchfoot)- 2011
  50. From The Saltland To The River (Paul Colman)- 2012
  51. Unbreakable Smile (Tori Kelly)- 2015
  52. Freedom (Michael W Smith)- 2003
  53. The Greatest Showman Acapella (Peter Hollens)- 2018
  54. Mobile Orchestra (Owl City)- 2015
  55. If I Has One Chance To Tell You Something (Rebecca St James)- 2005
  56. Adoration (Newsboys)- 2003
  57. Today Is The Day (Lincoln Brewster)- 2008
  58. Strong Tower (Kutless)- 2005
  59. The Invitation (Meredith Andrews)- 2008
  60. The Writer’s Collection (Paul Baloche)- 2008
  61. Beautiful News (Matt Redman)- 2006
  62. A New Hallelujah (Michael W. Smith)- 2008
  63. Glo (Delirious?)- 2000
  64. Back To The Start (Martin Smith)- 2004
  65. Hope In Front Of Me (Danny Gokey)- 2014
  66. Something To Say (Matthew West)- 2008
  67. Lifesong (Casting Crowns)- 2005
  68. The Same Love (Paul Baloche)- 2012
  69. While I’m Waiting (John Waller)- 2009
  70. What If We (Brandon Heath)- 2008
  71. American Prodigal (Crowder)- 2016
  72. Unite (1GN)- 2016
  73. Fearless (Group 1 Crew)- 2016
  74. Liberated (Zealand)- 2018
  75. Tonight (TobyMac)- 2010
  76. In The Hands Of God (Newsboys)- 2009
  77. Rise (Danny Gokey)- 2017
  78. All The Is Within Me (MercyMe)- 2007
  79. As Family We Go (Rend Collective)- 2015
  80. We Need Each Other (Sanctus Real)- 2008
  81. Haven’t Seen It Yet (Danny Gokey)- 2019
  82. Bridges (Josh Groban)- 2018
  83. GIRL (Maren Morris)- 2019
  84. Reckless (Martina McBride)- 2016
  85. Baptised (Daughtry)- 2013
  86. Storyteller (Carrie Underwood)- 2015
  87. Sad Girls Club (Cimorelli)- 2017
  88. Head Above Water (Avril Lavigne)- 2019
    1. Head Above Water (Avril Lavigne)- 2019
  89. The Pains Of Growing (Alessia Cara)- 2018
  90. Ripcord (Keith Urban)- 2016
  91. Native (One Republic)- 2013
  92. Waves (Rachel Platten)- 2017
  93. Revival (Selena Gomez)- 2015
  94. The Beast You Feed (VERIDIA)- 2018
  95. Cinematic (Owl City)- 2018
  96. Amidst The Chaos (Sara Bareilles)- 2019
    1. Amidst The Chaos (Sara Bareilles)- 2019
  97. Offerings (Third Day)- 2000
  98. Offerings II (Third Day)- 2002
  99. Burn The Ships (for KING & COUNTRY)- 2018
  100. Followers (Tenth Avenue North)- 2016
  101. Native Tongue (Switchfoot)- 2019
  102. Save Me San Francisco (Train)- 2009
  103. Rhett Walker Band EP (Rhett Walker Band)- 2018
  104. Britt Nicole (Britt Nicole)- 2016
  105. Child Of The Universe (Delta Goodrem)- 2012
  106. DNA (Backstreet Boys)- 2019
  107. I Will Praise You (Rebecca St. James)- 2011
  108. All We Need (Rachael Lampa)- 2011
  109. Kings And Queens (Audio Adrenaline)- 2013
  110. UNITED (Newsboys)- 2019
  111. The Unmaking (Nichole Nordeman)- 2015
  112. No Plan B (Carman)- 2014
  113. NOW (Shania Twain)- 2017
  114. Bebo Norman (Bebo Norman)- 2008
  115. Hundred More Years (Francesca Battistelli)- 2011
  116. Awaken (Natalie Grant)- 2005
  117. Mission 3:16 (Carman)- 1998
  118. Declaration (Steven Curtis Chapman)- 2001
  119. New Day Coming (Steve Grace)- 2001
  120. Tonight (TobyMac)- 2010
  121. Light Up The Sky (The Afters)- 2010
  122. How Can We Be Silent (BarlowGirl)- 2007
  123. Comotose (Skillet)- 2006
  124. The Altar And The Door (Casting Crowns)- 2007
  125. Smoke And Mirrors (Lifehouse)- 2010
  126. We Can’t Stand Sitting Down (Stellar Kart)- 2006
  127. The Reckoning (Needtobreathe)- 2011
  128. Different Kind Of Free (ZOEgirl)- 2003
  129. On Fire (Peter Furler)- 2011
  130. Five Score And Seven Years Ago (Relient K)- 2007
  131. Pieces Of A Real Heart (Sanctus Real)- 2010
  132. When Silence Falls (Tim Hughes)- 2004
  133. Heart Beats (Dami Im)- 2015
  134. The Lost Get Found (Britt Nicole)- 2009
  135. Up At Night (Cimorelli)- 2016
  136. Music Inspired By The Story (Various Artists)- 2011

Note: As the weeks go by, links to each of the 52 posts will be present in the list above, so bookmark this page as your favourite if you want to.

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