Editor’s Note: From Albumism’s inception back in 2016, we’ve remained unabashedly and unequivocally passionate about our mission of celebrating the world's love affairs with albums past, present and future.
But while our devotion to the album as an art form has remained steadfast, as evidenced by our deepening repository of individual album tributes and reviews, we’ve admittedly seldom taken the opportunity to explicitly articulate our reverence for the virtues of artists’ complete album repertoires as a whole.
Hence why we’ve decided to showcase what we believe to be the most dynamic discographies of all time in this recurring series. In doing so, we hope to better understand the broader creative context within which our most beloved individual albums exist, while acknowledging the full breadth of their creators’ artistry, career arcs, and overall contributions to the ever-evolving musical landscape.
We hope you enjoy this series and be sure to check here periodically for the latest installments.
BJORK
Studio Albums: Debut (1993) | Post (1995) | Homogenic (1997) | Selmasongs (Soundtrack) (2000) | Vespertine (2001) | Medúlla (2004) | Drawing Restraint 9 (Soundtrack) (2005) | Volta (2007) | Biophilia (2011) | Vulnicura (2015) | Utopia (2017) | Readers’ Poll Results
There’s never a dull moment in the Björk’s discography—not everything may be to your liking (I struggled with the Icelandic throat singers), but it is never anything less than uniquely interesting. A restless desire to push boundaries and try new things lies at the heart of her artistic expression, meaning each passing album brings fresh ideas and new realms for her to conquer.
Having tasted indie success with The Sugarcubes, she hit rarefied heights with her opening solo salvo, Debut. Mixing pop and dance with an irreverent independent attitude, it showcased a bravery in approach that has characterized her entire career.
My favorite thing about her discography is the seemingly permanent presence of crystalline moments of dumbfounding beauty. Vespertine’s entire running time alone is infiltrated with moments where time stops still to allow the beauty of melody and instrumentation to live and breathe on their own. Moments of spine-tingling magic abound.
In addition to the musicality though, is a willingness to pursue a multi-media approach to her artistry, providing yet another layer of interest to proceedings. Those additional notions never cloud the music though—she never loses sight of the whole purpose of showcasing her astonishing, shape-shifting music and unique lyrical content.
Patrick’s 3 Favorite Björk Albums of All Time:
1. Vespertine (2001)
2. Homogenic (1997)
3. Debut (1993)
VISIT Björk’s Official Store
LISTEN & WATCH: