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.
THE CARDIGANS
Studio Albums: Emmerdale (1994) | Life (1995) | First Band on the Moon (1996) | Gran Turismo (1998) | Long Gone Before Daylight (2003) | Super Extra Gravity (2005) | Readers’ Poll Results
Launching out of Jönköping, Sweden in 1994, The Cardigans—comprised of Bengt Lagerberg (drums), Lars-Olof Johansson (keyboards), Magnus Sveningsson (bass), Peter Svensson (lead guitar), and Nina Persson (lead vocals)—set their own musical agenda from the very start. Across their first three efforts—Emmerdale (1994), Life (1995), First Band on the Moon (1996)—the Swedish quintet align their biting lyrics to a 1960s pop blend composited from spy cinema soundtracks, lounge and Motown (to name some of their influences). Just when it looked like the quintet had settled into a retro groove, they cast off their throwback aestheticism to embrace a modern, chillier, contemporary alt-rock vibe with Gran Turismo (1998).
Two more accomplished albums followed in 2003 (Long Gone Before Daylight) and 2005 (Super Extra Gravity) before The Cardigans shockingly called it a day. While there has been much tattle in the ensuing sixteen years since their last album, they have largely resisted calls for a full-scale reformation outside of reuniting in a live context on occasion. With only six albums, one might consider the group’s discography scant—it would be an erroneous assumption. To the contrary, The Cardigans prove that less is truly more, as each of their six studio records stand as wholly unique exercises in pop music experimentation.
Quentin’s 3 Favorite Cardigans Albums of All Time:
1. Long Gone Before Daylight (2003)
2. Gran Turismo (1998)
3. Life (1995)
VISIT The Cardigans’ Official Site
LISTEN & WATCH: