top of page
Writer's pictureToby Campen
Jul 16 min read

My All Time Top 10 'Best Mastered Albums'

Updated: Sep 14

Here we explore my all time top ten 'best mastered albums', that stand out not only for their unique musical brilliance but also for their timeless sound. They might not always be the most technically perfect album but these all had a big cultural and musical impact. This list is by no means exhaustive and it was a real challenge to make, here goes nothing…

*I was going to make a "High Fidelity" all time top 5 reference but I just couldn't get the list down to 5 albums *



1. Kate Bush – Hounds of Love (1985)

Kate Bush's 'Hounds of Love' album was one I heard a lot growing up and had a big influence on my taste when it comes to unique and unusual production styles. As for many people, i'd never heard anything like the strange sounds and vocal performances you encounter when listening to a Kate Bush record. She combines art rock with lush, experimental production. The mastering carried out by Ian Cooper, and Remastered by Chris Blair ensured that the album's complex sounds were delivered with clarity and detail, making it a standout in her discography. Although it is very 'of the time' when it comes to the sound of the 80's, it has a timeless quality and recently her hit 'Running Up That Hill' was given a new lease of life in the TV Show 'Stranger Things' giving it more international exposure than it ever got the first time it was released.


Key Songs:

  • Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God

  • Hounds Of Love

  • Cloudbusting



2. The Police - Reggatta de Blanc (1979)

If you can't tell yet I was a child in the 80's and grew up with a lot of the artists from this era. One band that has really stuck with me from this time period was The Police with their clean and pristine blend of rock, reggae and punk. Produced by Nigel Gray and Mastered by Bob Ludwig, their minimalist approach helped preserve the band’s live chemistry, emphasizing the powerful interplay between Stewart Copeland's dynamic drumming, Sting's driving bass, and Andy Summers' textured guitar work. The balance between rawness and clarity on this album set a standard for new wave and post punk production for years to come.


Key Songs:

  • Message In A Bottle

  • Walking On The Moon

  • Regatta De Blanc


3. Fleetwood Mac – Rumours (1977)

Fleetwood Mac’s 'Rumours' is a masterclass in how to feature multiple genres on an album while retaining consistency and a unified feel as a body of work. Ken Perry's mastering on this album allowed the band's layered vocal performances and instrumental arrangements to shine. The polished sound quality, combined with the album’s intimate and raw emotional content, helped 'Rumours' become one of the best-selling albums of all time. Perry's work ensured that each track was both radio friendly and deeply engaging. I personally didn't really discover Fleetwood Mac until later in my 20's and still need to dive deeper into their catalogue past their most popular albums, but this one definitely has a special place in my heart.


Key Songs:

  • Go Your Own Way

  • Dreams

  • The Chain



4. Nirvana – Nevermind (1991)

As with every person who grew up in the 90's - 00's listening to alternative music you couldn't escape Nirvana, and along with Alice In Chains they had a huge impact on my musical taste. 'Nevermind' was a seismic shift in rock, bringing grunge to the mainstream at a time when rock was mostly over-produced 'hair metal'. But beyond its cultural impact, the album's mastering by Howie Weinberg was crucial in giving it its iconic sound. The raw energy is captured perfectly, maintaining the intensity and grit of Butch Vig's production. The result was an album that was able translate the band's raw power into a commercially viable product without losing its edge. It became a cultural phenomenon and redefined the sound of a generation.


Key Songs:

  • Smells Like Teen Spirit

  • Come as You Are

  • Lithium



5. Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile (1999)

As a huge Nine Inch Nails fan it was difficult to whittle this down to just one album, but when pushed I had to go with 'The Fragile'. It was is a seminal album in industrial production with songs like 'We're In This Together' perfectly blending guitar elements with electronics in a timeless way. Tom Baker's meticulous mastering work helped to elevate the album's complex soundscapes, produced by Alan Moulder (a longtime Trent Reznor collaborator) and delivered a detailed and immersive listening experience.


Key Songs:

  • We're In This Together

  • Somewhat Damaged

  • The Wretched



6. Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2019)

Billie Eilish's album, "When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?," is a modern masterpiece in both production and mastering. The album, produced by her brother Finneas, is notable for its minimalist yet deeply immersive songwriting. The mastering by John Greenham, perfectly complements the production, enhancing the album's eerie, dreamlike quality. The bass is punchy, the vocals are intimate, and the overall sonic texture is both innovative and pristine. Strangely, when it first came out many sound engineers hearing the song 'xanny' thought the intentional distortion was a technical fault, proving how divisive and groundbreaking the album was.


Key Songs:

  • bad guy

  • xanny

  • bury a friend



7. Metallica – The Black Album (1991)

Metallica's self titled album often simply referred to as "The Black Album," represented a groundbreaking moment in metal production. Produced by Bob Rock, Mastered by George Marino, then remastered by Bob Ludwig, this album marked a shift towards a more polished sound while retaining the band's signature aggression. The album’s mastering allows the heavy riffs, pounding drums, and gritty vocals to resonate with clarity and depth. Tracks like "Enter Sandman" and "Sad But True" exemplify the precision and power that really great production can achieve, and the proof is in the pudding that this album is still in regular rotation on radio stations all over the world and has gone platinum 16 times since it's release.


Key Songs:

  • Enter Sandman

  • Sad But True

  • Nothing Else Matters



8. Toto - Toto IV (1982)

"Toto IV" is widely regarded as one of the best produced albums in rock history and I would agree considering the age of this album and how great it still sounds. The album demonstrates the band's exceptional musicianship and the impeccable production skills of engineers Al Schmitt and Greg Ladanyi. The mastering, crafted by the renowned George Marino brought out the intricate layers of sound, making each instrument shine. The clarity and balance achieved in "Toto IV" are a testament to the high standards of this era’s analog mastering techniques.


Key Songs:

  • Rosanna

  • Make Believe

  • Africa



9. Killswitch Engage - The End of Heartache (2004)

Killswitch Engage's 'The End of Heartache' was a definitive album in the heavy music scene of the early 2000's, ushering the metalcore era into the mainstream. It influenced the way many bands approached songwriting (featuring more pop orientated song structres), and encouraged lots of metal musicans to take their production more seriously. Self produced by the bands' guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz (who is a successful producer in his own right working with bands such as Parkway Drive and A Day To Remember), Killswitch Engage records are known for their huge aggressive guitar tones, dynamics drums and polished production. Andy Sneaps’ mixing and mastering ensured that the album's intensity was captured with clarity and precision. I don’t usually condone mastering your own mixes but on this occasion we’ll let them off! The album went on to win the band a Grammy and the title track featured in the movie adaptation of the video game 'Resident Evil'.


Key Songs:

  • The End of Heartache

  • Rose of Sharyn

  • When Darkness Falls



10. Fall Out Boy - From Under The Cork Tree (2005)

'From Under the Cork Tree' propelled Fall Out Boy to mainstream success with its catchy hooks and radio friendly production. They may not be the most popular band from the 2000's emo era after My Chemical Romance or Taking Back Sunday, but for me this album is one of those rare ones that doesn't have a weak song on it. The songwriting really excels and the production has proved to be timeless in that it still sounds greats to this day and the same can definitely not be said for many records from this time. The mixing by Neal Avron and Tom Lord-Alge, and mastering by Brian Gardner helped shape the album's energetic sound, making it a pop-punk classic.


Key Songs:

  • Sugar, We're Goin Down

  • Dance, Dance

  • A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More Touch Me



Mastering can make or break a record. These are some examples where it has elevated already great recordings to legendary status. These albums not only showcase the artists talents but also highlight the critical role of mastering in the music production process. Whether you're a casual listener or a dedicated audiophile, these masterpieces deserve a listen if you've not given them your time already.




26 views0 comments

Comments

bottom of page