Music

This is really well said, and would have been my pick, as well. I was not yet 10 when this album came out and only ever listened to it after hearing Combat Rock, which is an absolutely groundbreaking record in its own right (side 2 of Combat Rock defies any attempts at pigeonholing it in a genre - it's masterful).

But once I'd heard their earlier albums and then London Calling, my though whenever I listen to this album is, "how the fuck did that happen???" It's hard to say whether it happened because of, or despite Guy Stevens (the producer), but one thing is clear: he pushed them to do things that they might never have done without him wandering about the studio throwing ladders around or whateverfuck he was up to during recording.

Lost in the Supermarket was written just as the consumerism began to hit the shelves, if you'll allow the shitty pun, and could just as easily have been written today. Absolutely timeless, spot-on, chillingly accurate portrayal of the beginning of the end as we decided we needed stuff more than we needed community.

Great pick, and really wonderful explanation.