Sinead O'connor - I do not want what I haven't got (1988)

Sinead O'connor has been one of the most controversial singer songwriters of her generation and also one of the most successful female artist of all time.

Tracing her routes back to early 1980s Ireland, Sinead was in the post punk band Tom Tom Macoute but part of her knew this would never satisfy her and she longed for wider acceptance which would be denied her if she remained in Ireland. It was in 1986 that she made the move to London to record her debut album - 'The Lion and the Cobra' preceding it with the stunning single 'Troy' as her debut single. Although it charted poorly it introduced Sinead to the mainstream leading to a huge world wide hit 'Mandinka' as her second single. This album sold over one million copies worldwide but her second album cemented her reputation as a true singer.

An intial single 'Jump in the River' was chosen and released as the first single, just scraping the top 75 of the UK singles chart.  With the great tracks this made a strange debut with the weakest album track but nevertheless it was a single. Based in thr performance of this single the album could have flopped and indeed it made a poor entry to the chart compared to her debut album. Things continued with the harrowing 'three babies' a song about miscarriage which despite its difficult subject matter performed far better than the debut single, very nearly reaching the top 40. At this point the album continued to hover in the lower reaches of the chart but this would change with the release of the third single.

'Nothing Compares 2 U' is a haunting ballad written by Prince and has to stand out as one of the most important singles released by a female artist. The video featuring for the most part Sinead lipsyncing with tesrs pouring down her elfin face. The song cannot fail to move any listener and Sinead's emotional vocal is incomparable to the dross produced by talent shows. Recorded in a single take, this career defining single went on to sell over two million copies worldwide reaching number one in multitudes of countries. Indeed in the UK the song spent 4 weeks at number one and six months in the top 75!

The final single, the anthemic rock singke 'The Emperors New Clothes' was also a commercial success and an awsome performance.

The album has gone on to sell in excess of seven million copies worldwide, becoming one of the all time best selling albums.  It spent nearly a year in the top 100 in the UK.

Although the singles were good they were hugely surpassed by two lp tracks - the political 'Black boys on mopeds' and finally the ground breaking 'Feels so different' - possibly one of the strongest and most haunting song's written.

Sinead O'connor may be controversial but her her music has bought hope and beauty to many people and she will always be seen as an iconic, talented musician.

The Cure - Disintegration (1989)

1989 saw tbe release of the most iconic album by The Cure, possibly of the 80s. This was the album to propel The Cure into the mainstream around the globe, cementing them as the most important alternative rock band there has ever been.  With worldwide sales figures exceeding 6,000,000 this was a truly incredible release and destined to become an 80s classic.

Conceived in 1987, soon after the release of Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss me, their million seller worldwide breakthrough album, Disintegration was set to be a dark album exploring emotions that harked back to their earlier album Pornography, with similar themes and ideas. It was also written during the break down of the relationship between Robert Smith and his oldest friend, keyboard player and occasional drummer, Lol Tolhurst. Indeed despite being listed as a performer on the album, his contribution was virtially non existent.

Myth surrounds the album but it was largely recorded in Sussex with the music coming before the lyrics. Famously, Smith kept the lyrics in his bedroom which caught fire. It ended up with him crawling through smoke to rescue them - the album would have otherwise been instrumental!

The first single to be released in the UK was surprising and an unysual choice. Lullaby harked back in many ways to the psychadelic pop of The Caterpillar (1984). With strongly gothic undertones and a slow chilling tune it would be easy to see this single fall by the wayside but it didn't. It rapidly climbed European charts finally reaching number 3 in the UK. Lullaby ended up being The Cure's first top ten single since The Caterpillar and has to this day remained The Cure's most successful UK single. An expensive video was made for the single featuring Smith being eaten by a spider which was also him. The band were lined up in old dusty military outfits and plastered with as much black makeup as possible. The video went on to win a Brit award for video of the year.

Over in the US, the record company thought Lullaby was a poor choice of single and just too out there for the US market. Instead the brilliantly rocky Fascination Street was released with another top video. This song remains a cure classic which is regularly played. The single sold well scraping the top 40 on the billboard top 200, their biggest US hit up to that point. The single even made the UK top 75 on import sales alone.

The album was released soon after entering the UK chart at number 3, their most succesful placing uo until then and stuck around in the UK charts for months, going on to sell more than 500,000 copies in the UK alone. The album even charted at number 38 when it was rereleased as a 25th anniversary package.

The album also entered the US chart in the top 40 and sold solidly until they released the second single, Lovesong. This slow ballad, became a Cure classic love song along similar lines to Jusy Like Heaven. The haunting 3 chord melody and jangly guitar - an instantly recognisable Smith trait which has been copied by many - led to a memorable brilliant song. The video was also great and featured Smith in a cave surrounded by very phallic stalagmites.

Lovesong was well received in the UK making the top 20 - a great chart position but in the US things were very different. The song attracted huge radio and tv exposure and shot it's way to number 2 selling over 1,000,000 copies in the process! Ob the strength of this single The Cure played a sell out stadium tour with audiences of 40,000 on some nights. The single remained in the US charts for months on end being a huge success for the band.

A final single, Pictures of You, was released about 8 months after the album release and although slightly weaker it had the classic Cure sound and a nice video of the band playing in a snowstorm - typically eccentric....

The album kept it's best moments as album tracks, mostly too long or too melancholic to be singles but all utterly outstanding, from start to end the album flowed as acomplete dramatic work rising to the climatic Disintegration - an epic 8 minute song about  falling apart which is easily the best track ever recorded by The Cure with only 100 Years and From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea coming close.

Plainsong was a dreamy understated but perfect opening track with a short almost whispered lyric towards the end. Prayers for Rain a gothic masterpiece in everyway rising to an epic 30 second note by Smith with one of most inspired vocal performances. Same Deep Water as You is an elegaic piece stretching to 10 minutes with jangling guitars and desperate lyrics. A standout track on the album.

Overall this rates as obe of the greatest albums ever released and will be remembered as such for many years. A true masterpiece.