The Albums canon

Sourced and spun.

Every record chosen by hand and annotated for why it matters.
Browse all 542 records or filter by genre, artist, and year.
3 records
SortEditorial Year Title
Genre·Worldbeat✕clear
Worldbeat · Pop

Graceland

Paul Simon
1986

Simon recorded with South African musicians in defiance of the cultural boycott and was condemned for it. Bakithi Kumalo's fretless bass runs through everything.

★ 8.1
Worldbeat · Alternative hip hop

Kala

MIA
2007

Denied a visa to work in America, she recorded it instead in India, Trinidad, Liberia and Australia, with whoever was in the room.

★ 5.4