October 14th
album anniversaries

Rupert Holmes shaped much of Lazy Afternoon. He co-produced it with Jeffrey Lesser, arranged and conducted the sessions, and wrote “My Father’s Song,” “Letters That Cross in the Mail” and “Widescreen,” while sharing the credit for “By the Way” with Barbra Streisand herself.

The title song comes from John La Touche and Jerome Moross, and Stevie Wonder’s “You and I” also appears. “Shake Me, Wake Me (When It’s Over),” written by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland, reached No. 10 on the disco singles chart. Recorded in April 1975 at three Los Angeles studios, the album was certified gold.

Sydney’s Rhinoceros studio was the base for Listen Like Thieves, which INXS made with producer Chris Thomas. The album opens with “What You Need,” the song that gave the band their first top five hit in the United States.

“This Time,” “Kiss the Dirt (Falling Down the Mountain)” and the title track were also released as singles over the following months. In Australia the album spent two weeks at number one on the Kent Music Report, and it climbed to No. 11 on the Billboard 200, with WEA, Mercury and Atlantic among its labels.

Box, in England, is where Ray LaMontagne made Gossip in the Grain with producer Ethan Johns. Johns also plays on the record: on “Meg White” he is credited with drums, bass, Wurlitzer, Mellotron and backing vocals.

Released through RCA in the United States and 14th Floor in Britain, the album reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold. It opens with “You Are the Best Thing” and closes with the title song, passing through “Let It Be Me,” “Winter Birds” and “Henry Nearly Killed Me (It’s a Shame)” along the way.

Recording for Evolution began shortly after the launch of Sabrina Carpenter’s first album, Eyes Wide Open, and the sessions ran from January 2015 to August 2016. Studios in Santa Monica, North Hollywood and London were involved, with producers including Ido Zmishlany and Steve Mac.

Critics noted a move toward dance-pop, away from the folk-pop and teen pop of her debut, and praised her growth as a songwriter and vocalist. “On Purpose” arrived as the lead single in July 2016, while “Thumbs” went to Top 40 radio early the following year and became the album’s second single.

Shangri-La in Malibu hosted the sessions that produced both Unlimited Love and Return of the Dream Canteen, released only five months apart. Rick Rubin produced the pair, and the recordings marked John Frusciante’s return to the Red Hot Chili Peppers after a ten-year absence.

The double album reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200, led by “Tippa My Tongue,” the band’s fourth number one on the Rock & Alternative Airplay chart. “Eddie,” inspired by Eddie Van Halen, followed as a single, and the drum pattern of “Peace and Love” takes its cue from an Isaac Hayes breakbeat.

Real World Studios in Wiltshire hosted most of the sessions for Being Funny in a Foreign Language, with further recording at Electric Lady in New York between January and May 2022. Matty Healy and George Daniel produced the album with Jack Antonoff, and Warren Ellis added strings.

“Part of the Band”, with vocals from Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast, was the first single in July 2022, followed by “Happiness”, “I’m in Love with You” and “All I Need to Hear”. The record opens with “The 1975” and closes with “When We Are Together”. Dirty Hit released it, and it went straight to number one on the UK albums chart.