With the rise of High-Resolution Audio downloading websites, audiophiles and music lovers now have access to an abundance of high-res music of all genres. But with such a huge selection, it can be difficult to figure out what you should be adding to your music library.
To give you a hand, Sony reached out to Acoustic Sounds Super HiRez, which allows you to download high-resolution music in DSD, FLAC or ALAC files, to identify the top 2015 music albums across the U.S. and Canada.
"Our core customer is the audiophile — someone who is seeking the best possible sound quality version of their favourite music. Among that group, the most prevalent genres tend to be classic rock, traditional jazz and classical,” Chief Operating Officer Marc Sheforgen said. “Part of what makes Super HiRez so exciting is that the convenience of downloading high-resolution songs allows for an opportunity to cultivate younger audiophiles. But to do so most effectively, the music industry as a whole needs to work towards including more contemporary songs in the High-Resolution Audio catalogue."
1. "Thriller"
Artist: Michael Jackson
Released in 1982, “Thriller” perfectly depicts Michael Jackson’s range of musical capability with the album’s mix of mainstream rock, pop and dance music. It is no surprise that this album has gathered seven Top 10 singles and 12 Grammy nominations, and was one of just three albums that stayed on the Billboard 200 Top 10 for an entire year.
2. "Come Away With Me"
Artist: Norah Jones
Produced by the great Arif Mardin, “Come Away with Me” is Norah’s breakthrough triumph, winning eight 2003 Grammys. The album includes music by countless jazz musicians, from Adam Levy to Jenny Scheinman. If you close your eyes while listening to “Don’t Know Why,” we guarantee you will feel as if you’re sitting in the recording studio where the magic happened.
3. "Just a Little Lovin’"
Artist: Shelby Lynne
Released in 2008 and produced by veteran Phil Ramone, “Just A Little Lovin’” is Shelby Lynne's moving tribute to the late British singer Dusty Springfield. Till this day, it’s the artist’s highest-charting album, reaching No. 41 on the Billboard 200 list.
4. "Singles 1969-1981"
Artist: The Carpenters
This album was released in 2000 by Richard Carpenter and consists of all of the greatest songs from one of the greatest vocal duos, including “Please Mr. Postman,” “Only Yesterday” and “Touch Me When We’re Dancing.”
5. "Abraxas"
Artist: Santana
Released in the 1970s, this album’s unorthodox mix of rock, jazz, salsa and blues was a real game-changer. Santana’s “Abraxas” is the perfect choice if you’re looking for a rock and Latin American music fusion experience.
6. "Time Out"
Artist: Dave Brubeck Quartet
The album “Time Out” was inspired by the different music styles Brubeck discovered while travelling abroad. The result is a collection of distinctive, catchy jazz melodies that every music lover is most likely familiar with.
7. "Kind of Blue"
Artist: Miles Davis
Released in 1959, “Kind of Blue” is still considered by many as the greatest and best-selling jazz album of all time. Some of this music was recorded in as little as two sessions and with very little rehearsal.
8. "I Robot"
Artist: The Alan Parsons Project
Released in 1977, “I Robot” was produced by Alan at Abbey Road Studios and is known to be an audiophile’s dream recording. This is an art rock album that draws inspiration from Isaac Asimov’s science fiction “Robot” trilogy.
9. "August And Everything After"
Artist: Counting Crows
The debut studio album by American rock band Counting Crows, “August and Everything After” was released in 1993 by Geffen Records. With its timeless pop sounds, the album became an unexpected multi-platinum hit, partly due to the successful song, “Mr. Jones.”
10. "Boston"
Artist: Boston
With over 17 million copies sold since its release, “Boston” is the group’s initial album. Featuring classics such as “More Than a Feeling” and “Smokin’,” this album helped define ’70s rock.
Now that you know which albums you should download, all you need is the new ZX2 High-Resolution Walkman®, which will let you store 128 GB worth of High-Resolution Audio songs and bring them with you wherever you go!
(Super HiRez downloads are only available in the U.S. and Canada)
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