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Top 10 Irish Albums Of All Time

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1. Astral Weeks Cover Van Morrison - Astral Weeks (1968)

This beautiful gem of an album fully deserves its reputation as one of the greatest albums of modern musical history. 'Astral Weeks' is a flood of raw emotion set to some incredible music.
Tracks
  1. Astral Weeks
  2. Beside You
  3. Sweet Thing
  4. Cyprus Avenue
  5. The Way Young Lovers Do
  6. Madame George
  7. Ballerina
  8. Slim Slow Slider
2. Irish Tour '74 album cover Rory Gallagher - Irish Tour '74 (1974)

Rory Gallagher was a passionate musician and a genius of a guitar player who left a long catalogue of great studio albums. He lived for playing live in front of his fans and many of his live recordings capture some of the special energy that came from his live performances. 'Irish Tour '74', taken from several live concerts all over Ireland in 1974 captures the late great Rory at best.
Tracks
  1. Cradle Rock
  2. I Wonder Who
  3. Tattoo'd Lady
  4. Too Much Alcohol
  5. As the Crow Flies
  6. A Million Miles Away
  7. Walk on Hot Coals
  8. Who's That Coming?
  9. Back on My Stompin' Ground
  10. Maritime
3. Book Of Invasions album cover Horslips - The Book Of Invasions (1977)

While their debut 'Happy to meet... Sorry to part' may have been their most ground-breaking in it's revolutionary mixing of Irish traditional music with rock, 'The Book Of Invasions' is probably the finest album by one of Irelands most inovative bands.
Tracks
  1. Daybreak
  2. March into Trouble
  3. Trouble (With a Capital T)
  4. Power and the Glory
  5. Rocks Remain
  6. Dusk
  7. Sword of Light
  8. Dark
  9. Warm Sweet Breath of Love
  10. Fantasia (My Lagan Love)
  11. King of Morning, Queen of Day
  12. Sideways to the Sun
  13. Drive the Cold Winter Away
  14. Ride to Hell
4. Rum, Sodomy & The Lash album cover The Pogues - Rum, Sodomy & The Lash (1985)

The Pogues were an absolute revolution when they burst onto the scene in the early eighties with their original blend of punk infused Irish folk music. Their second album 'Rum, Sodomy & The Lash' is a masterpiece from the ripping opener 'The Sick Bed of Cúchulaínn' to the tortured emotion of the closing track 'The Band Played Waltzing Matilda'.
Tracks
  1. The Sick Bed of Cúchulaínn
  2. The Old Main Drag
  3. Wild Cats of Kilkenny
  4. I'm a Man You Don't Meet Every Day
  5. A Pair of Brown Eyes
  6. Sally Maclennane
  7. A Pistol for Paddy Garcia
  8. Dirty Old Town
  9. Jesse James
  10. Navigator
  11. Billy's Bones
  12. The Gentleman Soldier
  13. The Band Played Waltzing Matilda
5. Black Rose album cover Thin Lizzy - Black Rose (1979)

Black Rose is just one of the classic Thin Lizzy albums of the late '70s which include 'Jailbreak', 'Johnny the Fox', 'Bad Reputation' and 'Live and Dangerous', so it is a very close call when it comes to picking the top Lizzy album. Black Rose contains a great set of classic Lizzy songs, features Garry Moore on guitar, and ends with the celtic rock epic title track.
Tracks
  1. Do Anything You Want To
  2. Toughest Street in Town
  3. S&M
  4. Waiting for an Alibi
  5. My Sarah
  6. Got to Give It Up
  7. Get Out of Here
  8. With Love
  9. Roisin Dubh (Black Rose): A Rock Legend
6. Inflammable Material album cover Stiff Little Fingers - Inflammable Material (1979)

Inflammable Material was one of the best albums to come out of the late 70's punk scene. Stiff Little Fingers turned their punk anger and energy to themes very close to home and turned out a true Irish classic.
Tracks
  1. Suspect Device
  2. State of Emergency
  3. Here We Are Nowhere
  4. Wasted Life
  5. No More of That
  6. Barbed Wire Love
  7. White Noise
  8. Breakout
  9. Law and Order
  10. Rough Trade
  11. Johnny Was
  12. Alternative Ulster
  13. Closed Groove
7. Achtung Baby album cover U2 - Achtung Baby (1991)

Achtung Baby was a sonic re-invention for Ireland's rock Goliaths which resulted in their most compelling album.
Tracks
  1. Zoo Station
  2. Even Better Than the Real Thing
  3. One
  4. Until the End of the World
  5. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
  6. So Cruel
  7. The Fly
  8. Mysterious Ways
  9. Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World
  10. Ultra Violet (Light My Way)
  11. Acrobat
  12. Love Is Blindness
8. Loveless ablum cover My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (1991)

With just two studio releases My Bloody Valentine started an entire music scene which became known as shoegazing. Their latter release, Loveless, perfects their volumptious, trippy, ethereal sound.
Tracks
  1. Only Shallow
  2. Loomer
  3. Touched
  4. To Here Knows When
  5. When You Sleep
  6. I Only Said
  7. Come in Alone
  8. Sometimes
  9. Blown a Wish
  10. What You Want
  11. Soon
9. I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got ablum cover Sinead O'Connor - I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (1990)

'I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got' is a highly acomplished and very diverse album which showcases Sinead O'Connor's great emotion filled voice and diverse range.
Tracks
  1. Feel So Different
  2. I Am Stretched on Your Grave
  3. Three Babies
  4. The Emperor's New Clothes
  5. Black Boys on Mopeds
  6. Nothing Compares 2 U
  7. Jump in the River
  8. You Cause as Much Sorrow
  9. The Last Day of Our Acquaintance
  10. I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
10. 'O' album cover Damien Rice - O (2002)

Spare, passionate and at times operatic, O is a beautifully crafted album with a sound best described by it's opening track - delicate.
Tracks
  1. Delicate
  2. Volcano
  3. The Blower's Daughter
  4. Cannonball
  5. Older Chests
  6. Amie
  7. Cheers Darlin'
  8. Cold Water
  9. I Remember
  10. Eskimo

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