10 Albums With Amazing Poetic Lyrics

Sometimes I like music, just music, with no lyrics. I appreciate jazz and classical albums that are all about the tones coming from the instruments. I also enjoy my techno without any lyrics, although samples are fine. However, there are a few albums in which the lyrics have risen from the generic pop form of repetitious hooks to masterful poetry and prose. In this article I will highlight 10 of the best lyrically produced albums that I have heard, to date.

1. Christian Death - Only Theatre Of Pain

This album, originally released in 1982, was considered to be one of the first gothic, punk albums. It featured the romantically gothic lyrics of Rozz Williams who was rumored to have written them at the tender age of 14. The lyrics invoke the feeling that these messages have been traveling the ether for thousands of years and somehow the author was able to tap into them and pull them into the mainstream. There are several Christian Death albums, but this is the first one, and by far the best one. It also features the bassist Rikk Agnew who went on to perform with Social Distortion.

you can purchase it on CD or Vinyl here:

2. Severed Heads - Rotund For Success

Severed Heads is an experimental electronic band that released their first tracks in the early eighties. By the time they had released Rotund in 1989, they had defined their sound and style. I consider this album to be danceable poetry. It combines both industrial rhythms and sounds with overt deep poetic stanzas. All of Severed Heads albums include poetic lyrics, but this album seemed to be the height of the bands abilities in all areas of creating their own unique soundscape. This psychedelic adventure is best heard in an altered state.

you can purchase it on CD here:

3. The Cure - Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me

The Cure has been releasing music since the late seventies. They began as an alternative punk band. Their albums run the gamut from Punk to New Wave to Industrial to Goth to Jazz Fusion. Most of their albums include poetic and sometimes romantic lyrics. However, Kiss Me was the first album that seemed to be having fun with itself, while at the same time expressing deeper themes. This album fuses many different musical styles, but it's one track that put this album, above their other albums, onto this list. That track is called How Beautiful You Are. Based on the 1869 poem titled "Eyes of the Poor" by Charles Baudelaire, this song is poetry in motion. Once the listener learns the lyrics to this song, they are quite unforgettable. The message of the song, about privilege and wealth, is unmistakable and still relevant.

you can purchase it on CD or Vinyl here:

4. Digable Planets - Blowout Comb

No list of albums with great lyrics would be complete without some hip-hop or rap albums. That brings us to Digable Planets second release from 1994. The lyrics are both uplifting and rhythmically balanced. They created their own sound with this album that reminds me of a fusion between jazz and beat poetry. The collection of voices and samples on this album is unparalleled. Listening to Blowout Comb transports me to the early nineties when this album would be played at every house I hung out at. It was a unique sound the likes of which has never been heard before, or since.

you can purchase it on CD here:

5. Gangstarr - Hard To Earn

Another rap album from the mid nineties that had unmistakably hard hitting lyrics is Hard To Earn by Gangstarr. Gangstarr was a project by the rapper Guru and DJ Premier that fused jazz samples with Guru's intelligent and empowering lyrics. Guru is said to be an acronym for Gifted Universal Rhymes Unlimited. Hard To Earn may not contain the most beautifully formed poetry, but the words are so honest that they strike at the heart of anyone willing to hear what Guru has to say. Placed over top of the musical soundscape created by DJ Premiere this album lands itself squarely in the top ten of most amazing poetic albums. Guru passed away a few years ago after a fight with cancer, but his lyrics live on.

you can purchase it on CD or Vinyl here:

6. The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead

The Smiths have always been the anti-pop band. Although their music follows the pop form of musical style, the lyrics told another story. Most of their songs seem to be poking fun at pop music, and even themselves. This album was chosen for this list because it includes several songs that resonate with the listener and leave a lasting impression. Morrissey may be joking when he sings some of these lines, but just like life, his lyrics are teeming with irony. There are songs from all of The Smiths albums that are poetic genius, but this one includes a song titled The Boy With The Thorn In His Side, a song that even after thirty years can still make me cry.

you can purchase it on CD or Vinyl here:

7. George Micheal - Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1

This album may be considered pop music, but it is definitely a diversion from the norms of popular radio songs. On this album it's apparent that George is trying to break free from the chains of the music industry and produce something meaningful and artistic. I think he succeeded. He even refused to appear in the music video for one of the biggest hits from this album, Freedom '90. Freedom '90 is the song that hits back at MTV while referencing an earlier song by the group Wham! that George was a part of. I believe that this song was, in part, a break up song from his partner in Wham! Andrew Ridgeley who was possibly his secret lover. The track Praying For Time is still as relevant today as it was when it was released thirty years ago. As a side note, George Michael was notoriously known for his philanthropy, donating much of his money to charity.

you can purchase it on CD or Vinyl here:

8. Gene Loves Jezebel - Immigrant

Immigrant by Gene Loves Jezebel was originally released in 1985, and is one of those albums that, when listened to in its entirety, seems to tell a story. The album has a gothic rock sound and originally charted on the college music charts. However, on closer inspection of the lyrics, one will find a romantic, poetic flow that moves seamlessly from song to song. The mysterious lyrics were compounded by rumors, at the time of its release, that the band was comprised of two brothers who were also lovers. Of course, theses rumors were never substantiated, but listening to this album, one can see where the rumors may have sprung from. This album still stands as one of the most poetic gestures produced for mass consumption.

you can purchase it on CD or Vinyl here:

9. Tears For Fears - The Hurting

The Hurting may have achieved great popular success, but I believe it was meant to be an artistic album more than a pop album. The lyrics in the songs are poetically gothic in nature. Some might even say depressing. However, they seem to have resonated with listeners as there have been several covers of the songs from this album, and some are still featured in films even today, almost forty years later. Originally released in 1983 this was Tears For Fears first album, and arguably their best album.

you can purchase it on CD or Vinyl here:

10. Black Sheep - A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

I thought I would end with a fun album that was both a lyrical masterpiece and hilarious. Black Sheep's first album released in 1991 was an original production that no one has ever seemed to match. The songs are lyrically ingenious and feature great hooks that make them memorable as well. The speed at which the raps are presented makes them fun to listen to and almost impossible to rap along with. You can even hear the rappers take a breather in between quick transitions from lyrical phrase to phrase. This album doesn't take itself too seriously, but is a great example of poetic flow.

you can purchase it on CD, Vinyl, or Cassette Tape here:

Thanks for checking out this blog. I know there are several albums that are not included here, so please feel free to write me and let me know which albums you think should be considered for this list. It's possible that I will make a part 2 or 3 or 4......