Unknown Pleasures is the debut album by the English post-punk band Joy Division, released in 1979. The album sold poorly upon release, but due to the subsequent success of Joy Division with the 1980 single "Love Will Tear Us Apart", Unknown Pleasures is now better known. Factory boss Tony Wilson had so much faith in the band that he contributed his £8,500 life savings toward the cost of producing the initial run of 10,000 copies of the album. Ned Raggett of Allmusic guide describes it as "all visceral, all emotional, all theatrical, all perfect -- one of the best albums ever."
The ArchAndroid is the debut studio album of American recording artist Janelle Monáe released May 18, 2010. Incorporating conceptual elements of Afrofuturism and science fiction, The ArchAndroid continues the series' fictional tale of a messianic android and features lyrical themes of love, identity, and self-realization. The album has been compared to artists such as David Bowie, Outkast, Prince and Michael Jackson. Upon its release, The ArchAndroid received general acclaim from music critics, earning praise for its conceptual themes and Monáe's eclectic musical range. It was named the best album of 2010 by several critics and earned Monáe a Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album.
Goodbye Lullaby is the fourth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne released on 2 March 2011. The album's songs contain mainly stripped down instruments, such as the piano and acoustic guitar. It was said to be a return to her older style of music, like those on her first two records. Every song on the album was written by Lavigne, with half of the album being written with co-writers. The lead single of the album, "What the Hell" achieved worldwide chart success; reaching the top twenty in the United States and United Kingdom, the top ten in Europe and Australia and the top five in Asia. The following singles, "Smile" and "Wish You Were Here", had moderate chart success worldwide. Though lacking commercial and critical success, this album is very good overall.
The Eminem Show is the fourth studio album by American rapper Eminem, released in 28 May 2002. It was the best-selling album of 2002 in the United States, with sales of 7.6 million copies. At the Grammy Awards of 2003 it was nominated for Album of the Year and became Eminem's third LP in four years to win the award for Best Rap Album. The album received critical praise by most music critics and is often debated as Eminem's most personal and best work.
Loose is the third studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado released in North America on June 20, 2006. The record was seen generally as critically and commercially successful. It reached high positions on charts across the world, and it had sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. Eight singles were released from the album, including the US number-one singles "Promiscuous" and "Say It Right", which received Grammy Award nominations for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, respectively.
