1. Sign O' The Times
Prince
On this epic double whammy, the Prince of Paisley Park displays so many different styles he could open a showroom as big as Wal-Mart. His mind-boggling virtuosity covers funk ("Housequake"), heavy metal ("The Cross") and dreamy pop ("Starfish and Coffee"). I usually reserve the word genius for people like Einstein and Picasso but the odd little man comes so close to it on this you'll probably fall to your knees and scream "we're not worthy!" There's so much variety packed into this one you really don't need to own any other records.

2. All Mod Cons
The Jam
Modfather Paul Weller was my generation's John Lennon and The Jam were our Beatles - the one band that got us rushing to a record store after school to buy the latest single. Weller is part of the great pantheon of miserable English bastards that includes Ray Davis, Pete Townsend and Morrissey, and the insanely tuneful songs on this are about typically-English stuff like getting beaten up by skinheads and going to the supermarket. As sharp as a mohair suit and as aggressive as a Saturday night in an East End pub.

3. Greatest Hits
Al Green
If this doesn't make you swoon then you have no soul, brother. Verily did the Lord bless Mr. Green with a voice like melting butter: He moans, he groans, and sometimes he downright squeals like he's so full of love and desire it's coming out of his nose. The music is as warm and soothing as a cup of hot chocolate and twice as sexy. Body-stroking drums, aching horns and a gently throbbing organ.... Phew! How was it for you? You'll probably want to smoke a cigarette when it's over.

4. For Your Pleasure
Roxy Music
Bryan Ferry has long been rock's best interior designer and while these days his records sound like immaculately designed modern architecture, this one is like a decadent playboy's penthouse apartment with leopard-skin chairs, mirrored walls and lines of cocaine on the coffee table; listening to this is like being at the most glamourous party in the world, the sound of The Velvet Underground playing Studio 54. Ferry's lyrics are among the most gorgeous ever written, dripping with moody Eurotrash romanticism and Existential ennui (translation: they're fucking great!)

5. Imperial Bedroom
Elvis Costello
The NME said once that the better Costello got the fewer records he sold, if that's the case then this one must have sold about two copies. Yes, it's that good. With this album Elvis was still casting his beady eye over sordid bedroom scenes and other assorted nasty doings, but whereas in his earlier work he sounded as if he was ready to give someone a good kicking, here he just seems sad and a little wistful. There's still a nasty bite in a lot of the songs but now they're delivered softly, like a pillow over the face, instead of a pair of Dr. Marten's in the balls. The album has a warm, multi-layered and textured production that has led some to describe this as Elvis' 'Sgt. Pepper' - believe me, it's a lot better than that.

6. Innervisions
Stevie Wonder
I know I said earlier that I hate to use the word "genius" to describe pop musicians, but with Stevie just saying he has bucketloads of talent doesn't do him justice. How does he do the shit he does? He's blind and he play the drums! The man is a freak of nature, lucky for us he's a creative, funky, loving, grooving freak of nature. This album captures him at the height of his awesome super powers, featuring wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling classic tracks from begining to end. Funk, pop, soul, ballads, even Latin grooves ('Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing' ), the world of music is too puny to contain Stevie's power.

The Divine Dozen 7-12 >>