9. Kate BushHounds Of Love
On the first list I made, there were actually two Kate Bush albums. I love her so much I initially put both Hounds Of Love and 50 Words for Snow down, but eventually I took one off. Hounds Of Love is probably the most influential album for me. It’s the second one she self-produced after The Dreaming, and I think it’s just perfect.
50 Words For Snow, her last album from about a decade ago, was also deeply influential for me in a different way mostly in terms of piano. Her use of piano on that record blew my mind, and it’s something I still carry into my own work. If I’m incorporating piano into a track, it’s essentially because of Kate Bush.
With Kate Bush, as with most of the artists on this list, I think there’s this thing that happens when someone gets so famous that people can almost overlook just how wildly talented they are. She’s next-level in every respect: songwriter, producer, singer, lyricist. Hounds Of Love just brings all of that together in such a singular way. She’s huge for me.
