4. Steely DanAja

There’s a lot of music that is ‘sunshine music’, hazy sunset music, but that album, Aja, for me, is that. They’re from the east coast of America, and yet they managed to make this album that is full of sunshine and wistfulness. Also, they’re essentially a duo, and a lot of the best music ever is made by two people. It’s something that could never be made by one. It’s almost as if you get a third person who is a hybrid Frankenstein’s monster, and Donald Fagen and Walter Becker are those characters. And the music that comes out is bizarre. It’s got elements of funk, and obviously there’s jazz, but it’s a strange mix. And it’s got one of the best pop songs ever, which is ‘Peg’. Every time ‘Peg’ starts, it just puts a smile on my face. For a song to sound as effortless as ‘Peg’, a lot of work has to go into it. It sounds very effortless and free, but a lot went on behind the scenes. Donald Fagen’s lyrics are funny, as well. It’s a testament to him that a song with ‘Peg’ as the title holds up. And ‘Black Cow’. Who would think of calling a song ‘Black Cow’?