Well I'd suggest the Immaculate Collection as that has most of her 80s singles on it and maybe Madonna and Like A Prayer. True Blue is good too. (I don't know any of her earlier albums). Also check out the Celebration greatest hits album.

I was born in '89 and most of the music I listen to was released well before I was born although I have plenty of 90s pop guilty pleasures too.

Queen are the main one for me. I've listened to them all my life as my mother was a fan and I love Freddie Mercury, Brian May and Roger Taylor's solo music.

Also Abba, Kate Bush, Wham and George Michael's solo songs, Annie Lennox, Whitney Houston, David Bowie, A-ha, Simon and Garfunkel, Pet Shop Boys, Michael Jackson, Madness, Aerosmith and loads more. Lots of classical music too.

I've got Immaculate Collection and play it regularly! I thought it was more a greatest hits though? Would love to check out some of her album tracks though so will give Madonna and Like A Prayer a spin.

Unique - I havent heard of that allmusic.com site so will check it out! Thanks

StarSupernova - I have a huge classical music collection - but out of interest what would you recommend? Perhaps we can swap recommendations? Fab list of suggestions and I will certainly give all of those a listen!

MsWilder11 - Wham was my Dad's guilty pleasure, spent may an afternoon dancing around our living room to that together! Great suggestions

I dont know about anybody else but I find the more acts I discover who play their own instruments and whose CDs are live recordings as it were (rather than sung then auto-tuned) the more I like it. Don't get me wrong I love some electronic music and I do like some of what's released in the mainstream today but I think I'd forgotten what a live act sounds like on a CD. It's so great to hear actual guitars and actual percussion, where you know that the act has rehearsed and composed this stuff with their band, rather than creating sounds on a computer (which also has it's place and is a skill)

No, not at all, I love Genesis, I just prefer Peter Gabriel's voice


Yep, I stopped my list because otherwise I could have just kept on going and going!

I'd add a few more to my previous: Suzanne Vega, Tracy Chapman, Janis Ian, Joan Baez, June Tabor, Kate Rusby, Mary Black, Enya, PJ Harvey.

Also some great folk stuff: Capercaille, Runrig, Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, the Oysterband, Great Big Sea, Show of Hands, The Albion Band, The Dubliners, The Chieftans, Clannad, Van Morrison, Santana.

Then there's the rock side encompassing heavy metal, glam, mainstream rock etc: Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, AC\DC, Rainbow, KISS, Aerosmith, Guns n Roses, Bon Jovi, Nightwish, U2 (but only up to Rattle and Hum, I think they went crap after that!), Def Leppard, Chicago, REO Speedwagon, Boston, Billy Idol.

Then there's jazz and blues: Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Etta James, Louis Armstrong, Muddy Waters, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Bessie Smith, Blind Willie Johnson, Howlin' Wolf, BB King, John Lee Hooker, Otis Redding, Miles Davis, Bix Biderbeck, Benny Goodman.

Then there's the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Fun Lovin' Criminals, Drop Kick Murphys, Talking Heads, The Thompson Twins, the Beastie Boys, Run DMC, the KLF, Black Box, EMF, Salt n Pepa, Mel and Kim, Happy Mondays, Blur (although I was never a fan), The Verve, Blue Oyster Cult, OMD.

And, for something completely different, check out Blackmore's Night or Loreena McKennitt or Enigma.

I really could go on and on!

Cadiva thank you! Really, thanks so much for writing all of that! Especially the country section, I think the only country music I've heard is Lady Antebellum, so that list was much needed and very helpful!
Can't wait to delve into all of this - I get so excited about new music

It's more folk, jazz and blues than country to be fair but I'm glad it's given you some ideas.

I think Immaculate Collection was the first greatest hits and then Celebration was the second one. I hope you enjoy the albums

I expect you'll know anything I recommend but one that comes to mind is Edvard Grieg's Solveig's Song. This version in particular.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii2Adi2iFRM

A well known one is this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE2muDZksP4

There's a trance remix of it on YouTube and dare I say it, it's listenable. I can't bear that kind of music usually but it's very energetic. Lol

There are plenty more and lots that I don't even know the name of sadly. I hear them on the radio but never catch the name of the piece.

Ah I know! They do mumble a lot I find! Heard Brahms 2nd symphony the other day but the way they swallowed the announcement of it you'd never know what it was unless you knew it before!!
I do know the Greig although not very well I must admit so will check out those links you gave me
If you like Greig, do you like Sibelius? His 2nd symphony and also Pohjola's Daughter are beautiful

for a quick dabble in country start with Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family
then the king and queen of country Hank Williams and Kitty Wells

jump to Johnny Cash - San Quentin (Live from Prison)

into country-rock with
Bob Dylan - John Wesley Harding
The Byrds - Sweethearts of the Rodeo
the Grateful Dead - Workingmans Dead
not forgetting the country side of Neil Young

and onward with
Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, Townes Van Zandt
to
Gillian Welch, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

a few other names from left feild
Captain Beefheart, Suicide, Joy Division, Television, The Fall, Joni Mitchell, Bert Jansch, Tim Buckley, Love, Shack

Ooh, just thought, I missed off one of my all time favourite bands, The Levellers. You must listen to them!

Wow it's good you wrote these, I haven't heard of half of them! better get on with my listening, so much new/old music to discover and not enough time!

Cadiva - I'll be sure to listen to them too

I was born in 1958 and I have early memories of hearing the Beatles on the radio - in particular "She Loves You". I also remember my Mother turning the radio off or to another station when the said Beatles come on. During the 70s my Father never allowed me to watch the Old Grey Whistle Test. Apparently it was a bad influence! I use to sneak downstairs to watch it with my older brother after my Dad had gone to bed. Happy Days though all the same!

I have no real interest in modern music. I am sure there is plenty of good stuff out there but I am happy to languish in the past. There was certainly plenty of crap around in the 60s & 70s.

Harry Nilsson, as already mentioned, is well worth checking out. He done a lot more than just Without You and Everybody's Talking. Ironic that he did not write those two biggest hits. Free, Alex Harvey Band, early Genesis, Dr Feelgood & Split Enz produced some great stuff:

Harry Nilsson - Everly Bros medley:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOwUvGgAL0k

Free - Ride on a Pony
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDHNZuAnBoU

SAHB - Vambo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTFysErQEHg

Genesis - I know what I like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_EYU75uhKk

Dr Feelgood - You should not call the Doctor:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yimn3Y19R-A

Split Enz - Spellbound:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kD06cRP_Wc

try some 60's groups..

yardbirds
kinks
small faces
animals

Hearts & Bones is such a great album , good to see a recommendations for Harry Nillson too , although i would argue he has far more than 3 great albums

Other artists I would definitely recommend:

IAMX
Sneaker Pimps
Imogen Heap
Foster The People
Patrick Wolf
Hurts
Dragonette

Hello all you lovely and helpful people!
I find I am learning a lot just by reading these comments - so many new acts I'd never heard of!

So far today I have listened a few tracks of each of the following albums:
Leonard Cohen: Greatest Hits - I only listened to 3 tracks, not my cup of tea so far!
Billy Joel: An Innocent Man - absolutely love this album and his voice, knew some tracks already but yes certainly a favourite from today!
Crash Test Dummies: God Shuffled His Feet - Lead singers voice is different and a bit weird sounding but I kinda like the vibe I'm getting, I particularly liked Mmm Mmm Mmm
Bon Jovi: Best of, Crossroad - ive skipped to tracks I don't know like keep the faith and someday I'll be saturday night. I really like this too, I really like his voice

Later on I'm gonna start on REM's Automatic for the people, Jeff Buckley's Graceland and also Paul Simon's Graceland. I know you guys have suggested different Paul Simon albums but I got given this one for my birthday and the premise sounds really interesting.
I'm not listening to whole CDs atm cos I'm visiting my grandparents and there's only so much 'popular' music they can take in one go. If I'm not keen on something, like the Leonard Cohen, I def won't be dismissing it right away!

Thank you for all your suggestions, it's nice to learn about peoples preferences other than what's in the top 40 for a change

YorkieUK - sorry but what is the old grey whistle test? Is that a show like TOTP was?

Lou Reed/The Velvet Underground-If you're into your Bowie start with Transformer, otherwise i'd probably suggest the self-titled album (without Nico) or loaded.

The Old Grey Whistle Test ran for about 16 years from the early to the late 80s I believe. It was given a late slot on BBC2 and was aimed at rock music primarily and not chart music. Most of the music was performed live in the studio. Some of the acts were considered little known at the time. Bob Marley and Wailers had their first British performance on the show back in the 70s. If you like Billy Joel have a look and listen at this 1975 Whistle Test performance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-CQk2U0LAE

There is a whole load of Whistle Test stuff to check out at this link:

http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...1196l14.1l15l0

I was born in 1997 and I discovered a lot of Madonna's 80s and 90s songs and I was very surprised that I love them so much especially Frozen, Like A Prayer, Erotica, Holiday, La Is La Bonita and the list goes on.

Also I've only been so into music since about 2008 and I love discovering much from the past decade, so far I discovered Madonna's Hung Up, Sorry, Hollywood, Die Another Day and Music etc, Christina's Beautiful, Dirty and Fighter, t.A.T.u's All The Things She Said and All About Us, As well as Britney's Baby One More Time, Toxic, Me Against The Music and Stronger. As well I bought Blackout and it arrived today, IT'S AMAZING. Also I discovered Anastacia's Left Outside Alone yesterday and it is AMAZING, I LOVE IT!

Bring back the Old Grey Whistle Test. Great stuff.

So finished my listening for the day really really loved Paul Simon's Graceland as well as Jeff Buckley's Grace - probs my two favourites of the day!
I will def check out Lou Reed and also the Old Grey Whistle Test - sounds particularly amazing!

SexiRokStarr - it's always nice to find an artist you like and then go through their back catalogue! I like Blackout too What about Cyndi Lauper? You might like some of her stuff?

Try The Hollies, Steve Winwood, Michael McDonald, Donna Summer, Del Shannon, Gene Pitney, Elvis Costello, the Jam, Mike and the Mechanics, Crosby, Stills and Nash and Dave Brubeck.

I will defiantly look, tbh I've only heard girls just wanna have fun and that was alright so it should be good =)

I like quite a few songs mentioned there Blackout is actually my favourite Britney album (Femme Fatale is my second favourite). Not a bad song on it as far as I'm concerned. Enjoy