50 albums: 1964 - The Rolling Stones by The Rolling Stones

This is the album that was number one in the UK album charts when I was born.

In the mid 80s it was also one of the first albums I bought on CD (and one of the first times I had bought a record I already owned on a different format!). Obviously I didn't buy it on CD for any reasons of sonic integrity but because this album had doors - some of them I'd already been through, but a great chunk of music I listened to, and bands I saw and loved during that period had a connection of sorts to this album.

These doors were to/from rock and roll, and the blues, and rnb, and soul, Stax and Motown and Atlantic, The Pretty Things and The Count Five, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Billy Bragg and Dr Feelgood.

This wasn't an album made by great musicians, this was an album made by great music FANS - and as I get older I realise just how important the fan is - and just how brilliant music fans are. I'm proud to be one.

(play on YouTube)