Bill Withers-Bill Withers´ Greatest Hits (1981)

This iconic soul and R&B singer and songwriter would go down in history for a series of impactful hits that are among the most successful in both genres, such as the well-known "Ain't No Sunshine", "Use Me", "Lovely Day", and "Just the Two of Us". Bill Withers was born and raised in Virginia in the late 1930s. Years later, after being discharged from the U.S. Navy, he settled in Los Angeles with the intention of launching a music career. For some time, he composed and wrote songs primarily focused on soul and rhythm and blues. His style, based on rich melodies and refined arrangements, caught the attention of Stax Records, the leading label in Black music, who offered him a contract to record an album featuring some of the demos he had composed during those years. Produced by one of Stax Records' legendary musicians, Booker T. Jones, the resulting album, "Just As I Am" (1971), reached number five on the Billboard Black Album charts, while the single "Ain't No Sunshine" became a massive hit, achieving multiple platinum records and reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100. In the following years, Bill Withers would have other similarly commercially successful hits with songs like "Grandma's Hands", "Lean On Me", "Us Me", "Lovely Day", and "Just the Two of Us", the latter featuring jazz fusion saxophonist Grover Washington Jr. However, his studio albums did not achieve the same level of success, with the exception of "Still Bill" in 1972 and "Menagerie" in 1977, both of which were certified gold. Towards the end of 1981, the compilation album "Bill Withers' Greatest Hits" was released, a superb collection of all his greatest hits, which became his biggest commercial success, selling nearly a million copies and reaffirming the brilliant career of this extraordinary singer and songwriter. Over the years, his popularity has been further enhanced by several popular films and TV series that have included the song "Ain't No Sunshine" in their soundtracks, such as "Third Watch", "Notting Hill", "When We Were Kings", and "Flight".

Sutherland Brothers & Quiver-Reach For The Sky (1975)

The debut of this Scottish quartet in early 1972 catapulted them to fame as one of the most promising folk-rock bands, influenced by a style that inherited the irresistible vocal melodies of The Beatles and the instrumental sound of The Byrds. Formed by brothers Iain and Gavin Sutherland, both guitarists and vocalists, Kim Ludman on bass, and Neil Hopwood on drums, they got their start in the early 70s when they signed with Island Records. With them, they released their first album, "The Sutherland Brothers Band", in 1972, which included the single "Sailing", a song later covered by Rod Stewart, achieving resounding success on the British charts. Shortly after, the band broke up, and the Sutherland brothers decided to continue as a duo, releasing the album "Lifeboat" (1973), which went largely unnoticed. However, in an attempt to diversify their folk-rock style, the duo joined forces with a local rock band called Quiver, which consisted of guitarist Tim Renwick, bassist Bruce Thomas, and drummer Willie Wilson. This collaboration resulted in the albums "Dream Kid" (1973), "Beat of the Street", "Reach for the Sky", "Slipstream" (1976), and "Down to Earth" (1977). With a string of major hits that achieved considerable notoriety, such as "Ain't Too Proud", "Arms of Mary", "When the Train Comes", "Secrets", and "Easy Come Easy Go", the band established itself as one of the biggest sensations of British folk rock in the mid-70s. However, after the album "Down to Earth", the band would eventually disband as some of its members left, including Renwick, who went on to collaborate with Al Stewart, with whom he had already worked in previous years, and Bruce Thomas, who answered Elvis Costello's call to join his group The Attractions. Willie Wilson then became actively involved in the projects of Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour.

Savoy Brown-Street Corner Talking (1971)

Savoy Brown were one of the genuine British blues bands, with a clear affinity for the style of Alvin Lee's Ten Years After, but with an instrumental synergy closer to Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac and even John Mayall's Heartbreakers. In 1970, this band, originally from the small town of Battersea in southwest England, faced its first major setback when almost all of its founding members left simultaneously: Lonesome Dave, Roger Earl, and Tony Stevens, who went on to form the boogie-rock band Foghat. Therefore, the sole survivor, guitarist Kim Simmonds, had to reorganize the band, recruiting a completely new lineup, starting with singer Dave Walker, bassist Andy Silvester, and drummer Dave Bidwell, as well as pianist Paul Raymond, all former members of the blues band Chicken Shack. Taking advantage of Walker's fervent vocals, which counterbalanced Simmonds' energetic and robust guitar, this new lineup recorded Savoy Brown's seventh album, "Street Corner Talking", a powerful and solid example of the best British blues rock of the early 70s. Tracks like the elegant versions of Willie Dixon's "Wang Dang Doodle" and the Motown classic "I Can't Get Next To You", plus the dark and sublime "All I Can Do" or the bluesy subtlety of "Tell Mama", are credit enough for an attractive and multifaceted album, where each musician contributes their talent uniformly to the final result, demonstrating that the loss they had suffered did not diminish them in either quality or grandeur.

Camel-The Snow Goose (1975)

Following Camel's magnificent second album, "Mirage", the British quartet released their second consecutive masterpiece: the concept album "The Snow Goose". Based on Paul Gallico's classic novel, Latimer and Bardens wrote a substantial amount of material with the intention of deeply exploring symphonic and classical influences, including orchestral arrangements and contributions. The display of melancholy and introspection is far more prevalent than in their previous work, instrumentally narrating a story literally translated into the language of music. The lyrical "Rhayader" and the expressionistic "Rhayader Goes to Town" are timeless Camel classics, while the majestic title track, the dramatic "Dunkirk", and the heartfelt "Fritha Alone" are crafted to be enjoyed as a harmonious whole. With "The Snow Goose", Camel succeeded in producing an album of highly sophisticated progressive rock, deeply reflective and with perfect, magical, and intelligent instrumentation.

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band-The Rest Of The Dream (1990)

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band are one of the legendary American folk and country rock bands, with over thirty studio albums to their name, some of which have won Grammy Awards. They have also been voted the best country band for years and have been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Formed on the American West Coast in the late 1960s by Jeff Hanna (guitar and vocals) and Jimmie Fadden (drums), they have undergone countless lineup changes throughout their more than 50-year career. With a style that encompassed traditional American sounds such as folk, bluegrass, country, blues, and Cajun, fused with rock, they achieved their greatest success in the 1970s and 80s with songs like "Mr. Bojangles," "House at Pooh Corner", "I Saw the Light", "Dance Little Jean", "Long Hard Road (The Sharecropper's Dream)", "Modern Day Romance", and "Fishin' in the Dark", among many others. Likewise, some of their albums are considered masterpieces of country and folk, such as "Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy" (1970), "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" (1972), "An American Dream" (1979), "Plain Dirt Fashion" (1984), "Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two" (1989), and "The Rest of the Dream" (1990). Focusing on this last one, "The Rest of the Dream", Following the groundbreaking "Will The Circle Be Unbroken Vol. 2", it was quite a challenge to replicate that success. The result was a solid return to genuine country rock, setting aside their roots with classic country, folk, and bluegrass songs. Here, they showcased their more approachable, accessible, and commercial side with a series of pleasant and catchy tracks like "From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)", "Just Enough Ashland City", "Waiting On A Dark Eyed Girl", and "Blow Out The Stars, Turn Off The Moon". With these songs, they demonstrated that, in addition to their deep roots style, they could also easily create songs for the FM radio stations that broadcast the new country-pop sounds so popular in the late eighties and early nineties.

Faith No More-The Real Thing (1989)

Let's go back to the 80s, that decade where tastes and styles were constantly changing, opening and closing countless musical horizons. Another band categorized as alternative rock and heavy metal was the American group Faith No More. Formed in the late 70s, their main characteristic was their skillful combination of a multitude of styles, including heavy metal, funk metal, rap, and avant-garde hard rock. Their first lineup consisted of Mike Bordin (drums), Billy Gould (bass), Chuck Mosley (vocals), Jim Martin (guitar), and Roddy Bottum (keyboards). After their first and commendable album, "We Care a Lot" (1985), and the more elaborate "Introduce Yourself" (1987), they changed vocalists, a position that would fall to Mike Patton, a figure who would be crucial to Faith No More's successful trajectory. With this new lineup, they released their best work, "The Real Thing", where the Californian band showcased their eclectic style, revealing influences from thrash metal, punk, rap, and more accessible sounds, as demonstrated by energetic tracks like "Epic", "Falling to Pieces", and "Surprise! You're Dead". These were followed by captivating mid-tempo songs such as "Zombie Eaters" and "Underwater", the instrumental "Woodpecker from Mars", and an exciting cover of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs". Together, these tracks formed a superb repertoire that would lead them to achieve multiple platinum records for their multi-million sales worldwide.