Overlooked masterpieces: What are the most underrated albums of all time?

Last week, the Euronews Culture team woke up and chose violence by handpicking the albums we felt were overrated. Many got in touch and some of you weren't happy - judging by some of the colourful language used.

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This week, we’re doing the opposite and balancing the cosmic scales by handpicking 10 albums we feel are underrated. These are the records which have either been undeservedly panned, too easily overlooked, or simply forgotten. Whatever the case may be, they deserve more love.

Without further ado, here are the underappreciated gems you need in your ears and collection.

Jeri Southern - You Better Go Now (1956)

Have you heard of Jeri Southern? Fair enough if you haven’t. Neither had I until I overheard her playing in a record store, sending me scrambling for my trusted Shazam app. That song turned out be from her gorgeous 1956 album 'You Better Go Now'. Southern was no unknown in her day: Frank Sinatra and Miles Davis were both said to be massive fanboys, and she even recorded the first vocal version of 'When I Fall in Love'. But today, her name has largely disappeared from the conversation. Part of the reason may be because of her debilitating performance anxiety, which eventually saw her retreat from the stage, while peers like Peggy Lee, Julie London, Ella Fitzgerald and Doris Day became household names. But press play on this record and you’re pulled straight into a dreamy, beautifully arranged world of romance, longing and heartbreak, all of it delivered by Southern’s delightfully understated voice. So...You Better Go Now and listen to this forgotten gem. TF

Labi Siffre – Crying Laughing Loving Lying (1972)

If I had to be stranded on a desert island with a record player and only a handful of LPs, Labi Siffre’s third studio album would definitely make the cut. The English singer-songwriter-poet-writer with a voice that would make angels weep crafted a simultaneously uplifting and bittersweet album for the ages. It will make you cry, laugh and want to love. As for the lying part, that only comes if you emerge from a listen and don’t come to the conclusion that this is a transcendent work of beauty which has gone underpraised for far too long. The way Siffre harnessed his emotional vulnerability to fashion these confessional and genuinely moving songs is astonishing, and each track feels more impactful than its predecessor. Rather pleasantly, Siffre has experienced something of a resurgence in pop culture recently, with new generations discovering his glorious music. Some of his tracks have been widely sampled – perhaps most famously by Kanye West for ‘I Wonder’ (‘My Song’); his songs ‘Crying Laughing Loving Lying’ and ‘Cannock Chase’ were used in The Holdovers and the Oscar-nominated Sentimental Value respectively; and his song ‘Bless The Telephone’ went viral on TikTok last year. So hopefully it’s a sign that this one is gradually becoming less underrated and finally elevated to must-own masterpiece status. The now 80-year-old Siffre is also reportedly releasing a new album by the end of 2026 – his first in 28 years. Needless to say, I’m excited. DM

Bill Withers - +'Justments (1974)

Bill Withers’ '+'Justments' is criminally overlooked. Released in 1974, it arrived as his third studio album, but has been largely overshadowed by his better-known work. There’s so much to love on this thing. 'You' and 'The Same Love That Made Me Laugh' turn the turmoil of Withers’ crumbling marriage into ferocious, groove-driven soul, while the more stripped back 'Can We Pretend' and 'Make A Smile For Me' are two of the most beautifully wistful songs he’s ever recorded. Needless to say, his voice is majestic throughout. Withers had already lived a lot of life before becoming a star - nine years in the Navy, stints as a mechanical assembler in factories up and down the country - and '+'Justments' feels like all those experiences distilled into 10 tracks. It deserves far more love than it gets. Put simply: this is a masterpiece. TF

Cocteau Twins & Harold Budd – The Moon And The Melodies (1986)

We’ve all likely heard of Cocteau Twins. The Scottish trio helped define dream pop thanks to their shimmering guitars, hazy production and Elizabeth Fraser’s unmistakable voice, with 'Heaven or Las Vegas' becoming their best-known critical darling. But pair them with pioneering ambient composer Harold Budd, and you get 1986’s 'The Moon and the Melodies' - a record that seems to have slipped through music history’s cracks. There's something incredibly special about this album and one I constantly find myself returning to. As its title suggests, it conjures a dreamy, nocturnal, celestial atmosphere: dark but oddly comforting. You have stunning tracks like 'Sea, Swallow Me' and 'She Will Destroy You' that offer the band's familiar sound, while 'The Ghost Has No Home' and 'Bloody and Blunt' lean more into Budd’s ambient territory. Somehow, both styles blend perfectly. 'Why Do You Love Me', meanwhile, is in my opinion, one of the most hauntingly beautiful instrumentals ever made. For an album this gorgeous, 'The Moon and the Melodies' hasn’t really received the fanfare of other records in their catalogue. And frankly, that’s criminal. TF

Fleetwood Mac – Tango In The Night (1987)

When people talk about Fleetwood Mac it’s either to praise ‘Rumours’ as one of the greatest albums of all time (or maybe not, as my illustrious colleague has argued) or to comment on how ‘Tusk’ is a manic masterpiece. Then there are those who use the recording of ‘Rumours’ as a pick-me-up, à la: “If Fleetwood Mac could write Rumours on a wild months-long coke binge while they were all breaking up with each other, then I can make it through this week". To be fair, it’s one hell of a useful mantra. However, few tend to mention the overlooked ‘Tango In The Night’, the band’s final album with the classic five-number line-up as Lindsey Buckingham decided to go his own waaaaaaay... They really should though, as it’s 80s cinematic pop brilliance, with hit after hit after hit – from ‘Big Love’ and ‘Seven Wonders’ to ‘Everywhere’, ‘Little Lies’ and ‘Isn’t It Midnight’. Granted, the album did sell over 15 million copies (the band’s second biggest commercial hit) but it’s cold when you live in the shadow of ‘Rumours’. ‘Tango In The Night’ was a reported 18-month slog to record, and Stevie Nicks’ notorious cocaine addiction did not help things; but for my money, it was worth the hassle. It may not have the raw rock energy of their previous recordings, and it is undeniably cheesy at times... But what glorious cheese. It’s time to put ‘Rumours’ to one side and give this album the 'Big Love’ it truly deserves. DM

AZ - Doe Or Die (1995)

'Doe or Die' arrived in 1995, more than a year after Nas' seminal 'Illmatic' - the record that first introduced AZ to most listeners with his unforgettable verse on "Life's a Bitch" - arguably one of the greatest cameos in rap history. A tough act to follow to say the least - and one not helped by Mobb Deep dropping 'The Infamous' in the same year. Comparison is inevitable. 'Doe or Die' may not have had the perfect cohesion or same cultural impact as 'Illmatic', but as a portrait of gritty 1990s New York, it holds its own. Few hip-hop albums can boast a three track run better than 'Gimme Yours', to 'Ho Happy Jackie' to 'Rather Unique', while AZ’s delivery is impossibly smooth throughout its 45 minute runtime. Too often, 'Doe or Die' is reduced to “the album by the guy who was on Illmatic”. It deserves its flowers. TF

Beck – Midnite Vultures (1999)

Ask any Beck fan what their favourite albums are and you’ll most likely hear picks like ‘Mellow Gold’, ‘Odelay’, ‘Sea Change’ and the Grammy-winning 2015 Album of the Year ‘Morning Phase’. All fine choices, but they’ve overlooked ‘Midnite Vultures’. It’s an offbeat, absurdist, groovy, horny and downright daft mash-up of synth-funk and R&B that’ll have you grinning from ear to ear. Opener ‘Sexx Laws’ and its trumpets gets you in the mood; ‘Nicotine & Gravy’ is an ode to both those things; ‘Mixed Bizness’ will “make all the b-boys scream”; ‘Real Get Paid’ is a sultry track tailor-made for any self-respecting freaky orgy soundtrack; ‘Peaches & Cream’ is also a suggestive ode to both those things; and ‘Pressure Zone’ is a tongue-in-cheek pop-rock number with a delightful knife pull / slasher film sound effect to kick it off. And how do you end such a playful mess? With a faux-Prince soul number titled ‘Debra’, that’s how. God, I love this strangely underrated folly. DM

Coldplay – Parachutes (2000)

Coldplay have sold hundreds of millions of records, so calling their debut album 'Parachutes' “underrated” feels slightly ridiculous. But in a strange way, it is. Its hits 'Yellow' and 'Sparks' remain widely popular (rightfully so), but ask someone to name another track off the record and you'll probably get a blank stare. Go back to the album though and there’s so much to enjoy. 'Don’t Panic', 'Spies', 'Shiver' and 'High Speed' are beautiful, understated songs that show a Coldplay most people seem to have forgotten existed. It’s an incredibly solid debut: warm, melancholic, romantic and refreshingly uncomplicated. It's Chris Martin at his most yearnful. No skips either. Before they became the stadium-filling band many love to hate, they were just really, really good at writing songs. 'Parachutes' is the proof. TF

Massive Attack – 100th Window (2003)

Bristol’s trip-hop legends had a hell of a run from 1991 to 1998, with the seminal ‘Blue Lines’, the dreamy ‘Protection’, and their magnum opus ‘Mezzanine’. Then came ‘100th Window’ - which ended up being a Robert “3D” Del Naja solo album. Andrew “Mushroom” Vowles left the band after ‘Mezzanine’ and Grant “Daddy G” Marshall opted out of the production, leaving only 3D at the helm. Stylistically, the fourth album was different, with no use of sampling, and a lack of hip-hop / jazz-prog fusion. Regular contributor Horace Andy still made it to the recording studio, as did guest vocalist Sinéad O’Connor - who appeared on three of the nine tracks. Despite what album rankings will tell you, the result is a foreboding and textured achievement, one which unfairly gets dismissed as sub-par. O’Connor’s vocal performance is stunning, especially on the sorrowful ‘What Your Soul Sings’ and album standout ‘Special Cases’, while 3D’s haunting delivery on tracks like ‘Future Proof’ and ‘Butterfly Caught’ is goosebump-inducing. ‘100th Window’ may not be up there with the band’s most celebrated works; but it’s certainly their most underappreciated album. DM

Tom Waits – Real Gone (2004)

However anachronistic Tom Waits had been up until 2004, nothing prepared listeners for the legendary artist to drop a hip-hop inspired album. And even if it’s not up there with the likes of his game-changing ‘Swordfishtrombones’, career high ‘Rain Dogs’ or the masterful ‘Mule Variations’, it’s a record that deserves far more love. Featuring spirited grooves and turntables instead of his habitual piano, as well as some beatboxing from Waits - who embraced a whole new set of vocal tics and roars - 'Real Gone' incorporated new influences without alienating core fans. The first half of the 72-minute racket is flawless and richly evocative; and while there are a few lulls in the second stretch, the final track ‘Day After Tomorrow’ is incredible and one of the most outwardly political songs of his career. Until ‘Boots On The Ground’ came along, that is. ‘Real Gone’ was mostly dismissed by critics as a clattering mess when it was released - and they were wrong. It’s an inventive, surprising, and vibrant album which has aged like fine wine. No shade to Waits’ ‘Bad As Me’ (2011), his last studio album to date, but ‘Real Gone’ is the musical Dadaist’s last great effort. Hopefully not his final, though. It’s been 15 years, Tom. And I need a fix. DM

There we have it. Heard of any of them? Have we changed your minds? Feel free to get in touch. Just don't bother if you're still sore about last week's overrated list. The Eagles still suck, and that Daft Punk album isn't as great as you remember.