麻豆官网首页入口

It’s really important you know what your first record was, in case you become a popstar and have to answer questions about it all the time.

First records shouldn’t be Squarepusher’s more challenging works or a special import rarity, this is your gateway record. It’s what’s available and awesome the first time you hear a song on the radio and think not just ‘that’s AMAZING’ but ‘I need to OWN THIS and PLAY IT EVERY DAY.’

Buying your first record isn’t a casual proposition – you probably had to save up for it and wheedle with someone to get you to the shop or buy it for you, until the vinyl, tape, CD or download code was in your hot, sweaty hands. The excitement of listening to a record in full, for the first time, maybe never gets more exciting than this.

You know how it is – your mate or your big sister or that one girlfriend you had in the second year of college and didn’t manage to keep in touch with loaned you a record because they knew you needed to listen to this.

You probably did – you probably listened to it a lot. So much so that you may discover, years later, that it’s still in your room and you possibly forgot to give it back.

Don’t panic; it’s the natural ecosystem of records. One or two or ten of yours are probably about to be rediscovered by the people you lent them out to – hopefully with a message saying ‘hey, you remember that summer when we listened to this ALL THE TIME?’ Borrowed records: keeping people together.

We’re all human – that means there are going to be times when you make colossal errors of judgement and buy a record that, later, makes you question your credibility to make any sort of life choice.

There have been plenty of regrettable musical eras you could do this in – brief trends and global delusions that lead to you really digging a CD by the sort of sense-challenged muppet you come to find an upsetting reminder of your past self.

That’s OK though; it’s even OK to still think the songs are kind of great. Learning that your taste is subjective, situational and most of all extremely fallible is part of everyone’s evolution.

You should own a favourite record. Doesn’t matter if you couldn’t actually pick – again, this is something you need to prepare as an interview question in case you ever become megafamous. And also in case that friend’s boyfriend who reckons he’s a music journalist asks you, so you can answer coolly and confidently.

Picking a favourite album isn’t necessarily about having a favourite album (although lots of people do) it’s about something that will always be your go-to, your perennial concept of the heart of what you love about music.

Whether it’s the world’s biggest boyband’s breakout, an indie racket or the smoothest, most glorious beats there's a record you love that shapes how you love music and why you love all your other favourites.

Not necessarily the Rihanna song - but it's super important you own this record, in particular. Your fifth essential record to own is whatever you're currently loving.

You know how it is - one minute you're listening to the radio, enjoying a track - next minute you've bought it and it's on loop and you're going to listen to it for two weeks straight at every possible opportunity.

You start watching the clock at work and school for when you can go home and start listening to it again, send it to all your friends as your new jam, instantly save it to all your 'best of 2016' playlists and put it on every mixtape you make for the next 12 months. It's just that good.

There'll be another one in a few months. But everyone needs their very own Hottest Record In The World.