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April 3rd
album anniversaries

April 3rd album covers: It Is What It Is, You And Your Friends , Heaven To A Tortured Mind, Bookends, B.R.M.C., Wheels Of Steel
It Is What It Is sleeve

Thundercat • It Is What It Is

Released 3 April 2020 · 7th anniversary

Grief and humor collide here in a way that only this virtuoso bassist could pull off. It serves as a poignant tribute to his late friend Mac Miller, balancing heavy existential questions with the kind of playful, off-kilter charm found in tracks like Dragonball Durag.

Production duties lean heavily into the Brainfeeder aesthetic, blending dizzying jazz fusion with smooth R&B and futuristic funk. You get a masterclass in technical precision that still feels deeply personal, anchored by guest spots from friends like Childish Gambino and Steve Lacy.

You And Your Friends  sleeve

Peach Pit • You And Your Friends

Released 3 April 2020 · 7th anniversary

Sun-drenched melodies mask a lyrical obsession with the messy, often pathetic realities of growing up and drifting apart from your inner circle. These songs feel like a long, hazy afternoon spent reflecting on past mistakes and the specific, awkward charm of your early twenties.

Crisp guitar hooks and breezy indie-pop arrangements define the record, leaning heavily into a laid-back West Coast aesthetic. The production keeps things intimate and raw, perfectly capturing that bittersweet transition period where friendships start to change shape.

Heaven To A Tortured Mind sleeve

Yves Tumor • Heaven To A Tortured Mind

Released 3 April 2020 · 7th anniversary

Glam rock meets experimental R&B in this explosive, genre-defying statement. The production is incredibly dense and layered, pushing the boundaries of how rock and soul can interact within a modern electronic framework.

Every track feels like a deliberate subversion of traditional song structures, favoring chaotic, beautiful noise and soaring, soulful vocals. It stands as a landmark release for its ability to make experimental, avant-garde music feel both accessible and deeply personal.

Bookends sleeve

Simon & Garfunkel • Bookends

Released 3 April 1968 · 59th anniversary

Concept albums were still a relatively new frontier in 1968, yet this record masterfully explores the passage of time from childhood innocence to the anxieties of old age. It serves as a poignant, cinematic meditation on the human experience that feels just as intimate today as it did decades ago.

Sophisticated studio production techniques define the sound, blending experimental tape loops and sound collages with the duo's signature folk-rock harmonies. The result is a lush, melancholic atmosphere that captures the restless spirit of the late sixties perfectly.

B.R.M.C. sleeve

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club • B.R.M.C.

Released 3 April 2001 · 26th anniversary

Raw, snarling feedback and reverb-drenched vocals define this debut, which arrived like a punch to the gut of the early 2000s music scene. It captures a specific kind of restless, leather-jacket cool that feels just as urgent today as it did upon its initial release.

Deeply rooted in the shoegaze and garage rock revival, the record leans heavily on distorted bass lines and hazy, hypnotic melodies. The production keeps things gritty and unpolished, perfectly mirroring the moody, nocturnal atmosphere that the band cultivated during their rise in San Francisco.

Wheels Of Steel sleeve

Saxon • Wheels Of Steel

Released 3 April 1980 · 47th anniversary

Heavy metal history changed forever when this record dropped, cementing the band as architects of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Its title track remains a quintessential biker anthem that defined the gritty, high-octane spirit of the early eighties.

Raw production and driving, twin-guitar riffs capture the blue-collar energy of the Sheffield scene. The sound is unapologetically loud and stripped-back, reflecting the transition from hard rock to the faster, more aggressive metal that would dominate the decade.

Also on this day

The World Of Josh White sleeve

Josh White • The World Of Josh White

Released 3 April 1951 · 76th anniversary

Booker Little sleeve

Booker Little • Booker Little

Released 3 April 1960 · 67th anniversary

Emotions sleeve

Brenda Lee • Emotions

Released 3 April 1961 · 66th anniversary

Brubeck & Rushing sleeve

The Dave Brubeck Quartet, Jimmy Rushing • Brubeck & Rushing

Released 3 April 1961 · 66th anniversary

The Great Kai & J.J. sleeve

J.J. Johnson • The Great Kai & J.J.

Released 3 April 1961 · 66th anniversary

Oboe Concertos sleeve

Richard Strauss, Domenico Cimarosa, Domenico Scarlatti, Leon Goossens • Oboe Concertos

Released 3 April 1964 · 63rd anniversary

Enta El Hob sleeve

Umm Kulthum • Enta El Hob

Released 3 April 1965 · 62nd anniversary

2 Na Bossa sleeve

Elis Regina • 2 Na Bossa

Released 3 April 1965 · 62nd anniversary

Visits Planet Earth sleeve

The Sun Ra Arkestra • Visits Planet Earth

Released 3 April 1966 · 61st anniversary

Wow sleeve

Moby Grape • Wow

Released 3 April 1968 · 59th anniversary

The Growing Concern sleeve

The Growing Concern • The Growing Concern

Released 3 April 1968 · 59th anniversary

Manufacturers Of Soul sleeve

Jackie Wilson • Manufacturers Of Soul

Released 3 April 1968 · 59th anniversary

Glenn Gould Plays Beethoven's 5th Symphony Transcribed For Piano By Franz Liszt sleeve

Ludwig van Beethoven, Glenn Gould, Franz Liszt • Glenn Gould Plays Beethoven's 5th Symphony Transcribed For Piano By Franz Liszt

Released 3 April 1968 · 59th anniversary

He Touched Me sleeve

Elvis Presley • He Touched Me

Released 3 April 1972 · 55th anniversary

Amado Maita sleeve

Amado Maita • Amado Maita

Released 3 April 1972 · 55th anniversary

Vindicator sleeve

Arthur Lee • Vindicator

Released 3 April 1972 · 55th anniversary

Hair Of The Dog sleeve

Nazareth • Hair Of The Dog

Released 3 April 1975 · 52nd anniversary

Even In The Quietest Moments... sleeve

Supertramp • Even In The Quietest Moments...

Released 3 April 1977 · 50th anniversary

Nivaldo Ornelas sleeve

Nivaldo Ornelas • Nivaldo Ornelas

Released 3 April 1978 · 49th anniversary

Marcia Maria sleeve

Marcia Maria • Marcia Maria

Released 3 April 1978 · 49th anniversary

How to track album anniversaries in your collection

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