Randy Newman

Newman’s 1968 debut gave him a bit of a rocky start. Rather than the more rock-oriented sound of his future releases, Newman’s vocals are orchestrated with lush string and brass arrangements. Speaking to the AV Club in 2003, Newman said, “It’s like I’d never heard The Rolling Stones. I thought you could move things along just with the orchestra, that it was somehow cheating to use drums.”

According to music writer Ken Tucker, Warner Brothers offered to exchange this album for those who purchased it. Despite Newman’s later success, his self-titled debut would remain out of print for 15 years, but upon resurfacing, it was seen as a forgotten masterpiece that showed the early stages of Randy Newman’s long career.