Urban Hymns (Deluxe / Remastered 2016)

This 1997 album would be The Verve's (and, arguably, Britpop's) swan song—at least until they reunited the following decade. Urban Hymns remains the band's greatest and most successful release, starting with the sweeping, strings-infused "Bitter Sweet Symphony". Exploring all manner of altered states—via drugs, love and lucid dreaming—Richard Ashcroft is at his most introspective. Throughout, the band strikes a delicate balance between soft, solemn ballads (like highlights "Drugs Don't Work" and "Lucky Man") and extended jams of woozy, psychedelic rock.