Records 2 Live 4 2025

It was October 1990 and Richard Lehnert, at that time Stereophile's music editor, buttonholed me in our office parking lot. He had an idea for a new feature in which, instead of recommending audio components, which we had been doing since the first edition of Recommended Components in 1963, we should do the same for music. "Rather than a selection of all-time (or year's) best recorded performances—which are common enough—or a list of audiophile reference recordings—common enough in the audiophile press, at any rate," he said, "this would be a list of stereo recordings that are both musically and sonically impeccable. In other words, the best, the tops, to die for."

It took me less than a New York minute to sign off on Richard's idea. We asked the magazine's audio and music writers each to name two of their favorite albums of all time—albums that were, to them, "to die for." There weren't many rules. Each record would be described in 100 or so words. In subsequent years, writers must not repeat a previous selection, although they could choose a new reissue of a previous choice.

The very first Records 2 Die 4 listing appeared in January 1991 and has been published in every February issue since then.

Back then, the only music media capable of offering hi-fi sound quality were LP and CD. But as SACD, DVD-A, hi-rez downloads, and streaming services appeared, we expanded the eligible categories to include surround recordings and music DVDs, as well as backtracking to include mono recordings. Then, in 2022, following everyone's harrowing experience with the pandemic, Editor Jim Austin, long unhappy with the "die" in the listing's title, decided that we needed to adopt a more positive spin—ha!—and renamed it Records 2 Live 4 from 2022 onward.

So here it is: Records to Live For 2025.—John Atkinson

COMMENTS
cognoscente's picture

It's always fun to discover new music through lists like this, I'm going to check them all out (and probably buy some). Great, thanks. My contribution to Record (albums) 2 live 4:

Seventeen Seconds
by The Cure
My all time favorite, this album has, and by far, the most listening hours. On this album I know every micro detail. Perhaps not the best recorded album ever, but still good (enough) after all these years.

Jeroen van Veen : Arvo Pärt: Für Anna Maria, Complete Piano Music
performed by Jeroen Van Veen
(the 44/16 version) Great music of course by Arvo Pärt, even better recorded, a reference album

WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?
by Billie Eilish
A different kind than above but I repeat great music, even better recorded, a reference album

Getz/Gilberto
by Stan Getz
I hesitated between this and the other cliche (but therefore no less good, and why it is a cliche) classic one Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis. But Getz/Gilberto is so careless "what can happen to us" recorded, sometimes I need that to relax. Then the sigar (no, I don't smoke) and that glass of port are not necessary.

La Mode
by Yannis Kyriakides,Tomoko Mukaiyama
For when you want to be carried away by wonder with beautiful music / sounds and a perfect recording.

The Dutch Radio Recordings
by The Sound
Here you feel (best) the true emotion of a live concert, and then the anger and indignation (read aggression) of the early eighties. For a live concert recorded in a small venue somewhere in the early eighties by a small, relatively unknown new wave (/ alternative rock) band, this is also a great album in terms of recording technique.

MLP's picture

All the R2L4 2025 albums that stream are collected in this Qobuz playlist:
https://open.qobuz.com/playlist/28334472
Put it in random play and learn some new music for 46+ hours straight!

Glotz's picture

NICE JOB DUDE!!!

I am screaming because that is an amazing idea you just created and I think Stereophile should be doing this every year!

Great idea man!

Glotz's picture

Though it does take a sense of humor.

Jason Victor Serinus's picture

I'll try to remember that when the time comes.

;-)

jason

Glotz's picture

I will too!

...and you better be smiling if I ever see you at AXPONA!

Jason Victor Serinus's picture

I need to make sure that you can be invited to help scatter my ashes. Please write me privately with your contact information.

Glotz's picture

I already bought a coffee can a la "The Big Lebowski"!

Thomaskl's picture

When did The Raveonettes become Dutch?

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