Buzz
Album titles often carry an air of mystery (Fiona Apple, your titles are poetic but lengthy). However, there's something uniquely captivating about albums that bear nothing but numbers as their names. These numerical titles are rarely arbitrary, and here, we delve into the stories behind some of these musical enigmas.
1. The Beatles: 1. The 2000 compilation album features 27 tracks, each of which topped the charts in either the U.S. or the U.K. (though some were B-sides of hit singles). Notably absent are two beloved Beatles classics: “Please Please Me” and “Strawberry Fields Forever,” both of which peaked at #2.
2. Pearl Jam: Ten. Before achieving fame, Eddie Vedder and his bandmates were inspired by basketball player Mookie Blaylock. They initially named their band after him but had to change it due to legal issues. Instead, they paid homage to Blaylock by naming their debut album after his jersey number.
3. Van Halen: III. Despite being the band's 11th album, the title reflects the third iteration of Van Halen's lineup, featuring Gary Cherone, former lead singer of Extreme. This album serves as a reminder that third attempts don't always yield success.
4. Beyonce: 4. Launched in 2011, this album marked Beyonce’s fourth studio release, but its title holds deeper significance. “The number 4 is special to me,” she shared. “It’s my birth date, my mother’s birthday, and many of my friends’ birthdays fall on the fourth. Plus, April 4 is my wedding anniversary.”
5-7. Joan Baez, Lenny Kravitz, and the Steve Miller Band each celebrated their fifth albums with titles reflecting the milestone: Joan Baez/5, 5, and Number 5, respectively.
8. Usher: 8701. This album, featuring hits like “U Remind Me,” debuted on August 7, 2001. While the release date seems significant, the title actually commemorates Usher’s career journey: he began singing in 1987, and ‘01 represents the current year, marking 14 years in the industry.
9. U2: 7. This Target-exclusive EP, packed with seven rare B-sides and remixes, pays homage to their early work. It also nods to their debut release, Three, which, as the name suggests, featured three tracks.
10. Van Halen: OU812. When spoken aloud, the title sounds like “Oh, you ate one too?” While many interpret it as a cheeky joke, some believe it’s a playful jab at David Lee Roth’s earlier album, Eat ‘Em and Smile. It might even be a bit of both.
One thing is certain: regardless of the album title's meaning, other artists have enjoyed poking fun at it. The Boston punk group Gang Green released I81B4U the same year as Van Halen's album, and the experimental band Mr. Bungle dropped a demo tape titled OU818 the following year.
11-12. Adele: 19 & 21. While most of us were surviving on instant noodles and cheap beer at 19 and 21, Adele was crafting chart-topping albums. She named these records after her age during their creation. Admittedly, she might have been sipping Keystone and munching on ramen while composing them.
13. Van Halen: 5150. This title refers to Eddie Van Halen’s home studio, where the album (and every subsequent Van Halen record) was produced. The name originates from a California penal code for “involuntary psychiatric confinement,” which engineer Donn Landee overheard on his police scanner.
14. Lynyrd Skynyrd: Twenty. Released on April 29, 1997, this ninth album by the Southern rock band commemorates a tragic event. The title honors the six band and crew members who lost their lives in a plane crash 20 years prior.
15. Rush: 2112. As the title track suggests, “2112” points to a future year, central to the album’s theme of a dystopian society. Interestingly, the work may have drawn inspiration from Ayn Rand’s philosophies.
“Tracing influences can be challenging, as many ideas often merge. In this case, the album ended up bearing a striking resemblance to Ayn Rand’s book Anthem. I wasn’t aware of this during the creative process, but as the narrative unfolded, the similarities became undeniable. Concerned about unintentional plagiarism, I made sure to acknowledge Rand’s work in the liner notes.”
