Top 10 Albums to Listen to When Stoned

We understand the importance of the right soundtrack to those laid back moments and mindful journeys.

We also appreciate that getting selections right for everyone is often an unwelcome pressure, so when the mood takes you and you don't want to kill your high debating and considering the perfect soundtrack, we've got you,

Budmother’s top 10 best albums to listen to when stoned, Not always easy listening but always inspiring.

1. Logical Progression - LTJ Bukem - 1996

The Zenith. the moment dance floors had to take notice and take seriously the intelligent drum and bass movement. From the busy signal radiating from London's cutting house this revolutionary sound pierced eardrums across the country and provided identity to a new wave of UK sound and culture.

2. DJ Shadow - Endtroducing - 1996

Endtroducing is the pioneering debut studio album by American music producer DJ Shadow, released on September 16, 1996, by Mo' Wax. It is an instrumental hip hop work composed almost entirely of samples from vinyl records. The important thing to state here is that there simply wasn't an album release before Endtroducing that sounded the slightest bit like it. This record is an experience that transcends genre and stereotype and opened the door for music producers world wide. That being the case, Shadows' respect for the Hip Hop culture that gave birth to this masterpiece is clear and evident.

3. Dr Dre - The Chronic - 1992 

From Wu-Tang Clan's 'Enter the Wu-Tang' to Kanye West's 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy', Hip Hop has had its fair share of watershed albums. But there's one in particular that was so impactful that it launched superstar careers of its guest stars, stole attention away from Hip Hop's birthplace and reshaped popular music as we know it: The Chronic. 

4. Terry Callier - Time Piece - 1998 

No praise for this artist or this album is too high so let's just leave it here:

The record won the United Nations Time for Peace award for outstanding artistic achievement and for contributing to world peace" it features standout tracks like 'People Get Ready' and 'Brotherly Love' composed by Curtis Mayfield, as well as a guest spot from Pharoah Sanders on tenor- saxophone. If we had to suggest a time for this selection it's the early hours and the inspiration will live all day.

5. Tricky - Maxinque - 1995

The 1995 debut album and Trip hop masterpiece from Tricky, after leaving Massive attack to further push the boundaries of what had become known as the 'Bristol sound'  Time has not dimmed the impact of this extraordinary record. It enters the Labyrinth time as Tricky takes you through the twists and turns of his psyche. The stories that surround the  making of this record are as mysterious as the sound and only serve a time less narrative.

6. Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the moon - 1973 

Dark Side of the moon needs little introduction, as the eighth studio album from the seminal British band and the seventh without original band member Syd Barret.The album was conceived as a concept album that would focus on the pressures faced by the band and also deal with the mental health problems of the former band member Syd Barret.

The group employed multi track recording, tape loops  and analogue synthesisers to create the legendary soundscapes the album is famous for. We strongly recommend a journey through a bustling city with noise cancelling headphones and Dark Side of the Moon for company.

7. Man in the hills - Burning Spear - 1976

Man in the Hills is a seminal roots reggae album by Jamaican musician Burning Spear (Winston Rodney), released in 1976 on Island records, "Man in the Hills" , the first track on the album, evokes the superiority of rural living over urban. In Jamaican history, the roots of radical protest, a National identity and the Rastafari movement grew from communities formed by escaped slaves in the hills after emancipation in 1838, the so called 'Free Villages"

8. Morcheeba - Who Can you Trust - 1996

The laid back sounds of Morcheeba, perfect for long days on the beach or late night bus journeys through hectic city scapes. Put simply, this wouldn't be a definitive list of albums to listen to high without the inclusion of MorCheeba's lazy rhythms and popular melody, Easy listening done right.

9. Boards of Canada - Music has the right to children - 1998

Music Has the Right to Children is the debut studio album by Scottish electronic music duo Boards of Canada, released on 20 April 1998 in the United Kingdom by the iconic label: Warp. Inspired greatly by the wonders of Brian Eno’s works, Boards of Canada are experts of texture. Music has the Right to Children is immaculately layered. It often seems like very little is happening, but the subtle details drive the music along. It’s constantly evolving. The rare moments of tranquillity take your breath away; they feel important and momentous due to the vast textural contrast. Boards of Canada treat space and time with great care. It’s why, despite having been enamoured with the album for almost 10 years now, I’m still discovering aspects to appreciate.

10. Augustus Pablo - East of the River Nile - 1977 

Augustus Pablo's "East of the River Nile" is dub music at its most sublime, offering a sonic translation of stoned brainwaves. Pablo transforms the melodica from a child's toy into the aural equivalent of a smooth, indica-packed hit. This instrumental masterpiece, featuring production by dub legends King Tubby and Lee "Scratch" Perry, along with grooves from reggae's 1970s A-team, is the ultimate chill-out album. Occasional vocal fragments surface like half-formed thoughts, drifting in and out of the hypnotic soundscape. It's not just music for getting high too - it's an auditory embodiment of the experience itself. Potent and mesmerising, "East of the River Nile" is essential listening for any cannabis connoisseur.