- Face Value (Deluxe Edition) · 1981
- The Singles (Remastered) · 1984
- Tarzan (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) · 1999
- ...But Seriously (Remastered) · 1989
- Chinese Wall (Bonus Track) · 1984
- No Jacket Required (Deluxe Edition) [Remastered] · 1985
- No Jacket Required (Remastered) · 1985
- No Jacket Required (Remastered) · 1985
- Tarzan (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) · 1999
- Hello, I Must Be Going! (Deluxe Edition) · 1982
- Hello, I Must Be Going! (Deluxe Edition) · 1982
- The Singles (Remastered) · 1988
- Tarzan (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) · 1999
Essential Albums
- In the early ’80s, Phil Collins commandeered Genesis’ transition from prog-rock standard-bearers to Top 40 hit machine, while launching his own immensely successful solo career. But 1985 was truly the Year of the Phil, when, in the wake of Genesis’ self-titled 1983 chart-topper and his own GRAMMYⓇ-winning theme song for the film <I>Against All Odds</I>, Collins dropped his blockbuster third record, <I>No Jacket Required</I>. The album not only served as the height of Collins’ incomparable ‘80s hot streak, it also became a defining sonic document of the era—with all the sax solos, squealing guitars, glossy synths, and percolating programmed drum beats to prove it. Up to this point in his solo career, Collins tended to vacillate between reverential ‘60s-retro homage and modern production techniques, but <I>No Jacket Required</I> effortlessly fused the two into a glitzy Motown-meets-MTV sound every bit as funky and frisky as what pop juggernauts like Madonna, Prince, and Michael Jackson were pumping out at the time. On irresistible opener “Sussudio” and its similarly styled companion “Who Said I Would,” Collins proved that he too could party like it’s 1999, with synth stabs and brass jabs that thrust you onto the dance floor with all the subtlety of an electric cattle prod. The album also reinforced Collins’ status as a master balladeer, whether he was slinking into the soft-focus romantic reverie “One More Night” or wading into politically charged terrain on the equally exotic and ominous “Long Long Way to Go.” But on a record where every song could’ve been a hit single—and half of them actually were—Collins saves the best for last with the towering “Take Me Home.” It’s a track that perfectly encapsulates his ‘80s imperial phase, where even a song that grimly details a man’s descent into madness couldn’t help but sound like a heaven-sent inspirational anthem.
Artist Playlists
- One of the most likeable—and omnipresent—pop superstars of the '80s.
- The heartbreaking ballads and electric R&B of an ‘80s pop titan.
- Lean back and relax with some of their mellowest cuts.
- Grab the mic and sing along with some of their biggest hits.
- The prog, soul, and pop that inspired a musical journeyman.
Singles & EPs
Compilations
Appears On
- Don Vicky A.k.a I Love Jesus
More To See
- 2016
About Phil Collins
Phil Collins dominated pop radio in the '80s, bringing a liberating sense of experimentation to unabashedly commercial material. Born in West London in 1951, Collins developed his adventurous tactics while drumming (and eventually singing lead) for English prog-rock visionaries Genesis, spearheading the band’s unlikely transformation into a mainstream pop act. But Collins’ solo work proved even more successful: His debut solo single, 1981’s “In the Air Tonight,” contrasted meditative synths with a famously cathartic drum solo that made gated reverb a ubiquitous effect across the decade to come. He continued to amplify his heartfelt singing via cutting-edge electronics and effects on 1985’s smash No Jacket Required, often playing multiple keyboard instruments as well as drumming and singing lead. That rare balance of studio craftsmanship and sincere emotion has made Collins a hero to multiple generations of rappers and producers (who have sampled him freely) as well as to pop and indie acts like Tame Impala. Meanwhile, his soundtrack to Disney’s 1999 hit Tarzan introduced his rhythmic flair to a younger audience. He remains one of modern pop’s classic auteurs, a meticulous creator who won’t let even a made-up word (“Sussudio”) keep him from pursuing a left-field idea to its full potential.
- HOMETOWN
- Wandsworth, London, England
- BORN
- January 30, 1951
- GENRE
- Rock