Jack Black’s 10 favourite albums of all time
A lot of actors are also musicians. A lot of musicians are also actors. Very few straddle the line quite as well as Jack Black does, as despite being in hit movies such as School of Rock, Jumanji and Kung Fu Panda, he is also a renowned vocalist, fronting comedy duo Tenacious D also providing guest vocals for multiple rock bands as his talent is instantly recognisable. You have actors, you have musicians, and then you have Jack Black.
His success in both fields could be studied, as many people before and after Black have tried to be respected in both artistic fields, but they always tend to fall flat in one or the other. Johnny Depp’s guitar endeavours have hardly taken off. Paul McCartney isn’t recognised for his Meisner technique. Only a handful of artists can genuinely be considered successful at both, and that group is fronted by Black.
Part of the reason he is always synonymous with music, even when promoting or working in something that has nothing to do with it, is that wherever he goes, rock ‘n’ roll seems to follow like a shadow. When he speaks, he does so in a rhythm with the tone and grit that you hear in your favourite rock vocalists. He has the eccentricity of a frontman, and more than anything, he loves to talk about the music that inspires him.
Classic rock is naturally his go-to when talking about his favourite albums. It doesn’t take long for bands like AC/DC and Black Sabbath to get a mention. He focuses heavily on Ozzy Osbourne, arguably one of the world’s most charismatic and unique frontmen, and his performance on We Sold Our Souls for Rock ‘n’ Roll.
“Ozzy is the most haunting, evil, kick-ass vocalist in history. Hands down,” said Black, “This album is a capsule of a romantic time when Satan was real. You were going to hell, but you didn’t care because it rocked so fucking hard.”
However, when talking about his favourite albums, Black shows his broad range in music, as not everything pertains to rock. For instance, he praises Radiohead, particularly their album The Bends. This is one of the band’s heavier albums, so it’s not entirely surprising that Black approves; however, it doesn’t come close to the intensity of records such as Back in Black and We Sold Our Souls.
“If you want concept, you go OK Computer,” he said, “But if you wanna rock – if you want straight-up fucking songs – you go The Bends. The first few listens, I was like, ‘I don’t understand… My brain’s not computing…’ Then it clicked in: ‘Ohhhh, I see! It’s the best band in the history of rock!’”
Some of the more surprising artists mentioned include Liz Phair, Devo, and the Pixies. Granted, they’ve all made exceptional music, but it seems slightly far removed from the screaming Satan-worshipping Black we’re used to seeing on screen. Perhaps one of the most surprising records appearing on his list of the best albums ever is the indie rockers Arctic Monkeys debut, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not.
“When you go overseas – you go to Australia or you go to England – it just seems like there’s a lot higher appreciation for rock,” he said, “People know their rock over there; there’s a lot of encyclopaedic knowledge and a lot more love.”
Jack Black’s list of ten favourite albums is a mixed bag but representative of his eclectic taste. These records are well worth a listen.
Jack Black’s 10 favourite albums:
- Tom Waits – Bad As Me
- AC/DC – Back In Black
- Black Sabbath – We Sold Our Souls For Rock N Roll
- Leonard Cohen – Songs Of Leonard Cohen
- Radiohead – The Bends
- Liz Phair – Exile in Guyville
- Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
- The Pixies – Surfer Rosa
- Frank Black and the Catholics – Dog In The Sand
- Devo – Freedom of Choice
