System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian’s favourite albums of all time
System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian is one of the most distinctive frontmen of his generation. Instilling the Glendale band with an almost operatic edge that fits perfectly into their dynamic music, Tankian’s vocals underscore all of their most culturally relevant hits, from ‘Chop Suey!’ to ‘Aerials’.
Given that Tankian’s musicianship is all-encompassing, in System of a Down and as a solo artist, it makes sense that he cites various musicians as inspirations, ranging from areas such as heavy metal to disco and reggae. Never one to shy away from discussing those who influenced him, today, we’ve compiled a list of his favourite albums of all time. The selections are taken from two interviews 17 years apart, offering a broad scope of his ever-changing taste.
The most recent arrived when speaking to Metal Hammer in 2020. Naming the ten albums that changed his life, the first choice is one of the most fascinating. Something of a surprise, he lists the first album he ever bought as 1977’s Saturday Night Fever OST. The System of a Down frontman explained: “Rick James, or possibly ABBA, or The Bee Gees, Saturday Night Fever! I was 14 or 15, and I got a subscription to Columbia House, where you could get six records for free if you bought one record a year. I ordered five or six records, and those were the first I bought on my own.”
Elsewhere, Tankian was given the hypothetical scenario of a child asking him what metal is. To define the genre best, he said he’d hand them a copy of thrash pioneers Slayer’s third album, 1986’s Reign in Blood. He explained: “I’d go with Slayer – Reign In Blood most likely because I think the historical significance of Slayer as a band is very interesting. They opened up a lot for death and black metal.”
In a demonstration of the broad reach of his music taste, the album that Takian said took a risk and won was Radiohead’s 2000 effort, Kid A. Contending that artists don’t take enough risks, he reflected: “Artists don’t take enough risks. I always say, ‘We’re not surgeons; no one’s dying on the operation table, so go for it.’ Radiohead took a risk with the transition from OK Computer to Kid A. It was a huge step for them. I remember all my rock friends going, ‘Argh, I don’t like it!’ but now, looking back, you can really see that Radiohead grew with that album.”
The second interview dates back to 2003 when Tankian and System of a Down were at the peak of their powers. This discussion was with SPIN for their ‘My Life in Music’ segment. The first record he discussed was 1966’s pioneering Revolver by The Beatles, a band the Armenian frontman is a self-professed “huge” fan of.
Of the album, he said: “I’m a huge Beatles fan, but I’ve only really gotten into them as an adult. In my 20s, I was listening to the Beatles like nuts and ended up getting every album. I realised that I’d heard every song as a kid but just never knew they were by the Beatles. Musically, the Beatles are as universal as music gets. Revolver is sort of where they started to turn into something completely unique. But I love all of the records–Sgt. Pepper’s [Lonely Hearts Club Band], Let It Be, The White Album, everything. Revolver is a good place to start because it’s a nice bridge between the early and late Beatles.”
Another classic record Tankian picked out was Faith No More’s alternative metal staple, 1992’s Angel Dust. The singer explained that it was some of the first hard rock he had ever heard, so understandably, it deserved a place on his list. It is also one of the band’s most unconventional records, something that rubbed off on Tankian and System of a Down.
Other records that Serj Tankian chose as his favourites range from The Mothers of Invention’s We’re Only in It for the Money – one of Frank Zappa’s finest efforts – and Bob Marley and the Wailers’ reggae staple, Legend.
Find Serj Tankian’s favourite albums below.
Serj Tankian’s favourite albums:
- Various Artists – Saturday Night Fever OST (1977)
- Earth, Wind & Fire – I Am (1979)
- Ennio Morricone – The Good, The Bad And The Ugly OST (1996)
- Metallica – …And Justice For All (1988)
- Miles Davis – Decoy (1984)
- Serj Tankian – Orca (2013)
- Depeche Mode – Greatest Hits (1987)
- Slayer – Reign In Blood (1986)
- Khatchadour Tankian – Inchbes Moranank (2010)
- Radiohead – Kid A (2000)
- The Beatles – Revolver (1966)
- The Cure – Pornography (1982);
- The Birthday Party – Prayers on Fire (1981);
- The Sisters of Mercy – First and Last And Always (1985)
- Faith No More – Angel Dust (1992)
- Korn – Korn (1994)
- Sonic Youth – Evol (1986)
- Tom Waits – Alice (2002)
- David Bowie – Low (1977)
- Harout Pamboukjian – 50 megaHits (2001)
- The Mothers of Invention – We’re Only in It for the Money (1967)
- Bob Marley and the Wailers Legend – (1984)
