So why is deadmau5’s For Lack of a Better Name on this best 1,000 albums ever thing?
I love that deadmau5’s music sounds like no one else’s — electronic or otherwise.
That said, deadmau5 (Joel Zimmerman, the man behind the mau5) stands out because he knows how to reach explosive hooks with a quickness.
Take “Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff”: a master class that opens with a few brief organ chords before rocketing straight into the track. Rob Swire of Pendulum layers in goth-y yet accessible vocals, with just a hint of autotune. For me: less is always more when it comes to autotune.
Add in some string samples and other electronic effects, and the outcome is exquisite – “Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff” is a perfect electronic music track.
The music video for “Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff” features deadmau5 dressed in his iconic giant, inflatable mouse suit and performing in front of a backdrop of psychedelic visuals.
“Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff” is so good, in fact, that it made sense to bring it back, in a sense, with a remix version of sorts in “Moar Ghosts n Stuff” (this version even drops the apostrophe in the title – for reasons, I guess?) which goes slightly darker and slightly harder, electro house-wise, this time around. Both versions are simply great.
Speaking of going hard (or herd, if you like), look no further than “Hi Friend!” It launches straight into the hook and keeps the beat pinned in the red – hard red – the whole way. And that exquisite disco-y sample under the lyric, “This is what you came here for” seals it. It’s a smasher, as the kids would say*.
* Note: I don’t think the kids really say this. Mea culpa: I made it up.
“Word Problems” flips the vibe: minimalist, bass-heavy, with vocals boiled down to a speaker announcing the title as the beat rolls on.
Where Daft Punk built sleek, robotic disco and Justice chiseled at gritty, distorted electro, deadmau5 carved out his own lane with precision — leaner, hook-driven, and less about spectacle than pure propulsion.
For Lack of a Better Name finds him at the very peak of his game.
Some stats & info about deadmau5 – For Lack of a Better Name
- What kind of musical stylings does this album represent? Electronic Music, Dance Music, Techno Music, EDM, House Music, Electro House
- Rolling Stone’s greatest 500 albums ranking – not ranked!
- All Music’s rating – 3.5 out of 5 stars
- When was For Lack of a Better Name released? 2009
- My ranking, the one you’re reading right now – #496 out of 1,000
deadmau5’s For Lack of a Better Name on Spotify
A lyrical snippet from deadmau5’s For Lack of a Better Name that’s evocative of the album in some way, maybe
It’s been so long, I’ve been out of my body with you. I feel alone, feel at home, feel like nothing is true.
What’s the most interesting thing about deadmau5’s For Lack of a Better Name that most people don’t know?
“Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff” was initially created as a joke. deadmau5 noted in interviews that he had made the track as a Halloween prank for friends, and never intended for it to be a serious release. However, when Rob Swire heard the track, he was inspired to write lyrics and record vocals, and the song ended up becoming a massive hit.
“Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff” also wound up being included in the soundtrack for the video game, Need for Speed: Shift.
What does the “best 1,000 albums ever” mean and why are you doing this?
Yeah, I know it’s audacious, a little crazy (okay, maybe a lot cray cray), bordering on criminal nerdery.
But here’s what it’s NOT: a definitive list of the Greatest Albums of All-Time. This is 100% my own personal super biased, incredibly subjective review of what my top 1,000 albums are, ranked in painstaking order over the course of doing research for nearly a year, Rob from High Fidelity style. Find out more about why I embarked on a best 1,000 albums ever project.