10 Amazing Albums (That Are Under 30 Minutes)

While its power has waned in the era of streaming, playlists, and Tik Tok hits, the album remains the definitive format for an artist or band wishing to make a statement. Free from the restraints of a three and a half minute pop song, musicians can show their range, tell a story, or simply put across a load of great songs.

The format has seen some releases of incredible ambition, from concept albums to sprawling epics to records that wow with their hit rates.

But while the album may have started life as a Long Player, bigger isn’t always better. Many bands and artists have recognised the power of brevity, and released albums that accomplish everything they need to in under half an hour.

While a short record can illustrate laziness, it can often be far more effective, encouraging the listener to revisit time and again and explore the intricacies of a dense piece of work. These are the best albums that you can consume in less time than it takes to watch an episode of a sitcom (with adverts).

Hip hop albums used to trend towards epic lengths, but things have swung very much the other way over recent years. For Pusha T, not a particularly prolific artist, this led to a completely fat-free release in 2018’s Daytona, one of the year’s finest records.

Opener "If You Know You Know" begins in daring fashion, taking an age to find the beat before dropping into a simple, Air-sampling track over which Pusha can exhibit his authentic, swaggering flow. The record is primarily produced by Kanye West and he sounds as inspired as he has in years, relishing the opportunity to make harder edged music and work with someone of Pusha’s skillset.

Pusha keeps the features to a minimum - though there’s a fun guest spot from the similarly laid back Rick Ross on “Hard Piano” - and maintains momentum through sheer charisma on standout “Santeria”. He can switch between fun and serious on a dime and packs a remarkable amount of variety into just over 21 minutes.