Album of the Day

Though Phil Collins' solo success was impossible to ignore by the time of GENESIS, the Atlantic collection was very much a collaborative affair. Cut at band-owned Surrey studio The Farm, the set evolved from jam sessions; as keyboardist Tony Banks explained, he, Collins and guitarist Mike Rutherford wanted to “write an album and record it in one go, from start to finish.” The songs were as much discovered as created, and their immediacy and variety made for compelling singles including “Mama,” “That's All” and “Illegal Alien.” Accordingly, the album reached #1 in the group's native U.K. (during this month in 1983) and Top 10 in the U.S., while also earning a pair of Grammy nominations. Rutherford rates the quadruple-platinum GENESIS one of his favorites by the band, and you will as well.