Crucial Track for February 20, 2026

"The Big Ship" by Brian Eno

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Share a song you feel was ahead of its time.

I discovered Brian Eno's solo records long after they were released—even after many of the 1990s records I enjoyed as a teenager, which were clearly influenced by his work and themselves felt ahead of their time. Some years ago, I played The Big Ship to a much younger colleague who told me that listening to artists like Jon Hopkins at work helped them focus over the farmyard din of our open-plan office. Their response when I drew their attention to the release date was marvellous: "It's like electronic music before electronic music was a thing." Well, yes…