National Album Day 2026 : Presenter Choices

It’s National Album Day in the UK, and this year’s theme is ‘Icons’! To celebrate, we’ve asked two of our Rocking Fox Radio presenters to choose their favourite iconic album from the special National Album Day re-release selection — and, more importantly, tell us why that particular record means so much to them.

Music has an extraordinary ability to transport us back to a particular moment in our lives. Whether it’s the first album we ever bought, a record that changed the way we listened to music, or simply an LP that we never tire of playing, certain albums become part of our personal soundtrack.

National Album Day is a celebration of exactly that — the enduring appeal of the album as a complete musical experience, from the opening track to the final note.

This year, we invited Jonathan Taylor, presenter of The Taylor Manifesto, and Dave ‘Lord’ Edney, presenter of The Whole Shebam, to share their selections.

Their choices take us from the storytelling genius of Bob Dylan to the sharp social observations of Pulp. Two very different records, two very different perspectives, but both worthy of iconic status.

Jonathan Taylor’s Iconic Album: Bob Dylan – Desire (1976)

Jonathan Taylor presents The Taylor Manifesto on Rocking Fox Radio, bringing his passion for music and his own distinctive perspective to the airwaves every week.

For National Album Day, Jonathan has selected Bob Dylan’s 1976 album Desire, a record that holds a particularly special place in his musical journey.

Rather than simply choosing one of Dylan’s most universally acclaimed albums, Jonathan explains why Desire remains his personal favourite, almost half a century after its release.

Jonathan explains his choice:

Earlier this year, I was fortunate enough to see a band assembled by singer-songwriter David Ford perform the whole of Bob Dylan’s “Desire” album. That band included Rob Stoner on Bass and Scarlet Rivera on violin, both of whom had recorded with Dylan and played in the legendary Rolling Thunder Revue band.
It was a wonderful evening, Ford and the band reminding me and a full house at Camden’s Dingwalls venue why we love “Desire” so much.

Everybody in that room would have had their different reasons. Mine? Well, “Desire” was the first Bob Dylan LP that I bought; I’d love to pretend that I rushed out and purchased “Highway 61 Revisited”, but I didn’t.

Thus “Desire” made an impact. At first, its sheer diversity was a little unsettling, as the impassioned narrative of “Hurricane” sat alongside the strangely exotic “Isis” and “Joey”, the 11-minute apparent glorification of a mobster. But this unsettling nature also drew me deeper into the album. I learned to love it for its uncompromising all-encompassing nature.

To this day, “Sara”, the most personal song on the record, still breaks my heart. Written about his soon-to-be ex-wife Sara, Bob’s not ready to let go, and it’s all there in this rare confessional from Dylan.

Though it is an album where every Dylan fan will have their favourite track; a Dylanologist friend of mine chooses “Black Diamond Bay”, whilst there are numerous cover versions of “One More Cup Of Coffee (Valley Below)”, one notably by Robert Plant.

“Desire” marked the beginning of my serious interest with Bob Dylan’s music. I still revisit the album; for all the Dylan-defining albums that preceded it which I have come to own and love, particularly “Blood On The Tracks”, “Desire” remains my Bob Dylan North Star.

Listen to Jonathan on The Taylor Manifesto

If you enjoy discovering the stories, influences and personal connections behind great music, make sure you tune in to Jonathan’s show on Rocking Fox Radio.

The Taylor Manifesto – Broadcast Times:

• Friday: 10pm
• Saturday: 2am (repeat)
• Monday: 9pm (repeat)

Dave ‘Lord’ Edney’s Iconic Album: Pulp – Different Class (1995)

Next up is Dave Edney — affectionately (and perhaps rather grandly!) known around these parts as ‘Lord’ Edney.

Dave is the presenter of The Whole Shebam, a much-loved Rocking Fox Radio show that’s currently taking a break. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that His Lordship will grace the airwaves with its return before too long!

For his National Album Day selection, Dave has chosen Different Class, the landmark 1995 album by Sheffield band Pulp.

Released at the height of the Britpop era, Different Class delivered some of the decade’s most memorable songs, including Common People, Disco 2000 and Sorted for E’s & Wizz.

But, as you might expect, Lord Edney has a few things to say about the whole Britpop phenomenon — and he’s certainly not holding back!

Lord Edney explains his choice:

“DIFFERENT CLASS” – Pulp
Pulp were a so-called “Britpop” band, another one of those annoying tags invented by music journalists with too much time on their hands. The two main protagonists of “Britpop” were of course Oasis & Blur but whilst they both were engaged in a verbal slanging match, Jarvis and co, far smarter than those two bands put together, quietly put out one of the finest albums of the decade. Stacked with great “pop” songs, Jarvis was/is one of the best observational lyricists with an acute attention to small detail coupled with a dry northern humour. Ironically, it was Damon Albarn who worshipped at the altar of Ray Davies, probably the best exponent of that style of writing but whilst Blur were issuing the rather disappointing “The Great Escape”, Pulp outsmarted them all with this 5-star album. “Different Class” indeed.

Will The Whole Shebam Return?

We certainly hope so!

Dave’s The Whole Shebam is currently on hiatus, but we’d love to welcome Lord Edney back behind the microphone at Rocking Fox Radio.

In the meantime, we’re delighted that he’s joined us for our National Album Day celebrations — and that his famously forthright musical opinions are alive and well!

What Makes an Album Truly Iconic?

Jonathan and Dave’s choices perfectly demonstrate why National Album Day is worth celebrating.

For Jonathan, Desire represents the beginning of a lifelong musical relationship with one of the world’s most influential songwriters. It’s an album woven into his own personal history.

For Dave, Different Class represents a band at the absolute peak of its creative powers, producing music that stood apart from the hype and rivalries surrounding the Britpop movement.

And that’s the beauty of music. An iconic album doesn’t necessarily have to be the biggest seller, the most critically acclaimed or the one that tops every greatest-albums list.

Sometimes, it’s simply the record that means the most to you.

What’s YOUR Iconic Album?

Now it’s your turn!

As we celebrate National Album Day 2026 and its Icons theme, we’d love to know which album you’d choose.

Is it a timeless classic from the 1960s or 1970s? A defining record from the 1980s? Something from the Britpop years? Or perhaps an album that deserves far more recognition than it received?

Whatever your choice, we’d love to hear about it.

Because here at Rocking Fox Radio, we believe great music deserves to be celebrated, shared and, most importantly, heard.

Happy National Album Day from everyone at Rocking Fox Radio!