Those rare albums that are great on first listen.

A little late to the party. I concur with many of the records mentioned already. Here are a few more that did it for me. There are many albums that captured me the first time I heard them, but the following still grab my attention listening with much, much better gear.

Cat Stevens: Tea for the Tillerman

Bruce Cockburn: Dancing in the Dragon’s Jaws

Cassandra Wilson: Blue Light ‘til Dawn

Lorde: Te Ao Marama (a companion piece to Solar Power. The EP is sung entirely in Te Reo Maori - remarkable)

Beyonce: act ii - perhaps the best pop album in a decade

I forgot this one...Yes...

Cat Stevens: Tea for the Tillerman

@rocketnj  ++1 The Final Cut. 

The reason why you like music the more you listen to it is called neuroplasticity. The reason why you like an album or a song right off the bat is because it reminded you of something that you liked already. The reason why we audiophiles like our own sound systems is because we listen to it so often and enjoy it. 

Steely Dan "Aja"
Grover Washington Jr. "Soul Box"
Chris Botti "When I fall in Love"

Lots of excellent choices and quite a few out of my “comfort zone” even though I have an eclectic taste in music. 
 

I have probably gleamed at least a dozen album titles from people’s recommendations that I am going to gather for headphone/2.1 stereo listening. 
 

it is always good to expand your horizons. Great topic.