Great Union Day (Romanian: Ziua Marii Uniri, also called Unification Day or National Day) is a national holiday in Romania, celebrated on 1 December, marking the unification of Transylvania, Bessarabia, and Bukovina with the Romanian Kingdom in 1918, something that is known as the Great Union.

To mark this event, I’ve decided to write about 30 of the best albums that I’ve featured in my records section of the site over the years. This is not a top and it’s definitely incomplete, with many great albums (even masterpieces) not making the short list. I’ve also tried (and barely managed) to show only one album from each artist, but feel free to dig deeper into the discography of any of these and you won’t be disappointed. There are also some good albums and great artists missing from the list, but that’s because I thought late of this article and could feature only albums released on vinyl. Maybe next year I’ll dive into my CD collection, but I doubt I’ll be able to keep it below 30 albums. Lucky if I’ll keep it below 100.

The classics

These albums don’t need any introduction. Written, performed and recorded by well-renown artists who made a big mark in the Romanian music industry. They are the best from their respective artists, although in some situations it was a bit hard to pick only one.

Nicu Alifantis — Piața Romană Nr. 9

1988 - LP

Alexandru Andrieș — Vreme Rea

2000 - LP

Mircea Baniciu — Tristeți Provinciale

1981 - LP, Signed

Cargo — Povestiri Din Gară

1993, Reissue, Yellow Cover - LP

Celelalte Cuvinte — Celelalte Cuvinte

1987 - LP, Signed

Direcția 5 — Seducție

1993 - LP

Fanfare Ciocărlia — Best Of Gypsy Brass

2009 - LP

Rodion G.A. — Rozalia

2018 - LP, Signed

Sarmalele Reci — Țara Te Vrea Prost

1995 (2021 Re-release) - LP, Signed

Victor Socaciu — Căruța cu Flori

1981 - LP

Valeriu Sterian — Antirăzboinică

1979 - LP

Sfinx — Sfinx

1984 - LP

Timpuri Noi — Timpuri Noi

1992 - LP, Signed

Mircea Vintilă — Peripeții Noi

1984 - LP, Signed

The contemporary

These are not classics yet because they didn’t cross the 30 year mark since their debut (or they are very close to it). These are brilliant artists, with countless albums, concerts and great accomplishments behind them. Spliced between them, there are also some artists who are either in the early stages of their career, or have a lot of experience and got together under new names, but with the same level of awesome quality.

Bitză — Sevraj

2004 - LP

Byron — ALTOrchestra

2023 - 2xLP

Cheloo — Sindromul Tourette

2003 - LP, Limited Edition, Numbered. 244/500

Coma — Orizont

2016 - LP, Signed

Dora Gaitanovici — Descântec

2023 - LP // CD, Signed

Golan — I

2021 - 2xLP, White, Limited Edition

Grasu XXL — Drumul Spre Succes

LP, Picture - 2016

Iglu — Stasis

2019 - LP

Iordache — Garden Beast

- LP, Limited Edition: 100

K Not K — Soundtrack for a Game of Chess

2015 - LP, Limited Edition, 25 handnumbered copies Silk-screen printed cover 02/25

Karpov Not Kasparov now named as “K not K”

Luna Amară — Aproape

2016 (2023 Re-release) - LP

Alina Manole — Live Session 2020

2020 - LP + CD, Signed

The Mono Jacks — Ușor Distorsionat

2017 - Vinyl

Om La Lună — În caz de om la lună, strigați "om la lună stânga/dreapta", după caz

2021 (2023 Re-release) - 2xLP, Limited Edition, Signed

Omul Cu Șobolani — 20 De Ani - OCS2.0

2017 - 2xLP, Gatefold

Paulina — Prin Lume

2022 - LP

Robin And The Backstabbers — Bacovia Overdrive vol III: Vladivostok

2019 (2022 Re-release) - LP, Silver

Țapinarii — Fericirea e un lucru mărunt

2021 (2023 Re-issue) - LP, Green, Limited Edition, Numbered, 393/500, Re-issue

The quirks

No list would be complete without a bonus or an encore, and I’ve decided to add here two of my favourite discs, one is a recording of my favourite poet reciting his poems, the other is my favourite kids’ story.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry — Micul Prinț

1971 / 1984 - 10" / LP

Nichita Stănescu — O Recitare

1981 - LP