Hall Of Fame 68
The punishing primal scream of PJ Harvey’s Rid of Me
Harvey's second album was the sound of a band at full strength, and on the verge of collapse.
Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back changed the shape of hip-hop
When this album dropped in 1988, hip-hop would never be the same.
Pulp’s This Is Hardcore is still a shattering piece of work after 20 years
The album that killed Britpop loses none of its bite after two decades.
Iron Maiden’s Seventh Son of a Seventh Son is the band at their leanest, most focused
A look back at an iconic metal classic on its 30th anniversary.
The audacious comeback of Leonard Cohen’s I’m Your Man
Only under the right circumstances will Cohen's 1988 masterpiece reveal itself to you.
Stars of the Lid’s ‘The Ballasted Orchestra’ bridged Twin Peaks’ 26-year gap
How an imaginary soundtrack became inextricably connected to the series' second coming
Björk achieved peak poignancy and innovation with 1997′s Homogenic
Released in the middle of her career, <i>Homogenic</i> found Björk reaching an artistic peak.
The Birthday Party’s Junkyard turned post-punk upside down
Nick Cave and company's most triumphantly turbulent moment, 35 years later.
Can we talk for a minute about Donna Summer’s “Last Dance”?
A look back at a remarkable moment in disco.
Revenge and Guilt: Elvis Costello’s My Aim Is True at 40
Revisiting an auspicious debut and the genius introduction to one of rock's greatest songwriters.
Company Flow’s ‘Funcrusher Plus’ was an epochal, inimitable debut
A look back at an underground hip-hop catalyst on its 20th anniversary.
The heart of The Beatles’ ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ is still beating
We've got to admit it's getting better all the time.
Ice Cube’s AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted was a pivotal cry for social justice
After NWA, Ice Cube took a step in an entirely new direction.
Yo La Tengo’s I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One set a benchmark in indie rock
At 20, the New Jersey trio's classic album remains a high water mark for indie rock.
Atari Teenage Riot’s Burn, Berlin, Burn! started a digital hardcore riot
The German trio's U.S. compilation might have been the most punk album of the '90s.
Elliott Smith’s either/or is a statement of artistic freedom and cautious optimism
There's real emotion on Elliott Smith's landmark 1997 album; there's also a musical genius having fun.
Heatmiser’s ‘Mic City Sons’ built a bridge to Elliott Smith’s solo albums
How an ending for an underrated band segued into the rise of a great solo artist.
Nebraska: How Suicide influenced Bruce Springsteen’s dark masterpiece
At the peak of Bruce Springsteen‘s Born in the U.S.A. fame in 1984, he appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone, clad in signature denim and leather, and a red bandana wrapped around his forehead. He looked every bit the rock star behind the year’s best-selling album, and over time eventually sold 15 million copies […]
How Jay Z’s Reasonable Doubt launched a hip-hop legacy
“Who do you think you are? Baby one day, you’ll be a star…” Jay Z began his rapping career in the late ’80s, but it took a long time before he’d garner the attention of any labels. Here was a kid from Brooklyn’s Marcy Gardens Projects who dealt drugs for a living and sold his […]
Hall of Fame: David Bowie’s Station to Station
A look back at an innovative transitional album on its 40th anniversary.