The (modified) RS 500

It's impossible to create a definitive list, especially a rank-based one, that will satisfy everyone. As soon as one begins to rattle off album titles, even those that seem like obvious inclusions, another will have an argument against including them over their own personal favorites or those they feel are most worthy. With this in mind, it wasn't really a bad idea for Rolling Stone magazine to attempt to create a comprehensive list by surveying a wide range of artists and notable people from within the industry. That was in 2003. If that list was a distillation of a stack of ballots or lists submitted by the experts who were invited to participate, it would stand to reason such a list may not need revision as soon as 9 years later (and most definitely not a second revision only 8 years after the first), yet in 2020, the magazine famously did just that. While there is an argument that the 18 years that have passed since the original list was published have certainly produced albums worthy of inclusion, or at least consideration, to be among the 500 best of all time, the most recent list feels, at times, like a pandering over-correction, especially from different generational perspectives. However, each version of the list is the result of the votes cast by the participants. If ballots are distributed primarily to Boomers, for example, the list of 500 will be entirely different than one that would be created primarily by Millennials. 

With this in mind, and because I was curious to compare the three versions of RS's 500 lists, I decided to undertake a personal project and experiment to see if it affected the emotional response elicited by comparing the rankings themselves (rather than the more appropriate discussion of which albums should be included among the best 500 regardless of ranking), and I found that looking at the list without numbers, re-arranged alphabetically and chronologically by artist and album, definitely made for a different experience. To continue to play with the idea, I decided to combine all three versions of the list into one (without rankings) and then narrow that list down to 500 albums based on my own opinions and arguments, which already makes my own list flawed and subjective to be sure, but I still used the published RS lists as a foundation and made changes from there. 

To get to the point, scroll down to view my own personal take on the Rolling Stone 500 list. As for the nerdy details about how I made it (for music junkies like myself who may be interested in my process), to narrow the "master list" down to 500, I first removed all compilation albums (not proper LPs), and then removed albums that I personally did not feel were worthy of inclusion, especially compared to other albums that were not present and were more than deserving. That last stage became the hardest because the 500 best albums from the combined Rolling Stone lists was already very strong, but there were still about 30 albums that I could not leave off the list, requiring I remove that many from the existing list to keep the number at an even 500. While most of those cuts were very difficult calls to make, and while there are many arguments for dropping something else in lieu of some that I chose to remove, I feel this is a much stronger, better, and well-rounded list that takes the focus away from which albums are "better" than the others among the 500 best and avoids overlooking some of the strongest rock albums of the last 30 years. While I did remove some of the 21st century pop-based albums that I don't feel have yet had enough time to make such a significant historical impact (or were arguably undeserving, at least by comparison), I decided to avoid fighting the idea of dropping a few of the '80s pop contributions and albums by the jazz greats among the list as most of them have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, either as performers or as early influences, and that carries weight. However, I didn't realize until this late in the process that I hadn't considered the idea of a list of all-time great albums (period) or whether the list intends to focus on the 500 greatest Rock and Roll albums, specifically (though, in fairness, both of those lists would still be very, very similar). In either case, I feel the list I ended up with appropriately surveys at least the best LPs of the last 70 years if not 100 or more, rock or otherwise.

Having said all that, and without further ado, I present my personal variant of the RS 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

The MODIFIED RS 500

2 Pac-All Eyez on Me

50 Cent-Get Rich or Die Tryin’

AC/DC-Highway to Hell

AC/DC-Back in Black

Aerosmith-Toys in the Attic

Aerosmith-Rocks

Alice in Chains-Facelift

Alice in Chains-Dirt

The Allman Brothers Band-At Fillmore East

Tori Amos-Little Earthquakes

Fiona Apple-When the Pawn…

Arcade Fire-Funeral

Arctic Monkeys-Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not

Audioslave-Audioslave

Eric B. & Rakim-Paid in Full

The B-52’s-The B-52’s

Erykah Badu-Baduizm

The Band-The Band

The Band-Music from Big Pink

The Beach Boys-Pet Sounds

The Beach Boys-Smile

Beastie Boys-Licensed to Ill

Beastie Boys-Paul’s Boutique

Beastie Boys-Check Your Head

Beastie Boys-Ill Communication

The Beatles-Please Please Me

The Beatles-With the Beatles/Meet the Beatles

The Beatles-A Hard Day’s Night

The Beatles-Help!

The Beatles-Rubber Soul

The Beatles-Revolver

The Beatles-Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

The Beatles-The Beatles (white album)

The Beatles-Let It Be

The Beatles-Abbey Road

Beck-Odelay

Beck-Sea Change

Big Brother and the Holding Company-Cheap Thrills

Big Star-#1 Record

Bjork-Post

Bjork-Homogenic

Black Flag-Damaged

Black Sabbath-Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath-Paranoid

Black Sabbath-Master of Reality

Bobby “Blue” Bland-Two Steps from the Blues

Blondie-Blondie

Blondie-Parallel Lines

Blur-Parklife

Bo Diddley-Bo Diddley

Bon Iver-For Emma, Forever Ago

Boogie Down Productions-Criminal Minded

Boston-Boston

David Bowie-Hunky Dory

David Bowie-The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

David Bowie-Station to Station

David Bowie-Scary Monsters

The Breeders-Last Splash

James Brown-Live at the Apollo

James Brown-Sex Machine

Jackson Browne-The Pretender

Jeff Buckley-Grace

Buffalo Springfield-Buffalo Springfield Again

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band-The Paul Butterfield Blues Band

The Byrds-Mr. Tambourine Man

The Byrds-Sweetheart of the Rodeo

Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band-Trout Mask Replica

The Cars-The Cars

Johnny Cash-At Folsom Prison

Johnny Cash-American Recordings

Ray Charles-The Genius of Ray Charles

Ray Charles-Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music

Tracy Chapman-Tracy Chapman

Cheap Trick-In Color

Cheap Trick-At Budokan

Chic-Risqué

Eric Clapton-461 Ocean Boulevard

Eric Clapton-Slowhand

The Clash-The Clash

The Clash-London Calling

Jimmy Cliff-The Harder They Come (sdtk)

Leonard Cohen-Songs of Leonard Cohen

Coldplay-A Rush of Blood to the Head

John Coltrane-A Love Supreme

Sam Cooke-Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963

Alice Cooper-Love It to Death

Elvis Costello-My Aim Is True

Elvis Costello-This Year’s Model

Creedence Clearwater Revival-Green River

Creedence Clearwater Revival-Willy and the Poor Boys

Creedence Clearwater Revival-Cosmo’s Factory

Cream-Disraeli Gears

Cream-Wheels of Fire

The Crickets-The Chirping Crickets

Crosby, Stills & Nash-Crosby, Stills & Nash

Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young-Déjà vu

Sheryl Crow-Sheryl Crow

The Cure-Boys Don’t Cry

The Cure-Disintegration

Daft Punk-Discovery

Daft Punk-Random Access Memories

Miles Davis-Kind of Blue

Miles Davis-Bitches Brew

De La Soul-Three Feet High and Rising

Dead Kennedys-Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables

The Dead Weather-Sea of Cowards

Def Leppard-Pyromania

Def Leppard-Hysteria

Deftones-White Pony

Depeche Mode-Violator

Derek and the Dominos-Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs

Devo-Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo

Devo-Freedom of Choice

Dire Straits-Brothers in Arms

DJ Shadow-Entroducing…..

The Doors-The Doors

The Doors-Strange Days

The Doors-L.A. Woman

Nick Drake-Pink Moon

Dr. Dre-The Chronic

Dr. John-Gris-Gris

Bob Dylan-The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan-Bringing It All Back Home

Bob Dylan-Highway 61 Revisited

Bob Dylan-Blonde on Blonde

Bob Dylan-Desire

Bob Dylan-Blood on the Tracks

Bob Dylan-Time Out of Mind

Earth, Wind & Fire-That’s the Way of the World

Eagles-Hotel California

Echo and the Bunnymen-Heaven Up Here

Eminem-The Slim Shady LP

Eminem-The Marshall Mathers LP

Brian Eno-Here Come the Warm Jets

EPMD-Strictly Business

Eurythmics-Touch

Faith No More-Angel Dust

The Flaming Lips-The Soft Bulletin

Fleetwood Mac-Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac-Rumors

Folkways Anthology of American Folk Music

Foo Fighters-The Colour and the Shape

The Four Tops-Reach Out

Aretha Franklin-I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

Aretha Franklin-Lady Soul

Fugees-The Score

Funkadelic-Maggot Brain

Funkadelic-One Nation Under a Groove

Peter Gabriel-So

Gang of Four-Entertainment!

Marvin Gaye-What’s Going On

Marvin Gaye-Let’s Get It On

Ghostface KIllah-Supreme Clientele

Gnarls Barkley-St. Elsewhere

The Go Go’s-Beauty and the Beat

Gorillaz-Plastic Beach

Grateful Dead-Anthem of the Sun

Grateful Dead-Live Dead

Grateful Dead-Workingman’s Dead

Grateful Dead-American Beauty

Al Green-I’m Still in Love with You

Al Green-Call Me

Green Day-Dookie

Green Day-American Idiot

Guns N’ Roses-Appetite for Destruction

Guns N’ Roses-Use Your Illusion (I & II)

GZA-Liquid Swords

Merle Haggard-Branded Man

Herbie Hancock-Head Hunters

George Harrison-All Things Must Pass

PJ Harvey-Rid of Me

PJ Harvey-To Bring You My Love

Isaac Hayes-Hot Buttered Soul

The Jimi Hendrix Experience-Are You Experienced?

The Jimi Hendrix Experience-Axis: Bold as Love

The Jimi Hendrix Experience-Electric Ladyland

Don Henley-The End of the Innocence

Lauryn Hill-The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Hole-Live Through This

Billie Holiday-Lady in Satin

Whitney Houston-Whitney Houston

Howlin’ Wolf-Moanin’ in the Moonlight

Howlin’ Wolf-Howlin’ Wolf

Husker Du-New Day Rising

Ice Cube-Amerikkka’s Most Wanted

The Isley Brothers-3+3

J Dilla-Donuts

Janet Jackson-Control

Janet Jackson-Rhythm Nation 1814

Michael Jackson-Thriller

Michael Jackson-Bad

Etta James-At Last!

Jane’s Addiction-Nothing’s Shocking

Jane’s Addiction-Ritual de lo Habitual

Jay-Z-The Blueprint

Jay-Z-The Black Album

Jefferson Airplane-Surrealistic Pillow

Jefferson Airplane-Volunteers

The Jesus and Mary Chain-Psychocandy

Jethro Tull-Aqualung

Billy Joel-The Stranger

Billy Joel-52^nd Street

Elton John-Honky Chateau

Elton John-Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Elton John-Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy

Janis Joplin-Pearl

Joy Division-Unknown Pleasures

Kid Cudi-Man on the Moon: The End of the Day

Albert King-Born Under a Bad Sign

B.B. King-Live at the Regal

Carole King-Tapestry

King Crimson-In the Court of the Crimson King

The Kinks-Something Else

The Kinks-The Village Green Preservation Society

Kiss-Destroyer

Kiss-Alive!

Korn-Korn

Kraftwerk-Trans-Europe Express

Fela Kuti-Expensive Shit

Labelle-Nightbirds

Kendrick Lamar-To Pimp a Butterfly

Cyndi Lauper-She’s So Unusual

LCD Soundsystem-Sound of Silver

Led Zeppelin-I

Led Zeppelin-II

Led Zeppelin-IV

Led Zeppelin-Houses of the Holy

Led Zeppelin-Physical Graffiti

John Lennon-Plastic Ono Band

John Lennon-Imagine

Little Richard-Here’s Little Richard

LL Cool J-Radio

Los Lobos-How Will the Wolf Survive?

Love-Forever Changes

Loretta Lynn-Coal Miner’s Daughter

Lynyrd Skynyrd-Pronounced ‘Leh-‘nerd ‘Skin-‘nerd

Madonna-Like a Prayer

Madvillain-Madvillainy

The Mamas and the Papas-If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears

(Bob Marley and) The Wailers-Burnin’

Bob Marley and The Wailers-Natty Dread

Bob Marley and The Wailers-Exodus

The Mars Volta-Frances the Mute

Massive Attack-Blue Lines

John Mayall-Blues Breakers

Curtis Mayfield-Curtis

Curtis Mayfield-Superfly

The MC5-Kick Out the Jams

The MC5-Back in the USA

Paul & Linda McCartney-Ram

Meat Loaf-Bat Out of Hell

Metallica-Master of Puppets

Metallica-Metallica (the black album)

The Meters-Look-Ka Py-Py

MGMT-Oracular Spectacular

MGMT-Congratulations

M.I.A.-Arular

Steve Miller Band-Fly Like an Eagle

Charles Mingus-Mingus Ah Um

The Minutemen-Double Nickels on the Dime

The Miracles-Going to a Go-Go

Joni Mitchell-Blue

Joni Mitchell-Court and Spark

Moby-Play

The Modern Lovers-The Modern Lovers

Alanis Morissette-Jagged Little Pill

Van Morrison-Astral Weeks

Van Morrison-Moondance

The Mothers of Invention-Freak Out!

The Mothers of Invention-We’re Only in It for the Money

Motorhead-Ace of Spades

Mott the Hoople-All the Young Dudes

Mr. Bungle-California

My Bloody Valentine-Loveless

My Morning Jacket-Z

Nas-Illmatic

Willie Nelson-Red Headed Stranger

Willie Nelson-Stardust

New Order-Power, Corruption & Lies

New York Dolls-New York Dolls

Randy Newman-Good Old Boys

Harry Nilsson-Nilsson Schmilson

Nine Inch Nails-Pretty Hate Machine

Nine Inch Nails-The Downward Spiral

Nirvana-Nevermind

Nirvana-In Utero

Nirvana-Unplugged in New York

No Doubt-Tragic Kingdom

The Notorious B.I.G.-Ready to Die

Nuggets (v/a)

N.W.A.-Straight Outta Compton

Laura Nyro-Eli and the 13^th Confession

Sinead O’Connor-I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got

The O’Jays-Back Stabbers

Oasis-Definitely Maybe

Oasis-Morning Glory

The Offspring-Smash

Outkast-Aquemini

Outkast-Stankonia

Outkast-Speakerboxxx/The Love Below

Pantera-Vulgar Display of Power

Parliament-The Mothership Connection

Gram Parsons-Grievous Angel

Pavement-Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain

Pearl Jam-Ten

Pearl Jam-Vs.

Pearl Jam-Vitalogy

A Perfect Circle-Mer de Noms

Pet Shop Boys-Actually

Phil Spector-A Christmas Gift for You

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers-Damn the Torpedoes

Tom Petty-Full Moon Fever

Tom Petty-Wildflowers

Liz Phair-Exile in Guyville

The Pharcyde-Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde

Pink Floyd-Piper at the Gates of Dawn

Pink Floyd-Meddle

Pink Floyd-The Dark Side of the Moon

Pink Floyd-Wish You Were Here

Pink Floyd-The Wall

Pink Floyd-The Division Bell

Pixies-Surfer Rosa

Pixies-Doolittle

The Pogues-Rum Sodomy and The Lash

The Police-Outlandos D’Amour

The Police-Ghost in the Machine

The Police-Synchronicity

Portishead-Dummy

Elvis Presley-Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley-From Elvis in Memphis

The Pretenders-Pretenders

Primus-Sailing the Seas of Cheese

Prince-1999

Prince & The Revolution-Purple Rain

Prince-Sign O’ the Times

John Prine-John Prine

Public Enemy-It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

Public Enemy-Fear of a Black Planet

Public Image Ltd.-Metal Box

Queen-A Night at the Opera

Queens of the Stone Age-Rated R

Queens of the Stone Age-Songs for the Deaf

Quicksilver Messenger Service-Happy Trails

Radiohead-The Bends

Radiohead-OK Computer

Radiohead-Kid A

Radiohead-Amnesiac

Radiohead-In Rainbows

Raekwon-Only Built 4 Cuban Linx

Rage Against the Machine-Rage Against the Machine

Rage Against the Machine-The Battle of Los Angeles

Bonnie Raitt-Nick of Time

Ramones-Ramones

Ramones-Rocket to Russia

Red Hot Chili Peppers-Blood Sugar Sex Magik

Red Hot Chili Peppers-Californication

Red Hot Chili Peppers-Stadium Arcadium

Otis Redding-Dictionary of Soul

Otis Redding-Otis Blue

Lou Reed-Transformer

Lou Reed-Berlin

R.E.M.-Murmur

R.E.M.-Document

R.E.M.-Automatic for the People

R.E.M.-Monster

The Replacements-Tim

The Replacements-Let It Be

The Rolling Stones-Out of Our Heads

The Rolling Stones-Aftermath

The Rolling Stones-Beggars Banquet

The Rolling Stones-Let It Bleed

The Rolling Stones-Sticky Fingers

The Rolling Stones-Exile on Main Street

The Rolling Stones-Some Girls

The Rolling Stones-Tattoo You

The Ronettes-Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes

Linda Ronstadt-Heart Like a Wheel

The Roots-Things Fall Apart

Diana Ross-Diana

Roxy Music-Avalon

Rufus-Ask Rufus

Run-DMC-Run-DMC

Run-DMC-Raising Hell

Todd Rundgren-Something/Anything?

Rush-Moving Pictures

Sade-Diamond Life

Santana-Santana

Santana-Abraxas

Saturday Night Fever-sdtk/VA

The Sex Pistols-Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols

Simon & Garfunkel-Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme

Simon & Garfunkel-Bookends

Simon & Garfunkel-Bridge over Troubled Water

Paul Simon-Paul Simon

Paul Simon-Graceland

Nina Simone-Wild Is the Wind

Frank Sinatra-Songs for Swingin’ Lovers!

Frank Sinatra-In the Wee Small Hours

Sleater-Kinney-Dig Me Out

The Slits-Cut

Sly & The Family Stone-Stand!

Sly & The Family Stone-There’s a Riot Goin’ On

Smashing Pumpkins-Siamese Dream

Smashing Pumpkins-Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

Elliot Smith-Either/Or

Patti Smith-Horses

The Smiths-The Queen Is Dead

Snoop Doggy Dogg-Doggystyle

Sonic Youth-Daydream Nation

Sonic Youth-Goo

Soundgarden-Badmotorfinger

Soundgarden-Superunkown

Sparks-Kimono My House

Dusty Springfield-Dusty in Memphis

Bruce Springsteen-Born to Run

Bruce Springsteen-Nebraska

Bruce Springsteen-Born in the U.S.A.

Bruce Springsteen-Tunnel of Love

Steely Dan-Can’t Buy a Thrill

Steely Dan-Aja

Cat Stevens-Tea for the Tillerman

Rod Stewart-Every Picture Tells a Story

The Stone Roses-The Stone Roses

Stone Temple Pilots-Core

Stone Temple Pilots-Purple

The Stooges-The Stooges

The Stooges-Fun House

The Stooges-Raw Power

The Strokes-Is This It?

Sublime-40 oz. to Freedom

System of a Down-Toxicity

Donna Summer-Bad Girls

T. Rex-Electric Warrior

Talking Heads-‘77

Talking Heads-More Songs About Buildings and Food

Talking Heads-Remain in Light

Talking Heads-Stop Making Sense

James Taylor-Sweet Baby James

Television-Marquee Moon

Temple of the Dog-Temple of the Dog

Them Crooked Vultures-Them Crooked Vultures

They Might Be Giants-Flood

Tool-Aemima

Tool-10,000 Days

Toots and the Maytals-Funky Kingston

A Tribe Called Quest-The Low-End Theory

A Tribe Called Quest-Midnight Marauders

U2-War

U2-The Joshua Tree

U2-Achtung Baby

Vampire Weekend-Vampire Weekend

Van Halen-Van Halen

Van Halen-1984

The Velvet Underground-The Velvet Underground and Nico

The Velvet Underground-White Light/White Heat

The Velvet Underground-Loaded

Tom Waits-Rain Dogs

Tom Waits-Mule Variations

War-The World Is a Ghetto

Muddy Waters-At Newport 1960

Muddy Waters-Folk Singer

Ween-Chocolate and Cheese

Weezer-Weezer (blue album)

Weezer-Pinkerton

Kanye West-The College Dropout

Kanye West-Late Registration

Kanye West-My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Kanye West-Yeezus

Barry White-Can’t Get Enough

The White Stripes-White Blood Cells

The White Stripes-Elephant

The Who-Tommy

The Who-Live at Leeds

The Who-Who’s Next

The Who-Quadrophenia

Wilco-Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Lucinda Williams-Car Wheels on a Gravel Road

Brian Wilson-Smile

Amy Winehouse-Back to Black

Wings-Band on the Run

Wire-Pink Flag

Bill Withers-Just as I Am

Bill Withers-Still Bill

Stevie Wonder-Innervisions

Stevie Wonder-Songs in the Key of Life

Stevie Wonder-Talking Book

Wu-Tang Clan-Enter the Wu-Tang

X-Los Angeles

Weird Al Yankovic-Dare to Be Stupid

The Yardbirds-Having a Rave Up with the Yardbirds

The Yardbirds-Roger the Engineer

Yeah Yeah Yeahs-Fever to Tell

Yes-Close to the Edge

Neil Young-Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

Neil Young-After the Gold Rush

Neil Young-Harvest

Neil Young-Rust Never Sleeps

The Zombies-Odyssey and Oracle

ZZ Top-Tres Hombres

ZZ Top-Eliminator

A Final Rant about the 2021 Grammy Awards

 

A week out from the most recent forgettable TV spectacle known as the 2021 Grammy Awards, the supposed controversies have already fizzled away, and even those who watched would be challenged to remember perhaps more than one award winner. Moving beyond the larger discussion of whether such an annual awards event is relevant or even necessary at this stage, it’s truly clear that some sort of cultural torch has been passed and that if a viewer is on one side of that line vs. the other, they may find they are not only bored by the modern Grammys but that they may have never even heard of any of the nominees or performers. Like, at all. 

The show itself was nothing like traditional Grammy Awards of years past. In the span of just one year, seemingly, the show has suddenly morphed into what is now essentially a next-gen version of the MTV Video Music Awards (and I’m not talking about the better ones from the ‘90s, when the Grammys themselves were a downright stuffy affair by comparison). For those who didn’t see the Grammy broadcast last Sunday, it would be like turning on The Academy Awards and finding they’ve decided to make the show look and feel more like The Kids’ Choice Awards on Nickelodeon or something. Nothing about the 2021 Grammys spoke to the average viewer over the age of 30 (if even that old). The few awards that were presented were an afterthought and nearly every on-air award winner accepted awkwardly and was both difficult and uninteresting to watch in most cases.

Also like the VMAs, while many categories still exist, fewer and fewer awards are given out on air, to the point where this year’s TV show may have featured only 9 or 10, in total. Aside from H.E.R.’s Song of the Year win for the anthemic, “I Can’t Breathe,” most of the televised awards went to pop and pop-leaning artists in the R&B, hip hop, and country realms. Not only were no rock categories mentioned on TV, it was notable there were also no rock artists included in the running for the Best New Artist award either. Within the rock-based categories, and many others, it felt like the Academy attempted to over-correct for lack of diversity in recent years by seemingly recognizing women and people of color to such a degree it almost comes across as patronizing more than honest (much like the revised Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list from last year). For the handful of rock fans, or even just music listeners who take the experience somewhat seriously, here is a quick run-down of the more significant award winners from this year (not that they were mentioned on TV):

Traditional pop vocal album-James Taylor American Standard

Rock performance-Fiona Apple-“Shameika”

*(all nominees were women or women-fronted)

Metal performance-Body Count-“Bum-Rush”

(Body Count put out a record last year??)

Rock song-Brittany Howard “Stay High”

(all nominees but Tame Impala were women)

Rock album-The Strokes-The New Abnormal

(Strugil Simpson was also nominated, but he’s a country artist)

Alternative album-Fiona Apple-Fetch the Bolt Cutters

(Beck and Tame Impala also nominated)

Progressive R&B album-Thundercat-It Is What It Is

R&B album-John Legend-Bigger Love

Rap album-Nas-King’s Disease

(Detroit’s own Royce da 5’9’’ was also nominated)

New age album-Jim “Kimo” West-More Guitar Stories

(Weird Al Yankovic’s long time guitarist is finally recognized for his instrumental solo work!)

*The late Chick Corea won Best improvised Jazz Solo and Best Jazz Instrumental Album

Contemporary Christian Music Album-Kanye West-Jesus Is King

(If ever the winner of a specific award was ever more surprising…)

American Roots performance AND American roots song-John Prine-I Remember Everything

Reggae album-Toots & The Maytals-Got to Be Tough

Musical Theater Album-Jagged Little Pill (original Broadway cast)

Best song written for visual media-Billie Eilish-“No Time to Die”

(the movie this is from is still not out yet…)

Best recording package-Desert Sessions vol. 11 & 12

Best boxed or special limited-edition package-Wilco-Ode to Joy

Best Album notes-The Replacements-Dead Man’s Pop

Best Engineered album. Non-classical-Beck-Hyperspace

Best music film-Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice

As has been the case for many years now, the performances get all the attention, and since the awards hardly seem to matter anyway, perhaps the Academy should just post a list of the awards online (like they already do the day after the broadcast) and have a show of only live performances. Maybe the list can be posted a day or a week before the show so the acts who are performing can be introduced with info about what they won? Another idea could be to have two separate shows, one on Saturday of awards and one on Sunday of performances which could divide the audience in some cases but might also lead to an overall increase in viewership between the two programs.

To be fair, this year’s broadcast did feature a respectful and well-toned In Memoriam segment with tributes from Brittany Howard, Brandi Carlile, Lionel Richie, and Bruno Mars, among others. That portion, however, was the only thing that felt even half-classy about the show. For all the fuss that was made about a few particularly over-the-top performances, most notably from Megan Thee Stallion & Cardi B., the show itself, as a whole, was simply more boring and forgettable than it was provocative or significant in any way.

Foo Fighters-Medicine at Midnight Album Review

The Foo Fighters' 10^th LP, Medicine at Midnight, has been out for about a month now, and dedicated and casual fans alike have had time to take in both the creative, experimental tracks as well as the traditional songs alike and have generally agreed it’s a solid record. Though I don’t always get to write about them as quickly as I’d like, as a big fan of the band for their entire 26-year existence, I really wanted to take a few minutes to write a bit about each song. However, since these articles often begin with grander ideas that end up taking me far longer than planned to execute, I am experimenting a bit myself in this review. Aside from this paragraph and the last, I will limit myself to only the length of each song to write a bit about it. If this method goes well, I may try it again, and if not, oh well. 😊

“Making a Fire”

The groovy intro leads into a surprising round of female backing vocals which is already completely new and different for the Foos (though they have collaborated here and there with plenty of other singers in the past). Producer, Greg Kurstin, who also produced the band’s previous LP, continues to add modern pop production techniques and gloss, not always to full tracks, but often to bits and pieces of songs, certain vocal or guitar parts, and other accents that repeat only periodically, leaving them less front-and-center and more a supporting addition to the traditional rock structures and changes in the verses and choruses. The bridge breaks down to a stomp and clap that feels almost like a brief gospel interlude before quickly returning to the safety of the chorus and the intro vocals one last time on the way out. Solid tune.   (Check out a cool live performance of it here)

“Shame Shame”

The album’s first single premiered on SNL in November and was the introduction to this new album era (after the band’s scrapped 25^th anniversary celebration in 2020 re-focused them on moving forward with new material rather than sitting on it until whenever the hell the pandemic may end). This one is a bold choice for a lead single because it is non-traditional compared to most Foo albums with choppy dynamics and heavy, moody tones and changes throughout the song, highlighted by cello overdubs during the pre-choruses. More guest backing vocals here, but they blend better with Dave Grohl’s lead vocals compared to the first track. Within the context of the album, this song is good enough to keep things moving and offer both a break between two upper-tempo numbers and serves well as a lead-in to the rest of the record, not because the other songs sound the same but because it doesn’t hide the fact that the band are trying some different things this time around.  (watch a recent TV performance of the song here)

“Cloudspotter”

Another groovy mid-tempo song that picks up in the pre-chorus and finally all the way up to “full rock level” in the chorus. Great guitar work from Grohl, Chris Shiflett, and Pat Smear on this track, also aided by the solid mix, especially in the verses. As on “Making a Fire,” the band wisely balances out the less-traditional verses with a relatively familiar chorus and a heavy bridge/outro riff, dancing near the edge of metal as the band has done on occasion since it began. It might not quite work as a single, but this one is the most interesting song of the first three.  (watch a recent live performance here)

“Waiting on a War”

Immediately, this song stands out as the safest and all-around most traditional and predictable track on the album. That’s not to say it’s a bad song, and in fact the strings and production here are beautiful, and the sentiment of the song seems to be clear and accessible, but it feels too much like the obligatory ballad for radio to really fit in with the rest of the songs by comparison. We’ve heard a track like this from the Foos more than once in the past (songs like “Best of You,” “Times Like These,” and even their timeless-classic, “Everlong”), and if each of their albums needs one of those songs, I guess this one serves that purpose, but in spite of it being the second single, it isn’t all that representative of the album and it’s probably the least-memorable and least-interesting track on it. Having said that, the much heavier coda at the end of the track is both unexpected and very welcome.  (watch a recent TV performance here)

“Medicine at Midnight”

Yet another groovy intro and verse, this time with a bit of funk and some slinky, dark production on the guitar and keyboard flourishes. By time even the first chorus kicks in, the song feels only a step or two away from something more in the style of Leonard Cohen than most things Foo Fighters have recorded over the years, especially with the addition of the backing vocals. The vibe on this song carries a sorrowful reflection that evokes isolation or rumination on regret, adding weight and emotional depth to the album as it continues.

“No Son of Mine”

Probably the album’s most predictable and straight forward hard rock song (and arguably its best track), this one rocks right from the top and is full of a variety of plodding beats from drummer Taylor Hawkins and a bit of vocal distortion for Grohl recalling the bands harder-rocking tracks from the ‘90s. The guitars are layered deep and are often all playing the same riff, but that just adds to its power! It’s great to hear new songs that rock this hard when so little of this kind of rock seems to be part of the modern radio/cultural landscape.  (watch the official live music video here)

“Holding Poison”

Following the album’s hardest rocking moment, the band doesn’t let up too much here, but a fantastic harmony vocal on the chorus and in the second verse along with a spotlight on Shifflett and a new wave  keyboard turbo boost from Rami Jaffi, the newest full-time member of the band, bring elements of The Cars and maybe even a sprinkle of Weezer into this track, at least on the chorus. The bridge becomes a haunting choir moment with a rocking guitar solo over top, but the tempo remains consistent throughout the song, which itself also connects to the subjects in the lyrics. Excellent track!!

“Chasing Birds”

Recalling “Dirty Water” from Concrete and Gold, this much softer track is a far more enjoyable and creative quasi-ballad than “Waiting on a War” with a very dry drum production and a vocal and guitar mix that sounds like ‘70s AM gold a lot more than anything from the grunge or post-grunge eras. This very mellow and easy track may get a bit repetitious after several listens but does a good job of transitioning out of the two heaviest songs on the album and into the record’s conclusion.

“Love Dies Young”

The last track on the record blends traditional album-closers in theme and tone, somewhat recalling “Long Way Home” and “Walk,” with a disco-punk beat that might almost be more at home on a late ‘90s nu-metal song. Changes throughout the track keep it balanced and mixed with guitars that blend bits of The Cure and New Order one moment and U2 at others amid its punk overtones. This is another of the more experimental of the album’s songs, making them stand out a bit more as both an opener and a closer (while many in between are generally more traditional), which also leaves the listener with an impression that the record was maybe a bit varied than it actually is compared to the rest of the band’s catalog.

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Overall, it’s more than fair to say Medicine at Midnight is a very solid rock album that will probably stand out even more in 2021 since there is so little new rock of this kind being released on such a high level. This record is not the band’s best by any means, buy it may be their most interesting new music in about a decade, and it is a nice blend of both new and old sounds that offers enough variety to keep it engaging through its 9 songs in 36 minutes. These tracks should all fit in nicely along side the Foo Fighters’ greatest hits whenever they can be performed on stage again.

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The Top 5 Albums of 2020

In spite of everything else (which is a long list), 2020 still produced a considerable amount of notable new music from veteran artists, recent stars, and up-and-comers alike in all genres. The very nature of being exposed to and listening to new music has never been easier which has led to progressively eclectic tastes and category blurring among both listeners and artists. For many this year, music was a source of strength (or at least positive distraction), and in the case of new releases, fans had a date to look forward to when most other scheduled events were cancelled.

While many excellent albums featured several great musical moments, each had their weaker spots as well, making nothing that was new in 2020 completely flawless; it also makes the handful that stand out the most seem “closer” in ranking than in most previous years, where one could say a top three or top five, in no particular order, would still represent some of the best and most memorable songs and albums of 2020. Before diving into the very best of the year, it’s worth running down some of the other stand-out releases, focusing on the best and most-notable within most of rock’s major subgenres.

The classic rock world was blessed with excellent new records from Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, each recently charting high for streams, and Bob Dylan’s return added to his ridiculously deep catalog with more of his usual genius. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band recorded their critically acclaimed new LP, Letter to You, in only five days and dazzled recently on Saturday Night Live. One of the year’s biggest rock world surprises was Power Up, the return of AC/DC with Brian Johnson, Cliff Williams, and Phil Rudd all in tow (after each member slowly dropped off the tour for the band’s previous album, Rock or Bust, from 2014). The band long ago moved beyond honing their signature sound and now celebrates it in victory-lap fashion, much to the benefit of rock fans everywhere. This year also saw the return of original L.A. punks, X, a final and well-received album from Toots & The Maytals, released just weeks before the death of reggae legend, Toots Hibbert, and new music from the always-consistent Lucinda Williams also appeared on many best-of lists this year. The expanded reissue of Tom Petty’s Wildflowers adds another album’s worth of music to what was already a masterpiece (though even the 5 disc super deluxe box is still missing the studio version of “Girl on LSD”).

Among the prominent releases from other singer-songwriters are 2020 LPs by Sufjan Stevens, Jason Isbell, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, and Pavement’s Stephen Malkmus, continuing to build a large and diverse solo catalog. The quiet return of neo-folkies, Fleet Foxes, made an impression on many year-end lists as well. Modern fusion artists such as Tame Impala, Caribou, Thundercat, and Oneohtrix Point Never each continued to expand on their own sounds and tones while building a larger mainstream following with their new material. The Weeknd produced another set of strong pop-fusion crossover music and was recognized at most of the major awards shows while Margo Price continued to develop her style and sound and to set herself apart from her contemporaries in the world of modern country music. The strongest and most notable hip hop releases of the year included Run the Jewels’ 4^th self-titled album, featuring guests such as Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme and Rage Against the Machine’s Zach De La Rocha, and Music to Get Murdered By, the latest offering from Detroit’s own Eminem, recently re-released with a bonus disc of material that nearly doubles the length of the album.

Elsewhere, in the world of rock, alternative, and metal, new releases from Deftones and Fiona Apple were both well received by critics and fans alike, and Lamb of God returned after a 5-year break with a solid, heavy new record following some internal difficulties and the departure of original drummer, Chris Adler. Tool singer, Maynard James Keenan’s quasi-solo project, Puscifer, released their 4^th LP, Existential Reckoning, along with a PPV live performance which has slowly become a current fad in rock music with the ongoing inability for artists to tour. While solid in its own right and positively dripping with vintage synth textures, Keenan’s latest offering remains somewhat lukewarm, as was the return of A Perfect Circle after a lengthy hiatus a few years ago. Metallica’s official home release of their S&M2 concert (and their own PPV events) also offered a way to connect their fans and rock radio listeners to new live material without being able to tour.

Rising above all of these, and others, the year’s top five albums each feature veteran artists continuing to release new or updated material that comments on the state of the country and the world in these recent months and years. Whether or not these voices are still considered relevant or mainstream is beside the point. These artists have all proven themselves many times over throughout the years, and getting their take on modern life, and adding their tones and flavors to the current landscape of new and popular music, is worth noting and appreciating, especially because these albums are stronger than some by these same groups and because releasing and promoting new music this year was a challenge all its own in which these bands were each successful. In the years ahead, let the pages of rock history include the following among the best rock albums of 2020.

 

5. Gorillaz-Song Machine Season One: Strange Timez

The always entertaining Gorillaz returned with a new set this year that continued their tradition of heavy collaboration with known and up-and-coming artists while also finding new and engaging ways to release the songs, one at a time over the course of many months along with official music videos, collected along with a bonus disc of additional songs and released as the animated quartet’s latest LP. Gorillaz seemed to operate in waves this past decade with a solid, guest-heavy release followed by a less-focused, less-engaging album with fewer collaborations. Strange Timez is the former, and the potential for an additional set of more new material of this caliber in 2021 is an exciting prospect. Collaborations here include work with The Cure’s Robert Smith, Beck, St. Vincent, Elton John, and  New Order’s Peter Hook to name the highest profile guests, but vocalist/songwriter Damon Albarn (as always, providing the voice of cartoon bandleader, 2-D) continues to help to break lesser-known and emerging artists from around the world by featuring them on segments throughout the album. Musically, this version of Gorillaz is consistent in that it is always a fusion of all types of rock and world music, often leaning into electronic, psychedelic, and hip hop elements the most here, as they continue to exemplify the true meaning of alternative music in spite of the overuse of that label.

 

4. The Flaming Lips-American Head

Indie rock legends, The Flaming Lips, returned with their 16^th LP in September and also seized the opportunity to create official music videos for nearly every track over the course of the year in lieu of touring (though they have also been experimenting with performing live to an audience isolated in plastic bubbles, virus be damned). This creative concept album tells an alternate history of Tom Petty if he (heaven forbid) ended up on a different life path during a brief time in Oklahoma City in the mid-‘70s based on a story imagined by singer/songwriter, Wayne Coyne, as he reflected on his own family history and Petty’s. While the details of that fictional tale aren’t necessary for one to enjoy the album’s blend of gleeful bliss and epic melancholy, it does help some of the lyrical passages make a bit more sense. Musically recalling styles of writing and production similar to the band’s most celebrated work on albums like 1999’s, The Soft Bulletin, and 2002’s, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, this updated version of the ongoing collaboration between Coyne and singer/multi-instrumentalist, Steven Drozd, ranks among the band’s most engaging and most approachable work, unlike several of their more experimental previous releases over the past decade or so. Achingly beautiful songs about youthful adventure give way to ruminations on violence, death, and regret that fit in well among the band’s large and constantly growing catalog. As they approach their 40^th year as a band (coming up in 2023!), here’s to hoping The Flaming Lips will be able to celebrate with an uplifting tour that will keep the confetti industry in the black for decades to come!

 

3. Green Day-Father of All Motherfuckers

Continuing to blend the traditional sounds of ‘70s and ‘90s punk, modern pop rock, and their deep love of all avenues of ‘60s rock, Green Day’s year seemed primed to be a huge one until the COVID derailment. This band always produces their best work when they focus more on a certain tone or concept, in this case experimenting with a fusion of references to and elements from rock’s first decade alongside the speed and attitude for which they are known but with a modern production twist that blends the songs and topics well over the album’s extra-short run time of 26 minutes (and let’s not get into what constitutes an album vs. and EP again just now). Most of the album is fast, fun, and even danceable at times, and the few less-interesting spots move right on by to get into the next piece, so it’s an excellent set for rock fans with short attention spans who are also into melodic hooks and crisp production (and aren’t we all?). Some moments recall the band’s material under as their alter-egos, Foxboro Hot Tubs, or the lesser-traditional tracks from the Dos! portion of their unfairly maligned triple LP. Standouts like the falsetto workout in the title track, the blazing speed of “Fire, Ready, Aim,” and the singles, “Oh Yeah” and “Meet Me on the Roof,” are the strongest songs but more so than Green Day’s previous three album eras, this lean set of rockers avoids distraction, vanity, or deviation in any way which is both a pleasant surprise and arguably the wisest choice the band could make at this stage in their career. Unexpectedly impressive!

2. Mr. Bungle-The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny Demo

After 21 years apart, underground alternative rock legends, Mr. Bungle, finally returned with a new album, but truly in their intentionally confusing fashion, most of it isn’t new, it features high profile guests, and it rarely sounds like the ‘90s songs and albums for which the band is primarily known. This LP harkens back to the group’s earliest incarnation (as high school students) and their ambition to be a novelty-style death metal band. Essentially a higher-quality do-over of their very first self-released demo tape from 1986, this new set of recordings features the addition of Anthrax guitarist, Scott Ian, and Slayer/Fantomas/Dead Cross drummer, Dave Lombardo, creatively pairing the primary members of the original Bungle line up (Patton, Dunn, and Spruance) with some of the musicians who directly inspired that original demo tape. Brutal drums and shredding guitars tear through “Anarchy Up Your Anus,” “Raping the Mind,” and “Bungle Grind,” and an updated version of “Hypocrites” still includes a few verses of “La Cucaracha” but now segues into an ironic cover of S.O.D.’s “Speak English or Die” (lyrically adjusted to “Spanish”). A few new tracks are also included, most notably, “Eracist,” and “Mathematics” which was written around the time of the original demo tape but was not included and which features sections of what would become “Love Is a Fist” on Mr. Bungle’s self-titled major label debut from 1991. In doing something essentially nostalgic and for themselves, Mr. Bungle gave the world the blazing death metal album it didn’t know it needed and which perfectly accompanied a year full of madness in all directions. 

 

1. Pearl Jam-Gigaton

The album that rises just a bit higher to be the best of the year is Pearl Jam’s first LP in 7 years (11^th overall), and the Seattle-based grunge icons crafted a deep, mature cycle of songs that reflect their own sorrows and frustrations and the world’s. Released just as the pandemic was breaking in March, Gigaton comments on climate change, personal loss and reflection, life under Trump, and the frustrating desire to break free of it all. The themes became even more pronounced as the year progressed, and while “Dance of the Clairvoyants” and “Retrograde” were not hit singles in the traditional sense, they both fit well within the album between diverse tones and song structures, as usual courtesy of the band’s open writing policy for each of its members. Guitarists, Mike McCready and Stone Gossard, shine on rockers like, “Superblood Wolfmoon” and “Quick Escape,” and play beautifully on the album’s quieter numbers as well. Age can be heard in singer, Eddie Vedder’s, famous baritone, and in his lyrics, but critics have been calling the latest PJ albums “grown up” since 1996, so it’s all relative. Of the many rock albums to be released in 2020, Gigaton is the closest to a classic early ‘90s modern rock record and the most seemingly honest and vulnerable of the lot. The emotion within these songs feels and sounds pure, and that is not always comfortable, but it adds a conviction and substance to the material that makes it stand out compared to the other solid (and not as solid) albums of the past year. Pearl Jam celebrate their 30^th anniversary this year and undoubtedly had plans to connect with fans in a live setting, so hopefully there’s a way that can be done before 2022. Whenever they may be able to return to the stage before an audience, the 12 songs on Gigaton will fit perfectly into their impressive catalog and will shine in performance just as much if not more than these recorded versions, also quite common among many of their other songs.

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Covid Concerts: A Streamy Summer

What a half-year it’s been, eh? It feels like it’s only lasted for about a decade so far, with no end of the virus in sight, but in addition to less time commuting and more time at home with pets, there has been at least one other silver lining to all of this for music junkies around the world over the summer: free streaming concerts!

It became clear as far back as mid-March that live music would not be able to continue for some time, putting venues, artists, and many crew people in a very tough position. While research into when and how venues can re-open to resume live music continues, in the meantime, fans have been stranded at home without the ability to scratch that concert itch. Thankfully, several of the biggest and best artists and festivals in the world of rock have come to the rescue by releasing free, streaming concert performances on YouTube and other platforms for fans to enjoy while social distancing at home.

The trend began almost immediately with Dropkick Murphys sending out a live webcast in lieu of cancelling their annual St. Patrick’s Day show on March 17^th. They were back at the end of May with a second live stream, with a little help from Bruce Springsteen, broadcasting from an empty Fenway Park in Boston. Shortly after it became clear live music was down for at least the near future, rock legends and jam bands, especially, got things going with weekly archival shows from Phish, Widespread Panic, Grateful Dead, and their modern offshoot, Dead & Company. Dave Matthews Band were a little late to the party, but they have now released 17 full-length concerts over a 21-week span in their Drive-In series. While two to three hours of weekly content from these artists wouldn’t be overwhelming to their fans, the fact that they posted another serving of that length weekly for nearly 25 weeks now is certainly an impressive gesture and has allowed some groups a way to stay in touch with their followers even when touring is (temporarily?) grounded.

Hard rock, alternative, and classic rock artists also participated, but not always to the same degree. While Radiohead released full (or nearly full), previously unreleased concerts for 16 straight weeks, Foo Fighters simply uploaded three of their official live DVDs, footage many of their fans already own or have at least seen before. Both, however, tied their uploads to charity organizations, helping to raise money while fans enjoyed the music. Mike Patton’s Ipecac Records did something similar, streaming four of their official DVDs over a span of a month featuring Fantomas, Melvins, Kaada/Patton, and Isis. The Rolling Stones also featured previously released official material, but their Live Licks series ended up being 6 weeks of DVD bonus tracks from full length concerts or documentaries that can be purchased or streamed for a fee, of course, but the band did not share any of those full length pieces for free.

Pearl Jam could have at least posted some or all of their official DVDs as well but have now only recently announced they will stream a pay per view of a show Labor Day weekend from their 2018 summer tour (tied to charity) which is sort of baffling and disappointing considering the amount of time the group has been together and the years of filmed shows they could have chosen to share (and because they just released a new LP in March and could have seized the opportunity to promote it a bit better). Pearl Jam and other groups who frequently vary the songs included on any given set list are the best artists to share this high volume of material with such frequency, and it’s arguably surprising more such artists did not find a way to participate in the COVID-based streaming trend.

In the rock world, it’s hard to beat Metallica when it comes to consistency, quality, and volume of streaming material released, totaling out to 23 full length concerts (most in HD from the Met Club/5^th Member archives) which also functioned as charity fundraisers. Metallica Mondays became a weekly ritual for many rock fans in the spring, and the band only concluded the series last week after an extremely impressive run. While they also took the opportunity to promote new projects and content for sale, it’s interesting to see Metallica giving so much content away, but whether or not they are still trying to make up for their infamous anti-Napster stance 20 years ago, their weekly offerings were always something to look forward to in spite of the days and weeks of depressing news updates.

Some groups attempted to participate but ran into technical difficulties. They Might Be Giants offered a stream of a show from 2018, but it was plagued by a lengthy delay in starting and with synchronization issues once it began. Pink Floyd got in on the action by offering previously released video content, including their classic Live at Pompeii and Delicate Sound of Thunder concerts, but their uploads were only available for very limited amounts of time, ranging from one week to only 72 hours in one instance. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame also raided its vaults and uploaded some amazing performances and induction clips from their 34-year history, but some of these moments would have been more enjoyable in the context of the full induction ceremonies, and the most interesting piece the organization posted, the HBO edit of The Concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame from 1995, was only available to stream for a few days before it was taken down.

Festivals also got on board the stream train throughout the summer. While early-season fests like Coachella and Bonnaroo were seemingly unprepared to broadcast archival sets and/or new content in lieu of an in-person event, Lollapalooza put together a decent package that included both (old and new material), and many European festivals, such as Glastonbury, Pukkelpop, Lowlands, Exit, and Hell Fest released excellent sets from previous years. A few attempts were also made to hold all-star fundraising stream events, on par with tribute concerts and telethons such as those that aired following the 9/11/01 attacks and 2012’s Hurricane Sandy disaster. Those events, such as the Global Citizen Webcast, One World: Together at Home, were inconsistent and mediocre at best, partly due to the selection of artists who participated as well as the quality of the performances themselves, which varied depending on where they were being filmed and the type of equipment being used to film and record them. Similar issues were also seen in various musical performances on late night TV shows that have been broadcasting from home. There is a novelty to seeing The Rolling Stones perform a song together while each member is separated in their own (gigantic and expensive) homes, but compared to a studio or live recording, the quality just isn’t there. Post Malone put together an unexpected and surprisingly engaging set of Nirvana covers, performed with friends who were also isolating, and raised charitable donations on his own.

While the history we are living continues to unfold, the ability for fans and bands (and fans to fans) to connect and engage with each other online and with these concert streams has been a true lifeline for music junkies everywhere. The summer of 2020 will be remembered for many reasons, but in the world of rock and roll, the summer of streaming was unique and memorable in itself. (Now back to daydreaming about all the shows we will enjoy when all of this is over!!)

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Strange Music for Strange Times

A month or two into the pandemic, a fun “your favorite albums” tag was getting posted around Facebook, but my first thought was to choose albums that were not just among my favorites of all-time but were also on the weirder side of things, mainly just based on personal taste and preference. Weird music has always been a big part of rock history and of my own music collection, and there’s no better time for strange music than these exponentially strange times. If you aren’t already well-acquainted with the albums and groups that follow, they are all waiting to become your new favorites!
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Weird Al Yankovic-Dare to Be Stupid

First and foremost, all of Weird Al's records are great. Seriously. Some may be a bit better or a bit funnier than others, but they are all more than entertaining and, starting in the late '80s, progressively well-produced. This particular album not only introduced me to the brilliance of The Weird One, but it led me down the rabbit hole of novelty songs, parodies, and generally "funny music" that included so many wonderful songs and artists on the syndicated Dr. Demento radio show, especially in the early to mid '90s. Hits like the Madonna parody, “Like a Surgeon,” the classic Kinks parody, “Yoda,” and the unforgettable title track will stand out the most at first, but “I Want a New Duck,” “This Is the Life,” and “Cable TV” will become just as beloved as they each get hopelessly stuck in your head after even one or two listens. The finale, “Hooked on Polkas” was Al’s second polka medley but his first to feature comical arrangements of contemporary songs (obviously the best way they could be presented, of course) making this particular polka (and the medley from the following LP) a hilarious revue of many of the biggest hits of the ‘80s.

“But I want it WEIRDER!” Again, you can’t go wrong with any of Weird Al’s 15 albums, but don’t sleep on later era stand-outs like 2002’s Poodle Hat or 2011’s Alpocalypse, each including some of the most impressively arranged, performed, and produced funny music of all time and each with fun and notable guest appearances throughout.

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They Might Be Giants-Flood
Like many other people, I was introduced to the music of They Might Be Giants through an appearance of two of their songs on an episode of Tiny Toon Adventures. After learning they were not only a real band (what!?) but that their music was available outside of animated children’s TV, they quickly became a personal favorite that still sit high above almost everything else.

The partnership between vocalists/multi-instrumentalists, John Linnell and John Flansburgh, traces back to their high school days but began in earnest nearly 40 years ago and continues today. Blending elements of influences that included Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, and The Ramones along with artier and experimental groups like The Residents, TMBG fused the early days of hip hop, electronic, and new wave into intelligent and ironic pop songs that referenced any and all genres of music.

Flood, the band’s third LP, is their most well-known, significant, and popular album, and while it only represents a portion of the brilliance of this project, it still serves as a perfect introduction to what they do, how they sound, and what they're all about. While often described as "alternative rock," "college rock," or "new wave," TMBG are true originals and their creative experimentation and wit make them one of the very best "weird" bands you'll ever have the pleasure to encounter. Flood includes some of TMBG's biggest songs, including "Birdhouse in Your Soul," "Particle Man," and their cover of the 4 Lads', "Istanbul," but every note and lyric are nearly perfect throughout the LP.

“But I want it WEIRDER!” Many of TMBGs songs blend both the sane and insane alike, so plenty of strangeness can be found on any of their 22 LPs or collections, but some of the weirdest of all can be found on 1992’s Apollo 18, 2004’s The Spine, and 2007’s The Else, not to mention 2005’s Venue Songs (a collection of original songs written about the many places the band was performing on their 2004 summer tour, while they were on the tour), and don’t shy away from their excellent children’s albums which contain some of the weirdest tracks they’ve ever released!

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System of a Down
In the world of heavy rock and metal, being "weird" is not particularly common (and usually doesn't work very well). It takes a very special set of ideas and combination of players to really pull it off and do something interesting musically and/or lyrically on top of it. By time Nu Metal rose to prominence in the late '90s and into the early '00s, one such band emerged as not just the best "weird" heavy band among the lot, but arguably the very best in their sub-genre, "weird" or otherwise.

My first memories of System of a Down were seeing them at Ozzfest '99, early in the day on the main stage, and feeling completely confounded about their changes, time signatures, insane presentation, and fusion of so many other types of music, including jazz, polka, and traditional, middle eastern melodies and references. Standout songs like "Suite-Pee," "Sugar," and "DDevil" are immediately and completely engaging and sound nothing at all like the band's contemporaries (which helped them stand out even more among the pack of newer, heavy bands around the turn of the century).

Between the Rick Rubin production, the tight performances, and the thought-provoking themes and lyrics throughout, the band's self-titled debut is unlike anything before it, in metal and beyond, and while their style was perfected even more on their subsequent LPs, this album best represents everything they are about and laid the foundation for a band that ended up creating some of the best heavy music of the 21st century (so far?). A few listens through the band’s self-titled debut LP will either hook you hard or send you running in the other direction, but you’ll definitely know how you feel about their style and music!

“But I want it WEIRDER!” If you’re new to SOAD and checking things out for the first or second time, moving right into the band’s second (and best) album, Toxicity, makes the most sense, but if you’re looking for their strangest songs, go a step further and try Steal This Album! which includes songs that were essentially considered too weird for Toxicity but were written and recorded around the same time. Upon visiting the studio during the recording process, guitar god, Tom Morello, referred to the tracks as, “crazy people music.”

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Mr. Bungle-California

Mr. Bungle's California is insane. The group, one of many featuring Faith No More vocalist, Mike Patton, began in the early ‘80s, when its members were in high school, but seized the opportunity to issue their madness on major label releases throughout the ‘90s. Released in 1999, just months before they broke up, this album features about as much of the musical universe as can possibly be packed into 10 songs. Everything from light rock, surf, cartoon scoring, death metal, polka, world music, free form jazz, and all blends of rock fusion weave in and out of each track, making not just each song sound like it's by a different band, but it quickly gets to where each song sounds like it features sections from 2 or 3 different bands, punching in and out at different points. The skill and discipline needed to not only write and record but also perform these songs over and over on stage is mind boggling, and with each member of the group throwing multiple instruments, samples, and vocals into the mix throughout, it becomes quickly hard to discern who is doing what, how they're doing it, and, eventually, WHY they are doing it! It's even more impressive to discover that such madness was written and recorded without chemical dependence or enhancement, in spite of seeming evidence otherwise here and there in the lyrics and production, not dissimilar to much of Frank Zappa's most challenging and experimental work, also made drug-free. This album is note-perfect from top to bottom, and considering the complexity and cacophony of some of these pieces, that’s saying a lot! It is unlike any other album by any other project, including other bands that feature members of Mr. Bungle, and it is unique among Bungle's albums as well. If you have not yet had the absolute pleasure to treat your ears and brain to Mr. Bungle's final album, do your soul a favor and check it out!

“But I Want It WEIRDER!” When you’re ready to take things a step further, try 1991’s Mr. Bungle, the band’s major-label debut which leans more on funk and metal within the insanity, and 1995’s Disco Volante which sees the band attempt their own brand of demented jazz-fusion and is arguably their most challenging work to hear and to digest.

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Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention-We’re Only in It for the Money
The musical world of Frank Zappa is an experience unlike that of listening to any other artist. Having released more than 60 LPs in his own lifetime (with nearly as many that having now been released posthumously), Zappa's catalog has a density virtually unseen outside of Bob Dylan, They Might Be Giants, and Guided By Voices. His fusion of classical influences with modern sounds and styles functioned at times as a reverential tribute or sincere attempt to compete with the legendary composers and at other times as biting satire, political muckraking, or social commentary on contemporary American life, albeit from Zappa's perspective.

Way back in 1968 (only 9 months after The Beatles released Sgt. Pepper), the band with which Zappa first found success, The Mothers of Invention, released their 3rd LP, We're Only in It for the Money, a 19-song musical freak out that satirizes the late-'60s counterculture while simultaneously participating in it (in present tense as it was still growing).

The album makes no sense from the moment it begins and almost goes out of its way to both start and end in ways that challenge the listener to bear with the false starts and excessive noise that could last for two seconds or several minutes. Who knows!? :) An awkward bit of studio dialog repeats twice within the first three songs, making the listener wonder whether they're partying a bit too hard, have a skip in their record, or both. The use of varying tape speeds on many of the vocals (also pioneered by Lennon-McCartney) plants the seeds for groups like Ween, Big Dumb Face, and many of Mike Patton's projects to sprout from in future decades. With songs that come down on the cops, the parents, and even the hippies themselves, the lyrical tone is extremely critical or tells strange tales about strange characters to illustrate many of those same points. Beyond all of this, the mix and the arrangements are generally very weird, can sometimes be disorienting, and change in abrupt, choppy ways at awkward moments that make the album feel spliced together with little care (or by an amateur) and make the album flow often seamlessly from song to song. Without the lyric sheet in front of you (also included), it's hard to tell when one song ends and the next begins in some sections, supporting the idea of a concept album while making fun of the very first and most famous concept album of all time.

We're Only in It for the Money is not the best Frank Zappa album (or maybe even his best work with the original Mothers, though I might argue otherwise) but it was my gateway into the enormous, engaging, and brilliantly bizarre world of his music. First-timers are probably better off starting with the early '70s LPs, Over-Nite Sensation and Apostrophe, but this album represents his '60s sound and style as well as any of the others from that era and with that band, and it is a complete trip (in just under 40 minutes)!

“But I Want It WEIRDER!” There is certainly no shortness of weirdness in Zappa’s catalog, but one of his greatest, experimental achievements was the early collage album, Lumpy Gravy, which is book ended by Civilization Phase III, released just after his death. The side-length song suite, “Billy the Mountain” (from 1972’s Just Another Band from L.A.) might be Zappa’s most impressively weird long song, but the flabbergasting, 8-sided LP, Lather, compiling both live and studio recordings from the late '70s, but only released in 1996, contains a little bit of almost everything Zappa did best stretched out over a long, long listen!

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Fantomas
After getting well into Mike Patton's work with Mr. Bungle and deeper into Faith No More and Tomahawk, when I finally made it to checking out Fantomas, I thought I was well prepared and that even if it was really crazy, I wouldn't be shocked. Wrong.

It must be challenging to be the kind of musician that would be in a band like Fantomas (also featuring members of Slayer, Melvins, and Mr. Bungle) because there would always be a drive to do something weirder and more original with every new song and release. I'm not sure one could get much weirder than any of Fantomas' four LPs, but their self-titled debut from 1999 is just as good a place to start as any, and it certainly summarizes the band's sound and style, which is to say there is one, but that's another discussion.

Fantomas pushes it to the greatest degree at all times. Primarily a dark or even goth-based heavy metal band, songs can range from only a few seconds to several minutes in length. They rarely repeat musical segments or sections and are constantly changing throughout, with references to cartoon scores and various samples within the metal. Nearly every song contains vocals, but only cover songs contain lyrics as Patton's mad-jazz vocal attack runs amok during and between the dynamic musical spikes. The band leaves a lot of the work up to the audience. Their first album's songs are simply titled page numbers in a comic book (literally pages 1-30); the second album contains original arrangements of classic movie and TV scores; the third is an 80-minute album with only one track; and their fourth is a salute to the month of April, 2005, with a song for each day of the month (while also serving as a tribute to Looney Tunes composer, Carl Stalling).

This is certainly not music for everyone, and it will get rid of an average crowd quickly if you need to clear a room, but if you're into metal, prog, math-rock, jazz fusion, or avant garde art rock, there's a lot to appreciate and take in on each of the band's releases. I still don't think I've yet encountered a band with music more insane than this.

“But I Want It WEIRDER!” all of Fantomas’ albums are approaching maximum-weirdness as it is, but to add a bit of visual accompaniment to their production, check out their two official live DVDs, The Director's Cut Live: A New Year's Revolution and Live from London 2006 (w/the Fantomas/Melvins Big Band). There may never be another opportunity to see the band live, so these filmed performances might be as close as you can get.

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The Mars Volta-Frances the Mute

What a sound and style The Mars Volta had, and while this album (their second, from 2005) is their most accessible (arguably), it is still full of the psychedelic-prog fusion for which they are known, and each track challenges the listener to journey into new and different musical, artistic, and emotional territories throughout.

Essentially the partnership between guitar whiz, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, and vocalist, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, a rotating cast of majorly-talented supporting players were also featured throughout the group's tenure, including Queens of the Stone Age drummer, Jon Theodore, and the late keyboardist, Ikey Owens, both of whom are also featured on Frances the Mute. Musically, the group was an openly drug-fueled blend of punk, psychedelic rock, salsa, Mexican folk, jazz, and electronic music with songs that varied in tone, genre, and dynamic on each of their 6 albums. Frances the Mute highlights the best elements of the project while keeping the changes varied and regular enough to make most tracks engaging even as they stretch into and beyond 10 minutes, as they regularly do here. (On stage, some of these songs morphed from 13 minutes to as many as 45, depending on the show).

This record is so long and dense that they couldn't fit all 7 songs onto a standard CD, so the prologue to the vague concept album was released on a separate single alongside the LP. Those 13 optional minutes set the stage for the rest which often leans hard into extremely fast and frantic energy or slows briefly for haunted reflection. Lyrics switch between English and Spanish so regularly that the difference becomes unnoticeable after the second or third listen, and once you take the time to look up or translate the Spanish, you'll see it is just as abstract and seemingly nonsensical as the English lyrics! Zavala's words and titles evoke and musically represent the surreal dreamscapes of the legendary artist, Salvador Dali, as much as they directly reference any other influential poet, lyricist, or musician. This all works well within the prog-rock angle of the band's style, but it makes it damned tough to truly understand what the hell these songs are about most of the time, if anything at all!

The 32-minute closer, "Cassandra Gemini," packs just about everything into one long song and serves well as a climax and conclusion that eventually ties back to the prologue, nearly in the style of Pink Floyd's The Wall, also a major influence to The Mars Volta. With guest appearances from Flea and John Frusciante of Red Hot Chili Peppers to round out the top-tier playing and production, Frances the Mute is one of the most engaging and weirdest prog or psych-rock albums to come along so far this century.

“But I Want It WEIRDER!” There’s no shortage of strangeness in The Mars Volta’s catalog, but their weirdest music of all was featured on the two releases that followed Frances the Mute. Scabdates, an 80 minute live album that contains only three actual songs, was released later the same year (though it was recorded prior to Frances the Mute) and is full of even crazier production, sampling, and audio collage. 2006’s Amputechure is probably the band’s most challenging LP, collecting a set of lengthy, dense, psych-prog songs with haunting acoustic tracks to bookend them, continuing to explore the many tones and styles they developed on Frances, but with the weird button cranked up to 11!

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Gorillaz
Originally a side project for Blur singer, Damon Albarn, and his cartoonist friend, Jamie Hewlett, Gorillaz was first created to comment on the vapid pop music from the turn of the century, but it's the way they did it that makes the project so interesting, as it now rolls into 20 years of existence.

All 4 members of Gorillaz are cartoon characters, and when cartoons attempt to write or perform music, they can usually play and sound like just about anything, which is the real genius of the band and especially of their first album. Emerging just before mash-up songs became a fad in the '00s, Gorilliaz themselves are a mash-up of influences, styles, and sounds from every corner of the musical landscape. Rather than limiting it to only rock or hip hop elements, pieces of electronic, jazz, and world music weave in and out of each song as well, allowing a long and impressive list of guests to appear on each of the band's records, all contributing to the sounds and vocals of the cartoon characters.

Over time, an elaborate back story for the characters was developed that is still ongoing, and most of the artwork, music videos, and other media appearances fit into this narrative in some way. Following those details is not at all important to enjoying the music, but the extras are there for those who wish to dig into them.

The musical blending of sounds, styles, and eras set the stage for other fusion acts that emerged in the years following, but Gorillaz continue to adapt to the latest sounds and production techniques while blazing their own trail into the dense jungle of music all around the world. Each album is different, and 2010's Plastic Beach is their masterpiece, but the debut LP is still the "weirdest" of the bunch and stands out as one of the most unlikely and unique art rock albums to crossover to mainstream success in at least 20 years.

“But I Want It WEIRDER!” With a project like this, it’s surprising to discover there is a fair amount of official and original material outside of the group’s LPs. Since most of the songs selected for the main albums tend to lean toward more vs. less accessible in style, digging into the supplemental material (such as on the G-Sides and D-Sides compilations) adds another level of depth to what Gorillaz are all about, and many of those tracks also get pretty weird. Their many remix collaborations with various DJs and electronic artists is yet another fusion, this one between modern dance sounds and culture and the dance mix fad portions of ‘90s rock.

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Gnarls Barkley-St. Elsewhere
By 2006, all bets were off when it came to what to expect of a new band or project, regardless of the genre or style. The arrival of Gnarls Barkley, and their inescapably brilliant debut single, "Crazy," set another standard for ground-breaking creativity with equal parts of weirdness. This seemingly random pairing of Goodie Mob and solo MC/singer/songwriter, Cee Lo Green, and production whiz/DJ, Danger Mouse, led to the duo's top-tier debut LP, St. Elsewhere, which was created by sending files back and forth via email and ended up becoming one of the most interesting new alternative albums of any kind since its release (in a rare, proper usage of that genre tag).

Building on the Gorillaz musical fusion approach, but with more focus on American than world music, Gnarls Barkley's sound was simultaneously a blend of rock, hip hop, R&B, and EDM while not really being any of them, making it confounding that pop, rock, alternative, and hip hop radio all took notice (a feat shared with Outkast's "Hey Ya!" just a few years prior). "Crazy" was the big hit, but songs like "Smiley Faces," "Just a Thought," and "Who Cares?" best carry the album's themes of loneliness, self-doubt, and heartbreak (usually paired with either relaxing or up-tempo music, not unlike many of TMBG's greatest songs), and Gnarls' cover of The Violent Femmes', "Gone Daddy Gone," is that rare tribute that is at least as good as the original version.

While much of the pop and hip hop of the past 15 years or so has utilized and reflected a variety of influences and styles, Gnarls Barkley's debut (and their nearly-as-good follow up, The Odd Couple) was the last time music this weird was so popular.

“But I Want It WEIRDER!” Unfortunately, Gnarls Barkey’s catalog is pretty small (though it’s all weird to some extent). Adding some visual to the music increases the strangeness, however, both by enjoying the group’s official music videos and checking out some of their creative filmed live performances. (Roskilde ’08 is the best for musicianship and sound quality, but live performances from ’06-’07 generally featured everyone in the band in some sort of themed costume and often performing under a pseudonym.  Odd indeed!)

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The Flaming Lips-Zaireeka
Wrapping up my list of 10 awesomely weird favorite albums, I could not possibly leave out Oklahoma's most famous psychedelic punks, The Flaming Lips! After discovering the band in the early '90s, it took me nearly a decade to really dive into their work, and once I did, I was surprised at the variety and density of the catalog, which stretches back to their self-titled debut EP in 1984 and continues today (meaning they've been around just about as long as Metallica and Red Hot Chili Peppers to name a few). Their sound started as an ode to Butthole Surfers but began to go different directions by the late '80s, later incorporating grunge and eventually EDM and sounding like two or three completely different bands along the way.

While The Flaming Lips' peak stretch of The Soft Bulletin, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, and At War with the Mystics (1999-2006) is arguably their best work, the seeds for those records were planted on 1997's Zaireeka, an 8-song/40 minute LP that is already full of weird music and sounds anyway, but it must be played on 4 separate CD players simultaneously in order to be properly heard! (The band experimented with as many as 100 different cassette tapes being played out of car stereos in a parking garage to whittle down what was needed for such an idea.) With 4 CD players required, and at least two people needed to operate them so that all 4 discs/tracks begin at the exact same time, it forces the listener into a social situation where they probably need to call a friend and have them bring a CD player or two just to listen to the record! (or you can listen to them in different combinations to customize the mix.)

Even with practice and attempted perfection, it's interesting to note that the album never truly sounds the same twice because CD players spin at slightly different speeds (even if they are the same make and model), so songs go from being out of sync, to properly lined up, to out of sync again regardless of the people or machines involved. (For best results, try to restart the sync process at the beginning of each new song.)

If you have the means and know someone with a copy, I promise you Zaireeka will be one of the weirdest music listening experiences you'll ever have (and the rest of the band's gigantic catalog ain't too bad either!!)

“But I Want It WEIRDER!” The Flaming Lips are one of those bands that, because they have been around so long and have released so much material, once you dig into the darker, stranger corners of their catalog, it may be hard to find your way out! Take, for example, an EP entitled, Two Blobs Fucking, which updates the idea of Zaireeka by expecting listeners to play it on 12 separate IPods simultaneously. There is also The Strobo-Trip EP, which contains two “normal” songs book-ending a song that is literally 6 hours long, or the craziest of all, 7 Skies H3, which is one song that lasts for 24 straight hours (which came packaged in a scale replica human skull with melted chrome on the top). The Lips have released music in chocolate human hearts, gummy fetuses, and marijuana-flavored gummy skull heads as well, but you can’t necessarily hear all of that in the music. Well, in a way, I suppose you can.
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