Wet Leg – Wet Leg
Every few years, a debut album appears that reminds listeners just how much fun guitar music can be. Long before their first full-length record…
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– Rock (Modern)
Lana Del Rey – Chemtrails Over the Country Club
Following the enormous critical success of Norman F**ing Rockwell!*, Lana Del Rey faced an unusually difficult challenge. The 2019 album had been hailed as…
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My Bloody Valentine – m b v
Few albums have carried the weight of expectation quite like m b v. When My Bloody Valentine released Loveless in 1991, they didn’t simply…
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Jack White – Blunderbuss
After spending more than a decade redefining modern rock through The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and The Dead Weather, Jack White reached a point…
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Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
Few bands have followed a pair of universally acclaimed albums with as much confidence as Arcade Fire did in 2010. After the emotional grandeur…
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Beach House – Teen Dream
Dream pop had existed for decades before Beach House released Teen Dream, but few albums have so completely defined what the genre could be…
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Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
Few debut albums have arrived with as much anticipation—or delivered on it as completely—as Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not. Released…
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The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
By the early 2000s, The Flaming Lips had already accomplished something remarkable. After spending nearly two decades as cult favorites known for noisy psychedelic…
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The White Stripes – White Blood Cells
At the dawn of the 21st century, mainstream rock had become increasingly polished. Nu metal dominated the charts, post-grunge filled radio playlists, and major-label…
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Radiohead – OK Computer
Some albums define a moment. Others predict the future. Released on May 21, 1997, OK Computer did both. At a time when Britpop still…
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Oasis – (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?
Few albums have captured the spirit of an era quite like (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? Released on October 2, 1995, Oasis’ second album…
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Nine Inch Nails – The Downward Spiral
Some albums become classics because they define a genre. Others earn their reputation because they capture a specific moment in time. Then there are…
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Red Hot Chili Peppers – Blood Sugar Sex Magik
By 1991, the Red Hot Chili Peppers had spent nearly a decade building a reputation as one of the most explosive live bands in…
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The Black Crowes – Shake Your Money Maker
Released on February 13, 1990, Shake Your Money Maker arrived at exactly the right moment. Hair metal had spent most of the 1980s dominating…
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Tom Waits – Rain Dogs
There are great albums, and then there are albums that seem to exist in their own universe. Tom Waits’ Rain Dogs is one of…
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David Bowie – Blackstar
Released on January 8, 2016—David Bowie’s 69th birthday—Blackstar initially seemed like another bold reinvention from an artist who had spent five decades staying one…
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The Black Keys – Brothers
For nearly a decade, The Black Keys had built a loyal following through relentless touring and a series of gritty, blues-infused garage rock albums.…
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Muse – Black Holes and Revelations
By 2006, Muse had already earned a reputation as one of rock’s most ambitious bands. Their first three albums showcased a fearless willingness to…
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The Darkness – Permission to Land
Rock music in the early 2000s had largely shifted toward post-grunge, nu metal, and garage rock revival. While those genres dominated radio and MTV,…
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