Top Artists

Tiësto

Artist, Contributor

Dutch artist Tiësto used trance music as a springboard to become one of the most popular DJs in the world.

Gustavo Cerati

Artist, Contributor

Gustavo Cerati was best known as the front man of the legendary Argentine pop-rock trio Soda Stereo, formed in 1982.

The Cure

Artist, Contributor

The Cure have been playing mope rock for depressed teens since 1976. Think of it in terms of units of black eyeliner sold.

Metronomy

Artist, Contributor

Devon, England’s Metronomy make nuanced, well-constructed indie pop with dance-music leanings.

George Harrison

Artist, Contributor

George Harrison was the youngest member of the Beatles, and John Lennon, and Paul McCartney often upstaged him.

Ennio Morricone

Artist, Contributor

Ennio Morricone rules. The Italian master’s film work includes rock-etched 1960s hits, lounge classics and classical scores.

Top Works

The Infamous

Mobb Deep

One of the cornerstones of the New York hardcore movement, The Infamous is Mobb Deep’s masterpiece, a relentlessly bleak song cycle that’s been hailed by hardcore rap fans as one of the most realistic gangsta albums ever recorded. Given Mobb Deep’s youthful age and art-school background, it’s highly unlikely that The Infamous is drawn strictly from real-life experience, yet it’s utterly convincing, because it has all the foreboding atmosphere and thematic sweep of an epic crime drama. That’s partly because of the cinematic vision behind the duo’s detailed narratives, but it’…

Control

Janet Jackson

Although Janet Jackson had released two records in the early ’80s, they were quickly forgotten, and notably shaped by her father’s considerable influence. Janet’s landmark third album, 1986’s Control, changed all that. On the opening title track, Jackson, with passion and grace, declares her independence, moving out of the gargantuan shadow of her brother Michael and on to the business of making her own classic pop album. The true genius of Control lies in the marriage of her extremely self-assured vocals with the emphatic beats of R&B production wizards Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The …

After Hours

The Weeknd

The first two singles off After Hours were released within three days of each other in November 2019. “Heartless,” a boastful belter made with Metro Boomin, Illangelo, and Dre Moon, ticked all the boxes to please Abel Tesfaye’s base. Pills, cars, fame, women, and the hard-fought reward for all the overindulgence — a ruthless world view to keep the cycle going — were all in the mix. “Never need a bitch, I’m what a bitch need/Tryin’ to find the one that can fix me,” contradictory and confused as ever, made the song entirely on brand. Then came the …

Customer Reviews