Aretha Franklin’s story begins in the Black church and travels through blues, soul, pop, funk, and contemporary R&B without ever…
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Where to Start With Stevie Wonder
Start with Talking Book. Released in 1972, it is the clearest single-album introduction to Stevie Wonder’s musical world: intimate love…
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Where to Start With Prince
Start with Purple Rain. It is the clearest meeting point between Prince’s pop songwriting, electric guitar, electronic production, funk rhythms,…
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The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” at 60
Sixty years after its October 10, 1966, release, “Good Vibrations” remains a landmark because Brian Wilson made radical studio experimentation…
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My Chemical Romance’s “The Black Parade” at 20
Twenty years after its release, The Black Parade endures because My Chemical Romance made death feel communal rather than solitary.…
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Taylor Swift’s Debut Album at 20
As Taylor Swift’s self-titled debut approaches its twentieth anniversary on October 24, 2026, it matters because it established the method…
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“Back to Black” at 20
Twenty years after its original UK release on October 30, 2006, Back to Black endures because Amy Winehouse made musical…
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