The Hidden Track

A Night At the Opera

Fifty years ago, Queen released A Night at the Opera — the record that transformed them from rising stars into one of the defining bands of the decade. It was, at the time, the most expensive album ever made...

Modal Soul

This month marks 20 years since Japanese producer and DJ Nujabes released his second and final album in his short lifetime. Now considered to be a classic, Modal Soul has become an inspirational piece to many...

Highway 61 Revisited

Highway 61 Revisited turned 60… and, as usual, this kind of big anniversary makes a good excuse to turn back to this kind of album and have another look at it. If not an original or fresher look, at least an...

Category - Essentials

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The Great Escape

By Blur

September marks the 30th anniversary of The Great Escape: Blur’s fourth studio album and in my opinion, their most underrated project. Blur From seeing Oasis a couple of weeks ago, it seemed unfair to forget their...

Wish You Were Here

By Pink Floyd

When they released Dark Side Of The Moon in 1973, Pink Floyd went from the status of an acclaimed rock band, to the status of Legend. They had just produced one of the most influential album of the era. Breaking all...

Rum, Sodomy & The Lash

By The Pogues

Forty years ago, an album by a band emerging from London’s rowdy punk scene shook the foundations of Irish traditional music. Rum, Sodomy & The Lash, the Pogues' second release, wasn’t just a record — it was a statement...

Iron Maiden

By Iron Maiden

Discovering Iron Maiden’s Debut Album – Raw, Rebellious, and Revolutionary Another Iron Maiden album I deeply appreciate is their self-titled debut, Iron Maiden, released in 1980. It marked the band’s first official...

Somewhere in Time

By Iron Maiden

A Timeless Masterpiece of Heavy Metal Somewhere in Time by Iron Maiden is widely regarded as one of the band’s most unique and forward-thinking albums. Released in 1986, this groundbreaking record marked a pivotal...

Closer

By Joy Division

This month marks the 45th anniversary of Joy Division’s second and final album, Closer. Released two months after the untimely passing of frontman Ian Curtis, the gloomy, dark sound unique to them is as powerful...

Illinois album art

Illinois

By Sufjan Stevens

The Great and loved, Sufjan Stevens Sufjan Stevens is one of the most prolific song writers of our time. Few people whom have any inclination towards indie or singer songwriter need an introduction into who he is, but...

Foo Fighters

By Foo Fighters

It’s been thirty years since Dave Grohl emerged from the ashes of Nirvana and introduced Foo Fighters to the world. Heavy, grungy and a testament to the instrumental ingenuity of Grohl, this album is one of my...

Aaagh!

By Republic of Loose

The Good Old Days 2006 was a hell of a year in Ireland. We had fat wallets, cracking weather and were living in blissful ignorance that the Celtic Tiger was dying. The airwaves were full of the likes of Cascada, Sandi...

Moon Safari

Moon Safari

By Air

Coming up with a debut album is tricky for any artists. Finding the original idea that will work, discovering one’s own sound, the proper balance between members of a band. « Slow and steady wins the race » as...

The Bends

By Radiohead

A Masterpiece Born from Pain and Perseverance One day at school, a long time ago, I noticed a quote on my friend’s pencil case: “I used to fly like Peter Pan / All the children flew and I touched their hands...

Physical Graffiti Front Cover - by day

Physical Graffiti

By Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti: A 50-Year Legacy Led Zeppelin’s sixth album, Physical Graffiti, was released in 1975, making it 50 years old this February. It followed a nearly two-year hiatus after their...

Broken English - Marianne Faithfull

Broken English

By Marianne Faithfull

A Triumphant Return After Years of Hardship In 1979, Marianne Faithfull made a powerful comeback with her most iconic album, Broken English. It was her first major release since Love in a Mist (1967), following a...

Led Zeppelin IV

By Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin defined rock. They Still do. Forty-five years after their amicable breakup, they still hold true as a staple of the genre. Jimmy Page, an era-defining guitarist, had a background as a studio musician. He...