Author: ifmyalbumscouldtalk

As if we need more heartache in 2020, the mother of my longest friend passed away a couple of days ago, and it honestly has me back in a funk. Judy was a good woman who tolerated so many shenanigans from Mike and me as we were growing up. Not to mention that she was the mother of my friend, she cut my hair all through middle and high school. It seemed like she cut my hair whenever she could corral me for twenty minutes or so each month I was there. What I didn’t realize at the time was she was the hairstylist for the high school basketball team. By getting my hair cut by her back in middle school get me in with the varsity players who went to her. When you are an awkward teen getting on the “good” side of the older guys was always a plus. And, it got you picked in pick-up games.

As Mike and I went to college, we drifted apart, mainly because I was attempting to break away from my hometown, and he was splitting too much of his time between the two worlds. I know he regrets this now, but why should he? He’s had one helluva a career and currently lives in St. Louis. Around 2000, we had a chance meeting at the hometown high school and renewed our friendship as if we never missed a beat. It seems we have a connection that is rare, from our senses of humor to our obsessions with music and sports. Still, my heartbreaks for him, and for me too since she was another of my away from home moms. Likewise, I mourn with his dad, brother and sister and all the spouses and grandchildren. Plus, the man drove all the way back from the Arch for my mom’s funeral, so how can I not be there for him when I’m right here. So, here’s to Judy! Godspeed!

Now, Monday, I was suggesting a series of seven-inch singles that could be released to spark new interest in Record Store Day. In all honesty, the record companies could rotate odd releases by the Grateful Dead, Phish and Kiss, and that would awaken giant fan bases every three years. Then, you could always do something with the current darlings of the industry, like Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and the rest.

But, what would interest the money from the Boomers and Xers? First, you could due a little series with all the old MTV Unplugged shows. If Pearl Jam’s recent release of their legendary set was any indication, there is a market for the vinyl versions. But, there are a bundle of unreleased albums by established artists from over the years that was excite vinyl collectors to get their hands on these albums. So, here is my next suggestion of vinyl that could be released on future Record Store Days.

1. Amy Winehouse – unreleased material. The rumor is that there is more shelved material from Ms. Winehouse not included on the odds-and-sods collection that was released shortly after her untimely passing.
2. Andre 3000 – solo album. Allegedly, the big personality of OutKast has a solo that is in the can, but has been shelved indefinitely.
3. Ariana Grande – This lady has improved with each release. Still, she released a couple of EPs of Christmas music for downloads only. I bet her fans would love it on vinyl.
4. Bob Dylan & Johnny Cash – The Dylan/Cash Sessions. Even the Johnny Cash biopic alluded to this collaboration. C’mon Bobby! This is one people have been pining for since reports of the two working together got out.
5. Bruce Springsteen – Electric Nebraska. The Boss’ first solo album, Nebraska, was essentially the demos of the songs. Legend has it that the E-Street Band initially fleshed these stark tunes together, but Bruce shelved the tapes. The Springsteen Nation would LOVE this one.
6. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Human Highway. Of course, this one remains on the shelf since Neil Young was going through one of his cantankerous moments. Now that Homegrown finally saw the light of day, let’s get this one out.
7. D’Angelo – James River. After the success of Voodoo, D’Angelo began working on this album which supposedly is 95% finished. Of course, mental health and addiction problems shelved this one.
8. Dr. Dre & Ice Cube – Helter Skelter. Word on the street was the the two former N.W.A mates had collaborated on this one after their individual solo successes. Who wouldn’t want to hear these two at the height of their powers?
9. Duran Duran – Reportage. By the middle of the 2000s, The Beatles of the Eighties had made a dramatic comeback with a well-received tour of the original line-up. So, they went in the studio and created an album that all members felt finally represented how they sounded on stage. Then, the label wanted them to be produced by some current hot-shot producers who ruined everything, causing guitarist Andy Taylor to leave the band again.
10. Ghostface Killah & MF Doom – Swift & Changeable. Two of alternative hip hops best forces of nature joined forces to create an album that piques the interest of the hip hop world.
11. Green Day – Cigarettes & Valentines. According to the story, this album was ready for pressing, when the tapes were stolen. Distraught, the band went back and wrote a completely new album, which ended up being their crown jewel American Idiot. Still, it would be cool to hear this if the guys would re-record the songs.
12. Jeff Beck – The Motown Album. In the late-Sixties/early-Seventies, Beck went to Detroit to work with the Funk Brothers in order to come up with a combo of their funk and his metal. The trouble was Beck brought HIS drummer, eschewing the great timekeepers of all those terrific Motown hits. Of course, tensions ensued, and Beck took off with the only copy of the tape.
13. Jimi Hendrix – Black Gold. This was the album that Hendrix was working on when he died. I cannot count how many times I have heard that this album was poised to be finally released. There’s no better time…
14. Marvin Gaye – Love Man. Leave it to Gaye to plan a “dirty” album in which to stage his comeback. Unfortunately, he got divorced instead and released Here My Dear, an album whose royalties went to his ex-wife in a divorce agreement.
15. Mick Jagger – The Red Devils collaboration. Back during the Nineties, producer Rick Rubin suggested to Jagger that he team up with an up-and-coming band called The Red Devils. They hit the studio and allegedly created some magic. Then, everything stopped, including the Red Devils’ career.
16. OutKast – 10 the Hard Way. Here is the follow-up to their huge album, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.
17. Paul McCartney – Cold Cuts. Who wouldn’t love to hear the best outtakes by Sir Paul from his best years of the Seventies and early Eighties? I know I would.
18. Pink Floyd – Household Objects. After the game-changing The Dark Side of the Moon, the Floyd wanted to get back to their experimental roots. So, the idea was to create music with ordinary objects found around the house. Seriously!
19. Prince (or is it The Artist?) – The Dawn. For some reason, the Purple One had a running fantasy to release a triple album, which he finally fulfilled with Emancipation. In the year or two before that aforementioned album, Prince had The Dawn, which part of it ended up as The Gold Experience and another part as Chaos & Disorder. Bootlegs are around with the whole thing on CD. It is a tour de force and would be terrific on vinyl in a box set.
20. Prince – Dream Factory. After Prince broke up The Revolution, he went nuts in the studio. During that time, he created THREE complete albums: the altered vocals on Camille, a triple album opus called Crystal Ball (not to be confused with the 3-CD set of unreleased material he released in the late-Nineties) and a double-album called Dream Factory. All three were cannibalized for the terrific Sign ‘o’ the Times double album. At the end of September, his Estate released a super deluxe set that contains many of the songs supposedly recorded for Dream Factory. What would it take to just release the damn thing?
21. The Beach Boys or Brian Wilson solo – Adult/Child – It is said that during lead Beach Boy Brian Wilson’s mental breakdown, he actually created this album that has been attributed to being a solo album and a Boys album. Either way, since SMiLE was finally released, this is the next Holy Grail in America’s first great band’s vault.
22. The Clash – Rat Patrol from Fort Bragg. So, as The Clash were hitting the big time in 1982, the band was suffering from extreme tensions between its two creative forces, Joe Strummer (the rocker) and Mick Jones (the pop artist-turning-into-a-hip hop-aficionado).  Initially, the sessions that would become Combat Rock were more like the one-off single “This Is Radio Clash,” a mash-up of hip hop and punk rock, not unlike what was being heard in the NYC hip hop clubs drawing mixed crowds of punks, new wavers and hip hoppers. The Clash’s manager gave the tapes to a different producer who stripped much of the experimentation of the original recordings. Who would have needed Big Audio Dynamite if this one had been released?
23. The Killers – The best Eighties band of the 21st century spent the first decade of their career releasing download-only Christmas originals to raise money for AIDS research. Now, it would be fantastic for the Christmas music crowd to get this material on vinyl.
24. The Strokes – Post-First Impressions of Earth recordings. These recordings were intended to be on their third album. Then, all the usual rock star problems cropped up, ending the sessions. We all know now how lackluster that third album was. This stuff had to have been better because they were in a groove at the time.
25. Weezer – Songs from a Black Hole. Ah, that nutty musical genius-nerd Rivers Cuomo. His original idea for the second album was to create a sci-fi rock opera. Then he changed his mind when it was completed. The band recorded new material, and we got the lasting classic Pinkerton. Oh, but what might have been…

So, there’s a few shelved albums that might get people back to attending Record Store Day, be it on its usual day in April or on Black Friday. Either way, just go support your local independent record store. I can’t wait to go bin diving again! Peace.

After that epic exercise in daft listing, I thought I would take a break. Oh, sure, I threw my two-cents in about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and its increasingly maddening nomination process as well as its insane backlog of worthy candidates for induction. To be honest, I did not become a big fan of the Hall until my family visited it back during the summer of 2001. After that, we were all hooked, though due to my being on the autism spectrum I get a little more hooked than the rest of my gang. All of which brings us to my favorite economically-driven holiday, Record Store Day.

This new “holiday” was started in 2008 in an attempt by a consortium of independent record stores to get people back in their stores. Originally, the day was intended for artists to release limited edition vinyl versions of rare and unreleased material. Personally, I had not heard about it since my vinyl-purchasing days seemed to be a distant memory. But, it seems now that the holiday may have sparked a vinyl revival. But, I also have to give credit to the college-aged millennials back in the first decade of the 21st century who made it hip to listen to vinyl again. Once my older son moved back from San Diego, he told me about this holiday in 2010. So, my three boys and I decided to take an afternoon to see what it was all about.

Prior to that day in 2010, I had not been bin diving for vinyl since we moved from Oxford, Ohio, back in 1990 when the boys were five and one. Of course, the three of us had a fantastic day hanging out together. That day, we walked away with a special release of an unreleased single by The Rolling Stones called “Plunder My Soul,” which happened to be a terrific song that did not make their Some Girls album back in 1978. Additionally, I picked up a clear blue vinyl version of R.E.M.’s legendary debut EP, Chronic Town, that was released in small quantities that day. From that day onward, this day, and its more recently added Black Friday version, is an annual event for the Keller boys.

Over the years, we have purchased some winners, like Seth’s 7-inch special edition Wu-Tang Clan single that is cut in the band’s logo shape or Graham’s special edition of an OutKast album. Initially, I focused on 7-inch releases, with the occasional album by one of my favorite artists, though, since I no longer have to pay for college tuition for anyone, I now have a bigger budget. Perhaps, my most favorite memory has nothing to do with any purchases, but the morning we stood in line for an hour with my boys doing one of their patented back-and-forth dialogs about they hoped a Goo Goo Dolls’ box set would still be available when they got in the store. Of course, it was all  pure Monty Python-esque sarcasm with band member quotes from their VH-1 Behind the Music episode thrown in for good measure. They had a small crowd around them laughing hysterically. Honestly, it is during those moments when I wished they had become writers for SNL, The Daily Show or some other late-night comedy show because they can create some brilliant bits right on the spot.

Lately, though, Record Store Day seems to have gotten itself in a little rut. No longer are some little gems from major artists are getting released to the public, even if it was a little fad release like Jimmy Fallon’s “Tebowie” or something I thought was more substantial like a re-release of Carl Douglas’ 1974 novelty hit “Kung Fu Fighting.” And, then there are two purchases that remain my favorites to this very day, a DVD of a documentary about collecting Christmas Music called Jingle Bells Rock! or the triple-LP version of the Raspberries’ early 2000s reunion concert with each record being a different primary color. Lately, what we have been offered have been first-time offers of vinyl versions of albums that were only released on CD. The creativity and excitement are missing these days.

Back in 2011, Rhino records started a brilliant seven-inch single series of songs by the original artist and a cover version by another on some colored vinyl. Three singles were released that year with the pairings of Hüsker Dü and Green Day, Ramones and Red Hot Chili Peppers and Gram Parsons/Jenny and Johnny. It was a nice change of pace. So, I started to collect that series until it ran out of steam in 2018 with some uninspired pairings of newer bands that are way outside of the mainstream.

Today, I would like to suggest some pairings that I feel would revive that Record Store Day series, known as the Side-by-Side Series. I would LOVE to see all of these released over the next decade on some exciting colored vinyl.

1. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” – The Rolling Stones/Otis Redding/Devo
2. “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” – Nick Lowe/Elvis Costello & the Attractions
3. “Africa” – Toto/Weezer
4. “American Skin (41 Shots)” – Bruce Springsteen/Mary J. Blige ft. Kendrick Lamar
5. “Blinded by the Light” – Bruce Springsteen/Manfred Mann’s Earth Band
6. “Closer” – The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey/Boyce Avenue ft. Sarah Hyland
7. “Doin’ Time” – Sublime/Lana Del Rey
8. “Easy” – Commodores/Faith No More
9. “Every Time You Go Away” – Daryl Hall & John Oates/Paul Young
10. “Freedom Highway” – The Staple Singers/Rhiannon Giddens ft. Bhi Bhiman
11. “Funky Town” – Lipps Inc./Pseudo Echo
12. “Gin & Juice” – Snoop Doggy Dogg/The Gourds
13. “Hooked on a Feeling” – BJ Thomas/Blue Swede
14. “Hurt” – Nine Inch Nails/ Johnny Cash
15. “I Feel Love” – Donna Summer/Sam Smith
16. “I Fought the Law” – The Bobby Fuller Four/The Clash/Green Day
17. “I Will Survive” – Gloria Gaynor/Cake
18. “In Bloom” – Nirvana/Sturgill Simpson
19. “Killing Me Softly” – Roberta Flack/The Fugees
20. “Lady Marmalade” – Labelle/Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Maya & P!nk
21. “Landslide” – Fleetwood Mac/The Smashing Pumpkins/The (Dixie) Chicks
22. “Midnight Rider” – The Allman Brothers Band/Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
23. “My Way” – Frank Sinatra/Sid Vicious
24. “Shake It Off” – Taylor Swift/Ryan Adams
25. “Superstar” – Carpenters/Sonic Youth
26. “Take Me to the River” – Al Green/Talking Heads
27. “The Boys of Summer” – Don Henley/The Ataris
28. “The Man Who Sold the World” – David Bowie/Nirvana
29. “Tim McGraw”- Taylor Swift/Maggie Rogers
30. “Wonderwall” – Oasis/Ryan Adams

And, that 30 pairings is just a start as I have a total of 116 pairings that I would love to see in this series. And, that does not even count any new brilliant covers that are happening right now, such as Chris Cornell covering Guns N’ Roses’ “Patience” or his cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” both of which would make brilliant additions to the series.

Next time, I have a list of shelved albums that I would love to see be released on vinyl for this holiday, all of which would make record collectors salivate in anticipation of getting their mitts on these.

So, until next time, peace.

On several occasions I have heard or read an interview with Interscope Records head person and producer extraordinaire Jimmy Iovine state that he feels like an artist’s third album tends to be the most important album during an artist’s career. Generally, Iovine believes that if the artist had not yet established his/her/their vision on the first two albums, then the pressure was on them to produce a winner with their third album. In defense, he always uses three Rock & Roll Hall of Fame artists, all with whom he worked on their third albums, to make his case. Bruce Springsteen, Patti Smith and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers were all critically acclaimed musicians and songwriters but none had broken through to the masses on their first two albums. In each case, these artists broke through to the masses on their third albums, propelling their careers into legendary status.

In all honesty, most rock artists make their artistic and commercial marks on their first three albums. What separates the legends from the “good” artists is how well those first three albums are received, followed by some truly fantastic albums. Back in the Seventies and, to a certain extent, the Eighties, artists were generally given three or four albums to produce hit songs/albums before their company would pull the plug on their contracts and drop them. So, the pressure was there to perform while still given time to develop their talents. Today, it seems that an artist is given three songs to create a hit before they are dropped. Plus, generally speaking, albums are not important to Millennials and Gen Z-ers due to streaming and downloading. But, to the Boomers and Xers out there, the album remains the ultimate musical artform.

Now that I have my silly introduction out of the way, let’s take a look at my 100 favorite third albums of all-time.

100. Bon Jovi – Slippery When Wet (1986)

99. Madonna – True Blue (1986)

98. KISS – Dressed to Kill (1975)

97. Missy Elliott – Miss E…So Addictive (2001)

96. The Offspring – Smash (1994)

95. Bruno Mars – 24K Gold (2016)

94. Halsey – Manic (2020)

93. Haim – Women in Music Pt. III (2020)

92. Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City (2013)

91. Huey Lewis & the News – Sports (1983)

90. The Black Keys – Rubber Factory (2004)

89. Ice Cube – The Predator (1991)

88. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts – Album (1983)

87. The Jayhawks – Hollywood Town Hall (1992)

86. Tool – Lateralus (2001)

85. The Verve – Urban Hymns (1997)

84. Supertramp – Crime of the Century (1974)

83. New Order – Low-Life (1985)

82. Tears for Fears – The Seeds of Love (1989)

81. Squeeze – Argybargy (1980)

80. Pat Benatar – Precious Time (1981)

79. Phil Collins – No Jacket Required (1985)

78. Pearl Jam – Vitalogy (1994)

77. X – Under the Big Black Sun (1982)

76. Patti Smith Group – Easter (1978)

75. The Beatles – A Hard Day’s Night (1964)

74. The Who – The Who Sell Out (1967)

73. The Psychedelic Furs – Forever Now (1982)

72. The White Stripes – White Blood Cells (2001)

71. Public Enemy – Fear of a Black Planet (1990)

70. The Human League – Dare (1981)

69. Primal Scream – Screamadelica (1991)

68. ZZ Top – Tres Hombres (1973)

67. Faith No More – The Real Thing (1989)

66. The Stooges – Raw Power (1973)

65. Soundgarden – Badmotorfinger (1991)

64. Rod Stewart – Every Picture Tells a Story (1971)

63. Run the Jewels – Run the Jewels 3 (2017)

62. The Jacksons – Destiny (1978)

61. Eurythmics – Touch (1983)

60. Weezer – Weezer (“The Green Album”) (2001)

59. The Replacements – Let It Be (1984)

58. Lana Del Rey – Ultraviolence (2014)

57. Dire Straits – Making Movies (1980)

56. No Doubt – Tragic Kingdom (1995)

55. Warren Zevon – Excitable Boy (1978)

54. 2pac – Me Against the World (1995)

53. Sturgill Simpson – A Sailor’s Guide to Earth (2016)

52. Chic – Risqué (1979)

51. Paul Weller – Stanley Road (1995)

50. Eminem – The Eminem Show (2002)

49. The Cult – Electric (1986)

48. Radiohead – O.K. Computer (1997)

47. A Tribe Called Quest – Midnight Marauders (1993)

46. Elton John – Tumbleweed Connection (1970)

45. Blink-182 – Enema of the State (1999)

44. Devo – Freedom of Choice (1980)

43. Slayer – Reign in Blood (1986)

42. The Pretenders – Learning to Crawl (1984)

41. Childish Gambino – “Awaken, My Love!” (2016)

40. OutKast – Aquemini (1998)

39. Matthew Sweet – Girlfriend (1991)

38. Iron Maiden – The Number of the Beast (1982)

37. Metallica – Master of Puppets (1986)

36. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III (1970)

35. R.E.M. – Fables of the Reconstruction (1985)

34. Black Sabbath – Master of Reality (1971)

33. The Police – Zenyatta Mondatta (1980)

32. Neil Young – After the Gold Rush (1970)

31. Nirvana – In Utero (1993)

30. The Jam – All Mods Con (1978)

29. Def Leppard – Pyromania (1983)

28. Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)

27. D’Angelo & The Vanguard – Black Messiah (2014)

26. Queen – Sheer Heart Attack (1974)

25. Minutemen – Double Nickels on the Dime (1984)

24. The Smashing Pumpkins – Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995)

23. Aerosmith – Toys in the Attic (1975)

22. Beastie Boys – Check Your Head (1992)

21. Big Star – Third/Sister Lovers (1978)

20. Jimi Hendrix Experience – Electric Ladyland (1968)

19. Bob Marley & the Wailers – Catch a Fire (1973)

18. Talking Heads – Fear of Music (1979)

17. Paul Simon – Still Crazy After All These Years (1975)

16. Janet Jackson – Control (1986)

15. Hüsker Dü – New Day Rising (1985)

14. The Smiths – The Queen Is Dead (1986)

13. Run-DMC – Raising Hell (1986)

12. U2 – War (1983)

11. Ramones – Rocket to Russia (1978)

10. Todd Rundgren – Something/Anything? (1972)

9. Green Day – Dookie (1994)

8. Cheap Trick – Heaven Tonight (1978)

7. Prince – Dirty Mind (1980)

6. Blondie – Parallel Lines (1978)

5. Elvis Costello & the Attractions – Armed Forces (1979)

4. Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel (III: “Melting”) (1980)

3. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers – Damn the Torpedoes (1979)

2. Bruce Springsteen – Born to Run (1975)

1. The Clash – London Calling (1980)

And that wraps up my mini-series on the best of the first three albums of an artist. I hope it triggered some thoughts. If you have any, please let me know. Until next time, peace.

The dreaded second album – will that new artist grow or will they flame out? It’s the old sophomore jinx adage, be it a rock artist, an athlete or a television show. The bottom line is can they be as good as they were the first time around? Back in 1976, Major League Baseball was toasting a new wunderkind pitcher by the name of Mark “The Bird” Fidrych. The guy was a folk hero with some strange on-mound antics, such as getting on his knees to clean off the pitching rubber, and a terrific win-loss record for the then-hapless Detroit Tigers. After being name Rookie of the Year and influencing a group of pre-teens in my neighborhood to recreate his antics while playing baseball in the one of the many empty lots, Fidrych dealt with a serious of injuries that truncated the promise he showed that rookie year.

On the musical side, in 1979 there was The Knack, who released one of my favorite albums that year. Unfortunately, the band made a series of stupid, self-caused errors during what should have been a triumphant rookie year. Instead of performing on the Grammy Awards program, Saturday Night Live AND American Bandstand, the band tried to move from small venues to arenas while on tour. Then came the requisite backlash, reliance on cocaine, the inflation of egos AND the dreaded rushed second album, which was just the rejected songs from the debut album. Second rate songs meant a second rate album, all of which translated into a shortened career. And that was too bad for such a talented L.A. band to have flamed out so quickly. Unfortunately, the sophomore slump is more common than one might think.

However, there are a number of artists who created better seconds albums, or at least one that was nearly as good as the first. And, it is those terrific sophomore albums that I am celebrating today. So, on with the countdown (once again, I will eschew the synopsis since many of these albums appeared in my 1000 favorite albums series).

100. Roadmaster – Sweet Music (1978). Indy’s favorite sons were poised for the big time after this terrific Styx-influenced album. Unfortunately, musical tastes were about to abruptly change, leaving my boys wondering what had just happened.

99. Heart – Little Queen (1977)

98. Neil Young – Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (1969)

97. The Shins – Chutes Too Narrow (2003)

96. Ryan Adams – Gold (2001)

95. The Cranberries – No Need to Argue (1994)

94. Nick Lowe – Labour of Love (1979)

93. The B-52’s – Wild Planet (1980)

92. Run-DMC – King of Rock (1985)

91. Raspberries – Fresh (1972)

90. Randy Newman – 12 Songs (1970)

89. Ramones – Leave Home (1977)

88. Rickie Lee Jones – Pirates (1981)

87. System of a Down – Toxicity (2001)

86. My Bloody Valentine – Loveless (1991)

85. Iggy Pop – Lust for Life (1977)

84. Warren Zevon – Warren Zevon (1976)

83. Lionel Richie – Can’t Slow Down (1983)

82. The Monkees – More of the Monkees (1967)

81. Jimi Hendrix Experience – Axis: Bold as Love (1967)

80. X – Wild Gift (1981)

79. Billy Joel – Piano Man (1973)

78. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts – I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll (1981)

77. The Psychedelic Furs – Talk, Talk, Talk (1981)

76. The Cult – Love (1985)

75. Kanye West – Late Registration (2005)

74. The Smithereens – Green Thoughts (1988)

73. Stone Temple Pilots – Purple (1994)

72. Vampire Weekend – Contra (2010)

71. Van Morrison – Astral Weeks (1968)

70. M.I.A. – Kala (2007)

69. Radiohead – The Bends (1995)

68. The Black Crowes – The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion (1992)

67. Gin Blossoms – New Miserable Experience (1992)

66. The Police – Regatta de Blanc (1979)

65. Paul McCartney – Ram (1971)

64. Coldplay – A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)

63. Sugar – File Under: Easy Listening (1994)

62. Nine Inch Nails – The Downward Spiral (1994)

61. Pearl Jam – Vs. (1993)

60. George Michael – Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 (1990)

59. The Bangles – Different Light (1986)

58. Hole – Live Through This (1994)

57. Foo Fighters – The Shape and the Color (1997)

56. Queen – Queen II (1974)

55. Prince – Prince (1979)

54. New Order – Power, Corruption & Lies (1983)

53. Fine Young Cannibals – The Cooked & the Raw (1988)

52. Sturgill Simpson – Metamodern Sounds in Country Music (2014)

51. Billy Squier – Don’t Say No (1981)

50. The Stooges – Funhouse (1970)

49. Chic – C’est Chic (1978)

48. Wham! – Make It Big (1984)

47. Metallica – Ride the Lightning (1984)

46. The Cars – Candy-o (1979)

45. Lady Gaga – Born This Way (2011)

44. Jellyfish – Spilt Milk (1993)

43. The Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream (1993)

42. Daft Punk – Discovery (2001)

41. D’Angelo – Voodoo (2000)

40. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers – You’re Gonna Get It! (1978)

39. TLC – CrazySexyCool (1994)

38. The Smiths – Meat Is Murder (1985)

37. Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique (1989)

36. Hüsker Dü – Zen Arcade (1984)

35. Taylor Swift – Fearless (2008)

34. Elton John – Elton John (1970)

33. LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver (2007)

32. Duran Duran – Rio (1981)

31. Black Sabbath – Paranoid (1970)

30. The Beatles – With the Beatles (1964)

29. Carole King – Tapestry (1971)

28. A Tribe Called Quest – The Low End Theory (1991)

27. Public Enemy – It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)

26. Joy Division – Closer (1980)

25. Paul Simon – There Goes Rhymin’ Simon (1973)

24. Oasis – (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? (1995)

23. Adele – 21 (2011)

22. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin II (1969)

21. Sinead O’Connor – I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got (1990)

20. Culture Club – Colour by Numbers (1983)

19. Tears for Fears – Songs from the Big Chair (1985)

18. The Time – What Time Is It? (1982)

17. Paul Weller – Wildwood (1993)

16. Cheap Trick – In Color (1977)

15. Bruce Springsteen – The Wild, the Innocent & the E-Street Shuffle (1974)

14. Bob Dylan – The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963)

13. Madonna – Like a Virgin (1984)

12. Weezer – Pinkerton (1996)

11. Chicago – Chicago II (1970)

10. Marshall Crenshaw – Field Day (1983)

9. Big Star – Radio City (1973)

8. Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)

7. R.E.M. – Reckoning (1984)

6. Amy Winehouse – Back to Black (2006)

5. Elvis Costello & the Attractions – This Year’s Model (1978)

4. Daryl Hall & John Oates – Abandoned Luncheonette (1973)

3. Nirvana – Nevermind (1991)

2. Pixies – Doolittle (1989)

1. The Band – The Band (1969)

And, that, my friends, are my favorite sophomore albums in an artist’s catalog. See you next time with the best third albums list. Peace.

Recently, a friend from way back in the day (we met in sixth grade), Mark Kline, suggested that I should write about my favorite second and third albums by artists that I loved. And, I thought that was a fantastic idea, but why not take it a step further and do a list of debut albums? His suggestion allowed me to put the stupid election on the back burner and waste time on researching these topics.

Debut albums have always been a curious proposition for artists. As all of them will tell you, they have had their whole lives to write for their first album, while every subsequent album has far less time for preparation. And, some of these debut albums were so magical that the artist had a difficult time every following it up (Am I not correct Hootie & the Blowfish, who, unfortunately, is not on this list?). While many others tried to follow the very same formula that brought them success or simply used recordings that had been discarded while making that debut. On the other hand, many artists had the ability to transcend that rookie season and build a solid career on it.

During this brief research, I discovered that the debut album thing is nothing new. In fact, it seems to be verge of becoming a cliché in the rock blogosphere, which has never stopped me before. Second, or sophomore, albums were a path a little less traveled. While, the third album was a topic rarely touched. So, this whole mini-series is the brainchild of Mr. Kline, once again, the opinions are all mine. Now, I am sure you will be happy about this, but since most of these albums were part of my sprawling 1000 album waste-of-time, I will forgo my silly synopses and just print my countdown, beginning at 100. I hope you all enjoy this and don’t be afraid to let me have it about my rankings.  Let the countdown begin!

100. Queen – Queen (1973)

99. Violent Femmes – Violent Femmes (1983)

98. The Black Crowes – Shake Your Moneymaker (1990)

97. Nine Inch Nails – Pretty Hate Machine (1989)

96. Phil Collins – Face Value (1981)

95. Adele – 19 (2008)

94. Tracy Chapman – Tracy Chapman (1988)

93. Television – Marquee Moon (1977)

92. King Crimson – In the Court of the Crimson King (1969)

91. Sheryl Crow – Tuesday Night Music Club (1994)

90. LL Cool J – Radio (1985)

89. New York Dolls – New York Dolls (1973)

88. Rickie Lee Jones – Rickie Lee Jones (1979)

87. Suicide – Suicide (1977)

86. The Go-Go’s – Beauty and the Beat (1981)

85. Heart – Dreamboat Annie (1976)

84. The Monkees – The Monkees (1966)

83. Kanye West – The College Dropout (2003)

82. Fine Young Cannibals – Fine Young Cannibals (1985)

81. Joe Jackson – Look Sharp! (1979)

80. Patti Smith Group – Horses (1975)

79. Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble – Texas Flood (1983)

78. U2 – Boy (1980)

77. Lynyrd Skynyrd – pronounced leh-nerd skin-nerd (1973)

76. Wu-Tang Clan – Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers (1993)

75. Steely Dan – Can’t Buy a Thrill (1972)

74. Jay-Z – Reasonable Doubt (1996)

73. The Stooges – The Stooges (1969)

72. De La Soul – 3 Feet High and Rising (1989)

71. The Pretenders – The Pretenders (1979)

70. Dire Straits – Dire Straits (1978)

69. Nas – Illmatic (1994)

68. Rush – Rush (1973)

67. Meat Loaf – Bat Out of Hell (1977)

66. Fitz & the Tantrums – Pickin’ Up the Pieces (2010)

65. Dead Kennedys – Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (1980)

64. Devo – Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo (1978)

63. Eric B & Rakim – Paid in Full (1987)

62. Chicago Transit Authority – Chicago Transit Authority (1969)

61. Lady Gaga – The Fame (2008)

60. Temple of the Dog – Temple of the Dog (1991)

59. MGMT – Oracular Spectacular (2007)

58. The Notorious B.I.G. – Ready to Die (1994)

57. Black Flag – Damaged (1981)

56. X – Los Angeles (1980)

55. Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath (1970)

54. Arcade Fire – Funeral (2004)

53. The Traveling Wilburys – The Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1 (1988)

52. The B-52’s – The B-52’s (1979)

51. Terence Trent D’Arby – Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D’Arby (1987)

50. The Beatles – Please Please Me (1963)

49. Run- DMC – Run-DMC (1983)

48. Oasis – Definitely Maybe (1994)

47. The Clash – The Clash (1977)

46. Whitney Houston – Whitney Houston (1985)

45. Crowded House – Crowded House (1986)

44. Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977)

43. Elvis Presley – Elvis Presley (1956)

42. Ramones – Ramones (1976)

41. Pearl Jam – Ten (1991)

40. Jimi Hendrix Experience – Are You Experienced? (1967)

39. The Doors – The Doors (1967)

38. Rage Against the Machine – Rage Against the Machine (1992)

37. Madonna – Madonna  (1983)

36. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin (1969)

35. Sugar – Copper Blue (1992)

34. The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses (1989)

33. Blondie – Blondie (1977)

32. The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)

31. The Smiths – The Smiths (1984)

30. Stevie Nicks – Bella Donna (1981)

29. Eminem – The Slim Shady LP (1998)

28. Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls (2012)

27. Dr. Dre – The Chronic (1992)

26. The Strokes – This Is It (2001)

25. Raspberries – Raspberries (1972)

24. Beastie Boys – Licensed to Ill (1986)

23. The Knack – Get The Knack (1979)

22. Bruce Springsteen – Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. (1973)

21. Bob Mould – Workbook (1989)

20. Big Star – #1 Record (1972)

19. The Band – Music from Big Pink (1968)

18. The Killers – Hot Fuss (2004)

17. Jellyfish – Bellybutton (1991)

16. Nick Lowe – Jesus of Cool (1978)

15. Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures (1979)

14. Talking Heads – Talking Heads: 77 (1977)

13. Marshall Crenshaw – Marshall Crenshaw (1982)

12. Van Halen – Van Halen (1978)

11. Guns N’ Roses – Appetite for Destruction (1987)

10. Weezer – Weezer (“The Blue Album”) (1994)

9. George Michael – Faith (1987)

8. Cheap Trick – Cheap Trick (1977)

7. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers – Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (1976)

6. New Radicals – Maybe I’ve Been Brainwashed Too (1998)

5. Elvis Costello – My Aim Is True (1977)

4. Boston – Boston (1976)

3. R.E.M. – Murmur (1983)

2. The Cars – The Cars (1978)

1. The Style Council – My Ever Changing Moods (1984)

And, that wraps up my 100 favorite debut albums. See you next time with my 100 favorite sophomore albums. Peace.

The holidays were special to my late elementary school art teaching mom. I swear that it didn’t matter what the holiday was, Mom had decorations for it. Arbor Day? Check! She used the same tree shaped candles for that day and Earth Day. Oh, yes, she celebrated Earth Day with that old Sixties/Seventies-era candle in the shape of an ecology symbol. Now, in all seriousness, the woman was ready for Martin Luther King Jr. Day when she purchased a collectable doll of him for her doll collection just as the states were voting for his national holiday. So, Mom was prepared to decorate the house for every holiday imaginable, including some I swear she made up. Oh? Grandparents’ Day is real? Hell! I thought she made that one up after she became a grandmother.

But when it came to pulling out all of the stops, and for my hording mother, that meant she had enough crap to decorate three homes in her small house, she lived for Christmas and Halloween. Unfortunately, her Christmas decorations were only for her family and friends, as she didn’t enjoy decorating the outside. Christmas was magnificent and colorful, especially while growing up since we made many of our ornaments. But, once again, few outside of her inner circle would ever get to see her Christmas home.

So, Halloween became her moment to shine in the world. And, my brother and I became her canvass. No, we never got to just purchase a cheap-ass Halloween costume like Batman. No, we had to follow what she wanted to make us. For my brother who was wired more like her, this was fine. But for me, the strong-willed child with a vision of his own, I learned to tolerate her creations. You see, Mom entered us in our town’s annual Halloween parade and costume competition. Basically, Mom wanted “us” to win every year, so she was determined to top herself each year. And, since I’m a huge competitor, I too wanted to win. That is, until these costumes became silly and got me beat up on the playground. Then, I began to stand my ground and told Mom that I was done after my fifth grade parade. From first grade to fifth grade, her costume won either the funniest or most original award in my age group, as did my brother after me. So, for the better part of the Seventies, Mom’s name was synonymous with Halloween costume championships. Like I said, we were simply her canvass.

Now, from 10 until I was 13, Halloween was a cool time to trick or treat with your friends while causing a little Halloween mischief. In rural Indiana in the Seventies, we really did not toilet paper (TP) houses, since TP was determined to be expensive. What we did do was soap windows and corn houses and moving cars. Soaping windows meant purchasing cheap soap, then going out in the neighborhood when dark and writing messages on neighbor’s windows. You had to be stealth, since you might have to wash the windows if you got caught.

And, as much fun as that was, corning houses and cars was so much better. Now, corning has got to be a Midwestern thing since you needed field corn that was pretty dry, just as the corn is all around here before it is harvested. During the first couple of weeks of October, kids would be walking into the cornfields nearby and grabbing a dozen or so ears. Then, the group of us would shuck the kernels off the cobs. Then, we’d all meet up at dusk, load up all of our pockets with corn and go off to cause maize mayhem. Basically, all this entails is that we would throw some corn against the home’s windows, or better yet aluminum siding. When you hit those things, the sound it like a series of firecrackers going off. The fun part is hiding without getting caught. If you had a big enough group of kids, you could surround a couple of homes, hit them, scatter and hit other homes until you reached the rendezvous place to regroup and hit some other homes.

Once the homes got boring, you went to cornfields near a busy street to throw the corn at moving cars. Now, a moving target is a challenge, but the sound is so sweet when you nail a car. In retrospect, it was a very stupid annual Fall prank since we could have cause an accident. But, it was just fun to see if you could hide in the field without the driver finding you.

Now, as an adult, I’m glad that corning cars has stopped, as well as the widespread soaping of windows. But, I do miss kids corning our home. I’d rather get hit a couple of times then getting TPed. Though, our home was the victim of two excellent TP jobs. The first was back in 1998, after one of my Alexandria track kids finished the State meet in sixth place to be All-State. The other time was by some teammates of my younger son getting our house after a big win. In both cases, the culprits did a thorough job getting all eight trees in our yard and all the shrubs in the front year, along with signs and various other items. In both cases, these were works of art.

But, Halloween finally became fun when I got to college. Now, I could wear whatever I wanted for a costume, we no longer had parental supervision and we had access to booze. Plus, college Halloween costume parties are stellar, so you must have terrific music for it. The big thing was to segue important sections from known horror movie themes into current music to make a seamless mix. That kept the people who were paying attention on their tips and added to the atmosphere. Also, you gotta include tunes from Rocky Horror soundtrack. Those are always a crowd pleaser. And, when I was in college, Thriller was HUGE, and the title song was a must at the last three Halloweens as a college student.

So, I have a list of a hundred songs from which to choose your Halloween party mix. After perusing my list, let me know what songs you would add. I know I have at least one hundred more songs awaiting for my yearly freshening. By the way, I have listed the songs in alphabetical order by artist’s name. Here we go!

1. AC/DC – “Highway to Hell” (1979)
2. Atlanta Rhythm Section – “Spooky” (1979)
3. Bauhaus – “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” (1982)
4. Beyoncé – “Haunted” (2013)
5. Billie Eilish – “Bury a Friend” (2019)
6. Black Sabbath – “Black Sabbath” (1970)
7. Blue Öyster Cult – “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” (1976)
8. Bobby “Boris” Pickett – “Monster Mash” (1962)
9. Bow Wow Wow – “I Want Candy” (1982)
10. Bruce Springsteen – “A Night with the Jersey Devil” (2010)
11. Charlie Daniels Band – “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” (1979)
12. Charlie Daniels Band – “The Legend of Wooley Swamp” (1980)
13. Cheap Trick – “Dream Police” (1979)
14. Cliff Richard – “Devil Woman” (1976)
15. Count Five – “Psychotic Reaction” (1966)
16. Counting Crows – “Scarecrow” (2014)
17. Creedence Clearwater Revival – “Bad Moon Rising” (1969)
18. David Bowie – “Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)” (1980)
19. David Seville – “Witch Doctor” (1958)
20. DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince – “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1988)
21. Donovan – “Season of the Witch” (1966)
22. Eagles – “Witchy Woman” (1972)
23. Echo & the Bunnymen – “The Killing Moon” (1984)
24. Edgar Winter Group – “Frankenstein” (1973)
25. Electric Light Orchestra – “Evil Woman” (1976)
26. Eminem Feat. Rihanna – “Monster” (2013)
27. Evanescence – “Bring Me to Life” (2003)
28. Frank Sinatra – “Witchcraft” (1957)
29. Franz Ferdinand – “Evil Eye” (2013)
30. Geto Boys – “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” (1991)
31. Gorillaz – “Dracula” (2001)
32. Grateful Dead – “Friend of the Devil” (1970)
33. Halsey – “Haunting” (2015)
34. Heart – “Magic Man” (1976)
35. Iggy Azalea Feat. Rita Ora – “Black Widow” (2014)
36. Imagine Dragons – “Demons” (2012)
37. Interpol – “Evil” (2004)
38. INXS – “Devil Inside” (1987)
39. Iron Maiden – “The Number of the Beast” (1982)
40. Janet Jackson – “Black Cat” (1989)
41. Jimi Hendrix Experience – “Voodoo Chile” (1968)
42. John Fogerty – “Eye of the Zombie” (1985)
43. Justin Timberlake – “True Blood” (2013)
44. Kanye West Feat. Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj & Bon Iver – “Monster” (2010)
45. KC & the Sunshine Band – “I’m Your Boogie Man” (1976)
46. King Harvest – “King Harvest” (1973)
47. KISS – “Creatures of the Night” (1982)
48. Lady Gaga – “Monster” (2008)
49. Meat Loaf – “Bat Out of Hell” (1977)
50. Metallica – “Enter Sandman” (1991)
51. Michael Jackson – “Thriller” (1982)
52. Mike Oldfield – “Tubular Bells” (1973)
53. Ministry – “Every Day Is Halloween” (1984)
54. Misfits – “Halloween” (1981)
55. Mötley Crüe – “Shout at the Devil” (1983)
56. My Morning Jacket” – “Evil Urges” (2008)
57. New York Dolls – “Frankenstein” (1973)
58. No Doubt – “Spiderwebs” (1996)
59. Oingo Boingo – “Dead Man’s Party” (1985)
60. Olivia Newton-John – “Magic” (1980)
61. Ozzy Osbourne – “Bark at the Moon” (1983)
62. Peter Tosh – “Vampire” (1987)
63. Prince – “Dance with the Devil” (2020)
64. Radiohead – “Creep” (1993)
65. Ramones – “Pet Sematary” (1989)
66. Ray Parker Jr. – “Ghostbusters” (1984)
67. Red Rider – “Lunatic Fringe” (1981)
68. Rihanna – “Disturbia” (2007)
69. Rob Zombie – “Dragula” (1998)
70. Rockwell – “Somebody’s Watching Me” (1984)
71. Rocky Horror Picture Show Cast – “Time Warp” (1975)
72. Santana – “Black Magic Woman” (1970)
73. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins – “I Put a Spell on You” (1955)
74. Shakira – “She Wolf” (2009)
75. Siouxsie & the Banshees – “Halloween” (1981)
76. St. Vincent – “Psychopath” (2014)
77. Steve Miller Band – “Abracadabra” (1982)
78. Stevie Wonder – “Superstition” (1972)
79. Sufjan Stevens – “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.” (2005)
80. Suicide – “Frankie Teardrop” (1977)
81. Talking Heads – “Psycho Killer” (1977)
82. Taylor Swift – “Haunted” (2010)
83. The Alan Parsons Project – “The Raven” (1976)
84. The B-52’s – “Devil in My Car” (1980)
85. The Beatles – “Helter Skelter” (1968)
86. The Black Keys – “Howlin’ for You” (2010)
87. The Cramps – “I Was a Teenage Werewolf” (1980)
88. The Cranberries – “Zombie” (1994)
89. The Doors – “People Are Strange” (1967)
90. The Outlaws – “(Ghost) Riders in the Sky” (1981)
91. The Prodigy – “Firestarter” (1994)
92. The Psychedelic Furs – “The Ghost in You” (1984)
93. The Rolling Stones – “Sympathy for the Devil” (1968)
94. The Weeknd – “I Can’t Feel My Face” (2015)
95. Van Halen – “Running with the Devil” (1978)
96. Van Morrison – “Moondance” (1970)
97. Warren Zevon – “Werewolves of London” (1978)
98. Whodini – “The Freaks Come Out at Night” (1984)
99. Wolfmother – “Witchcraft” (2005)

100. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Heads Will Roll” (2009)

All of these songs, and I still left off the scariest song of them all – “Intruder” by Peter Gabriel from 1980. That song still gives me the creeps! I hope you all enjoy your Halloween weekend. Try to stay out of trouble, but do have fun. Peace.

Now that my last blog entry proved the insignificance of this blog’s expression of rock criticism (where the hell are you Rolling Stone?), I thought I would tackle yet another rock institution which seems to be impenetrable to the opines of a coterie of people who call themselves Hall Watchers. That institution, which I both love and loathe, is the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, arguably the only thing in Cleveland, outside of the Cleveland Clinic and, at times, the ballpark formerly known as Jacob’s Field, worth visiting. The Hall Watchers are some very articulate and intelligent people who write some of the best rock articles on the internet in a futile attempt to exert some street-level fan influence on the artists inducted.

The Watchers have gone so far as to create podcasts and even formed a Zoom-based nomination committee, which was so entertaining to read about or to hear on podcasts. Many of these people are very impressive in their intelligent arguments for every artists each individual backs. And, their continued influence on my little forays into Hall Watching seems to be growing by the week. 

With that said, with this year’s nomination list being delayed into the new year, I will be making my predictions today. For the first time, I am staying away from reading the tea leaves of Hall news and hints to make predictions as to who will be on the list. Instead, this list, after much contemplation, is full of artists who I feel should be inducted soon. I find it a bunch of crap that the nominee list only has 15 artists. But I really get my panties in a bunch when it comes to the vast backlog of artists not in the Hall and by the fact that the institution still only inducts five to seven artists per year. How the hell are deserving artists ever going to be inducted when their fanbase is quickly dwindling? No, I will NOT go off a tangent!

So, here are the names of 15 rock gods, all of whom I believe should be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, I have absolutely no say in this process. Is that a good thing? You make the call.

1. Foo Fighters – The first of two first-year eligible acts, the Foos arose from the ashes of Nirvana. The multitalented and huge personality Dave Grohl had a batch of songs he had been working on since his Nirvana days and had planned this little solo venture before the untimely death of Kurt Cobain. Since then, Grohl’s solo tinkering has turned into one of the world’s last rock bands, with Grohl playing the world’s last rock star to the hilt. This is a band whose work is both beloved by critics and fans alike, hence their nomination.

2. Jay-Z – This man is still rapping, even though he did try to retire in the mid-2000s. Now, Jay-Z is a brand, as he has branched into fashion, the NBA (part-owner of the Brooklyn Nets), among many other things. And, he may be married to Beyoncé, he remains a world-class MC and producer. Oh, and this is his first year of eligibility for the RRHOF.

3. Judas Priest – They began their career as a journeyman hard rock band, like an English version of REO Speedwagon. Then, they completely embraced metal the music, and they did the rest. Priest are the band that introduced leather, spikes and S&M garb into metal fashion. They made their slow ascent through the Seventies, finally grabbing the crown in 1980 with their landmark metal album British Steel. Next to Sabbath and Metallica, Priest is arguably the biggest influence on the genre.

4. King Crimson – If you prefer your progressive rock on the dark side, King Crimson is the prog rock band for you. Over the years, Crimson has shut down and re-started too many times to really list here. However, the one constant in all of the line-ups has been guitar visionary Robert Fripp. The shadow cast by this band goes beyond the prog rock boundaries and into the post-punk realm. King Crimson was never a band for the weak hearted.

5. Kraftwerk – This German synthesizer pioneering band should have been in the RRHOF years ago, as they have been as much of an influence on today’s music as any one artist. Without Kraftwerk, the world would have had to work harder to create synthpop, Afrika Bambaataa, sampling, Prince’s Minneapolis sound, new wave, “I Feel Love,” Electronic Dance Music (EDM), Moby, drum machines, Daft Punk, LCD Soundsystem, The Cars, up to and including today’s reliance on technology rather than musicianship. Kraftwerk was Ground Zero for the modern world in music.

6. LL Cool J – Long before his acting career, LL Cool J was rap’s biggest star between Run-DMC and Eric B & Rakim. His rhymes were what made LL an icon to begin with. He will forever be the voice behind two early rap classic albums, Radio and Mama Said Knock You Out. He had street cred for the inner city crowd, looks for the ladies and a pro athlete’s physique that made him cool to young men. This guy was a musical badass that stood head and shoulders above all of the wannabe badasses of the era.

7. MC5 – MC5, The Stooges and The Troggs were probably the first punk bands ever. In the case of MC5, they brought a political ferocity to music that has only been matched by Rage Against the Machine, Dead Kennedys or, at times, The Clash. The band released two classic albums before imploding and becoming a major influence on the Seventies punk scenes in NYC and London. That alone should be enough for induction, especially since The Stooges are in.

8. Pat Benatar – With the aid of her collaborator, muse and husband Neil Giraldo, Benatar took her operatically trained vocals to the world of hard rock, knocking down stereotypes along the way. Benatar displayed a toughness onstage and on record that rivalled that of the Wilson sisters of Heart, all of the members of The Runaways, specifically Joan Jett and Lita Ford, and Debbie Harry. Pat, with the creative aid of Neil, pushed a feminist approach to rock music that changed how women were viewed in her wake. She is an important figure in rock history.

9. Rufus & Chaka Khan – Initially, it was seemingly easy to write all the funky contributions of Rufus, much like what has happened to Big Brother & the Holding Company with regards to Janis Joplin. However, Rufus was filled with talented players who realized that their meal ticket rest with the vocals of Chaka Khan while holding down the music in order for her to explore her God-given talent. No set of session musicians could lay down the right amount of funk that Chaka needed for a song. They were such the real deal that none other than Stevie Wonder wrote them a song that become the band’s first hit, “Tell Me Something Good.”

10. Soundgarden – When Seattle was blowing up in the late-Eighties and early-Nineties as the epicenter for grunge, Soundgarden were the first band to be signed by a major label. For some odd reason, it took these guys longer to find success, although they had the more metal-sounding band of the big four (Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains being the others). Plus, no rock band had a lead vocalist like the late Chris Cornell. A little side note about Soundgarden is that drummer Matt Cameron could become a two-time inductee as he is the current drummer for Pearl Jam.

11. The B-52’s – Everybody’s favorite Eighties party band is still not in the RRHOF nor have they been nominated. Their credentials are impeccable, as they introduced the vital Athens, Georgia, music scene to the world, which opened the door for inductees R.E.M. Not only that, but they were involved in one of rock’s more improbable comebacks, when, after the AIDS-related death of their innovative guitarist Ricky Wilson, the band scored a huge worldwide hit in the eternal “Love Shack,” along with their excellent album Cosmic Thing. Though not to reduce the band to a quota, The B-52’s would go a long way toward the induction of women and members of the LGBTQ+ community into the Hall. Honestly, could you imagine a hotter set of songs by a band during the induction ceremony? I think not!

12. The Go-Go’s – The first all female rock band, and unfortunately still the only, to have a number one album on the Billboard Top 200 Chart when their debut album rose to the top while the women were opening for The Police. The band’s image of five clean-cut women rocking out in a band run in contrast to their punk beginnings and their antics offstage. But, these women were a great band who broke new ground. They literally invented the whole pop punk genre two decades before a bunch of second and third generation punks began to pick up on sound of The Go-Go’s. If you don’t believe me of their worthiness, just watch the Showtime documentary on the band. The Go-Go’s rule!

13. The Jam – Dammit America, wake up! This band came and went in the late-Seventies and early-Eighties with just a few of us jumping on their bandwagon. Just because they music did not translate into huge American sales, The Jam dominated their native UK with singles AND LPs. And outside of Elvis Costello, Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen, who is a better songwriter than the very underappreciated Paul Weller? The Jam combined the early energy of The Who, the soul of the Northern Soul movement and the wry British commentary of The Kinks into this beautiful punk noise. If not for The Jam, then Oasis and Blur would have been missing one of their starting points, as would the rest of Britpop.

14. Tina Turner – Tina Turner’s not in the RRHOF?!?! Well, yes, she is but as the female hostage in her abusive former husband’s duo Ike & Tina Turner. Once she had the courage to run from Ike’s abusive stranglehold on her life and career, Tina fled to Britain in order to record a solo album. She hooked up with some new wave fanboys in the form of Heaven 17 who resurrected her career by producing her comeback single, a sultry cover of Al Green’s classic “Let’s Stay Together.” That kicked off her triumphant 1984 comeback, not to mention her lasting status as one of the greatest female singers in rock history. It’s time to correct this error of stupidity!

15. Todd Rundgren – In the history of rock music, few people have had their hands in more of it than Mr. Rundgren. The man was an engineer on The Band’s Stage Fright album; produced classic albums by artists such as Grand Funk, Meat Loaf, XTC, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Cheap Trick, Patti Smith, New York Dolls and The Psychedelic Furs; was an active member in a democratic band called Utopia; AND maintained his own excellent solo career that was full of hits and albums that tested the boundaries of music. And, not only that, but the man was involved in some of rock’s first videos and almost started a video music channel on cable THREE years before MTV. Rundgren deserves induction simply based on the fact that he is truly rock’s first Renaissance man. But then throw in classic solo songs like “Hello, It’s Me” and “Can We Still Be Friends,” in addition to those classics by Utopia like “The Very Last Time” and “Set Me Free.” Let’s end this foolishness now and induct Todd!

And, there, my friends, are my 15 nominees for the 2021 RRHOF Induction Class. Now, who are my inductees? Well, since for some stupid unknown reason all of them cannot be inducted at one time, here are my five inductees: Foo Fighters, Jay-Z, Kraftwerk, Tina Turner and Todd Rundgren. If I can have a sixth act, then I induct The Go-Go’s. Oh, but wait! What happens if I can go to a seventh inductee, I would quickly welcome Pat Benatar. Below is my ranking of the rest of the nominees.

8. Rufus & Chaka Khan

9. The B-52’s

10. The Jam

11. Judas Priest

12. LL Cool J

13. Soundgarden

14. King Crimson

15. MC5

And, just in case you were wondering, here are my honorable mentions: Carole King, Big Star, Hüsker Dü, Duran Duran, The Spinners, Los Lobos, War, Devo, Joy Division/New Order, The Smiths, Carly Simon, The Replacements, Black Flag, Rick James, Dead Kennedys, Mary Wells, Rage Against the Machine, Miami Sound Machine, Mariah Carey, Selena, Weezer, Eric B & Rakim, Styx,  Wu-Tang Clan, A Tribe Called Quest, Carpenters, Mary J. Blige, Queen Latifah, George Michael, The Time, The J. Geils Band, Raspberries, Paul Revere & the Raiders, The Marvelettes, Foreigner, Pixies and INXS.

And that’s my two cents worth concerning the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. See you next time! Peace.

Dear Editors of Rolling Stone magazine,

You probably have never realized that I have been writing a rock music blog since 2015. Is it a good blog with keen insight and sharp criticism? Not really. In fact, it is simply the humble ramblings of an old guy that had to take early retirement due to some health issues. Bottom line, my blog is just an outlet to keep my mental health near a baseline of undetermined “zero.”

In the past, I have often said that I was going to declare for the NBA draft. That has been a running bit for this 5’11” 57-year-old former legend in his own mind. Now, I would like to throw my writing into the ring for an album review job, just one review, for Rolling Stone, whose publication I have been reading since I was in high school. As a matter of fact, I began my Rolling Stone reading hobby in 1979, which lead to a subscription that first ran from 1981 through 1992 then started it back up in 2009 and watching it end with the magazine’s change to a monthly rag around 2017. The magazine was actually one of the bigger influences on my musical tastes, along with Lester Bangs, Creem magazine, early MTV, Fridays! and SNL and Casey Kasem.

Recently, while I had been in the middle of my monumental series that covered my 1000 favorite albums, I heard through the grapevine here in the metropolitan area of Central Indiana that your publication had finally updated your 2003/2012 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time. What I can’t believe is that your group did not consult me for this landmark list. Since your people did not contact mine (The only person you might have contacted other than me would have been my long-suffering wife.), I thought it would be prudent of me to send you my Top 50 list in an effort to correct this oversight.

I do not wish to cause you any more embarrassment, but my nearly 100 dedicated readers might wish to see this long-rumored list of what I consider to be the 50 Greatest Albums of All-Time. Maybe, this unforeseen blunder on your part might actually become a display in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as an example of the unintended slights by major players in rock music given to the little-known bloggers floating around the ether.

Before you read my list, I do want to thank you for being a pioneer in the making of “definitive” countdowns in the rock arena. These published catalogs of the rock era have influenced my own collection and in the manner in which I have entertained myself over the decades.

Sincerely,

Scott Keller

P.S. If you need to see what I said about these albums, please refer to the reviews I made in my series. Thank you!

My Top 50 Albums of All-Time Rolling Stone Ballot

50. Jellyfish – Bellybutton (1990)

49. Ramones – Road to Ruin (1979)

48. N.W.A – Straight Outta Compton (1988)

47. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV (1971)

46. Guns N’ Roses – Appetite for Destruction (1987)

45. David Bowie – Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) (1980)

44. Rush – Moving Pictures (1981)

43. Pearl Jam – Ten (1991)

42. Stevie Wonder – Songs in the Key of Life (1976)

41. The Who – Who’s Next (1971)

40. The Beatles – Revolver (1966)

39. Michael Jackson – Thriller (1982)

38. Daryl Hall & John Oates – Private Eyes (1981)

37. Tom Petty – Wildflowers (1994)

36. Cheap Trick – Heaven Tonight (1978)

35. The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds (1966)

34. Green Day – American Idiot (2004)

33. Paul Simon – Graceland (1986)

32. Pixies – Doolittle (1988)

31. Elvis Costello – My Aim Is True (1977)

30. R.E.M. – Murmur (1983)

29. Elvis Costello & the Attractions – Armed Forces (1979)

28. The Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers (1971)

27. Bruce Springsteen – Born in the U.S.A. (1984)

26. Fleetwood Mac – Rumours (1977)

25. Amy Winehouse – Back to Black (2006)

24. Dr. Dre – The Chronic (1992)

23. Weezer – Weezer (“The Blue Album”) (1994)

22. R.E.M. – Automatic for the People (1992)

21. The Rolling Stones – Some Girls (1978)

20. The Beatles – Abbey Road (1969)

19. Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel (III: Melting) (1980)

18. Bob Dylan – Highway 61 Revisited (1965)

17. The Band – The Band (1969)

16. Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)

15. Pink Floyd – The Wall (1979)

14. AC/DC – Back in Black (1980)

13. U2 – The Joshua Tree (1987)

12. Prince – 1999 (1982)

11. The Cars – The Cars (1978)

10. Queen – A Night at the Opera (1975)

9. Talking Heads – Remain in Light (1980)

8. The Style Council – My Ever Lasting Moods (1984)

7. Prince & the Revolution – Purple Rain (1984)

6. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers – Damn the Torpedoes (1979)

5. Big Star – #1 Record (1972)

4. R.E.M. – Lifes Rich Pageant (1986)

3. Bruce Springsteen – Born to Run (1975)

2. Prince – Sign ‘o’ the Times (1987)

1. The Clash – London Calling (1979)

Until next time, peace!

In 2018 and 2019, the big news for us was grandchildren. Grandchild #1 (GC1) was born a couple of weeks after our younger son got married. GC1 has the distinction of being the first Keller female born in captivity in over a century. The last time we had a full-blooded Keller female born were the sisters of my dad’s father. Needless to say, it had been a very long time.

A little over a year later, GC2 was born. Now, this one was a boy, of course. This child is very active, constantly on the move searching out the next object he wants to mess with that he shouldn’t. Of course, I prefer my description of him as being a disaster looking for a place to happen.

Honestly, I can’t wait until this stupid pandemic is finally put to rest so we can enjoy GC1 and GC2 together. That could be a very interesting mix. The cool thing is that they will grow up in the same school corporation, though they will not be in the same building until they are in middle school. Now, based upon their current heights, I suspect that GC1 will be significantly smaller that GC2. But, I also envision GC1 being able to verbally handle herself with him. Just for the few interactions they had together this past summer, GC2 did much physical protection of GC1. I really think those two have some kind of telepathic connection developing quickly, so it should be very interesting to witness their developments as they grow up.

I know! Quit the grandkids this, grandkids that routine. I said, “Okay!” Let’s look at this last entry for my 1000 favorite albums blog series. These will be the albums forever associated with MY grandchildren. Unveil my selections!

Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer (2018). Will someone please explain why Janelle Monáe, the talented Prince and Outkast protégé never had a Top 100 pop hit song as a solo artist but only via a guest vocalist on a yoga song called…uh…”Yoga”? Dirty Computer is her third album that reminds this old guy of someone’s own Dirty album. All of her stuff is from the Janet Jackson/Prince/Outkast mold with Monáe taking similar risks while effortlessly bending genres. Now that Prince and Bowie are deceased, Stevie is off in whatever La-La Land he landed in, Janet’s a mom and Outkast remain apart, Janelle is our current hope for this throne of personal musical diversity. This album should have been huge.

Kacey Musgrave – Golden Hour (2018). Musgrave is arguably the one modern day, non-throwback oriented country singer/songwriter who is doing something that isn’t bad Eighties music with a fiddle. No, Kacey has some sly humor deep in her lyrics while her music gives nods to soul, R&B, soft rock and even (gasp!) disco and hip hop. In lesser talents, this mix would break careers. Yet, for Musgrave, she continues to rise in status.

Leon Bridges – Good Thing (2018). Mr. Neo Soul is back with his sophomore release, and it proves to be no slump. The deck was stacked against Bridges being able to move past his seemingly stuck-in-the-Sixties soul, but he nimbly navigated that concern with some mighty fine songs. Sure, he’s still a soul man, but he is branching out as his lyrics get to be more heartfelt and personal. “Beyond” is a timeless song about budding love.

Ariana Grande – thank u, next (2019). Grande’s creative growth was so fast that the new smell on her 2018 Sweetener album had not even faded when gave suddenly dropped a new song, which ended up being this album’s title track. Suddenly, her songs’ lyrics maturation were catching up to her otherworldly voice. This is what should happen for all singer/songwriters, or at least the ones I root for. I can understand why young ladies in their late teens  made this album their go-to musical binge during times of breakup angst.

Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go (2019). Along with Grande’s LP, this was the other big selling album of the year. Eilish immediately filled the role of being the anti-pop star of Generation Y. Her lyrics thrust her into the unenviable role of becoming the voice of her generation, a title that the others before her openly shunned, such as Dylan, Lennon, Springsteen, Stipe, Cobain, Tupac and Kanye. Some of those names navigated the waters, some simply turned away and yet others succumbed to the pressures. I love her starting place on the map of her career. Let’s simply hope that she is more of a Bowie, rather than end up like Cobain or Tracy Chapman.

Bob Mould – Sunshine Rock (2019). I gotta admit that I love 2010s Bob Mould! The man has been on a stellar creative role ever since the release of his autobiography See the Light in 2011. But, on this release, Bob is looking backward as much as he is forward. The album is a non-compilation culmination of his career. You can hear all of his phases throughout his career. From the early days of Hüsker Dü to latter day Dü through acoustic solo to Sugar up to and including older, angrier Mould, all together on one album of fresh material. Rack this one up with Zen Arcade, Workbook and Copper Blue as his classic albums.

Coldplay – Everyday Life (2019). It’s official people: Coldplay was one of the biggest musical acts on the planet. So, in celebration, the band goes into full on U2 territory by creating an album similar in nature to U2’s triumphant return to their basics on All That You Can’t Leave Behind. Coldplay was nearing the end of their second decade as one of the big rock draws in the 2010s, much like U2 had been as Y2K approached. And, Coldplay began to look all around them for inspiration, including the politics of the countries they had just visited. This album is in the same vein as U2’s 2000 release because of the introspection. Additionally, this album confirms that Coldplay is the real deal.

Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell (2019). Lana Del Rey exploded on the music scene back in 2012. The public was eating up her noir lyrics-meets-Chris Isaak’s music, while critics were skeptical, claiming she was a manufactured singing star. Then, she had a disastrous performance on SNL, which I thought would signal the end of her career. What happened? The woman persevered by working harder at her craft, developing her vocals and choosing some fantastic musician/producers. Everything finally came together on this wonderfully dark album of just plain outstanding songs. Del Rey teamed up with Jack Antonoff to carefully creature the textures that enhance Lana’s descriptive lyrics. The more I listen to this album, the more that is opened to my ears.

Lizzo – Cuz I Love You (2019). So, who had Lizzo as their breakout musical star for 2019? No one was really that surprised as Billie Eilish and Lana Del Rey both achieved commercial success. But Lizzo? First off, the woman IS a talented singer, songwriter AND musician. Her first EP was lackluster at best. Then came Cuz I Love You, and, OMG, this thing blew up! This is how dance music should sound in a word: FUN! It had been a very long time for this old geezer to name the last album he thought was “fun.” He went back to 1983 for Madonna’s self-titled debut for that word. I’ll take albums like this any day of the week!

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Ghosteen (2019). Everyone’s favorite death-obsessed  rock star is back with one of the best albums of his career. Sure, Cave’s lyrics remain dark, but they are tinged with a spirituality that is more Biblical than it is Gothic. The beauty of Cave’s work is that darkness is balanced with just a tincture of hope that cuts to the core of The Message in The Bible, the stuff that usually is ignored by American Christianity. Yet, it that very thing that Americans yearn for, while they remain completely petrified by that notion. It is in with the sinners where the growth takes place. And Cave alludes to that throughout his best albums. Just like this one…

Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride (2019). During the six years between this album and the band’s previous album, much happened. Most significantly, one of the creative minds behind the band, Rostam Batmanglij, went solo, while the other creative spark, Ezra Koenig, left the East Coast for L.A. During this time, Koenig fell in love with Kacey Musgraves’ music, influencing Koenig’s writing by developing sound characters for his songs. On their previous album, Modern Vampires of the City, VW had shown much growth. However, Vampire Weekend truly displayed major growth in their music, especially within their lyrics. This is the case of addition by subtraction.

And that wraps up the list of My 1000 Favorite Albums of All-Time. So, what albums should have I included? Let’s hear it people! Peace.

It was in October 2017, my wife and I learned that we were finally going to become grandparents for the first time when our older son and his wife announced their were expected. Additionally, over the summer, my younger son and his long-time girlfriend finally got engaged. Those two had been an item since the end of their freshman year of high school back in the spring 0f 2004. Basically, the two had grown up together and had only broken up once in the spring of their senior year in high school mainly because my son got too big for his britches. Fortunately, the two realized their mistake (I gotta give it up to his wife for making him work hard to win her back even though we all knew that’s who she ultimately wanted.). So, everything was coming together as far as my boys moving into adulthood.

As for the music of these two years, there were several fine albums. As I have stated earlier, there are some great albums that were released by my favorite artists during this time period (namely Cheap Trick and Elvis Costello), but I refuse to take up space with my personal favorites in order to shine the light upon the younger ones, generally speaking. So, let’s get today’s list going.

Drive-By Truckers – American Band (2017). The Drive-By Truckers have arguably been the most artistically consistent rock band of the 21st century. Every album that have released since their landmark 2001 album Southern Rock Opera have been some of the best music released each of those years. Technically, this album was released in 2016, but it was released so late that year that it took me until 2017 to catch up. And, what a terrific album this one is! Once again, they tackle the philosophical and political issues that divides their native American South. This album plays as an adult version of Southern Rock Opera, as the anger and passion that drove that album are replaced with puzzlement and concern. The whole album can be summed up with one burning question, “Why do working class white people, who share so much in common with the working class of people of color, work so hard to undermine policies that are in their best interest?” Only a white man from a working class background can tackle such a topic with compassion.

Dua Lipa – Dua Lipa (2017). Of course, the younger talented women coming up in music will have the newer batch of outstanding singers as influences. With Ms. Lipa, look no further than Lady Gaga, Adele and Sia for her inspiration. With Gaga, she learned to aim for the dance floor and pop radio simultaneously. From Adele, she grabbed the idea of vocal control and emotions conveyed. And, from Sia, she took the notion of the dramatic. And, on this album, Dua put it all together for an excellent debut. I expect some big things from this young lady as she becomes more polished and experiences more emotions during her maturation into adulthood.

Joey Bada$$ – All-AmeriKKKan Bada$$ (2017). My favorite protest music was never totally nihilistic but often offered the listener hope that the change would come. That’s what Joey Bada$$ has in common with artists like Elvis Costello, The Clash and Public Enemy. While Bada$$ was busy pummeling police violence, institutionalized racism and Donald Trump, along with many other ills and injustices here in American. Once again, we have an album that was ultimately prophetic in that it predicted just the things we were protesting about in 2020. This remains my favorite middle finger to the status quo created this century. And, it true! We do need a Bada$$!

Kendrick Lamar – DAMN. (2017). Kendrick Lamar is on a creative roll similar to Kanye’s nearly a decade ago or Eminem’s two decades ago. The guy just can do no wrong. While still displaying his keen political and sociological observations, Lamar actually turns his power of observation inward in order to comment on how everything is affecting him spiritually and psychologically. None of us will get out of our upbringing unscathed. It is what we do with it as adults that separates us. And, that is where Mr. Lamar seems to be heading in his unparalleled music.

Kesha – Rainbow (2017). What can you say about an artist who originally charts hit songs that draw upon her hedonistic life decides to shed her party girl skin to show some emotional depth? That’s exactly the major step Kesha took on this album. I guess she grew tired of the rock cliché of being tired of waking up hungover and intertwined with the bodies of people she did not know. Instead, she turned inward and created more dance anthems but with some emotional depth missing from her original hits. I really believe you can’t listen to this album and not be emotionally moved.

Lorde – Melodrama (2017). Lorde was only 17 when “Royals” made her an international superstar. Yet, although her talent belied her age, she still understood that her growth would come through whomever she collaborated. Enter former fun. creative leader Jack Antonoff, who quietly became ubiquitous in the modern pop music world as a producer. Lorde, who can brood with the best of them this side of Hamlet, reveling equally in the joy in her life as the angst, all of it put to music on this album. Here’s to the further musical development of Lorde!

St. Vincent – MASSEDUCATION (2017). St. Vincent, known to her friends as Annie Clarke, nearly had a breakdown in the aftermath of the breakthrough of her previous eponymous album. So, instead of pushing herself further down a rabbit hole, she enlists the help of, you guessed it, Jack Antonoff to smooth the rough edges. Fortunately, this collaboration never jettisons St. Vincent’s sonic quirks for the sake of pop success. Instead, the duo simply polishes the sound a bit to make it more compelling when heard on a radio. I compare this move to being similar to Talking Heads turning to Brian Eno for a little guidance into the avant garde back in the late-Seventies.

SZA – Ctrl (2017). Want your R&B delivered with the ferocity of Kendrick Lamar? Look no further! SZA is the artist for you. This young lady is fearless and undaunted as she follows her muse into new soul music territory. I cannot wait to hear her musical journey.

Ariana Grande – Sweetener (2018). Finally, Grande is shedding her little girl Lolita image to become a fully aware young lady on this album. Maybe it was just her age catching up to her vocal talent. Or maybe it was the bombing that took place at the Manchester Arena before one of her concerts. Or, maybe it was a combination of the event occurring at the correct moment in here life. Whatever triggered this metamorphosis, I’m glad it happened. Everything conspired to make this young woman reassess her life right before our ears on this album. This growth is matched by the greatness of her music. That’s what made this album so compelling. She is following the path that her obvious predecessor, Christian Aguilera, should have traveled down.

Cardi B – Invasion of Privacy (2018). I find it such a relief when a female rapper finally hits the charts. Why? Because they to this day rarely get the full-on record company push needed to break her. So, now, welcome Cardi B to the trail once blazed by Queen Latifah, Salt-N-Pepa, TLC, Nicki Minaj, etc. It’s just so great that talent is now being more recognized that one’s gender. Cardi B took the music world by storm with her debut album that pitch perfectly uses cameo appearances by SZA and Chance the Rapper to enhance to outstanding album.

Christine & the Queens – Chris (2018). This album is full of coming-of-age stories of a queer woman. And, she does it by doing some Madonna-like rule-breaking by creating music geared for the dance floor that is created with the influences of Lady Gaga, David Bowie, Freddie Mercury and Mika, among others, while cutting her very own swath. This is simply a compelling album on so many levels.

And, that wraps up the next-to-last entry on this list. Stay tuned for the next one as it will be the last one in this series. Peace.