[LISTEN] Mark Lanegan - “Blues Funeral” Album Stream

Mark Lanegan and his band's new album Blues Funeral set for release in February 7th, 2012.

Listen first all track/full album HERE and pre-order Blues Funeral on iTunes :: Amazon

[LISTEN] Sharon Van Etten “Tramp” Full Album Stream

Get a full listen to Sharon Van Etten third upcoming album Tramp which due to be out on February 7, 2012.

Listen here and pre-order Tramp on iTunes :: Amazon

[LISTEN] Chris Cornell “Songbook EP2” Album Stream

Chris Cornell "Songbook" is being released in three parts beginning with "Songbook EP 1" out November 1, and "Songbook EP 2" following tomorrow (November 15). 


Listen to "Songbook EP 2" below.

Click here to listen if the player doesn't work

Chris Cornell - Songbook iTunes EP2 by chriscornell

Listen to Chris Cornell “Songbook EP2” here

Pre-Order “Songbook” via Amazon :: iTunes

[LISTEN] The Jezabels - “Prisoner” Album Stream

Stream Prisoner, the debut full length album from Australlian quartet The Jezabels, which is now available digitally courtesy of their record label, Mom + Pop. The album will be available physically in early 2012.

Get full stream below.

Pre Order Prisoner now HERE

[LISTEN] Chris Cornell “Songbook EP1” Album Stream

 Chris Cornell "Songbook" will be released in three parts beginning with "Songbook EP 1" out Nov. 1, and "Songbook EP 2" following on Nov. 15. 


Listen to "Songbook EP 1" below.

Click here to listen if the player doesn't work

Songbook - iTunes EP1 by chriscornell

Pre-Order “Songbook” via Amazon :: iTunes

[LISTEN] Nirvana 'Nevermind': 3 Unreleased Tracks

 Three previously unreleased tracks from Universal's 20th anniversary reissue of Nirvana's Nevermind
(Super Deluxe Edition) (due out September 27, 2011) have surfaced. Alternate versions of "Smells Like Teen Spirit," "Breed," and "On a Plain". Get a full listen below.


Nirvana – Breed (Smart Studios Version) (Previously Unreleased)


Nirvana – On A Plain (Boombox Demo Version) (Previously Unreleased)


Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit (Live From The Paramount) (Previously Unreleased)

Pre-Order Nevermind (Super Deluxe Edition) on iTunes :: Amazon

[LISTEN] Pearl Jam - "Pearl Jam Twenty" (Soundtrack)

In conjunction with the film PJ20, Pearl Jam is set to release the Pearl Jam Twenty Soundtrack - comprised of 29 rare and unreleased tracks selected by Cameron Crowe, making the album a true companion piece to the film. The soundtrack will be available online and in stores tomorrow! But stream it first here below.

Pre-order Pearl Jam Twenty HERE

[LISTEN] Kasabian - "Velociraptor!" (Album)

Velociraptor! is the fourth studio album from the Kasabian. They have just made their new album available for streaming via Soundcloud. STREAM first below before it's official released date on September 19, 2011

1. Let's Roll Like We Used To


2. Days Are Forgotten


3. Goodbye Kiss


4. La Fée Verte


5. Velociraptor!


6. Acid Turkish Bath (Shelter from the Storm)


7. I Hear Voices


8. Re-wired


9. Man of Simple Pleasures


10. Switchblade Smiles

Pre-order Velociraptor! on iTunes :: Amazon

[RELEASE TODAY] Bush - "The Sea of Memories"

Buy via iTunes

Released	September 13, 2011
Recorded	June 2010–June 2011
Length	49:15
Label	Zuma Rock Records (through a partnership with E1 Records)
Producer	Bob Rock

Track Listing

1. "The Mirror of the Signs"   4:19 2. "The Sound of Winter"   3:28 3. "All My Life"   3:22 4. "The Afterlife"   4:45 5. "All Night Doctors"   4:17 6. "Baby Come Home"   4:15 7. "Red Light"   3:31 8. "She's a Stallion"   4:36 9. "I Believe in You"   3:11 10. "Stand Up"   4:19 11. "The Heart of the Matter"   4:22 12. "Be Still My Love"   4:48

Coldplay "Mylo Xyloto" Detail

Released: October 24, 2011

Track Listing:

'Mylo Xyloto'
'Hurts Like Heaven'
'Paradise'
'Charlie Brown'
'Us Against The World'
'M.M.I.X'
'Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall'
'Major Minus'
'U.F.O.'
'Princess Of China'
'Up In Flames'
'A Hopeful Transmission'
'Don't Let It Break Your Heart'
'Up With The Birds'

[REVIEW] Incubus - "If Not Now, When?" Album

Released: July 12, 2011
Producer: Brendan O' Brien
Label: Epic Record
Length: 50:03

It’s getting on for five years since established American rock band Incubus last released an entire album of new material, so expectations from their legions of fans are astronomical for new release If Not Now, When? This new album is their seventh release since Fungus Amongus, their 1995 debut and follows their longest break between releases. Fans will be pleased to know that If Not Now, when? does not disappoint…

‘If Not Now, When?’ 8/10

The first track is minimalist and a calm introduction to the album, lead largely around Brandon Boyd’s mesmerizing and unmistakable vocal. The sound Incubus have spent years crafting is as present as it was on 2001’s Morning View. ‘If Not Now, When?’ may not be an instant thunderbolt of a song, but with each listen, improves and yearns to be heard over and over.

 ‘Promises, Promises’ 8/10

First fully released single from the album, ‘Promises, Promises’, is not what is typically expected from a lead single from a new Incubus release. This is less ‘Megalomaniac’ or ‘Anna Molly’ and more ‘Are You In?’. Still, ‘Promises, Promises’ is an uplifting piano lead moment of funky lightheartedness and one that will be welcomed by many.

‘Friends and Lovers’ 7/10

Another chilled out track, ‘Friends and Lovers’, has a sweet melody and is executed brilliantly, but is not a stand out moment amongst the collection.

‘Thieves’ 9/10

Out of soppyville, ‘Thieves’ provides some brilliant lyrics and the most upbeat song yet. ‘Everything is fine, so long as you’re a god-fearing white American’ Boyd sings against the charming mid-tempo backdrop. Nice to see Boyd is his band mates haven’t lost their provoking lyric writing talents!

‘Isadore’ 10/10

The beats are slightly harder and heavier, yet the laid back mood continues. The lyrics here are the most vivid and story-telling on the album. Erica and Isadore appear to be riding a balloon to the moon, but Erica takes the only parachute, abandoning Isadore. I’d love to see an animated video for ‘Isadore’. This is addictive and layered and deserves several listens.

‘The Original’ 8/10

Boyd’s velvety tones are what makes ‘The Original’; that and the progressive build. The last minute builds into an epic multi-layered which is very welcomed at this point in the album, but the lyrics are a little too sickly for me, with ‘Girl you’re the original. Always were, always will be’, nevertheless I’m sure many guitar playing boys will enjoy serenading their girlfriends with this one.

‘Defiance’ 10/10

A purely acoustic guitar driven song, ‘Defiance’ is a stunning song that shows the band’s raw talent and ability to really deliver in a minimalistic way.

‘In the Company of Wolves’ 10/10

Over seven minutes of brilliance is ‘In the Company of Wolves’. The acoustic feel remains, and Boyd uses his voice like a well-oiled instrument. The song features several different techniques and sounds and progresses from soft acoustic, to an almost organic brooding mid-section, to an instrumental epic finale. Absolutely mesmerising!

‘Switch Blade’ 8/10

Boyd is apparently being attacked by a girl in a black hat? ‘Switch Blade’ has the most nonsensical lyrics on the album and provides a fitting moment of relief from otherwise very mellow and grown up album. Still, ‘Switch Blade’ is a very different track for the band.

‘Adolescents’ 10/10

‘Adolescents’ is heavier than it first seems. Crank up the volume or witness it being performed live (as I had the fortune to do last week at the HMV Forum) and you will have a whole new respect for the power of the song. Possibly the most commercially appealing song on the album, ‘Adolescents’ is energetic and mesmerising.

‘Tomorrow’s Food’ 9/10

A fitting close to the album, ‘Tomorrow’s Food’ has a complex calm orchestral feel. While Boyd sings ‘There’s no such thing as the end of the world’, he poignantly points out that we are tomorrow’s food, today, maybe highlighting our insignificance. It is beautiful, moving, kind of inspiring and kind of sad.

Incubus have evolved into a sophisticated band and If Not Now, When? is their calmest and most mellow album to date. As with all Incubus albums, this is completely different to any of their previous releases, but stays true to their highly individual sound. If you want heavy, chuck Make Yourself or S.C.I.E.N.C.E on, but buy this too, for those days you want to really listen- there’s a whole lot going on here. 

9/10

ORDER via

iTunes: http://bit.ly/obhRQ0,
Amazon MP3: http://amzn.to/qQ3Uhw,
CD: http://amzn.to/pIk2k2,
Vinyl: http://amzn.to/oqOwXY

[REVIEW] The Strokes – "Angles" (Album)

 It’d be nice to live as one of The Strokes. Just their mere existence seems enthralling. Although Julian Casablancas always looks two shades away from a drug addict – you know, disheveled, sleep deprived, and with hair in dire need of Pert Plus – he still shuffles around with this aura that sells him as the coolest fucking guy on the planet. The same applies to the four others, who all still look like they’re in their early 20s. Yes, 10 years later, New York’s finest rock ‘n’ roll export – a title that deserves more credit than you’d imagine – need not worry about its prestige, or its relevance. They went on hiatus, only to return as kings, headlining festivals and working with a red-hot hype machine, one that most acts in their class would perform sex acts for – it’s true. Five years ago, you wouldn’t have pegged the band as even potentials for headlining the likes of Lollapalooza, and especially not Coachella. You just wouldn’t. Here’s some perspective, though: The last time they stepped off the stage (sometime in Fall of ’06?), they were opening for Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and they looked fucking miserable, too.
  So, they’ve had a vacation of sorts. Casablancas, Albert Hammond, Jr., and Nikolai Fraiture put out solo works, all with mixed results, Valensi spent time raising his child and performing next to Sia, while Fabrizio Moretti broke things off with Drew Barrymore (ouch) and worked on Little Joy. It’s been a tender five years since they unbuckled First Impressions of Earth, the polarizing third LP that left fans and critics swinging both ways. Because of this lapse in time, so many folks love to romanticize the idea of the band nearly breaking up, speculating that Casablancas grew tired, or Hammond, Jr. wanted more. It’s not surprising, really, especially since the band spent sessions recording without Casablancas, or vice versa. But, as Fraiture told Spin back in January, “There was a lot of back and forth. I don’t know if Julian had trouble being with us — I don’t know what was going through his mind. There were tensions. But it worked.”

 Worked, indeed. Angles, The Strokes’ long awaited fourth LP, stands as the group’s most eclectic album to date. Digressing on the album title, again with Spin, Fraiture insisted, “It’s all about the different approach and the different ways these song came out.” That truth speaks volumes here. If you pegged “Under Cover of Darkness” as the true harbinger for the record, you’re sorely mistaken. It’s maybe one of possibly two tracks that harkens back to the band’s early days. The remainder sees the quintet exploring new sounds and new faces, assembling a pocket full of erratic tunes that sound like The Strokes but in a non-traditional sense. To use an inordinately esoteric (and borderline asinine) example, it’s sort of like the old action figure lines for Batman in the mid-’90s. The figure itself always looked the same, at least in terms of size and specifications, but it came in seven or eight different variations. You know, like Arctic Batman, Midnight Batman, Tarantula Batman, etc., etc.. If you were lucky, you snagged a missile launcher, or a dino buddy, or something to that nature.

 No dino buddies here, but the band does change its wardrobe aplenty. At one moment, they’re exploring murky ’80s dance grooves (“Machu Pichu”), only to backpedal seconds later with sunny melodies and popcorn riffage (“Under Cover of Darkness”). In the latter track, arguably the album’s most accessible and traditional moment, Casablancas insists he “won’t just be a puppet on a string.” He sticks to his guns, abandoning the band’s more ancestral sounds, and instead surges forward. But, remarkably, the band sounds most comfortable when they’re exploring uncharted territory.

 Some of it isn’t too distant and bizarre. If you took a chance with Casablancas’ incredibly underrated solo effort, 2009′s Phrazes for the Young, portions of material here may sound oddly familiar. “Two Kinds of Happiness” channels that hazy, aerial riffage that made up “Left & Right in the Dark”, while “Games” swims with filters and synthesizers that follow up “11th Dimension”. The difference here, however, is that these songs feel more focused and in tune. They don’t wander as much. Fraiture won’t let them; neither will Moretti. The two rope in the remaining three, keeping things precise and less fragmented. Take latest B-side, “You’re So Right”, for instance. Manic guitar lines segue with toe numbing percussion, while vocals wade in and out of Fraiture’s accelerated bottom lines. It helps that the guy wrote it. Altogether, it’s a frantic, pulsing inclusion, but it wouldn’t work without the solid composure of each member. That’ll silence the skeptics.

 Still, you can’t silence them for long, and, admittedly, parts of the album do falter. Having produced this themselves, with the exception of the closing track, which was worked on by producer Joe Chiccarelli (Shins, My Morning Jacket), there’s little touches that irritate. At times Casablancas marries himself too closely to the instrumentation (“Taken for a Fool”), while other moments seem spoiled by flooding out the background (“Metabolism”). Time will tell if abandoning longtime producer Gordon Raphael was a good thing, but at the moment, it seems like the band could have used a little tightening. It’s not just them, though. On the aforementioned album closer, “Life is Simple in the Moonlight”, Chiccarelli patches up any holes in sound, rounding out the album with a soiree of Police-like scales, atmospheric chords, soaring synthesizers, bells, etc.. It’s a beautiful collage, but slightly distracting, specifically the verses, where Casablancas happens to exhibit his strongest lyrics. Rest assured, though, the chorus champions on, and while it sounds stripped from Phrazes…, it’s catchy, it’s dance-y, and the layers finally work to its advantage.

 As with any Strokes record, the band slows things down, taking some time out for deeper moments of reflection. After all, Casablancas loves to dwell. “Is This It”? “Under Control”? “Ask Me Anything”? All in the same ballpark. Much like its predecessors, “Call Me Back” sees the elusive frontman coming to terms with his present conditions. “I look for you, and you look away,” he observes, moaning along to ghostly harmonies and spider-like guitars that crawl over an array of light noises. For a record stuffed with instrumentation, this sparse melody feels delectably rich and grounded. The bitter frontman entertains us with some humor, too, when he remarks, “Wait time is the worst/I can hardly sit/No one has the time/It’s why I’m always late.” That must be tongue-in-cheek, right? Maybe. Well, probably since he follows this up with “Gratisfaction”, a hip swinging jamboree that sees the band applauding themselves – literally.

 Recently, Valensi told NME, “If we had just released [Angles] a year or two after the last one, I imagine it would have gone better.” Not sure that’s true. So many critics winced at the twists and turns of First Impressions of Earth, and yet that featured more traditional sounding tunes than here. It’s very likely they would have seethed from the mouth at the nature of this beast. While they do “return to form” on a couple tracks here, it’s quite the departure in sound from their last effort. But, we’re more open to the changes today. Not to mention, the band’s laid it out for us. They’ve insisted upon the album’s differing perspectives again and again. Because of this, Angles stays true to its name. It’s a multidimensional record that picks and pulls from various folders. Sure, it could benefit from some cohesion, but given the boys’ state of mind, it would be unfair to expect that from them. Instead, it’s a sultry exhibition, one that spotlights the band’s strengths, yet also its weaknesses. There’s something remarkably intimate about that. Exciting, too.

 Before the proverbial curtain drops on “Life is Simple in the Moonlight”, Casablancas warns, “Don’t try to stop us, get out of the way.” If we’re to take Angles into consideration, it’s highly unlikely we’ll stand our ground. At this time, we’re more than willing to step aside and let them do their thing. Hell, it’s that redemptive freedom that brought them back to the fold in the first place – and with headlining slots and smiles to boot. All we ask, however, is this time, please don’t leave us waiting in the dust for five more years. Deal?

Tracklist:
01. Machu Picchu (3:30)
02. Under Cover Of Darkness (3:56)
03. Two Kinds Of Happiness (3:42)
04. You’re So Right (2:34)
05. Taken For A Fool (3:23)
06. Games (3:52)
07. Call Me Back (3:02)
08. Gratisfaction (2:59)
09. Metabolism (3:01)
10. Life Is Simple In The Moonlight (4:15)

Official Release:
March 22, 2011

[LISTEN] The Strokes - "Angles" (Album)

Listen to 10 full tracks of Angles online stream via the band’s official site here

Where Are They Now? : Kids from Album Covers

 What do a swimming baby with a dollar bill as bait, a girl on a swing set with shadow of an evil man in front of her ,and a baby angel smoking a cigarette have in common? They're all album cover artwork that are as memorable as the classic records themselves.They also all have children on them. Maybe it's the child's innocence or perhaps it's just mere coincidence, but these records tend to sell more copies for the group than the rest of their repertoire.

Many have wondered what happened to these kids when they grew older. Luckily, we live in a day and age where finding this information is easy. Lets take a look a few of this.



Nirvana's Nevermind Baby

 Most people had only discovered Nirvana after their second album, Nevermind, began to flood MTV. The music video for their single, Come As You Are, featured a water scene similar to the cover art; however, the baby and the dollar bill were replaced by a floating gun. Spencer Elden, who was undoubtedly referred to as "The Nevermind Baby" during his school years, grew up just fine. His parents earned a mere $200 for the classic picture and they didn't even know who Nirvana was at the time. To be fair, nobody really did in 1991. Spencer recreated the Nevermind cover for Rolling Stone magazine in 2001 and then again in 2008, this time for a cool $1000. He also graced the cover of cEvin Key's, The Dragon Experience, in 2003. Elden now works as an artist.

Spencer Elden Living The Life Aquatic (1991, 2001, 2008)

The Conjoined Twins from Siamese Dream

 Many are unaware, but the two girls who appeared on the cover of Smashing Pumpkins' 1993 album, Siamese Dream, were probably not conjoined twins to begin with. A simple flip of the album reveals a picture of the girls as separate entities in white dresses. In a blog post in 2007, the Smashing Pumpkins announced that they were looking for the girls but were unable to locate them:

"NEED HELP! Looking for girls from Siamese Dream album cover. There's no one better to ask than the super fans themselves! We are trying to locate the girls that adorn the cover of Siamese Dream. As you all know, they were quite young when the photo was taken. They are not conjoined anymore, as far as we know."

 It's been three years since that post and nothing has turned up. Neither Virgin Records, Billy Corgan, nor the photographer have the names of the girls.

UPDATE: The following note was posted on the Smashing Pumpkins' Facebook page. Either their basist is one of the two girls or Corgan has gotten so annoyed at getting asked this question that he's claiming it's her. What do you think? Is Nicole Fiorentino actually one of the girls from the cover?

Flip the album over and they aren't conjointed, problem solved!

The Boy on Illmatic from NAS

 Illmatic, the debut album from NAS, is considered one of the most important records for East Coast Hip Hop. It marked a high point for the scene in the mid 90s. The cover art consists of a young boy superimposed over a grainy backdrop of New York City. Whatever happened to the child? Did he beat the odds and become a successful adult or did the ghetto engulf him?

This one is pretty easy to solve. It's a picture of 7 year old NAS taken by his father. It's that simple. He's also been on the cover of all of his other albums.

The Baby Angel from Van Halen's 1984

  Van Halen's 1994 featured a great art piece by Margo Nahas. She took a photograph of young Carter Helm who is the smoking angel model on front cover. Yes that's right, he's a real person (sans the wings of course). The baby, the cigarettes (which were actually chocolate cigarettes), and the sky in the background were all part of the original picture taken by Margo. She painted in the marble table and the wings to complete the illustration.

So what happened to Carten Helm and Margo Nahas? Check out the interview below to find out:

The Girl on the Swing From KoRn's album

 KoRn's self-title debut album depicted a little girl alone on a swing set. On the ground, a mischievous looking shadow of a man with tools could be seen. The girl was Justine Ferrara, who doesn't remember much from the shoot except that man was actually nice for covering the light in front of her. The tools were added to the picture in post processing. Justine was 6 years old in 1994 when the picture was taken. She graduated in Communications at New York University in 2009 and now works as an Administrative Assistant for The Threadshop at Sony Music Entertainment. She isn't a KoRn fan.

Those kids on Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy

 Considering the age of the album, I didn't expect to find any information on the kids that were on the cover of Houses of the Holy. Check out their great article here.

 Here are the cliff notes: The boy is actually Stefan Gates from BBC2's Cooking In The Danger Zone. Who would have thought! His sister, Sam, is happily married and now lives in Cape Town, South Africa with her husband and daughter.

House of The Holy = The cook from that BBC show and his sister

Top 10 Albums of the 90's

10. Guns N' Roses - 'Use Your Illusion 1 and 2' (1998)

These are technically two different albums, but since they were released on the same side they are widely seen as a double album. Even most hardcore Guns N' Roses fans admit that it's bloated and all over the place, but the high points ("November Rain," "Civil War," "You Could Be Mine" "Don't Cry") rank among the best work the band ever did. The original group split after a long tour supporting the disc, and Axl Rose has made it quite clear that he will never again share a stage with Slash. GNR are eligible for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next year, so the world will finally be able to call his bluff.

9. The Smashing Pumpkins - 'Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness'(1995)

It's been the great debate amongst depressed teenagers for over 15 years: What's the better Smashing Pumpkins album, Siamese Dream or Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness? Rolling Stone readers went with the former by a handful of votes. Mellon Collie does contain more classics, including "Tonight, Tonight," "1979," "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" and "Zero." It was also the last disc with the classic line-up of Billy Corgan, James Iha, Jimmy Chamberlin and D'arcy Wretzky. Judging by Wretzky's recent mug shot and Corgan's recent statements, they'll almost certainly never come together again.

8. Metallica - 'Metallica (The Black Album)'(1991)

Metallica's army of hardcore fans found their 1991 self-titled disc to be a betrayal. Metal bands weren't supposed to score huge radio hits, or wind up playing stadiums alongside Guns N' Roses. They also weren't supposed to write songs as catchy as "Enter Sandman" or as gentle as "Nothing Else Matters." They may have lost some stubborn, old fans with The Black Album – but they more than made up for it by bringing in a whole generation of new ones. Twenty years later they're still one of the biggest bands in the world, and The Black Album remains their best selling disc.

7. The Smashing Pumpkins - 'Siamese Dream'(1993)

In late 1993 the Smashing Pumpkins were an inescapable presence on MTV, with their videos for "Disarm" and "Today" playing around the clock. The two massive hits made them one of the most popular groups of the exploding alternative music scene. But relations in the band were tense before the disc even came out. Bassist D'arcy Wretzky and guitarist James Iha complained that frontman Billy Corgan had overdubbed their work on the disc, and that he wasn't open to their input. The band continued through 2000 before massive internal problems split them apart. Today Corgan tours with a new line-up of the band.

6. Oasis - '(What's The Story) Morning Glory?' (1995)

It's difficult to overstate just how massive Oasis were in England after the release of their second LP (What's The Story) Morning Glory. No band since The Beatles had hit that big, and copies sold as quickly as they could be printed. When everything calmed down it was the third-best-selling album in the history of England, bested only by The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band and Queen's Greatest Hits. They were also pretty popular in America, scoring huge radio hits with "Wonderwall" and "Champagne Supernova." Unsurprisingly, the whole thing went to their heads and their follow-up LP, Be Here Now, was a disaster.

5. Red Hot Chili Peppers - 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik' (1991)

Blood Sugar Sex Magik is the fifth studio album by Red Hot Chili Peppers, released on September 24, 1991. Produced by Rick Rubin, it was the band's first record released on Warner Bros. Records. Peaking at number three on the Billboard 200, the album has sold over seventeen million copies worldwide and was the Red Hot Chili Peppers' introduction into worldwide popularity and critical acclaim. Blood Sugar Sex Magik produced an array of hit singles including the hugely successful "Under the Bridge", "Give It Away", "Suck My Kiss" and "Breaking the Girl"

4. Alice In Chains - 'Dirt' (1992)

Dirt is the second studio album by Alice in Chains and was released on September 29, 1992, through Columbia Records. Peaking at number six on the Billboard 200, the album was well received by music critics and has since been certified four-times platinum by the RIAA, making Dirt the band's highest selling album to date. The album spawned five singles: "Would?", "Them Bones", "Angry Chair", "Rooster", and "Down in a Hole". The songs on the album focused on depression, anger, drug use, war, death, and other emotionally heavy topics.

3. Pearl Jam - 'Ten' (1991)

Weeks before Nevermind hit shelves in September 1991 Pearl Jam released Ten. Videos for "Jeremy," "Even Flow" and "Alive" were soon in constant rotation on MTV, and Kurt Cobain wasn't thrilled about the competition. In 1992 he said that Pearl Jam were "pioneering a corporate, alternative and cock-rock fusion." The two camps eventually made peace. "I don't think he ever really figured out the band," Vedder told Rolling Stone in 2006.  "However, I think that if he had survived, I think he would have gotten it. Now, mind me, those are big words, but I really think it's true."

2. Radiohead - 'OK Computer'(1997)

It's almost impossible to imagine now, but before Radiohead released OK Computer in June of 1997 the band was seen by many as a one-hit wonder. Their second LP The Bends didn't have a hit anywhere near the size of "Creep," off their 1992 debut Pablo Honey, and the American tour behind it featured many dates opening up for Alanis Morissette. OK Computer changed all that, though it did take a few months to find a mass audience. Fourteen years later Radiohead remains one of the biggest names in music, even if a vocal minority of fans feel that they peaked with OK Computer.

1. Nirvana - 'Nevermind' (1991)

Nobody should be surprised that Nirvana's Nevermind was the clear winner. Released in September of 1991, it famously knocked Michael Jackson's Dangerous off the top of the charts and sent shockwaves through the industry. Its effect has been slightly exaggerated over the years, but it did send label executives scurrying to sign soundalikes. Nirvana would only release one more studio album, 1993's In Utero, before Kurt Cobain's suicide ended the group.