Best Ever Albums

What album are you listening to? (cont.)

mrmcrook — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 20:44:29 GMT

Author: mrmcrook

Posted: 09/18/2026 00:44

Chinatown (1980) by Thin Lizzy

Release Day Eve

MadhattanJack — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 19:55:16 GMT

Author: MadhattanJack

Posted: 09/17/2026 23:55

What September 18, 2026 releases make YOU want to review a long list of them that seemingly goes on forever and forces you to apologize for the length of the review post in advance?

Obviously the only release this week that matters to me personally is the new single from XTC's Colin Moulding, entitled "Want It Bad." Apparently Colin has been trying to write positive, uplifting tunes to help counteract all the negativity and down-pushing that's been going on in the world lately, so that's nice, but it's also unfortunate that he still hasn't managed to produce a full-length solo LP after all these years. But hope springs eternal, as Colin himself would incredulously seem to believe!

As for this week's actual albums, the new Echo & the Bunnymen LP, Apples for Isaac, is getting some great reviews and sounds like it's going to be at least as good as anything they've done since the 80s. In other words, it still doesn't quite surpass what they did during the 80s, but it's clearly worth checking out, even if it's basically an Ian McCulloch solo project at this point. Guitarist Will Sergeant is still there, and still contributes, but doesn't play most of the guitar parts and doesn't seem to be in on writing the songs much now, either. Original bass-guy Les Pattinson is apparently out of the picture. As an interesting (though sad) side-note, this album might be the last recorded work of Blondie drummer Clem Burke, before his death last year from cancer. (He played on 10 of the album's 11 tracks.)

So I guess this is probably my personal pick-of-the-week, but is it the week's best album... possibly, not sure, maybe not? And yes, the album cover is... not great, but it's still better than the one for 1990's Reverberation. (Bleah!)

Age Before Beauty Dept.

In terms of name-recognition, the biggest thing this week is probably Second Song, the new 7-track mini-album from Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts. I haven't been able to hear much of it, but apparently it's his usual acoustic folk-rock/Americana stuff, with five new tunes and two new versions of old ones ("Casting Me Away From You" and "I Will Love You Forever"). Probably nothing to get excited about, but who can say? At #2 on the name-recognition scale, Beck has a new one called Ride Lonesome, which he's calling a "heartbreak album," and which he described as "slow motion, twilight, Mojave, acoustic, a trance of sound and emotion.” Frankly it borders on easy-listening, but at least he's willing to supply tags for us. What a guy!

The much-beloved Chaka Khan has a new one called Chakzilla, so that's obviously cool, and Queen's drummer Roger Taylor (no relation to the one from Duran Duran) is releasing his seventh solo album, Violence Insane in a Beautiful World. It, too, borders on easy-listening, but I can't criticize its lyrical content because Colin Moulding is doing essentially the same thing. (Dang!) So if you don't want easy listening (or Chaka Khan), there's a new LP from Anthrax, Cursum Perficio (Latin for "your journey ends here"), which I'm pretty sure won't be. (There's also a new Ozric Tentacles album called Harmonic Mind, but if you're still buying new Ozric Tentacles albums thinking this one is finally gonna be the one where they do something that's contrary to their usual jazzy-prog psychedelic space-rock formula, I don't know what to tell you, man. Just keep on keepin' on...)

Finally, Will Bonnie “Prince” Billy Oldham has a new live LP out called Ghosts of American Psychonauts, apparently recorded in Los Angeles (aka the "City of Ghosts," though I personally have never seen a ghost there). I might have preferred an album consisting of "Arrest Warrants for American Psychonauts," but anyone who knows anything about Bonnie “Prince” Billy will tell you he tends to "follow his own muse."

New Albums by Awesomely Talented Women Dept.

There have been few, if any, weeks that I can recall featuring this many new albums from so many of my favorite famous female solo singer/songwriters. It's a cascading cornucopia of cool new stuff!

Emma Ruth Rundle, These Killing Times
Probably the week's best album, not to mention one of her most... powerful? I usually don't like to use that word to describe albums, but this may be an exception. Unfortunately I haven't been able to hear the whole thing yet, so I can't report on whether or not there's any screamo involved (doesn't sound like it based on the preview tracks), but at least we know she could do it if she had to.
Kristin Hersh, Sugar on Blackstone
Kristin Hersh used to be the leader and lead singer of the Throwing Muses, and I'm going to say this is her... 14th solo studio album? (I'm not counting 2016's Wyatt at the Coyote Palace.) Hard to say where this will rank among her solo discography, but I'd put it in the Top Five, I think. It's darker and a little harsher than her last few albums, but I see that as a good thing, and frankly, it sounds more like a Throwing Muses album than anything she's done in the last dozen years or so. Just a little less frenetic.
Frankie Rose, HILA
You might remember her from the Vivian Girls or Crystal Stilts, but this is her sixth solo album, and this one is more commercial and pop-oriented than her previous stuff. But that's not really a bad thing in her case. Her voice is perfect for this material, with just enough of a dark edge to (hopefully) satisfy all those people like me who might never have discovered her if it hadn't been for that song-for-song remake of The Cure's Seventeen Seconds she did back in 2017.
Susanna Hoffs, The List
The 80s It-Girl and superstar lead singer of The Bangles is back with another album of sweet-sounding Americana-style love songs with just a dash of 60s pop and "California rock" in them. This LP is significantly better than her previous one, 2024's (appropriately-titled) The Lost Record, and while it won't make anybody forget "Hero Takes a Fall" or the video for "Walk Like an Egyptian," she still has a great voice and it's a nice album. It would've been even nicer to have gotten a rave-up or three, but ehh, maybe next time.
Carly Rae Jepsen, Day And Night
Jepsen is more of a "pop diva" than the four others above, and this album doesn't deviate from her usual glossy dance-oriented approach. A couple of these tracks are just straight-up disco even, so I probably shouldn't even mention the album at all, but still... her songs are infectious (and not in a bad way), and there's more craft and sophistication in them than most of what you hear from her Top 40 dancepop and girlpop peers. (Besides, five is a better number than four when you're making a list.)

And Now, the "Cool" Stuff

Again, there's a lot of stuff this week, so I'm going to leave some things out, but I already mentioned that Colin Moulding single so nobody has any right to complain.

The Drin, I Lost My Way For Centuries
A somewhat hypnotic, if not actually droney, genre-bending post-punk band From Cincinnati, Ohio, this is The Drin's 5th album (if you include their 2021 self-released cassette, Engines Sing for the Pale Moon). I'd have to say that they're getting progressively more "accessible" as they go, as this is almost certainly their most listenable release so far. I like it, but they're still likely to be an acquired taste for most (if not all) people.
Scarves, Strays Forever
This "dream punk" band from Seattle is led by singer Niko Stathakopoulos, and they're not bad, except they're not particularly dreamy or punky. They're a bit quirky, somewhat psychedelic, and occasionally chaotic, and they sound like they might be a lot of fun as a live band. They're less lo-fi than they have been in the past. We'll see what happens, but they're probably a bit too loose around the edges to have much hit potential.
Cor de Lux, Year of the Horse
The third album from an interesting, slightly weird post-punk quartet with occasional spacegaze from Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, who I guess I noticed because my parents used to take us to Kill Devil Hills (which is near Kitty Hawk) for vacations fairly often so that I could have fun running out of control down the steep sand dunes. (I think they might have closed them off since then, to save them from people like me.) They seem to put a fair amount of effort into sounding good, and I'd have to say they have a lot of panache for such an obscure band. There, I said it — "panache." You probably thought I didn't even know what that word meant! (I'm probably still misusing it, of course.)
Slow Pulp, Melodie
Here's a pretty cool 4-piece band from Madison, Wisconsin with occasional folk-rock overtones that has a really good female singer-guitarist named Emily Massey, and could be just one decent recording budget away from being a big-time indie-rock success story. Or, maybe I just like them. I don't know! I just post here!
LEILA, 20 Something is a F*Cking Strange Place
A punkier-than-most electro-girlpop singer from — let's see, she sort of semi-randomly divides her time between Bern, Sarajevo, and New York City. That could get tiring... Unfortunately, there are a lot of acts named "Leila" so she's going to get buried in amongst them, but this album has considerable merit. (There's some auto-tune being used, but I don't get the impression it's to hide a lack of singing ability.)
Beabadoobee, Pylon
Bea "Beabadoobee" Kristi Ilejay Laus, who was born in the Philippines but moved to London at age 3, makes a kind of "soft-grunge"/girtlpop hybrid pop music for Gen Z'ers and anybody else who spends a lot of time on Tiktok. Looks like this is her fourth album... Honestly, I'd never heard of her before now. But apparently she's a fairly big deal in younger circles, and I have to admit, that aforementioned hybridization strategy of hers seems to work better than I would have expected.

Masked Band Dept.

I got a little excited when I saw that there was a new album from Big Trouble called On Elephant Hill, but hopes were dashed when I learned this was the digital-only debut (and not bad at all, actually) from a new, slightly-retro Los Angeles alt-folk/indie-rock duo, and not another LP from the masked Athens, GA hardcore punk band. (Nothing fancy, they just wear balaclavas.) The latter, one of at least 15 bands to have called themselves "Big Trouble" throughout rock history, did release a 5-song EP less than a month ago — which I completely missed — called 5 Final Songs. So based on that title, I suppose we might never find out who they actually are.

Rescheduled Due to Artist (Mis)behavior Dept.

Those of you who were looking forward to the new album from Wavves with Say Anything, entitled Cherry Soda and originally scheduled for tomorrow, will have to wait until October 30 because of this whole situation.

Also, something weird happened with the new Soft Palms album, In Echo (though I haven't done anything about this on BEA yet) — apparently they pre-announced that tomorrow would be the release date, but then they just went ahead and uploaded the album to the streaming services three months ago (!) with a release date of either June 12 or June 19. It's a fairly good album, kind of a surf/garage-punk affair with a cute-sounding retro-girlpop singer and minimal instrumentation but lots of reverb... Anyway, I think the problem here was that it was supposed to be released in conjunction with a book entitled How to Be Self-Reliant in the Music Business, except the book actually came out on May 18, two months before the album. So, my guess would be that tomorrow is the release date for the bundle, whereby you can get both in order-item for less than the price of both separately? I dunno, but maybe they didn't want to make a big deal out of this because failing to accurately coordinate your actual release dates with your announced release dates is a good way to fail badly in the music business, regardless of how self-reliant you supposedly are.

Next Week...

If anything, next week is looking even bigger than this week. There's even a new Robin Trower album, if you can believe that... I'll probably be falling all over myself singing the praises of the new Blondshell LP, but who knows — she could surprise me and put out a total dud. Anything can happen! (Hopefully not that.) 😐

Album of the day (#7451): Pastel Blues by Nina Simone

BestEverAlbums — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:00:26 GMT

Author: BestEverAlbums

Posted: 09/17/2026 20:00

Today's album of the day

Pastel Blues by Nina Simone (View album | Buy this album)

Year: 1965.
Country:
Nina Simone discography rank: 1 (out of 48 listed on BEA)
1965 rank: 7
1960s rank: 68
Overall rank: 546
Average rating: 82/100 (from 379 votes).

Tracks:
1. Be My Husband
2. Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
3. End Of The Line
4. Trouble In Mind
5. Tell Me More And More And Then Some
6. Chilly Winds Don't Blow
7. Ain't No Use
8. Strange Fruit
9. Sinnerman

indicates a top-rated track.

Top voted comments:

"I'm surprised this isn't ranked higher. A terrific record where every track is killer, an extreme rarity in the pre-Pet Sounds/Revolver music landscape. Sinnerman is the obvious highlight, a truly incredible and moving epic."
- @flamingyesdept (Rating: 90/100)
________________________________________________________

"I was brought to Nina Simone by two sources: an ex-girlfriend who put Jeff Buckley's cover of Simone's lurching, offbeat a capella tune "Be My Husband" on a beloved playlist, and the scene at the end of the movie Before Sunset when Ethan Hawke's character, Jesse, puts on a live Nina Simone CD belonging to Julie Delpy's character Celine in her apartment. The film ends with her doing a sexy impression of Nina as the camera fades out. Just a lovely scene--and revealing about what Makes Nina Simone's brand of jazz-infused soul so luminous and beautiful."
- @buzzdainer (Rating: 95/100)
________________________________________________________

About album of the day: The BestEverAlbums.com album of the day is the album appearing most prominently in member charts in the previous 24 hours. If an album, or artist, has previously been selected within a x day period, the next highest album is picked instead (and so on) to ensure a bit of variety. A full history of album of the day can be viewed here.

From the Black Mountain Hills of Dakota: Rocky's Log

RockyRaccoon — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:36:04 GMT

Author: RockyRaccoon

Posted: 09/17/2026 19:36

Emerson, Lake & Palmer (1970) by Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Few debut albums announce a band’s intentions quite as loudly as the self-titled debut of Emerson, Lake & Palmer. ELP’s debut arrives with the subtlety of a fireworks display and while it often gets overlooked in comparison to their later works, I think their debut showcases everything you’d want out of an ELP album: enormous keyboards, virtuosic drumming, booming bass, dramatic vocals, classical vibes, all of it.

The basic concept of the supergroup is simple enough: take the keyboard virtuosity of The Nice’s Keith Emerson, the melodic sensibilities and distinctive voice of King Crimson’s Greg Lake, and the extraordinary drumming of Atomic Rooster’s Carl Palmer, then give the three enough freedom to make music on a scale a traditional rock band would never attempt.

The result? Prog rock in one of its most concentrated forms: technically impressive, theatrical, occasionally ridiculous (in the best way), and frequently exhilarating.

It’s all over their debut. You’ve got “The Barbarian,” a reworking of Bela Bartok’s “Allegro barbaro” right off the bat, showing that ELP isn’t interested in pretending their classical influences are just subtle seasoning, and you’ve got “Take a Pebble,” ELP’s first prog epic clocking in over 12 minutes. And of course there’s “The Three Fates,” a great solo showcase for Emerson.

And of course there’s “Lucky Man,” which funnily sort of sticks out as far more pop-oriented than the rest of the album, but it works perfectly, especially once Emerson’s improvised Moog solo rolls in. It’s a perfect ending to the album because it represents the band in miniature: a beautiful, straightforward song from Lake with Emerson responding by saying “but what if we put a spaceship inside of it?”

ELP’s debut isn’t their best album, but it’s a pretty great snapshot showing one of prog’s giants right at the beginning, sowing the seeds of what they’d eventually become.

My discoveries per year

dihansse — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:31:44 GMT

Author: dihansse

Posted: 09/17/2026 19:31

Two albums of 1981 I listened to (and one of 1980):

First an album I already own/know and in fact the two first solo albums of Ozzy Osbourne:

Blizzard Of Ozz (1980) by Ozzy Osbourne

Diary Of A Madman (1981) by Ozzy Osbourne
The first is for me his best solo album and still connects with the BS albums. There are some really great and inspired tracks here like I Don't Know, Crazy Train and Mr. Crowley so all in all a very good album which climbs from the 34th to the 12th rank of 1980. And much better than the Sabbath album of that year, Mob Rules, which finds itself only at the 50th rank of 1980.

What a difference with the follow-up album of 1981 of which nearly all the tracks sound dull and uninspired. And I have that with every single track of this album. Not bad but there's something that makes it less than actually good. What a change compared to the previous one but it still moves up from the 46th to the 35th rank of 1981.

And an album from my wishlist:

Never Too Late (1981) by Status Quo
I fairly like this album I didn't know yet. Of course this is really the end of their good period and it was the last album with drummer John Coghlan but I'm a sucker for this band and I just can't help falling for their relentless boogie they showed again on many of these tracks like Don't Stop Me Now and also including a hard rocking version of Carol. No wonder it enters my year chart of 1981 at the 26th rank.

Now Pat's What I Call Music!

Patman360 — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 11:02:46 GMT

Author: Patman360

Posted: 09/17/2026 15:02

1179

The Beautiful South - Rotterdam

Link

This one still gets mountains of play on Irish radio, the lead single of their 5th album, Blue Is The Colour.

Paul Heaton had a hand in writing this one but Jacqui Abbott did the singing, probably drops a bit in my regards due to oversaturation.

But ultimately I don't mind it.

365.

Ranking:
1. The Cranberries - Zombie (Now 29)
2. Boyzone - Love Me For A Reason (Now 30)
3. OMC - How Bizarre (Now 34)
4. Weezer - Buddy Holly (Now 31)
5. Blur - Parklife (feat. Phil Daniels) (Now 29)
6. Peter Andre - Mysterious Girl (feat. Bubbler Ranx) (Now 34)
7. The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale of New York (Now 10)
8. Radiohead - Street Spirit (Fade Out) (Now 33)
9. Oasis - Live Forever (Now 33)
10. Blur - Country House (Now 32)
11. Pulp - Common People (7" Edit) (Now 31)
12. Pulp - Sorted For E's & Wizz (Now 32)
13. The Smiths - What Difference Does It Make? (Now 2)
14. Sinead O'Connor - Mandinka (Now 11)
15. Oasis - Whatever (Now 30)
16. U2 - Pride (In the Name of Love) (Now 4)
17. Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince - Boom! Shake the Room (Now 26)
18. Spin Doctors - Two Princes (Now 26)
19. The Cranberries - Linger (Now 27)
20. R.E.M. - The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight (Now 26)
21. Blur - Girls & Boys (Now 28 )
22. Oasis - Don't Look Back In Anger (Now 33)
23. R.E.M. - What's the Frequency, Kenneth? (Radio Version) (Now 29)
24. Montell Jordan - This Is How We Do It (Radio Mix) (Now 31)
25. Spice Girls - Wannabe (Now 34)
26. Deep Blue Something - Breakfast At Tiffany's (Now 35)
27. Pulp - Disco 2000 (7" Mix) (Now 33)
28. Oasis - Wonderwall (Now 34)
29. Phil Collins - Something Happened on the Way to Heaven (Now 18 )
30. Oasis - Cigarettes & Alcohol (Now 29)
31. The Cre - Friday I'm In Love (Now 22)
32. Snead O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U (Now 18 )
33. Baltimora - Tarzan Boy (Now 6)
34. Duran Duran - A View To A Kill (Now 5)
35. The Housemartins - Happy Hour (Now 7)
36. Steve Winwood - Higher Love (Now 8 )
37. Wham! - The Edge of Heaven (Now 7)
38. Feargal Sharkey - A Good Heart (Now 6)
39. Happy Mondays - Step On (Now 17)
40. (MC Sar) & the Real McCoy - Another Night (Radio Mix) (Now 29)
41. Oasis - Some Might Say (Now 31)
42. Oasis - Roll With It (Now 32)
43. The Cure - The Love Cats (Now 1)
44. Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill (Now 6)
45. Snow - Informer (Radio Edit) (Now 24)
46. Lloyd Cole & the Commotions - Lost Weekend (Now 6)
47. Fine Young Cannibals - She Drives Me Crazy (Now 14)
48. Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise (feat. L.V.) (Now 32)
49. New Order - True Faith '94 (Now 29)
50. Enya - Caribbean Blue (Now 20)

Top New Releases - August 2026

albummaster — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 06:16:16 GMT

Author: albummaster

Posted: 09/17/2026 10:16

This is a new monthly feature to highlight the top albums released in the previous month and shine more light on new releases and music from the current year. This post will be created midway through each month (looking back at the previous month), to allow albums from the previous month to accumulate enough data to appear in this post.

Here are the five highest ranked albums released in August, based on rankings from BEA members:

1. Lost Weekend by Phoebe Bridgers

Release Date: 2026-08-14 ·
Rank Score: 231.2
Chart appearances: 72
BEA rating: 76.1 (from 76 votes)

Top comment:
"Absolutely unreal, it feels like such a breath of fresh air for the singer-songwriter genre. It's eclectic in all the right ways, and personal, without being in your face with how clever it thinks it is. Phoebe is very critical of her self, but acknowledges how far she has come by diving into times in the past where she has been able to learn and grow, as all of our past experiences make us who we are."
- @Keatownrodriguez

2. This Mirror Weighs A Ton by Interpol

Release Date: 2026-08-28·
Rank Score: 80.5
Chart appearances: 31
BEA rating: 75.2 (from 40 votes)

Top comment:
"Interpol have (finally?) broadened their sonic palette, bringing in some elements that remind me a lot of Banks’ work with his side project Muzz. But there's more: the album also draws influences that feel quite atypical for Interpol, perhaps thanks to Brad Tuax’s involvement in the songwriting as well, and for sure to their producer, that pushed them outside the box. The album has an excellent flow, moving between airy tracks with subtle textures and more classic, driving songs, with piano, synths and strings adding richness to the arrangements. One of my favorite albums of 2026."
- @Dalcio

3. It Goes On by Westside Cowboy

Release Date: 2026-08-21·
Rank Score: 69.0
Chart appearances: 27
BEA rating: 75.9 (from 25 votes)

Top comment:
No comments yet. Be the first to review this album...

4. Weezer (Gold Album) (2026) by Weezer

Release Date: 2026-08-21
Rank Score: 50.6
Chart appearances: 22
BEA rating: 74.3 (from 24 votes)

Top comment:
"It's so cozy"
- @Keatownrodriguez

5. Alien Metal (2026) by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard

Release Date: 2026-08-14
Rank Score: 50.2
Chart appearances: 18
BEA rating: 70.6 (from 16 votes)

No comments yet. Be the first to review this album...

What did we miss?
Which August release deserves more attention? Add your thoughts below and let the BEA community know which new albums you've been enjoying.

On This Day

Johnnyo — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 04:37:31 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 09/17/2026 08:37

musicoed wrote:

Johnnyo wrote:

15th September

In 1984, Frankie Goes To Hollywood's 'Relax' became the longest running chart hit after spending 43 weeks on the UK singles chart.

I love this fact since “the establishment” (mainly the BBC TBH) banned the song form being played, it still broke the record. Just shows, you can’t keep a good S&M song down! It ended up selling two million copies in the UK

By todays standards, the video is rather tame but i decided not to post it as I don't want to cause any unintended discomfort to any one. Shame, it's actually a very decent video for it's time

I remember that year very well—perhaps even better than what happened to me last week!))
That summer, I finished school and went to apply for university. Unfortunately, I had to return home in September because I didn't get in. I had only six months left before being drafted into the army.
At the time, my only source of fresh information about music was a shortwave radio.
I listened to the BBC Russian Service’s music programs, hosted by the most engaging storyteller I had ever heard.

The broadcasts lasted just 30 minutes and aired once a week, at midnight between Saturday and Sunday.
Radio interference sometimes made it impossible to make out a single word. Yet, I would still record the shows on a tape deck, then spend the week listening to them over and over and transcribing the text into a notebook. Hundreds of music lovers across the country did the same; thanks to this, practically every broadcast has now been digitized and transcribed.

I imagine that only a tiny fraction of a percent of people in the USSR had heard of this song back then. Yet, listeners of the BBC Russian Service were well-versed in the best tracks from the British weekly charts.
Even forty years later—and despite all modern technology—I don't think anyone has managed to come close to that level of quality in music commentary.
Far from every song received an in-depth commentary from the host, but this particular song was given plenty of airtime in the broadcast from February 10, 1984.

Quote:

… a few words about the number one spot on the weekly list
The song is titled "Relax" and is performed by the band with the long name Frankie Goes to Hollywood. It is a disco track that is, all in all, unremarkable—or rather, positively unexceptional. The lyrics of one verse describe intimate, obscene acts—and in rather crude terms at that. For this reason, about three weeks ago, Mike Read—a DJ at BBC Radio 1, a station aimed at young people—refused to play the song. Other program hosts followed suit and stopped airing it as well. Eventually, management took an interest; after examining the technical details of the act being "sung about," so to speak, they decided to officially ban the song. By then, however, the public had developed a taste for it, and this playful, sexually charged track was flying off the shelves. Consequently, the record climbed to number one on the national charts.

A paradoxical situation ensued: during the BBC’s *Top of the Pops* television program, the countdown would reach the number-one spot and the song would be announced, yet neither the standard music video nor a live performance by the band was shown. The "Relax" record thus became a sort of forbidden fruit—albeit one that was easily accessible—and many bought it simply out of a sense of mischief, as the BBC’s ban only served to draw the general public's attention to this otherwise ordinary song. Matters went so far that the head of Island Records—the label that released the single—sent a mocking letter to BBC management, cordially thanking them for their help and contribution to the song's success.

Perhaps a touch of corporate coolness comes through in this review. But back then, I found it all absolutely fascinating—like dispatches from another planet!))

What a fantastic anecdote and an insight that I had never really appreciated or comprehended before (certainly not at the time). That's what I was hoping for from this thread and I really appreciate you taking the time to post this musicoed.

I think that we, in the UK (the "west" in general to be honest), took for granted how easily accessible music was for us, very much in contrast to what you have said about life in the USSR at the time.

Brilliant piece of writing and greatly appreciated

Chart of the day (#5438): By luigybetis

BestEverAlbums — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 04:00:03 GMT

Author: BestEverAlbums

Posted: 09/17/2026 08:00

Today's chart of the day

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by @luigybetis (View chart)

1. Chinese Football by Chinese Football (2015)
2. Animals by Pink Floyd (1977)
3. Close To The Edge by Yes (1972)
4. Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd (1975)
5. In Rainbows by Radiohead (2007)
6. Carrie & Lowell by Sufjan Stevens (2015)
7. Parachutes by Coldplay (2000)
8. Quebec by Ween (2003)
9. Nimrod. by Green Day (1997)
10. Definitely Maybe by Oasis (1994)

11. The Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd (1973)
12. Illinois by Sufjan Stevens (2005)
13. If You're Feeling Sinister by Belle And Sebastian (1996)
14. (What's The Story) Morning Glory? by Oasis (1995)
15. Abbey Road by The Beatles (1969)
16. White Pepper by Ween (2000)
17. Elliott Smith by Elliott Smith (1995)
18. The Beatles (The White Album) by The Beatles (1968)
19. A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships by The 1975 (2018)
20. In The Court Of The Crimson King by King Crimson (1969)

21. Harmonium by Harmonium (1974)
22. Ghosts Of The Great Highway by Sun Kil Moon (2003)
23. Go Farther In Lightness by Gang Of Youths (2017)
24. Crisis? What Crisis? by Supertramp (1975)
25. Even In The Quietest Moments... by Supertramp (1977)
26. Nevermind by Nirvana (1991)
27. Black Holes And Revelations by Muse (2006)
28. In The Aeroplane Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel (1998)
29. The Number Of The Beast by Iron Maiden (1982)
30. OK Human by Weezer (2021)

31. Sea Change by Beck (2002)
32. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco (2002)
33. Modal Soul by Nujabes (2005)
34. Songs For A Blue Guitar by Red House Painters (1996)
35. Boston by Boston (1976)
36. Velocity : Design : Comfort by Sweet Trip (2003)
37. "Awaken, My Love!" by Childish Gambino (2016)
38. Hunky Dory by David Bowie (1971)
39. Ágætis Byrjun by Sigur Rós (1999)
40. Deadwing by Porcupine Tree (2005)

41. Foxtrot by Genesis (1972)
42. La Ley Innata by Extremoduro (2008)
43. Appeal To Reason by Rise Against (2008)
44. Automatic For The People by R.E.M. (1992)
45. Imaginal Disk by Magdalena Bay (2024)
46. Bryter Layter by Nick Drake (1971)
47. The New Abnormal by The Strokes (2020)
48. Wasting Light by Foo Fighters (2011)
49. Houses Of The Holy by Led Zeppelin (1973)
50. Roman Candle by Elliott Smith (1994)

51. Untitled (Led Zeppelin IV) by Led Zeppelin (1971)
52. Harvest by Neil Young (1972)
53. New Moon by Elliott Smith (2007)
54. Moving Pictures by Rush (1981)
55. Who's Next by The Who (1971)
56. Five Leaves Left by Nick Drake (1969)
57. Grace by Jeff Buckley (1994)
58. Emergency & I by The Dismemberment Plan (1999)
59. Neon Bible by Arcade Fire (2007)
60. There's Nothing Wrong With Love by Built To Spill (1994)

61. Moonmadness by Camel (1976)
62. 2112 by Rush (1976)
63. The Bends by Radiohead (1995)
64. Unplugged by The Corrs (1999)
65. Lightbulb Sun by Porcupine Tree (2000)
66. April by Sun Kil Moon (2008)
67. Meddle by Pink Floyd (1971)
68. X&Y by Coldplay (2005)
69. Urban Hymns by The Verve (1997)
70. Dear Catastrophe Waitress by Belle And Sebastian (2003)

71. Hemispheres by Rush (1978)
72. MTV Unplugged In New York by Nirvana (1994)
73. Ocean Beach by Red House Painters (1995)
74. Hail To The Thief by Radiohead (2003)
75. Atom Heart Mother by Pink Floyd (1970)
76. Permanent Waves by Rush (1980)
77. Chocolate And Cheese by Ween (1994)
78. Lost In The Dream by The War On Drugs (2014)
79. The Masterplan by Oasis (1998)
80. Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds (2011)

81. For Keeps by The Field Mice (1991)
82. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles (1967)
83. Jar Of Flies by Alice In Chains (1994)
84. Plans by Death Cab For Cutie (2005)
85. An Awesome Wave by alt-J (2012)
86. Nothing But Thieves by Nothing But Thieves (2015)
87. Back In Black by AC/DC (1980)
88. Born To Run by Bruce Springsteen (1975)
89. Discovery by Daft Punk (2001)
90. The Wild Hunt by The Tallest Man On Earth (2010)

91. Selling England By The Pound by Genesis (1973)
92. The Balcony by Catfish And The Bottlemen (2014)
93. Shinola Vol. 1 by Ween (2005)
94. Ys by Joanna Newsom (2006)
95. Unmasked by Cauterize (2007)
96. Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand (2004)
97. Forever Changes by Love (1967)
98. Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers (1999)
99. Crime Of The Century by Supertramp (1974)
100. The Mountain by Haken (2013)

About chart of the day: The BestEverAlbums.com chart of the day is randomly selected from all charts of at least 50 entries (and divisible by ten). Charts are only selected if they have a minimum average rating of 75 out of 100 from at least 10 votes, and must have been updated in the last 180 days. In addition, a chart must allow member feedback for it to be eligible to be selected. A full history of chart of the day can be viewed here.

My Longhair Diary: Mennin

Fischman — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 21:17:03 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 09/17/2026 01:17

Peter Mennin - Symphony #5
Year: 1950
Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra/Antal Dorati
Rating: 4.5 Stars

As I listened to the first movement, I was struck early on as to how American it sounded which quickly evolved into "this is what an American Martinu would sound like!" and "this could be a cross between Martinu and Piston (great company to be in!). That first movement was fairly short, which is probably just as well since it had such a relentless angular rhyhtmic drive to it. The second movement started off totally beautiful and gradually got darker, but did so without losing its foundational beauty, ultimately taking on a very American film noir soundtrack vibe (not always something that would excite me, but it did here) The final movement was a perfectly balanced bookend to the first movement, and brought everything to a most rousing close! A magnificent work.

Link

Albums You Added To Your Collection Today

mrmcrook — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 17:30:55 GMT

Author: mrmcrook

Posted: 09/16/2026 21:30

Quicken The Heart (2009) by Maxïmo Park

State Of Emergency (2006) by The Living End

No Pads, No Helmets... Just Balls (2002) by Simple Plan

Satellite (2001) by P.O.D.

Album of the day (#7449): Aladdin Sane by David Bowie

BestEverAlbums — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 16:00:27 GMT

Author: BestEverAlbums

Posted: 09/16/2026 20:00

Today's album of the day

Aladdin Sane by David Bowie (View album | Buy this album)

Year: 1973.
Country:
David Bowie discography rank: 8 (out of 96 listed on BEA)
1973 rank: 8
1970s rank: 75
Overall rank: 308
Average rating: 82/100 (from 1335 votes).

Tracks:
1. Watch That Man
2. Aladdin Sane (1913-1938-197?)
3. Drive-In Saturday
4. Panic In Detroit
5. Cracked Actor
6. Time
7. The Prettiest Star
8. Let's Spend The Night Together
9. The Jean Genie
10. Lady Grinning Soul

indicates a top-rated track.

Top voted comments:

"Slightly underrated since it's not iconic as Hunky Dory or Ziggy and not innovative as Station to Station or Low, but still a great David Bowie album. It follows the glam rock sound of Ziggy but with a more "americanized" sound and themes. Instumentally possibly Bowie's best, with incredible guitar playing from Mick Ronson who achieves such an amazing crunchy guitar tone on this one and sublime piano work from Mike Garson."
- @Daydreamer
________________________________________________________

"Ziggy in America! As Bowie himself told us. Bowie very influenced on this album by The Stones. Lady Grinning Soul is an underrated classic. Deserves more attention. Drive in Saturday and Jean Genie are great singles. Again Mick Ronson deserves a lot of credit for his contributions. A hugely enjoyable album with an iconic cover."
- @Nowhereman1965 (Rating: 100/100)
________________________________________________________

About album of the day: The BestEverAlbums.com album of the day is the album appearing most prominently in member charts in the previous 24 hours. If an album, or artist, has previously been selected within a x day period, the next highest album is picked instead (and so on) to ensure a bit of variety. A full history of album of the day can be viewed here.

The Romanelli Music Diary: Reach The Beach

Romanelli — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:07:04 GMT

Author: Romanelli

Posted: 09/16/2026 18:07

2447

Reach The Beach (1983) by The Fixx

THE FIXX
REACH THE BEACH
1983 – MCA
Produced By RUPERT HINE

1. One Thing Leads To Another
2. The Sign Of Fire
3. Running
4. Saved By Zero
5. Opinions
6. Reach The Beach
7. Changing
8. Liner
9. Privilege
10. Outside

They’re kind of easy to forget, but seriously…what would pop music have been in the first half of the eighties without The Fixx? This British band was seemingly always on the radio, the charts, and on MTV between 1982 and 1984 with hits that were smart and never sappy. And yet, they never seemed to really stand out, and when their hits began to dry up in the second half of the decade, no one seemed to notice. Reach The Beach, their second album, came in the middle of their streak of popularity, and still stands as their best and most successful album. It’s anchored by two of the strongest hits of the decade. “Saved By Zero” and the endlessly catchy “One Thing Leads To Another” are driven by cool guitar riffs in a world ruled by synthesizers, and the two danceable hits held their own just fine. It appeared, for the moment, that The Fixx was here to stay.

The rest of Reach The Beach is better than you might think. “The Sign Of Fire” failed as a single, but deserved a better fate, while the second half, never played on the radio, will surprise you. Star producer Rupert Hine brings out the best in the band, and the album as a whole is quite satisfying. It’s a shame that The Fixx (who are still together) aren’t better remembered these days. They had five solid hits in that three year window, adding in the excellent “Red Skies” and “Stand Or Fall” from their debut, and “Are We Ourselves?” from 1984’s Phantoms. They did become ordinary as time went by, but their first three albums are all worth seeking out, particularly Reach The Beach. For a while, The Fixx were one of the better bands of the eighties. This one is well worth dusting off and revisiting for sure. Better than you probably remember.

Link

Cheap Thrills by Big Brother And The Holding Company

Johnnyo — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 04:47:44 GMT

Author: Johnnyo

Posted: 09/16/2026 08:47

Oh, Sweet Mary

I really like this fuzzy guitar intro (and throughout TBH) and the whole song feels somewhat otherworldly. Without question the best guitar playing on the album

Very tricky and psychedelic. Love it

Link

Chart of the day (#5437): By Untitled

BestEverAlbums — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 04:00:03 GMT

Author: BestEverAlbums

Posted: 09/16/2026 08:00

Today's chart of the day

Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by @Untitled (View chart)

1. Disintegration by The Cure (1989)
2. The Wall by Pink Floyd (1979)
3. In The Aeroplane Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel (1998)
4. Forever Changes by Love (1967)
5. Long Season by フィッシュマンズ [Fishmans] (1996)
6. Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven by Godspeed You! Black Emperor (2000)
7. Illinois by Sufjan Stevens (2005)
8. The Holy Bible by Manic Street Preachers (1994)
9. Blood On The Tracks by Bob Dylan (1975)
10. Rain Dogs by Tom Waits (1985)

11. Loveless by My Bloody Valentine (1991)
12. Revolver by The Beatles (1966)
13. Toxicity by System Of A Down (2001)
14. Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis (1959)
15. 98.12.28 男達の別れ [98.12.28 Otokotachi No Wakare] by フィッシュマンズ [Fishmans] (1999)
16. A Love Supreme by John Coltrane (1965)
17. Deathconsciousness by Have A Nice Life (2008)
18. Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys (1966)
19. Animals by Pink Floyd (1977)
20. Pornography by The Cure (1982)

21. The Velvet Underground & Nico by The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
22. Ágætis Byrjun by Sigur Rós (1999)
23. Songs Of A Lost World by The Cure (2024)
24. The Queen Is Dead by The Smiths (1986)
25. Aja by Steely Dan (1977)
26. OK Computer by Radiohead (1997)
27. Leaves Turn Inside You by Unwound (2001)
28. The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars by David Bowie (1972)
29. To Be Kind by Swans (2014)
30. Wish by The Cure (1992)

31. Spiderland by Slint (1991)
32. Kid A by Radiohead (2000)
33. Grace by Jeff Buckley (1994)
34. The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me by Brand New (2006)
35. The Beatles (The White Album) by The Beatles (1968)
36. Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins (1995)
37. Fear Of A Blank Planet by Porcupine Tree (2007)
38. Ride The Lightning by Metallica (1984)
39. Ants From Up There by Black Country, New Road (2022)
40. White Light/White Heat by The Velvet Underground (1968)

41. Five Leaves Left by Nick Drake (1969)
42. Doolittle by Pixies (1989)
43. Abbey Road by The Beatles (1969)
44. The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady by Charles Mingus (1963)
45. At Fillmore East by The Allman Brothers Band (1971)
46. Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin (1975)
47. The Stranger by Billy Joel (1977)
48. Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins (1993)
49. Wrong by NoMeansNo (1989)
50. Crime Of The Century by Supertramp (1974)

51. Cosmo's Factory by Creedence Clearwater Revival (1970)
52. Heaven Or Las Vegas by Cocteau Twins (1990)
53. Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan (1965)
54. Symbolic by Death (Metal) (1995)
55. �... [Blackstar] by David Bowie (2016)
56. ( ) [Svigaplatan] by Sigur Rós (2002)
57. Breakfast In America by Supertramp (1979)
58. The New Abnormal by The Strokes (2020)
59. Hospice by The Antlers (2009)
60. I Am A Bird Now by Antony & The Johnsons (2005)

61. O by Damien Rice (2002)
62. Funeral by Arcade Fire (2004)
63. 万能�'年�...店 [Omnipotent Youth Society] by 万能�'年�...店 [Omnipotent Youth Society] (2010)
64. Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective (2009)
65. Carrie & Lowell by Sufjan Stevens (2015)
66. Mezmerize by System Of A Down (2005)
67. Deadwing by Porcupine Tree (2005)
68. Violator by Depeche Mode (1990)
69. Go Farther In Lightness by Gang Of Youths (2017)
70. Freak Out! by The Mothers Of Invention (1966)

71. Michigan by Sufjan Stevens (2003)
72. London Calling by The Clash (1979)
73. 冀西南林路行 [Inside The Cable Temple] by 万能�'年�...店 [Omnipotent Youth Society] (2020)
74. American Football (1999) by American Football (1999)
75. Hot Rats by Frank Zappa (1969)
76. 宇宙日本世田谷 [Uchū Nippon Setagaya] by フィッシュマンズ [Fishmans] (1997)
77. Karma by Pharoah Sanders (1969)
78. Hurtbreak Wonderland by World's End Girlfriend (2007)
79. Selling England By The Pound by Genesis (1973)
80. Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? by of Montreal (2007)

81. Picaresque by The Decemberists (2005)
82. Déjà Vu by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (1970)
83. The Lonesome Crowded West by Modest Mouse (1997)
84. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles (1967)
85. Faith by The Cure (1981)
86. In The Court Of The Crimson King by King Crimson (1969)
87. Innervisions by Stevie Wonder (1973)
88. Bitches Brew by Miles Davis (1970)
89. The Magnolia Electric Co. by Songs: Ohia (2003)
90. Parklife by Blur (1994)

91. Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space by Spiritualized (1997)
92. Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd (1975)
93. Rumours by Fleetwood Mac (1977)
94. Steve McQueen by Prefab Sprout (1985)
95. Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? by The Unicorns (2003)
96. White Light From The Mouth Of Infinity by Swans (1991)
97. Pink Flag by Wire (1977)
98. Harvest by Neil Young (1972)
99. Brave Faces Everyone by Spanish Love Songs (2020)
100. Mirage by Camel (1974)

About chart of the day: The BestEverAlbums.com chart of the day is randomly selected from all charts of at least 50 entries (and divisible by ten). Charts are only selected if they have a minimum average rating of 75 out of 100 from at least 10 votes, and must have been updated in the last 180 days. In addition, a chart must allow member feedback for it to be eligible to be selected. A full history of chart of the day can be viewed here.

Album of the day (#7447): #1 Record by Big Star

BestEverAlbums — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 16:00:24 GMT

Author: BestEverAlbums

Posted: 09/15/2026 20:00

Today's album of the day

#1 Record by Big Star (View album | Buy this album)

Year: 1972.
Country:
Big Star discography rank: 1 (out of 17 listed on BEA)
1972 rank: 12
1970s rank: 101
Overall rank: 454
Average rating: 82/100 (from 665 votes).

Tracks:
1. Feel
2. The Ballad Of El Goodo
3. In The Street
4. Thirteen
5. Don't Lie To Me
6. The India Song
7. When My Baby's Beside Me
8. My Life Is Right
9. Give Me Another Chance
10. Try Again
11. Watch The Sunrise
12. ST 100/6

indicates a top-rated track.

Top voted comments:

"This album changed my life, and these guys could have easily been the next Beatles if their record company didn't screw them over. Every song has that perfect crystallized pop sound that gives me goosebumps, and I think "Give Me Another Chance" has some of the most moving harmonies and lyrics ever, despite Alex Chiltons sometimes wavering singing voice. This is a severely underrated album, and album that SHOULD be placed among the pantheon of classic 70's and sixties pop albums with The Stones & Zeppelin, floyd and others. Perhaps I am exaggerating to some, but I intend to devote much of my time and energy to making sure this album gets more exposure! #1 record baby!!!!"
- @CJMishellsan (Rating: 100/100)
________________________________________________________

"A poor man's Exile would be something with no production value at all. This shows that had Alex Chilton and Chris Bell stayed together that they could have made some incredible music. A highly influencial record, and a very sharp debut album."
- @Romanelli
________________________________________________________

About album of the day: The BestEverAlbums.com album of the day is the album appearing most prominently in member charts in the previous 24 hours. If an album, or artist, has previously been selected within a x day period, the next highest album is picked instead (and so on) to ensure a bit of variety. A full history of album of the day can be viewed here.

In Remembrance Of Those Who Are Gone

bojolpif71 — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 08:06:17 GMT

Author: bojolpif71

Posted: 09/15/2026 12:06

Catherine Ringer, one half of the duo Les Rita Mitsouko, passed away yesterday. We can be sure she will once again perform their hit "Marcia Baïla" with Fred Chichin.