Finest Worksongs

For as famous as Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" is -- and it IS -- just as famous was the drama and infighting that was going on between band members when it was recorded. The inter-band dynamics were insane at the time: band members divorcing and breaking up from one another, "diss" track after diss track recorded -- and directed at one another, and drugs. SO many drugs. For better or worse, the resul...

Boasting arguably the most famous midriff of the 1990s, Shania Twain rose out of Canada (and poverty) and reinvented country music and even the notion of what constitutes a female superstar. And she did it on her (and her producer-husband's) terms. Her 1997 album, "Come On Over," was a country and crossover tour de force, boasting eight singles including "Still the One," "From This Moment On," "Ma...

Dave Grohl is like the Forrest Gump of the rock'n'roll world. From Scream to Nirvana to Foo Fighters, he's traversed not only the country but the globe, making friends and funny videos along the way. The winner of our sixth Listener's Choice contest, Echoes, Silence, Patience, & Grace had us rocking the suburbs this summer (literally, it took us all summer to finally record this one, not to me...

There's more than a 50/50 chance you actually own this album – or did at some point in your life (Especially if you're a kid of the 80s/90s and the CD/cassette clubs like BMG or Columbia House). There's a good reason why Bob Marley and the Wailers' "Legend" was in so many disc changers back in the day and continues to be in regular rotation for many. As far as greatest hits compilations go, this o...

David Bowie, according to U2’s Bono, was “like a creature falling from the sky.” America may have put a man on the moon, but “we had our own British guy from space.” Bono is referring to when, in 1972, Bowie performed “Starman” on “Top of the Pops,” a seminal moment for young, inspired musicians everywhere. “Starman” was a single on Bowie’s sci-fi/apocalyptic/androgynous concept album, “The Rise a...

The title of TLC’s 1994 album “CrazySexyCool” was appropriate as it defined the three members of the group individually and collectively. The group – made up of Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas – lays claim as arguably (still) the most successful girl group of all time. And this album is one major reason why. It’s a fierce collection of strong, confident an...

Ask someone to name some of the best-selling albums of all time, and there’s a very good chance they will overlook AC/DC’s “Back in Black.” In some ways, it’s easy to dismiss the band as overly simplistic .. or even stuck in time. But that would be a mistake to discount the impact that the band has had on the trajectory of rock and roll. “Back in Black” came out in summer of 1980, and it’s such a...

She may be petite and blonde, but don't let that fool you. Phoebe Bridgers is a GIANT. A songwriting giant. And her mid-2020 album "Punisher" was not only the perfect accompaniment to Covid quarantine, but it solidified the Californian as a bona fide commercial and critical star. Her ability to weave in angst, anger, humor and indifference into compelling, catchy, layered songs resulted in a Gramm...

Midnight Oil burst onto the TV screens all over America in 1987 with the videos to "Beds Are Burning" and "The Dead Heart." It was like they were from another world. Well, they kinda were. They were from the other side of the world, at least: Australia. But their follow-up album, 1990's "Blue Sky Mining," proved the Oils were more than just a one- (or two-)hit wonder, or just a vehicle to showcase...

Sometimes the albums we discuss are deemed classic by the masses; sometimes they are deemed classic by a Matt (singular). Sometimes those albums are classic ...question mark? In the case of Arrested Development's debut album, "3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life of ..." (so-called because that was how long it took the group to land a recording contract), the question is not really whether it'...

Released on the exact same day as both Nirvana’s “Nevermind" and A Tribe Called Quest’s “The Low End Theory,” the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Blood Sugar Sex Magik” took radio and MTV by storm thanks to massive hits like “Give It Away” and especially “Under the Bridge.” The Rick Rubin produced album was a crossover hit for a band largely known for funk, punk, and wild on-stage antics. The antics conti...

It’s an amazing story, really. A well-born son of New England (and thus AMERICAN) heraldry battles drugs and romances only to find solace in songwriting. On a whim, the young man heads oversees and finds himself auditioning for Beatles. Not only do they love his music, they end up signing him to their label, playing on his debut album, and – in the case of George Harrison – being “inspired” by one...

If ever there was a band that has come close to "out-U2ing" U2, it is Coldplay. Think about it: four good friends from their school days form a band – led by a charismatic lead singer – and create atmospheric, emotional, sing-along stadium anthems. And with "A Rush of Blood to the Head," Chris Martin & Co. culled together the quintessential Coldplay "sound": chiming piano, uncluttered (and occ...

"Not too hard and not too soft." That phrase personifies, in many ways, the music AND appeal of R&B hitmakers Boyz II Men. They could sing the harmonious, emotional acapella high points with songs like "End of the Road" and "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday" but they could also bring the heat. (See "Uhh Ahh.") However, there was nothing soft about their success. When their debut album,...

It’s been … one year since the last Finest Worksongs Christmas epipod. But Matt & Matt are back to offer up a couple of Yuletide faves ….and both are quirky and fun - in their own special ways. Barenaked Ladies’ “Barenaked for the Holidays” is quintessential BNL: moments of musical brilliance combined with moments of inane levity. “A Very Special Christmas 3” once again brought music’s top hea...

This Listener's Choice epipod stays "in the family" as the boys discuss Taylor Swift's 2020 album folklore, which was chosen by Matt Stevens' daughter MC. The adoration and sheer respect for Swift shines through in the discussion – from hosts and guest alike. After all, this was not just a career-defining album for T. Swift, but also a life-changing musical experience for many. The stripped-down a...

In 1983, Def Leppard emerged from the burgeoning British hard rock/metal landscape as, arguably, the biggest cats around. On the strength of mega hits (and fantastically "1980s-esque" videos) like "Photograph," Rock of Ages," "Foolin'" and "Too Late For Love," the boys from Sheffield were able to become MTV darlings while still leaning into the spike bracelets and fist-pumping ethos. Their third a...

1985 was a big year in pop music. The list of Billboard-topping albums is like a "who's who" of 80s powerhouses: "Born in the USA" ... "Purple Rain" ... "No Jacket Required" .... "We Are the World" ... "Like a Virgin" ... and so on. But one album that made a splash that summer was Tears For Fears' "Songs from the Big Chair." All of a sudden, with hits like "Shout," "Head Over Heels" and "Everybody...

Twenty-five years ago, a hip-hop album hit the scene so hard – and so somewhat unexpectedly – that it is still amazing to reflect on the remarkable impact that it had. In a time where gangster rap was shouting the loudest, "The Score," the second album by Fugees, resonated with virtually everyone, scoring Grammys, selling millions of copies, and being the soundtrack to dance clubs for years to com...

When most people turn 21, they celebrate by going out drinking with their friends. Adele used her life experiences as a 21-year-old to create one of the best-selling (and critically acclaimed) albums of all time. It's an album that shares the kind of heartbreak and loss that many young women have dealt with. However, the difference is Adele was able to channel that emotion and turmoil into a compl...

Almost out of nowhere, Alabama Shakes' 2015 album "Sound & Color" took the music world by storm. Fueled by Brittany Howard's Janice-meets-Aretha soulful treatise on love, loss and longing, "Sound & Color" brings together blues, rock, soul, R&B, Southern rock -- and so much more. And the world was here for it all. Fueled by the gritty and thumping "Don't Wanna Fight," the album was love...

Air drummers of the world, UNITE! This seminal album by the classic Canadian prog rock band Rush has been a long time coming for one Matt and a bitter pill to swallow for the other Matt. Clocking in at a concise (for them) 40 minutes, "Moving Pictures" was the album that took the trio from the world of mystical, dystopian rock operas to certified radio stars -- while retaining street cred to the n...

On our first "Underrated Albums" epipod, we're sharing two albums that are scandalously under-appreciated. This is the opposite of the pretentious indie rocker touting an album no one would understand even if they could find it. These are albums we're  dying for the world to hear. For whatever reason, these gems didn't make it into everyone's CD catalog or playlist, but it's never too late.  Follo...

"We all wanna be Bob Dylan."  In the midst of grunge and new punk, Adam Duritz and Co. were a throwback, not just to folk/pop music, but to the singer-songwriter era. Duritz's poetic narratives offered a deep look into his soul and psyche, to his desire for belonging and fame. He would get at least the latter thanks to beautiful, pop hits like "Round Here," "Rain King" and, of course, "Mr. Jones,...

Prince was already an enigmatic superstar before the movie (and soundtrack) for "Purple Rain" was released in 1984. But this outing catapulted him into superstardom -- where he orbited the likes of Michael and Madonna (and often surpassed them). "Purple Rain" is Prince at his creative, clever and naughty best. Standard classics like "Let's Go Crazy" and "When Doves Cry" are teased with gems like "...