Spin It! The Record Ranking Podcast

Woah-oh, Listen To The Music! That's right, we're Rockin' Down The Highway with The Doobie Brothers and their breakthrough sophomore album Toulouse Street! We trace the band's Pud origins as a biker band and watch them grow into one of the foundational pillars of rock for more than a decade. We'll talk about a Beatle-beating record, the mysterious and unknowable origins of Doobie (Do-Bee?), and th...

...---... You know what that means: Time to talk about SZA's expansive, Grammy-winning sophomore album SOS! In an ambitious, intentional attempt to blend all her influences and styles into one melting pot, this 23-track record incorporates rock, pop, R&B, hip-hop, and more into hits like Kill Bill, Shirt, Low, and Snooze (and Conceited)!! James & Connor talk about SZA's Olympic dreams, her...

When all you've gotta keep is strong listen to The All-American Rejects' sophomore album Move Along, like you know we do! James and Connor are breaking down the pop-punk band's signature album with hits you might know from Rockband, Snakes On A Plane, and even the Disney Cars video game. Plus, the Mixtaper is back to spill the band's Dirty Little Secrets as we learn about their time in a Batcave,...

WOAH! YEAH! Mötley Crüe's iconic 1989 record Dr. Feelgood has Kickstarted Our Hearts, hope it never stops! James & Connor are learning about the band's wilder days, including the true stories that inspired their most iconic songs! From power ballads like Without You to thinly veiled euphemisms like Rattlesnake Shake and Sticky Sweet, we're ordering up another slice of glam metal! The Mixtaper...

We interrupt this broadcast to bring you a new concept: A March Madness-style bracket made entirely of TV show theme songs! We compiled 64 of the most iconic, memorable, and popular television shows, separated them by category, and brought them to the dance. We debated each matchup carefully and considered all kinds of factors, from relevance and intensity to storytelling and instrumentation to na...

Get ready to Roll Up for another week of ranking albums! We're on the Rooftops of Pittsburgh with Wiz Khalifa's 2011 major-label debut, Rolling Papers! It features the mega hit Steelers anthem Black And Yellow, pop crossover No Sleep, and a dozen other atmospheric, synth-laden tracks that will give us a glimpse into Wiz's life. The Mixtaper has new Hopes & Dreams with facts about the time he w...

Sucker for the pain, huh, honey? This week we're Forever (Sailing) into forlorn indie pop with Valentine, the heart-wrenching sophomore album from 1999-born Lindsey Jordan, better known as Snail Mail! From the depths of heartbreak (and a lamplit cave), we'll explore everything from resilient teeth and homemade paper to lipomyelomeningocele. With captivating lyrics, provocative imagery, and the 249...

Meet me at midnight... for another Spin It Grammy Special! We've got plenty of award winners and performances to discuss. Find out how we were right and wrong about last week's predictions! And you best believe Taylor Swift is still Bejeweled... her latest record Midnights is the 2024 Album Of The Year! We'll talk about what she's been up to since we covered Red (it's a lot), break down her record...

BONUS CONTENT! Happy Grammy Week! We're stoked for this year's ceremony, and in anticipation of our annual Album Of The Year Grammy Special we decided to make our own predictions about winners in each of the 94 categories this year. The Mixtaper will teach us a little about how voting works and what's new at the 66th Grammy Awards, and then James and Connor will dive into their predictions one fie...

It's Groundhog Day! Back in Episode 45 Connor introduced us to George Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue, and described it as his "going mad montage" where he tried to catch a pesky gopher. So we decided today should be Gopher Day instead! We're celebrating by revisiting George and Ira Gershwin and some of the iconic music that made their careers the stuff of legends. From the banks of the Swanee to Porg...

Every Day We Have The Blues, and today we're getting to know the King-- B.B. King, that is! His 1965 concert album Live At The Regal has often been hailed as one of the best blues records of all time. How Blue Can You Get? James & Connor will find out as they discover Blues Boy King's exceptional tractor-driving skills (and tractor-wrecking skills), his iconic guitar(s) Lucille, and an explosi...

Got a Heart Like A Truck? Hold our halos... this week we're cooking with Grease and talking about Lainey Wilson's award-winning country fusion record Bell Bottom Country! From ripping country hits like Road Runner and Wildflowers and Wild Horses to unforgettable moments like Watermelon Moonshine and Those Boots, you won't need BBSP to know a good time's in store! The Mixtaper tries to call his Fac...

Sarah's off on a turnaround, but James and Connor are on to another album! This week we're spinning Daryl Hall & John Oates' 1973 sophomore album Abandoned Luncheonette! It's a perfect example of their blossoming signature sound, with a blend of tracks that might just end up being magical. We'll talk about the shootout origins of one of rock's most recognizable duos, the legal woes they just c...

Bonus Content! In Episode 130 we talked about Florence + The Machine's record How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful... but did we make the right choice? James went back and forth between that and their fourth record High As Hope. After the episode he made Connor go listen to it, and now we're comparing notes! We'll talk about the differences between each record, how their sound evolved over the few yea...

How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful! James and Connor are building a Ship To Wreck and talking about the smash-hit third record by Florence + The Machine . From emotional introspective rockers to soulful ballads, Florence Welch can sing it all (with her impressive 3-octave vocal range)! We'll talk about her favorite smells, turbulent travel, and throat-donor fans during Fact Or Spin, and Connor will...

Happy New Year! We're back @ it again with another Listener Recommendation and saying Goodbye To All Of That 2023 with The WLDLFE! This up-and-coming indie pop band has toured with some of our previous faves like Bad Suns and The Band Camino. James and Connor are breaking down their FOURTH record to talk about lemonade, a lack of i's, drum muggers, Monkey Boo, and more! We're also recapping the pa...

It's another Spinter Wonderland special! We're reviving last year's Naughty Or Nice competition and putting 12 holiday hits head-to-head in a bracket-style elimination! The catch? Each song is by an artist we've covered in one of this year's episodes and voted on LIVE by our Twitch chat! From Elvis and the Eagles to Ray Stevens and *NSYNC, the results WILL surprise you and you'll find plenty of jo...

Hello, we've waited here for you Everlong! Get ready to put a Monkey Wrench in your listening habits with The Colour And The Shape , the sophomore album from the Dave Grohl-led Foo Fighters! James and Connor find out what he's been up to since Nirvana. What's a foo? Who earned the title of Honorary Beatle? What caused the band to move the earth? We'll answer all these questions and then talk about...

Connor's taking the wheel this week with another album.. it's Drive by Alan Jackson! This 2002 record is often considered one of the best of his career and it features songs like First Love, That'd Be Alright, and the contemplative Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning). We'll talk about his pets, weightlifting, and his career's sky-high origins, and we'll even taste-test his favorite foo...

Rock And Roll Ain't Noise Pollution, and we're cranking it to 11 with AC/DC's iconic record Back In Black! Join James and 2008 Connor as we journey through this album one (or more) metaphors at a time. In the wake of Bon Scott's passing and largely shaped by new lead singer Brian Johnson, this record would go on to be one of the best-sellers in the entire world. Hits like Shoot To Thrill, Hells Be...

Happy Thanksgiving! King Harvest has surely come and we're heading Across The Great Divide to celebrate with The Band! Their self-titled sophomore album builds on everything that made Big Pink great. Expect lots of characters, evocative lyricism, jug-band style jams, and harmonious ballads. We'll get into their award-winning, iconic Last Waltz concert, a feast that included literal tons of food, a...

Welcome! This week we're wild about the third record by the Nashville-based folk string trio The Arcadian Wild! With an innate sense of rhythm, a knack for tight vocal harmony, and raw instrumental talent, the band takes their skills to new heights on Welcome to put a spring in the step of sentimentality. We'll go all the way from ancient Greece to Big Sky, MT as we learn about cherry gardens, pin...

Hello, Younkers! This week we're rhapsodizing about the marvelous Queen Of Jazz herself, Ella Fitzgerald! Her 1957 album Like Someone In Love features songs from a wide range of contemporary songwriters that give us another glimpse into the Great American Songbook. We'll follow her rise to legendary status from the streets of New York all the way to the White House and learn about her improvised G...

Attention all planets of the Solar Federation! We have assumed control, and this week we're talking about Rush's iconic record 2112! Designed to be a defiant last-ditch middle finger at their record label, this album features a 20-minute sci-fi prog opera as its first side. James and Connor will talk about this timeless tale of triumph over tyranny and learn a lot along the way, from new words lik...

Happy Mixtober! Connor's out of town so this week we're letting The Mixtaper take over and share his playlist of the 13 best Halloween songs to get you in the spirit (pun intended) of the season! From movie soundtracks to hit singles to novelty songs, this dastard has brought every trick in his arsenal to make this episode unforgettable. Join James as he opens three surprise mystery gifts from The...