Best Rollingstone Podcasts (2026)

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127 - The Byrds - Younger Than Yesterday - Craig Shoemaker 1:17:38

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3d ago1:17:38

1:17:38

At this point in The Byrds' career, they were already established as pioneers of folk rock through earlier hits like “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Turn! Turn! Turn!”, but they were hungry to push their sound further. On this album, they blended folk rock with elements of psychedelia, country rock and used studio experimentation like brass accents and r…

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128 - Iggy and The Stooges - Raw Power - Maria Bamford 1:15:39

11d ago1:15:39

1:15:39

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** Iggy and the Stooges only had one day to mix the final version of the album, leading to its raw and unpolished sound. Luckily, they had David Bowie to help on that one day. Maria joins Josh to discuss the tracks and the delayed impact …

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[PREVIEW] BONUS: Our Favorite Albums of 2025 5:00

13d ago5:00

5:00

Enjoy this bonus episode for paid subscribers counting down our favorite albums of 2025. Subscribe on Patreon for bonus episodes and the chance to choose our next bonus topic: patreon.com/gonkcast Email us: [email protected] Follow us on social media: @GonkcastPod ---------- Dan's list: The Necks - Disquiet [Ahmed] - Sama'a (Audition) Huremic -…

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129 - Talking Heads - Remain In Light - Greg Proops 1:47:47

18d ago1:47:47

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***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** Before recording Remain In Light, the Talking Heads and producer Brian Eno sought to dispel the notion that the group was simply a vehicle for frontman David Byrne by emphasizing collective groove, rhythm, and collaborative composition…

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AE_2022– “Set C” 1:55:24

20d ago1:55:24

1:55:24

We're continuing our set-by-set breakdown of AE_2022– with "Set C"—a highlight of not just this project but Autechre's entire discography. Subscribe for bonus episodes on Patreon: patreon.com/gonkcast Email us: [email protected] Follow us on social media: @GonkcastPod ---------- Check out the AE_2022– set/track breakdowns on aepages.org Listen …

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130 - Television - Marquee Moon - Wil Wheaton 2:38:20

24d ago2:38:20

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***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** When “Marquee Moon” was released, it baffled some and enthralled others. Television emerged from the 1970s CBGBs scene and was one of the pioneers of the indie college rock sound. Wil Wheaton joins Josh to discuss his favorite tracks o…

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[PREVIEW] BONUS: Oneohtrix Point Never - Tranquilizer 5:00

27d ago5:00

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Enjoy this bonus episode on a topic chosen by our paid subscribers: Daniel Lopatin's latest album as Oneohtrix Point Never, Tranquilizer (2025). Subscribe on Patreon for bonus episodes and the chance to choose our next topic: patreon.com/gonkcast Email us: [email protected] Follow us on social media: @GonkcastPod ---------- Watch this video for…

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131 - Black Sabbath - Paranoid - Jim Norton 1:55:15

1M ago1:55:15

1:55:15

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** Black Sabbath’s self-titled debut album introduced the world to heavy metal, but it was their second album, “Paranoid” that basically became a “Best Of” album in itself, with some of metal’s most recognised anthems. Jim Norton joins th…

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132 - Saturday Night Fever - The Original Soundtrack - Martha Plimpton 1:52:06

1M ago1:52:06

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***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** Saturday Night Fever: The Original Movie Soundtrack became far more than just the companion album to the movie. It emerged as a cultural phenomenon where genre, commerce, culture, and cinema intersected. Martha Plimpton joins the podca…

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AE_2022– "Set B" 1:43:53

1M ago1:43:53

1:43:53

We're pressing on with our set-by-set breakdown of Autechre's AE_2022– project with the second set, "Set B," as performed in London in 2022 and Venice in 2023. Subscribe for bonus episodes on Patreon: patreon.com/gonkcast Email us: [email protected] Follow us on social media: @GonkcastPod ---------- Check out the AE_2022– set/track breakdowns o…

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133 - Bruce Springsteen - The Wild, the Innocent & the E-Street Shuffle - Eric Roberts 1:34:19

2M ago1:34:19

1:34:19

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** This is the Springsteen album where he embraced R&B, jazz-tinged swing, horn sections, extended narratives, and cinematic moods. It makes a bridge between his folk‐inflected beginnings and the grander rock epics to come. Eric Roberts j…

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[PREVIEW] BONUS: The Tuss - Rushup Edge 5:00

2M ago5:00

5:00

Enjoy this bonus episode for paid subscribers on the only full-length album that Richard D. James released under his "The Tuss" alias: Rushup Edge, from 2007. Subscribe for bonus episodes on Patreon: patreon.com/gonkcast Email us: [email protected] Follow us on social media: @GonkcastPod

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134 - The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready To Die - Godfrey 1:20:21

2M ago1:20:21

1:20:21

Long Description ***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** At a time when West Coast rap was on the rise and dominating the scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s, it was Notorious B.I.G.’s “Ready To Die” that shifted much of the focus back to the East Coast. Comedian Godfrey…

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AE_2022– "Set A" 1:10:20

2M ago1:10:20

1:10:20

We're embarking on our set-by-set breakdown of Autechre's mammoth AE_2022– project, starting with the first set, "Set A," as performed in Milan, Athens, Helsinki, London, Bergen, and Turin in 2022, as well as Melbourne in 2023. Subscribe for bonus episodes on Patreon: patreon.com/gonkcast Email us: [email protected] Follow us on social media: @…

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135 - Pavement - Slanted & Enchanted - Melissa Auf der Maur 2:05:28

2M ago2:05:28

2:05:28

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** Former Hole bassist Melissa Auf der Maur joins Josh to talk about her connection to Pavement, and how the low-fi production “Slanted & Enchanted” influenced her writing, and provided the foundation for the early 90s indie college radio…

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136 - Elton John - Greatest Hits - Wayne Federman 1:35:39

2M ago1:35:39

1:35:39

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** Elton John’s Greatest Hits was the best-selling album of 1975 in the United States, and the first in Elton’s catalog to receive diamond certification. Wayne Federman discusses all of the top hits, including “Your Song”, “Rocket Man,” a…

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We Saw AE Live! 54:21

2M ago54:21

54:21

A very special reunion episode to mark the occasion of us seeing Autechre on their current tour of North America! Check out the AE_2022– set/track breakdowns on aepages.org Email us: [email protected] Follow us on social media: @GonkcastPod Subscribe for bonus episodes on Patreon: patreon.com/gonkcast…

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137 - The Replacements - Tim - Maura Tierney 1:25:30

2M ago1:25:30

1:25:30

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** Replacements lead singer and guitarist Paul Westerberg once described “Tim” as an example of the band’s longevity “Sometimes you just love the little acoustic songs, and other times you want to crank the amp up, and those two parts of …

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Introducing...Broken Record: Shirley Manson 55:14

3M ago55:14

55:14

Here’s a preview of another music podcast we love, Broken Record. Music and storytelling meet on Broken Record, where artists across genres and generations sit down to explore the joy, chaos, and vulnerability of creating—and what it means to devote a life to music. From legendary icons to groundbreaking new voices, each episode captures artists in…

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138 - Dr. Dre - The Chronic - B-Real 1:54:09

3M ago1:54:09

1:54:09

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** The Chronic is considered to be one of the most innovative hip hop albums in history. Kanye West once referred to it as the “hip hop equivalent to Stevie Wonder’s Songs In The Key Of Life”. B-Real discusses the impact the album had on …

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139 - The Meters - Rejuvenation - Jonathon “Boogie” Long 1:18:28

3M ago1:18:28

1:18:28

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** The Meters had become a name as Allen Toussaint’s backing band, but by the time they released their fifth album, Rejuvenation, in the mid-1970s, they had successfully merged groovy funk with swamp rock. Boogie Long talks about the impa…

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140 - Blondie - Parallel Lines - Courtney Taylor-Taylor 1:51:36

3M ago1:51:36

1:51:36

Long Description ***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** Although Blondie had been on the scene for over four years and already released two albums with a cult following, Parallel Lines, shot them into pop-superstardom. Courtney Taylor-Taylor of the Dandy Warhols discusses t…

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141 - B.B. King - Live At The Regal - Wayne Federman 1:20:33

3M ago1:20:33

1:20:33

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** Universally hailed as the king of the blues, B.B. King was one of the most important electric guitarists of the last half of the 20th century. Wayne and Josh discuss how this album marked the beginning of his rise to a household name, …

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142 - Phil Spector - A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector - Wayne Federman 1:21:32

4M ago1:21:32

1:21:32

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** Spector used his “Wall of Sound” production approach on some of the more secular Christmas standards and featured the vocal performances of Spector's regular artists during this period. Wayne Federman returns to discuss what Brian Wils…

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143 - Dr. John, the Night Tripper - Gris Gris - Wayne Federman 1:18:04

4M ago1:18:04

1:18:04

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** Dr. John first became a star by taking the sounds and traditions of New Orleans blues, jazz, and R&B and twisting them into new forms. The style of Gris-Gris is a hybrid of traditional New Orleans R&B elements and psychedelia. Wayne Fe…

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144 - N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton - Rickey Smiley 1:15:32

4M ago1:15:32

1:15:32

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** Straight Outta Compton was considered controversial upon its release due to the explicit lyrics that were seen as glorifying criminal behavior and degrading women. Despite little airplay, the album still went triple platinum. Rickey Sm…

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145 - Steely Dan - Aja - Big Jay Oakerson 1:22:02

4M ago1:22:02

1:22:02

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** Donald Fagen & Walter Becker built the early part of their career on quirky pop tunes and jingles, but made a creative shift towards jazz-rock fusion that still appealed to a mass audience on the 1978 Grammy winner for Best Engineered …

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146 - Jefferson Airplane - Surrealistic Pillow - Cathy Richardson 1:26:31

5M ago1:26:31

1:26:31

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** Several of Jefferson Airplane’s most famous songs, including “Somebody To Love,” “Today,” and “White Rabbit,” can be found on this album. Josh and Cathy discuss those tracks, as well as Jefferson Airplane’s impact on San Francisco’s co…

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147 - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Déjà vu - Jeff Daniels 2:02:44

5M ago2:02:44

2:02:44

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** The second (and last) studio album by rock supergroup Crosby, Stills & Nash and their first as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, contains songs that span from soft folk to hard rock. Jeff Daniels makes his debut to discuss how the album im…

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148 - Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy - Bill Burr 1:19:55

5M ago1:19:55

1:19:55

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** Houses Of The Holy is the first Led Zeppelin album to have an actual title. Several songs went on to become staples in their concerts, including "The Song Remains the Same", "The Rain Song", and "No Quarter". Bill Burr makes his fourth…

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149 - Santana - Self Titled - Frankie Quinones 1:43:27

5M ago1:43:27

1:43:27

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** Over half of Santana’s first album is composed of instrumental tracks, recorded by what started off as a free-form jam band. At the suggestion of manager Bill Graham, the band began writing more conventional songs like Evil Ways and Pe…

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150 - Bruce Springsteen - Darkness On The Edge Of Town - Rob Lowe 2:09:17

5M ago2:09:17

2:09:17

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** We’ve covered Bruce Springsteen before on this podcast, but never like this. Rob Lowe’s love of Springsteen runs deep and for many decades. He and Josh will go track-by-track through the album and discuss how the themes of Bruce’s albu…

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151 - Arcade Fire - Funeral - Dustin Nickerson 1:51:16

6M ago1:51:16

1:51:16

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** The title of Arcade Fire’s first album referred to the deaths of several relatives of band members during its recording. These events are prevalent throughout the album, shaping its mood and vibe. Dustin makes his debut to talk about A…

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152 - The B-52’s - Self Titled - Paul F. Tompkins 1:52:12

6M ago1:52:12

1:52:12

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** The B-52’s self-titled zigged when everyone else was zagging. In a time when the band’s new wave and punk contemporaries had a more somber tone in their music, the B-52s were writing songs about aliens and beach creatures. Paul joins J…

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153 - A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory - Colton Dunn 1:44:05

6M ago1:44:05

1:44:05

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** -The Low End Theory is A Tribe Called Quest’s sophomore studio album, which failed to put up the sales numbers as their debut album, People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. The group decided to revamp their style on the s…

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154 - Howlin’ Wolf - Moanin’ In The Moonlight - Kenny Wayne Shepherd & Wayne Federman 1:26:07

6M ago1:26:07

1:26:07

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** Howlin’ Wolf’s first LP was a collection of previously recorded tracks by the Mississippi-born blues legend. Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Wayne Federman return to The 500 to discuss Wolf’s impact on multiple generations of guitar players, …

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155 - The Pretenders - Self-Titled - David Wain 1:32:38

7M ago1:32:38

1:32:38

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** The Pretenders grew from the punk and new wave scene in London unk and new wave in the late 1970s, and brought that combo to the pop world, fronted by the charismatic Chrissy Hynde. David Wain joins us to talk about Brass In Pocket and…

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156 - Beastie Boys - Paul’s Boutique - Mike E. Winfield 1:48:35

7M ago1:48:35

1:48:35

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** Paul’s Boutique was a very different sound from the Beastie Boys first album, License To Ill. The second album featured multi-layered sampling and more production. While the album was initially a commercial failure, the beats earned th…

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157 - Joy Division - Closer - Matt Pinfield 1:20:26

7M ago1:20:26

1:20:26

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** Two months after the death of Joy Division’s vocalist Ian Curtis, the remaining members of the band decided to release their second and final studio album, Closer. Matt makes his third appearance on the podcast to talk about their effe…

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158 - Elton John - Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy - Mike Portnoy 1:51:37

7M ago1:51:37

1:51:37

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** Elton John’s ninth studio album served as an autobiographical tale of the early portion of the careers of both Bernie Taupin (the Brown Dirt Cowboy) and Elton (Captain Fantastic). Mike Portnoy sits down with Josh to talk about the firs…

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159 - Kiss - Alive! - Paul Stanley 1:26:52

8M ago1:26:52

1:26:52

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** From 1974 to 1975, Kiss released three albums: Kiss, Hotter Than Hell, and Dressed to Kill. The albums helped establish a cult following for the band but were commercial failures. Paul, aka “Star Child” joins Josh to discuss the decisi…

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160 - T. Rex - Electric Warrior - Luke Spiller 1:10:54

8M ago1:10:54

1:10:54

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** The Struts lead singer Luke Spiller talks about the raw power of one of his biggest influences, and the biggest influence of rock bands for decades: T. Rex and their sophomore album Electric Warrior Follow Luke on Social Media: https:/…

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Listen Now — To Hell with Poverty! From Gang of Four’s Jon King 9:54

8M ago9:54

9:54

Here’s a preview of “To Hell with Poverty!”, a new audiobook from Jon King, legendary frontman of iconic post-punk band Gang of Four. “To Hell with Poverty!” documents King’s story from a south London slum and working-class background to international success as core musician, lyricist, writer, and producer in the legendary post-punk/funk band Gang…

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161 - Otis Redding - The Dock Of The Bay - Nick Thune 1:17:58

8M ago1:17:58

1:17:58

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" was supposed to mark the beginning of a new phase in Otis Redding's career, not an ending. Nick Thune sits in to talk about one of Josh’s favorite solo artists and some of the top songs Redding produc…

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162 - Radiohead - OK Computer - Nick Swardson 1:24:38

8M ago1:24:38

1:24:38

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** OK Computer was designed as a deliberate reaction against the grunge movement of the 1990s. Josh talks about one of his favorite bands with Nick Swardson, covering tracks like “Karma Police” and “Paranoid Android”, and the genius that …

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163 - Prince - 1999 - Anthony Fantano 1:33:15

9M ago1:33:15

1:33:15

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** The multi-platinum selling double LP “1999” mixes rock, synthpop, and Prince’s brand of funk. It was also the first time “The Revolution” was involved in the creative process of a Prince album. Anthony Fantano joins Josh to discuss the…

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164 - Linda Ronstadt - The Very Best of Linda Ronstadt - Peter Asher 1:28:51

9M ago1:28:51

1:28:51

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** The Very Best of Linda Ronstadt is a combination of her two greatest hits albums, with 16 of the 21 songs coming from when she was consistently atop the charts, with the remaining five songs sourced from her late-'80s/early-'90s adult …

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165 - Marvin Gaye - Let’s Get It On - Chris Redd 1:55:58

9M ago1:55:58

1:55:58

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** Let’s Get It On is a pivotal soul recording that also increased the popularity of funk in the 1970s. The commercially successful album also established Marvin Gaye as a sex icon. Chris Redd joins Josh to discuss the sultry-sounding alb…

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166 - Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Imperial Bedroom - Greg Proops 2:29:55

9M ago2:29:55

2:29:55

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** Imperial Bedroom’s success was due to the intense collaboration between Elvis Costello and Producer Geoff Emerick, who had engineered some of the later work of the Beatles. Greg Proops joins Josh to discuss Costello’s seventh studio al…

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167 - Metallica - Master of Puppets - Joe Manganiello 1:58:25

9M ago1:58:25

1:58:25

***This show is brought to you by DistroKid. Go to http://distrokid.com/vip/the500 for 30% off your first year!*** Metallica is a massive name now, and their first big step towards stardom was when they released their third album. Joe Manganiello joins Josh to talk about one of his all-time favorite bands and the impact the thrash metal album had f…