The B-52’s – Athens kitsch that danced like a party trick
The B-52's formed in Athens, Georgia in 1977. Thrift-store clothes and a Farfisa organ fed a new wave party. Cosmic Thing, a decade later, found the biggest audience.
The Smashing Pumpkins – 1979
The Smashing Pumpkins’ 1979 (Mellon Collie, 1995): Corgan poem, Flood, drum machine pulse, alt-radio hit.
Bérurier Noir – Macadam Massacre
Bérurier Noir’s Macadam Massacre (1984): Studio Anagramme Dec 1983, drum machine, opening track riot.
Blur – Chemical World
Blur’s Chemical World (Modern Life Is Rubbish, 1993): Food Records, Albarn/Coxon, second Modern Life single.
Supergrass – Oxford youth that kept the grin loud
Three teenagers from Oxford turned a rough, buzzing guitar into chart singles, from the rush of I Should Coco to the quieter songs on Road to Rouen.
Coldplay – Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall
Coldplay’s Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall (Mylo Xyloto, 2011): lead single, parade drums, Parlophone.
The Clash – Punk that learned reggae, funk, and scale
The Clash formed in London in 1976 around Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, and a shifting drum seat that settled on Topper Headon for the classic run.
The Stone Roses – Madchester swagger in four players
Ian Brown, John Squire, Gary "Mani" Mounfield, and Alan "Reni" Wren formed The Stone Roses in Manchester in the mid-1980s and turned a Silvertone debut into a Madchester landmark.
Afterlife Interview with Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain on fame, algorithms, and what people still do with his name.
The Stranglers – Punk muscle with a keyboard bite
Hugh Cornwell, Jean-Jacques Burnel, Dave Greenfield, and Jet Black formed The Stranglers in the mid-1970s and brought organ, bass growl, and pub-rock muscle into the UK punk moment.