Videos

35 years ago today (8/13/90), Pixies released Bossanova, their third studio album, and their college rock take on space and surf rock. The album did exceptionally well in the U.K. and peaked at number three, and two singles were released from Bossanova as “Velouria” and “Dig for Fire”; both charted…

40 years ago today (8/12/85), Neil Young released his fifteenth studio album, Old Ways, an album that served as his first full-on recording into country, despite having written many other country-influenced tunes earlier. Young had initially begun recording a country album in 1983 with the International Harvesters, but label pushback…

30 years ago today (8/8/95), Ben Folds Five released their self-titled debut LP, the first statement on record from the trio that would spark the creative arc of bandleader/pianist Ben Folds. An acoustic piano fronted trio with barrelhouse piano banging, ’70s melodic AM radio harmonies, ’90s college rock, and a…

Ten years ago today (8/7/15), Dr. Dre released his third album Compton and his his first in 14 years following 2001’s 2001. Inspired by the 2015 N.W.A biopic Straight Outta Compton, Dre described the record as his “grand finale” — a companion piece of sorts that revisited the city and…

50 years ago today (8/5/75), guitarist Joan Jett and drummer Sandy West teamed up to form The Runaways, one of the first all-female rock bands to gain national attention. Over the course of their career, the group released four studio albums and toured with acts like Van Halen, Talking Heads,…

Ten years ago today (8/1/15), Rush performed their last-ever show at the Forum in Inglewood after the 35-date R40 tour. Although the trio at the time never announced it as their last, everybody had an inkling that this very well could be the finale. The band’s setlist was composed of…

Happy 89th birthday to blues legend Buddy Guy, who was born on 7/30/36. As a leader in the Chicago electric blues, Buddy has influenced legions of guitarists, including Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. Muddy Waters discovered Buddy while playing at clubs in Chicago, and helped him find work at the…

60 years ago today (7/29/65), Help!, The Beatles’ second feature film, premiered at the London Pavilion. Building on the success of A Hard Day’s Night, this musical comedy marked a significant step up in scale, with director Richard Lester and the band filming across various international locations. The film’s soundtrack…

Fifty years ago today (7/28/75), Black Sabbath released their sixth studio album Sabotage. Recorded during a turbulent time when the group was mired in legal battles with their former manager, the album’s title reflects the band’s feeling that their career was being sabotaged from the outside. Its aggressive and experimental…

Sixty years ago today (July 25, 1965), Bob Dylan plugged in at Newport Folk and changed the future of folk music and electric for that matter. Dylan, backed by members of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and guitarist Mike Bloomfield, played a loud, raucous electric set, opening with “Maggie’s Farm”…