9 Critical Things You Should know about music publicity before you make your first move

By Ariel Hyatt, a regular contributor to MusicThinkTank, whose Ariel Publicity is an indie music focused digital pr firm and educational experience wrapped up in one very cool package..

I just got back from teaching social media master classes throughout Finland, Norway and Iceland and many musicians asked me to help them understand what traditional publicity is and how it fits into their overall planning. This is a past article I wrote which I have recently updated for you for navigating the world of traditional PR. So, it’s back to the basics today…

I talk to musicians all day who call looking to hire a publicist, and I’ve noticed that many artists don’t really understand what publicity is. The following list will clarify the concept of publicity for you.

1. The Definition of Publicity.

First, we are going to start out with the very basics – some definitions of what publicity is exactly, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

Publicity – “An act or device designed to attract public interest; specifically: information with news value issued as a means of gaining public attention or support. Also: The dissemination of information or promotional material.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Publicity is exactly these things.

A music publicist is hired as a member of your team to represent you to the media. Media is defined traditionally as editors and writers at newspapers, magazines, college journals, and television. Some publicists may also cover radio for interviews on tour stops. But if you want to get on the radio charts (like CMJ), you will need a radio promoter. More and more publicists also cover Internet PR, like my company. But not all traditional publicists do this, so make sure to ask before you hire.

A publicist’s job is to liaise with the press. They are not hired to get you a booking agent or gig, a label deal, a distribution deal, or any other type of marketing deal. That is what a manager is for. A well-connected publicist may be able to hook you up with all of the above-mentioned things, but it is not in her job description.

2. You Are in the Driver’s Seat.

Remember, as the artist, you are the buyer here, and you are shopping for PR. You are in the driver’s seat. It’s your money and your music that keep publicists in business. Hiring a publicist is like hiring another guitar player for your band. Choose one you like, who fits your vision and your goals. All too many times I’ve heard that a publicist was hired in spite of the artist’s personal opinions. You should like your publicist, and she should be the right one for you.

3. With Publicity, You Pay for Effort – Never for Results.

I have had disgruntled artists call me and say, “I hired a publicist and I only got six articles. That cost me $1,000 per article!” Sadly, this is not how you quantify a PR campaign. How you quantify a PR campaign is by how many albums were sent out and what the responses were, even if they were inconclusive or negative. You pay for the amount of effort the publicist made on your behalf. Of course, you should get some and even many results. Getting nothing is totally unacceptable. But you never know when your publicist’s efforts will show up months, and sometimes years, after your campaign is complete.

4. A PR Campaign Needs to Be Planned Well in Advance.

For long-lead press (that means magazines with national distribution like Spin and Rolling Stone), the editors put their publications to bed three full months before they hit the newsstands. So if your CD is coming out in October, you must have it pressed with full artwork and ready with materials to mail in July. Of course not all PR campaigns focus on national press, but no publicist will take you on with zero lead-time, so you definitely need to prepare lead-time in every case.

Recommended Publicity Campaign Lead Times:

National Campaign – 3-4 months before the release
Tour Press Campaign – 4-6 weeks before the shows
Local Campaign – 4-6 weeks before placement
Online Campaign – 2-3 weeks before placement (minimum)
(Placement = article, CD review, calendar listing, TV/radio interview, etc.)

5. The 4 Components of a Press Kit.

I see fewer and fewer actual press kits these days. A great one sheet will suffice in today’s digital world, however a thorough press kit consists of four parts: the bio; the photo; the articles, quotes & CD reviews; the CD.

The Bio – Create a one-page bio that is succinct and interesting to read. I strongly advise hiring a bio writer (this should cost between $100-$400). If you are not ready to pony up the cash, enlist an outside source to help you. I find people who are great storytellers make great bio writers. I have recently new affordable bio writing service available at http://www.ReviewYou.com if you would like to hire one of our trusted writers to help you craft your story.
The Photo – Arrange a photo shoot; if you take this seriously, you will benefit deeply. Create a photo that is clear, light, and attention-grabbing. Showing movement is a plus (sitting on a couch or up against a brick wall is not interesting). If you have a friend who knows how to use PhotoShop, enroll him to help you do some funky and fun editing.
The Articles, Quotes & CD Reviews – Getting that first article written about you can feel daunting. Two great places to start are your local hometown papers (assuming you don’t live in NYC or Los Angeles), and any music websites or blogs you like.
The CD – The CD artwork, like the press kit, must be well thought out. Do not bother sending out advance burns of your CD – instead send a link so the writer can download the tracks. When you do have your CD ready and it is being sent to a targeted press list, full artwork is always preferred. Put your phone number and contact info in the CD so if it gets separated from the press kit, the writer knows how to contact you.
6. Publicity is a Marathon, Not a Sprint.

PR is very different in nature from a radio campaign that has a specific ad date and a chart that you are paying to try to get listed on. There is no top 40 publicity chart. With the sheer number of albums coming out into the marketplace (approx 1,000 per week), it could take months longer than your publicity campaign runs to see results.

7. Online Publicity is Just as Important as Offline Publicity.

I would argue that online PR is more important, because today’s newspaper is tomorrow’s recycling. This of course unless the newspaper also posts the article online (which most are doing now). Online publicity goes up fast, and it can be around for months and sometimes for years.

Current sales figures show that people are reading newspapers less and less with every passing day. More people rely on the Internet as their main news source, and on recommendations from friends, so Internet placements are absolutely wonderful and totally legit, and they can help your Google rankings as well.

8. Publicity Does Not Sell Records.

If you are hiring a publicist to see a spike in your CD sales, I have news for you: There is absolutely no correlation between getting great PR and selling CDs or downloads.

PR is designed to raise awareness of you in the press, to help build a story, and also build up critical acclaim – and, of course, a great article can lead to sales. But overall, if selling albums is your goal, PR is not the only thing you will need to reach it; you will also need to build your loyal fan base and take care of fans with sweet offers.

9. All Publicity is Good Publicity.

I know we have all heard this, but it’s a great thing to really understand. If one of your goals in PR is to get your name out there (and this should be a goal), the truth is that the average person remembers very little of what they read. Only a tiny percentage gets retained. If you really think that readers are going to remember a tepid or a mediocre review of your album, the answer is, they won’t.

And never ever take your own PR seriously. As my favorite artist Andy Warhol once said, “Don’t read your press; weigh it.”

More @ Ariel Publicity

- See more at: http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2011/10/9-critical-things-you-should-know-about-music-publicity-before-you-make-your-first-move-.html?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzEmail&utm_content=395530&utm_campaign=0#sthash.j772I1B8.dpuf

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Ongoing Initiative Works To Unlock The Value Of Music Metadata

Ongoing Initiative Works To Unlock The Value Of Music Metadata

By Robby Towns of digitalmusic.org and NestaMusic.

Since the inaugural Music Industry Metadata Summit held at Music Biz 2013, there have been several areas that are worth revisiting given new developments in the market, coupled with the current initiatives of NARM/digitalmusic.org.

Digital Liner Notes & Release Delivery
A little over a year ago, digitalmusic.org released the “MetaMillions” whitepaper detailing several areas where the music industry could benefit from standardization around contextual metadata. One target-rich area for providing this enriched metadata is digital liner notes (album credits). During Music Biz 2013, Rhapsody announced the implementation of digital liner notes in partnership with the Recording Academy’s “Give Fans the Credit” campaign, championed by Maureen Droney (Producers & Engineers Wing). The implementation of this initiative by Rhapsody is set for later this year. One factor of consideration for any entity planning to leverage more robust studio (recording) metadata is the upcoming DDEX specifications focused on this area. DDEX has planned workshops scheduled throughout September in London, New York, and Los Angeles that are primarily focused on ‘Open Release Delivery Implementation.’ A key theme throughout these workshops will be finding the balance between flexibility and conformance for release deliveries.

“How can we ensure that all implementations are the same? Experience has shown, that DDEX implementations, specifically for Release deliveries, do vary between companies. DDEX is working on tightening its standards to eliminate, if possible, any opportunity for such variation. The Open Release Delivery Implementation Alignment Workshops are intended to identify variations that exist in current implementations, discuss possible approaches to removing them, and ultimately, document these within DDEX to avoid such variations appearing in the future.” – DDEX website

DDEX has established a working group focused on studio metadata, chaired by BMS/Chace president John Spencer, but the timing for implementation of the specifications is still to be determined.

At this stage, it is becoming increasingly easy to point out value-add opportunities for collecting contextual metadata during the recording process. Examples like the Blue Note sandbox and apps have exemplified the type of enriched experiences that can be presented to fans. In attempting to distribute this type of data to the development community via sandbox, API, etc., the key limitation and opportunity is in the underlying metadata. Nashville is home to some of the most amazing session players to ever darken a studio door. These musicians are anonymized for the general public simply because most digital tracks are not presented in a way that allows for exploring that level of recording detail. Imagine a history of music as told through session players and studios for Nashville or any other music town. Turn the world of Sound City Studios into a sandbox or API and see what comes back in return.

The music industry desperately needs a set of processes and standards to allow for the entire gamut of musicians (garage to stadium) to understand the how, what, when, and where of collecting and distributing this data. A “baby band” could start by collecting much of this info through a basic MS Excel or Google spreadsheet. However, there is no standard on how to set up that spreadsheet or what to do with the data once it is complete. There are some initiatives around this area being offered by companies like BMS/Chace. Their schema for multi-track metadata is currently being incorporated by DDEX into their overall standards. BMS/Chace has also started to explore education initiatives that would incorporate metadata collection and implementation into the curriculum of schools with recording programs. The curriculum will be modeled after real-world scenarios based on the company’s experience with major label projects and will offer an online platform for collecting metadata throughout the recording process. Although college curricula cannot incentivize the entire music industry, it is an excellent place to start educating the artists, producers, and engineers of the future.

Unique Identifiers
One area that has been part of an ongoing dialogue for NARM/digitalmusic.org is the future of unique identifiers and disambiguation of recorded music. The relatively new International Standard Name Identifier (INSI) has assigned more than 6.5 million names with assigned codes (www.isni.org). Approximately 133,000 Wikipedia articles now show the ISNI of the subject, including many performing artists.

The U.S. Copyright Office has run a consultation on upgrading its registration processes and has received numerous submissions, including one from digitalmusic.org working group co-chair Paul Jessop of County Analytics. One recurring theme throughout many of these responses was the adoption of standard identifiers with each registration. ISNI’s response to this notice of inquiry positions the identifier as a potential building block of the copyright registration and recordation process through the following:

“Aid the Copyright Office in managing its data by allowing records where the rights owner is the same to be grouped and records where the rights owners are different to be distinguished,
Aid those searching the records to find wanted information more quickly and without noise,
Aid those having located the appropriate record to contact the owner of the relevant rights more effectively, thereby reducing the number of works “orphaned” because the owners of the relevant rights cannot be found.”
To achieve these objectives, ISNI recommends the copyright system implement the allowance of ISNI entry for any instance where a party (person or entity) is associated with ownership or management of copyrights. The identifier should then be checked against the ISNI registry for proper validation. Lastly, the provision of an ISNI should become mandatory when future adoption of ISNI has reached critical mass and the relevant stakeholders have been properly notified and consulted.

There are obvious integration challenges for fully adopting another standard identifier in the music industry. However, the critical point at this stage is that a fully adopted creator ID is desperately needed to alleviate challenges with areas like artist disambiguation. Digitalmusic.org plans to continue researching the possibility of becoming an ISNI registrar or at the very least serving to support making more agencies available. No identifier, process, or initiative can entirely remediate the challenges surrounding these areas. However, utilizing ISRC (recording), ISWC (composition), and ISNI (creator) can make an immense improvement in core processes of the digital supply chain for recorded music.

NARM/digitalmusic.org (Metadata & Digital Supply Chain Initiatives)
The Product Platforms Database is currently undergoing fine-tuning for ISRC ingestion for all member companies. Additionally, there are several utilities (e.g. Gold/Platinum certification) in queue for the next rounds of development.

The Music Industry Style Guide released during Music Biz 2013 has received feedback from several key member companies and other industry stakeholders. Plans for a v2.0 release are set for Q1 2014. Some areas being discussed as additions for the next release are classical content, genre definitions, and dance music nuances (e.g. continuous mixes).

Our Digital Asset Management work group has begun outlining a best practices document for digital photos, set for release in Q4 2013. Additionally, this work group maintains ongoing involvement with forwarding current and future initiatives related to digital liner notes and studio metadata.

Digitalmusic.org is available as a resource for many key digital initiatives and challenges presented 
in the music industry. To learn more about the organization and how you can be involved, 
visit http://digitalmusic.org or send an email to info@digitalmusic.org.

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Creativity in Constraint: Exploiting the Boundaries

If one were to Google “This Is Your Brain On…”(fill in the blank), they would find everything from drugs, to football, to Jane Austen. This Is Your Brain On Music spent over a year on the New York Times bestseller list. Empathetic humans have a basic need and survival tendency to understand ourselves, and our behavior. Music has proven to be somewhat of an outlier and unifier simply due to the capability for a universal method of notation and expression. The expansion and sharing of music leaps from country to country, from people group to the academy and back again like wildfire. In culture, it is often a greatest common factor.

On July 11, 2013, Stanford University’s Center for the Advanced Study of Behavioral Sciences held its second annual Behavioral Science Summit. The daylong, invite-only event examines the state of behavioral science and its role in technology, the arts, business, and society as seen through the lens of creativity and innovation. Over the duration of the summit, fifteen noted speakers gave presentations on the arts, technology, neuroscience, culture, product design and workplace productivity.

Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman (Thinking Fast and Slow) delivered the opening keynote. The recurring theme of the summit proved to be collaboration, integration and originality. Kahneman explains that in order to develop new methodologies and vocabularies to bring to their home institutions and fields, innovators across a wide variety of professions have begun coming together to exchange ideas, and open up a dialogue.

Following the keynote, Daniel Levitin (This Is Your Brain On Music) took the stage. His talk, entitled “Creativity in music: Constraints and innovation” was of particular interest to the creativity gurus in attendance. He began with a simple definition of creativity. “Works of art that we judge to be the most creative involve the artists working under constraints to produce something novel, or something that pushes the edges of these assumed constraints.” Levitin brings up an interesting point: Some of the most creative music has come to exist not in result of revolution, but by way of evolution. It’s not really true invention, but a wide blending of previous work. Levitin reminds us that Mozart didn’t invent the symphony or the sonata-what Mozart is recognized for is his ability to work within the tight constraints provided, and yet still be able to come up with such ground-breaking musical statements.

To illustrate his point, Levitin gave a series of examples in order to showcase his theory regarding evolution v. revolution.

“Rocket 88” – Jackie Brenston, 1951
“Sweet Little 16” – Chuck Berry, 1957
“Surfin’ U.S.A.” – The Beach Boys 1963
“Back In The U.S.S.R.” – The Beatles, 1968
When listening and comparing these examples, even the untrained ear is hard pressed not to note the similarities from beginning to end. The journey of these songs is very clearly not revolution, but evolution. By taking similar (or in Brian Wilson’s case, nearly identical) chord structures and progressions, the songwriter is able to reinvent a past work with a fresh perspective. The Beatles are notorious for this, having released countless records that may be unashamedly traced back to artists such as Buddy Holly, Elvis and The Beach Boys. Levitin elaborates, “New concepts are anchored in terms of old concepts. That’s why we so appreciate music that’s built on something that came before.” He went on to explain that links between pieces associated with preexisting others tends to be stronger than novel and isolated links in memory. By acknowledging and exercising limitations in the formative process, the creator is able to push limits in a more precise scope, often resulting in unique creative inspiration via unambiguous problem solving.

Regarding individuality in musicianship and songwriting, Levitin calls attention to the large role boundaries play in identity. “An individual musician’s style to the extent that you recognize Ella Fitzgerald or Paul McCartney or Arthur Rubinstein because of their own limitations. If every musician were flawless, they’d have less personality. Musicians sound the way they do because they can’t do everything they want to be able to do, and they do it in this flawed, human way. Many of the musicians we find most compelling - Springsteen, Neil Young, Bob Dylan - the really emotive singers - were responding to vast constraints to their technical ability, and you hear them fighting against it.”

How does one then use constraint to stimulate creativity? The Behavioral Science Summit aims to unite and diversify varies field strategies and project tactics. The question we need to be asking is this: How can creative persons benefit from adhering to traditional business models such as the process of phasing out, minimizing scope creep and avoiding uncontrollable expansion? William James states it well: “Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task (letter to Carl Stumpf, 1886). Without an ultimate goal, creativity left unchecked may spin out of control, only to end in the failure to produce a tangible work. Music is not idiosyncratic in terms of how creativity is addressed or assessed – this subtle concept is utilized over many different arenas. Every song in the Western world comes from a chromatic scale of but twelve notes. Every mixed and melted color comes from red, blue and yellow; every sonnet from a mere fourteen lines.

In a recent post in Forbes magazine, entitled “Creativity: How Constraints Drive Genius” David Sturt (VP, O.C. Tanner ) calls attention to a study undertaken on 1.7 million people with award-winning work. Based on O.C. Tanner’s findings, it seems that “people who create new value on the job are often inspired by their constraints” (Sturt, 2013). When Frank Gehry set out to design the Guggenheim in Bilbao or the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, he reported limitations and constraints as the most inspirational tools in his work. When an artist, project manager or designer sits down to create a work, they must begin by asking, “What problem am I trying to solve?” In doing this we are able to better perceive that true freedom can only be exerted within limits. Not unlike the music theory student setting out to compose within a tight set of guidelines, one must first learn and observe specific statutes. Once understood, we may begin looking beyond the rules, embracing the “benefit of limitations and necessity of structure to the creative process” (Gutierrez, 2013).

In conclusion, we are left then with the following: Regarding individuals with IQs categorized as genius or savant, we must ask ourselves if some of the most celebrated inventions in technology, medicine and the arts would exist with a ceiling. Can constraint be a catalyst, or is it necessary to defy the norm in order to achieve true greatness? Imitation versus innovation, evolution or revolution, restriction and an endless realm of possibilities remain to ponder. Looking back to the creativity of Beethoven versus Mozart, Picasso versus Monet, and Baryshnikov versus Fosse, these hypotheses are no longer so transparent. Is constraint essential for effective creative production, or have our greatest visions come from pushing the limits?

(Photo Credit: Matt Beardsley)

Diana Hereld (@christypaffgen) is a Los Angeles based singer-songwriter, music educator and music psychology/neuroscience researcher. She blogs at As The Spirit Wanes The Form Appears.

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Amazing 33 1/3 album series is now avaliable in Apple iBooks

This is a great article that I had found on Evolver.fm. Read and enjoy.

June 18, 2013 at 11:48 amby Eliot Van Buskirk
Amazing 33 1/3 Album Series Is Now Available as Apple iBooks

If you’ve ever read a book in Continuum’s excellent 33 1/3 series about an album that changed your life, you know why we would argue that they are exactly what music needs. It’s all about context, and if your love for (or interest in) a particular album knows no bounds, these “deep dives,” to use the parlance of our times, are well worth reading.

In our interview with the series’ founder David Barker, we learned that there was no plan to make app versions of these much-beloved books. Now, at least, they’re for sale in the iBook store, so in a sense, they have arrived on iOS.

Bonus: From today, June 18, until July 2, every book in the series will cost $5. Prices will increase after that.

If reading’s not your style, twenty-five of the eighty-six 33 1/3 books are also available in audiobook form (thanks, Michael), so you can listen on your PodTrain or ExerWheel instead of seeing with your EyePods.

Here’s the complete list (the below links go to the publisher, but you can find them on iTunes). Surely, there’s something here you like (also, see the interview):

1 Dusty in Memphis- Dusty Springfield 1969 Warren Zanes
2 Forever Changes -Love 1967 Andrew Hultkrans
3 Harvest -Neil Young 1972 Sam Inglis
4 The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society -The Kinks 1968 Andy Miller
5 Meat Is Murder- The Smiths 1985 Joe Pernice
6 The Piper at the Gates of Dawn- Pink Floyd 1967 John Cavanagh
7 ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits -ABBA 1992 Elisabeth Vincentelli
8 Electric Ladyland -The Jimi Hendrix Experience 1968 John Perry
9 Unknown Pleasures- Joy Division 1979 Chris Ott
10 Sign “☮” the Times - Prince 1987 Michaelangelo Matos
11 The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground 1967 Joe Harvard
12 Let It Be -The Beatles 1970 Steve Matteo
13 Live at the Apollo -James Brown 1963 Douglas Wolk
14 Aqualung-Jethro Tull 1971 Allan Moore
15 OK Computer-Radiohead 1997 Dai Griffiths
16 Let It Be -The Replacements 1984 Colin Meloy
17 Led Zeppelin IV -Led Zeppelin 1971 Erik Davis
18 Exile on Main St. -The Rolling Stones 1972 Bill Janovitz
19 Pet Sounds - The Beach Boys 1966 Jim Fusilli
20 Ramones- Ramones 1976 Nicholas Rombes
21 Armed Forces -Elvis Costello 1979 Franklin Bruno
22 Murmur- R.E.M. 1983 J. Niimi
23 Grace - Jeff Buckley 1994 Daphne Brooks
24 Endtroducing….. -DJ Shadow 1996 Eliot Wilder
25 Kick Out the Jams - MC5 1969 Don McLeese
26 Low - David Bowie 1977 Hugo Wilcken
27 Born in the U.S.A. -Bruce Springsteen 1984 Geoffrey Himes
28 Music from Big Pink -The Band 1968 John Niven
29 In the Aeroplane over the Sea- Neutral Milk Hotel 1998 Kim Cooper
30 Paul’s Boutique -Beastie Boys 1989 Dan Le Roy
31 Doolittle - Pixies 1989 Ben Sisario
32 There’s a Riot Goin’ On -Sly and the Family Stone 1971 Miles Marshall Lewis
33 The Stone Roses -The Stone Roses 1989 Alex Green
34 In Utero-Nirvana 1993 Gillian G. Gaar
35 Highway 61 Revisited -Bob Dylan 1965 Mark Polizzotti
36 Loveless -My Bloody Valentine 1991 Mike McGonigal
37 The Who Sell Out -The Who 1967 John Dougan
38 Bee Thousand - Guided by Voices 1994 Marc Woodworth
39 Daydream Nation -Sonic Youth 1988 Matthew Stearns
40 Court and Spark -Joni Mitchell 1974 Sean Nelson
41 Use Your Illusion I and II -Guns N’ Roses 1991 Eric Weisbard
42 Songs in the Key of Life-Stevie Wonder 1976 Zeth Lundy
43 The Notorious Byrd Brothers -The Byrds 1968 Ric Menck
44 Trout Mask Replica -Captain Beefheart 1969 Kevin Courrier
45 Double Nickels on the Dime -Minutemen 1984 Michael T. Fournier
46 Aja -Steely Dan 1977 Don Breithaupt
47 People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm - A Tribe Called Quest 1990 Shawn Taylor
48 Rid of Me -PJ Harvey 1993 Kate Schatz
49 Achtung Baby -U2 1991 Stephen Catanzarite
50 If You’re Feeling Sinister - Belle & Sebastian 1996 Scott Plagenhoef
51 Pink Moon -Nick Drake 1972 Amanda Petrusich
52 Let’s Talk About Love -Celine Dion 1997 Carl Wilson
53 Swordfishtrombones -Tom Waits 1983 David Smay
54 20 Jazz Funk Greats - Throbbing Gristle 1979 Drew Daniel
55 Horses -Patti Smith 1975 Philip Shaw
56 Master of Reality -Black Sabbath 1971 John Darnielle
57 Reign in Blood - Slayer 1986 D.X. Ferris
58 Shoot Out the Lights -Richard and Linda Thompson 1982 Hayden Childs
59 Gentlemen -The Afghan Whigs 1993 Bob Gendron
60 Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash -The Pogues 1985 Jeffery T. Roesgen
61 The Gilded Palace of Sin - The Flying Burrito Brothers 1969 Bob Proehl
62 Pink Flag -Wire 1977 Wilson Neate
63 XO - Elliott Smith 1998 Mathew Lemay
64 Illmatic -Nas 1994 Matthew Gasteier
65 Radio City - Big Star 1974 Bruce Eaton
66 One Step Beyond… - Madness 1979 Terry Edwards
67 Another Green World - Brian Eno 1975 Geeta Dayal
68 Zaireeka The Flaming Lips- 1997 Mark Richardson
69 69 Love Songs -The Magnetic Fields 1999 LD Beghtol
70 Facing Future - Israel Kamakawiwo’ole 1993 Dan Kois
71 It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back -Public Enemy 1988 Christopher R. Weingarten
72 Wowee Zowee -Pavement 1995 Bryan Charles
73 Highway to Hell- AC/DC 1979 Joe Bonomo
74 Song Cycle -Van Dyke Parks 1968 Richard Henderson
75 Spiderland - Slint 1991 Scott Tennent
76 Kid A - Radiohead 2000 Marvin Lin
77 Tusk - Fleetwood Mac 1979 Rob Trucks
78 Pretty Hate Machine Nine Inch Nails 1989 Daphne Carr
79 Chocolate and Cheese Ween 1994 Hank Shteamer
80 American Recordings Johnny Cash 1994 Tony Tost
81 Some Girls The Rolling Stones 1978 Cyrus Patell
82 You’re Living All Over Me Dinosaur Jr. 1987 Nick Attfield
83 Marquee Moon Television 1977 Bryan Waterman
84 Amazing Grace Aretha Franklin 1972 Aaron Cohen
85 Dummy Portishead 1994 RJ Wheaton
86 Fear of Music Talking Heads 1979 Jonathan Lethem

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