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…

***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, …

***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…

***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…

***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…

***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 …

***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…

***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…

***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…

***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…

***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…

***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…

***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…

***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…

***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, …

***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…

***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…

***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…

***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…

***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…

***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:/…

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…

***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…

***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 …

***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…