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The 10 Most Famous Albums That Never Saw the Light of Day

Here's 10 albums that never happened but are still discussed among fans and often recreated in some shape or form by the original artists, inspired musicians, or just hungry fans.

Music

Prince Shall Forever Remain the Enigma: 'This Thing Called Life'

Instead of cherry-picking facts and quotes, Joseph Vogel lets Prince's legacy shine in all its vague and erratic splendor.

Books

There's Fun to Be Found in Artistic Appropriation

Beg, Steal, and Borrow: Artists Against Originality gives some history -- and brings some levity -- to the subject of unoriginality.

Books

The 21 Best Album Re-Issues of 2017

In 2017, the music world saw amazing reissues from all over the genre map, spanning rock titans to indie upstarts and jazz to soul.

Music

The Afghan Whigs' Greg Dulli Talks About 'In Spades', Prince, and the Critical Beat

Greg Dulli tells PopMatters that "nothing's excluded when it comes time to write a song... I am absolutely omnivorous."

Interviews

'Complicated Fun' Is a Thorough Study of the Glory Days of the Twin Cities Punk and Indie Scenes

The tales of a record store, a set of like-minded club owners, and a record label all tie together into a beautiful narrative of the burgeoning Minneapolis music scene.

Reviews

Prince's Classic Finally Expanded: The Deluxe 'Purple Rain' Reissue

Over a year after Prince's stunning death, Warner Bros. offers the first ever expanded edition of the classic Purple Rain. How can something be so amazing and so frustrating at the same time?

Music

The Revolution's Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman Talk About Reunion Tour

Fourteen months after Prince’s shocking death at age 57, the reality has set in. Yet the Revolution is keeping Prince’s memory alive.

Mikael Wood

Interviews

Remembering Prince's Greatest Epic: 30 Years of "Sign 'O' The Times"

One year after Prince's shocking death, we celebrate his greatest musical achievement as it passes its 30-year anniversary: Sign ☮ the Times

Music

You Say You Want A Revolution: André Cymone Talks Merging Poetic, Personal

After a 25-plus-year hiatus, Anqdré Cymone has begun speaking his mind. In so doing, he's providing a much-needed missive about the state of the world.

Interviews

Prince's Revolution Celebrates His Greatest Era

Members of the Revolution are still reeling from the death of Prince and tell us about what working with him was like.

Greg Kot

Music

'Bar Yarns and Manic-Depressive Mixtapes', or, Music criticism, Minnesota-style

Jim Walsh’s writing combines heartfelt personal stories with knowledgeable music criticism. Reading this collection feels like having a conversation with an old friend.

Books

Phil Collins: Singles

The main question with Singles is this: does Phil Collins really deserve all the critical revilement he's gotten for decades?

Music

Frank Ocean and a Short History of Spite Albums

Frank Ocean's Endless, the decidedly less commercial of his two recent releases, might just be a victory for artists who've been forced to release music to fulfill contractual obligations. Here's a look at some of history's more significant spite albums.

Music

The Bangles: Ladies and Gentleman... the Bangles!

These earliest recordings of the Bangles showcase their chops as a live group and an excellent grasp of songwriting and melody writing. It's a must-have for die-hards and those wishing to delve deeper into the group's discography.

Music

Perhaps Prince Really Did Die 4 Us

On what would have been the groundbreaking musician's 58th birthday, a reflection on his final chord.

Music

Pop Ten

The 60 Best Songs of 2018

The 70 Best Albums of 2018

The 20 Best Avant-Garde and Experimental Albums of 2018

The 20 Best Americana Albums of 2018

The 20 Best Folk Albums of 2018

Short Stories: The 12 Best Collections of 2018

The Best World Music of 2018

The Best Metal of 2018

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