91.3fm Wyep: Discumentary

Cole's sophomore release; this album went Gold pretty quickly thanks to the singles "Where Have all the Cowboys Gone" and "I Don't Want to Wait." But there's more than hit singles to this album, including a duet between Cole and her mentor, Peter Gabriel.

Mick Ronson produces this album, which some critics have called the fifth Smiths album. It blends Morrissey's voice with rockabilly and glam rock influences to create Morrissey's most solid solo effort to date.

Coldplay rose to stardom with their debut album. The British quartet redefined the Brit-rock sound. This album is not only appreciated by music fans, but by music critics as well.

The Beach Boys came of age with this album, which represented a new direction for the group. Filled with the Boys' perfect harmonies and Brian Wilson's obsessive production, Pet Sounds is considered one of the greatest albums of all time.

Some artists need to appear younger or hipper to appeal to a younger audience. Not Johnny Cash, he sat down with his guitar, and did the same thing that made him a legend many years ago. This album, produced by Rick Rubin, won Cash a whole new generation of fans.

The band's sophomore effort is considered one of the greatest albums of the nineties. With elements of power pop, psychedelia, and rhythm and blues mixed in with their signature sound, Being There shows Wilco's evolution from being just a country-rock band.

This album began Blondie's rise to stardom, and rocketed them past many of their CBGB's contemporaries as far as commercial success goes. This album contains "Heart of Glass", their first (and definitely not their last) #1 single in the U.S.

Iris Dement's debut album became a success mostly due to the rave reviews it received, many critics called it an instant classic. The reviews led to Dement signing a contract with Warner Brothers who re-released the disc in 1993. The album features guest appearances by Emmylou Harris and Iris' mother, Flora Mae.

Norah Jones' debut album took the world by storm, a jazz-inspired disc that started out as a favorite of critics. The album went on to sell more than 18 million copies. It also earned Jones eight Grammy Awards.

Eddie Vedder and Company were coping with the new found fame from their debut album when they recorded this follow-up. This album sealed them a hardcore fan base with seven of its twelve songs becoming hits.

Belle and Sebastian grew out of a class project and became a sensation in the U.K. due to word of mouth. Their third album, which is steeped in a wide array of musical influences, grew their audience even more, and earned them a coveted Brit Award.

Before this album was released Warren Zevon was a singer/songwriter with a few albums out. His biggest claim to fame was that Linda Ronstadt had recorded some of his songs. "Excitable Boy" was the big breakout album for him, containing the big hit "Werewolves of London", a song that takes days to get out of my head.

Oasis' second album came somewhere between the band having the fastest selling debut in British history, and their declaration that they were bigger than the Beatles. This album is often considered one of the greatest albums in British rock.

Shortly after the American Folk revival that followed the frenzy around the "O, Brother Where Art Thou?" soundtrack, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings released this album filled with heartfelt folk songs.

For Dar Williams' long time fans, hearing this album must have been rather shocking, like when Dylan went electric. Williams set aside her acoustic singer-songwriter side and released this more "plugged in" album that features drum machines and electric guitars backing up her soprano voice and colorful songwriting skills.

Nina Simone and her music were just being rediscovered in 2003, when she passed away at age 70. This album, a selection of blues originals and covers, is considered to be one of her most solid albums.

James Brown and his 16-piece band did a weeklong stint at Harlem's Apollo Theater late in 1962. This live recording was financed completely by Brown, and he went against his record label's wishes to make it in the first place. The album has been called one of the greatest live albums ever recorded, and was on the album charts for close to a year and a half.

Many call this a groundbreaking album, as it experimented with rapid electronic beats long before the word "techno" was ever thought up as a music genre. It was also tremendously successful commercially, generating three hits that were eased into popularity thanks to the newly assembled MTV.

Armed with more than two turntables and a microphone, Beck's sophomore effort mixes various genres of music together, resulting in an album that bridges the gap between country and hip hop. Produced by the Dust Brothers, this is Beck's most talked about album.

This could be considered Robyn Hitchcock's break out album, but it's also the band's major label debut. Globe of Frogs demonstrates Hitchcock's quirky songwriting with members of the Soft Boys, R.E.M. and Squeeze along for the ride.