Hybrid Theory (Deluxe Edition) by LINKIN PARK

LINKIN PARK’s debut doubles as a mission statement for the California-born band, whose tense, ferocious brand of rock borrows from hip-hop and emo, dance-punk and alt-rock. Over skittering beats and massive guitars, caterwauler Chester Bennington and defiant MC Mike Shinoda examine heavy emotions up close. The cavernous “In the End” and paranoid “Crawling” combine their bad vibes with deep grooves and huge hooks, while album opener “Papercut” amps up the agitation with crushing, metal-inspired riffing that anchors Shinoda’s frantic raps.

Thriller by Michael Jackson (1982 – Hires 96khz 24bit)

100 Best Albums There are few pop albums, or even works of art, that denote a wholesale shift in time and space the way Michael Jackson’s Thriller did in 1982. Noting its impact on the career trajectory of a child star turned R&B hitmaker feels reductive; talking about its record-smashing commercial success diminishes its creative […]

Back to Black by Amy Winehouse (2006 – Hires 96khz 24bit)

100 Best Albums Producer Mark Ronson remembers when Amy Winehouse came in with the lyrics for “Back to Black.” They were at a studio in New York in early 2006, their first day working together. Ronson had given her a portable CD player with the song’s piano track, and Winehouse disappeared into the back for […]