Straight Outta Compton – N.W.A. (1988)

***1/2 More in vogue than any point since the late ’80s, N.W.A.’s infamous debut (and really only) LP of so-called “real rap” set the world (and the occasional police car) on fire with its back-to-back delivery of “Straight Outta Compton” and “Fuck tha Police,” two of the most controversial and important Hip-Hop records ever made.…

All Eyez on Me – Tupac (1996)

***1/2 Leave it to Tupac to make a double LP out of a single EP’s worth of material, but damn if it wouldn’t have been one for the ages. The title track’s effortless bravado seeps show-stealing swagger, “All About U’s” damn-near sentimentality is a sweet change of pace, and the fascinating remix of Dr. Dre’s…

Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs: 360-351

360. “The Great Pretender” – The Platters My grandfather still has his original copy of this on a 78 from when this song was No. 1 on the carts in 1955. He still loves it to this day. I’m a huge fan of The Ink Spots, and The Platters carried on the high tenor style…

Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs 430-421

430. “Blue Suede Shoes” – Elvis Presley Apparently this cover was never as successful as Carl Perkins’ original, but as a kid this is the version I always heard years before I even discovered who Carl Perkins is. I”m not sure which version is superior; they both sound nearly identical. But one thing’s for sure:…