"All the greats are here: from Marvin Gaye's inspirational 1971 What's Going On - a response to his brother's return from Vietnam - to David Bowie's extraordinary concept album The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust ... Explore musical history, from the Beach Boys' pop milestone Pet Sounds to Nirvana's catapulting of grunge into the popular consciousness with Nevermind. As well as the acknowledged "classics," there are many unexpected treats, such as Einsturzende Neubauten's power tool-enhanced soundscapes, and Aphex Twin's sonic troublemaking. 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die pays homage to the many forces at work in the musical world and a multitude of genres - a vast quota of rock 'n' roll and jazz, funk and punk, disco and soul, hip hop, experimental and world music, and a wide cross section of dance music." Detailed descriptions of each album are accompanied by insights and trivia. Did you know, for example, that the Velvet Underground And Nico album is credited with inspiring artists from Bowie to Joy Division, and from R.E.M. to The Strokes? Relive the aftermath of Bob Dylan's fateful appearance with an electric guitar at the Newport Folk Festival with his darkly visionary Highway 61 Revisited, recorded in 1965. Skip forward to the retro-guitar of The Stone Roses' eponymous album, taking in the best of the rest before, and since. From cult and obscure, to popular and mainstream, 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die fully encompasses the universal culture of music.
