The Genre Starter Guides series explores musical styles through a handful of essential albums. Each guide introduces listeners to a genre’s core sound and history while suggesting albums that make the best entry points.
If you’re curious about exploring new sounds, these music genre guides introduce the essential albums that define each style.
And if you’d rather explore other genres through a favorite artist, check out our If You Like This Artist series.
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Disco Albums for Beginners: 5 Classic Disco Records Beyond the Obvious Singles
Disco is one of those genres people have preconceived notions about. Mirror ball. White suit. Studio 54. Huge chorus. Even bigger hair. Someone walks into a club in… Continue Reading
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5 Experimental Hip-Hop Albums to Hear After the Essentials
Now we’ve heard the experimental hip-hop gateway records. So what next? The lazy answer would be to get weirder, but I don’t think that’s quite right. Weirdness alone… Continue Reading
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A Beginner’s Guide to Post-Punk: 5 Essential Albums to Hear First
So maybe you’ve never heard of post-punk or don’t really know exactly what it is. Great. This is going to be fun. Because post-punk is one of those… Continue Reading
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5 Alternative R&B Albums to Explore After the Essentials
Once you get through the alternative R&B essentials, things get even more interesting. The first-wave picks make sense for a reason. Trilogy gives you the bruised after-hours fog.… Continue Reading
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How to Get Into Afrobeat: 5 Essential Albums You Need To Hear
Afrobeat has a sneaky way of getting you. At first, it might just be the groove. The bass sits down and refuses to leave. The drums and percussion… Continue Reading
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How to Get Into Hard Bop: 5 Must-Hear Albums to Start Your Journey
Hard bop is one of those jazz labels that can sound a little dutiful until you actually put the records on. On paper, it risks looking like a… Continue Reading