O Que Faz Uma Música Ser "Licenciada"

What Makes Music “Licensable” 

First of all thanks to  Kaitlyn Raterman for this article.

As you begin diving into the realm of sync licensing, you might hear that some songs are more “licensable,” or licensing-friendly, than others.  Some songs fit seamlessly into films, commercials and the like, and though they may not be by a well-known mainstream artist, they definitely have a certain je ne sais quoi and commercial appeal that helps them appeal to mainstream audiences.  Even more importantly, these songs serve the purpose of the visual media with which they are synched - they have the power to both stand alone and be subservient to the action going on on-screen... and to add more depth to the scene on-screen.  So, what makes some songs licensable?

A SOLID Sound

Licensable songs utilize top-quality production; they are well-mixed and well-mastered.  It should SOUND expensive.  If your music SOUNDS like it was made in your bedroom, no one will care.  

For example, think about Rebecca Black’s “Friday.”  Sure, this song and Black herself are an absolute joke.  However, NBC’s The Today Show definitely used this song coming in and out of commercials.  Why...oh, why?  Well, who knows, but let’s be honest on one thing. Those guys at Ark Music Factory do know how to make well-produced music.  The production quality was solid, and it sounded like something you might hear on radio.   It did, indeed, sound just as expensive as it probably was for Black’s parents to make that happen for their dear daughter. 

Vague Lyrics & Theme

The most licensable songs have lyrics that are vague enough to apply to the masses, and have lyrics with themes that are vague enough to apply to the masses.  Music supervisors are picky about lyrics, especially in the commercial/promo realm.  (By the way, commercial/promo placements pay well.)  Telling a story in 30 or 60 seconds is hard.  The less detail you go into, the more powerful the lyrics are, and the more people and situations they can apply to.  The vaguer, the better! And the quicker you can get to the point with key words, even better.  (Remember: Since often the lyrics just won’t work for a particular spot, ALL your songs with vocals should have an instrumental version!  Be prepared, do that extra work now, and set yourself up for big money.)

What kinds of vague themes?

    o         Partying - alcohol, drugs, sex, dancing.

    o         Love & Romance.

    o         The all-time classic break-up song.

    o         Overcoming challenges, hope for the future.

    o         It’s a happy joyous fun beautiful day!

    o         Had a bad day, it’s raining, woe unto me.

    o         Conquering, being a badass.

Alternatively, a lot of the most licensable songs have rarely any lyrics at all, perhaps only one basic phrase such as:  “I can’t wait,” or “Ready, steady, go!”   

Check out Paul Oakenfold’s “Ready Steady Go” in Saab’s epic Viggen car commercial below.  Simple and highly effective lyrics.  They can apply to multiple different opportunities needing music with pump-up, energetic, action-packed vibes!  

Immediately Identifiable Mood

Most licensable songs have an identifiable mood or vibe that pulls you in by the very first notes of the song; the song conjures up a particular emotion or vibe immediately.   Take, for example:   

Phrenik & Stiletto’s “Can’t Wait” - Check out that kickass electric guitar hook that slaps you in the face.  This hook grabs your attention immediately.  Not only that, but this song has the short and simple lyrics, “I can’t wait, wanna touch me, wanna love me.”  This song is golden for a commercial because in a short span of time, we feel the pump-up energy and those lyrics can apply to almost anything.

D.V.S*, “Fortunes Won and Lost” - That bittersweet, nostalgic guitar is heart-wrenching.  This is a perfect example of an intro that isn’t hard-hitting... but the immediate intimacy of that guitar texture strikes a chord with any listener and pulls you in.  

Emotive Chord Progression

So, we’ve addressed that licensable songs are always emotive of a particular vibe.  What plays a huge part in this is the chord progression.  In the most general sense, the chord progression creates the essential vibe and mood of the song.  For example:

Hoob ft. MC Flax, “Girl” - Hoob may have called his song a “SUMMER SMASHER!!!”, but this song has an undeniably dark vibe.  Why?  That chord progression. It’s driving drum & bass, but that chord progression gives it a whole new meaning.  It’s as if you’re driving forward leaving behind stories of a darker past (or whatever story you want to create).    On that note, this is a perfect example of a song needing an instrumental version.  A music supervisor might like this song for those driving yet darker vibes, but the lyrics MC Flax and Hoob use don’t quite match that storyline.  

Memorable Melody 

Another characteristic that makes songs licensable is having a memorable melody (whether embedded in lyrics or not) that can be:

Sweeping & Expansive

For example, Kezwik’s “Let Go ft. Mimi Page” has a grandiose melody is sweeping and gorgeous with an element of wonder.

Short & Catchy

Watch this famous Kia Motors commercial using Ivan Gough & Feenixpawl’s “In My Mind ft. Georgi Kay.”  The main melodic hook literally has 4 notes.  It’s short, catchy, and totally memorable.  Not only that, but that main lyric is so vague and perfect for a commercial selling any product:  “This is what we’re waiting for.”   

“Cinematic” Instrumentation & Orchestration Tools 

Yes, any non-classical piece of music can utilize these same techniques, just in the different context of genre. 

What kinds of instruments? 

o              Strings are always cinematic.

o              Piano can bring a vibe of intimacy.  With reverb, it generates that gorgeous big-room sound. 

o              Guitars of all kinds. 

This applies to genres like electronic music, too.   For example:  

Cryptex’s “Slay It” - Check out those badass arpeggiated strings in the intro.  Let’s go save the world. 

Phrenik & Kezwik ft. PLS DNT STP’s “Ready for Impact” features a hard-hitting string melody in the intro, giving this song a rushed, hardcore and exciting appeal.  Let’s do this. 

In Kezwik’s “Tame,” listen to that catchy piano riff, followed by a call in the trumpets.  It breaks down into a head-nodding, bouncy jam with soaring synth melodies.  The intro (before the heavy dubstep drop) is uplifting, fun & great for a commercial.

D.V.S*’s “Blame Me” - Guitarist & producer Derek Van Scoten starts off with that lonely, nostalgic, intimate electric guitar theme, but then grows it into a bigger, more cinematic and inspiring sound. 

What kind of orchestration (how you arrange the instruments & sounds)?

One of the most effective compositional structures and orchestration techniques of all time is this general “textural crescendo”:  Layering sounds, one on top of the other, building up, and coinciding the instrumental build up with the chorus or climactic section.   This applies to literally any genre of music.  Example:

Overwerk’s “The Nth” - Listen from 1:15 onwards.  Huge orchestral build-up with strings and heavy drum percussion.  And what does it finally climax to?   An absolutely killer pumping electro jam.

Please note that not all licensed songs have every single one of the above qualities.  However, the above qualities are some important characteristics of songs that have been licensed before.  

For example, above we actually described two different ways a song can be structured.  The two are completely different, but both work for different types of visual media project needs.  

1. A song can begin by starting with a sound or particular vibe, and stay that way throughout the entirety of the song.  It can emit aggressive vibes like D.V.S*’s “Oxygen”with that badass electric guitar riff.   Or, it can be chill, smooth, and romantic like Dorsh’s “Je t’aime.”

2. A song can start off one way and thereby grow, build up, and expand into a climactic section.  Take, for example, Overwerk’s “Daybreak.”  This epic electronic symphony starts with pizzicato strings only and builds into something entirely different.  This song has been licensed multiple times, most famously in a GoPro commercial:

Absolutely epic, right?  

Now that you hopefully have some new ideas brewing, take a listen to your catalog and address these characteristics.  For your next tracks, perhaps try out some of these tools.   Of course as artists we never want to sacrifice freedom and creativity, but at the same time it’s always fun and beneficial from a creative standpoint to use new tools and thought processes like those above when writing music.  And who knows?  Maybe you’re sitting on next summer’s blockbuster film trailer track.   Take a look at Symphonic Distribution’s licensing page for info on how to get your music into the sync realm.  

Google Streaming Agora Pode Prever Qual A Próxima Música Você Quer Escutar

Google's streaming music service can now predict what you want to listen to next

Google Play Music, Google's music streaming service, is getting smarter.

On Monday, an update to the Google Play Music app will kick in a new feature that can predict what you want to hear next. 

In fact, Google is so confident in the app's accuracy, that it completely revamped the welcome screen on Play Music so you can just tap to start listening to a playlist suited for you based on the time, your location, and a variety of other factors.

Google says it's able to accomplish this through machine learning, the technology that's starting to power a lot of intelligent services Google makes like Google Photos and the new Google Assistant. It also plays into Google's broader mission to use machine learning and artificial intelligence in all of its products.

Play Music won't know you right away, of course. It has to learn your habits over time and its recommendations will get better and better the more you use it. Elias Roman, the head of Google Play Music, told Business Insider that you'll notice the playlist recommendations get more accurate after just a few days.

The overhaul comes as competition tightens in the streaming music space. Google hasn't disclosed how many paid subscribers it has, but Spotify and Apple are clearly in the lead with 40 million and 17 million paid subscribers, respectively. Amazon also just launched its own paid streaming service. Google also offers another paid music service through YouTube.

The hope with Google Play Music's update is that it'll mark a key differentiator from other services, given that they all pretty much host the same music libraries and charge the same for subscriptions, $9.99 per month.

The update will be rolling out this week to Google Play Music on iPhone, Android, and the web.

10 Coisas Que Eles Não Dizem Aos Produtores Musicais

10 Things they don’t tell Music Producers.

If you are new to music production, or even if you’ve been poking around for a while, there are a number of things that you haven’t been told about making music. Depending on what angle you are taking to get into the music production game, you are likely either over preparing or under preparing for what lies ahead.

1. Your first attempts at making music won’t be great, and that’s the way it should be.

One of the biggest mistakes an aspiring producer can make is to think their next song is going to be the song that not only changes their lives but changes music history. Unfortunately, these are the high expectations and pressure they put on themselves & this is the reason they never finish anything. Nothing you make the first time around can compete with the producer’s who have churned out 100’s or even thousands of songs.

If you sit there for a year or more struggling with making your first song the hit of the century, you are missing the opportunity that creating many imperfect songs can bring you. The truth is that you need to finish a good 10-20 songs before you start to find your groove. This might seem daunting for perfectionist, but if you can put aside perfection and just call a project done when you’ve reached the tip of your current skill level, you’ll find yourself improving at a dramatically faster rate. Plus, as your production & listening skills get better, you can always go back and revisit old songs for improvements that now seem obvious to you.

2. Nobody creates in a constant peak state

Peak states of consciousness, also called flow is considered to be the most desired state of being a human can experience. Extreme athletes & adventurists don’t risk their lives because they are crazy. It’s because being on the edge is the only way to create these flow states. Nobody can experience these states constantly.

And when I say nobody, I mean it. The reason for this is that peak states of creativity follow a pattern which involves lulls & frustration. It’s 2 sides of the same coin & you simply can’t have one without the other. If you aren’t putting yourself at the edge of your capabilities and risking failure, your level of focus simply won’t be intense enough to put you into this peak state of mind.

If you are a multi-tasker or tend to surround yourself with distractions, you will have no chance of reaching this state. Peak creativity states make the whole world fade away and you experience “now” in a way that can’t really be explained unless you have been there.

Great artists have taught themselves how to get into this state more often than others, but still understand that 90% of the time, all artists have to push themselves to do the work regardless of how they feel. In fact as I write this, I was interrupted and brought into a whole conversation that I had to politely exit. It will now take me a bit of time to get back into my flow, even though it wasn’t a “peak” flow. Regardless the show must go on, and so must you. Don’t wait for the right time. Peak states only come to those who are willing to do the work regardless.

3. Most of what you think you need to know, doesn’t matter

So many artists have this belief that they can’t start making music with what they know right now. Because of this fear of creating, they over prepare. They end up wasting 100’s of hours watching every tutorial outlining tips for every style of music & diving deep into music theory.

What they don’t realize is that most of this information will fall right back out of your head & never make it into your tool box. On top of that, they are getting so many opposing pieces of advice, that all this information causes more confusion than it does benefits.

As a rule, a new producer should be spending 80% of her time making music & only 20% (at most) spent learning new techniques. I recommend you take your own skills as far as you possibly can, and only then do you search out the 1 or 2 tutorials that will get you over that creative hump so you can reach the next level in your music making.

This is the only way you will retain what you have learned as well as the only way you will keep yourself focused on actually music making. Don’t get yourself caught up in the information trap for the wrong reasons.

4. Most of the tools you think you need, you don’t

Many producer’s new and old join groups & forums related to their musical style or DAW of choice. I believe it is smart to interact with likeminded people, but be warned. The time people are spending in these forums is time they probably should be making great music. This lack of focus on actually working on your music can become addicted as everyone in the group lets everyone else off the hook.

Then there are the “know it alls”. These are the people who are pissed off their amazing talents haven’t boosted them into the stratosphere of fame and glory. These people are better than you & want you to know it.
“oh you’re using that compressor? That thing sounds like dogshit! If you aren’t using xyz plugin or this piece of hardware, you might as well pack it in”

Pretty soon you are spending all of your songwriting time searching other forums discussing 100 different points of view on what compressor you need to have to be taken seriously by your peers.

Stop it. stop it. STOP IT!
Yes, there are some amazing plugin’s out there, but the truth is, if you learn how to use a certain tool inside & out, you can usually get great results. I personally use mostly internal plugins from my daw of choice (Ableton). I’ve heard many people tell me Logic effects are better, and although I wouldn’t disagree, I’ve found a way to get the job done quickly & efficiently with the tools I have and so far, the type of plugin’s I use has not effected getting my tracks signed & reaching the charts one single bit.

At the end of the day, the person that finishes the most songs wins every time. Focus on that.

5. Your habits count more than your knowledge

Once again, you need to stop thinking you need to know everything. I’ve personally gone that route. In the past, I was able to teach people how to use music software inside and out & they would take a few chosen gems & run with them while disregarding much of the information they didn’t need right now. Good on them, they were finishing music, and at the time, I wasn’t. Lesson learned.

If you want to be a successful songwriter or producer, you should first concentrate on your habits far before your knowledge. If you haven’t instilled the habits that will force you to work on music daily, your knowledge won’t matter.

Frankly it’s a bit stupid to keep adding tools to your already oversized toolbox if you are never going to sit your ass down and use them.

You will get FAR more benefit by creating the habit of sitting in from of your DAW of choice for 15 minutes a day, even if you don’t write a thing, than you will from force feeding your brain with more “knowledge”.

If you ever want to create a creative flow, it comes from clearing your mind, not stuffing it like that closet you don’t show any of your guests.

6. Everything you want comes through people

People are more important than knowledge. Look around at all of those highly successful people. Are they all there because they are geniuses? No way.

Everything you want (outside of your personal spiritual grow1th) is going to require relationships. You simply can’t stay locked out from the world, making great music & expect that to be enough. You are going to have to interact, communicate & share your value in trade for the value of others.

If you think you are above promoting yourself (in the most ethical way of course) and sharing you with the world, the world will never have the opportunity to appreciate who you are & what it is you do so well. Anyone who tells you otherwise, is lying to you.

7. You don’t have to be miserable to make good music

Man, if I hadn’t wasted all those years with the “artist” mentality, I might have gotten more done & enjoyed myself a whole lot more.

You don’t need to fabricate a difficult, dark & addicted lifestyle to be great. I’m not saying that getting out of your head every once in a while can’t be beneficial. It’s not popular to say this, but sometimes the drugs do work, at least for a little bit. Gladly, I did my share & got out of it before doing myself much permanent damage.

I can reflect on those experiences from a sober state of mind & say with complete conviction that I am 10 times more productive as a sober person (who has the occasional beer). Don’t follow your fellow musicians down the rabbit hole too far or you will fuck yourself, your creativity & your productivity.

Have experiences & make music, but always give your music top priority. The “lifestyle” is largely bullshit anyway. Don’t believe the hype.

8. Musicianship is optional

I’ve spoken out many times of my happiness in being a non-musician, or at least my happiness of not letting it get in the way of creating things I am proud of. So many great songwriters are not the best musicians & many of the best electronic artists don’t have a big musical background and many of those who do, found it a hinderance to creating outside the box at times.

A non-musician does not have a total lack of talent, it’s just coming from another angle. The man who I consider to be the greatest engineer & one of the most celebrated artists is Brian Eno. All the music theory in the world wouldn’t put me at his level of talent. He’s responsible for some of the best works of David Bowie, U2, David Bryne, Coldplay (I know, I know), James & even Devo, not to mention his incredible work with Roxy music.

For all of the incredible music he is responsible for, he still considers himself a crap musician. If you have a music background, wonderful, use it. If you don’t, also wonderful, create from a different angle. You will never know your capabilities until you embrace them.

9. Time is the only difference from you & those who are now successful

Your musical heroes are not really heroes, they are arrows pointing in the direction of your own potential1. Do not allow the thought that “some have it and some don’t”, it’s simply not true. The truth is that some people work for it(unfortunately very few) tirelessly & consistently until they get it. Some of the best artists actually took longer to get there than you would expect.

10. Everybody steals

So many people are so fucking paranoid that they just sit there staring at their computer screen like me wandering aimlessly in a supermarket trying to put a meal together. My god, if I couldn’t steal recipes from people much more gifted in cooking than me, I’d be in even more trouble.

The truth is, that all of the music you hear is inspired by another musician, artist, poet or some abstract thing someone recognized as having a beauty that others might not have seen from that perspective.
That idea you are afraid to borrow was almost certainly inspired by someone else, if not completely stolen. Picasso, John Lennon & Steve Jobs, all considered to be creative innovators all are famously quoted for nicking ideas pretty blatantly. You think Led Zeppelin were innovators? I did too & I still love them, but if you do some research, I’m sure you’ll be shocked.

Stealing ideas is how artists constantly fuel their own creativity. Letting go of the fear of being completely original will actually set you free & make you more creative, not less. Use samples, presets, loops, quotes, or even steal from your own past ideas. Nothing you can steal will be put back together quite like the source you got it from.

We are all human filters.

This means that no matter what we borrow or steal, it still has to run through our unique set of parameters before it gets spit back out as our own art. Drop the fear & use everything around you when you create. It’s liberating.

Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.

Henry Ford
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We believe in you, one day you will be great

Estes São Os 20 Melhores Vinis Vendidos Em 2016 Até Agora

These are the 20 best-selling vinyl records of 2016 so far

First of all thanks to Tyler Lauletta, Insider Pick for this article.

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The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we may get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

When meeting a new person, one of the most common questions asked to get a conversation going is "What music do you listen to?"

This is a reliable way to start a dialogue between two strangers for many reasons: it’s easy, everyone listens to music, and because music is subjective any disagreements can be chalked up to a difference in opinion that (hopefully) stays friendly.

We tend to think that you can learn a good amount about a person from the music they listen to. What influenced them growing up? Is their general outlook on reality one of love and sunshine and The Beach Boys? Or one of raging against the machine with Rage Against the Machine? Or perhaps a continuous R&B dance party driven by artists ranging from Marvin Gaye to Kendrick Lamar and everyone in between.

Obviously we can’t learn everything about a person from the music they listen to, but it’s as good a place to start as any. Similarly, we can’t learn everything about the collective consciousness based on what records people are buying, but it is an interesting look into the current psyche of audiophiles.

Below we've collected the top 20 vinyl records being sold on Amazon right now.

As you scroll through, you’ll see a lot of records that I think reflect the consciousness of the moment well: getting into the holiday spirit, mourning the loss of some musical heroes, celebrating the return of some others, and crying to Adele.

Take a look and see if you need to make any quick additions to your record collection.

1. “Back to Black” by Amy Winehouse

Amazon

Despite her tragic, too-soon death, Amy Winehouse has had a lasting impact on the music of our time. In addition to this record, the documentary "Amy" is well worth your time.

Buy it: $12.88

2. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” by Vince Guaraldi Trio

Amazon

The soundtrack to the television special you know and love. This record marks the first time Guaraldi scored a Peanuts feature, the role that would define his career. While this album doesn’t have all of the classic carols for you to sing along to in the car, the songs are all warmly familiar and some of the easiest listening you’ll ever find. You’d be hard pressed to find a better record to spin during your Christmas party.

Buy it: $18.35

3. “The Dark Side of the Moon” by Pink Floyd

Amazon

The source of the most ubiquitous album cover art of all time. It’s a great buy so you’re ready for the moment your son discovers Pink Floyd is the greatest band of all time.

Buy it: $27.99

4. “Merry Christmas” by Bing Crosby

Amazon

Bing Crosby’s Christmas album contains "White Christmas," which is the greatest-selling single of all time with over 50 million copies sold. It’s next closest competitor is 17 million behind, so I think Bing has a pretty safe lead. If you’re into Christmas classics, this is an album that belongs in your collection.

Buy it: $16.99

5. “Abbey Road” by The Beatles

Amazon

A strong contender for the title of "Greatest Album of All Time," your collection is incomplete without it. Side two is arguably the greatest 22 minutes of music ever recorded, though I’ll acknowledge that claim comes with a healthy dose of personal bias. But regardless of my taste, you should own it to serve as a reminder of what an amazing band The Beatles were, and so one day your kid can listen to it on vinyl.

Buy it: $19.88

6. “Ultimate Sinatra” by Frank Sinatra

Amazon

Frank Sinatra was one of the most popular artists of the 20th century, having sold 150 million records worldwide. This collection of his greatest hits is an easy introduction to his catalog for anyone new to the crooner, and a fantastic bit of nostalgia for longtime fans.

Buy it: $28.99

7. “Legend” by Bob Marley and the Wailers

Amazon

As long there are kids in their freshman year of college sitting in a dorm room after experimenting with some extracurricular activities for the first time, this record will be a best seller.

Buy it: $19.69

8. “Blurryface” by Twenty One Pilots

Amazon

Twenty One Pilots has accomplished a rare feat in 2016, finding themselves getting played on Top 40 radio stations with regularity, while also popping up on indie and college radio stations. Back home, they are the only band since Bruno Mars and "Uptown Funk" that I have heard played on five of the six stations preset into my car radio.

Buy it: $24.01

9. “Traveller” by Chris Stapleton

Amazon

I don’t know much about Chris Stapleton, but judging by his album cover and the fact that two of the first five tracks on his record contain the word "whiskey," I’m assuming he’s the next big thing in country.

Buy it: $16.99

10. “Hardwired to Self-Destruct” by Metallica

Amazon

The upcoming double album from Metallica. While it doesn’t get an official release until next week, pre-orders have already been going crazy enough for it to get a spot on this list. It’s the band’s first record since "Death Magnetic" in 2008.

Buy it: $22.55

11. “Kind of Blue” by Miles Davis

Amazon

Miles Davis is a genre-defining performer. If you're only going to own one jazz record in your collection, this should be it. If you already have a few jazz records in your collection and this one is absent, you should fix that immediately. 

Buy it: $20.69

12. “25” by Adele

Amazon

In Adele’s follow up to her breakout success in "21," she continued to channel pure emotion through sublime vocals and showed that she’s the rare type of musician that can sell out Madison Square Garden six nights in a row.

Buy it: $22.98

13. “Vessel” by Twenty One Pilots

Amazon

As mentioned above, people love Twenty One Pilots. I try to get it, and I come close to getting it. At their best, they make some of the catchiest pop songs I’ve heard in a while, and their stage performance is one to see without a doubt. Personally, I can’t get into the rap-singing thing they insist on doing almost every track, but I dig this record a fair amount.

Buy it: $17.99

14. “Christmas” by Michael Buble

Amazon

Michael Buble reminds us that while he is not a classic crooner the likes of Frank Sinatra, he might be as close as we get to that aesthetic in our lifetime. He is a gift to all who want to keep hearing standards done to their fullest, classiest, swingingest potential.

Buy it: $23.74

15. “22, A Million” by Bon Iver

Amazon

Bon Iver’s latest release "22, A Million" was expected to be an odd departure from his known sound ever since the cover art was put out online and confusing music blogs all over. The album did not disappoint in this promise.

Buy it: $23.69

16. “Journey’s Greatest Hits” by Journey

Amazon

As anyone who memorized all the words to "Don’t Stop Believing" in middle school is already well aware Journey is one of the ultimate nostalgia bands of all time. Why get a specific record when you can just enjoy the greatest hits?

Buy it: $17.88

17. “The Lumineers” by The Lumineers

Amazon

In their self-titled debut from 2012, The Lumineers quickly became one of those bands you could not escape, with "Ho Hey" getting picked up by seemingly every radio station in the country, and getting featured in movies and television shows looking for an emotional shortcut during romantic montages. All that said, these songs are pretty great, and I unashamedly sing along in my car.

Buy it: $16.39

18. “Rumours” by Fleetwood Mac

Amazon

"Rumours" features some of the best vocal harmonies ever recorded. I’ve long argued that this record should continue to win Album of the Year every year until something takes its spot. By my count, it’s still undefeated.

Buy it: $19.62

19. “21” by Adele

Amazon

Adele’s second release and the record that brought her worldwide fame, this album features hits including "Rolling in the Deep," "Rumor Has It" and "Someone Like You."

Buy it: $16.92

20. “Animals” by Pink Floyd

Amazon

Some of my favorite guitar riffs in history are contained on this record.

Buy it: $23.99