The Definitives: Recent Episodes

Blake Peterson

The Definitives is a limited-time music podcast detailing the makings and legacies of some of the greatest rock albums ever made.

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Wilco’s most iconic album was an artistic breakthrough. But line-up shifts and a record-label dispute made the process of making it almost as famous as the LP itself.

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PJ Harvey’s most commercially successful album, “To Bring You My Love,” marked her first and arguably most drastic reinvention. In this episode of “The Definitives,” we take a look back on what inspired the unpredictable changes in her presentational and sonic directions, and why the shift remains among the most compelling moments in her prolific […]

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Now considered one of the masterpieces of thrash metal, “Master of Puppets” was borne at the acme of Metallica’s artistic prowess. But its breakthroughs were bookended by a tragedy that would change the group’s dynamic permanently.

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Serge Gainsbourg’s ambitious concept album is among the most influential records of the 1970s. But despite the timelessness of its innovative compositions, its controversial central “concept” has aged poorly.

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Creedence Clearwater Revival’s third — and best — album of 1969 both captured the disaffection of war-era America and the band’s iconic, blues-inspired sound at its peak.

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On this episode of The Definitives, we’ll be talking about the White Stripes’ breakthrough album, “White Blood Cells,” which was made in an unthinkably short amount of time in early 2001.

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Hole’s sophomore effort, 1994’s “Live Through This,” is among the grunge era’s most essential — and misunderstood — works. In the fourth episode of The Definitives, we’ll talk about how the LP came to fruition, why it remains a striking testament of survival, and what makes Courtney Love one of rock’s great frontwomen. Songs from […]

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In the third episode of “The Definitives,” we explore the artistic innovation and interpersonal clamor surrounding the making of “Remain in Light,” Talking Heads’ innovative magnum opus from 1980.

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Though this double album is considered a touchstone for both The Rolling Stones and rock in general, its production was rife with behind-the-scenes disarray, drug use, and disillusionment.

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In the first episode of “The Definitives,” we dive into Dusty Springfield’s rock-soul masterpiece “Dusty in Memphis,” an influential album that famously flopped when it was initially released in 1969. Check out the songs discussed in the episode below: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3e1NBw9GTqdp4oN3GsDdSI