Apple Music’s 100 Best Albums list culminates today with the much-anticipated reveal of the top 10 albums of all time and The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill crowned No. 1 22 May 2024
Nile Rodgers: "There’s something about the Beatles that’s always really magical to me. Believe it or not, the first song I ever actually learned to play on guitar was a Beatles song. I knew at that moment that I was going to be a guitar player. Prior to that, I played the clarinet."
Zane Lowe: "The amount of songs that have stayed with people as they’ve lived their lives to a point… played at anniversaries, weddings, funerals, fall in love to, broken up to. There are lots of songbooks that speak to many times in life. I think The Beatles have the songbook of life."
- 100: Body Talk - Robyn
- 99: Hotel California - The Eagles
- 98: ASTROWORLD - Travis Scott
- 97: Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine
- 96: Pure Heroine - Lorde
- 95: Confessions - USHER
- 94: Untrue - Burial
- 93: A Seat at the Table - Solange
- 92: Flower Boy - Tyler, The Creator
- 91: Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 - George Michael
- 90: Back in Black - AC/DC
- 89: The Fame Monster (Deluxe Edition) - Lady Gaga
- 88: I Put a Spell on You - Nina Simone
- 87: Blue Lines - Massive Attack
- 86: My Life - Mary J Blige
- 85: Golden Hour - Kacey Musgraves
- 84: Doggystyle - Snoop Dogg
- 83: Horses - Patti Smith
- 82: Get Rich or Die Tryin’ - 50 Cent
- 81: After the Gold Rush - Neil Young
- 80: The Marshall Mathers LP - Eminem
- 79: Norman F****** Rockwell! - Lana Del Rey
- 78: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John
- 77: Like A Prayer - Madonna
- 76: Un Verano Sin Ti - Bad Bunny
- 75: Supa Dupa Fly - Missy Eliott
- 74: Downward Spiral - Nine Inch Nails
- 73: Aja - Steely Dan
- 72: SOS - SZA
- 71: Trans-Europe Express - Kraftwerk
- 70: Straight Outta Compton - N.W.A
- 69: Master of Puppets (Remastered) - Metallica
- 68: Is this It - The Strokes
- 67: Dummy - Portishead
- 66: The Queen Is Dead - The Smiths
- 65: 3 Feet High and Rising - De La Soul
- 64: Baduizm - Erykah Badu
- 63: Are You Experienced? - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
- 62: All Eyez on Me - 2Pac
- 61: Love Deluxe - Sade
- 60: The Velvet Underground and Nico (45th Anniversary Edition) - Velvet Underground & Nico
- 59: AM - Arctic Monkeys
- 58: (What's The Story) Morning Glory - Oasis
- 57: Voodoo - D’Angelo
- 56: Disintegration (Remastered) - The Cure
- 55: ANTI - Rihanna
- 54: A Love Supreme - John Coltrane
- 53: Exile on Main Street (2010 Remaster) - Rolling Stones
- 52: Appetite for Destruction - Guns 'N Roses
- 51: Sign O’The Times - Prince
- 50. Hounds of Love (2018 Remaster) - Kate Bush
- 49. The Joshua Tree - U2
- 48. Paul’s Boutique - Beastie Boys
- 47. Take Care (Deluxe Version) - Drake
- 46. Exodus ((2013 Remaster) - Bob Marley & The Wailers
- 45. Homogenic - Björk
- 44. Innervisions - Stevie Wonder
- 43. Remain in Light - Talking Heads
- 42. Control - Janet Jackson
- 41. Aquemini - Outkast
- 40. I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You - Aretha Franklin
- 39. Illmatic - Nas
- 38. Tapestry - Carole King
- 37. Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) [Expanded Edition] - Wu-Tang Clan
- 36. BEYONCÉ - Beyoncé
- 35. London Calling - The Clash
- 34. It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back - Public Enemy
- 33. Kid A - Radiohead
- 32. Ready to Die (The Remaster) - Notorious B.I.G.
- 31. Jagged Little Pill (Remastered) - Alanis Morisette
- 30. WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? - Billie Eilish
- 29. The Low End Theory - A Tribe Called Quest
- 28. The Dark Side of the Moon - Pink Floyd
- 27. Led Zeppelin II - Led Zeppelin
- 26. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Kanye West
- 25. Kind of Blue - Miles Davis
- 24. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars (2012 Remaster) - David Bowie
- 23. Discovery - Daft Punk
- 22. Born to Run - Bruce Springsteen
- 21. Revolver - The Beatles
- 20: Pet Sounds - The Beach Boys
- 19: The Chronic - Dr. Dre
- 18: 1989 (Taylor's Version) - Taylor Swift
- 17: What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
- 16: Blue - Joni Mitchell
- 15: 21 - Adele
- 14: Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan
- 13: The Blueprint - JAY-Z
- 12: OK Computer - Radiohead
- 11: Rumours - Fleetwood Mac
- 10. Lemonade - Beyoncé
- 9. Nevermind - Nirvana
- 8. Back to Black, Amy Winehouse
- 7. good kid, m.A.A.d city, Kendrick Lamar
- 6. Songs in the Key of Life, Stevie Wonder
- 5. Blonde, Frank Ocean
- 4. Purple Rain, Prince & The Revolution
- 3. Abbey Road , The Beatles
- 2. Thriller, Michael Jackson
- 1. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lauryn Hill
NEWS & PRESS
BBC Introducing launches in America
BBC Introducing in America will launch in Tennessee on Friday 5 December with a new show airing on the first Friday of every month. The new programme will see BBC Introducing join forces with college radio shows, piloting in Tennessee, to...more
Reservoir announces publishing deal with female-led disco-soul band Say She She
Reservoir Media, Inc. (NASDAQ: RSVR), an award-winning independent music company, today announced a global publishing deal with Nya Gazelle Brown, Sabrina Cunningham, and Piya Malik, who together comprise Brooklyn-based band Say She She. The deal includes each member of the band’s...more
Distiller Music Publishing and Alternative Songs announce joint venture co-signing of Poppy Baskcomb to worldwide publishing deal
Distiller Music Publishing and Alternative Songs today announce a joint venture co-signing of acclaimed songwriter and artist Poppy Baskcomb to a worldwide publishing agreement. The news arrives as singer-songwriter Poppy Baskcomb celebrates her debut UK Top 40 singles chart hit...more
Sony Music Publishing Signs Global Deal with Rising Star Sienna Spiro
Sony Music Publishing today announced the signing of breakthrough singer-songwriter Sienna Spiro to a global publishing agreement. With a timeless sound, captivating vocals and a gift for cinematic storytelling, Sienna has already made a remarkable impact across the music scene. At...more
Brogeal & Eve Goodman revealed as Scottish & Welsh Ambassadors for the 2026 edition of Independent Venue Week
Falkirk five-piece Brògeal and rising folk singer Eve Goodman will join Nova Twins as artist ambassadors for the 2026 edition of Independent Venue Week. The much-loved nationwide event returns on Monday 26th January, with hundreds of authentic, independently-owned venues around the...more
From Tickets to Takeoff: Gig-Tripping Made Seamless with viagogo and Booking.com
viagogo, the leading global secondary ticketing marketplace, today announced a new partnership with Booking.com, one of the world’s largest travel platforms, to make event-going even more seamless. Through the industry-first partnership, fans purchasing tickets on viagogo can now easily add...more
The Great Escape conference announces collaborators and themes for 20th anniversary edition in 2026
The Great Escape's UK-leading conference is pleased to announce its brand new line-up of industry collaborators and the themes they will delve into at its 20th anniversary edition - from the live industry to artist careers and the next generation...more
Nominees revealed for 2026 BRITs Critics' Choice
SUPPORTED BY BBC RADIO 1 JACOB ALONROSE GRAYSIENNA SPIRO SHORTLIST CONTINUES TO ACT AS A BAROMETER FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF BRITISH TALENTWINNER ANNOUNCED IN JANUARY THE BRIT AWARDS 2026 WITH MASTERCARDSATURDAY 28TH FEBRUARY 2026 AT CO-OP LIVE, MANCHESTER ON ITV The BRIT Awards 2026...more
Scheme supporting BRIT and Mercury Prize-winning artists begins new funding round
£1.6 million Music Export Growth Scheme to support UK artists to go global opens up to applications Funding criteria strengthened and due diligence process beefed up to build on scheme's massive success Scheme has led to an estimated £73.5 million return to...more
Ivors Week returns for 2026 as The Ivors opens for entries and the Academy launches its second Summit
The sixth annual Ivors Week returns to celebrate and empower songwriters with industry events led by The Ivors Academy. The Ivors Academy Summit confirmed for 19 May at BFI IMAX, with exclusive early tickets now on sale. The Ivors with Amazon Music,...more
whynow Music Unveils Exclusive Mick Jagger & Kinks Christmas Merchandise Campaigns
Mick Jagger photographed by Denis O’Regan at Slane Castle, Ireland, just before going on stage – one of the limited-edition fine art Giclée prints available in this newly announced collection whynow Music has announced the launch of an exclusive range of...more
Last Night A DJ Saved My Life unveils 'A Sonic Adventure in Nepal 2026'
Following Sold-Out London Premiere of 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough', a documentary of a previous Kilimanjaro expedition, led by electronic artist Nightmares On Wax Sign-up:https://www.thetribeexperience.world/nepal-2026 Dates: 16th - 29th November A global wave of female DJ submissions continues to surge as the charity...more
Twist Digital Entertainment Services Teams Up with Tuned Global to Supercharge Twist Music in MENA
Partnership to support Twist’s expansion into the UAE and Saudi Arabia Twist, a fast-growing digital entertainment platform in MENA, has renewed its partnership with Tuned Global, the leading B2B music technology platform, for another three years. This collaboration powers the next...more
Merlin and Singa Ink Partnership to Bring Thousands of Original Recordings to Karaoke
Merlin, the digital music licensing partner for the world’s leading independent labels and distributors, has partnered with Singa, the leading karaoke technology company, to make thousands of original master recordings available on the platform. This historic deal marks a major leap...more
The club is alive, as JLS joins The O2’s coveted 21 Club
The O2, the world’s most popular live entertainment arena, came alive with the sound of music over the weekend, as JLS returned to the venue for two incredible headline shows as part of their ‘The Club Is Alive: 2025 Hits...more
ESNS festival line-up complete for 40th Edition
ESNS (Eurosonic Noorderslag) announces the final 41 artists from all over Europe that will be playing at Eurosonic and Noorderslag. The music showcase festival celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2026, taking place from January 14 to 17 in Groningen. The...more
Stars join forces with creative and cultural organisations from across UK and Europe to remove barriers to touring and drive growth
Stars have joined forces with creative and cultural organisations from across the UK and Europe to remove barriers to touring, support cultural exchange and drive growth. They unveiled a major new alliance today called the Cultural Exchange Coalition (CEC). Its members...more
Wise Music Group strikes deal with GoGo Penguin
The Manchester-based trio GoGo Penguin have signed an exclusive publishing deal with Campbell Connelly & Co, part of Wise Music Group. Their music blends breakbeats, minimalist piano, strong basslines, electronica-inspired drums, and anthemic riffs, with influences from trip-hop, jazz, rock,...more
Songtools announces strategic partnership and platform integration with ONErpm’s OFFstep
SongTools, the fast-growing platform empowering music creators with one-click marketing and ad tech solutions, is proud to announce a strategic partnership and full platform integration with OFFstep, ONErpm’s proprietary artist and label platform. Through this partnership, the SongTools integration has been...more
YouTube wraps its 20th anniversary year with a new feature announcement & 2025 trends
YouTube to Unveil Annual Trending Lists & Launch New Personalised 'YouTube Recap' Feature YouTube is announcing two major end-of-year moments to close out its 20th anniversary year. YouTube Recap is the first-ever personalised feature, which launches on Wednesday 3rd December alongside...more
Apple Music Replay ‘25: A More Personal Look at Your Year in Music
Apple Music and Shazam Also Reveal Their Year-End Charts Apple Music today released the highly anticipated Replay '25 experience, bringing listeners an even more personalised and insightful journey through their year in music. With new and deeper discovery insights, Replay '25...more
IFPI convenes cross industry panel at UN Copyright Agency to examine the future of music licensing with AI
With AI licensing agreements accelerating and reshaping the music industry's relationship with generative AI, IFPI is bringing experts spanning music, AI and economics together to discuss AI training and music rights: with a focus on the report on copyright and...more
Independent music labels return a third of revenue to artists, reveals new report from ORCA
Global think tank and advocacy group, the Organization for Recorded Culture and Arts (ORCA), has released a first-of-its-kind report analysing the economic investments and social impact of nine leading independent record labels. Analysis shows these labels invested $134 million in artists...more
Industry survey reveals 97% of music professionals demand AI transparency, while half refuse AI-generated music entirely
Survey of 144 music supervisors, filmmakers, and advertisers by leading music companies found: 97% want to know if music is AI-generated, 49% will only work with human-made tracks, and cultural authenticity becomes a critical selection factor. Download the full report: https://cyanite.ai/cyanite-marmoset-mediatracks-survey/ As...more
CISAC launches new ISWC IPI Context Search to help music publishers solve metadata challenges
The International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) has launched ISWC IPI Context Search, a new API service designed to help music publishers quickly and accurately identify creator Interested Party Information (IPI) numbers, a crucial step in ensuring correct work...more
Your 2025 Delivered on Amazon Music is here: See top streaming insights from this year
See your year in music, podcasts, and audiobooks come alive in a festival-themed recap with personalized virtual festival poster. Key takeaways 2025 Delivered transforms your streaming history on Amazon Music into personalized insights. The feature also creates a virtual music festival poster with...more
Key Production Group, Europe's leading physical music and packaging agency, reveals its predictions for vinyl and physical music releases in 2026
Over recent years, there has been a clear resurgence in the joy of owning physical music. Fans continue to buy vinyl and CDs, so they can take them home, listen to them and take pleasure in owning them. This flourishing...more
Pubs, Clubs and Venues in UK Cities Slammed by Hidden Business Rates Bombshell Says NTIA
Night-time economy businesses across the UK are facing a devastating financial blow from April 2026, as government business rates reforms quietly abolish the 40% Hospitality, Leisure and Night-Time Relief (RHL) and replace it with a system that will force many...more
Inaugural Folk Album Of The Year Award Shortlist Revealed
146 album submissions received Nine albums selected by jury of performers, music and media professionals Winner revealed and nominees to perform at live finale hosted in Rochdale, Greater Manchester on 17 March 2026 The Folk Album of the Year Award has revealed its...more
International music conference FFWD (FastForward) returns to London in February 2026 for FFWD>>LDN 26
International music conference FFWD (FastForward) returns to London in February 2026 for FFWD>>LDN 26 - celebrating its community in a special 10th anniversary edition, at a brand new location. Taking over Hackney Church for the first time on Tuesday 10 February...more
THE HEADLINES
IMPF says members should reject AI deals that do not value songs properly (see News)
Which songs do we replay the most? (see Analysis)
Spotify Wrapped 2025 goes live (see Digital)
Daddy Yankee files lawsuit against former manager and third parties for alleged royalty scheme (see News)
EU touring: Impact of Brexit worsening, says UK Music report (see Reports)
ORCA released a report analysing the economic investments and social impact of nine leading independent record labels (see Reports)
Jorja Smith’s label requests share of royalties from ‘AI-cloned’ song (see News)
A creative nation is a thriving nation (see Opinion)
Australian report also highlights how other non-US English-speaking countries are hit by algorithms (see Reports)
AI slop: Spotify, Tunecore, and credibility (see Comment)
Warner Music signs deal with Suno, settles lawsuit (see News)
EC sends UMG its statement of objections to Downtown acquisition (see News)
20 years of Spotify — who’s winning, losing and making money? (see Features)