Top Songs
Pantera’s 10 Best Songs
The story of Pantera is bound to the modernization of heavy metal in the 1990s, but the band’s origins began long before that. Formed by guitar virtuoso “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott and his brother, drummer Vinnie Paul, Pantera began as a rather rudimentary ’80s metal band: big hair, glam riffs, and unfortunate album titles such as Metal Magic and Projects in the Jungle. Bassist Rex Brown was along for the ride from nearly the beginning, but things shifted when vocalist Phillip H. Anselmo joined the band after they had already released three under-the-radar albums. While Anselmo was on board for 1988’s Power Metal, It would be the seminal 1990 album Cowboys from Hell that truly marked the arrival of the Pantera that is now recognized as one of the best heavy metal bands of all time. Perhaps th...
Rap Song of the Week: Remy Ma and Rapsody Assert Dominance on DJ Premier’s “Remy Rap”
Rap Song of the Week is a Friday roundup of the hip-hop tracks you need to hear. Check out the full playlist here. Today, Remy Ma and Rapsody team up on DJ Premier’s “Remy Rap.” For DJ Premier’s new EP celebrating the upcoming 50th anniversary of hip-hop, the pioneering producer handpicked a lineup of rappers known for their lyricism including Nas, Lil Wayne, and Run the Jewels. Preemo also paired up seasoned MCs Remy Ma and Rapsody on the track “Remy Rap,” which finds both women letting out frustration about being underestimated in a male-dominated industry. Remy in particular spits with a fire in her belly, calling on female rappers to level up and expressing resentment for her pen game being questioned. After coming up as part of Big Pun and Fat Joe’s Terror Squad and later marryin...
Rap Song of the Week: Dot da Genius Recruits Kid Cudi, Denzel Curry, & J.I.D on “Talk About Me”
Rap Song of the Week breaks down the hip-hop tracks you need to hear every Friday. Check out the full playlist here. Today, Dot da Genius previews his upcoming album with “Talk About Me,” an all-star collaboration with Kid Cudi, Denzel Curry, and J.I.D. After more than 15 years of being Kid Cudi’s most trusted collaborator, producer Dot da Genius is stepping out with a debut album. If “Talk About Me” is any indication, he’s preparing a red carpet rollout. Touting features from Denzel Curry, J.I.D, and Kid Cudi (of course), he dropped the all-star collab along with a video from Lyrical Lemonade director Cole Bennett. “It feels good to finally make the decisions, decide what looks good, and just get my vision out to the people that supported me all this time,” Dot da Genius said in a st...
Nine Inch Nails’ 10 Best Songs
Led by mastermind Trent Reznor, Nine Inch Nails took an underground genre known as industrial music and brought it to the mainstream by merging aggressive electronic-infused instrumentals with infectious rock hooks. As one of the most innovative bands of the past 30-plus years, NIN have released a myriad of classic songs. Influenced by a wide range of artists that include David Bowie, Gary Numan, Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode, and Ministry, among others, Reznor crafted a magnificent debut with Nine Inch Nails’ 1989 album Pretty Hate Machine. Songs like “Head Like a Hole” and “Terrible Lie” quickly became industrial anthems. Then came one of the greatest EPs ever released, 1992’s Broken, an all-killer set that hinted at the direction Nine Inch Nails were moving in with standout tracks like “Wish”...
Nine Inch Nails’ 10 Best Songs
Led by mastermind Trent Reznor, Nine Inch Nails took an underground genre known as industrial music and brought it to the mainstream by merging aggressive electronic-infused instrumentals with infectious rock hooks. As one of the most innovative bands of the past 30-plus years, NIN have released a myriad of classic songs. Influenced by a wide range of artists that include David Bowie, Gary Numan, Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode, and Ministry, among others, Reznor crafted a magnificent debut with Nine Inch Nails’ 1989 album Pretty Hate Machine. Songs like “Head Like a Hole” and “Terrible Lie” quickly became industrial anthems. Then came one of the greatest EPs ever released, 1992’s Broken, an all-killer set that hinted at the direction Nine Inch Nails were moving in with standout tracks like “Wish”...
Alice in Chains’ 10 Best Songs
As one of the “Big Four” bands of Seattle grunge, Alice in Chains’ distinctive specialties (such as sludgy instrumentation and vocal harmonies) set them apart. In fact, they created some of the most meaningful and enduring rock music of the last 30-plus years, so it’s no wonder why they remain so revered. Fascinatingly, the group formed after the disbandment of Alice N’ Chains, a glam metal band fronted by vocalist Layne Staley whose moniker was a mischievous mixture of Alice in Wonderland and female bondage. Luckily, Staley didn’t have to wait long before fate would put him, guitarist Jerry Cantrell, drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr together. Although they initially played around with other names (including Diamond Lie and F**k), they soon settled on the marginally altered “Ali...
Guns N’ Roses’ 10 Best Songs
Despite being overtly influenced — both musically and visually — by heavyweights like Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Hanoi Rocks, and Van Halen, Guns N’ Roses have always had a sound all their own. As with many seminal genre acts, the key to their success is the distinctive dynamic between their vocalist (Axl Rose) and guitarist (Slash); that said, many other members — namely, drummers Steven Adler and Matt Sorum; bassist Duff McKagan, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, and keyboardist Dizzy Reed — played important parts, too. Together, they became arguably the biggest hard rock band of their generation. Guns N’ Roses debut album, Appetite for Destruction, launched their career in a colossal way in 1987. Thirty-five years later, it remains one of the best-selling albums of all time. The band would foll...
Tool’s 10 Best Songs
No one crafts equally perverse and philosophical slices of prog metal quite like Tool. Indeed, the quartet (drummer Danny Carey, vocalist Maynard James Keenan, bassist Justin Chancellor, and guitarist Adam Jones) have spent the last 30-odd years fusing the industrial salaciousness of Nine Inch Nails with the mesmeric sophistication of Pink Floyd and King Crimson, yielding a beloved sound all their own. The acclaimed band, set to launch a 2022 US tour (get tickets via Ticketmaster), has evolved significantly without losing sight of its most vital trademarks, ensuring that all of its work feels at home within the same catalog. In a nutshell, 1993’s Undertow and 1995’s Ænima perpetuated rougher and more risqué syntheses of progressive and alternative metal. Then, 2001’s landmark Lateralus off...
System of a Down’s 10 Best Songs
System of a Down are one of the most eclectic metal bands to achieve massive success. From 1998 through 2005, the Armenian-American group out of California put out a series of acclaimed albums, but then went silent as a recording act for 15 years. Despite the lack of new music (save for a couple of surprise new songs in 2020), System of a Down’s discography rivals that of any heavy group of the past quarter century. Singer Serj Tankian’s unmistakeable voice ranges from frenetic to operatic, while guitarist-singer Daron Malakian’s riffs are catchy and chaotic at the same time. Meanwhile, the rhythm section of bassist Shavo Odadjian and drummer John Dolmayan is as mighty and technically skilled as just about any in heavy metal. Combine those musical sensibilities with lyrics that are both so...
20 Best Philly Sound Songs of All Time
50 years ago, the sound of Philly Soul was born out of the legendary Philadelphia International Records. With the talents of The O’Jays, Patti LaBelle, Teddy Pendergrass, The Three Degrees, McFadden & Whitehead, and others, the label rewrote the standards of soul music. To celebrate all P.I.R. contributed to the world of music, we’re publishing a number of soul features this month, and giving away The Story of Philadelphia International Records prize pack, which includes vinyl, a turntable, and speakers. How do you pick 20 songs that define an era — that represent a sound that means so much to so many people? It’s not easy, but the first thing that comes to mind is “emotion.” The Philadelphia Sound, made famous by Thom Bell, Kenny Gamble, and Leon Huff, endures decades after ...
Slayer’s 10 Best Songs
Few bands epitomize heavy metal better than Slayer. From their Satanic speed metal beginnings to the their legendary thrash masterpieces recorded with producer Rick Rubin, Slayer would come to define metal in iconography, aesthetics, and sound. For many, Slayer have proven to be a gateway band to extreme metal. More brutal, aggressive, and blasphemous than Metallica, Megadeth, or Anthrax, Slayer represent the left hand path. Adorning their albums with Satanic and darkly Biblical artwork by Larry W. Carroll, the band would influence the burgeoning black metal scene in the ’80s and ’90s, as well as achieving commercial success as part of the aforementioned Big Four of thrash metal. Slayer’s core lineup of guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, singer-bassist Tom Araya, and drummer Dave Lom...
Lana Del Rey’s 10 Best Songs
In 2011, Lizzie Grant introduced the world to Lana Del Rey with songs like “Video Games” and “Born to Die.” Her offerings somehow sounded both apocalyptic and romantic at the same time. Teens, particularly those of the We Heart It set, instantly ate it up. Since then, Del Rey has evolved past many a Tumblr GIF, cementing her place in the pop canon through carefully-crafted ballads and bangers alike. She’s undertaken purposeful collaborations with contemporary stars and the kids of folk icons. An undeniable aesthetic permeates it all, but beneath the schtick is a truly great songwriter. The industry has paid attention, too; Del Rey’s work has earned her six Grammy nominations. Meanwhile, when it comes to both her opinions and her music, LDR is fairly prolific (for better or for worse)....
