Spin It! The Record Ranking Podcast

No alarms and No Surprises! This week we're revisiting Radiohead for the Year Of Redemption! Connor tore into the experimental nature of Kid A on Episode 53, so we're turning back the clock to another definitive, revolutionary Radiohead record: OK Computer. We'll learn the story behind this iconic album (from transportation anxiety to haunted mansions), which features some of their greatest hits like Paranoid Android and Let Down! ...

Get ready to Rocket on a satellite of love with Def Leppard's 1987 hit record Hysteria! James & Connor discuss the band's challenges to grow an international fanbase through their first three albums of "lust, blood, and rock" music with a sleek, polished glam metal edge. We'll talk about the car accident that changed Thunder God Rick Allen's life and transformed Hysteria into a legendary album. With major staples like Animal, P...

How do you cage an elephant? One bar at a time! There Ain't No Rest For The Wicked this week as we take on the self-titled debut from Cage The Elephant! This unpolished garage rock band from Bowling Green, Kentucky experiments with loud guitars, louder drums, and mile-a-minute soapbox lyrics that offer a candid look at life in 2009. We'll talk about their Foo Friends, stolen pockets, and more as James takes on the Danny DeVito-size...

We were drowning and now we're Swimming in the depths of Mac Miller's introspective 2018 record, the final album he'd release in his lifetime. We'll talk about the Pittsburgh native's EZ Mac days and his evolution from frat lyrics to his now-signature deeply personal jazz rap. Swimming features hits like What's The Use and Self Care that see Mac navigate addiction, complicated relationships, and the road to healing. The Mixtaper wi...

Wop-Bop-A-Loo-Wop-A-Wop-Bam-Boom! This week we're Slippin' And Slidin' into the world of Little Richard Penniman! Raised on Gospel music in his dad's church, the War Hawk soon took to the stage to play "the Devil's music," complete with rollicking piano, screaming vocals, and boundless energy. His 1957 debut Here's Little Richard exploded onto the scene with hits like Tutti Frutti and Long Tall Sally that defined early rock 'n' rol...

We Got Her Back! The Year Of Redemption continues with Olivia Rodrigo's sophomore album GUTS. After our Year Two episode about Sour (Episode 54) James & Connor discovered they weren't in her primary audience demographic... but her maturing perspective and a new, punkier voice might elevate our opinions! Can the Ballads Of A Homeschooled Girl win us over? Hits like Vampire, Lacy, and Bad Idea Right took over the pop music conver...

Doechii the Don, Doechii the Dean, Doechii Supreme has us caught in a Death Roll this week with her Grammy-winning mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal! TikTok turned Jaylah Hickmon from an aspiring choral singer into an overnight rap sensation. On her sophomore record the Swamp Princess blends styles and genres into a biting, analog hip-hop sound that tackles everything from mental health to relationships. The Mixtaper has a slew of...

It's the last stop on our road to The Highwaymen with Waylon Jennings! He's an icon of Outlaw Country, and his 1973 record Honky Tonk Heroes combines his diverse musical influences and Billy Joe Shaver's modern cowboy songwriting into a consistent, ramblin' experience. From his humble DJ beginnings to his near brush with the Day The Music Died, we'll uncover how Waylon (not Wayland) became a staple of the Nashville country scene. W...

We're on the Edge Of Glory this week with pop superstar Lady Gaga! After her glam burlesque beginnings and earth-shaking debut, Gaga released her so-called "freedom album" Born This Way. She refines the pillars of her signature sound while seamlessly blending influences across a surprising range of genres. From the religious undertones (and overtones) of Judas to the social commentary in Government Hooker and Americano to empowerme...

Quiet On Set.. we're going Guerilla this week with Juno, the debut LP by Remi Wolf! James' birthday pick comes with a unique tale of discovery and a lot more chaos than he's used to. Find out why this album had him hooked instantly! Can Connor keep up? We'll talk about Remi's Olympic career, American Idol run, and her dog-centric style. The Mixtaper teaches us about improv and questionable Monster Mac, and the lyrics on this record...

Ol' Blue Eyes is crooning his way onto the podcast this week! We're reclining by the fireside, tie loose, scotch in hand, and listening as Frank Sinatra sings for Only The Lonely. It's Connor's first crack at the Year Of Redemption; James scored Sinatra's Watertown years ago (and he was pretty harsh). Will this ballad-laden, melancholy album raise the stakes and earn the Chairman Of The Board a better score? We'll talk about his ri...

Welcome to the Year Of Redemption! Throughout the year we'll revisit artists we've covered in the past who have received lower scores than we expected and see how their other work compares. Up first is The Beach Boys! After Pet Sounds (Episode 29) failed to meet Connor's expectations, James decided to step a little farther back in time with The Beach Boys Today! It was a pivotal moment of growth for the band and for Brian Wilson as...

The Year Of Discovery comes to a close this week! We're exploring Discovery, the sophomore album from Daft Punk, the iconic robotic French duo that changed the trajectory of electronica as we know it. Their sample-heavy style breathed new life into funk and disco, and hits like Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger and One More Time took the world by storm. From their explosive origins to the record's companion anime Interstella 5555, J...

Today we'll answer the age-old question.. WHO IS MEAT LOAF?! From the moment he was born, Marvin Aday lived an unbelievable life. We dive into the lore that led to the ninth-bestselling album in the world, Bat Out Of Hell! Inspired by Jim Steinman's Peter Pan metal musical, this theatrical metal record features major and inexplicable hits like Paradise By The Dashboard Light and Heaven Can Wait. The Mixtaper is teaching us about hi...

Bunny Is A Rider, and she probably listens to Desire, I Want To Turn Into You by Caroline Polachek! This atmospheric, artsy pop record showcases her voice and musicality as she uses familiar instruments and sounds in new ways. James discovered her on tour with the Queen Dua Lipa but Connor is just hearing of her now. We'll explore her past ventures in haunted house music, draw targets around our arrows, and subjectively compare dra...

We've got an Uncontrollable Urge to de-evolve this week with DEVO, the satirical concept band from Akron, Ohio! Their 1978 debut Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are DEVO! is full of social commentary, wacky lyrics, and disorienting music inspired by classic films, anti-evolution propaganda, and even NORAD. We'll talk about the tragedy that inspired the band, the origin of Booji Boy, and the shocking success of Whip It! The Mixtaper is put...

Do you Believe in life after love? We do! And so does Cher, one of pop music's legends. We'll trace her path to superstardom through every Ch-era. We'll talk about her time with Sonny, a handful of TV shows, her endless comebacks, and her eruption into the world of dance pop with her 22nd studio album Believe! It features hits like the title track, Strong Enough, and Love Is The Groove (same songs, different fonts). It's an album t...

This week we're lost in love and Washed Up Together with Knox Hamilton's debut record The Heights! This Little Rock-based alt pop band picked up thrift store instruments, named themselves after a rockin' yearbook photo, and took the radio by storm with their hit Work It Out! And Rightfully So... we'll talk about the band's mission to keep the good vibes flowing with every track on this two-in-one album. The Mixtaper is taking us on...

It's a marvelous night for a podcast, and this week we're heading Into The Mystic with Van Morrison's 1970 record Moondance! After an accidental first record, a hit single in Brown Eyed Girl, and a commercial flop in Astral Weeks, Moondance was Morrison's last-ditch comeback effort to avoid starvation. It ended up becoming a classic soft rock album and a hit with hippies, featuring classic-caliber songs like Crazy Love and a full h...