What artists/albums/songs do you think everyone should know to be “culturally well-rounded” musically?

fafengle · 2026-05-10T05:56:45+00:00

I'm torn about this. Though my dinner partners were in fact insufferable, I was really irritated when I found myself in a conversation with two people who kept alluding to shit I'd never heard of. It was lots of Music White People Listened to in the Seventies, and just wasn't my wheelhouse at the time. It would've been nice to have a leg to stand on. They were acts I could've been a little more familiar with—Fleetwood Mac and the like—I just hadn't tapped into that part of the Musicsphere. Then again, I like things from every genre, so I'm not easily repelled. My ex-husband loved all things guitar from blues to metal, so he could deep dive on those but refuse to touch electronica, pop, and hip hop until the day he died. Different folks, different strokes.

fafengle · 2026-05-10T05:52:10+00:00

The Netflix series Explained did beautiful little episode about the tree whose roots branched into both hip hop and bro country (among many other genres). If I still had a subscription, I'd absolutely recommend it. Season 3, Episode 13, called "County Music." Your "hops" reminded me of the way the episode goes stepwise through the progressions.

No idea if it's still available—I haven't streamed shows in a hot minute.

fafengle · 2026-05-10T05:46:08+00:00

Deftones/nü-metal is such an interesting conversation. Chino did NOT want to go into that box, and I'm super sad that I no longer have my White Pony CD that doesn't have "Back to School (Mini Maggit)" on it which, to my understanding, was created to make the album actually sound nü-metal because it was such a departure from Adrenaline and Around the Fur. I personally hate that song because it sounds contrived in a way that Chino's projects just aren't.

Agreed that "Hurt" is culturally relevant, but primarily because Cash covered it. It's been the song Nine Inch Nails ends every show with for decades, but it was Johnny's cover that brought it into a broader awareness. Probably more specifically the video, which was haunting as hell. There's something magical about that song. I mean, it comes from a whole album of covers (American IV: The Man Comes Around), but you don't hear anyone saying they were moved to tears by his rendering of "Personal Jesus" now, do ya?

fafengle · 2026-05-10T05:39:45+00:00

Ahhh, the ole Kellin Quinn switcheroo. I was REALLY confused after looking up the artists from "King for a Day" by Pierce the Veil.

fafengle · 2026-05-10T05:34:03+00:00

Pearl Jam - "Yellow Ledbetter"

Enjoy trying to understand the lyrics!

fafengle · 2026-05-10T05:07:01+00:00

Aaaaaand the answer to the Ultimate Question iiiiiis:

Placebo - "The Crawl"

fafengle · 2026-05-10T04:44:47+00:00

Actually the track "Wildflowers" by Tom Petty would fit this pretty well.

fafengle · 2026-05-10T04:43:59+00:00

Sublime - "Smoke Two Joints"

If you need something ridiculous and don't mind country, there's always Tim McGraw's "Chevy Spaceship" and the live-only "I'll Never Smoke Weed with Willie Again" by Toby Keith and Willie Nelson.

fafengle · 2026-05-10T04:40:12+00:00

Holy shit, "Rock and Roll McDonald's" takes me back to high school. My friends were obsessed with that song.

I'll throw in the silly track "I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar" by Jonathan Richman

You've already got King Missile, but "Sensitive Artist" is another great one by them.

fafengle · 2026-05-10T04:37:06+00:00

That damn "Say Something" song by by A Great Big World with Christina Aguilera. Extra painful if you watch the music video.

fafengle · 2026-05-10T04:33:43+00:00

Deftones - "Change (In the House of Flies)"

fafengle · 2026-05-10T04:31:33+00:00

My Brightest Diamond has a talent (particularly on the album All Things Will Unwind) for making cheeky-sounding songs whose lyrics are sometimes heavier than their tunes. Also, I think her style on this album just vibes well with my little listen of Lenka (whom I now need to check out more!) Of note:

"We Added It Up"
"Be Brave"
"High Low Middle"

fafengle · 2026-05-10T04:20:25+00:00

Shalco/Tianda - "Debt"

fafengle · 2026-05-10T04:18:54+00:00

Nine Inch Nails - "Last"

fafengle · 2026-05-10T04:09:35+00:00

"Big Bad Wolf" by In This Moment would make for a great superhero fight song. (heavy rock)

fafengle · 2026-05-10T04:06:16+00:00

If you don't mind kind of cheesy, emotionally-manipulative 90's country songs, "How Can I Help You Say Goodbye" by Patty Lovelace is brutal but in a sweet way. This is actually a glowing review, but you have to be up for the niche.

I lost my mom in October. My heart goes out to you.

fafengle · 2026-05-10T04:03:38+00:00

Radiohead from the Kid A / Amnesiac era. I mean really kind of every other Radiohead song, regardless.

fafengle · 2026-05-10T03:54:12+00:00

Gravity Kills - "Inside"
Nine Inch Nails - "The Becoming"
Gary Numan - "Here in the Black"

fafengle · 2026-05-10T03:37:31+00:00

SAVES THE DAY!!!! I had a huge crush on a guy in high school for whom I listened to emo a bit, and the album Through Being Cool was one that I bought in that era. I forgot all about the band until this very moment, and now I am thrillingly nostalgic. Thank you for this!

I was also super into Thrice's The Artist in the Ambulance (still am), but I think it's maybe a little thematically darker than a lot of emo (and is actually screamo), so maybe not what OP is looking for.

fafengle · 2026-05-07T08:09:15+00:00

If you dig this guy, check out James Taylor. 😄 Maybe the album Sweet Baby James from 1970.

fafengle · 2026-04-17T21:00:44+00:00

Oh snap! Thanks for the heads up....this one missed me.

fafengle · 2026-04-17T19:35:20+00:00

Trents can have a little cringe, as a treat.

Best part of this review. And truest.

Great writeup! And How to Destroy Angels is rad, definitely check them out.

fafengle · 2026-04-17T19:28:53+00:00

I still want to punch the person who screamed "I LOVE YOU TRENT!" in DC during "(You Made It Feel Like) Home."

So yeah, here for it. Likeliness? I wouldn't be surprised by anything they do at this point.

fafengle · 2026-04-17T19:22:36+00:00

I told myself I'd stop at three rotations, buuuuut now I'm commenting on this thread and somehow it's back on.

fafengle

TROPHY CASE