501 Essential Albums of the…

Edited by Gary Graff

Gary Graff is an award-winning music journalist based in Detroit. He is a regular contributor to Billboard, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Media News Group, Ultimate Classic Rock, Consequence, and other publications, as well as to radio stations in Detroit and Milwaukee.

(with multiple contributions by me!)

501 Essential Albums of the '90s: The Music Fan's Definitive Guide – November 5, 2024

FIND THE BOOK: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Indiebound / Amazon UK

Break out the flannel, scrunchies, and high-rise jeans and indulge in this nostalgic illustrated trip through the 1990s’ most influential albums across all genres.

In 501 Essential Albums of the ’90s, Gary Graff leads a cast of fellow music journalists in presenting the music of everyone’s favorite decade…the last decade before the proliferation of social media and digital downloads.

With lively descriptions of the releases and over 600 images, this hefty 448-page volume curates 501 albums spanning genres and subgenres—pop, hip-hop, R&B, grunge, metal, country, world music—and features: 

  • Year-by-year organization

  • Knowledgeable rundowns of every album featured

  • Album art for each selection

  • Artist imagery

  • Record label, release date, and producer(s) for each

  • Soundtracks and compilation releases also included


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501 Essential Albums of the '80s: The Music Fan's Definitive Guide – May 13, 2025

FIND THE BOOK: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Indiebound / Amazon UK

Break out the parachute pants, jelly shoes, and Aqua Net and indulge in this nostalgic illustrated trip through the 1980s’ most influential albums across all genres.

In 501 Essential Albums of the ’80s, Gary Graff leads a cast of fellow music journalists in presenting the music of one of the most pivotal decades in the history of recorded music…the decade that gave us some of the most monstrous-selling albums ever and introduced more and more listeners to emergent genres like indie rock and hip-hop.

With lively descriptions of the releases and nearly 600 images, this hefty volume curates 501 albums spanning genres and subgenres—pop, rock, hip-hop, R&B, metal, country, college and indie rock, and more, including:

  • Year-by-year organization

  • Knowledgeable rundowns of every album featured

  • Album art for each selection

  • Artist imagery

  • Record label, release date, and producer(s) for each

  • Soundtracks and compilation releases also included