Year of Music 2026

This year I am exploring music with a differnt album every week. Some albums are anchors in my life and others vaguely familar, and yet many are completely new to me. My goal is to deepen my appreicatation for music.

So for 2026, every Thursday I'll start a new album. Take the journey with me.

#	Album	Artist	Primary Genre	Why This Album Is On the List
1	Ten	Pearl Jam	Rock	Anchor week. Establishes your baseline and frames the 90s alt sound you’re intentionally moving beyond.
2	Who’s Next	The Who	Rock	A direct ancestor to arena rock and modern alternative dynamics; power, restraint, and synthesis.
3	Master of Puppets	Metallica	Metal	Anchor revisit. A structural masterclass in tension, pacing, and thematic cohesion.
4	Paranoid	Black Sabbath	Metal	The blueprint. Understanding this reframes everything from Metallica to grunge heaviness.
5	Passion and Warfare	Steve Vai	Instrumental Rock	Anchor. Technical virtuosity with emotional intent — not just speed for its own sake.
6	Bitches Brew	Miles Davis	Jazz Fusion	A controlled disruption. Shows how experimentation can still be disciplined and influential.
7	Legend	Bob Marley & The Wailers	Reggae	Anchor. A reminder that simplicity and message can carry enormous cultural weight.
8	Exodus	Bob Marley & The Wailers	Reggae	Goes deeper than Legend — political, spiritual, and structurally influential worldwide.
9	Goldfly	Guster	Alternative Rock	Comfort reset. Songwriting and restraint over bombast; useful contrast point.
10	Aja	Steely Dan	Jazz Rock	Production perfection. Forces careful listening even when played quietly.
11	Physical Graffiti	Led Zeppelin	Rock	A double album done right. Shows range, discipline, and risk without indulgence.
12	Kind of Blue	Miles Davis	Jazz	Literacy cornerstone. Teaches space, phrasing, and emotional economy.
13	Moving Pictures	Rush	Progressive Rock	Bridges virtuosity and accessibility. Influential for both musicians and engineers.
14	Remain in Light	Talking Heads	Art Rock	Rhythmic and conceptual expansion without chaos; a thinking-man’s challenge album.
15	Back in Black	AC/DC	Rock	Minimalism as strength. A lesson in what not to add.
16	The Dark Side of the Moon	Pink Floyd	Progressive Rock	Systems thinking in album form — sequencing, themes, sonic architecture.
17	In Absentia	Porcupine Tree	Progressive Rock	Motion-driven modern prog; bridges Floyd, metal texture, and emotional pacing.
18	The Yes Album	Yes	Progressive Rock	Foundational prog language: movement, harmony, and ambition without indulgence.
19	Surfing with the Alien	Joe Satriani	Instrumental Rock	A Vai-adjacent comfort album; melody-forward virtuosity that reshaped guitar culture.
20	Red	King Crimson	Progressive Rock	Structural heaviness with motion; proto-metal without Sabbath’s static feel.
21	Yield	Pearl Jam	Rock	Later Pearl Jam maturity; restraint, cohesion, and emotional economy.
22	Court and Spark	Joni Mitchell	Folk Rock / Jazz Pop	Literacy expansion: sophisticated songwriting and harmonic intelligence.
23	Rust in Peace	Megadeth	Metal	Technical metal with propulsion; shows another evolutionary branch from Sabbath.
24	Blue Train	John Coltrane	Jazz	Momentum jazz — purposeful movement instead of abstraction.
25	Disintegration	The Cure	Alternative Rock	Emotional architecture; a counterpoint to 90s alt without grunge tropes.
26	Songs in the Key of Life	Stevie Wonder	Soul / Pop	One of the clearest examples of joy, craft, and cultural impact aligned.
27	Automatic for the People	R.E.M.	Rock	Emotional motion without aggression; restraint as strength.
28	Low	David Bowie	Art Rock	Wild card #1: structural experimentation that still respects listenability.
29	Rage Against the Machine	Rage Against the Machine	Rock	Rhythm-driven heaviness; motion replaces metal gravity.
30	The Royal Scam	Steely Dan	Jazz Rock	Cynical, precise, and musically dense — excellent for focused work.
31	Temple of the Dog	Temple of the Dog	Rock	Grunge context without excess; emotional clarity over distortion.
32	Music from Big Pink	The Band	Roots Rock	Literacy pivot: shows how restraint and story reshaped rock songwriting.
33	Boston	Boston	Rock	Engineering discipline disguised as arena rock; production literacy.
34	Electric Ladyland	Jimi Hendrix	Rock	Sonic exploration with feel; motion, texture, and innovation aligned.
35	2112	Rush	Progressive Rock	Conceptual momentum; systems-thinking album before that term existed.
36	Close to the Edge	Yes	Progressive Rock	The prog apex — earned, structured, and relentlessly forward-moving.
37	Brothers in Arms	Dire Straits	Rock	Clarity, tone, and narrative phrasing; excellent coding companion.
38	A Love Supreme	John Coltrane	Jazz	Wild card #2: spiritual motion rather than technical display.
39	The Joshua Tree	U2	Rock	Cultural impact plus atmosphere; landscape as sound.
40	Thick as a Brick	Jethro Tull	Progressive Rock	Conceptual playfulness with structure; prog without self-importance.
41	Appetite for Destruction	Guns N’ Roses	Rock	Raw motion and danger; contrasts with Sabbath’s static weight.
42	Mingus Ah Um	Charles Mingus	Jazz	Composition-first jazz; structure over chaos.
43	Badmotorfinger	Soundgarden	Rock	Grunge with odd meters and muscle; literacy upgrade from Pearl Jam.
44	Graceland	Paul Simon	Folk Rock / World	Wild card #3: global influence handled with respect and structure.
45	Hemispheres	Rush	Progressive Rock	Mature Rush — balance of intellect and propulsion.
46	The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust	David Bowie	Rock	Myth, narrative, and accessibility unified.
47	OK Computer	Radiohead	Alternative Rock	Systems anxiety meets structure; late-90s done right.
48	Animals	Pink Floyd	Progressive Rock	Cynicism with cohesion; heavier than DSOTM without indulgence.
49	The Colour and the Shape	Foo Fighters	Rock	Post-grunge motion; craftsmanship over angst.
50	Time Out	The Dave Brubeck Quartet	Jazz	Rhythm literacy; odd meters that still swing.
51	Jar of Flies	Alice in Chains	Acoustic Rock	Dark but restrained; emotional weight without explicit excess.
52	Wish You Were Here	Pink Floyd	Progressive Rock	Year-end reflection: absence, connection, and sonic patience.