Al Shipley
SPIN
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Past articles by Al:
The 22 Greatest Two-Person Bands of All Time
Conventional wisdom suggests that you need at least three people to start a band. You might require four or five depending on the sound you’re trying to → Read More
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2023 Nominations: The Snubs, Surprises, and Long Shots
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its nominees for the Class of 2023. Here is our analysis of the list → Read More
David Crosby’s 10 Best Songs
A look back at 10 of the greatest and most noteworthy compositions on which the rock legend was a primary creative force. → Read More
Every Weezer Album, Ranked
SPIN sorts through the good, the bad, the blue, and the red to determine which Weezer albums are truly worth your time and attention. → Read More
Every Taylor Swift Album, Ranked
Which Taylor Swift album is the best Taylor Swift album? Which is the worst? Which has the most sweaters? Find our take here. → Read More
Every Red Hot Chili Peppers Album, Ranked
Red Hot Chili Peppers have released 12 studio albums. From 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik' to 'Unlimited Love' here are the best albums, ranked. → Read More
Joe Strummer’s 10 Best Non-Clash Songs
If punk rock’s heart belonged to any one person, it beat in the chest of Joe Strummer. At a time when the movement was largely defined as a glue-sniffing → Read More
Every R.E.M. Album, Ranked
Michael Stipe met Peter Buck in an Athens, Georgia record store in January 1980, and that fortuitous moment spawned one of the defining ‘80s bands. Joined → Read More
The Most Influential Artists: #19 Michael Jackson
We're counting down the 35 most influential artists of the past 35 years → Read More
Infinity Knives on Defying Easy Description, Blowing Up on Bandcamp
Meet the Baltimore polymath who made 'Dear, Sudan,' one of the year’s strangest, most exciting albums → Read More
T.I. on His 11th Album, All-Nighters in the Studio With Young Thug and 21 Savage
Our wide-ranging interview with the Southern rap legend goes a little bit of everywhere → Read More
Eddie Van Halen’s 10 Best Solos
The iconic guitarist's greatest hits include songs he worked on with Thomas Dolby and Michael Jackson → Read More
The Lemon Twigs on Their Brotherly Balance, Unorthodox Love Songs, Elton John Praise
'Songs For The General Public' is the confident step into a brighter spotlight that its title implies — the sound of former teen prodigies now in their prime. → Read More
The 10 Best Albums Produced By Shooter Jennings
Shooter Jennings has become one of the most prolific and versatile producers of the past half-decade → Read More
Ted Leo's 50 Best Songs
The singer/songwriter turns 50 on Sept. 11 so we're honoring him by running through his top tunes → Read More
The 25 Best Soundtrack Albums of the 1990s
In the ‘90s, soundtrack albums continued to capture cultural moments — like the Seattle grunge of 'Singles' or the Britpop and electronica of 'Trainspotting.' → Read More
The 25 Best Foo Fighters Collaborations
In honor of the 25th anniversary of their debut, here's the Foo Fighters' best collaborations → Read More
The 10 Best Punk and Alternative Bob Dylan Covers
Bob Dylan is one of the most widely covered artists in popular music – hit versions of his songs by the Byrds and Peter, Paul and Mary helped make him famous, and Dylan covers by Jimi Hendrix and Guns N’ Roses permanently remain in rock radio rotation. And even artists from the punk and alternative scenes that tend to have less reverence for ‘60s nostalgia been drawn to the Dylan songbook, often… → Read More
30 Great Albums From 1990 That Deserve Their Own 30th Anniversary Pieces
Every decade takes a couple of years to feel like itself, but the 1990s, in particular, had a soft launch. While 1991 would bring a bumper crop of era-defining albums from the likes of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, U2, and Red Hot Chili Peppers that would set the tone for alternative rock for the rest of the decade, the music of 1990 often feels like an outgrowth of the previous decades. Even the year’s… → Read More
Fiona Apple’s Bassist/Co-Producer Sebastian Steinberg on Making 'Fetch the Bolt Cutters'
Apple's bassist/co-producer goes deep on the making of 'Fetch the Bolt Cutters' → Read More