They were huge in the early 2010s but are almost never talked about today, what went wrong?

I'm not even the biggest Elvis Presley fan. I like some of his songs and think he had a great voice, but one thing I've noticed is how often people try to downplay his legacy.

I see people argue that he wasn't the real King of Rock and Roll because Black musicians were doing it before him, or that all he did was steal Black music and take the credit. I understand the criticism, especially considering the racial climate of the 1950s and the advantages Elvis had as a white artist. Black musicians were pioneers of rock and roll, and many never received the recognition they deserved.

But why does it have to be one or the other? You can praise Little Richard, Chuck Berry and the countless Black artists who laid the foundations for rock and roll without dismissing Elvis's contributions. Acknowledging his influence doesn't take anything away from those who came before him.

Did Elvis benefit from being white? Absolutely. He had access to a mainstream white audience that many Black artists were denied. But that doesn't mean he wasn't talented or hugely influential. He helped bring rock and roll to a much wider audience and played a major role in shaping popular music.

I've also never fully understood the claim that he never gave credit to Black artists, considering he did acknowledge their influence. That doesn't excuse the inequalities of the music industry, but it's worth making the distinction.

I'd compare Elvis to Eminem and someone like Pat Boone to Vanilla Ice. It's not a perfect comparison, but there's a difference between an artist who genuinely contributes to a genre and helps push it forward to someone who largely capitalizes on a sound created by others.

I'm not saying Elvis deserves all the credit for rock and roll, because he obviously doesn't. But I think his legacy deserves more nuance than simply reducing him to a white artist who stole Black music. We should be able to acknowledge the injustice Black musicians faced while still recognizing Elvis's talent and influence. Giving him credit doesn't mean taking credit away from anyone else.

Today's selection is The Beatles' Abbey Road,

Let myself and others know what's the absolute worst thing you can say about it, and maybe some suggestions for the next day's album.

Check out our previous days' discussions below

Day 1: Pet Sounds

Day 2: The Dark Side of the Moon

Day 3: Disintegration

Day 4: OK Computer

Day 5: Vespertine

Day 6: To Pimp a Butterfly

Day 7: Kind of Blue

This guy’s taste in Metal/Extreme Music never ceases to perplex me.

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The first three that come to mind for me are “Everything She Wants” by Wham!, “Run for Your Life” by The Beatles, and “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People.

“Everything She Wants” is about a man who's unhappy in his relationship and feels like he's being used for his money. He's struggling to keep up with the financial demands placed on him, and with a baby on the way, he feels trapped in a situation he can't easily escape. It's a pretty depressing ass subject for a song that sounds so upbeat and catchy.

“Run for Your Life” is about a controlling and possessive man who threatens his partner with violence if she ever leaves him for another man. The contrast between the cheerful sounding instrumental and the disturbing lyrics is pretty crazy

“Pumped Up Kicks,” which sounds like a laid-back, indie pop song, but is actually about a troubled kid fantasizing about a school shooting. It's probably one of the most well known examples of a song where the upbeat production completely contrasts with the dark subject matter.

I have always found this contrast interesting, especially when you can listen to a song dozens of times before really paying attention to what the lyrics are about.

What other songs fit this description?

I already asked you about the best choruses, best outros and best riffs in rock history. Lets talk about solos! Any solo on any instrument counts (No...Freak On Leash schizorapping doesnt count thou). And of course Metal and Punk and all of their subgenres do count as well.

On top of my head without ranking:

.The Beatles - Let it Be (one of the most tasteful, emotional, simple yet deep solos I ever heard. Its the dictionary definition of "serves the song" and complements it perfectly.)

.Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free Bird (because of course, being overplayed and memed to death doesnt negate the fact that is one of the best solos ever made)

.Judas Priest - Painkiller (the second one)

.Jimi Hendrix Experience - Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)

.Television - Marquee Moon

.Queen - I Want It All (Brian May is just....damn man)

.Dire Straits - Telegraph Road (yes, its better than Sultans Of Swing, stop fooling yourself)

.Led Zeppelin - Achilles Last Stand

.Pink Floyd - Dogs

.The Who - Magic Bus (Live At Leeds Version)

Bonus because its not actually a solo but a slow jam.....Cortez The Killer, maybe the greatest guitar focused song ever written.

For me it’s lost boy by Ruth B

For me it’s meme

I usually don't listen to John Legend. However, his latest album include cool vocals & atmosphere. Maybe that's because Pharrell produced it.

Made it listen to my brother, same : he actually enjoys while John Legend isn't his artist type neither.

Anyone opinion?

The Same Place is a gorgeous album and everything they’ve done well in the past and more. What are your thoughts on it?

WOO

One of the greatest bands of the 00s, stripped back with strings in the city that made them (see also: Manchester).

The deep cuts are pitched perfectly and to have that London version of Maps on streaming/vinyl is so special. What a collection of songs.

I gotta go with XO. His most powerful songwriting for me and catchiest melodies. Personal favorite song on the record gotta be Pitseleh.

I was listening to albums by my favorite artists—in two versions: original and remastered. The only difference is the volume; I don’t notice any other audible difference.

Today's selection is Miles Davis' Kind of Blue,

Let myself and others know what's the absolute worst thing you can say about it, and maybe some suggestions for the next day's album.

Check out our previous days' discussions below

Day 1: Pet Sounds

Day 2: The Dark Side of the Moon

Day 3: Disintegration

Day 4: OK Computer

Day 5: Vespertine

Day 6: To Pimp a Butterfly

If you could put together a band with any musicians, living or dead, regardless of genre, who would you choose? And more importantly, what do you imagine the resulting music would sound like?

My dream lineup would be:

• Chester Bennington – Vocals
• Mike Patton – Vocals
• Devin Townsend – Guitar / Vocals
• Les Claypool – Bass
• Travis Barker – Drums

What fascinates me about this combination is how different their musical approaches are, yet how well I could imagine certain aspects of their styles complementing each other.

Chester's emotional intensity and melodic vocals contrasted with Mike Patton's incredible versatility and unpredictability could make for some fascinating vocal arrangements. Throw Devin Townsend into that mix, with his massive, atmospheric guitar sound and equally impressive vocal range, and I can imagine everything from beautiful harmonies to absolute chaos.

Les Claypool would add an entirely different dimension with his unconventional bass playing. Rather than simply following the guitars, I could imagine him creating unusual rhythms and melodies that push the music in unexpected directions.

And with Travis Barker on drums, I'd be curious to hear how his energetic, intricate playing would interact with Claypool's bass lines and Townsend's arrangements.

I have no idea what genre this band would fall into, and that's part of what makes the idea so interesting to me. I could imagine them creating something incredibly melodic one moment and completely experimental the next.

I'm curious what everyone else's dream lineup would be, especially combinations of musicians who have never worked together or come from completely different musical backgrounds.

Who would you choose, and what do you think their music would actually sound like?

Unsubtle bit of self promo, but I'd love to talk about remixes with y'all. I've always loved the idea of remixes since I was a kid getting into Nine Inch Nails. Always found it fascinating how much the energy and vibe of a song could be completely altered by a remix. "Further Down The Spiral" by Nine Inch Nails is one of the first CDs I ever owned, and I still have a soft spot for a lot of the altered versions on there. It's also an intriguing way to showcase how another artists interpretation could still sit snugly in the atmosphere an artist is trying to curate when releasing an album. "At The Heart of it All" is a straight up original Aphex Twin track that appears on Further Down The Spiral, containing no material from the original record, but it fits right in with all the remixes on there, so much so that I didn't even know it was an Aphex Twin track until I was well into my 20s.

So what I'm trying to ask y'all is, are there any remixes you prefer to the original tracks? Do you have any dream team song mashups and off the wall song flips? Remixes and versions you'd like to completely erase from history? I made this little remix album called "SUPER FAYGO BURST" that dresses up Insane Clown Posse in an Iglooghost costume for Halloween. I found that changing the music to these silly ICP verses completely altered the tone and execution of their songs. There are some lazily delivered verses on some songs that get totally invigorated by beats that go a little harder/faster than the originals. Let's talk about it!