Comeback albums are a beautiful thing. If you’re a longtime fan of that one band that used to be awesome but has spent their last decade cranking out the most godawful music of their career, the moment when they finally get their shit together again on record can be absolutely life affirming.

For the artist, that comeback album that they just KNEW they had in them opens up the doors for a fruitful late career resurgence to cement their legacy as one of the all-time greats. At least, until they blow it with that experimental pan flute album a few years later. Here are a few of the greatest comeback albums of all time…

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Hey, you know that post-Marxist-afro-cuban-experimental-Wiicore band you always reference when you’re trying to impress people with your obscure taste in music? Cut it out, everybody knows it doesn’t really exist. Maybe next time, try referencing one of these hilariously obscure (and real) genres instead.

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As much as people like to deny it, there is something about a negative album review that can sway the public consciousness. A bad review in the right publication can seal an album’s fate as a bargain bin throwaway before it even has a chance. Often times, the harsh criticism is more than warranted. Not everything can be a gem. But every once in awhile, the critics get it wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong. For example…

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Thank God for DRM. Without it, the internet would be a cesspool of illegally pirated music, movies and software. Oh, wait, the internet totally is that, because DRM is, quite possibly, the most pointless innovation of the digital age. Companies spend millions of dollars each year coming up with new ways to protect their online content just to see some fifteen year old kid figure out how to circumvent it. Repeat as needed.

But DRM isn’t just an exercise in futility. When you absolutely, positively, must anger every customer you have, few weapons are better than DRM. Take these shenanigans, for example…

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In many ways, a film’s soundtrack is every bit as important as the actors, dialog and everything else that go into making a movie. Imagine if, instead of “Stayin’ Alive,” John Travolta strutted through the opening sequence of Saturday Night Fever to the sounds of “Anarchy In the UK.” OK, bad example, because that would have been pretty awesome also, but still, totally different movie if that happens. Here is a look at 25 of the greatest film soundtracks of all time.

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Everybody knows the path to rock glory is not an easy one. It takes talent (sometimes), years of hard work, determination, and more than a little bit of luck. But for some, there was even more to it than that. Some stars had to overcome years of poverty in addition to everything else. Here are just a few of them.

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The interweb tubes are stuffed with lists heralding the high fallutin’ achievements of all those “greatest of all time” type guitar players that the mainstream media throw in your face everyday. Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen, Kirk Hammett, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Tom Morrello, Slash…they’ve all done some pretty impressive stuff. But you know what? They aren’t the only people that play the damn guitar. In fact, there are several artists who, on any given night, can burn any given venue to the GROUND using nothing more then their guitar shredding abilities. For example…

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In the early days of hip hop, when it was just two turntables and a microphone, having a ready collection of samples and drum breaks was mandatory. It was just how things were done. But over the years, improved sampling technology and the introduction of live instrumentation made using the same songs over and over less necessary. Nevertheless, some samples refused to die. Some are even still used (and abused) to this day. For example…

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The time comes for every band when they reach a crossroads. Tensions mount, creative differences start to boil over, and inevitably, someone decides it’s time to go solo. It’s a natural progression and some of the greatest albums of all time have come about as a result. But not all solo albums happen that way. Sometimes, people go solo for no damn good reason at all. For example…

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Imagine if you will, your band is sitting at the very edge of rock greatness. All those years spent in cramped vans touring the sleaziest of clubs have finally paid off.

You’ve signed the big money contract and recorded what, most everyone involved tells you, may be the greatest damn album ever made. But there is one problem. Nobody is paying attention. So what do you do to get yourself some much needed publicity? No idea, but here are six things you may want to avoid, if that helps.

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