Worse Than It Sounds / Music

• 4'33": A piece so beautiful you won't even realize you're listening to it.
• Anal Cunt: A truly revolutionary group that was not afraid to go against all social norms and taboos and criticize several aspects of modern culture. The lead singer was so dedicated to his art that the first thing he did after recovering from a coma was to play a live show, while still under anesthesia.
• The Baby is You: A harrowing story about the complicated subject of teen pregnancy. A fan-album of one of the most popular webcomics of the 2010s created by the man who would go on to eventually create the hit indie RPG Undertale.
• Justin Bieber: A Canadian boy rises to stardom after Usher catches him showing off his vocals by covering Usher songs on YouTube. Has a very dedicated female fanbase. Went through soaring highs and crushing lows, until marriage brought out a new, mature side of him.
  • "Call Me Maybe": Said Canadian boy discovers a popular hit from his own country and shares it with the rest of the world.
• brokeNCYDE: A combination of two of music's most popular genres. In fact, a popular music site has all of their albums near the top of a very prestigious list.
• "Chocolate Rain": A heartfelt indictment of the way racism affects society, using innovative and well-discussed recording techniques. The distinctive, sensual voice of the singer propelled him to internet fame.
• CHVRCHES: The best video game reviewer on the internet loves it.
• Creed: These guys love Jesus, and their songs are written about their faith. They have also crossed over to a mainstream audience, which is no mean feat for a band that talks about God. They have sold over 30 million albums worldwide, having a significant following of fans.
• Cyberpunk: An old punk rocker finds a new voice in electronic music.
• Fear of a Blank Planet: A wonderful satire told from the perspective of a modern day, bored, teenage boy.
• Florida Georgia Line: The faces of modern country, taking it into new, exciting directions. Frequently compared to a notable Canadian group in terms of success, their debut single was #1 on the Country charts for a record 19 weeks.
• Friday An overnight sensation in March 2011, this is a truly memorable song about the passage of time, the struggle a young girl must make in choosing between her friends, and sheer youthful exuberance. Most notable for its unique lyrical style and the distinct vocals of its singer. Features a rap verse that can be compared to a multi-platinum recording artist.
• Gangnam Style A surprise hit that brought an only mildly popular genre of music to worldwide fame. Has crushed many records on YouTube.
• "Hanky Panky" (album) by The The: Synth pop master smashes musical boundaries as he takes on the songs of the legendary Hank Williams.
• Iggy Azalea: A white Australian girl defeats the prejudices of the Hip-Hop industry by becoming one of the most successful rappers ever. Doing so by perfectly replicating urban American culture.
• Imaginary Landscape No. 4: This piece, by the much loved composer who challenged the very definition of music with his revolutionary 4'33", is yet another work that pushes the boundaries of music. It is unpredictable, never the same twice, and always evocative of the state of the culture of the moment.
• In the Life of Chris Gaines: A deconstructionist experiment in Genre Shift and Alter-Ego Acting from one of country music's leading performers.
• Insane Clown Posse: A Hip-Hop act stands out for its members' distinctive use of theatrical alter egos, their vicious social satire about the ugliness of modern society, and an elaborately designed mythology filled with classic horror tropes that ties their entire discography together.
• Invincible The most famous man in the world releases his long-awaited comeback and, sadly, his final album.
• "Kokomo": The band that invented surf music has one last hit from a blockbuster movie. While many people believe it is about a place in Indiana, it is in fact about Florida and the Caribbean.
• Limp Bizkit: Their guitarist has received extensive critical acclaim for his eclectic song structuring and playing technique, and the band has released several big songs, videos and albums, and winning several awards.
• Love Beach: A classically inspired rock band chooses to close out the 1970s (and their career) by shifting (mostly) to shorter songs and forsaking forays into classical pastiche. All the while, however, they maintain their instrumental virtuosity.
• Lulu: The most popular metal band in history collaborate with the most well-respected experimental musician in rock music on a double concept album inspired by a play by the expressionist playwright Frank Wedekind. One of the videos is directed by Requiem for a Dream director Darren Aronofsky.
• Miley Cyrus: The daughter of a platinum-selling country star uses her music to explore themes like dual identity and her own rise to fame.
• Milli Vanilli: A pair of European dancers mix Europop with hip-hop to create a ton of Grammy-worthy hits. Known particularly for their avant garde approach to performance rejecting all common notions of vocalising on stage.
• Minutes to Midnight: Six musicians known for their angsty lyrics mature as they shed their "abrasive" hip-hop and electronic roots for pure Arena Rock sound that is sure to please rock fans.
  • One More Light: The aforementioned musicians evolve even further, adopting a new and unexpected sound drawing from today's most popular innovators. Sadly, this was their beloved ringleader’s final project, his untimely death throwing into question all we thought we knew about them.
• Metal Machine Music: Legendary experimental rocker from the late 60s releases an hour long album that started 2 whole new genres of music. It refused to follow the normal concepts of albums and proved to be a true rebellious work of art in the midst of many repetitive trends at the time.
• The Most Unwanted Song: An Epic Rocking song created in response to precise consensus about what makes a song outstanding.
• "My Jeans" and "OMG" by Jenna Rose: A preteen singer freely expresses her feelings about desires and what she wants in herself.
• "Never Gonna Give You Up": A love song which became a # 1 hit in the UK and US. Its video features acrobatic dancers and the director also made award-winning commercials and Hollywood blockbusters. Saw resurgence in popularity 20 years after released.
• Nevermind: Three nobodies make some of the catchiest angsty songs ever made with just a guitar, bass, and drumset (and cello). The album was hugely important in causing a new genre to dominate top 40 radio.
• Nickelback: During a time when rock and roll threatens to be subsumed by more popular genres like dance-pop and hip-hop, this band is keeping the flame of rock-and-roll alive in the '00s and, rather than being relegated to their genre, have had humongous crossover mainstream hits. Their most recent records (including their latest, a collaboration with legendary rock producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange) have spat out upwards of seven singles per album, a feat unheard of since the days of Thriller or Hysteria.
• One Direction: Five boys form on a popular reality show and achieve international superstardom.
• Pikotaro: In an industry where everyone is trying to convey deep messages and emotions, one rapper takes everything back a notch with a short and simple song about one of his pastimes. His song proceeds to become a viral hit online.
• The Shaggs: A seminal musique concrete troupe who bend traditional musical structures into startling new shapes. They have been favorably compared to the most influential of pop musicians and many musicians have extolled their virtues, including Frank Zappa, Kurt Cobain and members of Sonic Youth.
• Sony Music Entertainment: A company owning numerous well-received and popular bands.
• St. Anger: A dark, brooding tale of four musicians pushed to the edge and a dramatic departure from their previous works. Features a unique approach to songwriting and an even more unique approach to production.
• Super Ghostbusters: A 24-track album dedicated to New York's greatest heroes.
• Thank You by Duran Duran: A legendary pop music supergroup pays tribute to their influences.
• The "27 Club": A highly exclusive group that gained notice in the early 70s and is still going strong today. Members range from game-changing giants to rising regional stars. However, most candidates don’t seek out invitation-it has to come to them.
• Pony Canyon: One of the most well-known record labels by the average video game enthusiast because they published ports of many popular games.
• Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins: A principal songwriter with one of popular music's leading groups joins his life partner for an avant-garde album which anticipates ambient and electronic music by several years. Features a controversial album cover that celebrates the human body in all its diversity.
• Universal Music Group: A company owning more numerous well-received and popular bands.
• Unplugged: One of the greatest guitarists of all time releases his most heartfelt work to date. A Tear Jerker version of one of his biggest hits won a Grammy Award for best rock song.
• Van Halen III: Another guitar great and his band welcome a new face, at once honoring the legacy of his predecessors and carving a new creative path. The closer has the legend himself Step Up to the Mic.
• Warner Music Group: A company owning even more numerous well-received and popular bands.
• Wesley Willis: A raw talent from the streets of Chicago, this keyboardist engages in brilliant Deconstruction of popular music. Using an instantly recognizable musical formula, his fertile lyrical mind celebrates music and popular culture, while also examining his own personal demons.
• "Wild Honey Pie": A very obscure song by one of the most popular bands of all time. It contains few words, yet has a very unique melody unlike any song you've probably heard before. Everything about it is bizarrely whimsical and even fascinating to listen to. The best part? Just one of the band members made it entirely himself!
• Zang Tuum Tumb: A record label well-known for their truly massive collection of singles. They're always eager to offer new insights into their artists' recording process, even decades after their collaboration has ended.