TIME 100 ALBUMS PODCASTS

PODCAST: Welcome to the All-TIME 100 Albums - the musical compilations of the last half-century that need no introduction. That said, listen in below as music critics Josh Tyrangiel and Alan Light introduce the list and talk about the top albums of the 1950s and '60s.

PODCAST: We know. Twenty-nine of the 100 greatest albums of all time come in the 1970s, and Pink Floyd isn't there. Play this podcast to learn why we picked the titles we did, and if you have something to say, tell us about it using the talkback link below.

PODCAST: Maybe it's a Sign O' The Times that you're listening to critics' audio recordings about great music, but this podcast about how we chose the best albums of the 1980s really is a Thriller. Give it a listen below.

PODCAST: Here's music even the younger set will know by heart. Listen to selected clips from the 1990s through present day as music critic Josh Tyrangiel discusses his picks.

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It's no great surprise that the second half of this chronologically ordered collection sags in direct proportion to the Big E's waistline. Still, given that most of his RCA albums had valleys of filler that would shame anyone but Colonel Parker, this is the best way to hear Elvis the Superstar. "Hound Dog," "All Shook Up," "Are You Lonesome Tonight" and the ever zany "Suspicious Minds" still sound fresh and immediate—impressive given how many times most the world has heard them—and show off the diversity of Elvis' singing, from the purity of his gospel falsetto to his rock and roll purr. The liner notes, written by Elvis biographer Peter Guralnick, provide excellent accompaniment.