Released today in 1968, Blood Sweat and Tears’ debut balances free-form experimentalism within a larger framework of American songcraft.

Always the perfect foil, Roger Daltrey completely inhabited Pete Townshend’s lyric on 1985’s “After the Fire,” broiling it in searing emotion.

Released on February 9, 1981, ‘Face Value’ is a time capsule of everything that made Phil Collins into Phil Collins, and maybe the best thing he ever did.

Twenty years ago, we got a more complete look at the punk-thrash beginnings of the Beastie Boys — and a hint as to what would come next.

Roy Orbison’s ‘Mystery Girl,’ released on Feb. 7, 1989, became a celebration, a valedictory, a mash note and a desperately sad farewell — all in one.

With ‘Don’t Tell A Soul,’ released on Feb. 1, 1989, the Replacements tried to move on from fashioning art out of chaos. Instead, they imploded.

Sure, Marilyn Manson has a new record out, and we plan to get to it eventually. But first let’s recognize just how good ‘Mechanical Animals’ was.

The brutally honest, toss-off attitude on ‘Milk and Honey’ was more in keeping with John Lennon’s solo career than the slick, celebrated ‘Double Fantasy.’

The best comparison for Fantomas’ ‘Delirium Cordia,’ released today in 2004, was with a film. It required, and rewarded, a similar amount of attention.

With ‘Working On a Dream,’ Bruce Springsteen continued an intriguing journey back to the music of his formative years.