The Story of Classical

Welcome to 100 Best Albums Radio, where we reveal our definitive list of the greatest albums ever made. Assembled with the help of artists and experts, it’s a love letter to the records that have shaped the world we live and listen in. Below you’ll find the official countdown, daily radio episodes with our hosts’ reactions, and stories behind each of the albums. Dive in, (re)discover some classics, and see if your favorite albums made our list.

Music might be something that can be shared among tens of thousands of fellow fans, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a deeply personal experience. In Apple Music’s Songs for Life series, stars from all walks of life talk about the tunes that soundtracked the most important and indelible moments in their lives and careers—moments that are inextricably connected to memories both joyous and difficult, that are as much a part of who they are as those songs themselves. Then hear the playlists from each episode, along with commentary from each show’s subject.

As a founding member of blink-182, +44, and Simple Creatures, Mark Hoppus has survived three decades of alternative music—from the punk clubs of Southern California to unlikely pop stardom in the TRL era to navigating the new millennium’s post-genre revolution. Each week on After School Radio on Apple Music 1, Mark focuses on the songs, artists, and culture that’ve defined the movement, with the sense of humor and perspective that have become his trademark.

Go back to where it all began with Origin Stories. In each episode, an Apple Music 1 host accompanies stars as they make a revealing return to home turf. “This is intrinsic to our history,” Blossoms singer Tom Ogden tells Apple Music’s Matt Wilkinson during a visit to the Alma Lodge Hotel in the band’s hometown of Stockport. “Three of us worked here till 2014. I’d be showing the demos in the cutlery room. I’m feeling waves of nostalgia running through my veins.” Hear formative stories from friends, family and our featured artists that draw on the unique charm, character and inspiration of places they’ve called home—from buzzing cultural hotspots to the quiet charm of the English countryside. Stops in Season 1 include a trip to Stockport with local lads Blossoms (named after a pub on the corner of Bramhall Lane and Buxton Road), plus breaks in Birmingham (with MIST), Manchester (with Pip Millett), Nottingham (with Young T & Bugsey) and more.

Jayde Donovan is many things—an award-winning host, a storyteller, a philanthropist, a mother with a wicked sense of humor. But she’s also positive energy personified, so it makes sense that her radio show would offer just that. Weekday mornings, she shares her colorful take on pop hits throughout the decades, curating a nostalgic and lively radio experience that only she can deliver. Jayde is a three-time Gracie Award winner, a writer, a television host, and an active philanthropist through her nonprofit, Apple a Day, which supports kids in cancer treatment. She founded her organization in memory of a friend she lost to neuroblastoma. Jayde and her team have gifted thousands of smart devices to kids fighting cancer throughout the US. Check out Jayde Donovan every morning on Apple Music Hits, Monday through Friday, 8 am-10 am PT.

On his namesake show and New Music Daily, Apple Music 1’s flagship shows, host Zane Lowe brings users unparalleled music knowledge with headline interviews, breaking news, and emerging music from around the globe every day. It’s become the world’s go-to for the best brand-new music, sure, but it’s also popular music’s premier confessional booth: Day after day, Zane—who’s also Apple Music’s global creative director and co-head of artist relations—gets the biggest, most elusive superstars, from Justin Bieber to Taylor Swift to Kanye West, to let their guards down—laughs, tears, and news-making quotes are the norm. “I’m a curious person, I ask questions, and I guess if I'm passionate about something, I'll talk about it and engage people about it. I want to start a conversation and learn,” Zane explains of his approach. “Because the more you share, the more you learn, and vice versa. It’s just a circle that keeps spinning.” Zane earns guests’ trust with a music obsessive’s curiosity and enthusiasm, compassionate questioning, and firsthand music knowledge of life as an artist—he started his music career recording and performing, and continues to write, produce, and record. “The artist side of it, that really drives what I do,” he explains. “I'm not a conventional media-type personality. I’m no good at being a host, really. I'm not a journalist. I don't write, I'm not a writer. What I do is feel and translate.” Check out Zane on The Zane Lowe Show every Monday through Thursday on Apple Music 1 at 9 am LA/12 pm NYC/5 pm LDN and New Music Daily every Friday at 9 am LA, 12 pm NY, and 5 pm LDN.