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.
0.0 (0)
MUSIC
For Apple Music 1 host Brooke Reese, whose grandfather emigrated from Mexico when he was 15, music has always been a way to stay connected to family, tradition, and cherished memories. “My mom made sure to always keep me connected to our culture and everything my grandpa sacrificed so we all could have a better life,” Brooke says. “I grew up with mariachis at every family party—it was a must!” But American pop was also a key part of Brooke’s formative mix, and when she’s feeling nostalgic she’ll play artists like John Mayer or Justin Timberlake. “Their music has been the soundtrack to a lot of important moments in my life, both good and bad. I can remember vividly watching *NSYNC’s ‘Tearin’ Up My Heart’ in my mom’s living room when I was in third or fourth grade. I was immediately drawn in.” As the host of Apple Music 1’s The Chart Show, Brooke runs through chart countdowns from around the world, interviews stars at the top, and keeps listeners up to date on what’s new and what’s next. “My show is the only listener-based show on Apple Music 1,” she says. “It’s the songs and artists that listeners go back to over and over again.” Tune in to The Chart Show With Brooke Reese every Monday through Thursday at 6 am LA/9 am NYC/2 pm LDN. Hometown: Riverside, California Earliest musical memory: “In my Latin household, you had to get up early to clean the house and do your chores before you could go outside. I remember my mom blasting Julio Iglesias, Neil Diamond, and Céline Dion. I always loved to sing along, and they always remind me of my mom.” Favorite music video: Britney Spears’ “I’m a Slave 4 U.” “It was so iconic, and I still know the dance moves to this day.” First song I ever bought or downloaded: Toni Braxton, “Un-Break My Heart.” “I used to play it on my cassette player and sing it at the top of my lungs.” Go-to karaoke song: Madonna, “Like a Virgin.” First tour: *NSYNC Five songs that get me through the day: 1. Miranda Lambert, “Bluebird” 2. Harry Styles, “Golden” 3. “Anything Cher—she is my queen!” 4. “Everything from Taylor Swift's 1989 album.” 5. “Anything by John Mayer.”
0.0 (0)
MUSIC COMMENTARY
London-based Matt Wilkinson first bubbled up as a writer and editor at renowned UK music magazine NME, where he reported on artists who were changing pop culture one song at a time. His first interview was with Amy Winehouse, in a cemetery in Bristol, when she was one of the biggest names in music—a foundational experience for Matt. “Even though I was totally inexperienced,” he says, “that Amy interview was life-changing for me. When she realized I was there to talk about music rather than her private life, she just came alive—waxing lyrical about ’60s girl groups, hip-hop, the lot. This was the first time I’d ever sat eye-to-eye with a big-name musician and really connected with them. And forging that connection is still what I aim to do when I speak to artists today.” As the host of his namesake show on Apple Music, Matt brings that sense of music history and connection to the air, mining the most interesting new music, chronicling the best of the UK scene, and telling the stories behind the songs of the day with revealing interviews and more. But above all? He’s a music fan obsessed with the idea that “there are still classic songs waiting to be discovered,” he says. “I’m forever looking for the 'hairs on the back of the neck' feeling to happen. That unnameable, rare thing where you hear a song and it suddenly changes your life. It happens every so often and it's the best thing ever.” Hear The Matt Wilkinson Show every Monday through Friday on Apple Music 1 at 4 am LA/7 am NYC/12 pm LDN.
0.0 (0)
MUSIC COMMENTARY
One thing that today's biggest artists have in common: They all speak with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe about their lives and the stories behind their songs. Hear why he is the interviewer the biggest stars open up to in these candid, in-depth conversations, now available in full on Apple Podcasts.
5.0 (2)
MUSIC INTERVIEWS
Follow this show, because Apple Music Today is a daily series that highlights one song from Apple Music's catalog of over 100 million and digs into the story behind it. From massive hits to sleeper cuts to the newest surprise drop, our Apple Music hosts dive in across genres and decades to unpack untold stories about the music that soundtracks our lives, 365 days a year. Best of all, with an Apple Music subscription you get to hear the songs in full!
0.0 (0)
MUSIC COMMENTARY
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.
The best music stories from Apple Music are now available on Apple Podcasts.
Here, you can listen to can’t-miss specials and in-depth artist interviews—interspersed with full songs and hosted by some of the world’s best music experts, like Zane Lowe, Ebro Darden, Matt Wilkinson, Dotty, and Kelleigh Bannen.
You’ll also find shows hosted by trailblazing musicians such as Nile Rodgers, Alexis Ffrench, Soulection’s Joe Kay, and Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig, who offer up an inside look at the creative process.
These shows already broadcast across Apple Music’s global radio stations—Apple Music 1, Apple Music Hits, and Apple Music Country—but now you can explore them, music and all, alongside a wealth of other creators and storytellers.