100 Best Albums Radio

100 Best Albums Radio Podcast

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.

  1. The Story of No. 1: Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (Extended Preview)

    22 MAY

    The Story of No. 1: Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (Extended Preview)

    On this deep dive into Lauryn Hill’s masterpiece The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Apple Music’s Nadeska Alexis unpacks the story and legacy of the album voted No. 1 on Apple Music’s definitive list of the 100 Best albums of all time. In this excerpt, Nadeska learns the emotional story behind “To Zion," Lauryn Hill’s ode to her newborn son. Nadeska finds out why, when Lauryn was told to “use her head," she chose to “use her heart” instead. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill dropped on August 25, 1998, and changed everything. It’s a deeply personal collection of songs that document a time of major change in a young artist’s life. The album not only expanded the sound of hip hop, it massively extended its reach as well: Miseducation has been credited for helping to push hip hop firmly into the mainstream all over the globe. But, as we hear in this podcast, it’s an album that might never have been released. In this series, Apple Music subscribers can hear the remarkable story behind this groundbreaking and culture-shifting album, find out the truth behind the blistering opening track “Lost Ones,” discover what happened behind the scenes at Bob Marley’s studio in Jamaica, and learn how the album helped launch the career of another music superstar. Contributors include: Jayson Jackson, Lauryn Hill’s former manager Dr Joan Morgan, hip hop journalist and author of She Begat This: 20 Years of the Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Commissioner Gordon Williams, the album’s engineer and production supervisor Music stars including H.E.R., Rapsody, Dua Lipa and John Legend

    8 min

Shows with Subscription Benefits

  • Over a career-spanning five decades, Nile Rodgers has helped write and produce some of the most iconic songs in pop music, both for his pioneering disco band Chic and for superstar collaborators like Diana Ross, David Bowie, and Daft Punk. On his Apple Music show, the composer, record producer, and rhythm guitar legend—a Rock & Roll and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee—invites the most important established and emerging songwriters to discuss the ideas and inspirations behind their work. With each episode digging deep into the stories behind the songs, Rodgers’ candid discussions give invaluable insight into how your favorite music was created.

  • “Some of the best conversations I’ve ever had have been around a fire,” Nashville star HARDY tells Apple Music. The singer-songwriter brings those conversations to Apple Music Country on his new radio show, The Fire With HARDY. Over the course of several episodes, he invites guests to share stories and musical influences, all while revealing his own personal journey. “I’ve always been intrigued at how people develop their musical tastes,” he says. “Do they credit it to fond memories of their childhood? Did they discover it on their own? I wanna dig into some of my favorite musicians’, songwriters’, and producers’ brains to see what and how music influenced them to become the successful people they are today.”

  • A defining character of New York’s music scene and a trusted voice in hip-hop, Apple Music 1 host Ebro Darden brings the city's urgent mix of music and culture to the world. “When I hear something with real heart and energy,” he says, “I want everyone to hear it.” Ebro splits his time at Apple Music as host of his namesake show and Rap Life Radio and global editorial head of hip-hop and R&B, genres in which Apple Music has proved dominant. A longtime fixture in New York radio, he brings a five-boroughs outlook to Apple Music 1’s global audience, but in a way that incorporates both music from all over the African diaspora and Black culture’s worldwide impact. Shot in Apple Music’s studio near Manhattan’s Union Square, The Ebro Show “has a New York City lens, but because New York City is an international city, we embrace a lot of different cultures,” Ebro—who grew up in the Bay Area but has called New York home for decades—explains. “We lean heavily on rap, but hip-hop is a very international music, so through there comes what's going on in Africa, what's going on in the UK, what's going on in Latin America, what's going on in Australia, what's going on in Asia. I don't know of any show that plays as much Caribbean music as we play.” But the show doesn’t only touch on music. “I don’t shy away from talking about social issues as it pertains to the community, specifically Black and brown people,” Ebro adds. “I try to find records that speak to that, music that speaks to that.” Tune in to hear Ebro on The Ebro Show every Monday through Thursday at 12 pm LA/3 pm NY/8 pm LDN and on Rap Life Radio every Friday at 10 am LA/1 pm NY/6 pm LDN.

  • One of K-pop’s hottest octets now has its own show on Apple Music 1. Hosted by Bang Chan and Felix, All About Stray Kids Radio gives listeners an inside look into the boy band and their highly anticipated comeback album. Over the course of four episodes, the two band members will share their favorite music, inspirations, and stories about their lives before becoming Stray Kids, plus they’ll invite their bandmates to join as guests.

  • OTHERtone is a glimpse into the minds of our culture's unicorns and how they think about life, art, and everything in between. Float in the stream of culture alongside Pharrell, Scott, and Fam-Lay as they link up with the most brilliant spirits from the worlds of music, tech, business, art, and fashion for conversations that are human, inspiring, unexpected, and fun. Listen on Apple Music 1.

  • On his Apple Music 1 show, UK DJ and producer Charlie Sloth invites the freshest names in the game to deliver Fire in the Booth freestyles, as he taps play on the latest hip-hop heat. Charlie Sloth Rap Show airs Saturday at 12 p.m. LA, 3 p.m. NY, 8 p.m. LDN.

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About

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.

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