Vinyl Four Podcast

Shawn Farmer
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  • MUSIC COMMENTARY

The Vinyl 4 Podcast, brought to you by Signal Syndicate Productions, puts a tournament spin on the Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums of All Time. Each week, Shawn and Craig face off with 16 randomly selected records, whittling them down through head-to-head matchups until only the ultimate “Vinyl 4” remains. Equal parts music nerdery and bracket madness, it’s a fresh take on discovering classics, debating favorites, and having fun with the albums that shaped music history.

  1. 5D AGO

    S1 - Ep 13 - Round 11: The Smiths, Curtis Mayfield & More in a Battle for Another Vinyl Four

    Shawn and Craig return for Round 11 of the Vinyl Four Podcast, diving into another loaded bracket pulled from Rolling Stone’s Top 500. Sixteen albums enter the arena, and after plenty of debate, only four survive. This week’s matchups span a wide emotional and stylistic range — from the hushed intimacy of Nick Drake’s Pink Moon to the raw, arena-shaking power of Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite for Destruction. Along the way, genre-defining classics like Curtis Mayfield’s Superfly and the art-rock urgency of Gang of Four’s Entertainment! keep the bracket unpredictable and the conversations lively. With tough calls at every turn, the fellas narrow the field to the next Vinyl 4, setting the stage for what’s to come without giving away all the magic. 📩 Subscribe and follow on your favorite podcast platform to keep up with the brackets. 🎶 Got your own picks or snubs? Drop us a line at vinylfourpodcast@gmail.com. 📸 Follow us on Instagram for behind-the-scenes posts, polls, and bracket updates — @vinylfourpodcast

    34 min

  2. DEC 12

    S1 - Ep 12 - Round 10: The Pixies, Kanye, Beach Boys & More in an Impossible Matchup

    Shawn and Craig enter Round 10 of the Vinyl 4 Podcast, and the bracket has officially reached “no easy choices left.” This week brings another powerhouse set of 16 albums — a mix of groundbreaking classics, cult favorites, and genre-defining masterpieces. The lineup includes Elvis Costello’s This Year’s Model, D’Angelo’s Voodoo, The Beatles’ Rubber Soul, and Pixies’ Doolittle — plus Kiss, Buffalo Springfield, The Beach Boys (twice!), Richard & Linda Thompson, Graham Parker, Jay-Z, Kanye West, TLC, Sinead O’Connor, Peter Wolf, and EPMD. It’s soul vs. hip-hop, punk-pop vs. folk-rock, ’60s sunshine pop vs. ’90s alt-rock — and somehow it all fits into one brutal bracket. Shawn and Craig debate, dissect, and eventually narrow the field down to 4 survivors. 📩 Subscribe and follow on your favorite podcast platform to keep up with the brackets. 🎶 Got your own picks or snubs? Drop us a line at vinylfourpodcast@gmail.com. 📸 Follow us on Instagram for behind-the-scenes posts, polls, and bracket updates — @vinylfourpodcast.

    36 min

  3. DEC 5

    S1 - Ep 11 - Round 9: A Mashup of Outkast, The Dead, Sinatra, Sabbath & The Clash

    Shawn and Craig dive into Round 9 of the Vinyl 4 Podcast, taking on another wildly eclectic set of 16 albums pulled from Rolling Stone’s Top 500. This week spans blues legends, rock icons, hip-hop pioneers, and avant-pop innovators — all battling for just four coveted finalist spots. The lineup includes John Mayall with Eric Clapton, Grateful Dead, The Clash, Derek and the Dominos, Al Green, Buddy Holly, Run-DMC, Black Sabbath, Madonna, Frank Sinatra, Tom Waits, Outkast, Hole, The Magnetic Fields, Eurythmics, and more. It’s blues vs. metal, punk vs. soul, hip-hop vs. classic pop, and everything in between. The fellas keep the discussion moving briskly this week, narrowing the field down to 4 — and skipping their usual “should’ve made the list” picks to keep the pace tight. 📩 Subscribe and follow on your favorite podcast platform to keep up with the brackets. 🎶 Got your own picks or snubs? Drop us a line at vinylfourpodcast@gmail.com. 📸 Follow us on Instagram for behind-the-scenes posts, polls, and bracket updates — @.vinylfourpodcast.

    20 min

  4. NOV 28

    S1 - Ep 10 - Special Edition: Our 2nd Sweet 16 Recap – From Ray Charles to Radiohead

    Shawn and Craig return for Episode 10, the second recap installment of the Vinyl Four Podcast. This time, the guys revisit the winners from Rounds 5–8 — the next four brackets — which together form the newest Sweet 16. It’s a heavyweight spread: the soul and genius of Ray Charles, the stadium punch of U2, the rootsy warmth of The Band, the thunder of AC/DC and Led Zeppelin, and the legacy of John Lennon. Add in the atmospheric depth of Radiohead and Portishead, the timeless songwriting of Carole King and Elton John, and the emotional fire of Pearl Jam, plus folk-rock icons The Byrds and the legendary Bob Dylan & The Band — and you’ve got a truly stacked lineup. The fellas revisit each matchup, share surprises from the past four rounds, and set the stage for what’s next as the march toward the ultimate Vinyl Four continues. 📩 Subscribe and follow on your favorite podcast platform to keep up with the brackets. 🎶 Got your own picks or snubs? Drop us a line at vinylfourpodcast@gmail.com.  📸 Follow us on Instagram for behind-the-scenes posts, polls, and bracket updates — @vinylfourpodcast.

    29 min

  5. NOV 21

    S1 - Ep 9: Round 8: From Dr. John to Sonic Youth – The Bracket Gets Wild

    Shawn and Craig return for Round 8 of the Vinyl 4 Podcast — and the bracket just keeps getting weirder (and better). This week’s 16 albums stretch the boundaries of genre, from Dr. John’s swamp-rock voodoo to Sonic Youth’s experimental noise, from Kiss’s arena-rock theatrics to James Brown’s timeless funk and soul. Throw in Radiohead’s ambient modernism and Meat Loaf’s operatic bombast, and you’ve got one of the most unpredictable rounds yet. Genres collide — psych rock, alternative, soul, and more — but only four will advance. 📩 Subscribe and follow on your favorite podcast platform to keep up with the brackets. 🎶 Got your own picks or snubs? Drop us a line at vinylfourpodcast@gmail.com. 📸 Follow us on Instagram for behind-the-scenes posts, polls, and bracket updates — @vinylfourpodcast.

    22 min

  6. NOV 14

    S1 - Ep 8 - Round 7: Avant-Rock, Americana & Everything in Between

    Shawn and Craig are back for Round 7 of the Vinyl 4 Podcast, where the musical contrasts are sharper than ever. This week’s 16-album bracket bridges wildly different sounds — from Brian Eno’s avant-rock experiments to Bonnie Raitt’s soulful Americana, from Nas’s hip-hop mastery to The Byrds’ folk-rock shimmer, with Jane’s Addiction and Love rounding out the chaos in style. Avant-rock collides with Americana. Hip-hop meets psychedelia. Hard rock crosses paths with folk-rock — and somehow, it all works. Tune in for another round of unexpected upsets, musical passion, and the tough calls that define the Vinyl 4. 📩 Subscribe and follow on your favorite podcast platform to keep up with the brackets. 🎶 Got your own picks or snubs? Drop us a line at vinylfourpodcast@gmail.com. 📸 Follow us on Instagram for behind-the-scenes posts, polls, and bracket updates — @vinylfourpodcast.

    44 min

  7. NOV 7

    S1 - Ep 7 - Round 6 – The Most Diverse Round Yet: LL Cool J, U2, The Band, Black Flag & More

    Shawn and Craig are back with Round 6 of the Vinyl 4 Podcast, and this one might be the wildest yet. The 16-album lineup stretches across genres and generations — from the smooth harmonies of The Carpenters to the hardcore punch of Black Flag, the soulful energy of Jackie Wilson, and the raw garage revival of The White Stripes. Throw in LL Cool J, The Band, Bonnie Raitt, and U2, and you’ve got one of the most eclectic brackets to date. Who makes the cut? Who gets left behind? The debates are fierce, the surprises keep coming, and the Vinyl 4 grows stronger. 📩 Subscribe and follow on your favorite podcast platform to keep up with the brackets.   🎶 Got your own picks or snubs? Drop us a line at vinylfourpodcast@gmail.com   📸 Follow us on Instagram for behind-the-scenes posts, polls, and bracket updates — @vinylfourpodcast.

    34 min

  8. OCT 31

    S1 - Ep 6 – Round 5: From Post-Punk to Roots Reggae, the Police Patrol the Bracket

    Shawn and Craig are back for Round 5 of the Vinyl 4 Podcast! Another batch of 16 albums, randomly selected from Rolling Stone’s Top 500, go head-to-head as the guys narrow it down to 4 more finalists. This week’s bracket spans genres and eras — from Carole King’s timeless songwriting to the country-rock of The Flying Burrito Brothers, the classic charm of Patsy Cline, and the sharp, rhythmic pulse of The Police. Expect plenty of surprises, spirited debated, and a few tough eliminations along the way. While they forgot to share their usual “should’ve made the list” picks this round, don’t worry — that tradition picks back up next episode. 📩 Subscribe and follow on your favorite podcast platform to keep up with the brackets. 🎶 Got your own picks or snubs? Drop us a line at vinylfourpodcast@gmail.com. 📸 Follow us on Instagram for behind-the-scenes posts, polls, and bracket updates —  @VinylFourPodcast ​

    32 min
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About

The Vinyl 4 Podcast, brought to you by Signal Syndicate Productions, puts a tournament spin on the Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums of All Time. Each week, Shawn and Craig face off with 16 randomly selected records, whittling them down through head-to-head matchups until only the ultimate “Vinyl 4” remains. Equal parts music nerdery and bracket madness, it’s a fresh take on discovering classics, debating favorites, and having fun with the albums that shaped music history.

Information

  • Creator
    Shawn Farmer
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Vinyl Four Podcast
  • Show Website
    Vinyl Four Podcast

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