The Zane Lowe Interview Series

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.

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.

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.”

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.

The host of her namesake show as well as R&B Now, Nadeska Alexis brings a one-of-a-kind, truly global and diverse perspective to music and culture. Although she proudly reps New York City, she was born in Grenada to a huge family and moved to Brooklyn when she was 11, which is where her musical education blossomed. “Living in Grenada for the first few years of my life meant that reggae and soca music were the sounds that I naturally heard all around me—those sounds still very much feel like home to me,” she says. “But the earliest musical memory that sticks in my mind was spending time with my cousins after school and watching hip-hop and R&B videos. I was a little too young to fully understand what I was seeing, but it made an impression, and when I moved to the States I became fully immersed in that culture. It gave me a unique musical education.” Nadeska—who made her name as a music journalist and cohosted Complex’s breakout hit video series Everyday Struggle—brings that unique viewpoint to everything she does. “My show is crafted from the perspective of a young Black woman who’s experienced many different cultures growing up; that has given me an appreciation for multiple genres and how often they overlap,” she says. “My goal is always to leave listeners with something new that feels familiar at the same time." Hear her on The Nadeska Show every Friday at 7 am LA, 10 am NY, and 3 pm London on Apple Music 1, plus Fridays at 8 am LA, 11 am NY, and 4 pm London on R&B Now Radio.

Rap isn’t just a genre, it’s a way of life. And Rap Life is where people who live and breathe the culture come for their fix of everything popping in the world of hip-hop. Apple Music's weekly Rap Life show will go beyond our playlist of the same name and even deeper into the culture. You’ll hear from Ebro Darden and other Apple Music personalities in a mix of new music, artist interviews, and conversations about the tracks and trends shaping the state of rap today. If it happened this week in rap, it's on Rap Life, a show on Apple Music 1. Hear it every Friday at 10 a.m. LA, 1 p.m. NY, 6 p.m. LDN.