I'm a teacher and my school year is winding down. I teach a journalism class and we're getting into reviews/criticism and I thought it would be fun to give them a song project. The basic idea I have in mind is to create some sort of spreadsheet/Google Doc, separated by decades in which I have 10-15 albums listed by Artist, Album Name and Genre. I'm going to make the kids pick at least 3 albums from different decades (or different genres or genres that they don't tend to listen to or something like that, I haven't fleshed this part out yet) and write a review about the album. My hope is that I can open it up to all of my students as a fun way to spark discussion and earn some extra credit points. Since I'm a selfish jerk, I'm going to take first shots at the slots for each decade. I also don't want it to turn into an argument over what bands fall into what specific genres, so I'm going to try to be as basic as possible with how I label shit (Rock/Hip Hop/R&B/Pop/Alternative or something like that, 99% of the kids won't give a shit anyway). If I can think of enough/you guys have a ton of suggestions, I can obviously raise the list to more than 15 albums. I'm thinking a mix of classics that they may not have gotten around to yet (most of my kids aren't too into music/searching out music past the 00s, so anything is fair game) as well as some more obscure albums/albums that made you fall in love with music in high school. What I'm asking of the thread/what I think this could turn into: -Suggestions for albums/artists from specific decades. I'd prefer to have it organized "Artist - Album, 19**, Genre" to make it easier on myself -A place for me to post reviews of what my kids think of seminal albums that they probably have never heard of before -A place for rankings and arguments and all the other dumb stuff that usually takes place on this site to happen as discussion takes place
@cshadows2887 I feel like you'd be into this. I also don't feel like tagging everyone else on this site I talk to
Off the top of my head The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead, 1986, pop/rock Radiohead - Ok Computer, 1997, rock A Tribe Called Quest - Low End Theory, 1991, hip hop Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, 1998, rock Fleetwood Mac - Rumours, 1977, pop Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run, 1975, rock
this sounds really cool. what age are the kids that you teach if I can ask? id imagine fairly older since Journalism sounds like a class for young adults or older.
Death Cab for Cutie-Transatlanticism-2003-Indie Rock Yellowcard-Southern Air-2012-Pop punk Grateful Dead-American Beauty-1970-americana/folk rock The Dark Side of the Moon-1973-rock In high school, listening to Transatlanticism was around the time I really started to listen to albums as a whole and appreciate albums in general. Also opened me up to indie/softer music after listening to heavier stuff in grade school. Southern Air just hit me at the right time as well and is a great summer album for this time of year.
Journalism is my 11th/12th grade elective class but I'm going to open it up to my 10th graders as extra credit
Funny, I had my kids look up reviews for albums that they enjoy today and one of my kids was looking up reviews for Transatlanticism. Awesome to see young people still getting into it!
ok cool, that opens up because I was hesitant to suggest something like Pinkerton since it has themes of sex and mental illness haha. this is really cool though. ill think up some more and post them in the morning
I'm trying to figure out how to deal with explicit albums. Maybe like code them as "red" or something with a warning that these albums contain explicit lyrics? I haven't had any issues so far but idk what the deal would be if a kid/parent gets offended by the content of an album
i thought youd appreciate that haha. every student in america needs to hear "Thunder Road" and "Dont Stop"
Nirvana - In Utero, 1993, rock Jimmy Eat World - Clarity, 1999, rock Sigur Rós - Agætis Byrjun, 1999, rock Deftones - White Pony, 2000, metal Just some off the top of my head right now without looking into my library
Steely Dan - Aja 1977 Rock Simon and Garfunkel - Sounds of Silence 1966 pop/rock The Beatles - Revolver 1966 pop/rock Awesome idea!
I hesitated to include White Pony since it came out in 2000, but figured I could fit it in as an important album to metal
Bjork - Debut, 1995, pop Kate Bush - Hounds of Love, 1985, pop Feist - The Reminder, 2007, pop Hole - Live Through This, 1994, rock Sleater-Kinney - Dig Me Out, 1997, rock
Rush - Moving Pictures, 1981, rock Queen - A Night At The Opera, 1975, rock The National - Boxer, 2007, indie rock Bon Iver - S/T, 2011, indie folk
Here's some that I think are less likely to be posted than some traditional AP favs: Van Morrison - Moondance, 1970, rock/pop (although if this and Astral aren't on there I don't know you anymore) Talking Heads - Remain in Light, 1980, rock Patti Smith - Horses, 1975, rock Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks, 1975, rock/folk R.E.M. - Reckoning, 1984, rock Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation, 1988, rock Big Star - Radio City, 1974, rock/pop Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, 1998, folk/country The Byrds - Sweetheart of the Radio, 1968, folk/country The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers, 1971, rock Uncle Tupelo - Anodyne, 1993, rock/country Pavement - Crooked Rain Crooked Rain, 1994, rock
s/t - Crosby, Stills, & Nash (1969) #1 Record - Big Star (1972) Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables - Dead Kennedys (1980) It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back - Public Enemy (1988) Mezmerize/Hypnotize - System of a Down (2005) Telefone - Noname (2016)
Also, if you're gonna have them listen to Born to Run you gotta have them listen to Darkness on the Edge of Town and The River and Nebraska as well. Only fair that after experiencing the exhilarating romantic wonder of adolescence they are warned about the bone-crushing reality of adulthood.