How the hell...? Rock's 15 unlikeliest success stories, ranked
Some bands shouldn’t have existed: chaotic line-ups, clueless musicians, or impossible personalities. Yet these 15 acts defied the odds — and changed music forever
The strange tale of The Beach Boys' 'Smile': paranoia, breakdowns, and a haunting lost masterpiece
Brian Wilson’s doomed Smile was meant to outshine Pet Sounds. Instead, it collapsed into paranoia, fragments, and myth — becoming rock’s greatest unfinished masterpiece
Sometimes even great composers write terrible music
Genius doesn’t guarantee you will create a winner every time, writes Richard Morrison
Five things to know before buying an acoustic guitar
Let us help find the best acoustic guitar for you
'Perverted': how Stalin's anger left Shostakovich fearing for his life
These 11 bands honestly sounded like no one else
From Captain Beefheart’s surreal blues to Can’s hypnotic Krautrock, these 11 bands redefined music, creating sounds that were utterly unique
Ranked: the 15 greatest Latin American composers of all time
From Afro-Cuban rhythms to the tango, Peruvian folklore to Mexican popular song, the distinctive classical music of Latin America and the Spanish Caribbean draws on diverse influences. Janet Crane introduces its composers
Hatred in classical music: nine works dripping with anger, fury and outrage
How hatred inspired some of our most famous composers and their music
Black Sabbath: all 19 of their albums ranked, from worst to best
From genre-defining classics to cult curiosities, we rank all 19 Black Sabbath albums — the highs, lows, and heavy milestones that shaped metal’s dark legacy
These 12 iconic album covers all have stories to tell
From Abbey Road conspiracy theories to Joy Division’s mysterious pulsar lines, here are 11 classic album covers with stories as fascinating as the songs inside
Meet the most fascinating figures from classical music
The night the 1960s died: the Rolling Stones' notorious Altamont debacle
The dream of peace and music ended among rancour, blood, and broken ideals at a hastily arranged rock festival in the burnt-orange dusk of 1969’s final days
Ranked: the 11 greatest rock movies of all time
Rock and cinema collided in unforgettable ways. From Beatlemania to Pink Floyd in Pompeii, these 11 films defined how rock looks and feels
Wendy Carlos: the trans pioneer who created Stanley Kubrick’s creepiest soundscapes
Discover the bold, brilliant world of Wendy Carlos—electronic music pioneer, innovator, and trailblazing figure in sound and identity.
The great composers
Explore the lives and works of classical music's finest composers
Composers who died young: 12 prodigious musical talents who didn't see 40
Many composers have died very young and often, we assume, at the height of their creative powers. Jeremy Pound explores the lives of 12 composers who died before reaching their 40th birthday.
Culture war! When a 1960s critic dared to compare The Beatles to Mahler
Henriëtte Bosmans: the Dutch-Jewish composer who bravely confronted the Nazis in person
Amid the terrors of Nazi oppression, the Dutch-Jewish composer showed admirable fearlessness and passion, says Rebecca Franks
Alma Mahler: narcissist, adulterer... and one of music's most colourful characters
Thwarted as a composer, was Gustav Mahler's wife, Alma Mahler, really a ‘boundless narcissist’? Perhaps a troubled soul lurked beneath...
Greatest Recordings
Our recommendations of essential additions to your listening library
What if? 9 abandoned albums that could have changed rock history
From abandoned rock operas to lost masterpieces, these 9 cancelled albums might have rewritten musical history — if only they’d made it out of the studio alive
These 11 pivotal albums saved their creators from oblivion
From last-chance gambles to against-all-odds comebacks, these 12 albums pulled their creators back from the brink of rock’n’roll oblivion
Eagles albums ranked — and no, 'Hotel California' doesn't come out on top
Discover where every Eagles album ranks—from timeless classics to underrated gems—and find out which record truly soars above the rest in our definitive guide
Best Beethoven recordings of all time: 21 incredible Beethoven releases
We name the best albums and recordings every Beethoven lover needs to add to their collection
Albums of the week
A selection of the best reviewed albums from the latest issue of BBC Music Magazine
Review: Purcell – Complete Suites and Other Music for Keyboard
In her review, Kate Bolton-Porciatti believes pianist Cristian Sandrin has set the bar with his thrilling modern take on Purcell keyboard gems
Review: Moonlight Variations (Pablo Ferrández)
Cellist Pablo Ferrández serves up an appetising menu of works, perfectly played and curated, says Jo Talbot in her review
Review: For Dieter... (Benjamin Appl)
Benjamin Appl’s heartfelt and imaginative album homage to Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau is cherishable, says Natasha Loges in her review
Audio equipment reviews and advice
A selection of the best reviewed albums from the latest issue of BBC Music Magazine