Steve Wright
Recent articles by Steve Wright
These 13 bands should have been immortal.... but each had one fatal flaw
From Badfinger to XTC, these bands had enough magic to conquer the world - but there was always a chink in their armour
Beatles albums ranked: all 13 Fab Four LPs, graded and rated
Journey with us through seven years of astonishing sonic experimentation, as we rank the 13 Beatles studio albums
These 15 iconic albums very nearly crashed before takeoff
Near-breakups, chaos and doubt: these 15 iconic albums almost never existed
These 13 bands got themselves banned from America
Banned for drugs, chaos, or politics: the 13 bands America wouldn't let in
These 12 Seventies rock gods struggled through the Eighties
The '70s more or less invented the rock gods. But the '80s found many of these icons struggling to adapt to the sounds of a new decade
Fusion! Jazz-rock's 15 greatest albums (one decade rules here)
From Miles Davis to Mahavishnu Orchestra, we run through the 15 greatest albums fusing jazz and rock into captivating new forms
Prog, glam, funk: 1972 blew rock wide open. And its 21 greatest albums are...
These 15 seminal albums from 1972 defined rock’s golden era - and shaped the music landscape forever
These 15 massive rock bands broke up right out of the blue
Sudden silence: 15 massive bands that vanished overnight, shocking fans and bandmates with their abrupt endings
Rock's nightmare bands: 15 groups that were an ordeal to be in
Behind the hits and hero worship, these 15 bands were war zones of ego, excess, betrayal and dysfunction
These 11 bands NEVER made a bad album
No duds allowed: 11 bands whose discographies are masterpieces of consistency and flawless quality
Ranked: rock's 21 most iconic frontwomen
From punk rebels to pop goddesses, these 21 frontwomen redefined charisma, power, and presence
1965 albums: ranking the 15 greatest LPs from the year rock grew up
1965: The year rock exploded, when Dylan went electric, The Beatles got deep, and music became ambitious, sophisticated art
These are the 25 greatest opening tracks in rock history
These 25 legendary tracks were the perfect opening salvo, instantly defining the sound and ambition of rock's greatest albums
These 15 classic albums all got off to an awful start
Money woes, clashing egoes, legal wrangles and pure grief: these 15 seminal LPs all had tortured beginnings
Led Zeppelin albums ranked: the rock gods' 9 LPs, from worst to best
From raw blues to epic rock grandeur, we rank every Led Zeppelin album—studio mastery, iconic riffs, and hidden gems included. Here's how the legends stack up
This might be rock's greatest year. And no, it's not 1971 or 1977
It doesn't often come up in discussions of rock's greatest years, but this '70s year saw defining statements from Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and more
These 11 classic rock albums all flirted with the occult
Steeped in mysticism, Satanic imagery and the occult, these 11 dark classics shocked, intrigued and influenced generations of musicians
These 17 bands were just no good without each other
Iconic bands who, apart, never managed to recreate the intoxicating musical chemistry they generated together
1980s albums: the greatest LP from each '80s year
From synth-pop to stadium rock, post-punk to art pop, here are the defining albums that shaped each unforgettable year of the 1980s
The 21 greatest rock and pop videos of all time
From Beatles promos to Peter Gabriel’s stop-motion masterpiece, these 21 unforgettable rock videos revolutionized the way we watch music
Ignored on release, this might be the most influential album of all time
1973 albums: 15 unforgettable LPs from rock's strangest year
1973: rock at its most unpredictable – prog, glam, and avant-garde collide in bizarre, brilliant albums that challenge, delight, and redefine what music could be
Ranked: Queen's 25 greatest songs
From operatic epics to hard rock anthems, we rank Queen’s 25 greatest songs – celebrating their theatrical flair and timeless musical brilliance
Rock's worst debuts: 15 icons who DIDN'T get it right first time
From tentative experiments to full-blown misfires, these debut albums prove even rock’s greatest heroes didn’t always start their journeys in style.