It happened 32 years ago today. On a Tuesday.
All was quiet on the Sunset Strip. The longhaired, Spandex-clad metal dinosaurs were fat, arrogant and sleepy. They didn’t notice the indie-rock meteor hurtling out of the sky directly at them. Even if they had spotted it, they probably couldn’t have cared less — couldn’t have believed for a second that it could harm them in the slightest, let alone spell their imminent doom. After all, it was just some dumb album by three ugly nobodies from Seattle. They dressed in street clothes. Their hair looked dirty. The album cover had a picture of a naked baby swimming after a dollar bill on a fishhook. And it had songs with titles like Smells Like Teen Spirit, Lithium and Territorial Pissings. Yep, it’s been 32 years since Nevermind arrived on Sept. 24, 1991. And a little less than 32 years since grunge took over the world and rock was changed immeasurably and forever. Will any of the 460-plus new albums, EPs, singles, box sets, compilations, anthologies, retrospectives, soundtracks, vinyl reissues and cassettes arriving next week have the same impact and longevity? Peruse the list and place your bets:
Ahmed Abdullah | A Strange Celestial Road: My Time In The Sun Ra Orkestra (Book)
Able Machines | Digital Precision
Gracie Abrams | Good Riddance Deluxe Edition
A Day To Remember | For Those Who Have Heart Reissue
Marja Ahti | Tender Membranes
Aiza | Sovereignty
AK | Let The Birds Sing Single
Alex Albrecht | Violet Visionary
Alfonsvs | Maybe Memories Are Our Only Relief EP
Alicja-Pop | I’m Here I’m There / Not Gonna Be Dumb
Altinbas | Reshape
AmyReal & DJ Ellie | Monkey Ball 2: A Video Essay
Trey Anastasio Band | Sep. 30, 2023 | Sound on Sound, Bridgeport, CT
Anatomy | Anomaly
Animal Collective | Isn’t It Now?
Annalisa | E Poi Siamo Finiti Nel Vvortice
Arborescence Of Wrath | Inferno
Armand Hammer | We Buy Diabetic Test Strips
Viken Arman | Alone Together
Ashbringer | We Came Here To Grieve
Asinhell | Iimpii Hora
Assucena | Lusco-Fusco
Asynchrone | Plastic Bamboo
Atka | A Kiválasztott
The Atom Age | The Atom Age
Dan Auerbach | Keep It Hid Reissue
Matt Badger | Lullabies
Bad History Month | God Is Luck
Kurt Baker | Rock N Roll Club
Bandit Bandit | 11:11
Basic Rhythm | Zenith
Al Basile | B’s Time
Bassajam | Real Step
Bear | Vanta
Lane Beckstrom | Looking Out
Max Beesley’s High Vibes | Zeus
Antoine Bellanger | Le Jardin Perdu / Talweg
Martina Berther & Philipp Schlotter | Matt
Émile Bilodeau | Au Bar Des Espoirs
Blackbriar | A Dark Euphony
Blackest Dawn | Twisted Place
Black Stone Cherry | Screamin’ At The Sky
The Blaze Velluto Collection | What’s On Your Mind?
Blodet | Death Mother
Blonde Redhead | Sit Down For Dinner
Blood Command | World Domination
Vera Bloom | It’s Me
Blue October | Spinning The Truth Around Part 2
Blues Lawyer | Sight Gags On The Radio
Sandra Bouza | A Sound In The Dark
Boy Named Banjo | Dusk
The Brand New Heavies | Never Stop… The Best Of
Luca Brasi | The World Don’t Owe You Anything
Broken Vow | Anthropocene
Harold Bronson | Time Has Come Today: Rock And Roll Diaries 1967-2007 (Book)
Joshua Bruneau | Sayin’ Somethin’
Molly Burch | Daydreamer
Bvdlvd | Absence
Chouk Bwa & The Ångströmers | Somanti
Caged | From Roving About the Earth
The Candlelights | Deathless
Career Woman | Grapevine EP
Cash Kidd | No Socks 3
Dolph Chaney | Cool In The Sunshine
Cherry Glazerr | I Don’t Want You Anymore
ChiaraOscuro | Rancor:Succor
Jeremiah Chiu | In Electric Time
Shawn Christmas | Stuck In Your Ruin
Club Winston | OK Enough
Code Orange The Above
Kara Cole | Waiting On You EP
Tyler Cole | Existential Crisis Boy: Part 1
Collapse Under The Empire | Recurring
Landon Conrath | I’m Alive… So It’s Fine EP
DJ Counselling | Inside A Blue Cube EP
Crabe | Visite Du Temple Inné
Charley Crockett | Live From The Ryman
Katie Cruel | Lost Vagus
Crush Of Souls | (A)Void Love
The Cure | Curepedia: The A–Z of The Cure By Simon Price (Book)
Buck Curran & Adele H | 13th Mountain
Andrew Cushin | Waiting For The Rain
Cut Capers | Sightseeing & Short Negotiations
CV & Jab | Κλίμα (Klima)
CybercrashersTV / Concrete Castles | Kenopsia
Tibi Dabo | Vista
Dark The Suns | Raven And The Nightsky
Datarock | Media Consumption Pyramid
Liam Davis | Baddie
Dazbee | Orbit
Jerry David Decicca | New Shadows
Death’s Dynamic Shroud | Castle デザイア
Defcee & Messiah Musik | The Golem of Brooklyn Soundtrack
Del Water Gap | I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet
Den Saakaldte | Pesten Som Tar Over
Jackie DeShannon | The Sherry Lee Show Vinyl
Descartes a Kant | After Destruction
Dessa | Bury The Lede
Bryce Dessner | She Came To Me Soundtrack
DgoHn & Badun | Talk To The Planets
Diamond Dogs | About The Hardest Nut To Crack
Dictator Ship | Electric Jihad
Dio | Dreamers Never Die DVD
Kenyon Dixon | The R&B You Love
Fefe Dobson | Emotion Sickness
Dope Lemon | Kimosbè
Johnny Dowd | Is Heaven Real? How Would I Know?
Valance Drakes | Hate Devours Its Host
Duster | Stratosphere 25th Anniversary Edition
Jeremy Dutcher | Motewolonuwok
Dwaal | Never Enough
Dyecrest | Once I Had A Heart
Jade Eagleson | Do It Anyway
David Eugene Edwards | Hyacinth
The Electric Nature | The Skies Parted And All The Angels Fell From Heaven
Electronic | Get The Message: The Best Of Electronic
Dennis Ellsworth | Modern Hope
Emile | Spirit
Empress Of | Kiss Me (ft. Rina Sawayama)
Empty Head | Tales Of A Modern Man EP
Equipment | Alt.Account
Equipment Pointed Ankh | Downtown!
Eskmo | Oxygen
Evaboy | Beef
The Evening Sons | Tracks
Evie | Le Hic, Etc.
Eye | Honolulu / Saigon
Eyes Of The Amaryllis | Perceptible to Everyone
Family | Fearless Expanded Edition
Fast Romantics | Happiness + Euphoria
Fat Freddy’s Drop | Blackbird Returns
Fearing | Destroyer
Rob Feather | Nest
Feid | Mor No Le Temas A La Oscuridad
Field of Fear | Beyond the Reach of Light
Filth Is Eternal | Find Out
Scott Fisher | Kingdom Of Ego
Daniel Fishkin | Dark Listening
Flaws | Coalescence
Flooding | Silhouette Machine
La Force | XO Skeleton
Tom Frane | Unstable
Pia Fraus | Evening Colours
Freddy Fresh | 35 Years of Music
Freude | Salz
Friendship Commanders | Mass
Becky G | Esquinas
Lucy Gaffney | Daydream In Tokyo EP
Ananya Ganesh | Precis-Loving
Gangar | Stubb
Evangeline Gentle | Where The Diamonds Are
The Gestures | The Gestures
Girl Scout | Granny Music EP
Kenny Glasgow | Mind Under Control
Glok | Gateway Mechanics: Live Electronic Sound
Mac Gollehon & the Hispanic Mechanics | Bite of the Street
Addison Grace | Driving Lessons
Grails | The Burden Of Hope Reissue
Grateful Dead | Wake Of The Flood 50th Anniversary Edition
Graveyard | 6
Great Lake Swimmers | Uncertain Country Deluxe
Green Day | Dookie 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
Gregorian | Pure Chants I
Grove Street | The Path To Righteousness
Gunship | Unicorn
Gustavoegatotv | Pista 6.0
Gypsy | In The Garden
Nick Haeffner | What Time Can Do
Haim | Days Are Gone 10th Anniversary
Karen Harding | Take Me Somewhere
James Hargreaves | Onwards and Upwards
Harms Way | Common Suffering
Hartle Road | MAXX II
Haunt The Woods | Ubiquity
Walker Hayes | New Money
Miho Hazama | m_unit: Beyond Orbits
Hearsay | Glossolalia
Heavy Lungs | All Gas No Brakes
Nico Hedley | Nico Hedley Wants to Sing It So Loud That It Makes It Alright
Helve | To Be Forgotten
Hemlocke Springs | Going…Going…GONE! EP
Hidden Orchestra | To Dream is to Forget
Eric Hilton | Corazón Kintsugi
Hiromi | Blue Giant Soundtrack
The Hirsch Effekt | Urian
Billie Holiday | Great Women of Song: Billie Holiday
Dale Hollow | Hack of The Year
Hollow Deck | Over East
Holy Mountain / Cobra Noir | Split EP
Honestly Same | Hot Plate Only
Honeymoan | Sorry Like You Mean It
The Howdies | Howdies All Around
The Howling | Incredible Night Creatures of the Midway
Angelina Hunter Trio | Let It Slide
Gregory Hutchinson | Da Bang
I Am Low | Úma
Idea Fire Company | Bathroom Electronics
Inn Echo | Hemispheres
Into It. Over It. | 15 Years
I.P.A. | Grimsta
Iron Altar | Promethean
Jason Isbell | Southeastern 10th Anniversary Edition
Islet | Soft Fascination
IU | IU Concert: The Golden Hour
Ive | Either Way
Iya Shillelagh | WaterWeight
Jaguero | New Love EP
Jaloo | Quero Te Ver Gozar
Jemek Jemowit | Zemsta
Kenneth Jimenez, Michaël Attias, Francisco Mela | Caribú
Jlin | Perspective
Jobs | Soft Sounds
Darius Jones | fLuXkit Vancouver (i̶t̶s̶ suite but sacred)
The Julies | Always & Always
Tony K | Right Now Single
Kep1er | Magic Hour
Cash Kidd | No Socks 3
Kilometre Club | How To Unravel
Ohzora Kimishima 君島大空 | No Public Sounds
Nina Kinert | Religious
King Nun | Lamb
KK’s Priest | The Sinner Rides Again
Beverley Knight | The Fifth Chapter
Kotiomkin | Le Casalingue: The Satanic Rites of Cobram
Theo Kottis | Solar
Jung Kook | 3D (ft. Jack Harlow)
Koyo | Would You Miss It?
Kevin Krash | Harsh
Ulrich Krieger | Aphotic II: Abyssal
Eloh Kush & Reckonize Real | Pillarz
L.A.B. | Casanova Single
Natalia Lacunza | Duro
Ladaniva | Ladaniva
LANY | I Really Really Hope So
Yusef Lateef | Eastern Sounds
Leisure | Leisurevision
Lespecial | Odd Times
Igor Levit | Fantasia
LGoony | Sad Sad Story
Lightlorn | At One With The Night Sky
LIl Darkie | Do You Love Me
Walter Lloyd | Dopamine
Lord Of The Isles & Ellen Renton | My Noise Is Nothing
Lindsay Lou | Queen Of Time
Russell Louder | Fair-weather
Manu Louis | Club Copy
Connie Lovatt | Coconut Mirror
LP | Love Lines
Lucia & The Best Boys | Burning Castles
Luggage | Hand Is Bad
Luminatrix | Antihero
Luna Luna | L.L. EP
LVCRFT | V
Dustin Lynch | Killed The Cowboy
Lyrical Lemonade | TBA
Machine Woman | When Elegance Becomes Violence
Russ Macklem | The South Detroit Connection
Valentina Magaletti | La Tempesta Colorata
Major RD | Ascensão Do Cisne Negro
Maxo | Debbie’s Son
Mazandaran | Mazandaran
Meat Puppets | Camp Songs Reissue
Meat Puppets | In A Car Reissue
Meat Puppets | Up On The Sun Reissue
Meatraffle | Base and Superstructure
Meet Me @ The Altar | Past // Present // Future Deluxe
Melenas | Ahora
Otis Mensah | Winterskin
Metejoor | Joris
Metro Riders | Lost In Reality
Midnight Kids | The Long Way Home
Angående Mig | Manden / Mig
Miles & Mafale | Be Brave
Colin Miller | Haw Creek
John R. Miller | Heat Comes Down
Mirna | Redemption (ft. Derajah) Single
MKUltra | I’m A Bug
Modern Nature | No Fixed Point In Space
Ricky Montgomery | Rick
Moondog | Songs & Symphoniques: The Music Of Moondog
Moonlight Sorcery | Horned Lord of the Thorned Castle
Moonspell | The Antidote 20th Anniversary
Charlotte Morris | Wild Child
Motel Thieves | Compos Mentis
Mrch | TV Bliss EP
Skarra Mucci | Perfect Timing
Mae Muller | Sorry I’m Late
MurMur | Genuine Leather
Wolfgang Muthspiel | Dance Of The Elders
Mystery Dates | Who Are Mystery Dates?
Yuka Nagase | Launchvox
MJ Nebreda | Arepa
The Neighbourhood | I Love You 10th Anniversary Edition
Casey Neil& The Norway Rats | Sending Up Flares
Haru Nemuri | Insaint EP
Nervosa | Jailbreak
The New Order | The New Order Reissue
Mike Nigro | Low Light
Nihiloxica | Source of Denial
Ayjay Nils | Okay, Wait Wait Wait
Vash Noir & Earoh | Everything Noir
No-No Boy | Empire Electric
Notaker | Echoes In Eternity
Héctor Oaks & Sita Abellan | Fuego Universal
Ocean of Lotion | LouiLouiLoui
Odalie | Puissante Vulnérabilité
Of Virtue | Omen
Oh Land | Loop Soup
Old Man Canyon | So Long Babyon EP
Rex Omar | Rex Omar
Omnivortex | Circulate
Oneohtrix Point Never | Again
100 Guitares Sur Un Bateau Ivre | Bateau Ivre
Oqbqbo & Scandinavian Star | Water Tiger
The Orb & David Gilmour | Metallic Spheres In Colour Reissue
Pachyman | Switched-On
Pacifica | Freak Scene
Emil Palme | Ripen
Pink Pantheress | Mosquito
Teri Parker | Shaping the Invisible
Percheye | Demi-Mesure
Picture This | Parked Car Conversations
Jeff Plankenhorn | Alone at Sea
Polyrhythmics | Filter System
Cindy Pooch | In Nomine Corpus
Primordial | How It Ends
Professor Green | Pop Shxt
Psing Psong Psung | Only Fan
Pulses. | It Wasn’t Supposed To Be Like This
Ragers | Missed Calls From Home
Jesse Ray and the Carolina Catfish | Sick-N-Tired
Zander Raymond | To Have Several Lives Remastered
Razen | Hier l’An 4000
Gerry Read | The Truth Is Coming Out Single
Red | Rated R
Reefuh | Drive Us Home
Rosa Rendl | Stonehenge
Sebastian Reynolds | Canary
Thomas Rhett | 20 Number Ones
Jason Ricci And The Bad Kind | Behind the Veil
Matana Roberts | Coin Coin Chapter Five: In The Garden…
Rocky’s Pride and Joy | All the Colours of Darkness
Rorcal | Silence
Royal Canoe | Today We’re Believers 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
Rubbabandz | Manslaughter Vol. 2
Rudimentary Peni | Farce Reissue
Ruin Lust | Dissimulant
The Runaways | Neon Angels on the Road to Ruin 1976-1978
Dasha Rush | Contemplating
Sadlands | Sadlands
Ryuichi Sakamoto | Ongaku Zukan Reissue
Samba De La Muerte | Ornament
Savage Ga$p & Kamaara | In My Restless Dreams, I See You
Say She She | Silver
School Drugs | Procession EP
Seablite | Lemon Lights
Richard Sears | Appear to Fade
Seawind Of Battery & Ragenap | Chaos Life Preserver
Sematary | King Of The Graveyard
Setting | Shone A Rainbow Light On
Seventeen | Always Yours
The Sextones | Love Can’t Be Borrowed
Shaded | Nasty Freak EP
Doug E Shaffer | Spark Of Life
Ed Sheeran | Autumn Variations
Water Shrew Trio | Water Shrew Trio
Todd Sickafoose | Bear Proof
Sigala | Every Cloud
Maria Elena Silva | Dulce
Silverstein | Discovering The Waterfront Vinyl Reissue
Sim | Playdead
Fabian Simon & The Moon Machine | Der Staub der Tage
Sinnery | Below The Summit
’68 | Yes, and...
Siz | Blind
Skam | No Name
Slaney Bay | Why Does Love Mean Loss? EP
Sleep Theory | Paper Hearts EP
Slow Pulp | Yard
The Small Intestines | Hide in Time
Jorja Smith | Falling Or Flying
Nate Smith | Nate Smith Deluxe Edition
Cleo Sol | Gold
Solipnosis | Síntesis Silenciosa
Daniel Son & Wino Willy | Gris-Gris
Soul Central | Strings Of Life / Un Amore Supremo (2023 Mixes)
Spinners | Ain’t No Price On Happiness: The Thom Bell Studio Recordings (1972-1979)
Diana Starshine | Fairy Pop
Lucia Stavros | Burn You Up
Steely Dan | Aja Remastered
Stepmother | Planet Brutalicon
Rome Streetz | Noise Kandy 5
John P. Strohm | Something To Look Forward To
Stromboli | Drang
Joel Styzens | Resonance
Sullen Eyes | Hardwood Floors And A Hand To Hold
Superlynx | 4 10
Taotopia | Glitch
Taproot | Sc\ssrs
Teenage Sequence | Teenage Sequence
Tengger | Tengger
The Tenors | Christmas With The Tenors
Termina | Soul Elegy
Jonathan Tetelman | The Great Puccini
Thanks For Coming | What Is My Capacity To Love? EP
311 | Music 30th Anniversary Edition
Thundercat & Tame Impala | No More Lies 7″ Vinyl
Christopher Tignor | The Art of Surrender
Tokoyami Towa | Aster
Oliver Tree | Alone In A Crowd
Trivax | Eloah Burns Out
25-ji, Nightcord De. | Kimi No Yoruwo Kure / I Nandesu
Twisted Wizard | Pretty Good Right Now (ft. Beetlebat)
Tyga & YG | Hit Me When U Leave The Klub
Ufo361 | Drone Damaggge
Adrian Underhill | After This
Urine Hell / Nüde | Split
Lori Vambe | Space-Time Dreamtime
Luuk Van Dijk | The Message EP
Various Artists | The Belgian Soundtrack: A Musical Connection of Belgium with Cinema (1961-1979)
Various Artists | Box Of Sin
Various Artists | Disco Discharge Presents: Box of Sin
Various Artists | Duploc 100
Various Artists | Gangsta Art 2
Various Artists | Heavenly Recordings: Heavenly Remixes Vol. 7
Various Artists | Into Tomorrow: The Spirit of Mod 1983-2000
Various Artists | More Than A Whisper: Celebrating The Music of Nanci Griffith
Various Artists | The Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions Project: The Task Has Overwhelmed Us
Various Artists | Songs And Symphoniques: The Music Of Moondog
Various Artists | Stax Christmas
Sarah Vaughan | Great Women of Song
The Vaughns | Egg Everything
The Blaze Velluto Collection | What’s on Your Mind?
Charlie Vettuno | Lime Juice EP
Viper | You’ll Cowards Don’t Even Smoke Crack 3
Vistas | Is This All We Are?
Vulgarian | End Stage
Waldgeflüster | Unter Bronzenen Kronen
Carter Wallenius | The Oasis
Danny Ward & Reality | Danny Ward & Reality
Raia Was | Captain Obvious
Wesley & The Boys | Switchblade Twist
Kai Whiston | Xul2
Blanco White | Tarifa
Wilco | Cousin
Kamaal Williams | Stings
Ann Wilson & Tripsitter | Another Door
Jason Wilson & Ashara | Jason Wilson & Ashara
Patrick Wilson | It’ll Be Alright
Steven Wilson | The Harmony Codex
Wishbone Ash | Live Dates Live
Within Temptation | Ritual
Wolves In The Throne Room | Crypt of Ancestral Knowledge EP
The Woods | So Long Before Now
Sven Wunder | Late Again
XG | New DNA
Xqui | Nights That Went On Too Long
Xzeannoonn | Twenty
Eri Yamamoto | Colors of the Night Trio
Yearning | MMXXII
Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad | Jazz Is Dead19: Instrumentals
Your Favorite Martian | Iamverybadazz
Le Youth | About Us
Yung Prostate | Sick
Zounds: Can’t Cheat Karma / War / Subvert Reissue
Zvrra | City of Winners
