All Things Rock is made by people who are passionate about discovering and sharing new music. Here are a few playlists that have been carefully curated to share some hidden gems you may not have heard, and that go beyond the recommendations of Spotify’s algorithm. Enjoy!
Discover New Music!
For fans of All Things Rock: Here is an ever-changing playlist of brand-new bands, obscurities and forgotten gems. For timeless melodies, check out Unpeople, Teenage Wrist, Learn To Drive and The Night Flight Orchestra. For cutting-edge electronica and soulful vocals, give Paris Monster and Sola Akingbola a listen. Gnome bring the classic stoner rock riffs, Kyros somehow combine Duran Duran with metal, and Frost* prove that the future of prog is in good hands. If you have any songs to suggest for this ever-changing list, send them over using the link below!
Forgotten 90s Gems
Whether the 90s was the best decade for rock music (in all its forms) is up for debate. It certainly brought an exciting wave of post-Nirvana invention, built on foundations of amazing songs. This ever-changing playlist is stuffed full of lesser-known 90s songs from greats such as Silverchair, 3 Colours Red, Idlewild, Kerbdog, Eve 6, Ash, Presidents of the USA, MxPx, Placebo, Smoking Popes, Symposium, Alisha’s Attic, Smashing Pumpkins, China Drum, Skunk Anansie and Everclear. Who else would you add?
21st Century Thrash
How long will people continue to hark back only to the ‘glory days’ of 80s thrash? While Thrash Metal was born in the 80s and gave us the classics such as Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, Testament and countless others, the reality is that Thrash is very much alive and well in the 20s. Bands such as Havok, Municipal Waste and Insanity Alert are absolute masters of pint-in-the-air thrashers. What’s more, you could argue that Exodus, Death Angel, Megadeth and, yes, even Metallica, sound better now than ever. Here are some 21st Century classics for ya!
Shiver Songs
Those rare moments when a song sends a shiver down your spine… Tearjerkers… The ‘Feels’. It could be a poignant lyric, a beautiful vocal, a shimmering melody, or a crushing crescendo. Here is a compilation of some such moments, featuring incredible artists such as Tori Amos, Eels, Silverchair and Lorde. What would you like to add?
Best Cover Versions
We all know the greats: Jeff Buckley’s ‘Hallelujah’, Sinead O’Connor’s ‘Nothing Compares 2U’ etc. But have you heard China Drum’s noisy punk version of Kate Bush’s ‘Wuthering Heights’, and Sons of Pitches’ a capella version of the same song? Brass Against’s trumpet & trombone interpretation of Tool? Muse having fun with Duran Duran in a Radio 1 Live Lounge session? TOTO repaying Weezer’s amazing cover of ‘Africa’ by making their own version of ‘Hash Pipe’? Fear Factory’s version of Gary Numan’s ‘Cars’, which is better than the original? There are loads here - and what else would you add? Send in your suggestions!
Driving at Night
A late-night drive is the perfect time to immerse yourself in timeless music that gives you the chance to reflect. Solid 4/4 beats, singalong lyrics and poignant melodies are just what you need for some soul-searching.
Skin’s Chill Zone
This playlist is lovingly borrowed from Skin, the incredible singer from Skunk Anansie. Skin has compiled an incredible playlist of chillout songs, with a variety of RnB, pop, soul, indie, rock and funk. Our personal favourites include ‘Ain’t Together’ by the enigmatic King Princess, the timeless ‘Numb’ by Portishead, and ‘Oh Canada’ by Nadia Reid. This is a great playlist to have on in the background. Thanks, Skin!
The Wildhearts - Best of
The Wildhearts are, without doubt, one of the greatest British rock bands ever. If you combined the spirit of The Ramones, the melodies of The Beatles, the confident riffs of Metallica and the brute force of early Guns ‘n’ Roses, then mixed in Ginger’s Geordie grit, you might end up with something along the lines of The Wildhearts. With such a weighty discography, it can be hard to know where to start - so we’ve done the heavy lifting for you.
Deftones - Best of
Ranking all the Deftones albums is hard enough, but trying to compile a ‘Best of’ playlist is even harder. Deftones simply don’t make bad songs. To appreciate them fully, you need to pick one of the albums and immerse yourself in it, going on the full journey Chino, Stef, Abe and the crew originally intended. For newcomers, this playlist gives a good cross-section of their different styles, sometimes brutally heavy and other times gloriously ethereal. To go further down the Chino Moreno rabbit hole, his other projects Crosses and Team Sleep are highly recommended too.