FEATURES Essays, opinions & rankings RANKINGNeil Young’s greatest albums ranked and reviewed! 1968-1975 | Part 2From his pristine eponymous debut through to the first post-’ditch’ record, Zuma, 1968-1975 forms the first great era of Neil Young’s discography. Read the final part of our ranking, from 4-1.27 June 2026 RANKINGNeil Young’s greatest albums ranked and reviewed! 1968-1975 | Part 1From his pristine eponymous debut through to the first post-’ditch’ record, Zuma, 1968-1975 forms the first great era of Neil Young’s discography. Read the first part of our ranking, from No. 8 - No. 5.20 June 2026 MUSEUM OF YOUTH CULTUREA short history of youth culture in 10 iconic photos: punks, mods, ravers & more! The Museum of Youth Culture’s extensive collection includes countless iconic photographs, amassed over three decades of archive building. Celebrating mods, punks, breakdancers, ravers and everyone in between, these images capture the vibrancy of youth cultures across the decades.20 June 2026 NEIL YOUNG‘I don’t care if it’s out of tune’: Neil Young’s Tonight’s the Night in the age of machinesIn an era of confected studio production, Neil Young recorded Tonight’s the Night, one of the rawest and most desolate albums ever made. David Rea explores the live recording philosophy behind the masterpiece and how it might soon be seen as the AI revolution takes hold.12 June 2026 ELLIOTT SMITHWhen Elliott Smith awed a TV studio — and silenced the raucous 90sAt almost the exact midpoint of the 1990s, a relatively unknown Elliott Smith appeared on FX's Breakfast Time. What followed was a quietly powerful antidote to that loud and boisterous decade.6 June 2026 MAKING A MASTERPIECE‘They all wanted to be the front man’: how the Stone Roses made their classic debut albumBeginning with shambolic preproduction, driven by a puritanical work ethic and featuring last-minute moments of inspiration, David Rea explores the novelistic story behind The Stone Roses’ classic debut album.16 May 2026 HOW THEY WROTE THE SONG‘I've come up for air after years underground’: Emma Swift tells the story behind No Happy EndingsInvolving a therapy session, an LA hotel room and a Greek myth, Emma Swift tells State of Sound the moving story behind her gorgeously cinematic ‘No Happy Endings’. ‘Are you finishing the song,’ she wonders, ‘or is the song finishing you?’Photo: Nicola Harger23 May 2026 RANKINGThe 10 greatest alt-country albums, reviewed and ranked!Alt-country has always given the polished twang of mainstream country a roughened edge, drawing from the countercultural snarl of punk, the kooky charms of indie pop, rockabilly, bluegrass or Southern rock. Here is State of Sound’s ranking of the greatest alt-country albums, from No. 10 to No. 1.16 May 2026 MAKING A MASTERPIECE ‘Like a long dead ghost trying to make contact’: how Wilco made Yankee Hotel FoxtrotInvolving Cold War spy recordings, drug addiction and music industry landmarks, Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot has been called a fable and a masterpiece. David Rea does a deep dive into the plots and subplots which created the band’s greatest album.16 May 2026 NEXT PAGE »
