James Stafford

Although plenty of subsequent Bowie collections are far more comprehensive, none captured a specific moment in Bowie's evolution better than the first.

Intrinsically millennial and unapologetically fun, the Arctic Monkeys' debut album exceeded the British outfit's considerable (and deserved) hype.

Like musical notes, the individual elements on the cover of Smashing Pumpkins' 1995 opus are relatively meaningless on their own – but together, they tell a beautiful story.

Four months after its release, Nirvana's breakthrough reached the top spot on the Billboard 200. But it was clear 'Nevermind' wasn't just another album.

The rise and fall of Ziggy Stardust was decades ago and Aladdin Sane is hardly a lad anymore, but postmodern icon David Bowie gave us all a gift for his 69th birthday.

This 1992 compilation proved that even Nirvana's outtakes were far more interesting than a lot of the best studio efforts by their peers.

On Nov. 1, 1994, Nirvana released one of the decade's definitive albums, 'MTV Unplugged in New York.'

The unofficial follow-up to the Postal Service's only album found footing in the mainstream thanks in part to Seth Cohen (from 'The O.C.').

Jack White is the master of the hidden treasure. What surprises lurk in the cover of the White Stripes' 2003 album 'Elephant'?

Although Stone Temple Pilots were initially written off by many as Pearl Jam imposters, their debut, 'Core,' was vital in ushering the '90s into the post-grunge era.