Best Albums of 2016...So Far

Best Albums of 2016 So Far

We're barely halfway through the year and already there's an overwhelming amount of great new music to enjoy. Jim and Greg share their lists of the Best Albums of 2016...So Far. Plus, they discuss the "Stairway to Heaven" plagiarism verdict and pay tribute to Parliament-Funkadelic keyboardist Bernie Worrell.

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The copyright infringement lawsuit over Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" now has a resolution. As we've previously  covered, the trust of Spirit guitarist Randy Wolfe sued Zep, alleging that "Stairway" plagiarized the 1968 track "Taurus." A California jury didn't hear enough similarity between the songs and decided in favor of Led Zeppelin. And as we wind on down the road from the decision, intellectual property attorney Jeffrey Brown tells us this probably won't change the legal standard for copyright infringement. Even when the plaintiffs win – like in the "Blurred Lines" trial – the legal fees are too high to be worth it for anyone but the wealthiest of artists. These cases will continue to be primarily worked out in backroom deals.

Best Albums of 2016...So Far

Greg and Jim just couldn’t wait until December to talk about some of their new favorite albums. They discuss some of the best records of 2016 so far. Here are their complete lists:

Jim

Greg

Listener Picks

  • Chris from London: Tacocat, Lost Time
  • Erin from Long Beach: David Bowie, Blackstar
  • Greg from Wichita: Weezer, The White Album

Music News

Remembering Bernie Worrell

This episode has been all about celebrating the first half of 2016, but Jim and Greg also want to acknowledge the many losses the music community has had recently. This week we pay tribute to four more musical greats: Elvis Presley's guitarist Scotty Moore, bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley of the Stanley Brothers, "Mustang Sally" songwriter Mack Rice, and keyboardist Bernie Worrell. Worrell was a founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic and played keyboard for such bands as Talking Heads and Black Jack Johnson. He was a pioneer known for using the Moog synthesizer to make funk music long before the Moog was considered funky. While Worrell's additions to music history are often overlooked, Jim predicts that his legacy will live on for years as artists continue sampling his indelible synth melodies.

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