Behind The Albums - The True Stories Behind Classic Albums

‘Boy’: U2 Begin Their Epic Album Adventures

The 1980 album laid the exciting ground rules for what U2 could be.

U2’s ‘October’: We Don’t Sound Like Any Other Group, Says Bono

The band's second album included anthems such as 'Gloria' and 'Fire,' as their reputation grew ever more powerful.

‘Rattle And Hum’: U2 Reverberate From Studio To Silver Screen

'Rattle and Hum' gave the band the opportunity to create something different again from 'The Joshua Tree,' a record of what they had just achieved and a signpost to where they were heading next.

REM Automatic For The People album cover 820

‘Automatic For The People’: How R.E.M. Created A Soul-Searching Classic

Artistically, ‘Automatic For The People’ arguably remains R.E.M’s high-water mark. It continues to attract plaudits from far and wide.

‘The Unforgettable Fire’: U2’s Blazing Rock Statement

In May 1984, U2 convened at Slane Castle in Dublin, where the gothic ballroom was chosen as the location for early sessions on what became 'The Unforgettable Fire.'

‘Monster’: How R.E.M. Unleashed Their Inner Rock’n’Roll Beast

With their ‘Monster’ album, R.E.M. got back to making what guitarist Peter Buck described as a "real noisy rock’n’roll record”.

‘New Adventures In Hi-Fi’: How R.E.M. Expanded In All Directions

Arguably less immediate and less accessible than previous R.E.M. landmark albums, ‘New Adventures In Hi-Fi’ was a sprawling, “White Album”-esque affair.

‘Document’: Capturing R.E.M. At A Pivotal Point In Their Career

‘Document’ gave R.E.M. the chance to further broaden their palette, fashioning songs from riffs written on instruments such as mandolins and accordions.

How George Harrison Pulled Off ‘The Concert For Bangladesh’

George Harrison, along with his mentor Ravi Shankar and a host of stars, pulled off something in 1971 that had never been achieved before.

‘Lifes Rich Pageant’: How R.E.M. Banked A Classic

‘Lifes Rich Pagent’ was a watershed album for R.E.M. on which Michael Stipe gained in confidence as a frontman and began to clearly enunciate his lyrics.

How Queen’s Debut Album Proved Be An Auspicious Entry In Their History

Queen's debut album, released by EMI after many others had turned it away, proved to be an important, auspicious & vital entry, now sounding like a landmark.

‘The Game’: When Queen Broke All The Rules

Having got out of the 1970s intact, Queen were now very definitely – Rock Royalty. The Game topped the UK and US charts and would go on to sell an estimated twelve million copies worldwide. Bring...

‘One Foot In The Grave’: Beck’s Non-Conformism Remains Undiluted

The One Foot In The Grave album contained plenty of evidence that Beck Hansen’s non-conformist tendencies were undiluted by his new-found notoriety.

The Full Story Behind R.E.M.’s ‘Fables Of The Reconstruction’

It may be a cliché to suggest that the world’s greatest rock bands need to traverse their “difficult third album”, yet over the years that’s a tag that has frequently been attached to R.E.M.’s 'Fables Of...