2001

My Chemical Romance’s concept album The Black Parade is 20 years old and Ben and Nick are going to crack the record. First they had to listen to it. Why did neither of them pay attention to the album at the time? How were style and aesthetic important to the band’s popularity? Can Ben craft a different story from the album’s original concept? What makes the difference between a liked band and a favorite band?Check out our playlists:https://open.spotify.com/user/31vn5rxrwinadnzasqcpasmhea6m?si=KpNYuMSfTpGHDllWAGbJhgFind us on social media: https://linktr.ee/cracktherecord

Songs in the Key of Life is 50 years old, so Ben and Nick are going to crack Stevie Wonder’s legendary album. What were the expectations for the record? How is an album with 130 contributors clearly the work of one artist? Isn’t who lovely? Where does the saxophone go?Check out our playlists:https://open.spotify.com/user/31vn5rxrwinadnzasqcpasmhea6m?si=KpNYuMSfTpGHDllWAGbJhgFind us on social media: https://linktr.ee/cracktherecord

Ben and Nick decided that they didn’t want to crack a record, so instead they’ll discuss the music of 2001. Why aren’t they cracking an album? Are “xennials” and “zillennials” two different things? What are their favorite albums? Who would be in their fantasy band lineups?Check out our playlists:https://open.spotify.com/user/31vn5rxrwinadnzasqcpasmhea6m?si=KpNYuMSfTpGHDllWAGbJhgFind us on social media: https://linktr.ee/cracktherecord

25 years ago, Jimmy Eat World broke into the rock mainstream with Bleed American and now Nick and Ben are cracking the record. What makes the creation of this album a great story? Can a really good song get lost in the wrong spot on a track list? Would the Boss write “The Middle”? Is “Hear You Me” the best or worst song on the album?Check out our playlists:https://open.spotify.com/user/31vn5rxrwinadnzasqcpasmhea6m?si=KpNYuMSfTpGHDllWAGbJhgFind us on social media: https://linktr.ee/cracktherecord

It’s the 30th anniversary of Beck’s landmark album Odelay, so Ben and Nick are cracking the record. Why did this album almost not happen? How did the Dust Brothers aid the creative process? What helps keep Odelay on greatest album lists? Where is “Where It’s At” at?Check out our playlists:https://open.spotify.com/user/31vn5rxrwinadnzasqcpasmhea6m?si=KpNYuMSfTpGHDllWAGbJhgFind us on social media: https://linktr.ee/cracktherecord

Nick and Ben are cracking the record that inspired the podcast - Red Hot Chili Peppers’ 2006 double album Stadium Arcadium. Can too much good material dull the impact of the individual songs? Why is this album John Frusciante’s masterpiece? Who was the Martian that died? Is Anthony Kiedis too creative for AI?Check out our playlists:https://open.spotify.com/user/31vn5rxrwinadnzasqcpasmhea6m?si=KpNYuMSfTpGHDllWAGbJhgFind us on social media: https://linktr.ee/cracktherecord

For a traditional 23rd anniversary retrospective, Ben and Nick crack Let Go by Nada Surf. How did the album alter the band’s career trajectory? Why did the band change the tracklist themselves? Does Nada Surf mean anything? How much time can Nick spend listening to one song?Check out our playlists:https://open.spotify.com/user/31vn5rxrwinadnzasqcpasmhea6m?si=KpNYuMSfTpGHDllWAGbJhgFind us on social media: https://linktr.ee/cracktherecord

Ben and Nick listen to a lot of music, but it doesn’t necessarily overlap with the Grammy awards. Who are the Grammy nominated artists they did listen to in 2025? How do the Oscars and Grammys compare? What is the benefit of award ceremonies for the artists?Check out our playlists:https://open.spotify.com/user/31vn5rxrwinadnzasqcpasmhea6m?si=KpNYuMSfTpGHDllWAGbJhgFind us on social media: https://linktr.ee/cracktherecord

In 2025, Bloc Party commemorated the 20th anniversary of their debut album Silent Alarm and now Ben and Nick are going to crack the record. What is indie rock? Where do you find track 0? How does lyrical repetition and refrain drive the impact of the album? Why does production and engineering matter?Check out our playlists:https://open.spotify.com/user/31vn5rxrwinadnzasqcpasmhea6m?si=KpNYuMSfTpGHDllWAGbJhgFind us on social media: https://linktr.ee/cracktherecord

In the year 2000, Queens of the Stone Age released their second album Rated R. Now Ben and Nick are going to crack the record with Kenny, their first guest, good friend, and huge QOTSA fan. What is the album about? Can Nick decipher the complex metaphors? Will Nick’s new tracklist even be possible? Is this a Nick episode?Check out our playlists:https://open.spotify.com/user/31vn5rxrwinadnzasqcpasmhea6m?si=KpNYuMSfTpGHDllWAGbJhgFind us on social media: https://linktr.ee/cracktherecord