ROCKING AT THE HOPS

The History of Popular Music. Here. Now

Monthly Highlights

The Albums we just can't get enough of this month!

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The fourth studio album by rock 'n' roll pioneer, Chuck Berry, Rockin' at the Hops is, of course, the inspiration for our name. As the legend goes, Rockin' at the Hops is the album that a young Mick Jagger was tightly clutching under his arm when he reconnected with old school friend, Keith Richards, along the platform of Dartford Railway Station. The importance of this album, therefore, cannot be under-stated. Featuring a collection of tracks old and new from Berry's collection, notable hits include the sequel to a well known hit, "Bye Bye Johnny" and the excellent storytelling displayed in "Let It Rock." Later a popular Rolling Stones favourite, "Confessin' the Blues" is another highlight, whilst the rocky "Down the Road Apiece" takes the crown, on an album that couldn't be a more deserving namesake for us.

Loaded is the fourth studio album by New York based band, the Velvet Underground. An album that almost defies genre, although not their most recognisable, it is considered by fans as the last true Velvet Underground album before the departures of numerous band members including leader Lou Reed. Notable highlights from the genre bending album include the steady, easy-listeners "Sweet Jane" and "Who Loves the Sun", as well as the punchy "Train Round the Bend." "Lonesome Cowboy Bill" and "Cool It Down" provide a fun Country and Western twist to the album, whilst "I Found a Reason" offers a slow melodic listen. Choosing a highlight from Loaded was a real challenge, so sharing the top spot for the album are the catchy "Rock & Roll" and the moving "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'" on an album by one of the most hugely influential and experimental greats in rock music history.

Definitely Maybe, released in 1994, is the debut album by Manchester royalty, Oasis. It represented a new era of rock music, inspired by both the indie rock of the 1980s and the psychedelia of the 1960s, brining together a blend of styles that formed to create an entire genre in its own right: Britpop. Perhaps the last true period in which rock and roll reigned supreme in the popular music charts and guitars were actually considered cool, it all started with the release of Definitely Maybe. Choosing highlights from such a classic album is difficult, but the listener might find enjoyment in the thumping beat of "Supersonic" or the fast paced opener "Rock 'n' Roll Star." "Cigarettes and Alcohol" along with "Married With Children" rightly earned their place as working class anthems, albeit with very different styles, whilst "Live Forever" is the greatest hit on an album that would signal the beginning of the end for rock music.