Long Player with Steven Rainey Episodes Episode guide
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18/01/2026
The lowdown on the best albums ever produced.
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11/01/2026
The lowdown on the best albums ever produced.
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The Jam - Sound Affects
The Jam deliver their most explosive set of songs yet, 1980s Sound Affects.
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The Vince Guaraldi Trio - A Charlie Brown Christmas
The story behind one of the best-loved Christmas albums, A Charlie Brown Christmas.
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The Beatles - Rubber Soul
The Beatles leave the stage behind, as they journey into the unknown.
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Patti Smith - Horses
Patti Smith emerges from the New York underground with the first punk album, Horses.
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Joni Mitchell - The Hissing of Summer Lawns
Joni Mitchell moves away from folk to unexplored territory for her 1975 masterpiece.
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Queen - A Night at the Opera
It's probably Queen's strongest album, but is A Night at the Opera actually any good?
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Grace Jones - Slave to the Rhythm
Did Grace Jones make the ultimate remix album with Slave to the Rhythm?
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U2 - Boy
U2 look at life, death, and everything inbetween on Boy.
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Pulp - Different Class
Sheffield's Pulp take the scenic route to success with 1995's Different Class.
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The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
The Smashing Pumpkins break free of grunge to create an epic masterpiece.
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Blur - The Great Escape
Buckle up for the Battle of Britpop, as Blur take on Oasis.
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Oasis - Definitely Maybe
Oasis announce themselves as the biggest band in the world with their 1994 debut album.
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Van Morrison - Avalon Sunset
Steven Rainey delves into Van Morrison's most enigmatic records.
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Enya - Watermark
Enya takes listeners to another state of mind with her 1988 album Watermark.
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The Smiths - Meat Is Murder
Horror and humour combine as The Smiths get angry on Meat Is Murder.
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Marillion - Brave
Marillion go underground and defy the odds with their progressive masterpiece Brave.
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Blondie - Parallel Lines
Blondie sneak disco into punk on Parallel Lines.
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Metallica - Metallica
The masters of metal change direction with The Black Album.
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Neil Young and Crazy Horse - Rust Never Sleeps
Neil Young strikes a chord with punk on Rust Never Sleeps.
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Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill
Ahead of her Glastonbury appearance, a look at the definitive Alanis Morissette album.
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Amy Winehouse's Back to Black
Amy Winehouse changes the face of British soul music with her 2nd album, Back to Black.
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The Beach Boys - Love You
Pet Sounds isn't Brian Wilson's only masterpiece. This is the story of 1977's Love You.
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Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Nuclear war, robots, time travel, and headaches, it can only be Black Sabbath's Paranoid.
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Stevie Wonder - Innervisions
In 1973, Stevie Wonder made a masterpiece. But he almost didn't live to feel its impact.
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Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks
How did Dylan sever his ties with his own past, leaving behind the 60s forever?
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Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
Kate Bush tames the machines to create her masterpiece.
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REM - Out of Time
Did REM bring alternative music to the mainstream?
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Van Morrison - Avalon Sunset
Steven Rainey delves into Van Morrison's most enigmatic records.