Category: Hip Hop

IShowSpeed just dropped the wildest racing video anyone has ever seen and the internet absolutely cannot handle it right now.

The twenty-year-old YouTube sensation posted footage of himself sprinting against an actual cheetah in what appears to be South Africa on January 3.

This isn’t some computer-generated nonsense or fake stunt. This was a real live cheetah that can hit seventy miles per hour without breaking a sweat. The overhead footage shows IShowSpeed running shirtless alongside the big cat after both were released from their starting positions simultaneously.

Obviously, the cheetah smoked him because that’s what cheetahs do, but the streamer’s reaction at the finish line had everyone dying with laughter across social media.

“I won?!” he shouted while completely out of breath, then followed up with his signature catchphrase, “I am Speed!” like he actually beat nature’s ultimate sprinting machine.

The video exploded on Twitter, with over 441,000 likes and 71 million views within hours of being posted to X.

I Raced A Cheetah! pic.twitter.com/fbS4Nei8Nd

— Speed (@ishowspeedsui) January 3, 2026

This latest stunt is part of IShowSpeed‘s ongoing Speed Goes Pro series, in which he challenges various opponents to test his athletic abilities against increasingly wild competition.

In November 2024, he went viral for racing Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles in a 50-meter sprint with $100,000 on the line. Noah Lyles won that race, but IShowSpeed kept it closer than most expected and proved he has some serious legs.

He’s also raced Liverpool soccer legend Jamie Carragher and defeated fitness influencer Ashton Hall multiple times in previous episodes of his racing series. The streamer has been open about his Olympic dreams and genuinely believes he could compete at that level if he trained properly for track and field.

His Speed Goes Pro series has featured him competing in everything from American football with Tom Brady to professional wrestling with Randy Orton.

But racing a cheetah takes things to a completely different level that nobody saw coming, even from someone known for outrageous content like IShowSpeed.

Cheetahs are built for speed, with lightweight frames, powerful leg muscles, and flexible spines that function like springs during their incredible acceleration bursts.

These animals can reach speeds between sixty and seventy-five miles per hour, making them the fastest land animals on planet Earth by a massive margin.

​AllHipHop

‌New York City’s youngest mayor in over a century found himself making one of the most consequential phone calls of his brief political career on Saturday morning.

Zohran Mamdani picked up his phone and dialed President Donald Trump directly to voice his fierce opposition to the military capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The conversation marked a dramatic shift in the relationship between the two leaders, who seemed to become instant besties after Mamdani’s visit to the White House in December.

Mamdani wasted no time getting to the point during the Saturday call, telling Trump that the overnight military operation in Venezuela constituted “an act of war” and represented a “blatant pursuit of regime change.”

The timing of the call was particularly striking, coming just three days after Mamdani took his oath of office as mayor.

I was briefed this morning on the U.S. military capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, as well as their planned imprisonment in federal custody here in New York City.

Unilaterally attacking a sovereign nation is an act of war and a violation of federal and…

— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) January 3, 2026

Most newly elected officials spend their first week focused on transition meetings and ceremonial duties, but Mamdani found himself thrust into international diplomacy after being briefed on Maduro’s capture by US special forces.

During the phone conversation, Mamdani expressed deep concerns about the safety of Venezuelan communities living throughout New York City. The mayor warned Trump that unilateral military actions against sovereign nations could create dangerous ripple effects for immigrant communities in America’s largest city.

The mayor’s criticism extended beyond immediate safety concerns to broader questions of legal authority and international law. He specifically challenged the administration’s legal justification for conducting military operations abroad without congressional authorization.

Following the phone call, Mamdani took his concerns public through a detailed statement posted on X.

The statement outlined his position that military interventions designed to remove foreign leaders represent dangerous precedents that undermine global stability and democratic principles.

The Venezuelan president and his wife were transported to New York City to face federal narco-terrorism charges, bringing the international controversy directly into Mamdani’s jurisdiction.

This development added urgency to the mayor’s concerns about community safety and the potential for civil unrest or targeted harassment of Venezuelan residents.

​AllHipHop

The Hip-Hop world is watching a messy three-way battle unfold between 50 Cent, Papoose, and boxing champion Claressa Shields that started heating up in December 2025 and exploded into full chaos by New Year’s Day 2026.

The drama reached a boiling point when Claressa Shields decided she had enough of 50 Cent’s social media games and fired back with some serious receipts.

On Sunday (January 4), 50 Cent continued trolling the couple when he posted a hilarious video showing Sheilds twerking and laughing in the DJ booth as the G-Unit boss commanded the mic.

He likened his avoidance of her to playing football in the clip, which ended with an unflattering image of Papoose.

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“I only played little league Football but I know how to run. LOL Good morning everybody!” 50 Cent said.

But Claressa Shields was not having any of that nonsense and set the record straight about what really happened between her and 50 Cent at his nonprofit event in Shreveport.

The boxing champion revealed that he actually paid for her flight and hotel to attend his charity event.

“You Love The GWOAT,” Shields wrote in her clap back, using her self-proclaimed title of Greatest Woman of All Time.

Shields backed up her claims by posting the full video footage from the Shreveport event, showing 50 Cent personally introducing her to the crowd and treating her like an honored guest rather than someone he was trying to avoid.

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“You hooked me up with a flight to Shreveport and a hotel room – talk about a VIP! You even invited me to help out with your nonprofit for the kids. You’re still invited to the fight! I’m still honored you performed on stage holding my HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BELT!” Shields snapped.

This beef between 50 Cent and Papoose has deep roots, dating back to old tensions involving Remy Ma and past comments that were never properly resolved.

Papoose has been involved in the AI video war himself, creating his own manipulated content that showed 50 Cent in feminine clothing as a way to retaliate against the trolling.

​AllHipHop

Pras Michel is doing his best to avoid the cold walls of a federal prison, but the government wants him behind bars – ASAP.

Federal prosecutors say the Fugees rapper, who was convicted on ten criminal counts for his role in a multimillion-dollar political influence scheme, should report to prison immediately instead of waiting for his appeal to play out.

Michel was sentenced in November to 14 years in the bing for what prosecutors called “a litany of crimes.” He’s supposed to surrender on January 27, but his lawyers are begging for bail, arguing his appeal could overturn the conviction.

The Justice Department fired back this week, saying Michel’s request is a stall tactic that ignores how “the law has shifted from a presumption of release to a presumption of valid conviction.”

The filing makes it clear that federal prosecutors have zero interest in letting Michel enjoy another day of freedom. They say the evidence against him was overwhelming, including cooperating witnesses, text messages, contracts, and his own trial testimony.

The jury found him guilty of funneling foreign money from Malaysian billionaire Jho Low into Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign, then lying to federal investigators and later acting as an unregistered agent for China when he tried to influence Donald Trump.

Michel’s team insists he got bad advice from his trial lawyer, who famously bragged about using artificial intelligence to help pick his strategy, but the judge already ruled that claim didn’t come close to proving ineffective assistance.

The same goes for Michel’s arguments that jurors were swayed by courtroom rulings; the court said any issues were harmless given the evidence stacked against him. They argue that the law doesn’t allow a convicted defendant to sit at home while challenging a verdict unless there’s a clear likelihood of reversal, which they say Michel lacks.

For now, Michel’s legal team is hoping the D.C. Circuit will step in before his surrender date, but the government’s message is blunt: the music star’s time is up, and it’s time to trade designer clothes for a prison jumpsuit.

​AllHipHop

Philadelphia rapper Skrilla, the artist behind 2025’s viral “67” phenomenon, took to Instagram to show off his New Year ritual – animal sacrifice.

The rapper showcased themselves holding two doves and a chicken in an IG post. In another image, the birds lay dead, while a heart of one of the animals lay on the floor next to a glass of blood.

Skrilla has previously documented his sacrificial practices involving doves, chickens, and other animals throughout his rise to fame. He exploded into mainstream consciousness in February 2025 with his drill rap track Doot Doot (6 7), which became a cultural phenomenon among Gen Alpha and teenagers nationwide.

The song’s repetitive “six, seven” chant became so pervasive that Dictionary.com named “67” as its Word of the Year for 2025, citing a sixfold increase in searches since June 2025.

Skrilla’s viral success with Doot Doot (6 7) has led to over 60 million streams across platforms, transforming the Philadelphia artist from local talent to a national phenomenon. The track’s success led to collaborations with established artists like G Herbo and a record deal with Priority Records.

His social media comment section exploded with opinions about his New Year rituals. While some were shocked, most people who follow him already know about his religious beliefs.

The Philadelphia native has been remarkably candid about his religious beliefs and practices in multiple interviews and on social media. In a widely circulated YouTube video from August 2024 titled “Skrilla On Sacrificing Goats And Chicken For His Religion,” the rapper openly discussed his involvement in animal sacrifice rituals.

“I sacrifice goats, chickens, mice like I do for certain though like I’m not allowed to explain it,” Skrilla said in the interview, acknowledging his participation in these religious ceremonies while maintaining some boundaries around discussing specific details.

Skrilla practices Santeria, an Afro-Caribbean religion that syncretizes traditional Yoruba beliefs with Catholic elements. Animal sacrifice remains a fundamental aspect of Santeria worship, where practitioners believe the Orishas (deities) require nourishment through blood offerings.

Chickens and doves are among the most commonly sacrificed animals in Santeria rituals, with doves holding particular significance as symbols of Obatala, considered the father of all Orishas.

In Santeria tradition, different animals serve specific ceremonial purposes.

Chickens are frequently offered during cleansing rituals and to seek protection, while doves are associated with peace, purity, and divine wisdom.

The religion teaches that these sacrifices create a spiritual connection between practitioners and their deities, with the blood serving as sustenance for the Orishas while the meat is consumed by the community.

In various podcast appearances, Skrilla has identified himself as “a Santo” and mentioned practicing “Palo,” referring to Palo Mayombe, another Afro-Caribbean spiritual tradition that also incorporates animal sacrifice.

​AllHipHop

Adin Ross has officially wandered into a Hip-Hop minefield involving Wack 100, Glasses Malone, and Doechii, and it feels less like confusion and more like clout tourism gone wrong. The accused racist streamer found himself under fire after Glasses Malone publicly checked him for disrespect tied to Doechii, a rising Black woman artist who did absolutely nothing to deserve being dragged into internet foolishness. Instead of taking the medicine and learning the lesson, Adin reportedly picked up the phone and called Wack 100, then made sure the internet knew all about it.

READ ALSO: Adin Ross Admits He Uses N-Word While Listening to Rap

Now pause right there. In Hip-Hop, optics matter. Calling another grown man allegedly affiliated with street politics to shield yourself from accountability is corny behavior. Broadcasting it online like a trophy makes it worse. Wack 100 has been many things in this culture, loud, controversial, polarizing, but he has openly claimed Blood affiliation for years. Glasses Malone has never hidden that he is a Crip. So when a white streamer inserts himself and starts dialing up figures tied to opposing affiliations, it stops being goofy and starts feeling reckless.

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This is where the bigger issue shows up. Hip-Hop already has enough internal friction without outsiders lighting matches and acting surprised when flames show up. He’s going to be ok. He’s got every resource in America AND Wack’s number too. Too often, trolls wander into the culture, disrespect Black women, stir up tension between Black men, then play innocent when the big energy shifts. That cycle is tired. Disrespecting a Black woman like Doechii should be the clearest red line there is. Cross it, and expect consequences. Simple. Historically, Black men have died for much less.

What makes this situation especially troubling is the performative aspect. This was not about safety or understanding. It was about flexing access and daring the culture to respond. That is dangerous territory. If anything ugly ever comes from Black-on-Black conflict fueled by internet antics, the blame will not be abstract. It will be specific.

Glasses Malone did what many feel more people should do. Apply pressure and make it clear that disrespect is not free. And the comments suggest he will not be alone. The lesson Adin Ross seems to be missing is that it does not have to be one person. It can be anybody. Hip-Hop has long memories and shorter patience.

If 2026 truly marks a shift, it starts with drawing hard lines. No more trolling Black women. No more playing gang politics for clicks. No more pretending ignorance is a shield. The culture is watching, and the reckoning is already warming up.

Power to the people! Comment below!

​AllHipHop

Dallas rapper ZeetheWizard continues fighting for his life on life support three days after being shot during a New Year’s Day celebration at Pink House Dallas nightclub.

The 22-year-old artist was among five people wounded when gunfire erupted around 4 AM during the venue’s grand opening event.

Family members confirmed to local media that ZeetheWizard remains hospitalized in critical condition, contradicting widespread social media reports claiming the rapper had died from his injuries. His relatives said they are staying positive about his recovery while asking the public for continued prayers and privacy during this difficult time.

The shooting occurred just months after ZeetheWizard achieved a major career milestone by signing with Future’s Freebandz record label in November 2025.

ZeetheWizard was scheduled to perform at Pink House Dallas as part of the club’s New Year’s celebration and had taken the stage shortly before midnight to entertain a crowd that included several family members. After his relatives left the venue, the rapper stayed behind to continue celebrating the holiday with BigXthaPlug, friends and other attendees.

According to Dallas police reports, an “altercation” broke out in the parking lot around 4 A.M., leading to the shooting that left five people wounded. ZeetheWizard sustained the most serious injuries and was immediately transported to a local hospital in critical condition, where he was placed on life support.

The Dallas Police Department has increased security around the hospital where ZeetheWizard is receiving treatment, citing ongoing safety concerns as detectives continue investigating the shooting.

Hospital officials are allowing only immediate family members to visit the rapper and even extended relatives are being turned away due to heightened security measures.

Investigators have not made any arrests in connection with the shooting, and police have not released information about potential suspects or motives. The case remains active as detectives work to piece together the events that led to the violence during what was supposed to be a celebratory night for the new venue.

​AllHipHop

A Florida Chili’s server (@powerupmyah) says he was fired after calling 911 on a customer he believed was about to drive drunk with seven children in her vehicle. It is a decision that has sparked debate about whether restaurant workers should face consequences for prioritizing public safety over corporate interests.

@powerupmyah tells the story across six clips.

He starts the story off saying two kids had arrived and were waiting for their parents. The parents, two women, arrive, but with five other children in tow, bringing the total to seven kids.

“I greet the table, and they begin to [start talking about] entrees. Of course, me being me, I said, ‘Hey, guys. Do you guys wanna get started off with some drinks and maybe some appetizers?’”

One of the mothers then says, “Oh, no. We need to get our order in.’”

The first complication arrives when he discovers they will want a split check. But it gets progressively worse after he comes back from his other tables.

Chili’s Customers Start to Get Rude

“Everything’s hunky dory. I swing back by the table,” he continued. “She says, ‘Aren’t these chips and salsa bottomless? Hurry up and get us some more. What are you doing? I want a chip for all of us.’”

Then even the children start to bark at him.

He asked his food runner to get the food out as quickly as possible, especially since he’s also dealing with several other tables.

At some point, the customer asked for the manager to complain about his service.

“So, as she’s over there complaining about me, of course, for God knows whatever reason,” he went on, “I’ve served her her alcoholic beverages, OK? So, she’s good and drunk. Real good intoxicated. Your girl had her a good little time at Chili’s Bar and Grill. You feel me?”

But after the complaints, the manager comped the bills and tacked on free dessert as well.

Then, things took a major turn.

‘She’s Drunk’

“So now they’re walking out, mothers yelling at the kids yet again, of course, stumbling out,” he said, noticing something troubling.

“And I said, ‘Oh, no. She’s drunk,’” he quickly assessed. “Getting behind the wheel and finna go drive sven children—seven children—home.”

“Y’all know what the DUI rate is? With seven babies?” he asked. “Oh, what else could one do? I called 911: ‘I would like to report a drunk driver that is loading her seven children up into a minivan and is about to “Hit the Road Jack.”’”

There is a major note here.

“Mind you guys, Chili’s just made us do this SafeServ alcohol training or whatnot, whatever the case may be,” he said. “And for people to sit up here, come in here, and get intoxicated and then go and drive is insanity to me.”

About making the call to the police, he said, “I don’t play those games. [They were] drunk, belligerent, falling all out.”

More on this shortly.

The Police Arrive at Chili’s

He says he provided a description of the adult customers, and the police arrived quickly. They surrounded the customers’ van in the Chili’s parking lot. This all took place around closing time.

“So then the police come in, saying, ‘Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey. Who called?’” he recalled. He told them that he made the call.

“So now I’m sitting here giving them the quick rundown of what happened,” he continued. “I’m like, ‘Here goes her drinks. Here goes her receipt.’ And that’s that.”

But the manager was unsure why she was not the point person. 

“She sees the police is there, but they’re not talking to her,” he said, “Well, of course, love. This has nothing to do with you at this point. This is beyond you. You comped their bill. They’re out of here. They’re out of Chili’s.”

In hindsight, this action alone, his calling the police, apparently not allowing the manager to make the call, likely had its own consequences.

He says the drunk woman took a breathalyzer test, and the police allowed the two women to switch places and drive home.

The case seemed closed.

The Investigation and Termination

“So, boom. Now everything was hunky dory. She said, ‘I have to document this,” he said. “She ran around the whole entire store asking everybody what they saw. After a nice little game of telephone, ‘What did you hear? Did you hear? What did you hear?’ You know? After so many versions, then it got back to the GM.”

Eventually, he talks to the general manager about the ordeal.

“I go, ‘Hey, how are you doing? Respectfully, sir, let’s get to the point.’ I am not one of those to beat around the bush,” he recalled of the meeting.

He said the general manager called back within two to three hours. The TikToker said he saw the setup coming.

He remembered thinking: “I’m sure you’ve read plenty of documentation, and you heard from this person and that person. You know what happened. Don’t sit up here and insult my intelligence.”

He says he reiterated the fact that he did, in fact, call the police.

The general manager finally returned and fired him. But he declares, in plenty of explicatives, that he couldn’t care less.

“With that being said, that is how I got fired from bogus-[expletive] Chili’s.”

Some Points to Return

Now, this former Chili’s server’s explanation of the SafeServ training deserves some emphasis.

ServSafe Alcohol training teaches servers about their personal liability when serving alcohol. This includes criminal, civil, and administrative liability. Servers are supposed to ensure intoxicated customers get home safely and inform fellow staff that service has been stopped so they can keep the customer from driving while drunk.

In practice, this server fits in the middle ground. He, himself, acknowledges that the customer was drunk, so he actually did not stop service prior to intoxication. However, to be fair, points of intoxication vary per person and can be difficult to judge if you’re tending to other patrons.

On the flip side, he did the one thing he was trained to do: He called the police and did not assume the driver was OK to drive. What it appeared he did not do was inform his working manager of his actions for consultation before calling the police.

Let’s do a quick breakdown of the paradox in his firing:

What Chili’s requires from employees:

• They required employees to complete SafeServe/Responsible Vendor training.
• They learned personal liability for serving intoxicated customers.
• They were tasked with understanding the duty to prevent drunk driving.

What Chili’s effectively punished:

• Actually applying that training.
• Taking action to prevent a woman from driving drunk with seven kids in the van.
• Calling the police, as the training suggested.

Even though he was a little petty, he showed genuine concern for the safety of the seven children. The training prepared him for this specific responsibility, but his management team punished him for exercising it.

Had he allowed them to leave unabated, and they were in a drunk driving accident, he could have been held personally (and criminally) liable.

A Similar Story

Over a decade ago, in 2013, Twyla DeVito, a bartender at the American Legion Post in Shelby, Ohio, was fired after calling police to report a regular patron who drove away intoxicated. The patron was found with a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit in the state. Two days after the patron’s arrest, her commander told her she was “bad for business” and fired her, according to ABC News.

But like the server in this story, DeVito told ABC News she had no regrets: “If he had gotten in a wreck, that would have been on me, because I was on my shift. It was in a lose-lose situation. I choose to possibly save a life.”

The Peanut Gallery Weighs in on Chili’s Server’s Firing

One commenter noted, “You also saved Chili’s millions in lawsuits because if that lady would’ve gotten into an accident, that whole store would’ve been sued for even letting her drive. That’s why bartenders are required to cut you off if they notice that you’re overly intoxicated.”

Another person replied that it was likely why the manager let him go. “That’s why they fired him!” she wrote. “They didn’t want him knowing this information. I’m sure he [could] sue for false termination and get that money!!!!!”

The prevailing belief in the comments section was that he acted reasonably and rationally. “You ain’t wrong,” one person said. “You would have felt horrible if you didn’t call! I love that you did what you felt was necessary.”

AllHipHop reached out to @powerupmyah via TikTok comment and to Chili’s media relations group, Brinker International, via email.

@powerupmyah IT GETS WORSE !!! #chilisbirthday #chilis ♬ original sound – PowerUpMyah

​AllHipHop

The blues master from Dunleith, Mississippi, Jimmy Reed, was at it again as the new year of 1959 dawned. Now aged 33, Reed had half a dozen Top 10 R&B hits to his name – including two with his most recent releases “Honest I Do” and “I’m Gonna Get You Baby” – when he made a new showing on Billboard’s Hot R&B Sides chart for January 5 with “I Told You Baby.”

Over at Brunswick Records, Jackie Wilson was continuing his reign on that countdown with the seminal “Lonely Teardrops,” which would rule the roost for seven weeks. Reed, in his heyday at the Vee-Jay label, entered the chart alongside Fats Domino’s “Coquette” and Baby Washington’s “The Time.”

There were also entries, which might now seem quite incongruous, by artists whose core audience was in pop, not R&B, such as Ricky Nelson with a re-entry for “Lonesome Town” and Connie Francis with “My Happiness.” Even Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra were on that first survey of the new year with “Tea For Two Cha Cha.”

The easy swagger of “I Told You Baby,” illustrated as so often by Reed’s lyrical harmonica playing, cut an infectious groove that faded almost before it had started, on a single with a duration of precisely 2’19”. He wrote it with his wife Mary, also known as Mama, who also sang uncredited backing vocals on many of Jimmy’s recordings. Although this new 45 was perhaps a little too slight to become one of his biggest hits, it climbed to No.19, backed by the catchy instrumental “Ends & Odds.”

An interesting perspective on the standing of Reed and his fellow blues notables at the time came from Vee-Jay president Ewart Abner. In an April 1959 interview with Billboard, in which he was oddly named Abner Ewart, he was described as “the man who makes those great records with such outstanding rhythm and blues artists as Jimmy Reed.”

Abner’s R&B perspective

Abner talked about the R&B market of the day, in which even though he could sell “75,000 to 100,000 copies of a Jimmy Reed record,” there were frustrations. “You’ve got a group of top names in this field who are always going to sell, people like B. B. King, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Little Junior Parker, Muddy Waters, and Jimmy Reed,” he said.

“You lose out, however, because it’s practically impossible to get a new artist started in the field anymore. Why? Simply because the record companies and the independent distributors pump out so many records today that are designed for the big volume market, that anything with any kind of limited potential to start with doesn’t have a chance.”

As it turned out, future Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Reed had only one more Top 10 R&B single in him, with his 1961 trademark “Bright Lights, Big City.” But “I Told You Baby” was another ingredient in a catalog that would influence blues and rock audiences, and fellow artists, right up to the present day.

Listen to the Blues Classics playlist.

​Discover more about the world’s greatest R&B artists | uDiscover Music

While 1970 marked the dawn of a new decade, the socio-political upheaval of the late 60s was still very much at the forefront of artists’ minds. Plenty of musicians used their voices for change, with John Lennon, Curtis Mayfield, and Stevie Wonder, among others, calling for peace and equality.

1970 was the end of an era, as the Beatles disbanded. But it was also the beginning of four spectacular solo careers. It was a time of experimentation, as artists like Kraftwerk, Alice Coltrane, Pink Floyd, and Frank Zappa pushed the limits of their genre, and rising singer-songwriters and folk acts offered much-needed moments of reflection. Live albums, meanwhile, brought some of the era’s biggest artists into homes around the world.

Browse our classic rock collection featuring limited edition vinyl and CDs here.

Below, we explore the best albums that 1970 had to offer – from the solo triumphs of George Harrison, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and Ringo Starr to pioneering albums from Black Sabbath, Tangerine Dream, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

Explore the best songs of the 70s.

71: Isaac Hayes – The Isaac Hayes Movement

Haye’s inimitable skill as an arranger is on full display on this album which takes compositions from the likes of George Harrison and ​​Burt Bacharach and spins them into soulful masterpieces.

70: Bruce Haack ‎– The Electric Lucifer

The electronic music pioneer’s 1970 album is a far cry from his other job making music for children, but if you can move past that, you’re in for a thrilling contemplation on the battle between good and evil that takes cues from acid rock and psychedelic music.

69: Charley Pride – Just Plain Charley

Despite his growing success, Charley Pride’s brand of country music never lost sight of its humble roots and celebrated them with charisma and superb melodies.

68: Conway Twitty – Hello Darlin’

The country singer’s compilation album showcases the best of his genre-blending sound which takes inspiration from R&B, rock, and pop.

67: Evan Parker, Derek Bailey & Han Bennink – The Topography of the Lungs

For anyone interested in free improvisation in jazz, this album is a must-listen. Parker’s first record as a bandleader and the first off his label, Incus, set the tone for the experimental genre.

66: Jean Jacques Perrey ‎– Moog Indigo

The electronic artist’s Moog synthesizer-centered album offers a funky and light-hearted take on the groundbreaking instrument – it’s a perfect mix of pop and experimental music.

66: Os Mutantes – A Divina Comédia ou Ando Meio Desligado

The singular Brazilian band’s third studio album shows why they are so much better than the genres they are influenced by as they turn psychedelic rock, folk, and doo-wop on their respective heads.

64: Mountain – Climbing!

The hard rock band’s debut album includes hits like ​​”Mississippi Queen” and “Never in My Life,” and is an excellent snapshot of the blues and psych rock-inflected sound of the time.

63: Merle Haggard – A Tribute to the Best Damn Fiddle Player in the World (or, My Salute to Bob Wills)

The country singer’s tribute album to the King of Western Swing is a touching and rollicking good time that reignited interest in the niche sound.

62: Pharoah Sanders – Deaf Dumb Blind (Summun Bukmun Umyun)

The jazz titan’s energetic album is a percussive and melodic treat that takes inspiration from African music, Latin music, R&B, and spiritual jazz.

61: Ringo Starr – Sentimental Journey

The former Beatle’s solo debut draws inspiration from the songs he would hear in the house as a child and offers a heartfelt meditation on family, home and childhood.

60: Stanley Turrentine – Sugar

With an all-star cast that included the likes of George Benson, Lonnie Liston Smith, and Ron Carter, the jazz saxophonist’s 1970 album is soulful, funky, and full of life.

59: Tammy Wynette – Tammy’s Touch

Home to hits like “He Loves Me All the Way” and “I’ll See Him Through,” the country queen’s seventh studio album strikes the perfect balance between stripped-back ballads and glossy country-pop.

58: Yoko Ono ‎– Yoko Ono / Plastic Ono Band

The avant-garde champion’s debut album is made up of sprawling improvisational pieces that would go on to influence a slew of courageous artists.

57: Tangerine Dream ‎– Electronic Meditation

The pioneering electronic group’s debut album pulls from Edgar Froese’s tape experiments and musique concrète to create a soundscape unlike anything else of its time.

56: Kraftwerk ‎– Kraftwerk

The legendary group’s debut album is quite different from the futuristic sound they would become known for, nevertheless, it’s an excellent mix of electronic music, psych rock, and noise.

55: The Moody Blues – A Question of Balance

Looking for a sound that would work easily on stage, the English group abandoned their psychedelic roots for a streamlined sound, and successfully made the transition from studio wizards to hard rock champions.

54: The Mothers of Invention – Burnt Weeny Sandwich

Ever adventurous, Frank Zappa’s 1970 album with the Mothers offers his zany takes on everything from 50’s pop to classical music, blurring the lines between genres and throwing convention out the window.

53: Frank Sinatra – Watertown (A Love Story)

Perhaps his most ambitious album ever, Sinatra’s 1970 concept album relays the pain and confusion of lost love from the perspective of the person who has been left.

52: Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin III

Known for heavy blues-rock, the English band took a turn towards folk music for this record, showing that even with the intensity turned down, they could still produce incredible music.

50: King Crimson – In the Wake of Poseidon

The rock group’s second album includes highlights like “The Devil’s Triangle” and “Cadence and Cascade” and features prominent use of the Mellotron.

50: João Donato – A Bad Donato

Recorded in Los Angeles, the Brazilian artist’s 1970 album blends together Brazilian pop with jazz, funk, and rock music for a thrilling listening experience.

49: Jorge Ben – Fôrça Bruta

Though its title translates to “Brute Force,” the Brazilian artist’s 1970 album is more of a subtle force that brings out the softer sides of samba.

48: Nick Drake – Bryter Layter

Drake’s sophomore album lets the light shine in via the instrumentation and a softer vocal performance, cushioning the sad truths his lyrics often tend towards.

47: Pink Floyd – Atom Heart Mother

The English rock band threw out all convention on this album, leaning into the weird, wonderful corners of psychedelia and luxuriating in extended jams like its 23-minute opener.

46: Randy Newman – 12 Songs

Including fan favorites like “Have You Seen My Baby?” and “Mama Told Me Not to Come,” Newman’s 1970 album is full of sharp satire and brilliant compositions.

45: Stevie Wonder – Signed, Sealed & Delivered

Though there are hints of his socially conscious bent, Stevie’s Motown album delivers on everything that made the iconic label so good: irresistibly catchy and soulful pop music.

44: Syd Barrett – The Madcap Laughs

Barrett’s first solo album after leaving Pink Floyd leans into his reputation as mentally unstable, flipping the expectations of listeners and revealing a singer-songwriter still very much on top of his game.

43: Tim Maia – Tim Maia

Maia’s self-titled debut was a smash hit in Brazil and includes favorites like “Azul da Cor do Mar” “Coroné Antônio Bento” and “Primavera.”

42: U-Roy – Version Galore

The legendary Jamaican DJ’s 1970 album features him toasting over classic rocksteady tunes, laying the groundwork for the MC in hip-hop music.

41: Deep Purple – Deep Purple in Rock

Including the monumental “Child In Time,” the band’s 1970 album introduced their best lineup yet and solidified their distinctly grand take on heavy metal.

40: The Beach Boys – Sunflower

The prolific band looked back to the gentle melodies and sweeping arrangements of their earlier work for this album and it is one of their most collaborative efforts to date.

39: The Doors – Morrison Hotel

Home to the fan-favorite “Roadhouse Blues,” the rock band’s 1970 album saw them returning to the R&B and blues sound of their earlier days and is one of their most popular albums to date.

38: The Guess Who – American Woman

Featuring the title hit, the Canadian rock band’s 1970 album is their most successful to date and shows off the band’s range as they tackle hard rock, prog, ballads, and more.

37: The Jackson 5 – ABC

Including all-time favorites like the title track and “ “La-La (Means I Love You)” and “The Love You Save,” the renowned family band’s second album made them household names.

36: Soft Machine – Third

The rock band’s third studio album extended the boundaries of the genre to include electronic music and jazz, making it one of the most exciting records of the decade.

35: Paul McCartney – McCartney

McCartney’s solo debut was a controversial release in that it coincided (and maybe caused) the break-up of the Beatles. Drama aside, it’s a wonderful collection of sketches and home recordings that pointed towards a very successful solo career.

34: Booker T & the M.G.s – McLemore Avenue

Booker T’s homage to the Beatles’ Abbey Road, offers a distinctly Memphis, Tennessee spin on the Beatles, taking their melodies to unexpectedly funky and exciting places.

33: Cat Stevens – Mona Bone Jakon

The former teenage pop star took a left turn for his 1970 album, opting for restraint and introspection. The result is a refreshingly human portrait of young man trying to find his way in the world.

32: Jimi Hendrix – Band Of Gypsys

Hendrix’s first live album without the Experience band is one of his greatest performances on tape and includes the mind-boggling “Machine Gun,” where Hendrix produces unheard of sounds on his guitar.

31: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young – Déjà Vu

The group’s first album with Neil Young was highly anticipated and surpassed all expectations with its unforgettable melodies and stunning guitar work.

30: Creedence Clearwater Revival – Cosmo’s Factory

The swamp rock classic includes the hits “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” and “Run Through the Jungle,” not to mention a number of excellent covers like their 11-minute version of “I Heard It Through The Grapevine.”

29: Joe McPhee – Nation Time

The saxophonist’s live album is an expansive journey through the annals of free jazz and established him at the forefront of the genre.

28: The Kinks – Lola versus Powerman and The Moneygoround, Part One

Ray Davies’ polemic against the music industry is as technically brilliant as it is passionate, never losing itself in anger or over-production.

27: Van Morrison – Moondance

The Northern Irish singer’s masterful album is full of understated beauty and would be his commercial breakthrough.

26: Grateful Dead – Workingman’s Dead

Taking a step back from experimentation, the Bay Area band went back to basics on their 1970 album, exploring stripped-down roots music, Americana, and folk.

25: Eddie Palmieri – Superimposition

The pianist and bandleader’s 12th studio album took Latin dance music to new experimental heights, playing with counterpoint and harmonics to create music you can both think and move to.

24: Elton John – Tumbleweed Connection

The versatile singer’s 1970 album took inspiration from Americana music and the country-rock style of the Band and finally brought the songwriting duo of Elton John and Bernie Taupin statewide success.

23: Freddie Hubbard – Red Clay

The jazz trumpeter’s 1970 album takes the edge of hard bop, the groove of fusion, and the soul of jazz to create a masterpiece of uncategorizable, incredible sound.

22: James Taylor – Sweet Baby James

Home to the instant classic, “Fire and Rain,” Taylor’s second studio album has all the traits that make him such a beloved artist: understated vocals, frank reflections, and the soul of a folk hero.

21: James Brown – Sex Machine

With a show-stopping lineup that included Bootsy Collins, Clyde Stubblefield, and Maceo Parker, Brown’s live album confirms that he remains one of the greatest performers of all time.

20: Neil Young – After The Gold Rush

Young took a turn towards country-rock on this album, surprising some fans of his earlier work, but it paid off extremely well and includes some of the most enduring songs of his career like “Southern Man.”

19: Santana – Abraxas

The Latin rock icon’s first album to top the US charts is a perfect blend of rock, jazz, and Latin dance music that cleverly values experimentation over genre purity.

18: Simon And Garfunkel – Bridge Over Troubled Water

The dynamic duo’s final album together is home to the beloved title track and was such a success that it spent years on the charts.

17: Alice Coltrane – Journey in Satchidananda

The spiritual jazz titan’s album takes conceptual inspiration from Hinduism and sonic inspiration from modal and experimental jazz and is a landmark record in each genre niche.

16: The Grateful Dead – American Beauty

The enigmatic group has a reputation of not being able to transmit the transcendent energy of their live shows onto records. This album is a rare exception and is widely regarded as their best studio album.

15: The Temptations – Psychedelic Shack

The soul music superstars surprised their fans when they delivered a funky psych-rock album in 1970 – turns out it was a risk worth taking and it shows off the immense versatility of the Motown legacy act.

14: The Velvet Underground – Loaded

Lou Reed and company took a turn towards the commercial for their fourth studio album, intentionally making pop-oriented music. However, rather than alienating their anti-mainstream fans, their 1970 album is widely regarded to be one of their best.

13: The Beatles – Let It Be

The iconic rock band’s 1970 album has songs that keep on giving all these years later, like the famous title track, and also marked the end of an era, for it would be their last release as a group.

12: The Delfonics – The Delfonics

The Philadelphia soul titans struck gold with their fourth studio album off the back of five hit singles including “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)” and “​​Over & Over.”

11: Black Sabbath – Paranoid

Full of tension and release, the heavy metal band’s second album set the tone for the genre and established the group as leading lights.

10: Joni Mitchell – Ladies of the Canyon

Home to the radio staple “Big Yellow Taxi,” Mitchell expanded her sonic palette on this album bringing in jazz elements and more expressive vocals that she would explore further on later albums.

09: The Who – Live at Leeds

The storied British band’s first live album has taken on larger-than-life status in the decades since its release. Full of energy, showmanship, and an intangible magic, it’s one of the greatest live albums ever.

08: Derek and the Dominos – Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs

Home to fan-favorite “Layla,” Eric Clapton’s side project produced what is widely regarded as his best album, an intensely personal and passionate contemplation on the highs and lows of love.

07: Funkadelic – Funkadelic

The iconic band’s debut album created a new language for music, freeing R&B and soul from the constraints of respectability and establishing funk as the premiere sound to get down to.

06: Curtis Mayfield – Curtis

The influential singer’s solo debut is a rich tapestry of soul music that weaves together influences as broad as orchestral music and rock into a cohesive, socially conscious whole.

05: George Harrison – All Things Must Pass

The rock great’s first solo record after the dissolution of the Beatles includes the beautiful, “My Sweet Lord” and paved the way for a very successful solo career.

04: John Lennon – Plastic Ono Band

Lennon’s first solo album after the Beatles changed the nature of pop music by leaning into honesty and deeply uncomfortable truths, proving that even at our lowest, our voices still deserve to be heard.

03: Miles Davis – Bitches Brew

Even if you haven’t listened to any Miles Davis, you’ve probably heard of this album, and for good reason. It changed the course of not just jazz, but funk and rock music as well and is just as futuristic-sounding today as it was in 1970.

02: The Stooges – Fun House

The band traded in precision for power while recording their sophomore album, the result is a career-defining record that wonderfully captures the uncontainable magic of Iggy Pop.

01: The Rolling Stones – Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!

The band’s famed live album helped establish their place as one of the greatest rock and roll bands in the world and while it may not be as polished as their studio recordings, its unbridled energy is unmatched.

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