Here we are at the G-Stop, and I’m absolutely gob-smacked to announce that, miracle of miracles, I actually managed to compile a complete Top 20 this time. I know, I know… alert the media, alert the authorities, alert anyone still pretending to keep up with modern music.

Now, I still couldn’t crown an absolute winner, because apparently the letter “G” is full of talented overachievers who refuse to separate themselves into tidy little hierarchies. But honestly, everything here ranges from good to almost great, which is practically a rave review by my standards.

However, once again, nothing made the cut from after 2020. This is becoming a disturbing pattern. I swear I’m open to all music released up to the present day (as of this writing: November ‘25), but modern artists seem hell-bent on proving me wrong. I’m beginning to feel like a paleontologist brushing dirt off a T-Rex femur while muttering, “They just don’t make ‘em like they used to…”

Speaking of fossils, working on this “G” entry sent me spiraling into a nostalgia craving so intense that I launched a new “Built to Last” series. (Shameless plug: go read it.) I’m currently working on Part 2 “B” and discovered that many of the Boz Scaggs albums I’m reviewing were remastered in 2023. How perfect do they need these albums to sound? Were engineers sitting there saying, “You know, what Silk Degrees really needs is just a little more triangle in the left channel”?

Let’s be honest: it’s all been a clever scheme to lighten the wallets of those poor souls afflicted with audiophilia, a devastating condition affecting millions who genuinely believe they can hear the ghost of a bassoonist breathing in the background of a Steely Dan track. Honestly, someone should start Audiophiles Anonymous. “Hi, my name is Jeff, and I just bought my 5th copy of Dream of the Blue Turtles because the cymbals sounded 2% more ethereal.”

If I were a completist, I could’ve easily bought the same album dozens of times by now. And yes, I am old enough to remember 8-track tapes. My first and only 8-track was Aqualung by Jethro Tull, which I’m pretty sure came pre-installed in my first used car. What a load of crap! When the industry “upgraded” to cassette tapes, I didn’t fall for that scam. I was perfectly content with my vinyl collection and whatever the car radio felt like offering.

Eventually, I saw the CD writing on the wall and sold my hundreds of vinyl records back to the same store I bought them from for pennies on the dollar. However, if I’d known early-90s CDs sounded like they were mastered through a wet sock, I might’ve reconsidered. But no…suddenly everything needed to be “re-mastered” AGAIN, and “bonus tracks” kept magically appearing like they’d been buried in a time capsule only dogs unearth. Fast-forward to today, where we don’t even own our music anymore. We rent it from the cloud like it’s an Airbnb. And somehow… we like it.

But I’ll admit it: my current “record collection” (quotation marks absolutely intentional) is something my teenage self could’ve never dreamed of, even if it could vanish faster than a pop star’s second album.

BOTTOM LINE: Audiophiles and completists are delightful suckers, and what I’m doing here is a public service…a noble crusade to prove that less is actually more, and that you don’t need eight formats, three reissues, and a limited-edition Japanese pressing to enjoy great music.

Now… on to the “G”s.

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#20) GWEN STEFANI – Love, Angel, Music, Baby (2004)

I’m honestly hard-pressed to think of a pop starlet who grates on my nerves more than Gwen Stefani. Whether she’s bouncing around with No Doubt or launching into her solo era of Harajuku fever dreams, her voice hits my ears like a cheese grater on a chalkboard. And yet, here she is on the list. Why, you ask?

Well, because from roughly the mid-’90s through 2006, Gwen was one of the music industry’s most aggressively pampered golden children. They handed her every musical kitchen utensil imaginable and to her credit, she managed to whip up confections that were at least edible at the time.

Now it feels like we opened the drawer and discovered a chaotic avalanche of mismatched spatulas, melted Tupperware lids, and three different ice cream scoops rolling around aimlessly with no purpose. That’s Love. Angel. Music. Baby. I would even argue that this album is a “junk drawer” destined for the eventual trash bin, where future listeners will peer into the digital landfill and ask, “Why did we keep this? Was it sentimental? Were we hypnotized?”

SAMPLE TRACK: “Rich Girl”

#19) GROUPLOVE – Never Trust a Happy Song (2011)

On first listen, this album earned itself a golden ticket to the “Further Review” round, no small feat these days. The second playthrough? Honestly exhilarating. For a moment, I felt like I’d stumbled onto a more focused, beefier version of Foster the People or Fountains of Wayne. But as the honeymoon phase ended, the truth revealed itself: Grouplove is deeply, almost impressively derivative. Their later albums confirm this by falling off faster than a toddler on roller skates. It’s clear that whatever magic they bottled here evaporated the moment they opened the jar.

And yet, none of that diminishes the pure sugar-rush joy blasting out of this record. It’s loud, it’s bright and borderline chaotic. I may not trust these happy songs… but damned if they don’t still make me happy.

SAMPLE TRACK: “Lovely Cup”

#18) GREAT PEACOCK – Forever, Worse, Better (2020)

Okay, time to get serious for a second. This band doesn’t even qualify for a Wikipedia page… and honestly, that’s a great sign. If anything, it reassures me they’re not secretly owned by PepsiCo. Musically, what we’ve got here is introspective relationship angst sprinkled with a light dusting of Americana, a recipe that critics declared dead on arrival sometime around 2020. But here’s the thing: this kind of material is timeless… it’s just my time that’s passed.

I once joked that the good news/bad news dichotomy of turning 50 is this:
Good news: Nobody cares what you do.
Bad news: Nobody cares what you do.

Which means I’m the exact target audience for this album…emotionally reflective, slightly dusty, and unbothered by the fact that the rest of the world has moved on to music that sounds like malfunctioning microwaves.

SAMPLE TRACK: “All I Ever Do”

#17) GABRIELLE – Rise (1999)

Here we have a lovely little British pop gem that somehow never managed to swim across the Atlantic. If you can imagine a slightly more caffeinated Norah Jones, you’re in the right neighborhood. Artists in this mellow, soft-focus lane are often pretentious in that “I recorded this at sunrise in Iceland using only vintage microphones and my emotions” kind of way, but Gabrielle never even hints at that nonsense. She’s warm, grounded, and blissfully uninterested in acting like she invented feelings.

The only reason this album lands lower on the list is because it’s so laid back it occasionally needs a gentle poke with a stick to make sure it’s still awake. But once you lock into its cozy, velvety groove, Rise is an end-to-end pleasure…like slipping into a warm bath where no one is judging your life choices.

SAMPLE TRACK: “Sunshine”

#16) THE GLORIOUS SONS – The Union (2014)

I’m only up to the letter “G”, so I can’t officially declare this the hardest-rocking album of its release year… but it’s absolutely in the cage match. Sure, their sophomore effort seems to get more critical love…because critics are allergic to raw, sweaty enthusiasm and prefer things like “evolution” and “maturity” (boring). Meanwhile, I kept crawling back to The Union because it has that glorious, unfiltered blast-furnace energy that reminds you rock music didn’t actually die in 1998…apparently, it was just napping.

In a century where rock albums are about as common as working payphones, any band bold enough to plant a flag in the new millennium and yell “WE STILL EXIST!” deserves a medal… or at least a slightly higher placement on this list.

SAMPLE TRACK: “Heavy”

#15) GLASS ANIMALS – How to Be a Human Being (2016)

I honestly don’t have much to say about this album or the band because I still can’t figure out how I feel about them. It’s like those delicate blown-glass figurines my mother collected: pleasant to look at, vaguely whimsical, and ultimately kind of pointless unless your goal is “owning an army of dust magnets shaped like miniature giraffes.”

I mean, it’s not bad. It’s fine. It exists. It politely occupies sonic space without offending anyone. But the album title is deeply misleading because I did not learn anything about how to be a human being. I’m exactly the same person I was before pressing play, just slightly older and mildly confused.

SAMPLE TRACK: “Youth”

#14) GEORGE EZRA – Wanted on Voyage (2014)

Ezra’s placement on this list has less to do with the album itself and more to do with that ridiculously interesting voice of his…like someone dropped a blues singer into the body of a friendly British backpacker. He cites his inspirations as Black blues legends and wandering folk troubadours, and you can definitely hear traces of both… right alongside a certain unavoidable white-bread softness that screams, “This was recorded by a man who has strong opinions about the proper butter-to-crumpet ratio.”

Even so, the highlights, most notably his hit “Budapest,” do the heavy lifting here. The album may not change your life, but it’s absolutely worth a spin, if only to marvel at the fact that a man who looks like an exchange student sounds like he swallowed a baritone sax.

SAMPLE TRACK: “Budapest”

#13) GOOD OLD WAR – Come Back as Rain (2012)

Continuing with today’s theme of non-threatening white guys, we arrive at some indie-folk from Philadelphia (because of course it’s from Philadelphia). The band name comes from the members’ last names mashed together, so don’t worry, it’s not that kind of folk music. No jug bands, no moonshine metaphors, no bearded prophets wailing about the dust bowl. Musically, they lean more toward sunny indie-pop than rustic campfire confessionals, which is probably why critics ignored them. The band hasn’t released anything since 2015, so I’m guessing their business model of “three nice boys singing pleasant things” didn’t exactly light the new millennium on fire.

But part of my noble, self-assigned mission here is to spotlight these little glimmers of musical goodness before they vanish forever into the digital ether…if only so that I don’t forget them five minutes after hitting the next letter of the alphabet.

SAMPLE TRACK: “Better Weather”

#12) GUSTER – Keep It Together (2003)

And keeping with today’s collegiate white-boy pop/rock marathon, here comes Guster, your friendly neighborhood band of guys who look like they met in a dorm lounge arguing about which Wilco album “really matters.” Unlike some of their peers, though, these dudes actually have the goods. They’ll break out hand percussion, toy keyboards, oddball instruments, and occasionally wander off into experimental territory like they’re trying to impress the admissions office.

This album, though, keeps the weirdness mostly in its pocket and sticks to a clean, straightforward sound…in the best possible way. It’s warm, tuneful, polished, and charming without trying too hard.

SAMPLE TRACK: “Amsterdam”

#11) GREEN DAY – American Idiot (2004)

It’s a rare moment when a punk band squeezes past my highly sophisticated (and very judgmental) screening system, but Green Day is basically the Disney World of punk rock…clean, accessible, and no safety goggles required. I give this album an “A” for Audacity, Ambition, and Absolutely No Restraint Whatsoever. It’s a sprawling, melodramatic, overcaffeinated fever dream of a record. Sure, it may not be their best album, just like Quadrophenia isn’t The Who’s best, but it’s undeniably the one where they tried the hardest. And in punk, “trying” is already pretty unpunk, so that alone makes it historic.

SAMPLE TRACK: “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”

#10) GILLIAN WELCH – The Hallow and the Harvest (2011)

Sure, her early albums were labeled “authentic,” but let’s be honest: Gillian Welch and David Rawlings are about as Appalachian as a Subaru full of Brooklyn transplants. Does it matter? Absolutely not. If anything, this album proves that when you’re that good, you can perform like mountain folk all day and nobody bats an eye. I actually prefer this album because it has a little more pep in its step compared to the solemn, critic-approved earlier releases. But much like John Fogerty trying on a Cajun accent just because he felt like it, these two are incredibly talented musical imposters…and honestly, we’re all better for it.

SAMPLE TRACK: “The Way it Goes”

#9) GOSSIP – Music for Men (2009)

Much like Alabama Shakes, Gossip has a lead singer who does not fit the cookie-cutter pop-star blueprint that record executives keep taped to their bathroom mirrors, but when you’re a full-on vocal hurricane like Beth Ditto, the industry basically just gets out of your way and hopes you don’t blow the doors off the building. The band themselves are sort of punkish… or dance-rockish… or disco-soul-indie-garage-whatever. Honestly, trying to label Gossip is like trying to nail Jell-O to a wall. What matters is this: they’re really good, she’s an absolute powerhouse, and the songs are catchy as hell. What’s not to like?

SAMPLE TRACK: “Pop Goes the World”

#8) GALACTIC – Into the Deep (2015)

Much like Gillian Welch’s characterization of an Appalachian ghost, Galactic is a bunch of well-heeled suburbanites who woke up one morning and said, “You know what culture we should appropriate today? New Orleans.” Thankfully, they’re really good at it…good enough that the locals didn’t run them out of town with brass instruments and crawfish shells. To their credit, Galactic has expanded their sound over the years, and there’s a reason the city has basically adopted them like talented musical strays. Turns out if you can fake it this well, New Orleans will gladly let you sit in on the jam.

SAMPLE TRACK: “Dolla Diva”

#7 GIRLS – Father, Son, Holy Ghost (2011)

This was the third and final release from the band Girls, and I can safely say “final” because the band was basically two guys, and one of them unfortunately checked out permanently in 2020. Their influences are straight out of the 60s and 70s, which puts them squarely in my musical comfort zone, but don’t let that fool you into thinking they’re derivative. They somehow channel vintage sounds without sounding like a tribute act at your local county fair. Discovering this album was one of those rare pleasant surprises in my never-ending archaeological dig through modern music.

SAMPLE TRACK: “Honey Bunny”

#6) GROOVE ARMADA – Vertigo (1999)

Okay, let’s not get carried away…this isn’t exactly Fatboy Slim melting your face off or Chemical Brothers detonating your speakers, but it is somewhere in the same zip code. Maybe the neighboring suburb. I’ll admit I’m probably ranking this a little too high, but that’s what happens when an electronic album sneaks up on me and whispers, “Hey… you don’t hate this.” The vibe here is definitely on the chill side, maybe a little too laid-back to work as one big, cohesive listen. In other words: “I see you… not shakin’ that ass, not shakin’ that ass, not shakin’ that ass.”

SAMPLE TRACK: “I See You Baby”

#5) GIRLS ALOUD – Chemistry (2005)

Honestly, any of the next five albums could’ve taken the crown here. It all depends on my mood, the weather, my blood sugar. None of these top five are untouchable, stone-cold classics, but I like them all about equally, which means this ranking is about as stable as a Jenga tower in an earthquake.

As for Girls Aloud, it’s refreshing to hear a “girl group” that isn’t solely held together by hair extensions, stilettos, and strategic lighting angles. The whole album is basically a nonstop sugar rush of British pop genius, and picking a sample track feels like trying to choose your favorite firework: loud, colorful, chaotic, and impossible to pick just one…but “Biology” has to be the one for me.

#4) GNARLS BARKLEY – St. Elsewhere (2006)

This album unites the dynamic duo of CeeLo Green and Danger Mouse (Broken Bells), two musicians who once ranked absurdly high in the first three (now disowned) installments of this blog. St. Elsewhere blends CeeLo’s neo-soul crooning with Danger Mouse’s psychedelic soul-rock brainwaves, resulting in a sonic smoothie that somehow tastes like the best parts of both artists.

It’s also a concept album wandering through some pretty dark psychological corridors…the same ones Alice Cooper used to prowl, except without the rubber snakes, guillotines, and theatrical meltdowns. Of course “Crazy” is the undeniable classic, but we’ve all heard it roughly 7,000 times. So instead, here’s their wonderfully unexpected cover of a Violent Femmes song, because nothing says “mental unraveling” like genre-hopping in a straightjacket.

#3) GOLDFRAPP – Supernature (2005)

This is the album where Goldfrapp, once a baroque, art-pop duo, decided to “sell out” and go full pop/dance…and shockingly, that betrayal of their former aesthetic purity is by far my favorite thing they’ve ever done. Turns out there’s real artistry in making pop music sound both important and fun. The music pretty much speaks for itself, so instead of pretending I have something profound to add, here’s the sample track: “Ride a White Horse,” a song that sounds exactly like glitter feels.

#2) GARBAGE – Version 2.0 (1998)

The 90s have been taking a beating in this round of rankings, so here come Garbage to drag the decade out of the mud and remind everyone it wasn’t all flannel sadness and dudes yelling into microphones. Garbage managed to be one of the best rock bands of the era (and beyond) without ever wading into the grunge swamp which is impressive, considering their name suggests actual refuse. This might not even be their best album, but it’s definitely their most consistently entertaining, and the fact that they’ve been releasing quality work across four decades means they’ll absolutely be showing up in my “G” installment of Built to Last. Feeling old yet? Because I certainly am.

SAMPLE TRACK: “Push It”

#1) GORILLAZ – Demon Days (2005)

For years, I listened to this “band” under the delusion that these cartoon characters were based on actual musicians, but it turns out the whole group is a fully fabricated animated circus conjured up by the main guy from Blur. Yes, Song 2’s “woo-hoo!” dude moonlights as the Dr. Frankenstein of digital bandmates.

I also recently learned that this album was produced by the Modest Mouse mastermind (Broken Bells, Gnarls Barkley) who is now climbing my personal Mount Olympus of Cool. At this rate, when I finally get to “Part 13 (M)” of this blog, I may need a hydration break and a fainting couch. And let me just say once more for the people in the back: the top five albums in this section could easily fight Thunderdome-style for the number-one spot. Demon Days just happened to elbow everyone out today.

SAMPLE TRACK: “DARE”

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The letter G really showed up to class with extra credit this round, but the greatness doesn’t stop there. Below are a few more G-flavored music acts who didn’t quite squeeze onto the main list, yet remain absolutely worth digging into for any curious music aficionado with time, taste, and a functioning Wi-Fi connection.

TOP TIER

Grizzly Bear – Art-rock perfectionists who turn harmonies and odd time signatures into something strangely beautiful.
Grimes – A sci-fi pop sorceress mixing synths, hooks, and chaos into a genre all her own.
Glen Hansard – The king of heartfelt folk-rock who sings like every line might shatter him.
Gary Clark Jr. – A blues-rock powerhouse blending tradition with modern fire and arena-sized guitar tone.
Gregory Alan Isakov – Whispered, poetic folk that feels like staring at stars from a quiet hillside.
Gotye – Inventive art-pop craftsman who accidentally made the breakup song of the 2010s.
Grandaddy – Lo-fi indie dreamers who specialize in melancholy melodies about technology and burnout.
Gaz Coombes – Former Supergrass frontman turned sophisticated, sharp-edged alt-rock auteur.
Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci – Welsh psychedelic oddballs delivering eccentric, melodic brilliance.
Grant Lee Buffalo – Sweeping, cinematic alt-rock with a voice that could split mountains.
Great Lake Swimmers – Ethereal folk that sounds like it was recorded inside a cathedral made of pine trees.
Gilla Band – Noise-rock destroyers who turn chaos, industrial rhythm, and wit into something addictive.
Gregory Porter – Velvet-voiced jazz baritone delivering warmth, wisdom, and world-class phrasing.
Girl in Red – Gen-Z indie-pop diarist turning anxiety, desire, and honesty into anthems.
The Gourds – Alt-country misfits known for loose, rootsy charm and the world’s most left-field covers.
Gov’t Mule – Heavy, jammy Southern-rock veterans powered by Warren Haynes’ guitar heroics.
Gruff Rhys – The melodic, whimsical mastermind behind Super Furry Animals with a flair for surreal pop.

MID-TIER

Gallant – Silky, minimalist R&B crooner with a knack for atmospheric slow-burners.
Gia Margaret – Soft-spoken indie-folk artist blending intimacy, ambience, and emotional subtlety.
The Go! Team – A kaleidoscope of indie cheerleader chants, funk breaks, and joyful chaos.
Goapele – Smooth, soulful R&B vocalist best enjoyed with candles and good speakers.
Gomez – English indie-blues-rock shapeshifters with charming looseness and big personality.
Goat Girl – Post-punk Londoners delivering sardonic lyrics with a smoky, unsettling edge.
Great Big Sea – Canadian folk-rock pub shouters known for infectious, nautical party energy.
Gwen Bunn – Neo-soul singer/producer crafting mellow grooves and sun-warm R&B textures.
Giant Drag – Fuzzy alt-rockers pairing deadpan vocals with early-2000s guitar crunch.
Ginuwine – R&B hitmaker who gifted the world “Pony,” forever raising mechanical bull expectations.
Geese – Brooklyn indie-rock upstarts blending art-rock ambition with youthful volatility.
Glasvegas – Scottish wall-of-sound dramatists delivering emotional anthems through thick reverb fog.
The Gaslight Anthem – Springsteen-loving NJ rockers specializing in blue-collar nostalgia and big choruses.
G Flip – Australian multi-instrumentalist creating punchy, emotional pop-rock belters.
Gary Louris – The Jayhawks’ melodic architect with an unmistakable, honeyed songwriting style.
Gavin James – Irish singer-songwriter specializing in tender, heart-on-sleeve ballads.
Gavin DeGraw – Piano-pop craftsman whose choruses were genetically engineered for TV soundtracks.
Goldheart Assembly – Warm indie-folk harmonizers who disappeared too soon but left great songs behind.
Geraldine Fibbers – Alt-country art-punks mixing twang, noise, and theatrical intensity.
Girls Names – Northern Irish post-punk outfit leaning into moody, atmospheric gloom.
Graffiti6 – Colorful pop-soul duo known for earworm choruses and clean, glossy production.
Great Good Fine OK – Synth-pop sweetness overloaded with falsetto and neon hooks.
Greyson Chance – Once-viral piano prodigy turned earnest, evolving pop artist.
Green River Ordinance – Heartland pop-rockers specializing in radio-friendly earnestness.
Grady Spencer & The Work – Texas Americana craftsmen delivering clean, confident bar-band warmth.
Ghost Hounds – Blues-rock revivalists built for big choruses, bar stages, and biker rallies.

BOTTOM TIER

Giveon – Deep-voiced R&B crooner whose music is smoother than it is memorable.
The Get Up Kids – Emo pioneers whose peak moments outshine their inconsistent catalogue.
Goose – Jam-band improvisers best appreciated by those who enjoy very long songs.
Glenn Lewis – Canadian R&B singer with undeniable smoothness but a limited impact footprint.
Glom – Dreamy indie outfit with promise but not enough defining material yet.
Gary Barlow – Former boyband king delivering adult-contemporary polish and little surprise.
Gyroscope – Australian alt-rockers who punch hard but rarely transcend the genre’s template.
Gospel Claws – Indie-rock oddballs with charm but a scattered, uneven discography.

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