How to discover new music
Stuck listening to the same playlist? Here are practical ways to find new artists, plus 25 essential albums to start a music collection.
8 ways to find new music
Follow the family tree
Take an artist you love and look up who influenced them and who they influenced. Our genre cards show related genres for this.
Use the “3-listen rule”
Many great songs do not click at first. Give a new album three listens on different days before deciding.
Listen to full albums
Playlists give you hits; albums show an artist’s full world. Try one album a week from the list below.
Follow producers and labels
If you like a sound, find out who produced it or which label released it. Labels often have a recognisable style.
Try the radio and DJ mixes
Online radio stations, DJ sets and podcasts are made by real people with good taste, not by algorithms.
Watch live performances
Live sessions on YouTube and small local concerts show how an artist really sounds, often better than studio recordings.
Travel through countries
Pick a country each week and listen to its current charts and classic artists. It is the cheapest way to travel.
Share with friends
Swap one song a day with a friend. Personal recommendations are still the best discovery engine.
25 albums to start with
One album from almost every genre and decade. It is not a “best albums of all time” list, but a friendly starting point.
- Symphony No. 9Ludwig van Beethoven · 1824 · Classical
- Kind of BlueMiles Davis · 1959 · Jazz
- At Folsom PrisonJohnny Cash · 1968 · Country
- Abbey RoadThe Beatles · 1969 · Rock
- What's Going OnMarvin Gaye · 1971 · R&B and soul
- BlueJoni Mitchell · 1971 · Folk
- The Dark Side of the MoonPink Floyd · 1973 · Rock
- London CallingThe Clash · 1979 · Punk
- ThrillerMichael Jackson · 1982 · Pop
- LegendBob Marley & The Wailers · 1984 · Reggae
- Master of PuppetsMetallica · 1986 · Metal
- NevermindNirvana · 1991 · Rock
- Roja (Soundtrack)A. R. Rahman · 1992 · Indian classical and Bollywood
- IllmaticNas · 1994 · Hip-hop
- OK ComputerRadiohead · 1997 · Indie and alternative
- Buena Vista Social ClubBuena Vista Social Club · 1997 · Latin
- The Miseducation of Lauryn HillLauryn Hill · 1998 · Hip-hop
- DiscoveryDaft Punk · 2001 · Electronic
- FantasyJay Chou · 2001 · Mandopop and C-pop
- Back to BlackAmy Winehouse · 2006 · R&B and soul
- To Pimp a ButterflyKendrick Lamar · 2015 · Hip-hop
- CurrentsTame Impala · 2015 · Indie and alternative
- African GiantBurna Boy · 2019 · Afrobeats
- Map of the Soul: 7BTS · 2020 · K-pop
- Un Verano Sin TiBad Bunny · 2022 · Latin
Streaming tips
Streaming services learn from what you do. Use “like” and “skip” on purpose, create separate playlists for different moods and check personalised discovery playlists every week. From time to time, search for a completely new genre so that the algorithm does not put you in a bubble.