How Pop Songs Work

R.E.M. mark the point when post-punk turned into alternative rock. When their first single, "Radio Free Europe", was released in 1981, it sparked a back-to-the-garage movement in the American underground. While there were a number of hardcore and punk bands in the U.S. during the early '80s, R.E.M. brought guitar pop back into the underground lexicon. Combining ringing guitar hooks with mumbled, cryptic lyrics and a D.I.Y. aesthetic borrowed from post-punk, the band simultaneously sounded traditional and modern. Throughout the '80s, they worked relentlessly, releasing records every year and touring constantly, playing both theaters and backwoods dives. Along the way, they inspired countless bands, from the legions of jangle pop groups in the mid-'80s to scores of alternative pop groups in the '90s, who admired their slow climb to stardom.

Todd Rundgren 70's Collection offers 117 tracks digitally remastered in 96 kHz, 24bit. Todd Rundgren may be known as an overindulgent pop singer and producer – but he's also got a fantastic talent for a good little pop song, and his 70s albums are littered with gems that often get lost amidst the shuffle of more overblown numbers. This collection includes following albums: Runt (1970), Runt: The Ballad Of Todd Rundgren (1971), Something/Anything? (1972), A Wizard, A True Star (1973), Todd (1974), Initiation (1975), Faithful (1976), Hermit Of Mink Hollow (1978).