Remembering Steve Albini: The storied artist who helped shape the sound of alt-rock

Though he hated being called a “producer,” the Pasadena-born Steve Albini was instrumental to the sound behind influential albums by The Pixies and Nirvana, in addition to original music he crafted with his bands Big Black and Shellac. Albini helped create a D.I.Y, analog sound in rock music that influenced generations of musicians, and continued his prolific work as a musician and engineer until his death. Shellac’s first studio album in 10 years, To All Trains, will be posthumously released May 17. NPR’s Lars Gotrich discusses Albini’s vast career and influence.

Explore KCRW’s playlist below for a survey of Albini’s original music and extensive recording work and collaborations, spanning the early 1980s through the present. Scroll on for an additional Spotify playlist, though Albini’s own music is not available on the platform. We’ll be updating the playlist to include the eagerly anticipated new Shellac album, so please also share your favorite Steve Albini work and memories, (nassir.nassirzadeh@kcrw.org) so we can sprinkle some more into the mix. 

1. Big Black – “Cables” (Not on Spotify)
2. Big Black – “Headache” (Not on Spotify)
3. Big Black – “Kerosene” (Not on Spotify)
4. Shellac – “Prayer to God” (Not on Spotify)
5. Shellac – “Wingwalker” (Not on Spotify)
6. Shellac – “The End of Radio” (Not on Spotify)
7. Nirvana – “All Apologies”
8. Pixies – “Break My Body - 2007 Remaster”
9. The Breeders – “When I Was A Painter”
10. The Jesus Lizard – “Mouth Breather”
11. The Wedding Present – “Dalliance”
12. Superchunk – “Skip Steps 1 & 3”
13. Distorted Pony – “Gut Bug”
14. Helmet – “In The Meantime”
15. The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – “Rachel”
16. PJ Harvey – “Rid Of Me”
17. Failure – “Macaque”
18. Veruca Salt – “Shimmer Like A Girl”
19. Dirty Three – “Sirena”
20. Chevelle – “Point #1”
21. Don Caballero – “Fire Back About Your New Baby's Sex”
22. Low – “Sunflower”
23. Mogwai – “My Father My King”
24. The Breeders – “Off You”
25. Nina Nastasia – “This Is What It Is”
26. Jawbreaker – “Kiss The Bottle”
27. Mclusky – “To Hell With Good Intentions”
28. Godspeed You! Black Emperor – “09-15-00”
29. Scout Niblett – “Kidnapped by Neptune”
30. Songs: Ohia – “Farewell Transmission”
31. The Frames & Glen Hansard – “Lay Me Down”
32. Electrelane – “Only One Thing Is Needed”
33. Magnolia Electric Co. – “The Dark Don't Hide It”
34. The Ponys – “I'm With You”
35. Gogol Bordello – “I Would Never Wanna Be Young Again”
36. Joanna Newsom – “Sawdust and Diamonds” (Not on Spotify)
37. MONO – “Are You There?”
38. Manic Street Preachers – “This Joke Sport Severed”
39. Cloud Nothings – “Stay Useless”
40. Ty Segall – “The Drag”
41. Metz – “Mess of Wires”
42. Code Orange – “Take Shape (feat. Billy Corgan)”