Doo-wop music of the 50s and early 60s was born on the mean streets of New York City. Borrowing from pop, jazz and blues; groups began popping up all over The Big Apple with that signature doo-wop sound - tight 4 or 5-part harmonies, nonsense syllables, simple rhythms and little to no instrumentation. Doo-wop started out of stripped-down necessity - basically its the kind of group that literally any 4 or 5 people could form, as long as they could sing. As the genre progressed throughout the 50's it began to get more sophisticated and branched off to other regions and incorporated more styles and arrangements. By the time the genre had seen it's decline in the 60's, it had laid the groundwork for rock n roll, soul and all the great sounds to come out of Detroit and Liverpool. For that we owe it to doo-wop to give it it's own episode of ATTT. Of course we have our ace in the hole, Paul Eisen, aka Ben's dad, who lived in NYC in the 50's and was an impressionable pre-teen and teenager during doo-wop's heyday. You can bet he has an opinion or two on what he considers his #1 favorite style of music, as he has been a devoted fan since the beginning.

Stream this playlist on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/user/alltimetopten/playlist/5dtmsijnoxuSsM1ImX8mNZ?si=PW4dR09sSPiTKzmtCbTIXQ

For whatever reason, the law of bands is that they have to break up, except for U2. U2 will be around when Imagine Dragons is being inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame. For the most part, all good things do come to an end, including some of the best bands, groups, and awesome-music-making-partnerships of all time. What we'd love is for some of our faves to come back and reunite. However, since this is our rock n roll fantasy, we want these reunions to be more than just your typical headlining slot at Coachella, we want this to be a REAL reunion, as in the bands in question would be an active band again, with new music. Another caveat for this particular list is that the reunion is 'technically' possible, as in, the band's original or classic lineup has to all be alive. So it's something that, while not likely, could indeed actually happen for real. Ben has enlisted the services of bass player, producer and engineer extraordinaire Steve Deutsch to help think up some ridiculous never-will-happen-in-a-million-years scenarios and dream about what will never be... or will it?

Steve is always working on new music, including with his current band Milk The Clock. Listen here: https://www.facebook.com/Milk-The-Clock-1425025780906688/

Stream this playlist on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/user/alltimetopten/playlist/694gem5IkDbOhtffZ5sUHN?si=9vi79M8gTBKgRTIdXSBK5w

In the wake of the devastation that rap rock and nu metal left on rock n roll in the late 90s, a new sound emerged in the early-mid 2000s. Bands from all over the world began popping up with such diverse influences as punk rock, new wave, progressive rock, garage rock and EDM to give rock n roll one last gasp of life before the banjos killed it forever. Some call it the 'death rattle'. Some who are less cynical would call it an exciting time to be a fan of rock, while the hipsters called it whatever was the most contrarian term they could think of. For our purposes this week, we're calling it 'indie rock', and it has nothing to do with what record label you were signed to. The bands on this list didn't have a ton in common, other than the fact that they were a brief antidote to the dumbed down metal and bummer rock of 2000-2009. Heck, some of these bands scored hits on the pop charts, which seems impossible in 2018. Pal Of The Pod Chrissy Olsen is a big fan of this era, and she joins ATTT to help count down the first volume of the best bands in the scene that stretched from the Pacific Northwest to the UK.

Stream this playlist on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/user/alltimetopten/playlist/09EAcCvO7hONyDqbAJIEjc?si=HHKEqspyQN-q8LITsQrBwQ

On the first Friday (or Thursday night) of every month, ATTT is putting out a bonus episode for those who seek more podcast fun. We told you we were gonna bring you only brainless silly episodes this summer, and we meant it. Here's one for your July from way back in 2013 featuring the highly entertaining Joe Lavelle.

Ben is joined in GoodList Studios by fellow pop culture-obsessed maniac Joe Lavelle for a podcast that celebrates the oft-maligned genre of pop music known as Bubblegum. Once you drop your snobby musical defenses (and check your insulin levels), you're ready to join the lads on a saccharine-sweet journey through the wonders of Bubblegum music. Some of the greatest songs ever written were performed by bands that were pre-fabricated, cartoon characters, or in some cases, never even existed. Ben and Joe tell the stories behind the songs and get 20 of the greatest Bubblegum classics stuck in your head all week. Enjoy!

Stream this playlist on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/user/alltimetopten/playlist/6EBcDnBcXF0kyHx2UCkxlF?si=f_eoP4FDQVqLiInWQhu1qQ

Welcome to summer 2018, people. It's hot. It's humid. Everyone is either filled with rage or acting like a jackass, or both. There's only one way to safely release all this anger - Festivus in July! As Frank Costanza will tell you the blessed holiday of Festivus begins with the airing of grievances. We here at ATTT have got a lot of problems with you people, and now you're gonna hear about it, in song form. Songs that have complaints, objections, criticisms, nitpicking and straight up beef are featured in this week's podcast, and we could find no one better to help us let it all out than the saltiest curmudgeon we know. You guessed it, the great Diane Stroud is back again to help you get out your pent up aggression, in the healthiest way possible - through music!

If you missed Volume 1, by all means go here:
https://www.mixcloud.com/beneisen/episode-245-top-ten-songs-from-the-complaint-department-a-festivus-miracle-wdiane-stroud/

Stream this playlist on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/user/alltimetopten/playlist/1I611R0RUHQDPDh8FuKz0j?si=_SxH32FwTyuy3ZLlgwlbAA

There’s no anger like heartbroken anger like no anger we know. Some of the best and most vital songs on the subject of love are filled with resentment and bitterness. These feelings can manifest themselves through song in a slow-burning rage where the music is as creepy as the sentiment. Other angry heartbreak songs are exploding at the seams with righteous fury. All of this and more can be heard in the latest ATTT pod, and the man with the plan to bring this episode back for a second go-around is The Old Boy Himself, Ryan “You Wouldn’t Like Me When I’m Angry” Blake, who we all know as one of the nicest dudes on the planet. Until you break his heart. Don’t.

If you haven’t dug into Angry Heartbreak Songs Volume 1, it’s good but be warned - this is episode 2, so it sounds pretty damn primitive. We were just figuring this thing out in 2011. Here’s the link from the archives if you’re interested:
https://www.mixcloud.com/beneisen/episode-2-top-ten-angry-heartbreak-songs-wryan-blake/

By all means stream this playlist on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/user/alltimetopten/playlist/5deTMaNliQ4L72TkbxtRPl?si=YORFJZO8Qn-v1wxKUBNyFw


Every few years the fine upstanding folks at Rolling Stone Magazine take a break from talking about how great Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and U2 are; and release an updated version of their 100 Greatest Guitarists feature. Every time they do they incur the wrath of guitar geeks the world over, howling with rage at the miscues, overpraising and especially the snubs of some of the most criminally underrated guitar slingers to ever don an axe. (By the way, ATTT incurs this wrath weekly, so we feel their pain, on a much smaller scale of course...) Enter guitar wizard and holder of strong opinions Alex Dubovoy, who brings his musical knowledge and New York attitude to lay waste to Rolling Stone and in the process, helps Ben nominate 20 amazing guitar players that RS unjustly snubbed on their list. This show is for novelty purposes only, but believe it, the rage is real. These are just a few of the most unbelievably underrated guitarists we know of. Please be nice to us if you disagree.

Alex has spent more than 2 decades as the guitarist for NYC legends The Hanslick Rebellion. Check out their stuff here: http://tcov.net/album/wholl-apologize-for-this-disaster-of-a-life

Stream this playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/alltimetopten/playlist/2UzjSKcbxJjVrABH8g9V7L?si=N9YptK5-R_ynUDoH04yJcA

From the mean streets of New York City to the blessed rains of Africa, it's a great big world. Even as technology brings us virtually closer together, there's nothing that can compare to seeing and experiencing the sights and sounds of this endlessly fascinating planet of ours in person. In that spirit, Ben and special guest traveler Chris Wolffing set their sights on a globetrotting adventure, and the lads play some of the best songs about places around the globe, using the music to get them as close to these far off places as they can without actually updating their passports. Things get a bit hairy in certain locales, but nothing can slow down the longing for adventure and experience. All aboard!

"As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life — and travel — leaves marks on you. Most of the time, those marks — on your body or on your heart — are beautiful." - Anthony Bourdain

Stream this playlist on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/user/alltimetopten/playlist/5v48w5MKdooYvRPXs5Qspj?si=w5GrE2w8TCKIxnpxfWI52Q

Looking at it from a musicologist's point of view, genre anomalies can be fascinating. Most music genres have their rules and parameters by which a standard band operates. In the world of progressive rock, or prog rock, or simply 'prog' if you know your stuff; expansiveness is a virtue. Your average prog album is 60 minutes and 4 tracks, or so the cliche goes. What ATTT is all about this week is the anomaly - the 'short' prog song, and for our intents and purposes all of this week's tracks are under 5 minutes long. No suite sections, no interludes, absolutely no radio edits!

Of course if it's a progressive rock episode, we have to be joined by 2 of the biggest prog nerds we know - Certified Prog Wizard and leader of SoCal prog titans Lobate Scarp Adam Sears is back; as well as Prog Sorcerer-In-Training Fernando Perdomo. To devotees of the genre, we hope we did you proud, although the inevitable nitpicking will surely commence immediately. *eyeroll* The picks are outstanding and the conversation is as hilarious and nerdy as you'd expect. Enjoy!

Fernando has just released his first all-prog album Out To Sea, and is a featured performer at next year's upcoming Yes Cruise To The Edge. Find out more at https://www.fernandoperdomo.com

Adam's band Lobate Scarp has new music coming out soon. Listen to their latest stuff at
http://www.lobatescarp.com.hostbaby.com

Stream (most of) this playlist on Spotify. Sorry, King Crimson fans...
https://open.spotify.com/user/alltimetopten/playlist/13KHHB8ZuMq0wpzOmaXkUs?si=MsVxNwgcSmSsWyM-1v2aNw

The act of singing lead and playing drums simultaneously is a feat so insane it boggles the mind. It's like having two brains working at once, while working your ass off physically, and somehow finding time to breathe. It shouldn't be possible. The folks on this week's list deserve endless respect, whether you're a fan of their music or not. Pal Of The Pod Dustin Prince returns to help count down the superhuman Singing Drummer. Note: for our purposes the guideline is they must sing lead and play drums at the same time to make this list. Enjoy!

After you listen, please check out our YouTube playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rqnw5IfbZOU&list=PL2Sj57_93sSdbpG_irHxcLEauWnFIXdIz

Aaaand stream it on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/user/alltimetopten/playlist/6rZz5eAnx6GTwWUhqkC3Ye?si=UhiqOaeHRnekpvq-nLyrrA