Breaking traditional mainstream hip-hop guidelines, Kanye West's latest release features epic raps and long instrumental variations for his most innovative album to date.

Ne-Yo's latest effort takes on the influence of themes and character archetypes found in sci-fi fantasies and comic books and structures them around a musical plot to create a daring concept album.

The eight-track companion released as an EP is part of the deluxe reissue of Ke$ha's debut album, Animal, and includes remixes and outtakes.

My Chemical Romance's latest release -- four years after the last album -- reveals a slightly different sound and style for the band while keeping its recognizable emo meets rock-and-roll spirit.

The Swedish singer-songwriter's album is part of her 2010 Body Talk trilogy, containing five new tracks and another handful of songs with different versions from her previously released first and second parts.

The 14th studio album from the UK masters of doom-and-gloom metal is their first album in 28 years featuring the band's original lineup.

After making an explosive debut appearing on other artist's songs, rapper Nicki Minaj finally releases her debut of electro-infused, bold, and hook-heavy hip-hop.

This album contains several live and studio recorded songs from the Grammy-winning jazz singer.

The New Orleans rapper returns with his second album in 2010 which features guest appearances by Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, Devin the Dude, Jay Electronica, Mikey Rocks, Big K.R.I.T., Smoke DZA, Trademark Da Skydiver, and Young Roddy.

The follow-up to the San Francisco duo's 2009 debut album is a six-song album.

The British boyband welcomes Robbie Williams back to the group on its sixth album.

The sequel to the rapper's 2004 release "The Hunger for More" features such guests as 50 Cent, Styles P, Raekwon, Tony Yayo, Kanye West, Swizz Beatz, Ryan Leslie, and Fabolous.

The 10th studio album from the British post-rock band sticks to the formula that contributes to its longevity--synth-laden instrumentation and experimental dream-pop over delicate female vocals, containing tracks from previous sessions.

The Barbadian pop star's fifth album is boasted as her rebirth, showcasing her vocal and lyrical range as a versatile artist. It carries more than just club-ready cuts and includes collaborations with Nicki Minaj and Eminem.

As a collection of recordings from 1978, The Promise has been heralded as the great lost Springsteen album, comprising previously unreleased B-sides from the Darkness on the Edge of Town sessions.

Nelly returns with his sixth album, which is titled 5.0 in acknowledgement of his love of the Ford Mustang; it features collaborations with the Neptunes, Jermaine Dupri, Akon, and several others.

Taking a break from his usual rap and metal musical hybrid style, Kid Rock's latest album is influenced by country-rock and blues, featuring collaborations with Zac Brown, Sheryl Crow, and others.

The American Idol winner cowrote all but one track on his first post-Idol album.

The Australian country recording artist's latest release includes both fun-loving, up-tempo tunes and guitar-heavy ballads.

The compilation album of some of her duets with such artists such as The Foo Fighters, Willie Nelson, Outkast, Q-Tip, Belle & Sebastian, Ray Charles, Dolly Parton, Ryan Adams, Herbie Hancock, and M. Ward.

The Christmas album from the Scottish singer who gained worldwide fame as half of the Eurythmics features a 30-piece orchestra and the African Children's Choir.

This is the rerelease of the band's 2004 EP Heart Ache and the unreleased 2003 EP Dethroned.

The Canadian band that began as a solo project for Matthew Hart releases its fourth full length album.

This is the first album in four years for the folk band led by Dawn McCarthy.

The second album for the British indie pop band is its first with a new lineup, which consists of Gwenno and Ani Saunders.

Stars hire Rick Rubin for one thing: to achieve a purity of essence. When it comes to singers like Johnny Cash or songwriters like Neil Diamond -- even rock bands like Weezer -- Rubin’s approach feels natural, as he strips away the varnish that’s clouded over the years, but Josh Groban is an odd choice for the Rubin maneuver. Not a singer/songwriter in the classic sense but rather a classical singer who dabbles in pop, Groban doesn’t need to be stripped to his essence because bombast is a crucial part of the equation. Smart guy that he is, Rubin doesn’t eliminate surging melodrama from Groban’s bag of tricks but he does limit and mute the palette, making sure the strings don’t soar so high and that the singer doesn’t bellow. These subtle adjustments, which include hiring Semisonic’s Dan Wilson as a co-writing partner for Groban, wind up having a drastic effect on the flavor of Illuminations, turning it into something warm, burnished, and intimate, a spell only briefly broken by the cacophonic clatter of the Portuguese “Você Existe em Mim.” Its presence is a testament to Groban’s curiosity but Illuminations is best when he plays close to the vest, which means this is another instance where Rubin succeeds by illuminating his subject’s essence. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Gregg Gillis releases his latest album of mash-up tracks as a free download.

The quartet led by Freddy Ruppert that includes Zola Jesus/Nika Roza Danilova, Xiu Xiu's Jamie Stewart, and Yasmine Kittles releases its second album together.

The latest album for the Chicago rock band was recorded live in Louisville, Kentucky, and Tokyo, Japan.

Bringing back his blend of Motown and neo-soul to pop music, Cee-Lo returns with his third solo album featuring his viral hit, "F*** You".

The Christian rockers return with their fifth album of metalcore, the first release without founding member Aaron Gillespie.

The mezzo-soprano singer from Scotland has a second album of orchestral Christmas carols and various non-holiday song selections that showcase the voice that had even Simon Cowell singing her praises.

Hailing from New York, the experimental rockers release their debut album of electronic, shimmery shoe-gazer rock and dance tracks, comparable to the likes of Cut Copy and New Order.

The UK metal legends return to their roots on their ninth album, which takes a dark mythic tale of demons and doom and turns it into haunting black metal musical configurations.

After three years, the Stockholm-based band is back with its fourth album of pure dance pop.

The latest album for the country singer was produced by Dann Huff.

The tribute album to the country legend which also includes Loretta Lynn herself, features Lee Ann Womack, Alan Jackson, Martina McBride, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Gretchen Wilson, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Allison Moorer, The White Stripes, Kid Rock, Paramore, Reba McEntire, Sheryl Crow, and Miranda Lambert singing many of her hits.

The Japanese trio releases its latest album of punk rock music.

Sting's daughter releases her debut album with her band I Blame Coco.

The latest EP from Kristian Matsson was recorded while he was on tour.

The second release for the Detroit rock band is its first with a smaller lineup--the five-piece band is now only three.

The fourth album for the rock band was its final one with drummer Jerry Fuchs, who passed away just prior to the release date.

The Cincinnati rock band led by Craig Fox reunites after Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler formed The Raconteurs with Jack White and Brendan Benson during The Greenhornes' hiatus in 2005.

Quincy Jones returns to rerecord songs he has either written or produced with a variety of guest singers, including Amy Winehouse, Akon, Snoop Dogg, T-Pain, Ludacris, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Talib Kweli, John Legend, Tevin Campbell, Robin Thicke, LL Cool J, Usher, Tyrese, BeBe Winans, and Barry White.

The distinguished British musician returns with another solo effort showcasing his ability to reimagine classic jazz standards as well as revitalize a few from his own catalogue.

This is the San Francisco-based trio's debut full-length release.

The rapper from Cleveland returns with the sequel to his debut album, featuring guest rappers Snoop Dogg and Cage.

The debut album featuring Reigning Sound's Greg Cartwright and The Ettes' Coco Hames includes appearances by Dan Auerbach, Patrick Keeler, and fellow band members Jem Cohen, Poni Silver, and Dave Amels.

This is the latest full-length release for the Mike Sniper project.

The British grime group led by Wiley (Dizzee Rascal and Tinchy Stryder also were members) releases its fourth studio album, which features guest appearances by Carla Marie, Jodie Connor, Eva Simons, Tania Foster, Parallel, Cherri V, and Alesha Dixon.

The Welsh folk singer releases her first album on the Strange Attractor label.

The second Christmas album for the pop singer includes four new songs and a rerecording of her 1994 Christmas song "All I Want for Christmas is You."

From the early '80s on, this San Francisco-based band has had a slew of hits and, with the latest album, continues to experiment with vintage soul and rock.

This collection of unreleased songs recorded by the band during the past 15 years was released the same day as the rerelease of 1996's Pinkerton.

The second full-length album for the Chicago pop band finds it with a new lineup after the loss of two of its founding members.

The Rivers Cuomo-led rock band's second album has been remastered and includes B-sides, as well as 16 other unreleased tracks on the two-disc set.

The first of a series of compilations, Diplo collects 16 tracks of dubstep featuring such artists as Lil Jon, Major Lazer, Mr. Lexx, Santigold, and Rusko.

The compilation contains tracks from the Heatmiser singer's previous eight solo albums.

The duo make their debut as a trio and turn away from traditional dubstep sounds on their new album, creating a dense, complex collection of dance music.

The sixth studio album from these pop-punk rockers reveals more than their typical teen-angst-ridden side, with topics ranging from married life to ballads about fatherhood.

Costello's second album with producer T-Bone Burnett is both reminiscent of his earlier work and experimental in sound, with a foray into finger-picking country and eclectic folk-rock tunes.

Following Johnny Cash and, more recently, Tom Jones, the legendary crooner creates his own rendition of his favorites in this collection of covers by artists such as Leonard Cohen, the Beatles, and even his own classic tunes.

After five long years, Brian Eno finally releases his first solo album since Another Day on Earth and continues to take a more ambient musical approach, collaborating with Leo Abrahams and Jon Hopkins.

The LA-based band's debut album goes from upbeat, distortion-heavy, new wave sounds, to slow melodies and a melancholic atmosphere, creating a wide range of moods and crossing musical genres.

N.E.R.D.'s fourth album takes a new direction by adding psychedelic rock influences to their mad-scientist mix of hip-hop, along with the addition of a new female vocalist to the original Virginia trio.

Known for being Brooklyn-based party starters, Matt & Kim have infused their new album with club beats, pop, and disco-punk to create a dynamic dance party sound.

This is the third album for the San Francisco duo of Evan Caminiti and Jon Porras.

The Brooklyn rock trio worked on its album for only one month with producer Tony Berg.

This is the final album for the rock trio who decided to end the band after the death of drummer Charles Gocher in 2007.

James Jackson Toth's latest album is his first on the Young God label.

The LA-based indie band's album continues its excursion into experimental rock infused with psychedelic soundscapes and dreamy, melodic vocals.

This is the debut album for the Detroit rap group that includes Apollo Brown, Journalist 103, and DJ Soko.

The Savannah, Georgia, band's new album incorporates psychedelic experimentalism with heavy riffs and sludgy doom metal.

The Brooklyn-based Animal Collective frontman's debut solo album is both dark and upbeat, as he experiments with energentic electronic production and soulful, slow-moving instrumentation.

The hard rock quintet releases its first album with its new guitarist, Zach Roach, who replaced Heath Saraceno.

The latest album for the Bay area hip-hop artist features guest appearances by Lateet, Sam Sparro, Joyo Velarde, Trackademicks, Clyde Carson, The Gift, and Francis and the Lights.

The Brooklyn rock band's full-length debut was written and recorded in Delaware.

The Austin-based electronic duo used fewer sounds to maintain their unique sound on their fourth release.

This is the debut acoustic album for Sean Lennon and his girlfriend Charlotte Kemp Muhl.

What began as a Roxy Music reunion album turned into Ferry's first album of new material in eight years and features contributions from original Roxy Music members like Brian Eno and Phil Manzanera.

The singer-songwriter's third album is the first that she wrote entirely on her own and remains true to her country-pop roots that made her one of the biggest selling artists of 2009.

The first official release for the drone metal band was recorded in 1990 and features Kurt Cobain as a guest vocalist.

The supergroup made up of the producer/DJs Axwell, Sebastian Ingrosso, and Steve Angello releases its first album together.

This is the debut album for the Philadelphia duo of Jon Barthmus, formally of the A-Sides, and Patrick Marsciell.

The blues guitarist's latest solo album features Carlos Santana and B.B. King as guests.