Send these to the Smithsonian | Arts & Entertainment

The Aspen Daily News  reached out to artists, DJs, producers and critics in multiple disciplines with the question, “If you were given the opportunity to send three albums to the Smithsonian from the last 25 years, to be memorialized forever, what would they be?”

Here’s what they had to say:

Nelly, multi-platinum rap and hip-hop artist 

The first album I would send to the Smithsonian is Outkast’s “Stankonia” (2000). The sounds of a southern-like orchestra were incredible. Then I would go with 50 Cent’s “Get Rich or Die Trying (2003). Me, personally, I have never heard New York City rap like that. My third pick would be T.I.’s “Trap Muzik” (2003). It brought the trap sound and persona to the mainstream.

Rasta Stevie, KDUR reggae DJ, producer

Damian Marley’s “Welcome to Jam Rock” (2005) stated to the world that the Marley sons’ dynasty will reign. The title track became one of the eternal, undisputed anthems of reggae and established Damian as the most in-demand Marley since Bob.

“Set in Stone” (2015) solidified Stick Figure as the largest-selling reggae artist alive and the only reggae artist to unseat Bob Marley’s “Legend” on the Billboard Reggae Albums chart.

“Dread and Terrible”(2014) launched Chronixx’s popularity, with his first show in the U.S. at an overcapacity Central Park in New York City, establishing him as the leading figure in the Rasta reggae renaissance movement.

Chris Benchetler, pro skier, artist, filmmaker

I’m stuck in the ’70s. Always have been. Luckily, some of my favorite artists are still creating music, so here’s my top picks: Grateful Dead, “The Closing of Winterland: 12/31/78” (2003). I’m a huge sucker for Cornell ’77 so the “Cornell 5/8/77” release (2017) is up there.

On his album “Magic Time” (2005), Van Morrison had a super tight band and hits the melodic Van from my favorite albums. Neil Young’s “Prairie Wind” (2005) showed Neil still evolving and exploring new concepts.

Claybrook Penn, KOTO Radio, Bootsie’s Boombox

D’Angelo & the Vanguard’s album “Black Messiah” (2014) is Funkadelic for the hip hop generation, Sly & the Family Stone for a post-Ferguson, pre-George Floyd, “post-racial moment.” 

Janelle Monae’s record “The ArchAndroid” (2010) is a “Blade Runner”-meets-Rhythm Nation concept album and is when she solidified her artistic vision and locked in the band and producers to make it her new reality. She’s sci-fi pop funk that reminds me of LaBelle and Janet Jackson at their best.

“Beyonce’s “Renaissance” (2022) converted me from a hater into a Beyoncé fan. It recalls all the 1990s house/club bangers, gives me that nostalgic tingle for the good ol’ days of living in an urban radio market and adds the billion dollar production value and incomprehensibly lush vocals of the greatest pop diva since Whitney Houston. The guests, Nile Rogers and Grace Jones are legends. It’s the most fun, celebratory disco album since the freewheelin’ ’90s days of DeeeLite or Jamiroquai. “All Hail the Queen Bey.”

Torey Pader, guitarist and vocalist, Bloodkin 

“Blackwater” (2001) by JJ Grey and Mofro is the album that made me fall in love with the band. Soulful, slowful, and just the right amount of grits. The stand out for me is the song “Air.”  That song just makes me drive fast, there’s no other explanation. 

“Lamentations’ (2020) by American Aquarium: I believe every single word BJ Barham says, end of story.

I realize it’s somewhat of a cheat to pick a band that I’m in, but Bloodkin’s album ‘Black Market Tango’ (2021) came out before I joined. It’s so poetic, and typical of Bloodkin, a band that insists on self-sabotage for decades, to release its masterpiece, only to have the founder and main writer pass away before the promotional tour. This album front to back has some great songs, great vibe, and it really was the one that was gonna take them over the top.”

Jordan Sokel, lead singer, guitarist, Pressing Strings 

D’Angelo’s album “Voodoo” (2000) was genius on display, but the kind of genius that is still accessible and universally understood. This record changed the sound and course of music in the 2000s and still sounds fresh. 

Bon Iver’s “For Emma, Forever Ago” (2007) is filled with brilliant songs wrapped in production that was abnormal for its time — equally lo-fi and lush.  Justin Vernon’s poetic, abstract approach to writing lyrics was pretty eye-opening to me. It came out at a time when I needed it, it just made sense to me when I was 22 years old, feeling uneasy with the future and frustrated with the present.

The Black Keys’ album “Brothers” (2010) blends all of my favorite styles of music together in a mighty way. It’s easy to dismiss it because of how commercially successful it was but it wasn’t without reason. Dan Auerbach’s songwriting hit another gear during this period, releasing another classic just a year earlier with his first solo record “Keep it Hid” (2009) and following with their blockbuster “El Camion” just a year later. His falsetto singing is especially inspiring to me.” 

Singer-songwriter Jerry Joseph

If “Achtung Baby” is my gun to the head, one record on a desert island choice, Frightened Rabbit’s album “Midnight Organ Fight” (2008) is a Top 5 record. Scott Hutchinson is one of my favorite songwriters, his brothers drumming and background vocals and these songs, I love every one of them.”

My life changed when I heard Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds album “Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus”(2004). Nick Cave has that voice. Nick is the bar on everything, writing, performance, editing and The Bad Seeds are simply the best rock band in the world, period.

As far as what brought me joy, it’s Bob Dylan’s “The Bootleg Series: Trouble No More” (2017) when he finds Jesus with Jim Keltner and Spooner Oldham and means it.

Lindsay Lou, guitarist-vocalist

It’s sort of an absurd attempt to narrow it down to three. I’ve chosen three that are very much in the same vein rather than trying to cover more of the vast music landscape, but these are the ones that have just spoken so directly to my heart over the last couple decades: Maya De Vitry, “Adaptations” (2019); Taylor Ashton’s “The Romantic” (2020) and May Erlewine’s “Love Labor” (2008).

Craig Havighurst, host of “The String” on WMOT 

“For ‘O Brother Where Art Thou’ (2002), T Bone Burnett scouted Nashville for its deepest roots musicians and enlisted them in a strange movie musical built around pre-war country, gospel, old-time and blues. The soundtrack was a shock success that outsold Music Row’s bland chart-toppers, won the Grammy for Album of the Year and revealed the roots of country music (the genre, not the format) to a new generation.

Country radio begged the Dallas trio The Dixie Chicks to ditch the banjo and dobro, but the Chicks would not be told how to sound, and their acoustic, grassed-up 2002 record “Home” was the best and boldest, if not the biggest, album they released during their game-changing run. Radio stations excommunicated the Chicks over politics just when the single “Travelin’ Soldier” was No. 1 on radio, one of the industry’s darkest moments. 

Chris Stapleton’s breakout debut “Traveler” (2015) proved seismic and refreshing for country music during its bro era. It reasserted Kentucky, home state of Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers and others, as a major force in country music. It put producer Dave Cobb on the map in a big way. It brought roots soul singing back to the country for the first time in years, influencing country and Americana. Most agreed that it was pretty much flawless. 

DJ Harry, house, EDM DJ

Zero 7’s “Simple Things” (2001) is a genre-defining album that set the gold standard for the chill/downtempo genre in the early 2000s. Calvin Harris’ “18 Months” (2012) is the best collection of songs from the EDM explosion of the early 2010s. Harris introduced house music to the masses with these tunes and turned millions of unsuspecting people into EDM ravers overnight. With their record “4×4=12” (2010), Deadmau5 brought the dancefloor sounds of the underground into mass consciousness.

Daniel Womack, guitarist, vocalist of Futurebirds

The Glands’ 2000 eponymous record is the greatest indie record of all time (sorry Neutral Milk). Outkast’s “Aquemini” (1998) is just older than 25 years but if we could bend the rules I’d say it’s a shoo-in for one of greatest hip-hop records of all time. And Susto’s first record, “Eponymous (2014),” is the greatest Americana record of all time. 

David Gans, musician, author, host of Grateful Dead Hour

My job requires that I listen almost entirely to the Grateful Dead so here are my favorite archival releases from the first 25 years. Jerry Garcia Band’s “Let It Rock” (2004) is a two-disc set from the first lineup of the JGB with Nicky Hopkins on piano. Hopkins was not in great shape, and his tenure didn’t last long, but on that weekend in November 1975, he had it together. The interactions between Jerry and Nicky on this disc are wonderful.

One of my favorite eras of the Dead is ’72-’73. The Grateful Dead  made it easy for us to make lists by releasing entire tours. “Europe 72: The Complete Recordings” (2011) is 22 shows of absolute peak Dead, and “Pacific Northwest 73-74” (2018) is six complete shows from two peak years. The concert “May 19, 1974” (2018) was released on vinyl. It is a fantastic show. 

Bonus: 15 epic songs

“Jet Airliner” Paul Pena (2000); “Nightingale” Norah Jones (2002); “Crazy” Gnarls Barkley (2006); “One” U2 with Mary J Blige (2007); “Crystal River” Mudcrutch (2008); “Just Breathe” Pearl Jam (2009); “Empire State of Mind” Jay Z, Alicia Keys (2009); “Where Rainbows Never Die” The Steeldrivers” (2010); “Rolling in the Deep” (2011) Adele; “Midnight in Harlem” Tedeschi Trucks Band (2011); “Little Black Submarines” Black Keys (2011); “Get Lucky” Daft Punk (2013) “Wings for Wheels” Greensky Bluegrass (2014); “Hungersite” Goose” (2023); and “Gild the Lily” Billy Strings (2024). 

Bonus: 15 sublime spins

Paul Pena “New Train” (2000); Norah Jones “Come Away with Me” (2002); Drive By Truckers “Decoration Day” (2003); Amy Winehouse “Back to Black” (2006); Wilco “Sky Blue Sky” (2007); Mudcrutch eponymous (2008); Adele “21” (2011); Black Keys “El Camino” (2011) Beck “Morning Phases” (2014); War on Drugs “Lost in the Dream” (2014); Sturgill Simpson “A Sailor’s Guide to Earth” (2016); TajMo eponymous (2017); Futurebirds “Teamwork” (2019); Billy Strings “Home” (2019); and Mac Miller “Colors” (2020).