Required ListeningGet early access

Coming soon to iPhone

The 500 greatest albums of all time. Every track, front to back.

Required Listening is your syllabus for Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Hear each album start to finish, check it off, and work your way from Orientation to Graduate.

One email when it launches. No spam, ever.

How it works

Five hundred albums. About 375 hours. One at a time.

  1. 01

    Press play

    Open any album on the list in Spotify or Apple Music with one tap. Vinyl and CDs count too.

  2. 02

    Hear it through

    No skipping, no shuffle. When the last track ends, check it off. Rate it and jot down what stuck with you.

  3. 03

    Keep going

    Weekly streaks, a projected finish date, and a nudge toward your next badge keep the needle moving.

Coursework

Earn your degree in great records.

Badges mark every milestone on the way to all 500, plus the Dean's List for clearing the Top 100 and a 101-level course for every decade.

  • Orientation1 album
  • Pop Quiz10
  • Freshman25
  • Midterms50
  • Sophomore100
  • Declared Major150
  • Junior200
  • Honor Roll250
  • Senior300
  • Thesis Defense400
  • Graduateall 500

Show your work

Progress worth posting.

Hit a milestone and turn it into a Story-sized card for Instagram or Facebook in two taps. Your friends will ask what you're listening to. Now you'll have an answer.

Questions

Before you drop the needle.

Which albums are on the list?

Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, in its 2020 edition. It runs from 1950s jazz to 2010s hip-hop, and the 1970s have more albums on it than any other decade.

Do I need Spotify?

No. Every album links out to Spotify and Apple Music, and you can check off anything you hear on a turntable, a CD player, or the radio. Automatic tracking from your listening history is on the way.

What does it cost?

Tracking your progress will be free. A paid upgrade will add automatic tracking, more lists, and deeper stats.

When can I get it?

The iPhone app is in the works. Join the waitlist and you'll be the first to know when it's ready to download.

Android?

iPhone comes first. If you're on Android, join the waitlist anyway so we know you're out there.

Class starts soon.

Get on the list and we'll let you know the day the app goes live.