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Michael Stipe and co. called it quits on Wednesday, after several harmonious decades as R.E.M. This is somewhat of a bummer, though it'd be disingenuous to claim any sort of long-standing fandom of a band enjoying its heyday as ATG sucked back pacifiers. But as music fans, there's an inherent need to cover the right bases when landscape changes occur. ATG reached out to the pre-eminent R.E.M. scholar in the field, my buddy Josh Bradshaw:

"Before you start, watch Michael Stipe in this clip from The Adventures of Pete and Pete.

R.E.M.'s career is neatly divided between the IRS years (80-88) and their Warner Bros albums (88'-94/96')...and well, the 'meh' years (94 or 96'-now).

I'd recommend starting with the IRS compilation, Eponymous to see which albums the tracks you like are on, then going from there to explore their '80s work. Murmur's great but I feel it's one of those historically hyped albums that's easily disappointing.

Green, Out of Time, and Automatic For The People are the huge albums. Out of Time is easily the poppiest and most divisive (i.e. the "Shiney Happy People" song). Green's a bit heavier and darker (for R.E.M.) and Automatic is one of the best albums ever recorded by anyone ever.

It gets kinda dicey after that. Monster and New Adventures in Hi-Fi were their last solid albums. Up and Reveal had some good singles but are pretty mediocre. Around the Sun will put you to sleep. If you've managed to get hooked, save Accelerate and Collapse Into Now for last, they are great to end on, but, I dunno, they don't mean much if you haven't heard their previous work."

All photos by Callie Richmond for ATG.

First, the internal, editorial decision was made to give up on the medium and forgo a rundown about rap videos. There were some cool ones, but listing them wouldn't be indicative of what was being bumped in the clubs, the streets, the subways, the cars, and through the earphones. More importantly, there's no competition.

As individualistic and fickle as listeners continue to be, this year-end list is defined by uniting, thumping moments that kept everyone zoned out in headphone bliss for days on end. In 2010, heavyweights emerged and veterans forcefully pushed back, but not in a Raekwon v. Kid Cudi, two schools sort of way like last year. By now we all understand it's all good. With such a precondition firmly in place, creativity burned down regional barriers like never before. Save for New York City's inbred, traditionalist talent pool (good luck there pushing Vado, you guys), American rap soared and 2010 will stand along any year's genre output.

I maintain it's Kanye West's fourth-best record, Reggie does not.

• Kanye West's album art established pseudo-controversy when it was reportedly banned. ATG appreciates his outrage, though it's unclear whether the ban comes from a retailer or label.
  
• Rhymesayers' most established, revered, regular-Joe white guy rapper, Eyedea, died unexpectedly over the weekend at 28.
  
• Nicki Minaj unveiled Pink Friday's album art. 
  
• DJ Premier released the extended, ten-minute version of this badass, iconic freestyle.
• Yelawolf graduates and dons Fader's cover.
  
• The Cool Kids are no longer signed to a major label.
• Young Jeezy makes the most of 2010, drops third calendar year mixtape.
  

• According to Rap Radar, Kanye West's still title-less album will be released Monday, November 22, 2010, the week of Black Friday. I enjoy Noz's conspiracy theory on the reworking of the album via G.O.O.D. Fridays and I hope the thing doesn't end up being called Dark Twisted Fantasy because that title is stupid.
  
• Dr. Dre's Aftermath Cognac coming soon.
  
• Wyclef hospitalized for chest pains.
• Freeway's second Rhymesayers release prepped for this calendar year. ATG dug the first one.
  
• Barack Obama is a Muslim, er, listens to Lil Wayne.
• The Los Angeles Times on rappers and their overlooked passion for Ecstasy.
• Paul Wall attacked a fan with his microphone during San Antonio's Low Low Car Show Sunday night.
• Mickey Factz dropped a new mixtape Monday evening, which may be worth a glossing over as 2007's Heaven's Fallout boasted tremendous art and two to three choice moments.
• The Skyzoo and !llmind mixtape drops October 5, should be great.
• The suckling for hits by mid-major artists, off the G.O.O.D. Friday songs/artwork, is vile and useless.
• The cyclical promoting of an in-house, mediocre product from an otherwise trusted source is unfortunate but expected.
  

• Lil Wayne's I Am Not a Human Being is a 12-song EP slated to drop September 27. It features Nicki Minaj, Drake, and a song called "Gonorrhea." Weezy will "start from scratch" on Carter IV.
  
• Speaking of Young Money's proudest disciples, Nicki is on the cover of Complex this month, while Rolling Stone got in touch with Drake.
• Nas to drop another batch of Lost Tapes on December 14.
  
• Bink, the overlooked Blueprint producer, talked to Vibe about how he still, in fact, exists.  
  
• Kanye West to haters: "If I'm a douche, put me in your coochie." Kanye will likewise open the new season of Saturday Night Live as its musical guest
• Jay-Z and Coldplay will co-headline a New Year's Eve show in in Las Vegas.
• MF Doom dropped a badass concert album, Expektoration...Live.
• ATG previews Saturday's Virgin Mobile FreeFest, looks forward to Ludacris and T.I.