20 Albums Turning 20 in 2024

2004 was an interesting and intriguing year for music. Some of rock’s biggest bands moved forward by looking back. Others celebrated new beginnings — sometimes by launching a separate project.

For Aerosmith, the idea of doing a blues album had been kicking around for more than a decade. They initially wanted to record one in 1994 to follow up their previous album, Get a Grip. Plans were quickly scuttled when they learned that Eric Clapton was already about to drop his own blues album, From the Cradle. So by the time they finally released Honkin’ on Bobo in 2004, they were excited to finally get a chance to pay tribute to some of their earliest influences.

Brian Wilson revisited some of his most painful memories by going back to Smile, the album he’d shelved in 1967 with the Beach Boys. Following a series of successful concerts featuring material which had been slated for the original record, he went one better. Brian Wilson Presents Smile, the title says it all, but the reclusive songwriter was at last able to finish what he’d begun so long ago — albeit with new recordings.

Two New Supergroups Emerged

Velvet Revolver had been taking shape for a couple of years and 2004 was when the lineup finally solidified. Former Guns N’ Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum teamed up with Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland and guitarist Dave Kushner to release their debut album, Contraband.

Meanwhile, Motley Crue’s Nikki Sixx got together with Tracii Guns — and for a moment, his old Motley bandmate John Corabi, to form a new group, Brides of Destruction. Though the union would be relatively brief, they made some noise with their debut album, Here Come the Brides and the subsequent tour.

Here”s 20 Albums Turning 20 in 2024 to offer a look back at another year where there was no shortage of new music to listen to.