Apple Music selling $450 book of '100 Best Albums'
(NEXSTAR) — Thinking of getting started on holiday shopping? This week, Apple Music announced the release of a new coffee table book that's sure to entice many hardcore music fans. It'll only cost you $450.
The book, "Apple Music: 100 Best Albums," was created in partnership with luxury lifestyle publisher Assouline, who describes the item as, "A celebration of Apple Music’s inaugural list of the greatest records ever made, [the book] is a lasting companion piece to the digital initiative, which launched on the streaming service in 2024."
Only 1,500 copies of the book will be produced and each comes with a custom engraved number, Assouline says.
The book will feature an exploration of the albums named to Apple Music's 100 Best Albums list, which sparked fierce debate (and derision) when the first batch of albums on the list were revealed back in May.
While Apple Music has been careful to underline that the list, which was decided upon by music industry experts and artists (including Pharrell Williams and Charli XCX), is purely editorial, the list's perceived shortcomings aggrieved many a music fan online.
Among criticisms of the list were odd inclusions, odd exclusions, and underrepresentation of genres like rock, hip-hop and country. Chief among criticisms was a recency bias, where more contemporary albums were favored over albums considered classics — one particularly offending placement was Taylor Swift's "1989 (Taylor's Version)" over The Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds."
Apple Music ultimately named Lauryn Hill's landmark 1998 debut "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" as its best album — a move that was both celebrated and denounced. Of the honor, even Hill herself seemed unsure of, saying in a statement: "I appreciate the acknowledgement, I really do, but I’d be remiss not to also acknowledge all of the music and artists who informed and inspired me."
Controversy aside, fans of Apple Music's list will likely appreciate the hardcover tome's 208 pages of content, including a foreword by Apple Music's Zane Lowe.
Pre-orders are now live for "Apple Music: 100 Best Albums," and the book is estimated to ship Jan. 9.