Album of the Day

On a roll after their debut, Stone Temple Pilots scaled even greater heights with follow-up PURPLE, released 30 years ago today. Though the San Diego band emerged just as grunge was on the rise, their sound proves broader here, combining the intense heaviness with a little psychedelia and a lot of accessibility. Allmusic called STP “the best straight-ahead rock singles outfit of their time,” and it's hard to argue with that when “Interstate Love Song,” “Big Empty” and “Vasoline” are among these 11 gracious melodies. PURPLE debuted at number one on the Billboard chart and quickly went multi-Platinum, and its music easily justifies that commercial success.