As the seasons start getting closer and the prospect of gift giving starts to clear off the cobwebs and come front and center to everyone’s consciousness yet again, there’s always the enigma of what to get, and more importantly, will the recipient be satisfied? There are however universals that always crack the corners of the mouth for a smile, music releases and their sometimes re-released box sets being some of them. So that being said, and what remains our annual wont, here’s our picks for some great music recently released and upcoming. And as always, this one goes to eleven.

Check out our 2017 Holiday Geek Gift Guide for Music…

Prince, one of the biggest luminaries in all of music history, was found dead this morning at his Paisley Park compound in Minnesota, according to TMZ and confirmed by the AP through the musician’s publicist. He was 57. There’s no confirmation of cause of death at this time.

It was reported last week that Prince’s private jet made an emergency landing in Illinois, where the musician was then admitted to the hospital, but he then continued his concert tour the following day, with reports that he been sick with the flu, but recovering

Born Prince Rogers Nelson on June 7, 1958 in Minneapolis, MN, the mononymous performer who was able to deftly, soulfully, and incredibly parlay a wide amalgam of sounds and styles into a kind of funk/R&B/rock fusion that continues to dazzle the globe.

Purple Rain, by Prince, is now available on MP3 format from Amazon this month for only $5.00.

Hot on the heels of his slow but highly confident climb in the music industry with his uncensored, R&B, Sly Stone & Jimi Hendrix-style stripped down and bounced up style with tracks like the party anthem “1999,” Purple Rain put Prince into a uniquely dazzling class altogether. Coming out like a treble clef shooting out of a .44 caliber Magnum, “Let’s Go Crazy” starts the groove frenzy right away and keeps it hot throughout. By the time the intellectually funky track “When Doves Cry” and the string arranged, volcanic turbulence of the title song are reached, the listener has been thrust into an almost transcending of their own consciousness thanks to its guitar fervor (supplied by Prince) and the almost contemporary (at the time) vibe straight out of the most erotic moments of the notorious film Caligula. The record is unabashedly 1980s, but it’s much more than that, as it remains a classic piece of recorded music that set a template which Prince would follow again and again on subsequent releases, but never reaching the apex set by Purple Rain.

Browse over 2000 albums on sale this month for only $5 each!