swap_horiz Illinois Alternatives

1

Illinois - Sufjan Stevens

Sufjan Stevens 2005 opus is a sprawling, maximalist exploration of the American Midwest. Combining banjo, synthesizers,...

Storytelling Concept Album INDIE Folk Masterpiece

9.6 Brilliant

2

Denzel Curry - Melt My Eyez See Your Future

Denzel Curry's 'Melt My Eyez See Your Future' represents a significant evolution in his sound, blending aggressive rap f...

Experimental Jazz Fusion Florida Rap Lyrical Complexity

9.5 Brilliant

3

Black Country, New Road

Black Country, New Road represents the pinnacle of modern art-rock. Known for their sprawling, complex arrangements that...

Experimental Art Rock Ensemble Chamber Pop

9.5 Brilliant

4

No Direction Home: Bob Dylan

This documentary explores the early years of Bob Dylan's career, intertwining his music with the burgeoning protest move...

American History Folk Music Counterculture Bob Dylan

9.5 Brilliant

5

Lonesome Dove

Lonesome Dove is a 1989 American Western miniseries based on Larry McMurtry's novel of the same name. Widely considered...

Western Epic Story Miniseries Epic Saga

9.5 Brilliant

6

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

Doris Kearns Goodwins masterpiece examines Abraham Lincolns presidency through the lens of his cabinet, which was compos...

Leadership Politics Biography Abraham Lincoln

9.5 Brilliant

7

Joni Mitchell - Blue

Considered by many to be Joni Mitchell's masterpiece, 'Blue' (1971) is a profoundly personal and emotionally raw album....

Acoustic Guitar Piano Jazz Influence Confessional

9.4 Excellent

8

King: A Life

Jonathan Eigs definitive biography of Martin Luther King Jr., 'King: A Life,' draws on newly available FBI files and per...

Biography American History Political Biography Civil Rights Movement

9.4 Excellent

9

Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks is often remembered for a single act of defiance, but her life was defined by decades of dedicated civil righ...

USA Activism Civil Rights Courage

9.3 Excellent

10

I Am Not Your Negro

Based on James Baldwin's unfinished manuscript 'Remember This House,' 'I Am Not Your Negro' is a poignant and deeply per...

History Activism Literature Biography

9.3 Excellent

11

Edmund Morris - The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt

This Pulitzer Prize-winning biography is the first volume in a planned trilogy about Theodore Roosevelt, and it's a mast...

Politics Conservation Biography American History

9.3 Excellent

12

Weyes Blood

Weyes Blood (Natalie Mering) creates music that feels like a relic from a lost era of classic songwriting, yet remains f...

Cinematic Singer Songwriter Baroque Pop Timeless

9.2 Excellent

13

Hidden Figures

This film tells the inspiring, true story of three African American women who played a crucial role at NASA during the e...

Inspirational African American History Drama

9.2 Excellent

14

Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman, born Araminta Ross, was a conductor on the Underground Railroad, risking her life repeatedly to lead ens...

Conductor Slavery American History Abolitionism

9.1 Excellent

15

The Architect of Silence: A Biography of Evelyn Nesbit

This biography explores the life of Evelyn Nesbit, a pivotal figure in the infamous Thaw-White scandal of the Gilded Age...

Social Commentary American History Scandal Female Perspective

9.1 Excellent

16

Moses Sumney - grae

Moses Sumneys 'grae' is a challenging and rewarding exploration of identity, vulnerability, and the human condition. The...

Avant Garde Atmospheric Genre Bending Vocal Harmonies

9.1 Excellent

17

Bringing It All Back Home

Bringing It All Back Home, released in 1965, represents a crucial transition in Dylans career, blending traditional folk...

1965 Folk Rock Double Album Acoustic Electric

9.1 Excellent

18

C. Vann Woodward - The Strange Career of Jim Crow

While not a traditional biography, this seminal work offers a profound biographical understanding of the Jim Crow era an...

Politics Biography Civil Rights Social History

9.1 Excellent

19

Nas

Nass *Illmatic* is widely considered one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, showcasing his intricate rhyme sche...

Storytelling Lyrical Complexity Classic Album New York Hip Hop

9.0 Excellent

20

Erik Larson - Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Chicago in the Fair of 1893

This captivating book intertwines the stories of Daniel Burnham, the architect behind the 1893 Chicago Worlds Fair, and...

Chicago True Crime Biography American History

8.9 Very Good