Download: "Pink Moon" by Nick Drake for $2.99 on Amazon

Nick Drake was an under-appreciated singer-songwriter, and guitarist that was active from 1969 - 1972. It wasn't until after his death in 1974 did he gain in popularity. Most of us may recognize the title track "Pink Moon" because In 2000, Volkswagen featured the song in a television commercial, and within one month Drake sold more records than he had in his entire carrier.

[Update: Expired] Price back up to $8.99

Download: "No Jacket Required" by Phil Collins for $3,99 at Amazon

"No Jacket Required", the Phil Collins mega-pop hit of the mid 80's is on sale today at Amazon.com for $3.99. This is the album that gave such great 80's radio hits as "Sussudio," "One more night", "Don't lose my number" and "Take me home". I know you don't want to admit it, but you remember those songs. I know you do. In fact, today I am going to leave you with the sweet sights and sounds of one of the worst videos of the MTV era, "Sussudio"!

[Update: Expired] Price back up to $8.99

Download: "Either/Or" by Elliott Smith for $2.99 at Amazon

Elliott Smith was a Folk/Punk/Rock singer and songwriter from Portland, OR that left us way to early in his life and career. Elliot is probably most known for his work associated with the movie "Good Will Hunting", where he earned an Academy Award Nomination for his song "Miss Misery." "Either/Or" is Elliott's 3rd album and still features him playing all of the different instruments. Elliott Smith was a very gifted artist and he is still deeply missed by new and old fans alike.

Other notable Elliot Smith Albums:

• Roman Candle
• XO
• Figure 8
  

Download: "Moanin' " by Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers for $5.00 at Amazon

"Moanin' " by Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers is number 42 on the All About Jazz "Jazz-L Top 100+" list of best Jazz albums you need to own. I totally agree, and at $5 you just can't go wrong. This album was The Messengers first real big hit and was a major influence on the hard bop sound that we know today. 5 star rating all the way!

Download: "The Best Of Nina Simone" by Nina Simone for $3.99 at Amazon

Today on Amazon you can own and download "The Best Of Nina Simone" for $3.99! Nina's voice if very distinct and there is not quite anyone like her. She has a bit more folk and edge in her voice than you don't get with other female jazz vocalist. I love her style, and this is a good representation of her talent.

Download: "Magic Tour Highlights" by Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band for $2.99 at Amazon

I know this album is only 4 tracks long but it is still worth the download. Each song is a live version with special guests playing along side Bruce and the E Street Band. Fans of the Byrds will be happy to see Roger McGuinn playing along to the tune "Turn! Turn! Turn!." For $2.99 it is hard to go wrong.

Download: "49:00" by Paul Westerberg for $0.49 at Amazon

Paul Westerberg was the lead singer/songwriter for The Replacement before they disbanded in 1991. After that Paul Westerberg released a number of solo albums and some of which were made in a "home made," lo-fi style. I would describe some his solo work to be true, soulful, folk rock. "49:00" is another great example of this home grown rock 'n' roll style. The lyrics are solid and the guitar is very nice an even with out being pretentious. This is a great deal, and a great album or any Westerberg/Replacement fan.

Not familar with The Replacements? Check out Pleased To Meet Me

Download: 100th Window by Massive Attack for $2.99 at Amazon

"100th Window" may not have been one of Massive Attack's well known masterpieces, but it is still great album on it's own. Check out "What Your Soul Sings" on this album, it is one of the better representation of what Massive Attack is all about. At $2.99 it's a good addition to any music library.

Download: "Recently" by Dave Matthews Band for $4.95 at Amazon

I know this album only has 5 tracks but there is some good music there. If you are a fan of the Dave Matthews Band and don't have this one, you may as well pick it up today! I really like the dark "Halloween" track, and "All Along The Watchtower" is a classic that they do well. Enjoy!

Download: "So" by Peter Gabriel for $2.99 on Amazon

This is the album that brought you "Sledgehammer" in the 80's and it had that really cool video. Well, that was back when MTV actually played videos. "So" was Peter Gabriel's runnaway hit and in 2003, the album was ranked number 187 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums. So download a bit of history today for only $2.99

Download: "Enjoy The Ride" by Sugarland for $2.99 at Amazon

Country or country rock is not really my favorite genre but that won't stop me from post great deals on some country MP3 album downloads! Today, at Amazon.com we have Sugarland's "Enjoy The Ride" album from 2006. At $2.99 for the full MP3 album download there is no doubt this is a good deal. Get it while the gettin's good!

[Update: Expired] Price is now back up to $8.99 on Amazon.

Download: Greatest Hits by Neil Young for $3.99 at Amazon

I am a huge fan of Neil Young and own much of his discography but for those less initiated this is a good album to pickup. Neil Young has been around for a long time and during that time his invented and re-invented his sound and this is a good representation of some of those more famous sounds. Lyrics and sound writing are one of this trademarks and that is in abundance here, as well as some of his trademark rock singles. Check it out.!

[Update: Expired] Price back up to $8.99.

Download: "Imagine" by John Lennon for $3.99 at Amazon

This iconic album that defined John Lennon in his post-Beatles years is on sale today at Amazon for $3.99. I don't think I need to harp too much on how great this album is, you should already know that. What you do need to know is that this version is a re-master of the original. From what I have heard the re-master does this album well. I don't think you will be disappointed. For $3.99 I don't think there is any way to go wrong. If you are not a fan of the Amazon.com MP3 store yet. I think after today you will be.

[Update: Expired] Price back up to $8.99.

Download: "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" by Spoon for $5 at Amazon

When it comes to relevant and important indi bands, Spoon is at the top of my list. This is the latest album from the band from Austin TX and it is a bit more mainstream than previous works. That aside, I really like this album and it is a worth addition to any music library.

[Update: Expired] Album is back up to $8.99.

Other albums to consider (more than $5, but totally worth it):

Download: "Dark Side Of The Moon" by Pink Floyd for $5 at Amazon

Some say "Dark Side Of The Moon" by Pink Floyd is one of the best rock albums of all time. It sat on Billboard's 200 album chart for an amazing 15 years!!! There is no doubt that this album is iconic and if you don't own a copy, today is your day. At $5 from Amazon it is something you shouldn't have to think too much about.

Download: American Beauty by Grateful Dead for $1.99 at Amazon

Following on yesterday's 60's rock band Quicksilver Messenger Service deal, today Amazon.com offers up another great Bay Area legend The Grateful Dead! "American Beauty" is more of a folk-rock album by The Dead, but it is a very notable part of their discography. You are not going to find 10 minute jams on this album but you will find some good music.

[Update: expired] Album is now back up to $7.99. Still not too bad.
or... you can pick up a used CD on half.com for $2.99 and rip it yourself.

Download: Classic Masters by Quicksilver Messenger Service for $4.58 at Amazon

Quicksilver Messenger Service was a Bay Area 60's rock group that shared a fan base with other great 60's rock groups like the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. Led by folk singer/songwriter Dino Valente, QMS was a die-hard performing group that didn't hit the studio until later in their career. The studio albums did yield some really good stuff and if you are a fan of the 60's rock genre then you should own some Quicksilver Messenger Service. This collection is a good start and it is at the right price, under $5.

Other albums to consider (a little more than $5):

Happy Trails
by Quicksilver Messenger Service
Price: $7.97

Download: The Best of John Mellencamp: 20th Century Masters by John Mellencamp

The 20th Century Masters collections are usually very good music collections. This collection no different and it is an exceptional deal for any John Mellencamp fan. The album has some great hits that everyone will be able to recognize. Enjoy!

Download: "The Essential Doors Hits" by The Doors for $3.99 at Amazon

This is another "Greatest Hits" album from the Doors. It was actually released in 2008 and includes mostly new studio mixes. The sound quality is good the collection does include all the hits you would expect. This is a worthy download of any fan of the Doors or anyone interested in the Doors. This download of the day from Amazon is a very good deal at $3.99.

[Update: expired] Album back up to $8.99
or pick up the used CD for as low as $1.89 at Half.com

The Conclusion: [Yes, I know a conclusion is supposed to come at the end of some long, drawn out review or article, but it's the Internet, and people like to cut right to the meat of a post] eMusic.com is a true dark horse in the race to legitimize legal, DRM-Free MP3 music downloads. eMusic is the world’s largest retailer of independent music and the world’s second-largest digital music retailer overall, with more than 3.5 million tracks from over 27,000 independent labels. What this means is that eMusic has an extensive library of good quality music that is all available in DRM-Free MP3 format and that is the way music should be sold on-line period. This is the way eMusic.com has always done it and always will.

How does eMusic.com fit into $5 Music philosophy? That is a very good question. Since eMusic.com is a subscription based service it is a little harder to break down. Here is one way to justify a basic 14.99 subscription. So for $14.99 a month you get 50 tracks to download. If you estimate that a standard album is about 10 tracks that gives you 5 downloaded albums a month. So that is about $3 an album. This math is rough but you get the picture. $3 for an entire DRM-Free MP3 album that I can burn, share, and load onto all my MP3 players or computers is a really good deal as compared to iTunes and the 9.99+ per DRM album download. And, yes eMusic.com downloads will work GREAT with your iPod.

This all sounds great, but what is the catch? Again, I am glad you asked. There are 2 that come to mind.

1. eMusic.com is a Subscription Service. Some people just hate subscriptions. I don't like them either but I will admit that I have subscribed to eMusic.com for several years now. It is worth it.
   
2. Content. Some people still can't get beyond the radio. They want to buy music that the radio tells them to buy. Meaning, they like mainstream pop music. Stuff you can buy at Wal-Mart or Target. eMuisc.com is for the true music lover. There is a lot of great music in their library but you have take chances.
   

Lastly, if you made it this far into this post then you must really be thinking of giving eMusic.com a try. Good news, if you click on the eMuisc.com banner at the top or bottom of this post you will get 50 tracks FREE. That is how I got hooked and it is an effective program. You can try it risk free, cancel anytime, keep the music you download, etc... You know the drill. This may sound like a shameless plug... (you may be right), but you really don't have much to loose. If you do sign up, Thank you! and check back here and every so often we will feature music from eMusic.com that we feel is worthy of your monthly download allotment.

Download: "Slanted & Enchanted" by Pavement for $5 at Amazon

"Slanted & Enchanted" is Pavement's first album that was released in 1992. This Indi classic started a new sound and trends in the Indi-Rock genre. This album really gives you a sense of the early Indi-college low-fi sound that launched Pavement's musical career.

Download: "Are You Experienced" by Jimi Hendrix for $5 at Amazon

Amazon is throwing us some classic rock love today with the essential 60's rock classic "Are You Experienced" by Jimi Hendrix. This is a good time to download this complete album, go back in time, rock out!!! Need I say more?

Download: "Best of The Complete Savoy & Dial Studio Recordings" by Charlie Parker for $3.99 at Amazon

Charlie "Bird" Parker is one of the most influential of jazz musicians of our time. This album is a best of collection from the extensive Savoy and Dial recordings. The "Best of.." album does cut to the meat of that time and is a great collection of music. This is the Amazon deal of the day so this price may not stick around. Lots of music here for a very little price. Check it out.

Download: "Head Hunters" by Herbie Hancock for $3.96 at Amazon.com

There is nothing better than finding a deal, but when it is a deal on good music that is even better. I will say it again, that I am a HUGE fan of the Amazon.com MP3 Music Store. Not only are all the MP3s you buy DRM-Free, but you can find some great deals too. This album is no exception. "Head Hunters" by Herbie Hancock is one of his best from the jazz fusion days. This album gave birth to some of the great future hip-hop and rap sounds that we hear today. This is a must have for anyone that is interest in fusion jazz or good funky tunes that will make your body move!

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