Remember 1996?

Nintendo 64 and Sony’s PlayStation ushered in the era of true 3D gaming.  Saturday Night Live’s Adam Sandler teed up his movie career with Happy Gilmore. Bill Clinton was re-elected for a second term as the incumbent US president. The Macarena was unavoidable, MTV remained the pulse of pop culture, and Friends and Seinfeld were “Must-See TV.”

And through it all, there was the unforgettable music that defined the moment and became the soundtrack to our lives.

Adult-contemporary artists like Mariah Carey and Celine Dion delivered massive hits. The airwaves opened to alternative rock, with the lasting post-grunge success of Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots and Bush, as well as newly-minted one-hit wonders such as Nerf Herder and Local H. Hip-hop sizzled with major releases from 2Pac and Snoop Doggy Dogg and the rising influence of the Roots and Jay-Z; the simmering East Coast-West Coast rivalry boiled over, culminating in the tragic murder of Tupac Shakur.

In On Record “Vol. 12: 1996”—the newest title in his award-winning series—acclaimed music journalist G. Brown transports readers back to one of the most vibrant years in music history. Through vivid storytelling and striking imagery, Brown shares his decades of exclusive behind-the-scenes interviews and an archive of nearly 15,000 rare editorial photographs. Drawing on his incisive writing and historical perspective, On Record “Vol 12: 1996” captures the energy, innovation and cultural shifts that defined the era.

Explore On Record “Vol. 12: 1996” for a comprehensive record of musical legacies:

• Pop music’s Celine Dion, Kenny G, and the Artist Formerly Known as Prince
• Defining records from Beck, Weezer, Sublime and Rage Against the Machine
• A wealth of up-and comers such as Dave Matthews Band, Matchbox 20 and Wilco
• The year’s top releases in hip-hop, classic rock, country, jazz and new age genres.

On Record “Vol. 12: 1996” brims with visual narratives that inspire, educate and entertain—an essential guide to the extraordinary music of that year.

Meticulously edited and beautifully designed, this oversized edition is printed to the highest standards, making it a stunning gift or centerpiece for your living room, music room, man cave or creative space—wherever the soundtrack to your life plays loudest.