The Red Hot Chili Peppers are releasing their second studio album of the year on October 14, and if the two songs already out are any indication, this album is great. The band released the first single, “Tippa My Tongue,” alongside a music video, on August 19. The Chili Peppers also released a second song from the album, “Eddie,” which they say was inspired by rock and roll legend Eddie Van Halen. They started working on it in 2020, the day after Van Halen died. The track’s lyrics don’t explicitly mention Van Halen, but references his life and legacy. The opening lines, “I sail in the sunset’s trail / I’m a bit of a king” are a reference to Van Halen’s early days on the Sunset strip.

The group wrote and recorded this album during the same sessions as Unlimited Love, this year’s other studio album. The sessions marked the return of the band’s guitarist, John Frusciante, after a 10-year absence. Frusciante’s exceptional guitar playing has defined the Chili Peppers’ best songs, including “Snow (Hey Oh),” “Californication,” and “Can’t Stop.” His return has revitalized the band and catapulted expectations for this album.

This album is likely the most anticipated on our list, and rightfully so. Taylor Swift has one of the largest followings in music, and she knows how to keep her fans (aka the Swifties) in suspense. The 11-time Grammy winner announced the release of the new album at the end of the MTV Video Music Awards on August 28. Since then, her fan base has eagerly awaited the October 21 release of Midnights. Swift has been announcing the name of each track on her TikTok. Other than the track titles, we don’t know much about this album, but knowing Taylor Swift and her track record, it’s fair to say that the album will live up to the hype.

The October 21 release of Swift’s Midnights might take some attention away from Meghan Trainor’s new album, but Takin’ It Back, set to come out on the same day, is exciting in its own right. Trainor says that while this album will have the same doo-wop feel as songs from the beginning of her career: “This is from the new Meghan who is a wife and mom with a baby.”

Takin’ It Back is Trainor’s fifth studio album, and she has already released 2 of the its 15 songs. One of those songs, “Bad For Me,” she released with Teddy Swims. Trainor shows vulnerability when she sings in the chorus, “Please don’t make promises that you can’t keep. Your best intentions end up hurting me.” She also released an incredibly well done music video for the song, depicting a strong and independent Trainor. The album is the debut of the new Meghan, and she is on a roll.

Lainey Wilson is one of the brightest stars in country music, and she’s coming out with her fourth studio album at the end of October. Wilson showcases her distinctiveness in this album. “Bell Bottom Country to me has always been about the flare and what makes someone unique—I have really embraced mine, and I hope y’all can hear that across this project,” she said in an interview on Taste of Country’s website.

So far, Wilson has released two songs from the album, “Heart Like a Truck” and “Watermelon Moonshine.” “Heart Like a Truck” is based on a metaphor comparing the speaker’s heartache to the wear and tear a truck sustains. In the chorus, she sings: “I got a heart like a truck / It’s been drug through the mud / Runs on dreams and gasoline / And that ole highway holds the key / It’s got a lead foot down when it’s leaving / Lord knows it’s taken a hell of a beating.” Wilson has not looked back since she introduced herself to the country music world with her 2019 hit single “Things a Man Oughta Know.” With this new album, she shows no signs of slowing down.

The Foo Fighters are going old-school, releasing this 21-song greatest hits album only in physical copies (find a playlist on Spotify here). It’s the Foo Fighters’ first release since the death of their drummer, Taylor Hawkins, last March. The tracklist contains 21 songs, including “Everlong” and “Times Like These.” Going back and listening to these songs, it’s only natural to pay more attention to the drumming. Hawkins left a legacy that will last forever. The Foo Fighters are one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time, and this collection is a trip down memory lane for the band’s fans. The album is available for preorder on Amazon.