{
  "slug": "massive-attack",
  "name": "Massive Attack",
  "description": "Massive Attack appears 7 times in our Trip-Hop, The Waxonia Desk — A Way In, The Waxonia Desk — Sounds Like a Single, and The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred lists, placing as high as No. 1. Hand-curated, with a reason for every pick.",
  "updated": "2026-08-29",
  "url": "https://waxonia.com/artist/massive-attack/",
  "appearanceCount": 7,
  "distinctRecordings": 3,
  "years": {
    "first": 1991,
    "last": 1998
  },
  "highestPlacing": {
    "rank": 1,
    "list": "Trip-Hop"
  },
  "appearsOn": [
    {
      "kind": "genre",
      "slug": "trip-hop",
      "name": "Trip-Hop",
      "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/trip-hop/",
      "entries": 3
    },
    {
      "kind": "curator",
      "slug": "the-desk-a-way-in",
      "name": "The Waxonia Desk — A Way In",
      "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-a-way-in/",
      "entries": 1
    },
    {
      "kind": "curator",
      "slug": "the-desk-sounds-like-a-single",
      "name": "The Waxonia Desk — Sounds Like a Single",
      "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-sounds-like-a-single/",
      "entries": 1
    },
    {
      "kind": "curator",
      "slug": "the-desk-the-hundred",
      "name": "The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred",
      "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/",
      "entries": 2
    }
  ],
  "tracks": [
    {
      "trackKey": "massive-attack--unfinished-sympathy",
      "trackUrl": "https://waxonia.com/track/massive-attack--unfinished-sympathy/",
      "title": "Unfinished Sympathy",
      "year": 1991,
      "label": "Wild Bunch / Circa",
      "isrc": "GBAAA9100034",
      "whyItMatters": "A full string section over a hip-hop break and Shara Nelson singing for her life. Routinely named one of the best singles ever made, and the claim is not obviously wrong.",
      "alsoOn": [
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-a-way-in",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — A Way In",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-a-way-in/"
        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-sounds-like-a-single",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — Sounds Like a Single",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-sounds-like-a-single/"
        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-the-hundred",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/"
        }
      ],
      "links": {
        "spotify": {
          "url": "https://open.spotify.com/search/Massive%20Attack%20Unfinished%20Sympathy",
          "exact": false
        },
        "youtubeMusic": {
          "url": "https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWmrfgj0MZI",
          "exact": true
        }
      },
      "rank": 1,
      "on": {
        "kind": "genre",
        "slug": "trip-hop",
        "name": "Trip-Hop",
        "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/trip-hop/"
      },
      "artist": "Massive Attack"
    },
    {
      "trackKey": "massive-attack--angel",
      "trackUrl": "https://waxonia.com/track/massive-attack--angel/",
      "title": "Angel",
      "year": 1998,
      "label": "Virgin",
      "isrc": "GBAAA9800327",
      "whyItMatters": "Horace Andy over a bassline that builds for five minutes and then detonates. The moment trip-hop stopped being mellow and started being genuinely frightening.",
      "alsoOn": [],
      "links": {
        "spotify": {
          "url": "https://open.spotify.com/search/Massive%20Attack%20Angel",
          "exact": false
        },
        "youtubeMusic": {
          "url": "https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=hbe3CQamF8k",
          "exact": true
        }
      },
      "rank": 5,
      "on": {
        "kind": "genre",
        "slug": "trip-hop",
        "name": "Trip-Hop",
        "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/trip-hop/"
      },
      "artist": "Massive Attack"
    },
    {
      "trackKey": "massive-attack--teardrop",
      "trackUrl": "https://waxonia.com/track/massive-attack--teardrop/",
      "title": "Teardrop",
      "year": 1998,
      "label": "Virgin",
      "isrc": null,
      "whyItMatters": "A harpsichord, a heartbeat and Elizabeth Fraser singing about grief. The group's third and most fragile masterpiece, and the one that proved the formula was a language rather than a trick.",
      "alsoOn": [
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-the-hundred",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/"
        }
      ],
      "links": {
        "spotify": {
          "url": "https://open.spotify.com/search/Massive%20Attack%20Teardrop",
          "exact": false
        },
        "youtubeMusic": {
          "url": "https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=u7K72X4eo_s",
          "exact": true
        }
      },
      "rank": 9,
      "on": {
        "kind": "genre",
        "slug": "trip-hop",
        "name": "Trip-Hop",
        "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/trip-hop/"
      },
      "artist": "Massive Attack"
    },
    {
      "trackKey": "massive-attack--unfinished-sympathy",
      "trackUrl": "https://waxonia.com/track/massive-attack--unfinished-sympathy/",
      "title": "Unfinished Sympathy",
      "year": 1991,
      "label": "Wild Bunch / Circa",
      "isrc": "GBAAA9100034",
      "whyItMatters": "Strings, a slow breakbeat and a vocal that refuses to resolve. It sounds like a pop single until you notice nothing in it behaves the way a pop single does.",
      "alsoOn": [
        {
          "kind": "genre",
          "slug": "trip-hop",
          "name": "Trip-Hop",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/trip-hop/"
        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-sounds-like-a-single",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — Sounds Like a Single",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-sounds-like-a-single/"
        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-the-hundred",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/"
        }
      ],
      "links": {
        "spotify": {
          "url": "https://open.spotify.com/search/Massive%20Attack%20Unfinished%20Sympathy",
          "exact": false
        },
        "youtubeMusic": {
          "url": "https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWmrfgj0MZI",
          "exact": true
        }
      },
      "rank": null,
      "on": {
        "kind": "curator",
        "slug": "the-desk-a-way-in",
        "name": "The Waxonia Desk — A Way In",
        "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-a-way-in/"
      },
      "artist": "Massive Attack"
    },
    {
      "trackKey": "massive-attack--unfinished-sympathy",
      "trackUrl": "https://waxonia.com/track/massive-attack--unfinished-sympathy/",
      "title": "Unfinished Sympathy",
      "year": 1991,
      "label": "Wild Bunch / Circa",
      "isrc": "GBAAA9100034",
      "whyItMatters": "Strings, a slow breakbeat, and a vocal that refuses to resolve. It sounds like a pop single until you notice that nothing in it behaves the way a pop single is supposed to.",
      "alsoOn": [
        {
          "kind": "genre",
          "slug": "trip-hop",
          "name": "Trip-Hop",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/trip-hop/"
        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-a-way-in",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — A Way In",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-a-way-in/"
        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-the-hundred",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/"
        }
      ],
      "links": {
        "spotify": {
          "url": "https://open.spotify.com/search/Massive%20Attack%20Unfinished%20Sympathy",
          "exact": false
        },
        "youtubeMusic": {
          "url": "https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWmrfgj0MZI",
          "exact": true
        }
      },
      "rank": null,
      "on": {
        "kind": "curator",
        "slug": "the-desk-sounds-like-a-single",
        "name": "The Waxonia Desk — Sounds Like a Single",
        "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-sounds-like-a-single/"
      },
      "artist": "Massive Attack"
    },
    {
      "trackKey": "massive-attack--unfinished-sympathy",
      "trackUrl": "https://waxonia.com/track/massive-attack--unfinished-sympathy/",
      "title": "Unfinished Sympathy",
      "year": 1991,
      "label": "Wild Bunch / Circa",
      "isrc": "GBAAA9100034",
      "whyItMatters": "A full string section over a hip-hop break, in 1991, made by people from Bristol with no permission to attempt it. Still sounds like it cost a fortune and meant it.",
      "alsoOn": [
        {
          "kind": "genre",
          "slug": "trip-hop",
          "name": "Trip-Hop",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/trip-hop/"
        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-a-way-in",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — A Way In",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-a-way-in/"
        },
        {
          "kind": "curator",
          "slug": "the-desk-sounds-like-a-single",
          "name": "The Waxonia Desk — Sounds Like a Single",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-sounds-like-a-single/"
        }
      ],
      "links": {
        "spotify": {
          "url": "https://open.spotify.com/search/Massive%20Attack%20Unfinished%20Sympathy",
          "exact": false
        },
        "youtubeMusic": {
          "url": "https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWmrfgj0MZI",
          "exact": true
        }
      },
      "rank": null,
      "on": {
        "kind": "curator",
        "slug": "the-desk-the-hundred",
        "name": "The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred",
        "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/"
      },
      "artist": "Massive Attack"
    },
    {
      "trackKey": "massive-attack--teardrop",
      "trackUrl": "https://waxonia.com/track/massive-attack--teardrop/",
      "title": "Teardrop",
      "year": 1998,
      "label": "Virgin",
      "isrc": null,
      "whyItMatters": "A harpsichord, a heartbeat and Elizabeth Fraser singing about grief. Proof the Bristol formula was a language rather than a trick.",
      "alsoOn": [
        {
          "kind": "genre",
          "slug": "trip-hop",
          "name": "Trip-Hop",
          "url": "https://waxonia.com/genre/trip-hop/"
        }
      ],
      "links": {
        "spotify": {
          "url": "https://open.spotify.com/search/Massive%20Attack%20Teardrop",
          "exact": false
        },
        "youtubeMusic": {
          "url": "https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=u7K72X4eo_s",
          "exact": true
        }
      },
      "rank": null,
      "on": {
        "kind": "curator",
        "slug": "the-desk-the-hundred",
        "name": "The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred",
        "url": "https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/"
      },
      "artist": "Massive Attack"
    }
  ],
  "curates": null
}