Daydream Nation

Man -- that was great! And unexpected. Great bridge between punk and grunge and doesn't feel dated in a way that a lot of the 90's albums I've listened to so far do.

Got my favourite SY song on - Teenage Riot. It is a fantastic album - I loved it!

Incredible testament to noise and dissonance featuring the most playful duo of guitarists in the same band ever (example 1: 'Hey Joni'). The album is creative as hell, blending genres and creating a highly chaotic cosmos of its own. I have to mention Gordon's bass and Shelley's drums as well. They really are extraordinary and drive each and every song (almost metal-like on ''Cross the Breeze'). Also a shoutout to 'Eric's Trip' - what a tune! I do have a few issues with the record - the runtime IS exessive, and stuff like 'Providence' feels like filler - but by the time the last trilogy of tracks roll in all is forgiven and forgotten. What a way to close an album.

Classic and influential album. Set the stage for 90s alternative rock, and alternative rock in general.

i love them

None of the records I love would have existed without Sonic Youth. While “Daydream Nation” is not my personal SY fav, it’s obviously more than worthy on this list. Someone clone Kim Gordon. She invented cool.

This one clicked with me more, the influence is undeniable too:

Great album. I had listened through parts of it before, but never the whole thing. I did feel at times like it's hard to differentiate one song from another, but the overall sound is unique and enjoyable. 4/5

It's very long but kept me engaged throughout. An enveloping noise rock experience that goes from catchy to downright trippy and heavy on stuff like 'Cross The Breeze and Rain King. Awesome stuff. Highlights: The Sprawl, 'Cross The Breeze, Rain King.

Una de les fites més importants del rock alternatiu als '80. Aquí va ser on els novaiorquesos van ser capaços d'aglutinar l'experimentació, el feedback de guitarres i la seva actitud nihilista dels discos anteriors amb unes cançons més accesibles i punyents. La seva proposta va agafar la seva forma més perfecta. El gran cim de la seva carrera

Definitely some substance there. To fully appreciate this one, I'll need to hear it more though. Might be a five in the future.

Really quite good. No filler; even the lesser-known tracks are solid. And the production is perfect.

On kyllä SY:n parhaimmistoa. Grungehtavaa ja indiehtävää mutta jotenkin hyvällä tavalla niin että soundi on tiukasti oma! 4/5

Indien peruspilareita ja mageeta kitarointia. SY on about sitä musaa, mikä vois omassa kodissa soida hiljaisella koko ajan. Hieno tunnelma.

Loved it!

Folks in Seattle were looking up to Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, & Co. right about this time …

Lots of guitar. Felt tame

As I noted in my review for Goo (weird that I got two Sonic Youth albums in the same week), I've loved seeing Sonic Youth live, but never really gotten into their albums. I think this album actually captures them pretty well compared to a lot of the other SY albums that I've heard. It makes sense why this album is so highly regarded within their catalogue. It feels a lot more like the energy that they bring to live shows than most of their albums, which feel a bit flat to me.

I liked it. Had some things that started to run a little long, but I we all enjoyed.

9 : )

Everytime I hear an album of Sonic Youth I absolutely adore it and wonder why I'm listening to it more often. Everytime I tell myself to dive deeper into the whole discography and listen to the rest over and over as well till all the creaks and squeeks of every album are ingrained in my head. Until the next time I'm hearing a Sonic Youth album and I tell myself the same again.

If I was to be critical of this masterpiece I would say it is 15 minutes too long.

Clear influence on lots of bands I love, but doesn't resonate the same way, probably because I didn't hear it when I was younger. Really enjoyed it, hope to hear more from them 4 🌟

Solid SY. Not my fav tho, too long :)

Listened to it on shuffle and got real impressed by the form. Not great but listenable, which is a feat for double albums for me.

First time listen for me and pleasantly surprised by the melodic and tuneful nature of this album. Love the tracks that Kim Gordon Sings on. some great obviously influential tracks here, taking on the Mantle of the Talking Heads of intelligent indie post punk. You can hear their influence on Grunge and Math Rock on this album. I love "The Sprawl" "Cross The Breeze" "Total Trash" "Hey Joni" "Candle" & "Kissability" Yep can see why this is on the list just for it's influence on music to come.

Love this album! Live, many of the songs on it are even better.

Liked this quite a bit more than Dirty. Maybe it was my mood, but I liked the fuzzy electrical energy throughout this album. I would add this to my rotation, especially tracks like "Silver Rocket" "Eric's Trip" and "Providence"

Varied album. Enjoyed most of it though

Considering my past experiences with alt-rock, I was not expecting to like this album as much as I did. I may have to attribute it to the more noisy elements that embed each song. Everything feels so raw and noisy. My only flaw with the album is that it can get a little repetitive in nature due in part to the long run time of 1hr 10min. If it were a little shorter, I think I’d like it more. Highlights: Teen Age Riot, Silver Rocket, ‘Cross the Breeze

I’m definitely a fan of Sonic Youth. Teenage Riot kind of tricks you into thinking it’s going to be departure into more radio friendly indie rock, which it partly is. But there is still plenty of dissonant noise art punk to be had.

I know how important this band was. I know how important this record was. I've just never been a big Sonic Youth fan. That being said I liked this record more on this listen then I did 10 years ago. I'm torn on how to rate it.

My earlier conception of Sonic Youth remains accurate: Worth listening to, stronger with Kim at the front, noisy, accessible. While the female vocals are more spaced out here, the band feels generally more present. The songs seem to get lazy and stretch out, and it suits Sonic Youth's sound. Not quite the rock blueprint I was promised, but it's got a nice suite.

Not quite singalong, but the first album of theirs where noise and melody is in balance.

Noise rock is a tough sound. It's loud, it's heavy, it's wooshy. It's easy to get bored or annoyed by it. But when used right, it can evoke powerful emotions and create a mind-blowing journey. Sonic Youth nailed it here, in "Daydream Nation". Their brand of indie rock driven by grotesquely distorted guitars and heavy noises, it's quite a ride. It might be very loud, confusing, and wooshy. It's also interesting, fun, and uplifting. For me, this mess is what good music is. Takes you somewhere you've never been before.

I had a t-shirt back in the day, must've been lucky enough to catch them live at some stage. Dirty is still my favourite album, Teen Age Riot is a killer of a tune, Eric's Trip is great and I'm sure I could grow to enjoy this more with a few more listens.

I'd love to run a marathon with this on repeat. I''d finally break 3:30. But. I probably won't be able to walk for a week.

I’ve herd goo before but not this one… The album starts with teen age riot, the first minute is completely different as it’s just an intro song. Then forms into a great rock song that guitars wise is a bit of a teen age riot. Silver rocket starts with this creepy guitar riff then explodes into a punk bash only to shatter down half way through. Yeah it’s cool. The lyrics aren’t great on the sprawl but it’s cool instrumentally and 7 mins works well for some songs but not this. Cross the breeze has a killer intro but with this and the last song I’am not sure about the female singers singing though. Eric’s trip is alright it has a cool sound to it but no where near my favourite. Total trash is no where near total trash it’s actually (probably) a favourite and I’am happy we’re back with Thurston moore on vocals as I think he’s the strongest vocalist! I love the fade in at the start of hey Joni only for the punky sonic youth sound to crash in making for a really good song. It’s just cool to be fair. Then is providence it’s one of the better interludes I’ve ever herd but still the worst on the album. Candle is good, like all of them are great intro, the song is probably the one I would want to revisit the most and I do really like it! The drumming on rain king is class honestly. The song is amazing too. Kissability is technically the penultimate track it’s cool I guess but the female vocalist is so much worse in this band. The album ends on a trilogy the first part the wonder is alright just a really typical sonic youth song but there’s nothing bad about that. Then is hyperstation technically the album’s title track. It’s the perfect mix of everything good about sonic youth from the guitars to the drums. Still not my favourite on the album though. Eliminator jr is really bad in comparison not a satisfying ending one bit still like the album though. It’s really good overall, the album does drag but it’s so likeable it doesn’t matter.

I’m definitely going to want to spend more time with this one but it’s made a strong first impression. I like the mix of melodic guitar and harder blasts of feedback. A lot of these songs are shapeshifters, moving from one mode into the other and sometimes back again. Beautiful album cover too. Highlights: “Teen Age Riot,” “Silver Rocket,” “‘Cross the Breeze,” “Total Trash,” “Candle,” “Kissability,” “Eliminator Jr.”

It's a daydream worthy album!

Not a majoy Sonic Youth fan but this was a great album

Daydream Nation by Sonic Youth (1988) For a first-time listen 34 years after its release, here’s a double LP that merits serious consideration of its creativity and craft. In retrospect, this early Sonic Youth recording sounds like a cross between Neil Young and Nirvana. And, as in the oeuvre of U2’s the Edge, the guitar work here demonstrates that you don’t have to be a rock guitar virtuoso (Hendrix, Allman, Page, Clapton, or Santana) to produce stunningly innovative sound. Now the engineering and mixing on Daydream Nation leave a lot to be desired. Vocals and percussion are hiding behind a curtain of sound. The recording needs more separation and dynamism. Maybe the technology had not yet caught up with the band’s unique electronic palette. Much better in this regard is Sonic Youth’s Washing Machine (1995). Key guitar features here include alternate tunings, sustain, and distortion, all combined with admirable symphonic complexity and disciplined performance. Discord is elevated to the level of expressive artistry. It is not random; it is well constructed tone poetry. And guitarist/songwriter Thurston Moore’s compositional technique very helpfully extends or repeats each experimental phrase long enough so that the listener can grasp it before it moves on to the next quasi-harmonic mystery. It’s very mesmerizing—less like Mozart and more like Anton Bruckner. If you’re looking for lyrical profundity/passion/politics, vocal beauty, memorable melodies, and soul, you won’t find it here. But what you will find is lavishly devised music for the mind. 4/5

Mjög góð plata út í gegn, hef náttúrulega hlustað á hana oft í gegnum tíðina. Sumt er kannski acquired taste en hún heldur sér mjög vel.

Yndisleg plata sem er í miklu uppáhaldi og búin að vera í aldarfjórðung eða meira. Annar hár fjarki.

A little slow for my taste

Really enjoyed this one actually

3/25/22

Probably a 3.5 really, but I'll round up because I like the band and listening to it made me feel 19.

Great

This is my kind of music. More like this, Robert

Stenar hårt...

Origins of indie but sooo dissonant, I needed a Motown palette cleanser

The diversity of sound of Sonic Youth just blows me away. One moment, they are Sex Pistols, the next, Joy Division. Really good album.

Not listened before, but really enjoyed this. Possibly my new favourite Sonic Youth album

Sonic Youth's most famous album and quite possibly their best. Teenage Riot is probably their best song but this album is full of classic SY songs. It's not quite a 5 star album for me as SY has some dissonant characteristics thatvI personally find difficult. 4 5 🌟

this would be a 4 if i was 19 still

Very good!

Just recently read the like Gordon book. More of a 3.5 but will definitely listen to more.

Strangely, this felt a lot like Nirvana to me. Which is good because I am a big fan of Nirvana. I had heard good things and how influential they were so I listened to one of their albums (I think it was "Goo"? Now I'm not sure.) and I just didn't get it. At the time it seemed like a lot of noise. Listening to this album, I "get" their sound a lot more. It was more enjoyable than I remember. I liked the layering of guitars and how it worked within the songs. Will I go out and seek more of their work? I don't know, but I do respect them a bit more and my stance on them has changed a bit.

One of the better Sonic Youth albums. Pretty much a classic.

The influence this album has had on music in the decades that followed is clear when you listen. You can hear the the early sounds of 90s grunge, noise rock, Arcade Fire, The Strokes, and multiple others. It's also full of unique chord progressions and sound combinations like dissonance and percussive playing. Very cool album!

Sonic man

Niet het meest toegankelijke album van Sonic Youth maar dat rusteloze gejaagde geluid van ze staat me wel aan.

Cool album. Not perfect from start to finish, but this is the level of post-punk I look for.

Apart from some of the excessive feedback and a couple of tracks, this album was great to listen to. The trilogy was great, Teen Age Riot is a classic and enjoyed Eric's Song and Cross The Breeze. Enjoyed this more than Goo.

The sound has attained an expressive maturity unparalleled in the annals of the decade: there are still traces of the experimentalism of the early days, but appropriately camouflaged in balanced harmonies and cleverly referenced to the genres of the rock tradition. The motto is: diversity of style in the unity of the arrangement. The ingredients are basically the same as always: cold and distant vocals, strings stretched to the limit of noise, chaotic interweaving of counterpoints, obsessive chord repetitions, insistent percussiveness, alienation effects and tense atmosphere. (8/10) FT: Total Trash, The Sprawl, Teen Age Rio

Clear influence on lots of bands I love, but doesn't resonate the same way, probably because I didn't hear it when I was younger. Really enjoyed it, hope to hear more from them

a cracker

One of the better ones of this age and genre that i've listened to

Interesting, quite a bit of variety. Some really punky discordant stuff, some mellow. Could see as an influence to grunge and alternative bands like smashing pumpkins

Classic

cool

Is this the nest Sonic Youth album ever? Well I haven't heard them all but I think, front to back I prefer both Sister and Goo, but neither of those albums have Teenage Riot nor Total Trash. 4.5 stars

Good music to really groove to. Perhaps a little edgy, but I like it.

It was as interesting to read about this album's background as it was to listen to it. I had heard of the group before, probably heard a song or two in passing, but never spent any time listening to them. I expected more chaos and screaming, and there is some of that, but not as random-sounding as I thought it would be. Yet another reminder that I have a lot of work to do on removing biases, prejudices, and expectations. Let the music play, as it were. I found the tracks full of well-crafted melody and harmony, they all play fantastically well, and in most songs, I was drawn in quite nicely. Definitely has some punk elements and influences, but there are layers and textures beyond those normally heard in that area. The Wikipedia article says they were known for their improvisations in live performances, and Henry Rollins encouraged them to reflect that in their studio work. Good suggestion. They've got the chops to pull it off really well. Love some of the extended jams they include in some of the tracks. I need to spend more time on this one. I want to get into the lyrics more. Lots of sci-fi and other references, and they even have a song that pays homage both to the tune "Hey Joe" and Joni Mitchell. Hecks, YES. Great album, and I love that it's outside what I normally listen to. It's more...maybe "intense" is the right word? Something like that. Good healthy process here in this project. Love it.

Great New York punk, I can hear Blondie, Talking heads , Television and Richard Hell in this album but the best of them.

Rock guitarrero, con ritmo, en ocasiones más intenso, canciones no muy aplaudidas, pero muy asociado al género. Podría destacar algo más, pero es de un estilo que me gusta, con lo cual lo veo positivo

An album of great bits, spread a bit too thinly. No doubt important in indie rock but just short of being great for me.

revisit this album. too early to form an opinion but I am intrigued

Great 5th Sonic Youth's album. 1988. Alternative rock with noisy sound and a lot of improvisation experiments. I'm a bit tired of listening 70 min of jams (although I like to listen long and conceptual records). So 4/5 stars this time. But I enjoyed it and will listen again.

Unique vocals, distorted shoegaze tones and artistically liberated cover art. Surprising it was released 1988, as it sounds strikingly similar to something that would be recently dropped from the genre. Sonic Youth was ahead of the game.

This is a pretty good album, but seems a little overlong at 70 minutes. There's probably a pretty mind-blowing 45 minute album in here that gets a little bogged down with some filler.

Prog post-punk, heavy shoegaze. I’ve had Teenage riot on heavy rotation for years because I just cant get enough of Thurston Moore’s scintillating guitar shredding. The rest of the album is very solid as well if you’re in the mood for some NOIZE!

Rebellion!

Unexpected grower. The first 3 or 4 tracks are pretty uninspiring but I just seemed to tune into it over time and by the end was enamoured. Interesting to hear bits that clearly inspired other bands. A like rather than a love but a definite moment in time.

Yes i like it

No sé si vaya a salir el album Goo, por un lado es el que se me hace mejor disco de Sonic Youth, por otro en mi opinión 3 discos en la lista serían demasiado (a pesar de que personalmente me gusten mucho). A diferencia del disco anterior aquí ya se sienten con más forma, a pesar de todavía tener mucho noise rock ya hay canciones mucho más formadas y melódicas y se sienten como una banda aun más afianzada. Lo que quizá me llama más la atención es la cantidad de influencia que se nota en este disco y se verá reflejada en estilos más adelante dentro del indie rock, screamo y bastantes más. Quizá aquí es donde entra el pero que sí siento que se le puede poner al disco y que creo es similar al anterior que nos tocó de ellos. Es un disco que todavía tiene bastante ruido; un ruido meticulosamente creado, variado y con sentido pero que resulta en un album que no puedes realmente solo poner de fondo y disfrutar poniendo atención a medias. Es un disco que te demanda atención, que si le das chance y te encuentras ese tiempo para ponerlo y dejarte embeber y llevar a la "zona" simplemente hace clic y te lleva a un viaje muy interesante. Quizá es un conjunto de sinapsis que cada quién tiene relacionadas con ciertos estilos musicales, pero en mi caso este disco hace ese clic mencionado y simplemente funciona; estoy seguro que habrá muchos que no importa cuanto lo escucharan incluso intentando centrar su atención les seguiría sonando a un sonido indistinto como si estuvieran en un centro comercial atiborrado. A lo que va esto es que aunque me gusta tanto el disco tampoco puedo dar una recomendación completa en carta blanca a cualquiera; es un disco melindroso y bastante largo, pero que a quien le compagine le va a encantar.

De lo muy poco que conozco de Sonic Youth, este de me ha hecho el mejor disco. Pese a que sigue siendo música un poco difícil para mí y además es un disco particularmente largo, se pueden notar mucho más las habilidades de composición, uso de voces y arreglos que en los discos más cargados al noise.

If I’m being completely honest I don’t think I’ve ever been cool enough to entirely get this band. But I’ve always admired them and I can live with that. Really liked that “candle” song!

I've not really listened to much Sonic Youth, and always felt vaguely guilty about that hole in my listening. This was great! A noisier, harsher Pavement (or rather, Pavement are a quieter, gentler Sonic Youth). I can definitely see myself bumping this up to 5 stars with more familiarity... Fave track - "Trilogy", for sprawling grandeur. "Teen Age Riot" is a tune, too....

copado

45. NGJIRBGHERJBGDHJG VFEWHJVKBEHFJVB HKHVJ K FHB GHWS WE RIOT MotA: The Sprawl "You're it"

Love it. It has a jam like feel to it. A diverse range of guitar tones, and dissonant chords, creating a sense of urgency and tension, interspersed with small sections of release. A genuine sense of frustration in the vocals, perfectly carried by the band

Classic.

Discordant, unnerving, and awesome.

Not my usual flavor, but I really enjoyed this.

Very excellent!! Love this band and this album goes offff

Musicalmente è un disco che mi piace moltissimo, non connetto completamente con il cantato maschile ma è l’unico problema.

Bend u kojeg sam dosta vremena uložio da mi kliknu. Ovaj klasik od albuma, ma koliki bio ipak nije najbolji njihov IMHO, ali naravno veoma je kvalitetan, glasan, prljav i sirov. Dosta dobar album.

UFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF Najbliže moguće petardi.

Another band I’d meant to listen to for years but never did. I wish I had! Though maybe it wasn’t the right time? Anyway, I dug this a lot.

loved it. really enjoyable, definitely a continuation of what REM started with jangle guitar college radio music.

Fantastic album! Been a favorite for a long time.

good stuff :)

Bom disco, dá pra ver a influência q causou em vários outros de rock dos anos 2000.

The perfect album when what you’re seeking is a bit of a jangly, hectic mix of fuzz and discordant melody.

I can definitely see why this album is on those list even if I didn’t love every song on it. There’s a lot of interesting stuff that I will definitely come back to. Total Trash descends into madness and I love it. There’s a lot of muddy noisy stuff but there are also some nice riffs like the riff on Candle and I enjoy most of it. I did find some of the album forgettable and some of the vocals to be a bit annoying at times (like on Z) Eliminator, Jr.). Overall an enjoyable listen. Favorite songs: Teen Age Riot, Total Trash, Candle, Rain King, Kissability, B) Hyperstation Least favorite songs: The Sprawl, Z) Eliminator, Jr. Decent 8/10

Been meaning to check this band out for a while. This album was decent.

Teenage Riot and Silver Rocket are such good songs and the only 2 I know on this album, but wasn't expecting the rest to be so compelling. It is noisy as expected, but also melodic. Like it. Love those surprise little outros on songs - such an adventure

A glorious racket!

It was good but repetitive

4/5

Can see the influences behind a lot of music I like I this. Definitely an album to return to, was quite long though. Loved the album closer.

Cool vibe

The noise!

Love the female/male vocal interplay. minimalist fuzz. Birth of shoegaze. saw them play this album all the way through in Oakland. Twas excellent! Punk of Silver Rocket makes me want to jump! Libertines got a lot of influence from this.

Great album, love the guitar and drum work.

Wasn’t struck by the start of this album, but the back half really stood out! I think this suffers from a bit of ‘I’ve heard so many bands try to imitate this sound that hearing this now feels watered down’? Trying to combat that, I really like the shifting vibes and and vocalists and definitely want to give this album more time and more rotations!

It's been a while since I've listened to this and I found I liked it better than Goo this time around.

Sad I missed this band growing up. This was my first time listening to this album. It's beautiful but I think it's a little too '90s for me to really get into now

Loved it

Great album. This is a special one.

NIce

Good tunes good album classic punk rock stuff. Nothing too memorable though

Really enjoyable. Clear influence on all alternative music since.

This is my 3rd time listening to this album and it's finally clicked for me. Really good stuff here.

Noisy

Loved this shit esp teenage riot. Good shit

1/8 I was judging them as another generic rock band for the first few tracks, then they went crazy for the rest of the album. Really talented group. Standout Tracks: The Sprawl, Eric's Trip, Rain King, Kissability, A) the Wonder, B) Hyperstation, Z) Eliminator Jr.

Sonic jams.. sonic youth; the sounds of the disenfranchised youth.. with guitar pedals

The songs are good but as a hole it could feel same same at points

fav songs: teen age riot kissability trilogy: z) eliminator jr. influential, noise, raw 60/100

It was alright. But overall not my cup of tea. I can see why it was influential thoguh

It was OK. Not my favorite, but not terrible to listen to.

Ein Album für mich ohne Highlights. Gut hörbar, aber nichts, was ich nochmal brauche. 3/5

Ehhhh

14/06/2026 This was very hit and miss with me... I can't say I am the biggest fan. Spotify listeners: 1.5 million

I was expecting more so I was disappointed

I used to like Sonic Youth. I also used to like to drink warm cheap bad beer out of plastic cups and see shows at venues with sticky floors and bathrooms that should be condemned. This album reminds of that. Teen Age Riot is still a great song though....

If I was 19 and throwing a dorm party... sure. This doesn't have the same overall appeal as many of the other albums here though, and out of the historical context, I'm lukewarm on this.

Not horrible, but not great either...

185. nice

Garage punk standard Fave track: Teen Age Riot

Decent alt rock. 3/5

Moody grungy goodness

Is a classic. Lee ronaldo was always an influence on me guitar playing when i was a young lad. I do prefer other sonic youth records. First 7 songs are great however but i do think this one is a bit long like

Just ok innit. Was expecting to be blown away. Sonic Youth have always been a band I think i should like but dont do a lot for me. Appreciate theyve inspired a lot of bands I like, but I wouldnt choose to put this on. If you want Clangy, distorty then fair play. But other than Teenage Riot I couldnt be arsed with it Generous 3

I think I said this earlier on another Sonic Youth record but I feel I'm maybe 4 or 5 years too young to appreciate this as much as the people of that age will. The roots of grunge and 90's punk are all in here, and the raw production is really just a sign of things to come. The issue is that I like what came after more than I like this. Still a great listen, but I'd rather here the inheritors of this sound than the original. Pros are that the dual vocals are great and really change the tone of each song depending on who's singing, the playing is an excellent wall of noise but somehow in time and put together, etc. The issue for me is that the tone of the whole album never changes; it's the same sound throughout. For a long album like this, it does get boring. I'd love to see it live but to sit through it is a different story. Cool, but it left me wanting something a bit more polished.

Yeahhh. Tried to get into this in highschool, above me then. Ended up obsessed with incinerate off rather ripped but never came back. Really enjoy the opening track, find myself tuning out at moments even though it's noisy!! I am unclear what environment this is for, i don't dislike it, but it's not catching for me. Again, first song rocks

Noisy, feedback guitar makes brain go BRRRRRRRRRRRR

3-/5 et je suis gentil

honestly? i dont really vibe with them

This is the fifth, and final I believe, album on this list. I have found that I am not a fan of this band, but didn’t mind this one as much as most of the others. I won’t listen to this one again, but I will give it three stars.

This is a rebellious, fast, and young-sounding album that still feels incredibly meaningful. While listening I felt energized and immersed — it’s an interesting experience from beginning to end. The album is full of that raw, noisy energy Sonic Youth does so well. Fast heavy riffs crash into dreamy, chaotic textures, creating something that feels both aggressive and thoughtful at the same time. It perfectly captures that late-80s underground spirit — restless, intelligent, and full of attitude. There’s a real sense of freedom and youth running through the whole record. It’s noisy without being pointless, experimental but still strangely catchy in its own way. The whole thing just flows with confidence and purpose. Daydream Nation is easily one of their strongest albums. It’s a great listen that rewards you whether you’re paying close attention or just letting it wash over you. A true underground classic.

Pretty good. Unique voice from the lead singer, catchy punkish songs. Would listen again.

eh

6/10 Me gusto pero es muy largo, medio que me canso al final, no es malo pero algunos temas bastantes pj

Nice

This is the fifth album by Sonic Youth I've had on this list. The band is ok. But five!?!? Why five!?! I really hope there isn't another one. It's a nice band but you certainly do not need to hear five albums by Sonic Youth before you die.

Started off pretty strong but then started to lose me towards the middle. Then it brought me back and then lost me again. I find the guitar tones and instrumental sections interesting and then I find the vocalist kinda boring.

Great bones but lots of filler. Could have benefited from a trim down. Still, a classic for a reason.

this overstimulated me

Not a huge Sonic Youth fan but this is one of their better albums for sure. More songs here that have melodies and choruses and less skronking and shrieking guitars. The songs that lean hard into the noise area do nothing for me after a few seconds. Unfortunately there is still a good deal of that here. 3/5

Eh pretty good. Opens with a banger, pretty much all I recall. Listened at work so wasn’t really present/focused listening. Should re-listen to this in the future more intentionally at home.

I liked this a lot better than the other Sonic Youth album we had.

Hmmm, this really grew on me

Not really my thing however the guitars are strong throughout. Songs unremarkable and vocals terrible.

Easy listening, very NY but coming much later it doesn’t hold that same fresh lo-fi sound. 3 for teenage riot

por lo general el punk no me gusta y este álbum apunta a eso, está bien a partir de la mitad del álbum pero, en lo personal no me gusta

Another Sonic Yourh. My 3rd now in 3 months. Little indifference about this one compared to Dirty. The first 6 songs are all amazing and a great first half of the record. The following 8 just don’t hit me the same way unfortunately.

Post-Grunge boring

Pas trop ma came normalement mais plutôt sympa

Quite alot of noise on their records, Sonic Youth needs to be seen live for best effect.

Whiny vocals, frantic energy, and some lovely pop rock music that clearly influenced better bands.

Nice. Some great tunes. 3.5/5.

meh

I should like Sonic Youth and this album more than I do, but...I just don't. The heavy distorted guitar and driving drums are pretty great but I'm not compelled to seek this out.

Pretty cool, didnt need to be a double album

Not my kind of music but today I found it enjoyable. Definitely good music

some good overall rock.

Kinda cool, kinda grating. Lowest 3 possible

Is this the first time hearing this album. Definitely a 3, probably a 4. It’s hard to give an album you listened to once a 4.

Bit of a background album again today. Can see the influential nature of it, and can appreciate it, but just didn't do much for me overall

Similar to the other sonic youth I had. Noisy and messy, with occasional moments of clarity. Definitely an influential band for sure.

3-4 готино звучене, ама не ме чак грабнаха

Album wasn’t too bad. Again, for the 200th time it was just ok to me and I’m not sure if the point of this is for the albums to be other worldly or just ok music.

Like it 3/5

Really liked it. Nothing new about this album but it was pleasent to hear

Vaikutti melkoiselta pioneerimusiikilta. Pitää kuunnella lisää ajan kanssa. 3,25/5.

I don't listen to a lot of rock, but this album was really good. I enjoyed pretty much most of it, although I will say some of these songs were a bit too long for my liking, but overall, some songs off of this record are going into my giant playlist of songs that I really enjoy rating: 3.5/5

I'm on the fence about a 2 or 3 here. Every few years I think "Maybe now I'm ready to appreciate Sonic Youth" and I try listening to this album and it does nothing for me. They overlap with so many other things that I like. Grunge, punk, 90s indie rock, etc. I don't hate it, but I just don't enjoy it.

Meh

Sonic Youth will never be a band I truly like, but I acknowledge this as their best and most complete album. They are talented, just too edgy and vague for me. Best song: Teen Age Riot

It was alright. I enjoy the genre but I thought this would be heavier than it ended up being.

Had high hopes for about a minute

What an addicting listen. Something about the amazing instrumentals, the admittedly bad but still endearing vocals, it’s just so enticing. I guess if I had to pick one main issue it’s that I’m not crazy about most of the writing here, as it just completely failed in keeping me interested.

Sonic youth is very boring but not bad music

I should like Sonic Youth - I like lo-fi garage-y pseudo punk noise rock, and I was in my teens when they were big, but they just passed me by, and continue to do so. It’s ok, but I didn’t really enjoy it, as such.

Started out decent...then it all just ran together and started sounding the same.

Another band I’ve been meaning to get into and an album I wish I had given a closer listen to. Nevertheless, I can certainly see why Sonic Youth is painted as progenitors of the noise rock movement, which is a sub-genre of rock I’ve been getting more into. It’s certainly an album whose total is greater than the sum of its parts, but it’s damn good. Favorite track: Total Trash

Nice driving sound, but maybe just because of the vocals, nothing to really hook me. Continuously I'm swinging between two annoying stars and four star ("Candle", Kissability", "Trilogy"). 2,5

Not a huge fan of this band. Lots of my favorite bands drew inspiration from them and I can see why but their songwriting itself doesn't interest me. Radiohead and other bands of this genre do it way better

This album was a little too “noisy” for my personal taste, though I did like the song Teen Age Riot. I am glad I listened to it and can appreciate Sonic Youth’s contribution to the genre!

Surprised at how good this was after enduring EVOL. 7/10

I like it - over to you Tomek 😉

Wasn't sure about the start of the album, but The Sprawl hooked me in. During Eric's Trip I felt it took a dip down again and by Hey Joni the album had lost the charm I thought it might have had. The last A) and B) songs had some really fun playing of the instruments and I am torn on what to give the album overall. I think it sits right in between a high 3 and low 4, but I think the last song cemented this album into the 3's.

This was the best Sonic Youth experience I've had. You can really see the bones of the 90's built on these sounds. It's still very rough but progressive and talented.

Noise rock is never noisy enough for people who like actual noises. I like actual noise, and think most double albums are too long, so 2.5 stars here is quite generous.

Probably could have been a single album.

This album starts SO GOOD and falls off for me around the middle.

As far as opening tracks go, Teenage Riot has to be right up there. Wouldn't say this is a record I would necessarily go back to and listen to over and over again, but there is no denying the influence this and Sonic Youth had on American rock/grunge in the late 80s and early 90s. An important record, if not necessarily a great one.

chill

*1988. *I really like these guys about 1/3 of the time. I'm here for the melodic, slower, grungy stuff, but they lose me with the more yell-y punk stuff. *Teenage Riot is a good song. *There are 5 songs on here that are at least 7 minutes, wtf? RATING - 6/10

There are some good moments on this album, but it’s way too long. A few songs are great, others get the noise/song balance wrong and drag on. I can see why it’s respected, but not sure I would return often. Good in parts, hard work in others.

The guitar work was cool, but it dragged a bit.

Solid alternative rock album, surprised I'd never listened to Sonic Youth before!

I quite liked Daydream Nation a fair bit. This album has more of the sound that i was expecting from Sonic Youth, not the more noisy stuff from Evol and Sister. Instead it just has this somewhat hard indie rock sound and i like it since i'm a fan of a lot of indie rock especially when it's the harder, faster, heavier kind. Granted this album is still far from perfect, the noisy parts are still there despite not being nearly as prevalent and the lyrics are a bit on the stupid side but i don't think that those two things were enough to completely detract from the parts of the album that i did like. I was expecting this to be like the other two Sonic Youth albums i heard but this one is actually a fair bit better. Best Song: Rain King Worst Song: Silver Rocket

eh, pretty long, but not too bad

Edgy and youthful

It's okay. Some of their other albums on this list I thought were better. Just kind of noisy. 3/5 Probably won't listen again

Been wanting some Sonic Youth on here. Weirdly a band that has always passed me by so glad to get my chance… Kinda feels like Weezer mixed with Lou Reed somehow, with punk undertones. It’s raw and scrappy, dissonant and chaotic. Nice to have the variety in vox, probably prefer Kim’s with this sound. Can really see how it gave rise to some of the more instrumental rock / experimental bands of 90s/00s and enjoy their freedom in this and the longer arrangements. Whilst I enjoy it, unless you are super into it, it’s easy to feel like you have your fill and goes on for quite some time after. I respect what they’re doing, but maybe I’m just not cool enough….yet (3.5)

3/5

This was alright

Enjoyed a lot of it. But the parts I didn't enjoy I really didn't particularly enjoy.

Enjoyable punk, innovative, exciting and fun to listen to. Though nothing is jumping out as an ear worm

(4/7) "Teenage Riot" then a lot of crunchy guitar

Man this was tough to get through. I do like bands with multiple singers, but the music was just so harsh. If this album was 25 mins shorter I could have maybe gotten to a 4 but this was rough.

I never could get into Sonic Youth. This album didn’t help any. It’s fine, but too much “wall of noise” for my liking. There are roots of things I do like, however.

Not too bad, a bit samey after a while

Very interesting lp that combines a lot of genres. I enjoy the bits that sound more like indie and post rock. Not so much the punk and noise parts. Not so sure what to do with this?

I thought I hated this album, but I didn’t mind it this time around.

2026.01.31

Langweiliges überladenes mittelmäßiges Rockalbum, ging so.

Will definitely be listening again.

Altså, på papiret burde det være lige mig, men det er simpelthen FOR skramlet. Det stikker for meget. Men noget af det er meget cool, i små doser.

I was not in the right mood for this album and couldn’t get through it.

I suppose this is ok. Even a bit better in places, and I’m sure that if I were a fan I’d love it. But there’s too much of it and it’s not innovative or catchy enough to merit anything better than ok I’m sure it was super influential back in the day. It almost certainly should be on this list. But I doubt I’ll listen again

3.6

Best one for sure but still not my fav it is way too long

enjoy it lol

As a person who has spent a lifetime being classically trained in music and obtained a four-year degree in music, this album fascinated me. I heard influences of what I would call contemporary classical, or at the very least some kind of serialism or atonalism. There is a tonal "center" to each song, but not a whole lot of melody going on. Guitars are playing familiar-sounding chords with crunchy notes between, creating a grungy, underground kind of sound. Production is excellent. A very unique sound done well, with plenty of hard-hitting moments and moments of reprieve as well. I thought some of the songs were simply too long and for no good reason. I did not really enjoy the vocals - they were just underwhelming and not very memorable. Instrumentals are strong. This is the kind of music that makes you scrunch up your face and nod your head in agreement, or possibly disagreement if you have different tastes. It's very effective, if not a bit brash. I think this is objectively *good* and it makes sense to be on this list, and I might come back to it in some deeper musical discussions. 3/5; solid, but not really made for me.

Too punk for me

Being a huge fan of 90’s alternative, this album has always been one that I have meant to get around too. Being one of the forefathers of the grunge sound and hearing a few songs of theirs; I had very high expectations for this going into it. The starting track was everything I imagined it to be with power driven riffs and vocals that drone and are at times delivered with snark that are showing that they are everything that pop music was NOT at the time. Sadly, once I hit the middle of this album I started to lose interest. Being an “all gas no breaks” type of project; I think this album would very much benefit from breaking up the chaotic riffs every once in a while. While I respect that this album paved the way for a whole genre of rock music and inspired countless artists to come; my advice would be if you want a more consumable album that paved the way just as much, and better song writing, I highly recommend Doolittle by Pixies over this one

iyo raa ver mivaqcie yuradgeba mara kargad mesmoda

Street Joy is a great tune

Alternative rock/punk/post punk. It's pretty good but it's generally too much on the punky side and less melodic/hook driven than I would prefer. Nice riff on Total Trash, almost presaging pop-punk. Best track - Cross the Breeze, Eric's Trip 3 stars

2.54 / 5 stars for Daydream Nation. It has some winners (Teen Age Riot, Silver Rocket, The Sprawl, Candle), and some real head scratchers (Hey Joni, Providence, Rain King, Kissability). The last song, the 13 minute marathon is pretty good, but will never grace A Mixtape. too long and not really a joy to listen to. there ARE 13 minute songs I don't mind listening to. this is not one of them. I somewhat understand why people put this on those greatest albums ever lists, but it definitely would not make mine. But I get it.

A little heavy at times for me, though I can see the influence it has on more recent punk/rock bands, and thus, their significance.

Sonic Youth are another band I always meant to pay more attention to. The bits I've heard didn't grab me much. I enjoyed this a bit more, but I can't help thinking that Nirvana listened to this and went, 'This is great, but what if it had actual tunes and the vocals weren't drowned in guitar soup?'

I should like noise rock because I like distortion in other genres, but I don't. I think it's the punkiness of it I don't like. Which is odd, because I quite like punk. There were bits I did enjoy, such as the song 'Cross the Breeze, but most of it I found rather unexceptional. Not a fan of any of the vocals either. The length doesn't help. I'll have to come back to this though at some point. I can see this being one of those albums that take a few listens before it clicks.

It's only been an hour since I listened to Daydream Nation, and I've already pretty much forgotten what it sounded like.

I once again mainly listened to this album in the background. I don't think this album was for me, but I also don't outright think it was bad. There are some songs I really didn't like (see: Kissability) but there were definitely tracks that had a lot to enjoy. There are four more Sonic Youth albums on this list to get through, so hopefully there'll be something on those that grabs me more. Favourite song: Candle

Meh, some good tracks but got lost with the noise stuff on a lot of the tracks, 7/10

solid 3/5

It sounds like punk but with a bit of polish which I really like, the album is quite unnecessarily long tho

Mixed feelings about this. Great riffs, but songs are looooooooooong! Not the right record to listen to on a long train journey.

It's cool, but nothing spetacular.

This album reminds me how much I like guitar. Straight up riffing. Very enjoyable. 3 stars. Favourite track - Total trash.

Probably a pioneering album in its day, but a lot of this sounds like amateur hour with a garage band.

Some of the music's OK. Don't care for the vocalists, though. Or the excessive noise/feedback aspect of their sound.

Probably needs to be on the list. Influential and takes rock music in a new direction. Not an easy Monday morning listen though. Teenage Riot is great of course.

I have tried to listen to Sonic youth before. Did not work then, did not really work now. I understand the relevancy, it's just not for my ears personally.

Innovative Noise/Modern Rock, but not an album I ever choose to listen to.

Love the backing music, I can hear so many other bands who hadn't yet formed in there. However what really lets it down is the vocal, I can't stand shouting into the mic with no melody, it just ruins it for me and sounds tone deaf. Can do with less experimental stuff too but that's just personal preference

The Sprawl and Total Trash are great. Gave me Maggot Brain vibes. I liked when they tapped into these long intervals of instrumentation. The singing was not that great but I get that this is not a band where singing is the focus. I probably won’t listen to this ever again but it was quite the experience. Enjoyable noise.

Jesus this was painful! some songs were ok, it felt like a late-90s/00s indie band at times, which I guess speaks well about the album, but it was TOO LONG! it was difficult to get through it...

I like sonic Youth and Teen Age Riot rips but maybe this didn't need to be a double album?

Grew on me as it went on

Very same-y. Had a few notable moments but mostly just kind of sounded like the same riff and singing on repeat for an hour

6/10, 2 liked but jus boring

I liked it somewhat. The out of tune singing was distracting at times, but besides that it was alright

More like 2.5. I feel bad rating it this low when I feel like they walked so Sleater Kinney could run, a band I like significantly more somehow lol.

Thought I liked this more than I did with this re-listen. Great at times, blah for many. the first half of total trash is so good, shame they torch it with the latter.

Innovative, cool sounds and some songs I really like, but at times it feels unfinished and by the end the grinding distortion wears you down.

def need to listen again!

Tengo que escucharlo de nuevo.

I knew their famous songs but I’ve never went more into their discography.

0/18 bekannt 5/10 Beste Songs: electricity, silver rocket, computer age Silver rocket erinnert mich an einen anderen Song (aber ich weiß nicht welcher 😭), electricity wertet das ganze Album auf

Their brand of noise rock is at a perfect crossroad with their pop sensibilities on this one

Bit too raaaarrr for me...but I can see why it's good

It’s an ok album. Obviously inspired lots of bands that followed. For me it gets too dragged out and repetitive. Perhaps you had to be there?

Hard to get through, not bad but not my favorite. 5.7/10

Kim Gordon's vocals are not my thing, but the guitar work absolutely is. It's a pretty good album but not something I'd ever rush to listen to again.

Best Track - "Teen Age Riot"

I typically don’t gravitate to these guys, but I appreciate it the revolutionary noisy sound this time around and I think about it in context.

I think the first song really was the best in this one.

It’s good, and lives up to it’s name in that it is very dreamlike. Teen Age Riot is my fav.

Sonic Youth are such a weird band. Sometimes they are good, other times they are annoying and awful. They just can't figure out what they want to be.

The more I hear these guys the more I get into it a bit - don't love it but willing to check them out some more.

didn't do much for me but there were a couple of interesting points

Again, not my taste, too grungy, but it was still an enjoyable listen

Maybe I’m in a good mood but I actually didn’t mind this. Usually this shit kinda sucks to me but it scratched an itch for me. Interesting late 80s punk. Total Trash starts playing completely foul notes like 3 mins in but I fucking love it? Wtf I think I need to be in the right mood to listen to this. Or it put me in that mood. …Which is anxious. But I actually fuck with this a bit.

Not bad, lo-fi stuff.

Mmm Was okay

Probably my favorite album so far from this genre.

I have dallied with Sonic Youth in the past, and actually happen to own one of their records in "Goo" as another bargain purchase made off the back of the endless praise I'd heard for it/the band. I've never found a huge amount to grasp onto with Sonic Youth on previous attempts, and somehow glossed over this album which appears to be held in some of the highest esteem within their catalogue. Whilst I did enjoy large spells of Daydream Nation on my first listen, appreciating the manner in which they married angularity with relative accessibility compared to some of their other entries, it is a touch too long and my engagement did ebb and flow at varying points. Again, there's never really a focal point within the music that screams out at you and demands your attention; rather, this felt like a "sum of its parts" type of record meant to be taken in as a sprawling, curious experience. There's definitely enough going on here to warrant a revisit, but I'm not sure it's a record that I'd ever come to love or be itching to purchase in future.

It's okay - nothing stood out. Listened on my commute. 3l

Pretty good.

A FOURTH Sonic Youth album are you kidding me??? It's like the list curators only know five bands

This seems like the kind of music that is very oriented to its scene and aesthetic. I don't mean that in a derogatory way. It's just like... Welcome to the Lower East Side, we've pulled the tubes out of our amps and replaced them with tiny cheese graters and loose pinball machine parts. Have fun kids.