Reviews (page 5 of 7)
Yet another example of why an album should be at least 10 years old prior to inclusion in this book. ...Baby One More Time wasn't terribly well received when it was originally released, mostly because it was seen as bubblegum pop that was only created in an effort to sell records. The reason ...Baby One More Time was seen this way is because it was bubblegum pop that was only created in an effort to sell records. In retrospect, this was an influential album for many artists. I am familiar with this album because I knew 10-18 year old girls when it came out in 1999 and was absolutely inescapable. Looking back at the album cover, it feels slightly inappropriate to me. It's the implication that feels a bit off to me. There is also a song called "Born To Make You Happy," which feels a bit aggressive as well. Perhaps not. Perhaps I'm old. But Britney is on the cover of the album, on her knees, smiling, looking up slightly at the listener. I, of course, know so many of these songs. There are some catchy songs on here, but a lot of what has been written as forgettable pop songs. There are the hits, of course, but songs like Soda Pop and Deep in My Heart feel like attempts to throw a little Latin and dance influence on the album, just in case someone likes those songs and it helps to sell a few more units. "Hey, 'memba Ricky Martin? Here is a song that kind of sounds like that." "Hey, 'memba Cher's 'Believe' song? Here is a song that sort of has a club beat like that." ...Baby One More Time is a radio friendly unit shifter. Britney Spears is obviously an important artist that should be represented in the book. Doesn't mean I have to like the music, even if a few songs are catchy and ear worms. Also, how did Autumn Goodbye not make the album? It is better than 50% of the other songs on here.
"The beat goes on" cover was wel verrassend.
4/29/26. Insanely repetitive and bland to my ears, but provides innocent fun. It’s also very nostalgic since this was some of the first music I’ve heard on a wide scale. This epitomizes the pop sound of the late 90s.
The first half is the singles and all that so thats fine The second half is tough Nowhere near the levels xtinas albums on the list, not even close. Its very disposable Email my heart? Fuck off
Das Highlight kommt direkt zum anfang. Danach muss man noch 50 Minuten ertragen wobei viele Songs skips sind. Viele sind einfach nur langweilig. 2/5
To je hudba, ktorej som neprišiel na chuť doteraz. Ale lepšie ako NWoBHM...
No one needs to listen to this record who hasn’t already.
On an early date at the state fair, my wife and I rode the Tilt-a-Whirl to “Baby One More Time,” so that song (a banger to be sure) will always hold a special place for me — thanks, Brit Brit. The rest of it is tightly produced, high-gloss, major-key saccharine pop that does absolutely nothing for me. Beyond a title song whose chorus goes “Hit me baby one more time,” everything here feels safe and anodyne, with all the intrigue of a trip to the mall. Also, the album cover is cringeworthy and hard to square with the sexpot persona she was embracing at the time on MTV.
Rightfully since removed. Other than the banger title track, nothing else on here is memorable or essential.
ich han nöd cheggt, dass sie sooo jung gsi isch! mit 16 ahfange uufneh für das album find s albumcover chli icky baby one more time isch halt soooo en bangeeer s bridge isch na easy cool? STILL BELIEVE de refrain vo you drive me crazy isch so AGGRESSIV 2000er (ja ich weiss, isch churz vorher ussecho) finds halt no geil aber jooo nüt unglaublichs HAHAHA NEIII S GITARRESOLO ahhhh sometimes hassi soda pop hass ich NOMEH I was born to make you happy isch sooo e teenager-definition vo liebi hahah ich liebs mannn jz hani ich schochli hoffnige gha nach you drive me crazy und jz chunnt scho wieder so e schnulze (obwohl ich amigs schnulzene gern han, suscht würd ich nödso gern metalcore haa. aber nöd die art vo schnulze😭) hahaha jaa paar melodratischi lyrics woni usseghör holet mich scho ab aber d musig dezue isch eifach arsch, sorry hahaha hoii don philip DAMN MAX MARTIN bi wie villne hits hesch du dini finger im spiel gha e-mail my heart isch e tragödie vomene lied puuuh he hetmer gar nöd gfalle. ohni baby one more time wärs würkli es 1. hetti nie denkt
Another album that seemingly made the list based on the strength of a single. Britney has a nice voice, but this whole package is dated and probably felt soulless and stale right out of the box. Her producers didn't do her any favours here.
Personal enjoyment: 2/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5
It's not bad, but I pretty much just listened to the same song 14 times. It's upsetting because Britney Spears is a talented singer and performer, but was categorized into this weird devotion pop that wasn't the most comfortable to hear for 50 minutes. The instrumentals aren't too bad, but they're sporting the most surface level lyrics and formulas that the studio churned out to fill the rest of the album. The closing track is actually pretty nice, as well as the Cher cover.
After the first 3 songs, which sort of held up as era defining pop, this was pretty bad. A generous 2
Eh. Not my kind of pop
ehhhhhhhh Why is every song about love? It turns out there's a good reason I've only heard the first song, these other songs suck... I guess my opinion on love songs is the same as some people's opinions of sad songs. Low 2
Many fluffy pop anthems. Not my cup of tea.
This album is so front loaded. Only the first two songs, ...Baby One More Time and (You Drive Me) Crazy, would mean anything to anyone. I get it, Max Martin knew how to bang out the hits but the rest of this is garbage.
What have I. What have I. What have I done to deserve this? Said it before, I'll say it again. 90's top 40 pop sux. 2.75
2 stars for the 2 songs that were okay. Did this album launch Britney into pop-stardom? Yes. Does that make it good? No.
Maybe if I were 12 I'd like this album
I don't think this album as a whole is particularly notable aside from the fact it made Britney a global commodity, largely on the back of one music video. It's manufactured bubblegum pop and reflective of what sold records at the time, nothing more.
Not a huge pop music fan... feels very fake and uninteresting.
Some wonderful songs but beyond the hits the rest of the album felt like punishment.
Popular doesn't always equate to good.
The fact that Britney had these vocals at the age of 17 is wild. Better than I thought it would be, but mainly the first couple of tracks that brought me down nostalgia.
Take me back to the 90s and the commercialized pop that they tried to shut down your throats
É o que é
Obviously this has some catchy poppy stuff on it. Having said that, it’s not for me. A little cheesy.
I was ready to be surprised by this album but I was not. A couple bangers but mostly songs that feel like they are ushering in the tradwife era or are weirdly bad (soda pop, email my heart).
não é para mim
116. ok
You know what's fairly surprising? She doesn't actually have a very good voice. Britney Spears was THE teeny bopper pop star in the early aughts, but she has nowhere near the pipes of Christina Aguilera or P!nk. OK, but musically...it stinks. It's just an overproduced hodge podge of recycled pop beats. The writing, however, is where it really shines. Ha! Just kidding. Have you ever heard any pop music from any era? Then you've heard these stories told in the exact same way. I'm going to give it 2 stars because I really try to reserve 1 star for stuff that is so bad it makes me mad, but this is 1.5 stars at best.
It's really not that good minus the singles Will I listen to again: 1%
Woo hoo, I've listened to a Britney Spears record. The fast songs are catchy, but they're also kind of annoying. And the slow songs are boring and REALLY annoying. I've read that this is a revolutionary album for teen pop, but it doesn't sound very different from a lot of other things to me. But maybe that those other things came out after this? Why am I acting like I know what I'm talking about, I don't know anything about "teen pop" since I didn't even listen to it when I was a teen. I think this is a good record, for the genre at least, right? But unfortunately, it's a genre I really can't stand. 2 stars.
It's a decent pop album, I guess. Was looking forward to it being over. 1.9/5
Title song is great. I love that Richard Thompson and so many others have covered it. But the rest is forgettable for an old guy like me.
3/16
Peaks with the first two tracks and the rest is mostly just passable, if unmemorable, bubblegum pop. Don’t have much else to say about it really.
Couple big pop hits the rest was forgettable.
Tracks 2,3 and 5 are good examples of 90s pop. Whether or not that’s a good thing is debatable. The title track is, despite its baggage, a really well constructed, catchy song, but otherwise the remainder are pretty limp and unforgettable.
🤢 Very formulaic. Very slushy 🤮. Not my thing. The title track has catchy hooks. I'll not revisit this in the future.
Flashing back to the late 90s like a 'Nam vet
Beat Goes On cover is actually kinda good? Otherwise way too long, cloying, and uninteresting
I mean what the hell do you say about this? When this was released was this what Don McLean was talking about? I remember when this album took over TRL, and you could tell the music we loved was over. I can't give this album a 1 because of its cultural significance. So 3.5/10 seems generous enough. Top song Ummmm I guess... baby one more time
Look. It's not good. But it is always hard to argue against wildly popular things, even if their popularity doesn't really last. These are far from timeless sounds, buuuuut they definitely completely changed the face of music. There is undoubtedly some historical significance there, regardless of how problematic her life and treatment was/is. For at least a few years before she was the poster child for exploitation/manipulation/abuse, she was the face of pop music, and that means something.
To many hits...
2 big ass hits, 2 smaller hits, 2 remixes, 1 cover and a lot of fillers
What in the Mickey Mouse Club is this happy horse crap? Of course, I'd heard the hit singles from this album before, and while not great, they're miles ahead of the assembly-line, super-forgettable, bubble-gum pop that is the rest of the record. It's so unbelievably bad, I find it hard to believe that Britney wasn't just a one-hit wonder.
It's difficult to listen to music created for 12 year old girls in 1999 as a 34 year old dickhead in 2026. The title track being iconic and a couple of songs that cross the threshold into 'so bad it's good' give this one an extra star.
Wow, the non-single album tracks are awful! I don’t miss that time in the 90s when everyone was sneaking reggae vibes into pop tunes (Soda Pop). The song Baby One More Time is a treasure, the rest was on a scale of “fun bop from the late 90s” to “unlistenable slop”. Love Britney, not her debut. 2/5
there's a reason no one actually listens to this album outside of like 2 tracks
leave britney alone 2/5
Tenía la esperanza de que no lo fuese, pero ...Baby One More Time es el típico álbum pop de los '90: beats bailables, coros en todas las canciones, la aparición de un hombre que a nadie le importa, y una cantidad excesiva de baladas que no traen nada nuevo a la mesa. El fuerte de este álbum son los primeros temas, porque ya después de eso uno se da cuenta que está escuchando más de lo mismo y que las siguientes canciones serán iguales. Las letras rondan sobre amor y desamor de la forma en la que solo podría contarlo un adolescente, es decir, con una emocionalidad completamente exagerada y poco poética; aparte de eso, no habla sobre nada más (realmente, nada más). The Beat Goes On es quizás el único tema que plantea algo más experimental que los demás, pero es tan malo que ni siquiera sé si merece este reconocimiento. Sí tengo que admitir que la producción del álbum es de la puta madre, y hace que me pregunte si quizás se habrán cortos de guita para contratar a un buen letrista... ↑: ...Baby One More Time, (You Drive Me) Crazy, Born To Make You Happy, Autumn Goodbye ↓: Soda Pop, E-Mail My Heart, The Beat Goes On
Okay, the song Baby One More Time is a solid gold classic, so I was excited to listen to a whole Britney album for the first time ever! Crazy is bland, and does not sound at all crazy to me Sometimes - just boring Soda Pop - not good - a filler track Things rebound slightly after that but its unimaginitive pure bubblegum pop from here on out If this was on a vinyl record, there would be no reason to play side 2
nice to listen pop album. special ???
Holy vocal fry, Batgirl
One good hit, a couple of catchy numbers and a load of filler.
Album No. 0166 on my list. Oh wow, I honestly was not expecting to find this album on the 1001 album list, but now that I think about it, it does actually make sense. This is certainly a seminal pop album of the 1990s, and one of the best-selling albums of all time. Knowing only the uber-famous title track, I was curious how the rest of the album would hold up. And well, what can I say, it is really peak pop music at the turn of the millennium. Perfectly produced to death, everything catchy, everything glossy. I've grown up with casting shows, and I definitely get now what the music that was written for the participants and later published got its inspiration from. It's not really bad in a sense, it's just too perfect and boring and mainstream. I fully get why Britney was so absurdly successful at the time (and she certainly doesn't deserve her treatment by her environment and the media). It's just not really for me. Maybe if I were a (female) teenager at the time, this would really have spoken to me, but from my demography, it's just not my cup of tea. But what the hell. Live and let live - I'll still dance terribly to the title track at house parties. I'll add "...Baby One More Time" (of course), and "Sometimes" to my playlist. 2/5 stars.
The culmination of pop I would say. There are some pretty boring songs on here.
Poor Britney. Such a sad life.
t makes me feel properly old realising that …Baby One More Time came out in 1999. Twenty-seven years ago. That’s slightly terrifying. Taken at face value, this isn’t a bad pop album at all. It’s just not really my thing. Listening back now, I didn’t hate it, far from it but I also can’t imagine ever choosing to put it on again. It’s very much late-90s teen pop: polished, tightly produced and built around massive hooks. The big singles are undeniably strong. “...Baby One More Time” is a genuine pop classic. “Sometimes” and “Born to Make You Happy” are solid, glossy ballads that did exactly what they were meant to do at the time. And I have to admit, I quite enjoyed “The Beat Goes On” it has a bit more groove and personality than some of the surrounding tracks. That said, once you move beyond the hits, the album does dip into formulaic territory. Tracks like “Soda Pop,” “I Will Be There,” and “Email My Heart” feel very much of their era, over-sweet, slightly disposable. Favourite tracks:“...Baby One More Time” — still a bona fide pop anthem. Least favourite tracks:“Soda Pop” “I Will Be There” and “Email My Heart” Album artwork: A snapshot of peak late-90s pop innocence. Long before everything in her personal life unravelled.
This algorithm just went from BS being Black Sabbath to BS being Britney Spears. I just have no qualifications to review this album. It feels weird to listen to it and even weirder to comment on it. I did listen to it, but what the hell do I rate it? I don't know. I'm rolling a D4.
Bubble gum pop... It's fine, but in small quantities.
Some fun tracks (mostly the singles I've already heard). Dated production. It's ok. 2.25/5.
So I fucked up and listened to “oops I did it agin” instead so I ended up listening to two Britney Spears albums in one day and they both suck, but this one sucks marginal less than “Oops” which has the worst “satisfaction” cover ever made, even counting every shitty house band in existence. Rounding up to a 2 due to what a phenomenon the title track is and also due to how many times I jerked off to the music video in high school.
good god this thing nosedives after the first 3 hits are over. bonus point for a solid entry in the opening riff hall of fame.
nope
This album starts really strong and gives a false impression that it is going to make you sit up and notice. Unfortunately that energy fizzles a few tracks in and devolves to mostly forgettable pop ballads with a over-polished sheen. This might also win “Most Turn of the Millennium” album by having a song named E-mail My Heart. I do feel bad for Brittney. Not just because of the obvious stuff with the breakdown, but also because this album is full of elements from R&B and spiritual music, and it was foist upon a little white girl. It just feels extra slimy anymore.
I'd rather be hit than listen to this
…Baby One More Time //
Honestly, I've never listened to anything from Brittney Spears besides her hits, and I'm a child of the 90s. Her music just never really was something I was interested in. Is this album influential? Yes, absolutely. An enjoyable listen, though? Today? I don't think so. The modulation in "Crazy" was actually really cool, but that's kind of the only thing really interesting. Her strained vocals sound so bad. I'm nodding along to some songs, because the beat and instrumentation is a little catchy, but it's not good. It's also really weird that there's no credit on any of the songs to any of the other vocalists. I'm so glad we've developed past this, musically. I do not like it. Favorite Song(s): ...Baby One More Time
Starts with a classic but after that it's filled with outdated teenybopper crap with questionable lyrics that I am far, far from the target audience for. 3/10
Baby one more time is an earworm. But I’m not going to be spending my time listening to this.
Harmless pop. Some songs are better than ever. The Sonny & Cher cover is absolutely awful.
This record was okay. This was a nostalgic listen, though it's also one of those records that was a product of the time. Playing this back, only a few tracks hold up. Favourite Track(s): Deep In My Heart Least Favourite Track(s): Soda Pop
2 absolutely enormous pop BANGERS. And some other stuff. This definitely felt enormous at the time. Britney was absolutely everywhere along with all the discussions about whether she was still a virgin. Which, in hindsight, was pretty weird. A game-changer, or just another in a long line of pop artists who achieve stratospheric popularity out of nowhere. I feel like the title track alone should get it a 3-star minimum, it more than stands the test of time. But the filler.................oh boy, that was not easy to get through. A "slightly sad for my younger self" 2 stars it is.
Definitely not my cup of tea. The big singles are catchy enough, and there’s a surprisingly decent stab at “The Beat Goes On.” But the rest of it is so syrupy it practically made my teeth itch. A polished pop debut, sure—but far too bubblegum for my taste.
Partially known. I think you had to get in on it when it happened.
I had no idea about the non-radio hits. The album turned into a variety hour. When that reggaeton song, I was truly shocked.
I understand that I was not this album’s target demographic, but man, were the late 90’s early 00’s a cesspool of soulless commercialized pop music. Didn’t care for this when it was new. Don’t like it now.
Title track is a banger, the rest is not
Well produced pop, but not my style of pop I couldn't help while listening to think about her mental health issues, the many (mostly) older men who controlled her life, and struggles with gaining independence. This made for a sadder listen than the songs would otherwise warrant.
A couple of the chart hits got my feet tapping, but as an album, I just couldn't get into it.
A product of it's time, the songs all tend to follow the same pattern and structure. Especially the final chorus on each song that's pitched up an octave. Soda Pop and The Beat Goes On do stray from this though. And I will say that the title track is a certified banger.
Soda pop was fun. Its very much a product of its time between the singing, music, and production.
It's hard for me to listen to the title track, "Crazy", and "Sometimes" objectively because I was seven years old when they were released and they live in the most nostalgic part of my brain. I don't even know how much I like them, but I'll be damned if they don't evoke some reaction out of me. My sister had this CD, so I remembered most of these song titles; unfortunately, those first three tracks/singles do pretty much all the heavy lifting. The other "original" songs are all pretty anonymous to varying degrees, and given that Britney has never been a remarkable vocalist by any means, she doesn't elevate them above their cookie cutter late 90's teen-pop vapidity. 2/5
Baby no more times. Unfortunately the generator dished this one up for me on a day I was commuting via bus and I, as a man in his 50s, had a full screen lock screen of a 17 year old American girl on her knees gazing coyly and adoringly up at me (and the bus driver as I lent in to pay via contactless). Cheers random generator dude. Headphones on and shielding my phone from fellow passengers I sat down ready to give this my full and rapt attention. The first song, that had already played as I queued is instantly recognisable. A great into and a really catchy tune. Would we, the great public, known that if it hadn’t’ been for the accompanying video of all-American pigtailed school girl Britney dancing in the corridors? This video played out everywhere, and according to my Reddit brought the staff and punters of one Blockbusters Video store to a standstill. I think the song with its opening base note and “ooh baby baby” would be strong enough without the video, however, I was surprised that the album didn’t open with a ticking clock and a ringing school bell. The rest of the album wasn’t recognisable or memorable. If you’d asked me I would have told you that the second single would have been “Oops I did it again” and the third or fourth the excellent “Toxic”. Instead it would have been something from the Factory Pop mediocre sludge that I think the rest of the album is. Noticeable low lights on the album include the raga tinged “Soda Pop” which was so bad it instantly drew to mind the infinitely better parody song “Equality Street” by Ricky Gervais. Also the soppy ballad “Email my heart” a lazy lyrical song for the kids which I’m sure the writer thought was really clever at the time. Email my heart? No. Mark as spam and move to junk. This was a poor debut album front ended by one great song. Britney deserved much more than this, more care from the writing team and, considering this launched her into fame so fast, more care all round.
take a shot every time she says baby tellement straight Born To Make You Happy slap quand même j'adore l'intro de I Will Be There, le reste est bon (très réécoutable en fait) eww pourquoi ya un dude qui chante
well, i'm guilty as anybody growing up around the turn of the millennium to have listened to Britney voluntarily and/or involuntarily a thousand times. the hit songs of this album are ingrained in my memory and i can't help but feel nostalgia listening to them. of course, i prefer grindcore or being impaled with hot spears (ha, see what i did there?) to listening to this, but i'm unable to give it 1 star. must be a satanic ritual thingy ingrained in the record.
Title song brings me back, but this was not a great sound.
I was enjoying the first three or so songs. Turns out that's where the hits ended and it became a bit boring and generic. Sometimes I had the feeling it was Christina Aguilera singing, didn't know they sounded so alike.
First three songs are bangers, the rest are just filler.
Well, I did not expect this album to be so different to the single baby one more time. Definitely peak 90s pop but not something I particularly like
なぜ死ぬ前にこんな音楽を聞かなくてはならないのか
I’m kind of torn on this one. On one hand, some of the songs are passable, if not extremely boring, and on the other, there are some really bad songs. At least I finished it, but I think I could’ve died without listening to this and lived a fulfilling life.
loved it! Soda Pop FTW
I love that modern pop is included on this list. But my issue here is that this isn't a good album, it's GREAT singles surrounded by a number of filler tracks. Baby One More Time, Crazy, and Sometimes are so goddamn good, but if I ever have to hear Soda Pop again I'm gonna yeet myself off a building. Great tracks for a best singles of all time list, but doesn't quite meet the high expectations I had for this album. 2/5
Tacky and distasteful. The only good thing about this album was the first song, the rest was a whiney mess. The only time this album would ever be good would be if I was in a cringe 2000s romance film where I fell in love with my best friend's brother. Thank God its over
why are we using cow bells in pop music and why do they kinda work. Legit sounds like it's straight from high school musical. 2.5 rounded down
This one got boring fast sadly.
Once you got into it, a lot of this is fairly low effort late 90s pop. Email my heart a particular low light. Dated hilariously now, who knew? 2*
I loved this at 12 years old. Baby One More Time, Crazy (my personal favourite) and Sometimes bump it up to 2 stars but i think the rest was written on someone's dinner break.
Låg kvalle utöver hitsen
Svårt att argumentera mot att det var ett tongivande album för sin tid, men särskilt intressant känns det inte idag och utöver hitsen lät det sämre än jag mindes. "E-Mail My Heart" är dock en härlig tidskapsel i låttitelformat.
Hitsen är hits av en anledning, men överlag är det tyvärr ganska mjäkigt. Ett typiskt popalbum, även om topparna definierade en hel generation.
Well produced
In one ear and out the other. I get what they were trying to do; it's not unartful necessarily, but it comes out lukewarm and gummy.
Not really my thing, didn’t like it
This sounded everywhere in my 17s, respect the album as the cultural moment it was, but hopefully won't have to hear it again.
briteny spears
I know the singles. Incredible how revolting the other pieces really were. Like someone was not even trying. Good enough for 25m cd sales though.
Baby, every song has the same boring sound and lyrics that appeal to the sixth-grade crowd.
The hit is definitely a banger. The rest not so much. Its inclusion on this list confuses me.
Mediocre pop album. A few catchy songs; lots of schlock.
The music never gets good and the lyrics are pretty bad. Some legitimate smash hits. Not my favorite, but I wanted to recognize that on the back end of the album, without the vocal fry seduction act, Spears has a really pleasant singing voice. Not enough to salvage the album, but a nice surprise.
I am fairly certain I've only ever heard the one single from this. Gonna be interesting! Hah, immediately proved wrong. I know at least two songs! This is incredibly inoffensive unsubstantial nothingness.
I'm conflicted on this one. Sure, the title track swept Western pop culture off its feet. The rest of the album though? I'm not sold. Let's assume that this album belongs on the list. It therefore must offer something novel and innovative that leaves a lasting impact on its musical successors. More specifically, it must offer something that the other 1000 albums don't. What this album offers is: - Europop songwriting and production sensibilities - A nubile American teen as a pop idol In 1999, Europop is neither novel nor innovative. ABBA, Roxette, Ace of Base, Aqua - these groups proliferated this aesthetic to America long before Britney Spears. The songwriting and production values on this album don't even really iterate on the established formula, save perhaps the title track itself. Thus, this album doesn't really introduce anything new to music, save for the performer herself. I hold the position that you don't need to hear this album to appreciate her impact on pop culture, and that appreciating the album's impact remains secondary to examining the musical value of the album. Insofar as America's proclivity for sexualizing teenage girls may have hit a new, or at least another, high with this album, the album itself remains at best a conduit through which American culture can feed this desire. Again, you don't need to hear the album to understand this - in a vacuum, this album remains unremarkably derivative of the Europop tradition. What made Britney Spears, and ...Baby One More Time such a moment in pop culture? Pop culture's ability to sell Britney's image on the back of this album's title track. One important single does not a must-listen-album make.
It's 2 stars, bitch.
The first 3 songs brought me right back to my childhood, I'm not sure if they're actually heat or if I'm just a sucker for nostalgia jams. After those I thought "is this an unexpected banger album?" Nope, the rest of the album is ass.
Poppy
Definitely not the target audience for this one, and I can respect its influence but ultimately it was a 90’s pop record so a few hits and a bunch of filler around the hits. I did enjoy the cover of
4.5/10 I still prefer swedish factory product over anything made by AI. Starts strong, but after the first three songs it collapses. Highlight: Baby One More Time
Creí que lo iba a pasar peor y al final hasta me he guardado una canción: The beat goes on.
I remember when this album came out, the pop princess got plenty of radio time. As I started this album, I was a bit scared that I recognized the first three songs…all pop hits,
Feels icky idk
About is silly and fun as it is corny. I am way too old to like this kind of music or to have a decent opinion on this, so I'm just gonna say for the time it was good.
2 - Receta POP, 2-3 éxitos fabricados, rellena el disco con música hueca y que suena igual. Ahora la IA genera mejor música.
Soda pop and deep in my heart were stands out. Reminded me of J-pop at times and good memories of persona 4. The rest of the album was not really my style though. Would have been one star if not for the stand outs.
it's britney bitch
Will not be listening again sorry Britney. BOMT remains a classic - everything else is forgettable and sounding pretty dated. BOMT drags it to a 2.
I fear there are better Britney albums!
Emily Thompson, hope you’re well 🫡 Could have been any Max Martin album of the era, but this one has Baby One More Time.
All the stars go to the opening track
Did this have to be the Britney album on the list?
Das Album bekommt 2 von 5 Sternen, weil es trotz seines prägenden Pop-Einflusses stark formelhaft produziert ist. Die freche Stimme wird von eingängigen Hooks und dem ikonischen Titelsong aufgefangen. Melodien und Energie überzeugen bedingt, auch weil tiefere musikalische Überraschungen fehlen. Insgesamt ein wichtiges, aber nicht vollständig rundes Werk aus der Dekade.
Ne, da bin ich dann raus. Kann gut verstehen, warum das auch ein Meilenstein war und warum viele damit was anfangen können, ich kann es aber nicht. Denn dafür ist es zu sehr genau der komplett eindimensionale Pop, mit dem wir seit Jahrzehnten "beglückt" werden und wofür auch dieses Album wegbereitend war. Gleichwohl muss man zugute halten, dass es textlich noch nicht der berüchtigte Lalala-Pop ist. Ich bin auch der Meinung, dass abgesehen vom Titelsong und 2-3 weiteren kaum was wirklich catcht.
4 of the first 5 tracks are lovely little pop tracks. Tracks 6 onwards will NOT be played One More Time
Well I think this was the first time 26 years after its release that I listened to a Brittany Spears song on this album intentionally. Very slick production, but just not a lot of heart to it. Brittany is actually a decent singer,.I just can't really get into what she is singing. I mean Email my Heart? Come on record label , do better. There's a lot of songs on this album and I don't think I had heard any of them except for the first two. I'm glad that Brittany seemed to get her head straight.
2/5 so bad I could barely get through the album.
Man, ...Baby One More Time comes out swinging. Great bassline, tight percussion, simple but fun hooks. The rest of the album is fine. As expected, it's drenched in turn of the millennium optimism and teenage naivety. These songs were everywhere when I was a kid. nearly 30 years later, its a shame that it's not worth really talking about besides the singles/hits. There's a lot of schmutz to sift through on this. I definitely agree with adding it to this list, it's a cultural touchstone and Britney Spears was/is one of the most famous people on the planet. Albums like this (and the legion of copy cat artists) continued the work started by boy bands like the Beatles and the Beach Boys. Hypnotically Caucasian music that sells you the personality of the singer alongside the music. You know what, its just more fun and interesting to talk about teen idols as a cultural phenomenon. What the fuck is with that? Why were their grown ass men counting down when teenage girls were turning 18? A decently interesting pop album that is much more thrilling to discuss than listen to. Fits right into this list.
There’s nothing better than a great pop album. And this isn’t one.i’m not averse to a bit of Max Martin but this is weak. The production has not aged well and the overall vibe is sugary and twee. The songs aren’t good enough either apart from the obvious. Disappointing
Wow der Hit! Das cover ?? Und der Rest dann doch so flach Candy Pop hatte mir viel mehr erwartet. Ist sie erst später auch musikalisch zur Ikone geworden? C
my poor ears……..
Can’t say I hate this. Infectious pop sounds of my youth. I literally still remember all the words to “baby one more time” and I wasn’t even the one in the house who had the CD! What a weird pose for an album cover.
I'm getting a Greg Brady/Johnny Bravo vibe from this album. It's got a whiff of being a pre-packaged product that needed the right body to sell it and Britney won the honor over any number of other girls who could have served in the same role. She's got talent but I'm not a fan of her affected way of singing. I'm definitely not in the target audience for this album and I have no desire to ever hear it again.
Godt gjort å produsere et album på 60 minutter, også er det bare 6 av dem som er verdt å høre på.
Sure, it has one of the most known pop songs of the 90s on it, and sure it launched the career of Britney Spears, but by no means is this a good album. It’s definitely not for me.
Uhhhhhhhh
Really??? There aren’t 1001 albums that are better than this? Really?? My teenage lads already think I’m an uncool loser. If they, or my wife for that matter, walk in and I’m listening to this I think that could be irretrievable. Not gonna listen sorry guys. I already know it’s a 2 star album at best anyway so 2 stars.
Ngl the first two tracks are bangers. But the rest was tough to get through. Generically vapid pop music of the time.
I did not realize that this came out in 99. I always assumed Britney was just before me. Anyways, this was pretty bad. Not strictly musically. I think Baby one more time is a solid track but the rest of it is pretty bad. Pop music really didnt' know what they were doing. There are some tracks that are more danceable, some are them sound more like musical theatre. The voice she does for a lot of this is pretty awful, it reminds me of christina aguilera or maybe just a general "urban female voice" but it's bad. The production is good and it makes sense because I imagine she was an industry plant. I do think the sexualizing of Spears on this album (who was 17) is pretty gross. Sexuality on albums like these aren't always bad, but when the emphasis is on her youth and being a schoolgirl, it's pretty gross and fetishistic. Britney had a magnetic angelic personality and look. She was a great performer and knowing now what we know about her, it's sad that this is how her legacy turned out. Despite this we see the same blueprint being followed again with Sabrina Carpenter and we'll see if she is able to handle it better in this slightly different world.
Much like the destiny’s child album we had, beyond the hits this is bad. The big songs all frontload this album and the rest is completely phoned in. The classic pop music move of raising the hook by a half step to make the song longer is in nearly every song and the lyrics and beats are painfully dated. She’s not even a bad singer and she has some range but the songwriting after the first two sings falls off a cliff.
Big impact, especially the video at the time from the title track. Outside of the few mainstream hits it just fell flat like dried bubble gum.
I had higher hopes for this one based on the first three tracks. But then it really falls off into homogenized pop schlock territory. I’ll give it some props for legacy and influence. But this was a tough and utterly forgettable listen overall that really is no different than what had already been done 15 years prior (ala Debbie Gibson, etc.). Wash, Rinse and hopefully not Repeat.
Was never going to go high on this, but was a bit surprised at how many of these songs I remembered. Counts for something I guess
One point for Born To Make You Happy being a bänger despite the extremely corny lyrics.
If they’d played this for the judge, she’d still be under than conservatorship, because no sane person could’ve done this.
Not the kind of thing I would ever listen to but honestly a really good pop album. It is, in fact, Britney bitch
Got whiplash going from "(You Drive Me) Crazy" to "Sometimes" to "Soda Pop".
Loved it when I was a kid
Big pop highs for the first three songs then it all slows down a bit too much.
It’s pop.
Sorry Britney. You did better later.
Album opens up with two of the greatest pop songs of the 90s then falls flat on its face afterwards. Good lord.
Not for me.
Removed
A definite no .
She’s got a nice voice, but every song sounds the same, too sweet and poppy. The title track definitely deserved to be the hit.
A few decent songs but most was not good. Britney has better albums
Ah "...Baby One More Time." One of the late 90s phenomenons that moved MTV away from being taste makers to going where the audience was. I was 18 when this came out. At the time, I found Britney's schoolgirl-baby-voice thing —ahem— compelling. Now it seems kind of icky. It's hard to understand how much of her popularity was fueled by the male gaze versus adoring teen girl fans. The songs on "...Baby One More Time" range from Max Martin diamonds to obvious filler, and to my (pop-loving, dance-loving) ears there's far more of the latter. Britney was always a singles artist though, so I'm assuming the folks that voted this one onto the list did so because of her historical significance. Fine. There are better songs on future albums, but this is the seismic, culture-shifting one, and all of them are over-half filler. It seems like she left a big footprint on many LGBTQ+ communities, and I've never understood if that was born out of a sincere place, and if so, why. It seems to be sincere now, though. People are very passionate about her. It doesn't *seem* like it has much to do with the music, but maybe I'm wrong. Still, the things teenage girls (not to mention the LGBTQ+ community) have to go through are overwhelming and heartbreaking, and if this music brought them a little bit of joy, then I'm glad it exists.
2,5
Overall: 3/10 I'm the farthest thing from a Britney hater. If something like Blackout or Circus was included in this list the I would be a very happy camper. However, this just ain't it. That's not to day I don't understand why this one was chosen, as it was obviously a big deal at the time and very influential. It's just aged so horribly and there's too many tracks that made me physically recoil. Thankfully, the title track is a banger and there were a couple other tracks that kept things interesting. I find it hilarious that almost every song has a key change. Fav Song: ...Baby One More Time
It's alright, but not the greatest. High 2/5,
I was young when this came out and Britney was everywhere, but everything about it was the opposite of anything I was into or wanted to be associated with at the time. Now I’m a grown man and not much has changed, except that I think I’m now able to listen more objectively. The songs (well, some of them) are actually pretty good. The lyrics utterly ridiculous. There are moments when Britney’s voice sounds pretty great, but others when she sounds like a creaking door. In 1999 I would have taken stars away from this if I could. In 2025 I’m feeling generous and I’ll give it two. Could have been more if the lows hadn’t been so low. 2/5
2 Stars (5/15)
Still better than Kanye West, if only just barely.
One really great song, a couple decent songs, and a lot of very forgettable 90s bubblegum pop. Particularly rough was that dated duet with Generic McAverage
I’m not giving this a one because I actually enjoyed a couple of songs. Especially the best goes on. Big nostalgia too!
Would probably resonate with me more if I were an adolescent.
The hits are excellent examples of 90s American pop. The rest of just filler. Apart from Sofa Pop - WTF?
Catchy nostalgic but meh
Except for the mega hit, the album is pretty meh, with some generic pop music that must have been groundbreaking at the time, but the songs are not that exciting
...Baby One More Time (The single) is peak pop music, but the rest of the album is like one long B-side, that isn't really that interesting.
Apple Music has three essential BS albums (Oops I Did it Again, In the Zone, and Blackout) but not this debut. The first track is great, the second pretty good, and then things go way downhill. She’s not a great singer and the songs get lamer and lamer. The opener saves this from being a 1. Is this in the 1,001 just because of the phenomenon that it was as Britney’s first album? Just asking…
I like the title track. “You drive me crazy” is ok. Everything else I really disliked.
I can't believe this album is here. I mean, it really is peak late 90s - early 2000s pop, but I just can't blast this one in the office like I do with most of the albums on this list without the ole coworkers giving me some judgmental stares.
This is #day392 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… I didn't realize most of the songwriters here were Swedish. Fun fact. My kind of Britney was about songs like "Overprotected," "Toxic," and possibly "Everytime," the ones that were on TV or radio when I was a teen in the early '00s. Still, "Born to Make You Happy" hit those fragile nostalgia strings, as I haven't heard that one in a while. Otherwise, this feels more like a product of a time, and not really something you must hear before you die. If I'm not mistaken, it was even pulled from some later editions of the list. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day393.
Bad singer but it starts with a fucking banger
After the first, was this one long song? Painful.
Ugh, this was somehow worse than my low expectations
This is the perfect encapsulation of Y2K pop, and unfortunately that’s not always a good thing. The title track is a masterpiece, but the rest of these songs are so flat and mind-numbingly repetitive. Best Track: …Baby One More Time
Pretty much genre defining for late 90's, early 2000's pop music. It has a few widely successful songs, but the rest of the album is pretty boring and uninspired. I can remember how popular this was when I was younger, even though I wasn't remotely interested in this kind of music. More culturally relevant than musically. 2/5 Won't listen again
Cheiron-soundet runt 00 är ett tidsdokument. Därav har jag inget problem med att den här platsar på 1001 album. Men jag behöver inte tycka det är bra för det.
Vi första anblicken kan man luras att tro att vi här ett av de mest ocreediga albumen i boken, en guilty pleasure. I själva verket är tvärtom. Här sitter den övervintrade rockjournalisten i sin slitna Zeppelin-tisha från 72 och ska visa hur Brittan verkligen ska tolkas. De ska dras paralleller Beach Boys och Motown, det ska oreras om hur man ser konsten i mainstream-soundtrack osv. Allt med ett enda syfte att få hipster-barometern att slå i taket. ”Jag är så indie att jag till och med Brittans första (naturligtvis i japansk limiterad vinylutgåva). Men om vi ska vara uppriktiga, det här är inget att hänga i julgranen. Ett par popmelodier som är okej, men rätt mycket som varken gör till och från (sodapop sticker som ett rejält lågvattenmärke). Produktionen som väl syftar till att musiken ska kunna pågå i bakgrunden, funka på radiostationerna, inte göra någon upprörd är på svintråkig. Bebisrösten gör inte saken bättre. 2:an är svagare än amerikanskt kaffe.
Britney may not have the voice of an angel... That's... that's all I got. 👼👼
Reminds me of vanilla deodorant, lip gloss, poor make up and ex girlfriends. I'm a lover of all different types of music, but I find it difficult saying this is something you need to hear. It's by no means terrible, it's polished, it's pop, it's written to make money. Catchy tunes that are 3 minute hooks to people who just like music as entertainment, not for the effort and skill in it's writing.
Really strong in the front half, soon declines. It's ok - I'm surprised how identifiable the production and songwriting styles were with that period. Just didn't quite make 3 stars.
Soulless, generic sugary trash but at least it got hits at the time and did what it was supposed to do.
Won’t be playing that one more time in my life.
- ok, I'm gonna steel myself for this one and apply my efforts earnestly to this project ....... .... but I, once again (and with many others on this project) question what exactly is the criteria used to determine whether a release absolutely MUST be heard before one dies .... - So, let's get this out there at the beginning; I don't care how many awards were given or how many "units" were sold. I care about the art. Coming at this release from an artists perspective, I can unequivocally say that this record is just not that good. Others may take issue but here's the list of reasons why I claim this position. 1. She just doesn't have a very good voice and is not that skilled ** at this point in her career**. Maybe she gets better, don't know. If you don't believe me, listen to the track "I Will Still Love You" and pay attention to whoever she's singing with because that person has some pipes and skill. 2. The writing is average at best and overly derivative overall. Arguably, "Baby, One More Time" is the standout track. After that not much is brought to the table. 3. The instrumentation is pretty fuckin' weak; kinda boring and, again derivative. 4. The production is ...... boring and brings not ONE thing new to the party. 5. Where is the art? So, not a great album, I don't care how many it sold. ...... 2.5 and I can't round up to 3 ...... -
Bubble gum pop - some decent songs, some really bad songs.
Oh no, I really wanted to like this but it's actually dreadful. Britney comes out swinging with what is maybe the best pop song ever written, but it quickly unravels into low-effort tweeny drivel. Far too much whining and pining for my liking. She's an icon, and this album clearly defined the zeitgeist more than maybe any other album released in the last 30 years, but it's plainly not good
It turns out that many of the songwriters/producers on this album are Swedish. And there are tracks that definitely qualify as Euro-pop. ... it's basically a late-90s (and way sexier) version of ABBA.
Of course based on quality alone this should be a 1. But I did listen to the cassette a lot as a 12y, so it gets a 2
Nah.
When this came out I was living in Australia with a Papua New Guinean roommate named Eugene who loved Britney Spears. One afternoon the video for "BOMT" came on and he ran squealing into the TV room in his bathrobe and stood four inches from the screen kind of bouncing on his heels. "Oh brother, she makes my thing do like THIS," he screamed, and then he did a sort of uppercut motion with a closed fist. A month or so later, after our other roommate Clint, an Australian who could identify any aircraft by sound, had failed to do his dishes for an entire week, Eugene got a hammer and smashed every single plate, bowl and glass we owned on the back deck of our townhouse. Even the clean ones.
Meh. A few incredible songs and i feel like i ought to love this, but it’s just.. i think it’s just not for me lol. No hate tho im not qualified to do so. TWO!
1.7 I remember this coming out, it was MASSIVE. Listening back now is quite amusing. The main track is actually not as bad as I remember. Pure bubblegum pop, somehow more poppy than other pop artists (Backstreet Boys etc.) of the time. However the rest of the album is pretty shit let's be honest. Soda pop, email my heart etc., need to be banished from this earth. The only other bearable song is the one cover at the end.
Inoffensive bubblegum pop that has no substance and no staying power and does not belong on a list like this. I couldn't make it through the album from boredom and partly from sheer embarrasment. What are the thinking? 2 srars
catchier than i thought it would be but not catchy enough -fav track other than the hits: "Thinkin' About You"
There are some fun songs on here, don't know if it's nostalgia from my mom listening or if they are genuinely good. The rest of the album is typical teen pop, but not the worst I've heard. 4/10
Just really didn’t need to listen to that again - as a 53 year old.
Fine, but not my preference
has not aged very well. Fun album though with some questionable lyrics. Feel sorry for poor old Britney though, the industry (and family...) really does treat people poorly
The title track is a great song. The rest is forgettable. Not sure why it made it to this list.
So, I love 90's music. It is my favorite decade, but I think that late 90's pop is some of the worst music ever written. This however, isn't that bad (besides soda pop). I don't think it is great, and I will never listen to it again, but it isn't unlistenable. The ballads are really boring though. High 2.
Pop!
...I don't want more babies.
I mean, apart from the title song, there aren't any songs that I should have listened to before dying. It just made me realize more that most early Britney songs sound the same. But like ... it isn't BAD per se. 4/10 fav songs : Baby One More time & (You drive me) Crazy
Teeny-bop pop. Ugh
This album is like totally awesome.
While she has a couple of good pop hits, this feels more like teenage girl pop and I couldn't finish the album.
Why in the world is this on the list? I really tried to keep an open mind, but it just confirmed why I don't listen to pop music.
Even trying to be completely objective, the songs just aren’t there
Ja… was soll man da groß sagen 😂 Die Anfänge von Britney halt
Of course there's the title track, but Sometimes felt like it could have been a 70s ballad. Soda Pop feels like a cheesy bubblegum pop song, definitely reminds you this was an album by and for teens. Born To Make You Happy feels like it was made for the credits of a 2000s teen movie. From The Bottom Of My Broken Heart: I didn't expect so many sad pop songs, I figured there would be more like fun party stuff. I Will Be There is more 2000s teen movie music. I Will Still Love You: I definitely expected a bit more energy to this album, a lot of it is much slower than I expected. Email My Heart is the most 1999 teen girl thing I can think of.
1 %hit 99%skips
The title track is oh sooo good, but the rest of the album is utter garbage. It’s bubblegum, supper sappy. If it was not for how good the title track is, this is a great example of a 1* album.
#freebritney
I wanted to give this time of day and review it objectively and I have. Sadly even without prejudice it's an overlong set of formulaic teeny pap songs dropping off the teeny-pop factory conveyor belt that could have been composed for any boy/girl/manufactured band/singer of the 1990s/2000s. I'll give her this though - she does have a good voice and delivers them well.
Let's face it Britney Spears was the female version of The Backstreet Boys. At least that's what I kept hearing throughout this album. I guess what really gets me as far as my appreciation is that I am really just not that into the General sound of the '90s boy band. Maybe with the exception of Hanson but that's another story. Honestly other than the two really big singles, the title track and "(You Drive Me) Crazy", there wasn't really much that I could sink my teeth in to or even really appreciate. "Sometimes" wasn't so bad but nothing I put on by my own free will. And as far as bottom of my own "From The Bottom of My Broken Heart" isn't really my kind of ballad. I think the B side "I'll Never Stop Loving You" was a slightly better ballad. The rest of the album to me was basic '90s pop that I can either take or leave, but mainly leave. I did not, however, like the cover of "The Beat Goes On". They tried to update it, but it just didn't really work for me. 5.4 ★★½
A few classic hits, but mostly teenagers pop by the numbers. 2 stars
I'm not sure why this album is in the book. Even by the standards of Britney Spears' discography, I don't think this is her best work. The title track is a pretty catchy track with some nostalgia value, "Sometimes" is okay, and the cover of Sonny & Cher's "The Beat Goes On" is probably the most palatable thing here. The rest is generic late 90s pop filler that's as timeless as a glass of milk. 2 stars.
So this one has sold as many copies as Queen’s Greatest Hits and Eric Clapton’s Unplugged but perhaps is fair to say hasn’t held up quite as well. The title track is a totally iconic, classic, perfect bit of pop that is head and shoulders plus a few pigtails and sexy schoolgirl uniforms above any of the other songs here. Probably a whole high school as well. There are a few other singles near the start that are somewhat decent but to be honest once the rancid raga of Soda Pop happens the album becomes irreparably shaky and even though the tracks after it aren’t quite as awful it sort of collapses into real characterless, generic teeny pop bilge and then more crap at the end with Email My Heart and Beat Goes On cover. The bonus track Autumn Goodbye is actually a pretty killer bop and I would select the single version of Baby One More Time with its remixes and B side of Autumn Goodbye over the full length debut in terms of being more essential and loaded.
Bland
++: ...Baby One More Time, (You Drive Me) Crazy, Soda Pop, Deep in My Heart, Thinkin' About You, The Beat Goes On +-: Sometimes, From the Bottom of My Broken Heart, I Will Be There, I Will Still Love You, E-Mail My Heart -: Born to Make You Happy 5,5/10
This is pretty much the definitive 90s/00s pop album. It was manufactured almost in a lab-like way: come up with catchy hooks, write the songs around them, include generic but relatable lyrics, find an attractive, marketable star to sing them, and then release it on the world. And it worked, incredibly well. I'm not really a fan of this type of music in that I don't listen to it regularly, but I do enjoy enough of it when it comes on. Even so, I find the formula to be irritating. It's a type of pandering that turns art into consumable goods. Respect to any musicians that are successful and profit from their work, but that isn't the point of music. Rant aside, it's easy to critique this album from a musical standpoint. Being a pop record of that era, there's not really much emphasis on anything other than the hooks. A lot of the compositions are similar and sound similar. I really don't remember much at all of the music on this album, other than the iconic intro tones on ...Baby One More Time. The voice is good, but not really an all-time great. As I mentioned above, the lyrics are generic, but still somewhat relatable. All that said, its impact and staying power have to be commended, and I agree with it being on the list. Somehow, there are still some pretty good songs on there, at least from an earworm standpoint. As a 90s kid, I can't tell you how many times I heard the singles on this album growing up. And I still know most of the lyrics to all of them. You can sing along, or just sit back and enjoy the ride. Millions (maybe billions?) of people have had that experience in one way or another, and BS may be the most iconic celebrity of the early 2000s. She's still a cultural icon today, even though I have no idea whether she still makes music. So, how to rate an album that's value comes only in the least meaningful way from the actual quality of the music? For me, it's not very highly. While this is a fun listen, it's not much more than that. I know what you may be thinking ("Leave Britney alone!"), but holding this up against equally-successful efforts or some of the amazing musical works that have had only a fraction of the success shows that it's really just not great artistry. At least, in my opinion. Overall: 2/5
I was extremely unexcited when this album came up today. I am, unfortunately, tangentially VERY familiar with this one because I had a sibling who was a huge Britney fan. We all even saw her live in Chicago at one point. I also watched a lot of TRL in ‘99/‘00. All that to say, for someone who was/is not at all into this kind of music, I know way too much of this album already. Nevertheless, here we go… The beginning of this album (“…Baby One More Time” through “Sometimes”) will not be new to anyone who lived through the Y2K crisis. They were big ol’ pop hits and I don’t have much to say about them. Next up are the real time capsules… “Soda Pop” is so late-90’s it hurts. Why are we skatting here? Didn’t we get enough of this with Mmmbop? Apparently not, much to Shaggy’s delight a few years after this. Next is the equally late-90’s “Born To Make You Happy”, which gives me big yikes in 2025. This is probably still celebrated as a Trad Wife anthem in certain circles, but I want nothing to do with it. Next, I think “From The Bottom Of My Broken Heart” was also a single, or maybe it was just a local favorite in my house. Either way, and that track helps reset things a little bit. But after that, the rest of the album feels remarkably unremarkable. “Email my Heart” is the the possible exception, but only because its premise is too corny to ignore. I know she didn’t write any of these songs, and was only ~19 when they were recorded, so I won’t fault her too much for the questionable decisions here. This isn’t an album I’ll be revisiting, but it was kinda fun(?) to force myself to give it a full listen all these years later.
I was so excited for a full on pop album but it just lacks energy. Some good moments but it drags too long
I completely agree it should be on this list. But it isn't really my taste. There were a few songs I liked though.
More significant than enjoyable.
Hilarious first pick. I remember over 15 years ago my good friend who is a virtuoso guitarist broke down Britney's Blackout Album, from a production standpoint. This is a man I still to this day greatly respect, and I always held reverence for Britney due to this, and this kick-started the choke hold pop music has on me now. As a Death/Black/Doom metal purist (at the time) I remember finding it rather interesting. I believe it was the same year that I discovered Lady Gaga (as we all did) in 2008. From there I've been a fairly steady fan of pop, especially in 2017 when I discovered Carly Rae Jepsen, but it began with the Blackout Album and The Fame (from Gaga). This album was released just after she turned 17, so she was 16 when she recorded it. I'm keeping that in mind. Baby One More Time - Classic, 10/10, no notes, don't even rub two sticks together, just play this one. Classic Britney, forms the Britney Trifecta (Baby One More Time, Oops I Did it Again, and Toxic) (You Drive Me) Crazy - You can not convince me this is not Hit Me BabyOne More Time 2.0, the end of the hook 1000% sounds like it's about to say "Hit me baby one more time". Max Martin really copy/pasted this one. It's like watching Saw 2 after watching the first one; it's not bad, but maybe give it some space. If it was later in the track list it would've have hit harder. The very end of the pre-chorus gives Madonna vibes, which are not really felt elsewhere in this album, as far as I can tell. Sometimes - This single cover is very early 2000s core, but the song is mid. Soda Pop - wtf is happening, lol no, this lowkey turned me into a lib, wtf is this. This is genuinely horrible. Born to Make You Happy - Instrumental too wavy, guitar with the OD delay for no reason but it's crispy though. Kinda wild subject matter for a 16 year old? Bridge has these kinda obnoxious keys, very artificial (I definitely would have drowned these in reverb because cloudy), but the hook and production is 10/10. Use of layering and background vocals for emphasis is VERY well done, especially in the hook. The layering is insane, from an engineering nerd aspect. "I don't know how to live without your love" sounds INCREDIBLY lush. I would give a $100 bill to see what effects and side-chaining/buses were used to make this happen. I Will Still Love You - Sounds like they tried to make a Sheryl Crow song for teenagers, also idk wtf a Don Philip is but it's a no. Deep In My Heart - What in the Mario Kart/Wii music is this? Sounds like something you would hear at a bar/cafe/club type thing next to the ocean in a Final Fantasy game. It also somehow vaguely sounds like a Christmas Song on a cruise ship while also shopping at a mall in the future. Thinkin' About You - Mid/bad song overall, but the phrasing of the chorus is hilariously bad, especially the "thinkin about you". Autumn Goodbye - This is literally Final Fantasy Music. Upon second listen this is actually kinda fire, but I will never listen to this song ever again. Best: Baby One More Time, Born To Make You Happy Worst: Soda Pop (also kinda offensive) Overall: 2.5/14, But those 2 are FIRE; I'm giving (You Drive Me) Crazy a half a point because it's literally the same as the intro/title track.
Strange pose for the cover. Pleasant hits, with lots of filler.
How did she ever make it big ?
Recognizable, poppy
This is kinda tough to review. I mean, is it dead simple corny bubblegum pop? Sure, but that’s what it says on the box. Reasonably catchy, a bunch of hits that were as big as anything. Billions can sing along to the singles here. I have to say Britney’s staying power is a riddle to me. She’s not the best vocalist or anything, and the production was somebody else’s responsibility. Nevertheless she has staying power that contemporaries like Christina Aguilera don’t have. Call it two stars.
Helt ok, lite störande ibland.
Too popish for my taste 3/10
Title song is a clear outlier. Rest of the songs are very boring and sound the same. Bubble gum pop, which is weird for such a popular artist
I like my fair share of white girl music, but this is not it
Two stars because of Soda Pop
Ummm....no
This is LONG. Like impressively long. I can see the title track having some cultural significance, but did the rest of this album need to be on this list? Maybe it was influential due to the fact nearly every song seems to have a key change?
I don't get it. Even today.
Sorprendentemente aburrido
There are some ok songs but this isn’t good as an album
A collection of pop ballads, some quite good. All a bit samey though as it goes on. 2.5 stars
Starts with 2 complete bangers, but the rest is throwaway
Better than Coldplay.
2 great songs (title and You drive me crazy) but the rest doesnt really lift up
Appears to be on here more for its commercial success than critical acclaim. Which tracks because overall as a full record its pretty lackluster. Britney sounds quite mature for being just 17, but the songwriting plays way too much into the "desperate girl longing for a man in her life" trope which in general I dislike. 4/10
2-3 great tracks and then it declines
Title track is great, but not the rest of the album
2/5
Very corny. It was interesting to hear some of the other songs on the album other than the singles.
Weak stuff ⭐⭐
Some good songs and you can tell why it was so big when it came out, even if it feels dated and is not really my thing. I have an old co-worker who calls this "teeny-bopper music" and at least in this instance, he's totally right. Britney's voice, specifically the choice of vocal stylings at times, gets annoying while listening to a full album. It's almost too clear that it's a teenager playing at being an adult. It's really interesting to see 25 years on how these songs and others by the primary songwriters on here get new life in the form of Tenacious D's awesome recent version of "...Baby One More Time" and the really fun stage musical & Juliet.
Teen boppy pop to the max. There are bright spots that are energetic and fun, but boy does this album get worse as it marches on. Everything after “Thinkin’ About You” exists just to reach the track threshold for an LP. What was worse, “E-mail my heart” or the Cher cover? Hit me baby…. Maybe never again?
Meh
It's formulaic and created to be precisely what would appeal to the largest audience possible (is that an oxymoron?). The greatest songwriters and composers in history mastered a formula, then transcended it. Britney's team is obviously not operating at that level here, but there is something to appreciate in their absolute command of the pop formula. Is every song about teen love and heartache? Yes, and that isn't particularly appealing, but I still can't help but be pulled in by the chorus in "Baby One More Time" or the cheesy ballad "I Will Be There." "E-Mail My Heart" might be my favorite track on the album just because it's hilarious. Baby One More Time is half pop bangers and half skippable filler songs. I have to wonder why this album was included on the list when there are certainly better Britney albums. I guess it's because Britney broke the mold in a way with Baby One More Time and became a pop star when people thought there would never be another Madonna. I would've preferred listening to one of her later albums.
Exactly what I thought it would be: teeny bopper music for year Y2K. Points for trying some different things with "Soda Pop" and "The Beat Goes On."
the hits are hits for a reason, but the same can be said for the non-hits
"E-mail my heart" :D alun hittien jälkeen puhti loppuu nopeasti, ja aika vaikea kuunnella kun tietää, millainen koneisto tämän tuotti (ja miten Britneytä kohdeltiin). Tässäkin kannessa 16-17-vuotias?? 2/5 koska hypertuotetun karkkipopin uranuurtaja.
I purposely avoided listening to this album my entire life until today. Britney finally busted my cherry, and I’ll never be the same again. I feel dumber and gross. Never again.
Despite being old enough to have experienced this album come out originally I never actually listened to the entire thing because I was not a pop music fan. It was enjoyable Sunday morning listening. Hit a little bit of nostalgia and I think I have a better idea of where a bunch of samples that I've heard in other songs came from.
I’m not sure what to do with this one. Some of it is catchy but I mostly feel sorry for Britney. She was only 16 when this came out and the way it was marketed says a lot of sad things about the industry.
Some catchy stuff on here (title track, soda pop), but too much filler/dull ballads to get over the two star mark
Let's be honest
de eerste twee zitten vastgebeiteld in mijn kop...dus die vallen mee... rest is te catalogeren onder de K van koeiedrek
Sometimes is a highlight. Good pop but probably won't listen to again
I don't care
far too poppy for me - was about 30 mins longer than I could reasonably stand. cover of the beat goes on was the least worst song on here
Some classic, sing -a -long late 90s pop but some awful and dated tunes too. Was surprised at how many of the words I remember but there are lots of very forgettable tracks too. It was fun to play to the kids but I can live without listening to it again
Important? Sure. But so was Mussolini. Certainly not as evil or abhorrent, but can you make 90s pop music that is? If so, it would at least be more interesting than this. Aside from a couple tracks, this album feels like an attempt by the production team to prove they are competent musicians. Really no shade to Britney, because if anything is to blame for the mediocrity or schlock on this album, it's the everlasting wisdom of a label. Christgau said it best. Madonna next door. 3.5/10 Favorite Song: ...Baby One More Time
#542. Like the Christina Aguilera one, this album is very of its time, which is well past its expiration date. 2/5: not for me
Probably enjoyable if you like that kind of thing, but still not the worst pop album I ever heard. 6.9/10
I have no idea what to do with this. The only thing I can say is, it's amazing that this was written before AI generated music. Or perhaps this explains AI music? "Email my heart" - worth listening just for that title and the earnestness of a song that surely should be a spoof!
Eh? 3/10
I thought the nostalgia would make this more listenable, but I didn’t even recognize more than 2-3 songs. While I can tolerate bubblegum pop as standalone songs, a whole album of it definitely tries my patience. “E-mail My Heart” is pretty funny, though.
I’ll admit, at times I can enjoy cheesy manufactured pop, but it’s still cheesy manufactured pop.
Although I was excited to get a different album vibe than what I’ve been getting for the past 3+ weeks, I have to admit that this kinda sucked and was a huge disappointment. I’ve never listened to a Britney album in full, and I don’t think I need to again. Other than the first song, I don’t really get it. And I definitely wouldn’t say this is an album I have to listen to before I die… I get it’s fun and I’ll give it that but I don’t know.
This only has two stays because of the title track which is a stone cold classic pop song that is a total ear worm. The rest of the album is teenage diary poems drivel lyrics. No one needs to hear anything other than the title track.
Because is pop and for the 1st song
I don't really know what to say here. There are some complete classics on this record which have managed to survive for decades due to nostalgia and popular culture. I cannot recount how many time I went to weddings or parties where the DJ pulled out one of the popular tracks that are on this album. Baby One More time is forever engrained in my mind and I never actively listened to it at all. Does it make the music any good due to the perpetual pop propagation? I am not quite sure but it's evident that some of these songs hit a Zeitgeist for teens back in the day. Objectively, the latter of half of this album is entirely forgettable with grating production and utterly braindead lyrics. Hoenstly, it all sounds super dated and it's a product of this time I don't know what to write here.
As much as Britney basically revolutionized pop music, an album musician she is not. I get why it’s an essential listen but… not much going on here just yet in the Spears career.
Who cares? And not worth trying to remember why anyone ever might have. Gives pop music a bad name, really.
She kinda has one song (except for the beat goes on that's unique and awesome)
It was fine.
I think this albums inclusion perfectly exemplifies what is wrong with most of the 21st century picks for a list like this, even if this album is before the turn of the century. The list was first made in 2005, and that causes a lot of (at the time) recent albums to have no time to sit and see if they truly are something worth sticking around for. Instead, it felt like the author needed to fill out the list with recent big artists to sell copies of the book; albums with one major hit, but not a lot of staying power otherwise. This strategy has worked in the lists favor since, just look at the Kendrick Lamar inclusions, but many of the albums don't feel like "albums" you should listen to before you die, but rather one hit single and ten to fifteen other tracks, and it really makes it the dullest part of the list, in my eyes. There is no wonder that this album (among many others) got removed to make room for new albums that fall into the same issues. Rinse and repeat. This album on its own merits is fine enough. The hit is decent but overplayed, and most of the other songs range from fine to okay, with only some true stinkers, but Spears has better albums, and if we were going to go with an album that had a hit on it by her before 2005, why not make it In the Zone and include Toxic?