Connected

I like this. It has a very similar sound palette to stuff that I already am into, like the Stone Roses and Black Grape. It is something that I'd keep around in my spotify and be happy about if it came up on shuffle. If I could give it a 3 1/2 I would.

Good album, but not anything that shone for me. Fun basslines, would listen for background noise while cleaning in the future.

quite enjoyed this, i js know the coolest mfs in the 90s listened to this, had it as charity shop background music and it was a successful trip so thanks stereo mc’s 😈

This is something I would never choose to listen to by myself . That’s why I fucking love it . Don’t ask me why but I really like the tune of this . Reminds me of bakar who is one of my favourite artists . if any of you say its a bit samey i kind of agree and it felt like it dragged. those are the only bad things i could say about it though, i really liked this one. i think my favourite album which i have never hears of so far.

was fine, listened to it while getting ready which was quite pleasant. quite a forgettable album though, nothing stood out to me

Funky fresh!

The two memorable singles are the top tunes on this album. The rest is pretty average. Not bad but it doesn't deserve to be included on this list.

Vibes 4 Stars

The vibe of this album is definitely vibing. Unfortunately I gotta admit I was bored a half an hour in. Love the style tho

I love this stuff. Absolutely superb work. This is right down my alley. Totally my vibe. Anything that sounds like Massive Attack with that electronic trip hop style immediately wins me over. That’s the second time I’ve made a comparison to them already going through this list with the first to Keep On Movin’, another record I really enjoyed. This is certainly on another level of quality though I feel like. It’s groovy af. Screw it yeah this gets a 5. Edit: (5->4) no this album doesn’t get a 5. It was good and definitely my thing but I think this decision was a little too heavily based on the absolute BANGER the title track was. Which unfortunately is not the whole album because it just falls off a bit from there.

Idk why this album is on the list. This felt extremely mid. Some of the later songs where pretty good but mostly It was uninteresting beats and uninteresting rhymes. Won't come back to this.

Fun bit of very 90's British rap rock

At times funky and groovy, at times tedious

Pretty cool

Another electronic album. At least this one is fun. Not particularly poignant, but it was listenable. 2.5/5 Won’t listen again

I liked this one. It certainly didn’t feel like a typical hip hop album, but I really liked the groove that they got into, and it was fun trying to count the beats until a certain little lick plays again. The singing and rapping worked decently well too. Not too much to say on either direction, to be honest. Favorite Track: Connected

Typical 90's vibe but Ilincredibly boring. I had the sads the whole way through.

I know a few Stereo Mc’s songs…..and after a whole album I know why…..a few songs is plenty. They are well done but all seemed to have the same bass line and groove. I’ll stick with the ones I know!

1 star for the music and 1 star for the sheer audacity of putting this album on a list of 1001 albums to listen to before you die

i think you have to be at minimum 35 to like this

[7/10] Chillen

I liked parts of it. Such as the flute and bari sax as well as the harmonizing vocals. I was a little put off by the name and the description, I guess hiphop and electronic music have shifted quite a bit since 1992. Connected and Ground level were a couple of the songs I liked.

Awesome bangers!

Got some chill grooves & fun electro dance vibes. Other parts comes off as cheesy trip hop.

Interesting

After about the fourth time someone tells you that they’re not going to go blind you start thinking that they’re definitely going to go blind.

worst apostrophe in hip-hop

Every song is so repetitive. Just kinda boring.

Fantastic album. Every song a banger

Dated

Op moment best fatoe en een chill sfeertje, maar voor een heel album gebeurt er gewoon te weinig en is het vrij eentonig.

Not more early 90s swagger music... Honestly how many albums on this list are this genre. It's boring!

I woke up slightly broken and this thing patched me right up. It’s got that bounce - you know, the kind that wakes your brain without demanding too much of it. Feels like Gorillaz got a hold of some old-school hip-hop gear and a crate of acid jazz vinyls. There’s this early '90s UK swagger all over it, but weirdly, it doesn’t sound stuck in the '90s. It’s ahead of its time without waving it in your face. Really slick production, too - tight without being sterile. Great hangover companion. Might start keeping it in the emergency kit next to the ibuprofen and Gatorade. Spins: 3 Playlist Additions: - Connected - Ground Level - Step It Up - Fade Away

I liked listening. It was indeed a product of the time it was made but I enjoy the ensemble element and what each person brought to the mix of the sound.

Some banger tunes, largely coherent, with quite a few lacklustre tracks.

Brought back some memories

I genuinely enjoyed it, but I couldn’t help but feel like this album is to more prominent 90s hip hop what Olive Garden is to Italian food.

listened to this and forgot all of it very quickly. Maybe harsh but didn't grab me at all

I expected this to be bobbins beyond the first song but it is tons of fun. I stopped noting down the tracks I especially liked as it's all of them bar about two

It’s not bad by any means but realistically I’m never going to go back to it

This had a great vibe to it all the way thru. Connected is a classic.

Very vibey and works well as a whole but nothing jumps out to elevate beyond a 3. The End was a nice touch.

Fun! I like soft complicated arrangements, which is every song, so they dialed in their sound well.

70/1089 - I liked it but don't understand why it's on the list. It's a bit repetitive but there's enough different layers and musical ideas to keep the songs from becoming too samey.

‘Connected’ was in like ever ‘90s movie (or at least it was in Hackers), and I always wondered what Stereo MC’s other stuff was like. Guess I never wondered enough to find out… Anyway, good to know it just sounds like ‘Connected.’

Connected is such a good tune. Everything is good. It's a little dated, but not in a bad way. It just happens to have two big massive singles

I've always loved Stereo MCs, and Connected stands out as their finest work. I'm thrilled to give it another listen and glad to see it recognized on the top 1001 album list. This album is proof that electronic music can be not just good—but great. Favorite songs: Connected, Step It Up, and Ground Level are the big hits, but there are also some excellent hidden gems like Everything, Pressure, and Playing with Fire. Least favorite: Honestly, there isn’t a bad song on the album. Album artwork: The cover is very cool and perfectly reflects the vibe of the music

1001 ALBUMS- # 21 Dis-Connected! 🤷‍♂️ The inclusion of this album within the 1001 book publications is another blatant example of the personal bias Mr. Dimery seems to hold for artists with esteem to his local UK. How else would one explain countless subpar entries on a list of the best music records ever created, without representing those that left a similar mark in North America? (Pod by The Breeders, The Blue Album by Weezer, The Glow Pt. 2 by The Microphones, Tragic Kingdom by No Doubt, Aeroplane Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel…perhaps the slight here is to indie music in general). I think everyone on God’s green earth is familiar with the song ‘Connected’ and sure there are a couple of other memorable tracks built around it, but these alone cannot warrant the album as a whole to stand among the best of all-time. Additionally, these songs are some of the most 90’s DJ dance party themed repetitive mixes imaginable (complete with the trademark female backing vocals!), which frankly have aged terribly. Perhaps this landed before the floodgates opened during an era of hip hop euro dance, but today it sounds very unoriginal. 🎧 Classic Track: Connected 🚫 Skip Track: Pressure- Is it just me or is this not a shameless rip off of ‘Unbelievable’ by EMF that was released a year earlier?!? 🖼️ Album Artwork: ❌- what in the world were they thinking with the cover art?!? 🤣 In my research of the album I also found out that it was shortlisted for a Mercury Prize…nearly chocked on my coffee with that little tidbit, as this is nowhere in the same realm with the brilliance of PJ Harvey’s Rid of Me which it was nominated alongside that year. Hit the Thumbs Up icon below if you enjoyed my take on the album :)

I remember back in 1993? I went to see U2 at Wembley Stadium and I was a bit annoyed at the Stereo MC’s were supporting as I had no interest in “ this type of music “. Turns out it’s actually pretty good when you give it a chance! Haha. Enjoyed this album way more than I thought I would. One of 1001 albums…. Not so sure!

I didn't really connect with this one. Technically it's fine, and it doesn't sound bad. I just found it a bit bland Standouts Step It Up 3/5

90s electronic hip hop Oasis.

This was fun. Real groovy and flowy. Definitely feels like the 90s. You'd have cool raps and then groovy beats and interesting samples. Probably not something I'd return to, but I enjoyed it!

Nah

I went into this thinking I'd never heard of these guys, and based on the album cover art, I don't really want to know them, at least the guys. But as soon as I hit play I was like, oh wait, I do know this and, to be honest, like it. ...and as it wears on I like it less and less. I was willing to like it but in the end I was bored.

From time to time over the past 30 years I've had pieces of 'Connected' swimming around in my brain. It's a catchy song. It's also the most popular song on this album (on Amazon at least). But that song along with about 2 more seem to be what this album is really made of. The rest all sound like each other. And those songs are no reason to have this album on this list.

liked this one, a little too mellow and complacent for my taste.

I asked my dad if he knew what this was, he did. I then asked him if it was good, he said it wasn't. Genuinely haven't heard anything from this group. I would say me and my dad differ slightly when it comes to taste in music, so I have no idea what to expect really. Looks offensively 90's. Hoping the music is better than the album art. Connected By far their most popular song, also the song my parents claimed to have clubbed to in the early 90's. Can't say I'm too excited by the prospect of my parents at the club tbh. Has some groove to it. The vocal sample loop creates some decent atmosphere. Is a bit flat, though the keys and sax add some depth. The female vocals do add some variety to the track. All in all overstays its welcome a bit, but seems a solid start to the album. Not suprised it's a hit to be honest. Decent. 3.5/5 Ground Level Strange jazzy instrumentation, still remains dancable. The vocals are kinda unispired, lacks character and depth. Pretty catchy despite the low-key performance. Surprisingly well composed. Pleasantly surprised. 4/5 Everything Decent energy. Family Stone references or a coincidence? The hook is pretty unispiring, and the rapping is a bit dated, though I find it kinda charming. Really like the groovy bassline. The brass instruments are also a pretty cool choice. The song kinda grew on me over the course of its runtime. Fun track. 4/5 Sketch Sort of mellow. Having fun with the instrumentation. Can't forget to highlight the fantastic accent of the singer, honestly think it adds some uniqueness to the music on display. Decent concept for a song, honestly sort of a fresh take on the idea. The rapping still isn't great per se, but can't say it ruins the song in any way, kinda charming actually. The chilled out energy is a vibe. Feels vibrant and colourful. Fun. 4/5 Fade Away Starting of pretty corny. The disco like female vocals is not something you'd hear today. The instrumentation carries the track. Don't really like the hook at all. The verses don't really connect either. Has good parts, has bad parts. 2.5/5 All Night Long Funky start to the track. Has good rhythm. Like the attention given to the bass. Really repetitive. The restart definitely came at a much needed time, honestly wished the track changed more after the restart. Goes nowhere, feels like it ran out of ideas really early. Fine. 3/5 Step it Up Good bassline. Moving into a more traditional dance track was a good move after the instrumental track. Has a bitvof a groove, could definitely see people dancing to this. Vocals seem a bit bored and unenthusiastic. Fairly decent chorus. Nothing spectacular, still pretty decent. 3.5/5 Playing With Fire This album keeps suprising me. Immaculate vibes. For this type of music the instrumentation is really solid. The vocals are extremely basic, but it works somehow. Transcends the critical thinking center of my brain. Just fun, can't explain why. Good. 4/5 Pressure Love the bassline, sort of infectious. Bouncy song that really moves along with some decent flair. Doesn't do anything special, but again has immaculate vibes. Decent. 3.5/5 Chicken Shake Whoever picks these instrumentals deserves a lot of credit. Decent loop, but wish it varied a bit more. I like the keyboard at the end. Sort of kept building on itself into a solid instrumental track. Could use a few more points of engagement. Decent. 3.5/5 Creation The bad thunder effects are kinda charming. Fub drum beat, and some decent bass playing on top of it. The keyboard sequence goes on for a bit too long. The lyrics on the hook are pretty bad. Really cheesy. Does have sequences where it sounds a bit empty. Was not expecting the drum breakdown at the end. Fine. 3/5 The End Decent bassline. The rapping style doesn't fit the energy of the instrumental. A bit too sparse, feels like it's lacking something. Nothing chorus. Doesn't go anywhere. Carole King motif in the sax at the end is a fun touch. Disappointing closer. 2/5 Honestly thought this was going to be horrible, but turned out pretty alright. Found myself having fun with plenty of the tracks. Really enjoyed the energy, and found the dated rapping style and the bombastic female vocals to be quite charming. Love how they've chosen to implement a series of very good samples, really liked many of the imported basslines. Found the production solid overall, never having any complaints about the mixing or the quality. Didn't pay too close attention to the lyrics, but they seemed pretty forgetable, will definitely pay more attention on a relisten. The rapping is a bit basic and in some songs the style gets a bit boring, or have a tendency to not work. Vocals in general lack a bit of variation. Still the album managed to exceed my expectations, and I found myself having loads of fun with it. 3.5/ leaning closer to a 3/5. Fave track. Sketch Least fave track. The End

Haven’t heard this for a while, Connected is a great song. The rest is average

He weiss nöd. Irgendwie eifach nöd so geil

hui da isch nööööd miis. das vocal sample isch jo uuuhuere nervig. unddas isch glaub de hit gsi so. ground level sehr coole bass. aber nah macht nix mit mir. everything etz au sini reim sind eaaasy whack. ich hass sketch. nai. ich werde nicht auschecken den artist sketch. mit fade away chani mi etz no afründe aber jo ich finds irgendwie chli belanglos. all night long sooo langwilig. de beat vo step it up isch chl spannender aber ich gseh etz scho wies sich über vier e halb minute ziiiieht. es het. playing with fire seiter it's a doggy dog world sehr cool. song het endlich mol chli spannendi harmonisch sache aber finds immerno seehr monoton. hass d text würkli s het mit nüt ztue er isch afoch irgendöpis am sege dases öpis het aber da funktioniert halt bi rap nöd sorry. bin bi chicken shake und s wird langsam streng. has wüürkli nöd chöne gnüsse. keis 1 well grooves mengmol no cool aber bruuudi.

was füres albumcover hahahaha connected isch en rechte banger! ground level wird gecarried vom bass poah bin zwar au abgschweift aber es isch eifach sehr fest vor sicher her gloffe ooofff d drums am schluss vo creation sind sexy gsi puuuh ja ich hans sicher au nöd unglaublich ufmerksam glost aber us de socke ghaue hetsmi nöd spass hani trz gha!

Great breath of fresh air when it came out but a little boring to today's ears.

Fine. Too long.

Got me hitting moves I didnt know were possible

A decent album led off with an early 00s banger that was ubiquitous for an age.

2.5

Täähä oli kova! Hyvät beatit ja letkeet räbät! 3/5

Letkeää hoppia ysäriltä, ja kivasti myös vaskisoittimia mukana. 3/5

nothing to complain about here! i really like listening to this kind of music while i’m working because it’s fun and dynamic but not something i need to think too deeply about. no single song stood out to me and it did feel a little long BUT i enjoyed it. also i recognized the first song from one of the hood internet’s mashups lol.

i feel like i've been listening to a lot more trip hop than usual lately so this album came at a great time. i really enjoyed this!

I was surprised to see Stereo MCs on the list! I had a cassingle of this in high school, but never actually listened to any other songs aside from Connected, which I thought was great. In truth, I probably wouldn’t have appreciated this in high school. College, on the other hand, I would really dug this album. I found that some of my favorite tracks were closer to the end, like Chicken Shake, which had a really cool groove to it and Playing with Fire. However, I’ve been hard-pressed to ever find a song called The End that I didn’t like, this one included. It only took me a couple of decades-we don’t need to talk about that-to listen to the rest of the album, but I’m glad I did.

Random thoughts: * I don't remember the song "Connected" coming out. I don't remember anyone say you gotta check out this song or I'm a huge Stereo MC's fan. I don't remember it being on the hot countdown. However, it has always seemed to exist in some sort of subconscious in my brain as I can sing every word. I couldn't pick out the specific year it came out in the 90s. However, it has been a staple of sound that I have somehow heard this song 100s of times without ever actually choosing to hear this song before today. I'm not sure what point I'm trying to make except that this song is surprisingly ubiquitous in the most positive sense. I wonder if this is limited to people my age or is something universal for all-age listeners of Western pop music. * Interesting, this album is in the same mold and is super chill and fun. I wish I had owned this album in the 90s as I think it would have been a staple of mine. I'll just have to enjoy it now and try to remember to revisit it often.

Will forever remind of call centres. Not a bad album but it does sometimes feel like they reworked the same idea on a number of tracks

Not bad. The lyrics were a little dated and corny, but the beats were enjoyable. Probably not going to revisit ever but a decent listen.

Sounds like Happy Mondays with their balls cut off Rating: 1.2

I remember this one from when it came out. New job new residence. Same friends and new friends. I liked this!

this was a good change and decent enough but I found I enjoyed the other 90s stuff Spotify played afterwards more

Early 90s dance all sounds like they got the same Casio kit and ‘for dummy’s’ book for Xmas. It’s interesting the first time at least.

Before I talk about this album, I just need to ask one question. Why does this group's name spell MCs with an apostrophe? I just have to acknowledge grammatical errors in band names when I see them, okay? Anyways, Connected is a solid album. There's things to like here. The vibes are just kind of nice. I actually really like the opening title track. It's great. The other songs are pretty good, just not as good. The lyrics are okay. Nothing super thought-provoking, but nothing embarrassing either. The rapping is kind of bare bones, but it does the job. The album's a bit long. There are certainly things to like and dislike about the album. I'd say I had fun with it, but I can understand why others may not enjoy it as much as I did. Solid 3/5.

A pretty good album, I liked the song Everything the most.

Not bad but not for me. 1/5

90’s roller rink music

5 stars. For a band I have never heard of, I really enjoy this album.

I'm a "Supernatural" (and "33-45-78") guy, so their third album, "Connected", while their commercially most relevant release, was a bit of a let-down for me. Too heavy on the sing-a-long and dance-a-long simplicities for my taste and somewhat formulaic. Check their first two albums for their best. Still some great moments though of course. Must have played "Step It Up" (together with the "Ultimatum Mix" of "Lost In Music" from the previous album era) a million times in the early to mid 90s and would still put them on any wedding party or 50th/60th etc birthday playlist.

Very '90s, albeit very enjoyable music to just jive to in the background. Some enticing fusions here, primarily in the realms of hip-hop, funk, and afrobeat - just listen to the song 'Step It Up' to know exactly what I mean. There's a large focus here on establishing and then effectively maintaining this very jovial mood on each song. And I'd say that's what this album is ultimately about: mood. Admittedly, I wasn't a huge fan of the vocals here, at least not the lead vocals. I think it would've worked better as this entrancing '90s dance album without them (I did still enjoy the rapping here occasionally, especially on 'Playing with Fire'). I really liked the largely instrumental string-backed and luxurious sounding 'Chicken Shake', a song accompanied by this huge bass tone. In the end, this album still manages to achieve the '90s-dance music-in-its-purest-form-and-sort-of-disco thing, vocals or not, and I ultimately enjoyed it.

Langweilig 🥱

Fun one to revisit. It still holds up well.

More melodic than a lot of these albums tend to be, which I appreciate. Still not much my thing, though. 2.5/5

3.0

Mehh

Not bad

Bit dated

This is so naff. I know 1001 albums is a lot...but c'mon

Not unpleasant, but not my cup of tea and 56 minutes is too long!

I recognised Step It Up and almost gave this a higher rating, but thankfully remembered that just because you've heard a song before, that doesn't mean it's good. And this is pretty shit music.

They started with their best song and then it was all downhill from there. It was way longer than it needed to be and was quite repetitive in parts. I do like that the last track was called The End.

Nothing stood out, good or bad. Utterly forgettable.

Überrascht, zwar knapp vier Sterne, aber hat Spaß gemacht

Gear: Dunu SA6 Artwork: ⚡🧑‍🚀🍄 Production: 👂🔪🩸 Music: 🕺🥁🤷 Rating: 🙂‍↔️(🙂‍↕️)/5

Kender du typen

Surprisingly pleasant

Cut to the chase - Definitely one of the best ever British Hippity-Hop albums...ever. Several tracks will be familiar to many, but the whole album sparkles with an enjoyable groove.

Electronics, meh. 2/5

Strange album for me. I didn't hate it, but it got really boring and repetitive by the third track. Sounded very dated; I wouldn't have been surprised if this album was released 5 years earlier than when it was. Skippable and uninteresting

Ett album fullt av PES:s menymusik låter bättre i teorin än vad det var i verkligheten. Sångaren hade inte klarat första audition i Idol. Orkade inte lyssnade klart på en enda låt. Ändlös loop av britt babblar över gammelhouse.

Unimpressed. The first song took me right back to 1992. I then traveled back to the future and didn't really care for the rest.

There's just something about this that's missing. The music was fine, but it was just too subdued and missing a punch or soul. Hard to put my finger on it honestly. it's just kinda boring

Instant reaction "Oh shit this is that one song!". Interesting for the time, it reminds me a little bit of the first Gorillaz album (which obviously came way after this), mixed with some Beck.

Fun and groovy

Sooo monotonous and far too long

This album is fun at first, but it gets sorta samey after a while. I think just a little more variation in the music would have gone a long way here 3/5

Good but not great. Seems a bit more thoughtful than a lot of the similar dance stuff of the time. Couple of catchy singles helps too, even if one now always makes me think of a mobile phone ad.

Decent grooves, though I've always had a strange feeling from the Stereo MCs, like their lyrics are half finished or something. Never realised there were 4 singles on this record though.

Corny 90s rap 🤷‍♂️

I don't know if this record had any kind of legacy, whether it was influential forward from 1992. To me it sounded like proto-Brit Pop / -Trip Hop / -Electronica / -Lounge / -Post Rave. Archaeologically this will probably be conflated with the Beatles.

It sounded like a cross between disco of the 70's and later rap music.

Extremely frustrating listen. This could have been so much better without that god awful drum track. I'm not saying it could get to the heights or a 4 or 5 but man, it could have been better. Similar to a lot of early hip hop groups they weren't constrained in the way later hip hop tends to be, with the backing vocals and general jam band vibe, but they sewered all of it with those fucking drums. No more brit pop! I hate it.

This was absolute garbage. Not even worth discussing. On the other hand, this reminded me what a true 1 sounds like and is making me reassess the 2 I gave the velvet underground yesterday. Id like to change that score to a 3 please.

One of those albums that you judge the cover, genre and year and think “this isnt gonna be good” After two spins, I actually found myself digging about half the songs. It says something about my bias. Its really rare that I like hip hop albums, but this shit is rad Playing With Fire (sampling Monkey Man from Let It Bleed) was awesome. Sketch was a fun tune. The End (james brown payback) was groovy. 3.5 stars. Ill round up and give 4 stars for a hip hop album

Man, this stuff didn't age well. Another example of the rampant pro-British bias in this collection. Robert Dimery (the editor of '1001 Albums...') was a patriot first and a music critic second. Wikipedia tells me this album won Best British Album at the 1994 Brit Awards, so at least the Brits loved it. As a non-Brit, I made it 4 songs in and decided it isn't worth listening more. If someone has a revelation about the other 9 songs, let me know

This was a lot more fun and cohesive than other stuff from this genre and era. Nice production, could hear the sample layers better than some of the other mush. Good for one listen through. Hearing “Connected” was an “oh THAT song” moment.

"Step It Up" was my favourite song for about a year or two, after hearing it on The Rhythm Volume 7 compilation in 1993, which I had on high repeat. I still love it. The whole album has a pretty good jazzy hip-hop 90s feel which I do love, but I found I really liked about a third of the tracks, a third were "fine", and the other third I didn't like. I considered giving it 4 stars due to the good tracks but I think as a whole this album just nudges down to a 3 for me. Step It Up is still a GREAT track though.

I'd heard these guys' names back in the day but had never really listened to them before. A strange but sometimes soothing mix of early 90s house and rap. Not really unlike a lot of house that often had a verse of rapping, only this lasts a whole album, and the album is consistent rather than just one or two radio singles then a bunch of filler. It definitely has a kind of Lost in Time type feel to it. But it's definitely unique.

02/02/25 This was actually a harmless listen. Didn't know what to expect when I saw the album cover.

I remember that one song

Not really my kinda vibe. I feel like that’s personal preference though

The album might not be the peak of musicianship, but it's damn fun to listen to. I've listened to it on repeat for the whole day, it's also cool for work, and doing stuff around the house, due to it's easy-going grooves. Nice beats, nice rhymes, having a good time, reminds me of old school hip-hop in my country. Definitely something I will listen to again.

the most 90s thing I have ever heard

mid

I feel like when you want to do this very nonchalant laid back sounding vocals you need to compensate with some really good quality exciting production (the band Yard Act is a great example of this done well) unfortunately this band doesn't really do that and so the songs come off as a bit boring, some of them are kinda fun but I have to agree that overall it's a bit mid

Very pleasant album to listen to, but no songs really left a huge impression on me. Very British.

Groovy stuff

6.5

Pretty smooth and groovy, I enjoyed this. Kinda reminded me of Smash Mouth

Fun sounds! Weird that they were rapping

I feel like this is music i have no context for … i needed to live thru the 90s to understand this

Painfully 90s

I really liked the sound and energy of this album. A lot of the songs had an interesting sound and were catchy, I'll grab the full album and see how I sort the songs between my a-list and b-list, but I definitely think this album fills in a niche that is currently lacking. I liked Fade Away and Connected, but honestly I like them all. Also vibed with the accents in this. 4.5 stars.

It's fun, it's catchy, it's vibes, I like

I know the band name. I don’t know if I know any of these songs. Ok. I know the first song “connected”. This is a really good record. I could listen again.

Cool back then. Kitch now.

Qué se yo, un álbum divertido, pero que no logro entender en qué destaca. Un 2.5

Some cool moments, beats and overall production - it’s a pretty unique and very obviously London sound. I hate the way that they preach at you from time to time, but really like the message of morality they are trying to convey overall.

Dance tracks with some rhymes Hip hop label is a stretch Chilled out all the same

6/10

I really like the singles off this album, but the rest gets a bit samey. Great background music for working though!

This to me is optimal early 90s dance music - decent beats, very catchy, and some painfully-white rap over the top of it. Cheesy as hell, but I kinda love it. I don't think anything quite lives up to the level of the singles though.

I really don't understand the hate! This is awesome!

Classic

Solid beats, always understandable lyrics, good jam

Background og electro

I associate music of this style from this era as with the game Gran Turismo. It's ok for background music when doing other tasks you need to focus on, but it doesn't make for the most interesting listen other than that. I can remember almost nothing of note after listening to the entire hour of this album, aside from the hook from the song Connected.

Eh, this was only fine. I didn't care much for it. Just not my sort of sounds. 2/5

C-

Not great. Not horrible either, but a bit of a chore to get though

Familiar tunes but sounded a little let gimmicky to me. Can’t help but relate to the Carphone Warehouse commercial.

Interesting blend of genres

Enjoyed

90s cheese

great. 3.5

Song 1. 2/5

Zu wenig Abwechslung

Two classic early 90s dance singles (Connected and Step It Up) get a star each, but like most albums in this genre there's just a ton of filler around them

As one half of iconic UK electro hip hop duo Houmous & Chutney I know a thing or two about electro hip hop. 3.2

Was leaning towards a 2, but there were genuinely some good tracks when they went more in the dance direction rather than hip-hop. Definitely wouldn't call this an essential though.

They find a good groove and then they resoluty stay in it for the rest of the album

I enjoyed the beats more than I thought than I was going to when I saw that this was in the trip-hop camp. But I also think that an important element of hip-hop is trying to sell the audience that on some level, even if its ironically, you have some level of cool to you - and these guys are a bunch of fucking dorks.

Not really my jam, but a few of the tracks are OK; British hip hop just doesn't land for me.

Klinkt lekker, maar voegt niet zo veel toe. Ook veel van hetzelfde.

Not sure what to make of this album: Wikipedia gives the genre as Acid Jazz / Alternative Hip Hop / Trip Hop which doesn't help, but it reminded me a bit of Faithless. The title track was a big hit which I vaguely remember but it's a bit repetitive after a while.

I’m over 900 albums in, and this is easily one of the most forgettable albums I’ve encountered on this list, so far.

Mid, don't know why it's hear except historical context

The best of the best!!!

Boringgggg but cool production.

literally who likes this

Dated

To be fair, I didn't have high hopes for a jazz, electronic, and hip hop album. Connected was a breath of fresh air! I sensed a seventies funk influence but Stereo MC's made it sound more modern (even if Connected came out in 1992). And the saxophone popped up every so often to make this album so, so smooth. I've said this on other reviews, but it bears repeating: repetitive sounds and I don't mesh well, so much so that they can ruin an entire album for me. Connected sounded so unique because the Stereo MC's weren't too reliant on electronic sounds or samples. 3.5

Meh. Pretty standard fare as far as electronica hip-hop from the early 90s is concerned -- pretty repetitive beats and all. Didn't really hear anything that caught me or felt revolutionary here. Don't get me wrong, it's passable, but it's another inclusion that I'm not quite sure how it ended up on this list.

De grote hit "connected" kan ik wel. De rest is wat minder bekend, maar klinkt helemaal als de jaren '90 break-beat pop-muziek. ***

The dance scene has been, and probably forever will be, an integral part of the UK’s culture. It even managed to persist through raves being banned in the 90s. And throughout the number of albums I’ve heard from that scene, none of them have really clicked with me. I like some dance and electronic albums. But the picks for the list have been pretty consistently uninteresting. There isn’t a lot out there to find regarding this group, other than their biggest hits. So I can’t say for sure whether or not this had any impact on the scene itself. But it seems to contain their most popular material. And I guess I don’t completely hate this. I wouldn’t call it amazing by any stretch of the imagination. But it definitely has more going for it in comparison to the other dance adjacent slop I’ve heard. The group combined alternative dance with a more traditional UK hip-hop sound. And it feels much less repetitive and stale. Which I think probably has to do with the presence of actually decent vocals for once. Singing never seems like the strong suit of these English gentlemen. But I like the main guys voice on this. But again, this still isn’t the best. There are a select few instrumentals I enjoyed, but not enough to remember after finishing the album. I think the way I score these just comes down to personal tastes for me. I’m not a huge fan of this genre or sound in general, so an artist would have to pull something really impressive to make me come back. Sort of like what Happy Mondays did with Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches. Rating: 5/10

Inoffensive most of the time. Lame raps. Not my thing.

Large sound EDM. That British flare is exciting and fun. The music plays well in the background, and rarely draws attention.

A few tracks in and I was sure I've listened to this before, but I have no idea where or when that would have been. Good vibes and grooves.

This album had potential to be so much better. I wouldn’t say the songs are bad, but each of them lack depth and creativity. Some are catchy at best. The lyricism tries so hard at times it made me roll my eyes. This is just barely a 2 star rating.

Very interesting experience! It has a very nice groove to listen to! Although the percussion and beat make the 53 minutes of this album a bit tiring, it works very well as a sound background for some other activity... I'm giving it 3 stars today!

Got old real quick

It was fine.

Not really my kind of music

This was surprisingly really good

It’s the nonsense like this that makes me question this project

Überrascht, zwar knapp vier Sterne, aber hat Spaß gemacht

Its like KLF and the Streets had a mad bastard baby. I quite liked it initially but got a bit bored towards the end

About as 90s as it gets - the beats, the raps, and especially the backing vocals. Sometimes works (title track) sometimes not (Everything).

Une solide incursion dans le hip-hop/rap des années 1990. Assez pop mais ne m'a pas semblé aussi daté que d'autres albums de l'époque

As músicas mais conhecidas marcaram minha adolescência. Disco ótimo para um som ambiente mais descolado.

Ohhh haven't heard Connected in ages. Totally holds up. Every track is a banger that takes you to the club or just bopping around the kitchen. I miss the 90's.

execute the album cover artist

While the music is alright, I found it to be a bit repetitive.

Never heard of these guys or any of the songs from this record. Came out in 1992 and it sounds like maybe they were at the forefront of this early 90s alternative dance type music. It’s fine. Didn’t move me.

Groovy

3.75

Not my thing. Strong opener (there's probably a reason it was populare and the rest are not) but then it just got repetitive.

One idea per track doesn't make for a very interesting record...

Well this started off especially strong, but became increasingly difficult to get through after the first jam.

Heard it too many times but the songs are class they do take you back

this won a Brit Award and was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize? could've fooled me. I'll reiterate that I am extremely American, so I have absolutely no reference point for why exactly this album and this band had such a huge moment in the UK at the time. it's serviceable dance music with some cool drums, surprise horn lines and decent enough rapping, but nothing here really stuck with me beyond that. it gets pretty repetitive just a few tracks in. yeah, dance music is about repetition, but from song to song, I feel like I'm hearing a lot of the same musical tropes. I like the minor pentatonic scale and the Dorian mode, but for a full-length dance album experience, they start to wear out their use after a while. this definitely doesn't feel like an album I should be sitting in a chair listening to; maybe if I was in a different listening context, like a dance party or something, it would hit differently. but as it stands, I'm not sure I'd call this "Must Hear" material. I guess you had to be there. light 4/10.

Ok.

Not usually my kinda thing but this was great. Loved it.

I remember them from 1992 ... Haven't thought about them since

Connected is a banger, but the rest just kind of blurs together

2 same downfalls of all elecronica albums

Incredibly enjoyable throwback for my Saturday. Nothing life changing. The aspects I enjoyed about this would go on to get refined with trip hop, but this serves as a fun intermediate album between two eras. A solid 3.5/5 for me, but its lightness makes it hard for me to go above that. I’ve got a lot of respect for Stereo MCs and their reinvestment of a surprise massive hit back into the electronic scenes.

That’s a bit of all right.

I didn’t think I knew Stereo MC’s *Connected* album until I pressed play, and it hit me like a wave of nostalgia. Released in 1992 during my senior year of high school, this album instantly brought me back to the dances we had on weekends after football games—the excitement, the energy, and the unmistakable vibe of the early '90s. The title track, “Connected,” with its infectious groove and soulful message, remains an anthem of its time. Its funky beats and catchy chorus were made for packed gym floors and dimly lit parties. Tracks like “Step It Up” and “Ground Level” carry the same electric energy, blending hip-hop, funk, and electronic elements in a way that felt ahead of its time yet unmistakably rooted in the culture of the '90s. What stands out the most is the album’s message. Beneath the slick beats and rhythms, there's a theme of human connection, self-discovery, and empowerment—a perfect soundtrack for young adults navigating life, as many of us were back then. Stereo MC’s *Connected* is more than just an album; it’s a time capsule. Listening to it now reminds me of simpler times when weekends were all about friends, fun, and those unforgettable moments on the dance floor. It’s a classic that still holds up, and I love rediscovering its magic. Highly recommended for anyone looking to reconnect with the spirit of the early '90s.

Not quite as good as hearing it for the first time in the early 90s, but this brought back some memories 👌🏼 Groundbreaking? Probably not. Solid? Definitely.

Decent old-school hip-hop, but nothing special. Some songs overstayed their welcome a bit in my opinion.

Probably sounded better back in the day. Not great but not terrible.

a bit of a nice coincidence i got my Japanese CD of Mind the Gap before getting assigned this to listen to. what you get from this is pretty much what you would expect of a release with these tags and released at this time -- something groovy and clubby, if a bit dated. it does slow down in the middle a bit with "Fade Away" and "Pressure", but the majority of Connected never leaves its (and my) comfort zone of transporting you to the Hacienda in 1992 while fucked up on E and swinging your arms around like a moron. it was supposed to be baggy summer at some point this decade. and then it wasn't. a shame.

So groooovy. Love it!

Boring as all hell. The vocals and lyrics aren’t capturing or energizing at all, and don’t prompt any sort of emotion or enjoyment from me. Maybe this album was a transitory moment in pop culture, but it surely doesn’t age well.

3/5

Reminds a tiny bit of WORLD PARTY, which I surprisingly liked when it first came out, even though I don't care for funk at all. This isn't as good as WP was though, so I'm just giving 2 stars

Hip hop, with some decent melody

Classic Early trip hop....

I wanted to give it a lower rating but those damn funky beats and 90s nostalgia won me over in the end.

nice sound, dreamy, interesting but can be monotone

The title track got me through most of my first year at Uni. The rest of the album though, is largely forgettable if I'm honest. It's a shame really, but there you go. Two stars normally, but an extra one for 'Connected'. I see through you, I see through you...

Rating: 7.5/10

You see, here I am full of contradictions. I really liked this.it was boppy, had great beat and rhythm. The lyrics are tuneful, and not offensive or inflammatory. Basically thers plenty to like and nothing to dislike. The only criticism I could possibly give is that it doesn't have that special something to make it a classic, and therefore a 5. So it'll be getting a very well deserved 4 from me.

I did not expect to see this album on the list! I loved it back in the day but almost forgot it existed. It’s probably in a box in the garage somewhere. Really enjoyed listening to it again. It’s decent enough throughout with no bad tracks. The energy and momentum keeps going. A high 3 stars! I can’t rate it higher as I’d had enough when it was finished, as it is a bit samey. Won’t be hunting it out of the garage any day soon.

I'd forgotten how good this album is. I'd also nearly forgotten seeing them live at Glastonbury 93. Probably too many mushrooms with my breakfast or something? When I played this again it brought some great memories back. All the singles are banging tunes and the whole thing has just a happy vibe going on. Nice to have a small slice of my youth brought back to me. I'll be playing this again very soon. 4 stars

Hoy martes tocan disco y artista desconocidos. Ya con su primer tema (que creo haberlo escuchado) me recuerdan a la movida trip-hop de los 90s pero un poco más arriba, más luminosa. Ideal para ir amenizando la previa de una fiesta. Una grata sorpresa en los últimos meses del 2024. Hasta el jueves.

It felt very samey.

If released today, this would undoubtedly be called "vibesy," and one likes the positivity, generally, but wonder how many minds were elevated in any meaningful or lasting sense. Yes, it's decently cool, and one wants to like it more than one actually does. Seems rather more run-of-the-mill than anything like essential at this point.

I suprise fly enjoyed that. Sounds like Alex from the artic monkeys

This one has dated badly. Too much drugs and lazy beats.

The outro ride out grooves on every song is killer. Makes me excited for the next track every time. Some great gems on this album, including 'Connected', which was made famous by the 90s movie Hackers.

207/1001 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑

Fairly decent beats, they're a one-hit wonder band but pretty much all the songs are on the level of Connected, I think. Totally unessential listening.

Nothing bad for the style, but I can't see how it can be of interest on this list.

Alternative dance from the 90s that absolutely no one would care about today. It was aggressively bad, tho.

I couldn't finish this, I just can't take this seriously. This album really highlights a feature missing from this website. I want to see what versions of the 1001 albums list each album was on. There's just no way this album was on every single list, and the original 2005 list was already pushing it's luck by including this. This album is seriously just a soundtrack. Every song is like... the opening song for a 90s coming of age movie. The kid wakes up and one of the interchangeable songs on this album plays (doesn't matter which one from what I heard) while they walk to school and it fades out when they walk through the doors. For some reason, the album is listed as trip hop, acid jazz, hip hop? Like yeah, I GUESS there's a dude rapping on the album, but honest question... was anyone really listening to this for the rapping? It's kind of like if Cake made way more boring, repetitive backing tracks for their singer. I thought it was more like breakbeat, which I already don't like because it's repetitive as hell and boring, but breakbeat at least has ENERGY. They took breakbeat, slowed it down, and then grabbed the Cake guy to do his laid back rapping. Nuh uh, no way, cannot bring myself to finish. At least it's just kinda boring, not offensively bad, so two stars.

Fun album

Surprisingly enjoyable for the most part

Not good

okay

Just okay

Very 90s

Good reminder on national mental health day to keep that mind connected. Outside of the two singles I remember (which are great nostalgia songs) I didn’t really love this

6/10. Pretty good but got to be a bit mundane.

2.5

I enjoyed it a bit. Nothing else to say.

Didn't really like the repetitive voiceovers going on in the back, was alright thoug

Average album. nothing really stands out. Connected was obviously a massive hit in the day, but outside of that the album is very monotonous

Nice. Not bad.

Their famous track has the same beat as the Sopranos opening song. This is fine. Not amazing.

I didn't realise I had heard so many Stereo MC's tracks. It is a greatest hits!

2-3

I actually enjoyed most of this, and may return in the future. Connected was by far the best song, but this wasn't "single banger + hour of mindless filler" that I've seen a lot of this kind of music suffer from.

Every one of these songs sound like they could he found in the background of a 90s movie about tech or drugs. They're all catchy enough, but they're all the same. A little goes a very long way here.

Pretty good, rap like J5

No

I saw the album cover and took a deep breath, expecting the worst. However, this actually wasn't bad. The early 90s electronic/hip-hop combo works in this instance (for once). Nothing crazy, but nothing offensive. 6/10 (3/5)

Helt chill! Vidrig album art

2.5 rounded up a lot better than i was expecting white british hip hop would be, but still just generally middling. rambles on far too long for my tastes highlights: connected, fade away, playing with fire (feb 18 2026)

Very 90s, very alright.

Surprised that I enjoyed this even a little bit. Upbeat background music. 2.5

Mostly good songs, but I don't know if I'd go back for a second listen.

better than it has any right to be

There was a time when what's labelled under "genre" for this one was extremely my jam - acid jazz, alternative hip hop, trip hop - but Stereo MCs never were. I read some "Massive Attack" in the reviews and CTRL+F'd for more: There are nine of those comparisons - including one that ascribes influence of this album ON them, jfc - and alright, I'll roll with it: what if Massive Attack made music to party and get wasted to - right, a horrible prospect. When "Connected" steps on the brakes, it's okay but then, here's Massive Attack one more time: You can sing "Safe From Harm" ('91) over "Playing With Fire" ('92). Fun fact. So, all in all, another lackluster entry from a list of • Forgettable Albums With a Hit Single You Likely Have Heard. •

Yeah 90s whitexploition music. If shaft was from Manchester his ost would sound like this. Some good tunes but sounds early 90s 6/10

This is perfectly okay, musically. I'm docking a point because it seems to think it's saying something important.

Oli höveli olo. Yksi tähti nostalgialisää.

Loved it back in th 90s. Familiar but distant

Blah. Same beats over and over. Probably one of those seminal records that broke new ground but that ground is dry and monotone.

Meh. This really is not my thing.

10/10. W O W!!!!! I really didn't expect this album to be THIS good!!!!! :) Hip hop music isn't my cup of tea. However, something about this album in particular just hit me in all the right spots, and scratched all of the right itches in my brain. It's nothing short of absolutely enjoyable. The instrumentation is dope, and so were the vocals. The album did not get dull over time. While I didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed Rage Against the Machine's self-titled album, it's pretty freaking close to being as enjoyable as that album. I certainly plan on re-listening to this album in the near future. :)

Not my thing. I don't care for MC type hip hop. There's some ok things in it? At least it's not the same thing over and over again

Here is another example of an album that is good but isn't really my thing. I did like some of the background touches, though, such as the use of brass and flutes.

🫤

Got that chill but upbeat Tony Hawk kinda vibe. Can't help but vibe a bit. Good use of funky horns over hip hop beats

Hahahaha hahahaha hahaha hahahaha Rapper? Hip hop? No. Incorrect. They were kind of a shitter Happy Mondays weren't they? Did reasonably enjoy Ground Level because it wasn't one of the two songs that were played to annihilation everywhere. 42s in town would play one of the two without fail every single Friday night. They probably still do. I've heard worse records, and there's about 4 too many songs, but mainly why the hell am I listening to Stereo MCs in 2024.

Oh, that’s where Connected comes from. Rest is okay.

not very good. very british.

Time machine to older, simpler times, where everything was colourful, people more happy, and the music was terrible. Jokes aside, Connected has some redeeming qualities, few nice beats, but overall it's at best a relic of its times, which at least in music category, are gone.

Some cool tracks on here. Very late 90s sort of dj rap pop

Stereo MC's Connected is undoubtedly a product of its time, capturing the essence of early '90s dance-oriented hip-hop. The album boasts a vibrant, funky sound that's undeniably infectious. Tracks like the title track are undeniable classics, with their catchy melodies and energetic rhythms. However, while the album has its moments of brilliance, it also suffers from some pacing issues. The overall vibe can be a bit repetitive, and some tracks lack the same level of energy and innovation as the standout cuts. Additionally, the lyrical content, while socially conscious for the time, can feel somewhat shallow and generic in retrospect. Overall, Connected is a decent album that offers a glimpse into a specific musical era, but it's not without its flaws. It's a record best enjoyed in moderation.

no thanks!! meget irriterende album imho!

Aldrig hørt dem før, anede faktisk ikke at Stereo MCs var sådan noget britisk semi-rap. Ret cool beats men også lidt flad oplevelse

Kæft det lyder som 90'erne. Step up er en banger, men resten er relativt forglemmeligt. Ikke lige noget jeg vil finde frem igen.

Yeah, this is fine.

I enjoyed this, but I feel guilty about it for some reason. I don’t think there’s a lot of substance here, but every song is such a bop that I can’t not have fun. I’d listen to any of these songs again, but the whole album start to finish again. 3/5

Nothing terrible about this album but bit of a stretch to say I need to listen to it before I die. Which to be fair applies to a lot of this list. 2.5 stars rounded down to 2.

Meh.. I remember hearing the track "connected" before. Not a whole lot to be excited about here.

Super nineties-sounding, bland, crisp electronic drum tracks backing tedious neo-hippie "we're all the same, man" lyrics. Has that strange sound that music from this era has where it was probably recorded and mixed digitally but the effects and technology weren't quite there, so it all sounds a bit rudimentary.

The music has some tasty grooves (especially those bass lines) but the singer is really undistinguished. With a better lead vocalist this could have been a banger of an album.

Hasn't aged well, but enjoyed at the time.

Not a great album. And tainted by association with the beginning of the death of the Ashton Court festival when they played in Hengove Park because of foot and mouth. They were terrible too.

If your have asked me two years ago to rate the Stereo Macs, I probably would've said two stars; 700+ albums into this project I have developed a new appreciation of the subtleties of mediocrity. The rap is All Filler: No Killer on this album, but the tunes are catchy and they have bothered with interesting instrumentation (i.e. some bleeps and a saxophone). It's somewhere between 2 and 4 stars, and I've just had a nice breakfast, so... Next!

Connected and Step It Up are the rememberable ones... the rest, meh!