It's fucking Rush. Favorite tracks: "YYZ", "Limelight", "Witch Hunt"

I think what makes the Dead Kennedys one of my favorite punk bands is multifaceted, but a major point of that is that it's not just angry-three-chords. There's elements of surf rock and even some early horror stuff on this record. East Bay Ray is a fantastic guitarist and second to maybe only Joe Strummer. Jello Biafria's lyrics, sarcastic-yet-serious delivery really seals the deal as well. Favorite tracks: "California Uber Alles", "Kill the Poor", "Holiday In Cambodia", "Let's Lynch the Landlord"

Kind of makes me see why some people call Talking Heads a "punk" band, though this feels like it has more in debt to reggae and world music. Fast, crazy fun, weird music to dance to. Talking Heads are awesome. Favorite tracks: "Crosseyed and Painless", "The Great Curve", "Once in a Lifetime"

One where I think crowd noise really helps. Not that this album isn't fantastic, but the crowd is hyped up to see BB and it really makes the record that much more fun. BB was a phenomenal showman, and this album showcases it very well. Favorite tracks: "How Blue Can You Get?", "You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now"

The adoration for The Police continues to elude me. They're great musicians (and I'm not even counting out Sting himself here), but the record has occasional flits of greatness (seriously, even I enjoy "Message In a Bottle"), but never really nails it: some songs feel half-finished, and it switches between serious and almost-Offspring-level of jokey ("On Any Other Day"). I will say, I never noticed their post-punk tracks before, but those aren't the ones that usually play. Favorite tracks: "Message In a Bottle", "Deathwish", "No Time This Time"

Lush, gorgeous. Like a giant blanket. Seems like a great album to get high to. Reminds me of MBV. Favorite tracks are "Pitch the Baby" and "Frou frou Foxes in Midsumner Fires".

I feel like this is an album I "get" more than I truly enjoy. Made me wanna put on eyeliner and wear all black clothing. A song like "Hong Kong Garden" has NOT aged well, even if it means well. The Beatles cover is so on-brand for what I expected this to be: dramatic, over-the-top, artsy. Favorite tracks: "Jigsaw Feeling", "Carcass", "Suburban Relapse".

I feel like this is an album I "get" more than I truly enjoy. Made me wanna put on eyeliner and wear all black clothing. A song like "Hong Kong Garden" has NOT aged well, even if it means well. The Beatles cover is so on-brand for what I expected this to be: dramatic, over-the-top, artsy. Favorite tracks: "Jigsaw Feeling", "Carcass", "Suburban Relapse".

There's a passion and an energy to this, which I can understand why it was such a craze. A lot of the songs do come across as formulaic, but it's fun, just gets old after a little. It'a definitely the proper length, at 22min. I also didn't realize Jerry Lee Lewis was responsible for more than "Great Balls of Fire". Favorite tracks: "High School Confidential", "Money"

I called this album, "the album that launched every indie band in Washington state," and I think I stand by that. It wasn't bad, just wasn't super memorable to me. Could see why people like it and wouldn't be opposed to listening to another by them. Favorite tracks: "Electronic Renaissance", "She's Losing It"

Another album I "get" more than anything. Does a great job of creating a listless mood. The drumming is impressive. Favorite tracks: "Nosferatau Man" and "Good Morning, Captain".

So 80s it hurts my teeth. Some great tunes on here. More impressive when you find out her played every instrument himself. A few songs last a little longer than they should, and we could've skipped "Dust" all together. Also, "Spanish Dancer" legitimately sounds like a song from the Spyro soundtrack. Favorite tracks: "When You See a Chance", "Spanish Dancer"

Makes me want to dress in all black and go to a rave. Or at least play Vampires: The Masquerade. Lead singer reminds me of Peter Steele from Type O Negative. Favorite tracks: "Dominion/Mother Russia", "This Corrosion"

I'm sorry, I get drum and bass but it's just not for me. I really don't want to rate this one star because it's good, I'm just not the person who would enjoy 2 hours of this. Unless I was on something.

What on God's polluted earth was this? Weird fun to listen to. Somewhere between a plunderphonics, lo-fi chill beats to relax to 24/7, and a compilation album. Last track is the fucking weirdest. Favorite tracks: "Double Dutch", "World's Famous"

Pure Chili Peppers. Nearly every song is a hit. Flea is an absolute mammoth, Fruscinte is amazing, and even Keidis is great minus his weird white-boy rapping. Chad Smith's snare is god tier. Favorite tracks: "Parallel Universe", "I Like Dirt", "Californication"

Younger me loved this record. Still think Johnny's version of "Hurt" beats this one, but Trent Reznor agrees so it's cool. Favorite tracks: "March of the Pigs", "Heresy"

In, punk, out. Love Keith Morris and Off! especially. Favorite tracks: "Group Sex", "Deny Everything", "Paid Vacation"

Sounds like an album that would be playing over the speakers as I shopped for records. Most of the songs blend together and while I appreciate the energy on the tracks, it's just kind of dull overall. Favorite tracks: "Do It Clean" "Happy Death Man"

Kind of the missing link between Cream and Black Sabbath. Raw recording, love the imperfections. Favorite tracks: "Summertime Blues", "Rock Me Baby"

Never been big on the Who, but I did enjoy this one. More of a 3.5ish. Love the idea of a rock opera, it just stretches a bit long. Keith Moon and John Entwistle steal the show on quite a few tracks, but then again, they always did. Favorite tracks: "Eyesight to the Blind", "Go to the Mirror!"

True Rock n' roll. Long live Lemmy. Favorite tracks: "Ace of Spades", "Love Me Like a Reptile", "The Hammer"

It's alright. Kind of zoned me out for a while in the middle. Could imagine hanging in a Seattle coffee shop or record shop while this record played over the speakers. Favorite track: "The Concept", "Is This Music?"

Think it's fair to say classic rock radio has burned a good majority of this record into my brain. It's still tasty, and the production on this remaster I'm listening to is fantastic, especially the bass. Favorite tracks: "Bring It on Home", "Ramble On"

Athens' finest. Been a big fan of REM thru my dad. First time I've sat down and listened to Document though. Lot of great ideas on here that make for a truly monumental alternative rock record. Favorites tracks: "Exhuming McCarthy", "Strange", "Finest Worksong"

Actually really good! I kind of guessed it would be a 90s power pop/alt rock scenario, but I didn't expect that I would like it so much. Fuzzy, and feels like it's wearing a massive grin the entire time. Favorite tracks: "Lose It", "Time", "Sofa of My Lethargy"

Reminds me of a softer Interpol in some spaces. I like when it gets weird with it (some weird sound effects, a really great saxophone solo), but other than that it feels very calm and timid. Favorite tracks: "Earthquake", "Desire Lines", "Coranado"

Between the weirdly chaste songs (maybe excluding "Tutti Fruiti") and Elvis occasionally trying to sing like someone else, it's a weird one. Feels like the label didn't know what to make of rock n roll, or Elvis, yet. Still dorky and kind of fun in spots. Favorite tracks: "Blue Suede Shoes", " Trying to Get to You"

It's fine. Dusty has a nice voice but at certain points this record just turns into so much wallpaper for me. Favorite tracks: "I Don't Want to Hear It Anymore", "No Easy Way Down"

I don't understand the AllMusic review calling this a "dance" album. It just kind of sounds like another britpop record to me. I do like how "I Am the Resurrection" gets pretty interesting near the end, but I didn't really see the hype behind this. Favorite tracks: "(Song for My) Sugar Spun Sister", "I Am the Resurrection"

I've owned this album since I was an early teen and don't remember ever listening to it all the way through. I was obsessed with "Sweet Baby James" and "Fire and Rain" as a young kid, think the latter is one of my earliest memories of songs I've heard on the radio. The record is an impressive blend of country, folk, and blues. Bummer I've waited this long to listen all the way through. Favorite tracks: "Fire and Rain", "Steamroller Blues", "Country Road"

The musicians are phenomenal, but I feel like years of my father watching the Weather Channel have ruined me, preventing me from seeing this as anything but smooth background music. Again, well crafted, I just can't help my brain. Favorite tracks: "Birdland", "Teen Town"

Fuck yes. Stooges, eat your heart out. Awesome proto-punk that I literally never knew about prior. Demented, fun, and way ahead of it's time. Favorite tracks: "I Hate You", "Higgle-Dy Piggle-Dy", "Monk Time"

Interesting, a mix of Massive Attack-like electronic and lounge, jazz vocals. Blends really well and I can't help but wonder if they've ever done a theme to a Bond movie. "Oompah Radar" is a total miss though. Favorite tracks: "Human", "Utopia", "Felt Mountain"

Joplin's distinct voice really makes this record. It's fun, exuberant, and loaded with some phenomenal instrumentals (see opener "Move Over"). Shame we lost her so young, seems like she'd be a lot of fun to see live. Favorite tracks: "Move Over", "Cry Baby"

Only ever listened to "Pay to Cum", so it's fun listening to this because I can hear how it influenced other bands I like (Faith No More and Deftones, for sure). It's extremely unique, with some crazy vocals. I'm not a huge reggae guy, but I love the little splashes thrown on this record. Favorite tracks: "Secret 77", "Re-Ignition"

Theatrical. It's not bad and I like the unique instrumentation that pops up but holy hell is it long. I imagine it's telling a story but I zoned out here and there. At least I have a reason to be so lukewarm on Arcade Fire now. Favorite tracks: "The Suburbs", "Deep Blue"

I think this is the album before they lost the plot. Lot of fun bluesy, funky tracks on this one. Favorite tracks: "Next Girl", "Sinister Kid"

More of a 3.5. The instrumentals are great throughout but occasionally I dislike the vocalists (the "Light My Fire" cover is particularly bad). Love the Tracey Thorne cut, and didn't realize a band I liked had sampled from "Sly" (Does It Offend You, Yeah?'s "Wondering"). Favorite tracks: "Protection", "Weather Storm"

I've heard this album 100s of times. One of my best friends wore out 3 copies on CD when we were younger. Still great. Favorite tracks: "Bad Habit", "Killboy Powerhead", "Self Esteem"

I liked it but probably not enough for regular listens. I really like it when she gets into a story or a long-form song (like "Birdland"). Super unique voice. Somewhere between Siouxsie Sioux and Bob Dylan. Favorite tracks: "Gloria: In Excelsis Deo", "Land"

Oh Miss Loretta, you make me want to sit in a bar, drink whiskey, and cry. Great voice and phenomenal country record. Favorite tracks: "I Really Don't Want to Know", "Saint to a Sinner"

Interesting, super jazzy. Not something I'd listen to a lot but glad to have heard it. Favorite tracks: "The Hissing of Summer Lawns", "Harry's House/Centerpiece"

Excellent blend of metal, rap, and hardcore. Not that foreign today but ground-breaking in its time. It's also aged very well and is still as relevant and heavy today. Favorite tracks: "Bombtrack", "Wake Up"

The guest list. The beats. Kendrick. The message.. Everything about this album is absolutely unreal and it's so hard to pick favorites. Favorite tracks: "For Free?", "Alright", "King Kunta", "The Blacker the Berry", "Wesley's Theory"

I partially love this because I feel like I can hear the bands this inspired, and partially because it's a fun record. Jangly, lackadaisical, makes me want to smoke and lay in the sun. And dance like the singer from Cage the Elephant. Favorite tracks: "Unfair", "Gold Soundz"

Amazing with so much internal drama they were able to write a record with so many fucking incredible songs. "The Chain" is one of the best rock songs ever written. Favorite tracks: "The Chain", "Gold Dust Woman"

Maybe I'm just super uncultured but I'd never heard of Soukus music (I even spelled it wrong just there). It's fine, seems like a lot of fun to dance to, but holy hell an hour of this was a lot. Especially for something so seemingly formulaic. Favorite track: "Papa bonheur"

Leonard's writing is great in places but kind of bad in others (e.g. "Jazz Police" is ridiculous but "Tower of Song" gets humble-braggy really fast). The instrumentals and production sound dated in a way only the late 80s truly can. Not for me. Favorite tracks: "Jazz Police", "Everybody Knows"

"Deranged" in only a way the Pixies have ever really managed. Super ahead of the times. Frank Black really sounds like he's only just holding the shreds of his sanity, and this album is the cathartic breakdown. Favorite tracks: "Tony's Theme", "Oh My Golly!", "Vamos"

There's not a lot of vocal dynamics and a lot of this album is just so much wallpaper. I got halfway through before I found a song I could remember, let alone could say I enjoyed. Really like it when it gets noisy and dissonant. Favorite tracks: "We Carry On", "Magic Doors"

A bridge between the rock n roll of the early Beatles, and the psychedelia they would be dipping their toes into just one album later. Favorite tracks: "All My Life", "I'm Looking Through You", "Drive My Car"

Love the anti-war tracks. Love the sweeping, western orchestral instrumentals. Can dip into early 60s ballad territory a little hard sometimes. Favorite tracks: "Hero of the War", "The Seventh Seal", "Boy Child"

Really hard not to smile while listening to Señor Tito and his orchestra. Perfect for cooking or, really, anything. Favorite tracks: "Complicación", "Llego Mijan"

A very interesting take on a live album in the fact that, while raw, it doesn't really sound like a live album. Still great rock n' roll, with a lot of fantastic distortion. Favorite tracks: "Welfare Mothers", "Hey Hey My My (Into the Black)"

Lovely little blend of a multitude of genres (folk, country, pop, jazz, etc). Feels like it's best enjoyed with tea on a rainy day. Great harmonies, too Favorite tracks: "Constant Craving", "Season of Hollow Soul"

Bounces between Ramones style bouncy punk to leaning slightly more hardcore. I'd say it's a proto-pop-punk record. Lot of fun, and the dual vocalists definitely help break it up here and there. Favorite tracks: "Universal Corner", "Back 2 the Base"

I like this more than "Ingenue". It's more of a cut-and-dry country record, with a chorus of all-stars at the end, and some interesting choices of instruments (don't remember much saxophone on other country records). Still not really for me, but I can kind of see the reverence around it. 3.5 stars. Favorite tracks: "Black Coffee", "Down to My Last Cigarette"

I bet you this would've been super fun to see live. New Orleans truly has a fantastic music scene, and Mr. Prima must've been the absolute king. Love the sense of humor and the lively brass. Favorite tracks: "Buono Sera", "I'll Be Glad When You're Dead", "Jump Jive an' Wail"

Eh. I wasn't really crazy about it. Appreciate the anti-war lyrical content (at least that's what I got from my gleening), but the rest of the music doesn't really do much for me. Favorite tracks: "Bitter Branches", "The Glorious Land"

Iggy Pop and the Stooges are awesome. This album just cements that. Favorite tracks: "Search and Destroy", "I Need Somebody"

The album does a good job of presenting itself as it lives: a drug-fueled haze. Initial impression was "bad U2 rip-off", but after the first song I was more into it. But it's pretty repetitive (by design, I imagine), and I'm just not the right person to completely enjoy this. If I was high and felt like dancing, I'd be all about it.. Favorite track: "Don't Fight It, Feel It"

Can't say I've heard anything quite like it. Violently 60s. Somewhere between hymnal and Renaissance music, with some added eastern flair. Can't say I'll listen again, but it's cool to know this exists. Favorite track: "The Minotaur's Song"

Fun and loose. Showcases the Beastie's hardcore punk roots more than I'm familiar with. End of the album is kind of a drag. Favorite tracks: "Get It Together", "Do It", "Sabotoge"

I'm at odds with Clapton. On one hand, inspired me to pick up guitar. On the other, notorious piece of shit. Sleepy album for him, seems really laid back and relaxed. The Marley cover is passable. Favorite tracks: "Motherless Child", "Steady Rollin' Man"

Fun, jazzy, angular, theatrical. Your favorite band's favorite album. Paved the way for a lot of great music. Favorite tracks: "Friction", "Marquee Moon", "Elevation", "See No Evil"

Common is skilled, but a huge part of this album being as good as it is owes itself to Kanye's gorgeous production. Love the actual Chapelle's Show rip on "The Food". Album slows down from "Testify" to "Love Is...". Favorite tracks: "The Food", "Go!", "

Grungy, scuzzy, blues. Sometimes out of its goddamn mind, but overall a pretty cool look as to what was going on in 91. Favorite tracks: "Shoot the Moon", "Love Gun 91", "Check-out Time"

Weirdly patriotic in spots. Has some classic songs, but I still prefer "Screaming for Vengance" over this, since this is not as heavy. Favorite tracks: "Breaking the Law", "Steeler", "Living After Midnight"

Sounds like a fun concert. James leans a little more towards Sam Cooke than I expected him to. He really knows how to work a crowd. The medleys are great. Favorite tracks: "I'll Go Crazy", "Please Please Please"

Love Aretha. Love the Sam Cooke tributes on here. "Good Times" was a great choice and her version of "A Change is Gonna Come" is fantastic, soulful, and spiritual. Favorite tracks: "Respect", "A Change is Gonna Come", "Drown in My Own Tears"

Never really got into Lou Reed, this doesn't change much. It's got a certain lackadaisical personality to it, and I like the wide array of instruments. But it doesn't really do much for me. Favorite tracks: "Satellite of Love", "Walk on The Wild Side", "I'm So Free"

80s to the core. Still, weirdly doesn't sound super dated like some late 80s stuff does. Pretty fun, the songs can be a bit long though. Favorite tracks: "Hold Back the Rain", "Rio", "Save a Prayer"

The production is impeccable. Wish I knew about this before Christmas, definitely perfect for the holidays. Special shoutout to the Ronettes. Favorite track: "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", "Winter Wonderland"

One of those albums I've been meaning to check out forever, but never did. Always knew Janelle had a big Prince influence, but I think it's unfair to just stop there. OutKast, Disney movies... feel like I can gleen a LOT from this album. Only one song I feel like doesn't fit ("Make the Bus", which is a shame, cos I enjoy Of Montreal), but other than that, the album flows at a relentless and wonderful pace. Amazing piece of art. Favorite tracks: "Wondaland", "Say You'll Go", "Dance or Die"

I've seen Public Enemy and always thought of them as slightly preachy. This album makes me think less "preachy", more "passionate". At certain points, the songs can run kind of long, but the instrumentals are fucking awesome and the energy truly never dies. Favorite tracks: "Fear of a Black Planet", "Burn Hollywood Burn", "911 Is a Joke"

Not really my cup of tea. I like how he breaks down the various theory of what he's playing, but an hour of this is a lot.

Never been crazy about Bowie. Feels sacrilegious. Didn't expect half of this album to be instrumental. Seems a bit out-there at certain parts. "Heroes" is still a wonderfully classic track. Favorite tracks: "Heroes", "Blackout"

CCR is classic and have never put out a bad album. (We don't talk about 'Mardi Gras'.) Favorite tracks: "Travelin' Band", "Heard It Thru the Grapevine", "Before You Accuse Me"

I'm only really familiar with Phil Collins-led Genesis (mom likes "A Trick of the Tail"). It's amazing to see they started as an extremely proggy-Rush-ish band and went into 80s pop later. It's not bad, just a little pretentious and not for me that much. Favorite tracks: "Dancing With the Moonlit Knight", "The Battle of Epping Forest"

Part white lady spiritual, part trip hop. Way too long. I enjoyed it at first but an hour is way too much of this. Favorite tracks: "Candy Perfume Girl", "Skin"

The Oasis comparison hit me from the first chord. It's not bad, I just couldn't really escape that initial impression. Favorite tracks: "Get On It", "One to Another"

Interesting, love the different instruments used. Prefer the second part of the movement when everything comes together and kicks in. Theme is good too.

Very new wave. Chrissie Hynde has a very unique voice. Nothing super crazy for me here. Favorite tracks: "Mystery Achievement", "Brass in Pocket"

Contains two of Elton's best songs. Not sure the "Indian Sunset" message holds up, but everything on here is still super solid. Favorite tracks: "Tiny Dancer", "Levon"

Unique flow, super fun record. Gives you a lean in your step. Figured that the delivery would get old after a little, but it never really did. Favorite tracks: "Stoned Is the Way of the Walk", "How I Could Just Kill a Man"

One of the first rap albums I've ever owned, and an album that showed me that rap wasn't all singles and materialism. The skits are great, the songs are better, and I still maintain "All Falls Down" is one of the best rap songs ever recorded. Production is Kanye classic... I could go on and on. Favorite tracks: "All Falls Down", "Family Business", "We Don't Care", "Never Let Me Down"

Some of the song material is very specific. For example, not sure how I feel about the procreation anthem of "The Future Generation". Still, it's got great energy and Neneh shows she can hold her own lyrically. Does sound pretty dated though (I can pinpoint what year this was made, same with "Pretty Hate Machine"). Favorite tracks: "Buffalo Stance", "Inna City Mama"

Sleepy, probably best enjoyed being played on vinyl, with a joint or tea. Songs can be a little long, but it was never unpleasant. I dislike using the word "hypnotic" but it probably fits in this case. Favorite tracks: "Real Love", "Walk in the Park"

I've listened to a bunch of LCD before but never actually sat down with this album. I think it loses steam somewhere near the end; especially on the last two tracks, which are a combined 25 minutes. It's not bad, just maybe trimming the fat would have made this a great album. Favorite tracks: "how do you sleep?", "other voices", "tonite"

Yep, that's Oasis. Always manages to reflect their obvious Beatles influence with a way more sardonic twist. Never actually listened to this (Just (WTS)MG), but it's probably just as good as that record. Favorite tracks: "Live Forever", "Supersonic", "Married With Children"

Super mood music. Makes me want to order a Manhattan in a dark, fancy bar. Love the Latin influences, gets a little dancing out of me. Favorite tracks: "Simba De Uma Nota So", "Desafinado"

Morrissey is an ass but man is this a great album. I'm jokingly calling it "the godfather of Emo". Love Johnny Marr's guitar playing, never takes center stage but always creating an atmosphere that is distinctly his. Favorite tracks: "I Want the One I Can't Have", "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore"

Kind of makes me see why some people call Talking Heads a "punk" band, though this feels like it has more in debt to reggae and world music. Fast, crazy fun, weird music to dance to. Talking Heads are awesome. Favorite tracks: "Crosseyed and Painless", "The Great Curve", "Once in a Lifetime"

I've seen Flogging Molly a bunch but never listened to the Pogues. Can see the evolution. Good stuff, sounds like it would be fun drunk, disappointed I got this in dry January. Favorite tracks: "Fairytale of New York", "Thousands are Sailing", "Medley: The Recruiting Sergeant"

Got the same thing out of this album that I got out of Primal Scream's record. Whatever these people were on in Madchester, must've been good. It's fine. Just too long and kind of hazy after a while. Favorite tracks: "God's Cop", "Donovan"

A perfectly fine rock record with my only question being, "Why is this here?" It's alright, but I don't see any reason this should be on here. It's Stones-esque, Who-esque at certain points, but it's just pretty boring, if competent. Favorite tracks: "But I'm Different Now", "Set the House Ablaze"

Never been a huge VU fan because my only point of entry was Lou Reed's solo stuff, and my one coworker who only played their live stuff. I like this quite a bit. "The Murder Mystery" is an absolute mess, but I really enjoyed the rest of it. Lackadaisical, subdued, easy listening. Favorite tracks: "Candy Says", "What Goes On", "Beginning to See the Light"

Honestly mostly avoided The Band because they were Dead-adjacent (a bunch of my hippie coworkers like TGD and these guys, so scared me off). There's a lot more pulse here, as opposed to TDG, so I don't feel the comparison is *that* just. Good blend of blues, folk, rock, and maybe a little bit of southern rock and creole. Favorite tracks: "Jemima Surrender", "Up On Cripple Creek", "Rag Mama Rag"

Yep, that's Bob Dylan alright. Normally, I'd say a record like this felt long, but once I got into it, I was really enjoying it and not worrying about the time. Nothing I could imagine trimming, either. Good mix of folk and blues. Favorite tracks: "Visions of Johanna", "Just Like a Woman", "Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands"

This is a Missy Elliot Exclusive. I like how personal this album feels. Missy has always been one of the best flows in the game, but I never knew she had such a good singing voice. Great beats. Favorite tracks: "Work It", "Pussycat", "Nothing Out There for Me"

FINALLY! Holy heck is this a great album, and now I can see what people get out of David Bowie. Always knew it was me. It's like every favorite track I've ever had from Bowie just happens to be on this record. Favorite tracks: "Starman", "Moonage Daydream", "Five Years"

Never listened to Blur saved for a few songs, knew they were more than "Song 2" (which was a parody anyway). This is some damn good britpop. Damon Albarn really knows how to craft a catch tune. Favorite tracks: "For Tomorrow", "Oily Water", "Villa Roise"

Lush, fun, and joyful. Maybe a touch repetitive, but doesn't really detract from the experience all that much. Favorite tracks: "He's the Greatest Dancer", "We Are Family"

A few things keep this from being way more awesome than it is: a) I feel like Metallica kept all of their songs as close to the same as possible, which just makes this Metallica with a symphony layered over it. b) Hetfield's voice is clearly doctored up a little. c) It's pretty chaotic at points, which works for some songs, but not so much for others. Either way, pretty awesome and must have been absolutely nuts live. Gives a new meaning to the "symphonic metal" genre. Favorite tracks: "One", "Devil's Dance"

Long, needs a bit of a fat trim. Seems kind of unfocused. When it hits, I like it, but when it doesn't, grows stale very quickly. Favorite tracks: "Think About Me", "That's All for Everyone", "Tusk", "Angel"

Somewhere between ska, new wave, and the Dead Kennedys. Poly Styrene's vocals take some getting used to, but I eventually got it. The saxophone, however, is a novelty that wears off. Announcing the song title at the beginning of the song does as well. Favorite tracks: "Identity", "Plastic Bag"

I kind of assumed it wouldn't be some boring gift shop music and boy was I right. I like the subversive name and cover, and really enjoy the minimalism. Good background music. Favorite tracks: "Surface Tension", "Milk"

Simultaneously futuristic and tribal. I like the little flairs of disco, Madonna, and Pixies (??) here and there. M.I.A. isn't a super electric performer and I think that the legacy of this album subsists on the music. A lot of it is very cool and I haven't heard anything like it prior. "Paper Planes" is still a good track but I could go a little without hearing it again. Favorite tracks: "Bamboo Banga", "Mango Pickle Down River", "Come Around"

Kind of a neat record with a wide variety of instruments. "Dreaming of You" is one of those songs you've heard a hundred times without knowing the origin. Lots of pulse to this one. Favorite tracks: "Waiting for the Heartaches", "Bad Man"

Has some shoegaze notes but feel like this is more a product of something related to Madchester. A little bit long and pretty hazy. Never really been a big fan of The Verve, this isn't really changing anything. Favorite tracks: "A Northern Soul", "Life's an Ocean"

It's fucking Rush. Favorite tracks: "YYZ", "Limelight", "Witch Hunt"

Ella had a wonderful voice. The arrangements are sparse, probably to show her off. Nice snow day music. Favorite tracks: "Maybe", "Soon", "But Not for Me"

I can't say I'm too huge a fan of the production on this, but the songs are great. I know Sly/The Family for more the upbeat songs, but this definitely has a darker edge. Favorite tracks: "Africa Talks to You", "Family Affair", "Smilin'"

Just... super boring. I've only ever heard Bad Company on the radio and nothing ever made me want to listen to a full album. I can only imagine the people who are super, super into this. Possible progenitor of butt rock. Favorite track: "Don't Let Me Down"

Somewhere between the Beatles and new wave lies this. Also get a lot of Talking Heads out of it, which makes sense since Eno and David Byrne have been working together forever now. Loses steam a little near the end. Favorite tracks: "Blackwater", "King's Lead Hat", "By This River"

Speakerboxxx is packed with great guests, awesome beats that still sound fresh, and Big Boi throwing his all into it. It's a 5/5. The Love Below is interesting and the one word I keep coming back to is "indulgent". It's a low 3. Pretty long project overall, but pretty worth it. Favorite tracks (Speakerboxxx): "The Rooster", "GhettoMusick", "The Way You Move", "Church" // Favorite tracks (The Love Below): "Roses", "My Favorite Things", "A Life in the Day of Benjamin Andre"

Pretty nuts that this was released in 89, feel like this record inspired a lot of bands. I remember reading Slash's autobiography and he said this album was the shit when it came out. A cavalcade of genres blended expertly, with one of the wildest vocalists. Only complaint is the keyboards sound dated as hell. Favorite tracks: "Surprise! You're Dead!", "Zombie Eaters"

I knew this would come up eventually. I feel like I've been held hostage by recordings of live shows for the Grateful Dead so much, I have a soft spot in my heart for them. At the same time, I could go the rest of my life not hearing another. Gorgeous harmonies, and I can enjoy this when I know the songs aren't 20 minutes long for no reason. Favorite tracks: "Ripple", "Box of Rain", "Truckin'"

Johnny's got great banter in between songs, something missing from Folsom, if I remember right. He seems really at ease and funny. Songs are great too, but it's Cash; we knew that already. Favorite tracks: "Starkville County Jail", "Boy Named Sue", "Peace in the Valley"

An old friend of mine and his father were into XTC, but I never listened to them. Let me say: what a fucking album. It flows together incredibly, the sound is somewhere between Genesis, The Beatles, and Duran Duran, and this thing has hooks for days. Blown away, really. Favorite tracks: "That's Really Super, Supergirl", "Ballet for a Rainy Day", "Earn Enough for Us"

An oddball record to be sure. Theatrical, excessively so. Bet it would be fun seeing with a full orchestra. Sometimes the lyrics are eh, and I feel like that's the foundation of the song. Can't say I didn't enjoy it though. Favorite tracks: "Through a Long and Sleepless Night", "The Frog Princess", "Becoming More Like Alfie"

Short, pretty uniform throughout. Good example of the "outlaw country" that Waylon helped popularize. It's fine, I just don't have any strong feelings about it. Favorite tracks: "Omaha", "Ain't No God in Mexico"

Amazing what adding a member can do. Way more rock than previous efforts, but still pretty ballad heavy. Gorgeous harmonies, as always. Last track ("The Last Resort") could have been left off the record; it's a little preachy. Favorite tracks: "Hotel California", "Wasted Time", "Try and Love Again"

I'm from Jersey, so I'm legally obligated to give this a 5. (Kidding.) Aside from the somewhat cheesy, dated production, this is a great batch of songs. Tracks like "No Surrender" and "Dancing In the Dark" are classics, and even got me singing along. Favorite tracks: "No Surrender", "Bobby Jean", "Glory Days"

Sparse, very 2000s. I like Thom Yorke's appearance. I also like this record a ton more than "Let England Shake". A little bit more rock foward, with some slow spots here and there. Favorite tracks: "Big Exit", "One Line", "The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore"

Little groovy, mixed in with some hardcore, metal, and radio-friendly rock elements. A little cringey at times, especially lyrically. I think if I had listened to this when it had originally come out (I was 16), I would've been really about this. I'm more of a fan of Volume 3, though. Favorite tracks: "Psychosocial", "All Hope is Gone", "Dead Memories"

Hit after hit after hit. Practically a greatest hits record. Soul, funk, rock, it's got it all. Just a tad bit long. Favorite tracks: "I Wish", "As", "Black Man", "Isn't She Lovely"

Fred Armisen has a great bit on when your mind starts to drift while listening to jazz. While I enjoyed this, it was mostly background music while I was working and working on my Vietnamese. Favorite track: "My Man's Gone Now"

Frantic and fun. Not sure how I'd be able to dance to some of these songs without absolutely destroying my hips. Trumpet is definitely the star here. Favorite tracks: "Wild Jungle", "Kenya", "Cannonology"

Fun, sticky melodies. Songs can be a little long and a little repetitive. But the instrumentals are lush and fun. 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Good Times", "What About Me", "Will You Cry When You Hear This Song"

Was surprised how rock-focused this is. Some songs are still reminiscent of the Smiths, but others go for some straight-forward rock. It's nice. Lyrics are still on-point. Favorite tracks: "The National Front Disco", "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful"

A classic. Sparse, full of Dylan's wit, and contains what I consider some of his best songs. Favorite tracks: "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright", "Masters of War", "Girl From the North Country"

It's not bad, but I feel like quite a few of the songs are parodies or just ripping off other genres. This can be successful (they're great anytime they try grunge) or less than successful ("Country Ballad Sad Man"). It's not bad, I just preferred MLIR. Favorite tracks: "M.O.R.", "Chinese Bombs", "Strange News from Another Star"

An album that I'm kind of surprised to see here (The Cardigans are considered a one-hit wonder, after all). Went into it thinking my mind wouldn't be changed, but this is a great pop/rock record with some fun disco and grunge influences. The "Iron Man" cover is super fun, too. Favorite tracks: "Been It", "Lovefool", "Happy Meal II"

Full-on space wizard stuff. Schizophrenic at times. A fun listen, but it does drag on a bit near the end. The medleys are super nice, and I appreciate that it gets noisy occasionally. Favorite tracks: "Zen Archer", "You Need Your Head", "Medley: I'm So Proud"

Feels heavily indebted to Bowie and Duran Duran. The songs are fine, but blend together after a while. Bass player puts in work, though. Favorite tracks: "Show Me", "Many Happy Returns"

I feel bad not giving this a 5 or anything, but it's a good, solid, blues rock record. A little slower in spots, and a few songs feel kind of formulaic for the Stones. Also, the less said about the lyrics to "Brown Sugar", the better. Still a killer song. Favorite tracks: "Brown Sugar", "Bitch", "Can't You Hear Me Knocking"

It's fine. Maybe a little one note, or maybe Van Morrison's voice is so distinct that it feels one note due to that. "Moondance" is still a killer song. Shame VM is a shithead in real life. Favorite tracks: "Moondance", "And It Stoned Me"

Say what you will about Morrison being a bit pretentious, he and the other fine gentlemen of The Doors knew how to write a song. Fantastic blues rock with a very energetic performance. Two songs ("Indian Summer", "Queen of the Highway") feel superfluous. Favorite tracks: "Roadhouse Blues", "Peace Frog", "The Spy", "Maggie M'Gill"

I mostly avoided this album because I've never been a huge fan of "You Can Call Me Al". It's a fine record with some of the problems I have with that song being carried over here (some instruments sound dated as heck). Not really my favorite, but I can see people enjoying it. Favorite tracks: "Homeless", "Gumboots", "I Know What I Want"

Somewhere between Warped Tour and Nirvana. Took me a few listens to get through, can be a little whiny. Still, I enjoy the vibe of ordering a fancy coffee in a hipster cofffeeshop in Seattle while this blares over the speakers. Favorite tracks: "I'd Give You Anything", "Innocent Smile"

A little less world music than Graceland, but I enjoy it slightly more. Still not a huge fan, but some great guitar work on here. Favorite tracks: "Think Too Much (a)", "Train In the Distance"

Good solid modern soul. Think the shiny production gets in my way of enjoying it more. Favorite tracks: "Secrets", "If You Think You're Lonely Now"

Good, solid, bluesy garage rock. No real frills about it. I don't think there's a bad song on here, but they do all kind of blend together after a while. I did listen thru it at least twice. Favorite tracks: "I'm Finding It Harder to Be a Gentleman", "Fell In Love With a Girl", "We're Going to be Friends"

Bloated and shiny. There are some interesting musical ideas here from the band, I just can't get past Bono and his weird lyricism on this. Never was a big U2 fan, so sue me. Favorite tracks: "Beautiful Day", "Walk On"

Heavily, heavily indebted to The Beatles and what sounds like late 60s early 70s pop music (lush strings, etc). Opening track has a hint of prog-rock, but it's not really shown the rest of the album. Not the Bee Gees I'm familiar with, and I prefer the Bee Gees I'm familiar with. Favorite tracks: "Marley Purt Drive", "Lamplight"

Lovely Americana. Great harmonies, love the mandolin. Knew them from "Satan is Real", glad it's a bit less religious. Interesting rendition of "In the Pines" Favorite tracks: "Kentucky", "Knoxville Girl"

It's not bad it's just very... safe. Dull, edgeless, kind of boring. I can't say I dislike it (cos the harmonies are gorgeous), but I can't say I remember a whole lot from it either. Favorite tracks: "Help", "(They Long to Be) Close to You", "Another Song"

Pretty long (it is a double album). Love the choral elements, Nick's voice works wonderfully with the sound of a full choir. Can be a little repetitive, but gives me the feeling of gospel music at times. 3.5 stars. Favorite tracks: "Hiding All Away", "Supernaturally", "Carry Me", "O Children"

All killer, mostly no filler. Four men, one drum beat, three chords. I could go on but I really do enjoy this record. Ramones are the influence for a large part of my adolescent favorites. So I definitely owe Joey and the group. Favorite tracks: "Let's Dance", "Beat on the Brat", "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend"

I've only ever listened to Fragile but damn did I love this one. The first track may have been 19min, but it did not feel like it at all. Great prog with a lot of fun influences. Favorite track: "Close to the Edge"

An extremely in-depth, personal record on Marshall's thoughts about his sudden fame, the pop landscape; all told through the scope of his classic horrorcore rap style. Nuts, and at certain points still fucking terrifying. Still making waves today, too. Favorite tracks: "Kill You", "Remember Me?" "Stan"

After two listens, it finally clicked that this band has a very R.E.M. feel to them. I really enjoyed it, even if at times the instruments sound like they're from the Spyro video game series. Great album from front to back. Favorite tracks: "Tall Trees", "Weather With You", "It's Only Natural"

Nice, dancey. Very on-par with Depeche Mode without being as dark. Love the Dusty Springfield duet. Favorite tracks: "I Want to Wake Up", "What Have I Done to Deserve This?", "It's a Sin"

I kind of like this one a *little* more than the previous one I listened to, but it's still a hazy ... something. The drugs in Manchester must have been great. Favorite tracks: "Mad Cyril", "Fat Lady Wrestlers", "Brain Dead"

Singer songwriter mixed with a little 90s grunge. I own "One Plus One is One" but never looked past that. This is great (closer to a 3.5) but there's some fat that could've been trimmed. Favorite tracks: "Fall in a River", "Another Pearl", "Disillusion"

Pretty stock standard country/western. One or two songs are indistinguishable from a few others, and there's one track that really feels like a Sam Cooke track. Not bad, just a few tracks I really remember. Favorite tracks: "If You Fall Out of Love With Me", "Act Naturally"

The story is kind of interesting, but the beats are very quiet and the rapping is very stilted. I could tell it was self-produced before looking it up. Overall very eh. Favorite track: "Fit But You Know It"

Q-Tip is still one of the best MCs to ever grace the mic. It's a solid record with some good beats and bars. Call it a 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Gettin Up", "WeFight/WeLove", "Shaka"

Fuzzy, loosey goosey blues and psych. A pleasant surprise, but I feel like it loses the plot near the end. I like how, at one point, they drop all pretense and just whisper the letters "LSD". Favorite tracks: "Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine", "Love"

Long and a little bloated. When this album hits, it really hits though. Favorite tracks: "Bombs Over Baghdad", "We Luv Deez Hoez", "Snappin' and Trappin'"

A few of my favorite Beck songs are on here. While I appreciate him bringing a huge variety of influences to the record (hip hop, noise, folk), it does take a minute to actually get to a point where I like it. Favorite tracks: "Sissyneck", "Derelict", "The New Pollution"

Nice for a little, just (as my main complaint with most of the albums on here), it's pretty dang long. Nice ambient music. Cool concept, as well. Favorite tracks: "Queremos Paz", "Vuelvo Al Sur"

A little rave in my pocket. Engaging enough to be entertaining, passive enough to make work go a little smoother today. The year this was released makes me feel like this was a massive influence in the early 00s, I can point out a lot of movies that kept the same gritty hard bass sound. Favorite tracks: "Elektrobank", "It Doesn't Matter"

I'll admit, I really got into this. It's good background music, but I occasionally tuned in and enjoyed what I was listening to. Can't name many specific tracks, but loved the vibe and will probably be back. Very spacey. Favorite track: "Home of the Brave"

Fun, party music. Whoever the drummer is on this, he is putting in WORK. Weirdly I feel like Maiden fans might enjoy "Pitche Me". Favorite track: "Pitche Me"

I feel like I can understand people who don't like metal, but I really enjoy it. Metallica, especially, has a lot of symphonic and classical influences apparent in their music. Just look at a song like "Battery", or pretty much anything on this record. I'm not Metallica's biggest fan, but damn does this record rip. Favorite tracks: "Battery", "The Thing That Should Not Be", "Sanitarium"

A very bluesy Dylan. Reminds me a lot of Clapton's solo material. I like the full band feel, but I feel like there's been too much reverb on Dylan's voice. A pleasant listen, but I did drift in and out a little. Favorite tracks: "Dirt Road Blues", "Million Miles"

Dancey. I kind of preferred them when they had a more post-punk influence. Still, this is inoffensive and catchy. Favorite track: "The Perfect Kiss"

First band I'm giving back-to-back 5 star ratings for (nearly 200 days in!). Crazy fun, super catchy, fuzzy power pop. Really enjoyed this and "I Should Coco". Favorite tracks: "G Song", "Richard III", "Hollow Little Reign"

Been a fan of SOAD for a while so I'm biased. Feel like this album gets lumped into nu metal a lot, but I feel like it contains a lot more thrash and hardcore influence. Unhinged. Really great, high energy stuff. Favorite tracks: "Know", "Soil", "War?"

I enjoyed this a little more than the previous Jam album, but still very "eh" overall. I enjoyed the more lively performance on this record. Favorite tracks: "David Watt", "Billy Hunt", "In the Crowd"

Pleasant, lounge, lightly funky vibes. Good sitting-in-the-sun music. I liked the instrumentals. Favorite tracks: "Rainy Day", "XL 30", "Island Letter"

Pleasant even if it is an album about grief. As you'd expect from Mr. Young, a good blend of folk, blues, and outright rock n' roll. Can't say I'm a huge Neil Young fan, but I do enjoy his work quite a bit. Favorite tracks: "World on a String", "Come On Baby Let's Go Downtown", "Albuquerque"

I've been waiting to get this album since I saw it was in the bottom ten of the entire book for a while. Not trying to be contrarian, but I really enjoyed this. This album is some dirty blues. I can see how it would be abrassive to some, especially on the first few tracks, but once you get into the madness, it's easy to get lost in. Favorite tracks: "Chicken Dog", "Hot Shit", "R.L. Got Soul"

Honestly didn't know what to expect but walked away really enjoying this. Very Bowie, very early-era R.E.M., pretty gorgeous in places. Dramatic, but has the chops to back it up. Favorite tracks: "Heroine", "This Hollywood Life", "The Asphalt World"

Little out there. Primal, tribal, very sparse. Creepy at times. The phrase "witch house" keeps popping in my head no matter how many times I try to stop it. Favorite tracks: "Seven", "Concrete Walls"

Think I enjoyed the other Pogues record a little more. Once this one settles into a groove, it doesn't change it up too much. I still enjoyed it. Favorite tracks: "Wild Cats of Kilkenny", "The Gentleman Soldier", "The Band Played Waltzing Matilda"

It feels sacrilegious to give this album a 4, when so many songs are not only imprinted in the human mind but even human DNA. However, Christ, can I not stand "The Girl is Mine". I haven't heard it in a while, so I almost came around to it before that talking part in the middle. Christ. Still a damn near flawless record from one of pop culture's most troublesome idols. Favorite tracks: "P.Y.T.", "Baby Be Mine", "Beat It", "Billie Jean"

A very tight set of songs. Reminds me of Weather Report, but slightly more accessible. My former boss is a huge fan, and while it's not totally for me, I see the appeal. Favorite tracks: "Deacon Blues", "Peg"

Can never say no to a CCR record. The fact that they were able to record so many classics in such a short amount of time is staggering, especially when you consider Fogerty was doing all of the writing. Favorite tracks: "Lodi", "Commotion"

Love the different choices of instrumentation, love the horns (and the fact that it doesn't sound like ska). Think it really sets it apart from the crowd. Youthful, snotty, fun, punk. Favorite tracks: "No, Your Product", "(I'm) Misunderstood"

The Beach Boys have always had gorgeous, sweeping harmonies, and I feel like they truly shine here. Weirdly, I really enjoy the studio noise at the very end of the record. A lot of beautiful sounds on this record. Favorite tracks: "Help Me Rhonda", "In The Back of My Mind"

Seems like there's a decent amount of jazz influence in this rock n' roll. Fats is a classic. If this site had half stars, it'd be closer to 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Blue Monday", "Reelin' and Rockin'"

Very Bob Dylan (obviously). I enjoyed this about as much as I enjoyed "Blond on Blond". Dylan's storytelling is always engaging, and this record felt a little more cohesive and overall enjoyable to listen to. Favorite tracks: "Like a Rolling Stone", "Highway 61 Revisited", "Tombstone Blues"

I've mostly listened to the singles from this record before, glad I sat down and listened to it. Love the emo influences on here (wonder if there are any Jawbreaker records on this list?). Makes sense he would take some members of Sunny Day Real Estate for the next record. I enjoy the grittiness of this, especially seeing how polished the future records would become. Foos also put on a hell of a show. Favorite Tracks: "Good Grief", "Big Me", "For All the Cows"

The first words to pop into my head were "voodoo blues". A bunch of my favorite artists love Waits, so naturally I enjoyed this. Waits sounds like a man possessed or heavily intoxicated. Very apocalyptic. Favorite tracks: "Jesus Gonna Be Here", "Goin' Out West", "Murder In the Red Barn"

Very all-over-the-place. Not really a showing of what they would become. I've listened to it prior, and didn't remember much, and for probably good reason. Very acid-folk, loose, weird. Favorite track: "Take Up They Stethoscope and Walk"

A classic. The beats are still just as fresh as they were on release. Always makes me laugh how a bunch of kung-fu nerds redefined an entire genre. ODB forever. Favorite tracks: "Method Man", "C.R.E.A.M.", "Protect Ya Neck", "Can't It All Be So Simple"

I've probably described albums as "theatrical" but this album feels like a better example than most. The storytelling with lush orchestral arrangements really does make this feel ready for the stage. I enjoyed it, but don't know if I'll listen again. Favorite tracks: "The Art Teacher", "Crumb by Crumb"

"Bittersweet Symphony" has always been... not my favorite song, but I tried to shed that bias and listen with fresh ears. Still not doing much for me. It's a really long record, doesn't really do anything for me. And I like shoegaze, which this album has in spades. Nah. Favorite track: "Catching the Butterfly"

Jangly. It's fun reading the Wikipedia page and learning the band disowned it because it didn't fit their "vision". Curious what that was. Kind of a pretty standard pop-rock record. Favorite tracks: "Timeless Melody", "Way Out"

Soulful and sensual. Pleasant, but not really my everyday jam. Love the lush instruments, and Green's voice is wonderful. Favorite tracks: "It Ain't No Fun to Me", "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart"

Not bad. I'm sure the Simpsons has been referenced in this section before so I'll skip it. The title track is impressive, but certain parts can be cut probably. It's kind of a stock-standard, freak-out, psychedelic record. Favorite tracks: "My Mirage", "Are You Happy"

I feel like calling this "unique" is dismissing it a little, but that's the word that comes to mind. Bjork has a very powerful, versatile voice, and the production in spots is still fresh. Very trip-hop. Kind of loses mean in the later half of the album. Favorite tracks: "Crying", "There's More to Life Than This"

Mellow. Reminds me of Spirtualized, which I'm pretty sure is connected to this band. I enjoyed the Spiritualized album a bit more, this one was a little too much wallpaper. Favorite tracks: "Revolution", "Suicide"

I remember a buddy of mine telling me this record was made after the Stooges had "1969" and "I Wanna Be Your Dog" and at certain points, it makes sense. I enjoyed "We Will Fall", but don't know if I need to hear it again. Raggedy, loose fun. Prefer "Raw Power" to this, however. Favorite tracks: "1969" "No Fun"

80s excess drenched in some classic, southern fried blues. The riffs are great, might be a little fat to trim. Some, dare I say, interesting song topic choices (I'm looking at you "TV Dinners"). "Sharp Dressed Man" plays in everyone's head when they put on a suit. Favorite tracks: "Dirty Dog", "Gimme All Your Lovin'"

Kind of makes me think if the Grateful Dead were really into choral and hymnal music. Peaceful. Great harmonies. Not really my style. Favorite tracks: "Ragged Wood", "Your Protector"

Good background music for work. Never been a huge rave guy, so this was just ... fine, I guess. Love the energy, but it all kind of bled together after a while. Favorite tracks: "Breathe", "Climbatize"

Psychedelic, poppy, very whimsical. Not really a strong opinion on this one other than "it was fine". The skits in between were a little weird, but I didn't hate them. Favorite tracks: "HappyDaysToyTown", "Rollin' Over"

I've owned this album forever and only listened to bits and pieces of it. I came in with a mild bias, thanks to the jerks at Clear Channel, who only played singles from this record. It was nice to hear the likes of "Stellar", "Drive", and "Pardon Me" on my terms, but I can't say I really missed them. Weird sentence, but I can definitely get a heavier Chili Peppers vibe from this record. Lots of funk influences, mixed with some metal, and some "rapping", though I'll say Brandon Boyd has a better singing voice than Anthony Keidis (maybe). Favorite tracks: "Privilege", "Nowhere Fast", "Battlestar Scratchlactica"

Didn't do a lot for me, unfortunately. It's a fine album, I just found myself relatively uninterested. Jarvis Cocker's delivery ranges from fine, to weirdly seductive to me. Songs are fine. Guess I'm more of a Blur fan. Favorite track: "Disco 2000"

Groovy, despite being over 30 years old the beats are still choice. If I have one complaint, this album is very, very Q-Tip heavy (think Phife only got like 2 verses?). It inspired a lot of my favorite rappers, it's nice to hear this album still held up. Favorite tracks: "Can I Kick It?", "Luck of Lucien"

Gorgeously textured, so much so that I can almost taste them. A warm, enveloping blanket. Wonderful music to smoke to, if it isn't obvious. Favorite tracks: "Only Shallow", "When You Sleep", "Soon"

Loose, like the Stones but more punk. Love the vocal performances throughout the record, love the extension of the syllables. More of a Stooges fan when it comes to proto-punk, but this is still tasty. Favorite tracks: "Personality Crisis", "Pills", "Vietnamese Baby"

Subdued. Reminds me of background music that would play in a more upscale restaurant. Good, but nothing that cuts through. Favorite track: "Minor Chant"

Theatrical in a way that only Bowie could really do. Favorite tracks: "Life on Mars?", "Queen Bitch"

Local man possessed by the spirit of creole jazz, more at 11. The more I reflect on this record, the more I really like it. Tom Waits is an insane man, and it translates heavily into his music. Love the marimba and the unusual... everything about this album. Favorite tracks: "Jockey Full of Bourbon", "Big Black Mariah", "Union Square"

Dizzee's energy and skills are to be commended heavily here. My only complaints are that a) some of the beats haven't aged super well and b) this project is at least 15 minutes too long. Solid 3.5 star. Favorite tracks: "Fix Up, Look Sharp", "Hold Ya Mouf", "I Luv U"

I feel the only weak spot here is their version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine". Rest of the album is some classic soul and funk, along with some excellent story telling. Favorite tracks: "Runaway Child, Running Wild", "Don't Let Him Take Your Loving From Me"

Relaxing, very aptly named. Heavy bossa nova vibes. Ms. Gilberto's voice is very relaxed and relaxing, and I think I could throw this on while cooking or hanging out somewhere. It's very pleasant. Favorite tracks: "The Face I Love", "Misty Roses", "I Think of You"

I hear things that I feel would later go on to influence other bands and artists I like (Trent Reznor in his later years, Burial), so I'm digging this album. Breakbeat background sounds, fades a little too far into the background at points, but wonderful if you're paying attention. Don't think I've liked an electronic track on first listen as much as I vibed with "Turquoise Hexagon Sun". Favorite tracks: "Turquoise Hexagon Sun", "Telephasic Workshop"

I'm at odds here. This is one of the first albums I remember owning, and Franz Ferdinand is one of the first bands I remember really liking. That being said, I'm trying to figure out whether I didn't like this album as much is due to changing musical tastes, or just the fact that I burned out a lot of these songs a long time ago. Still have an appreciation for a few, maybe I like their newer albums more? Weird. Favorite tracks: "Jacqueline", "The Dark of the Matinee", "Michael"

Bluesy. Had me in the first half, but aside from "La Grange", it just kind of tappers off for me. Solid licks as always. Favorite tracks: "Waitin' For the Bus", "Jesus Just Left Chicago"

I like the Celtic influences, but man does this entire thing feel very bland and one-note. Zoned out kind of hard, despite trying to keep with it. Favorite tracks: "Come All Ye", "Matty Groves"

Holy Christ is this project loooooooong. Nearly 80 minutes. It's good background music, but when I focus on it, I get bored super quickly. I ended up scanning through the last three songs. I like the industrial vibe it gives, but I just didn't like this record that much. Favorite tracks: "Poison", "3 Kilos"

I remember getting "Three" a while back and being kind of "meh" about it. I enjoyed this record quite a bit more. Reminds me of being in a smoky, sophisticated cocktail bar while a singer in a gorgeous dress preforms. Favorite tracks: "Strangers", "Wandering Star"

Subdued bossa nova. Pleasant enough while it's on, just very... wallpaper, and all the songs are very, very similar. Favorite track: "Smooth Operator"

Love the mood and the energy. Feel it's a bit long, and it took a few tracks before I found anything I really enjoyed. Goes hard though. Favorite tracks: "Can It All Be So Simple", "Spot Rusherz"

I went into this kind of dreading it. I hate "Red Red Wine", so I was expecting more of the same. While I did get a bunch of it, I did also get some interesting dub parts. Inoffensive enough background music, not for me. Favorite track: "Burden of Shame"

A weirdly, subtly sinister Beach Boys record. The songs are, I hesitate to use the word but, solid, just weird in certain spots ("Student Demonstration Day" sticks out the most, super cheery but very, very dark). Not a record I plan on really revisiting. Favorite track: "Disney Girls"

Practically a greatest hits record, one of the strongest debuts of any band. Every song is an instant classic, and I don't think there's a wasted second on the record. Brad Delp's voice is wonderfully joyous throughout the entire record, backed by some excellent roaring guitars. Favorite tracks: "Foreplay/Long Time", "Rock and Roll Band", "Peace of Mind"

God, I am so not sure why this album didn't click with me *at all*. I like the jazzy flourishes, I really like Costello's lyrics, I just didn't really enjoy this album all that well. It was so weirdly flavorless. Feel bad giving it this rating, but there's no song on here I really, thoroughly enjoyed. Favorite Track: "Man Out of Time"

223 albums later, here we are. "Heaven or Las Vegas" was the first record I got on this site, and I feel like that is a better, more evolved record. I like the ethereality (is that a word?) and choral elements of this record, I just don't think the group hit their stride until later. Still a nice, relaxing offering. Favorite tracks: "Lorelei", "Ivo", "Aloycius"

Kind of bland, very indebted to The Velvet Underground. It's not bad, I'm just not really sure why it's here. Nothing really stuck out to me too boldly. Favorite track: "Modern World"

A fun, high-energy record. Feel like if the Clash brought in a horn section. Theatrical, though not in a crazy, unbearable way. Favorite tracks: "Seven Days Too Long", "Tell Me When My Light Turns Green"

Flashy, big hooks, fun. Think the keyboards sound dated but even I, a somewhat jaded music nerd who never really cared for Bon Jovi, have to admit a large majority of songs on this record absolutely still kick ass. "Social Disease", which sounds like Huey Lewis trying to go glam, is the only real miss here. Favorite tracks: "I'd Die for You", "You Give Love a Bad Name", "Livin' on a Prayer"

I have a lot of thoughts on this record. The first time I found out it was from the early 80s, I was shocked. This feels like a crazy, weird, experimental record that felt like prime mid-90s territory, among the likes of Beck, Cake, etc. This record feels so ahead of its time it's insane to me. Wikipedia describes this as a "folk punk" record and, while I can kind of see that, the folk punk I'm more familiar with is like... early Against Me!, as well as a bunch of smaller, local bands from my basement show days. Plus, this record has a lot of influences from blues and maybe even bluegrass. Total blast, super fun. Favorite tracks: "Add It Up", "Gone Daddy Gone"

Normally I dislike late 80s synth sounds, but I feel like they fit weirdly well on this record. A lot, lot of bangers on this record. I just feel like two songs ("Monkey", "Look At Your Hands") pale a little bit when compared to the rest of the record, despite the fact that they've got pretty strong hooks. Favorite tracks: "Father Figure", "Faith", "Kissing a Fool", "One More Try"

A neat blend of psychedelic blues rock and latin jazz. The Tito Puente cover was nice, and I never realized "Black Magic Woman" wasn't originally a Santana song (it was originally a Fleetwood Mac song). Makes me envision The Allman Brothers getting lost in the desert and doing some peyote. Favorite tracks: "Incident at Neshabur", "Mother's Daughter"

Sabbath rules. I still feel like "Changes" is a weird song in the midst of all of the other heavy, psychedelic offerings here. Still, Sabbath during their prime and just about as heavy as it gets. A lot of the music I listen to today is deeply indebted to Sabbath, and thus so I am. Favorite tracks: "Supernaut", "Cornucopia", "Under the Sun/Every Day Comes and Goes"

Only thing to really say is, "Sabbath fucking rules." A record that, even over 50 years ago, everyone is trying to clone and improve upon. Delightfully occult, heavy, and just makes you want to headbang. Contains my favorite Sabbath song: "N.I.B.", once described as "the raucous defiling of Cream", a better description I cannot supply. Favorite tracks: "Black Sabbath", "Wasp/Behind the Wall of Sleep/Bassically/N.I.B."

I feel like classic rock radio has ruined AC/DC for me. I'm very aware of all of the songs that get played on the radio, and while they're "fine" and I have no problem with them, they never really made me want to seek out their albums. It's fine, good, sexually-charged rockin'. Favorite tracks: "Girl's Got Rhythm", "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)"

I got "Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain" earlier in this list, and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed this one as well, but it feels like a way more stripped back, loose version (makes sense since it's the debut). I like the jangly, almost off-the-cuff-sounding nature of it. I can understand why people wouldn't like it, but it clicks with me. To paraphrase a favorite video game reviewer: it takes a lot of effort to look this effortless. Favorite tracks: "Here", "In The Mouth A Desert"

True story: I've owned this record forever, just never actually listened to anything aside from "Grounds for Divorce". I'm very surprised how much I enjoyed this record. It's indie rock with a lot of interesting instruments, structures, and vocal performances. I think it hits a lull mid-album that only really recovers at "Some Riot", but I think the 4-song run of "The Bones of You" through "An Audience With the Pope" is just perfect. Favorite tracks: "Mirrorball", "Grounds for Divorce", "The Bones of You", "An Audience With the Pope"

A little less jazzy (aside from "Twisted") than the other album I've received from her so far ("The Hissing of Summer Lawns"). Still an enjoyable enough listen, just didn't really click with me to where I'm overly fanatical about it. Favorite tracks: "Car on a Hill", "Down to You"

Love the flows, love the instrument diversity. Based on the name, I was expecting some 80s new wave and was pleasantly surprised. Lot of sticky hooks on this record. Little long. Favorite tracks: "Scooby Snacks" ,"Crime and Punishment"

Glam but with a heavy dose of experimentation. A little up-its-own-butt throughout the majority of the record. When it focuses on writing a good pop tune, it nails it. It just doesn't focus that often. Favorite tracks: "The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch", "Blank Frank"

No doubt Mark Knopfler is a fantastic guitarist, but at certain points it can be a bit distracting. This is especially true, in my opinion, on a few of the opening cuts of the record. It's a nice, relaxing blues rock record. Favorite tracks: "Sultans of Swing", "Six Blade Knife", "Wild West End"

I feel like I use, "an impressive blend of [insert genres here]," whenever I'm praising an album, but I think this album is a great mix of a number of genres I wasn't really expecting. Rock, folk, blues, gospel... I can see James Taylor's influence on this record (and he also plays on it, so that makes sense), as well as a song I could see Creedence Clearwater Revival doing ("Smackwater Jack"). I can see all of the praise for this record: I don't think I can find a bad song. King is a phenomenal songwriter and it shines through on this record. Definitely gonna give this record a spin when it gets cooler out; a very fall/winter-mood record. Favorite tracks: "So Far Away", "Home Again", "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?"

A lot of the tracks on here give me the same vibe of The Mars Volta. Frantic rock and jazz. The horn player especially reminds me of Isaiah Owens from TMV (RIP). A fitting swan song, I think. Favorite tracks: "Lazarus", "Sue (In a Season of Crime)"

Pretty standard singer/songwriter stuff with some nice drum machine flourishes here and there. The songs are well written, if a little forgettable. Gray clearly has some Bob Dylan influences. Not bad, more of a 3.25/3.5. Favorite tracks: "White Ladder", "We're Not Right", "Nightblindness"

Pleasant enough. Soulful. Fine when it's on, just forgettable when it's off. Some of the worst album art I've seen. Favorite tracks: "Groovin'", "You Better Run"

Whew. To admit bias, I've never been a huge fan of Sting. However, I tried to go into this record without letting that affect my judgement. It's difficult when the first few tracks are pretty experimental, "Mother" especially (what the actual hell *was* that song, anyway?). The record hits a stride midway at "Synchronicity II", and kind of fluctuates from there. I haven't listened to "Every Breath You Take" independently in years, and it was surprisingly nice to hear in the context of the record. Still, the stride is short lived, and most of the tracks feel like... somewhere between "experimental" and "whatever, that's close enough to a song". Favorite tracks: "Synchronicity II", "King of Pain"

Manu's grasp on languages and genres is impressive. You never really know what you're going to get on each song. I feel like a lot of the record is influenced by early hip-hop (including the two rapped tracks earlier in the track list). A solid 3.5 from me. Favorite tracks: "Luna y Sol", "Mentira"

Peaceful and relaxing. Kind of reminds me of the Monkees, if the Monkees got super into psychedelics and Cream. A few songs left an impression, the rest kind of floated by. Favorite tracks: "Tribal Gathering", "Change is Now"

A lot more straightforward blues than blues rock. Lot of tracks where they just jam on it. Some noticeable jazz influence as well. Good stuff, just maybe a tad long? Eh. 4.5 stars. Has some absolute Hendrix classics on it. Favorite tracks: "Crosstown Traffic", "Voodoo Chile", "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)", "All Along the Watchtower"

Never went out of my way to listen to much bluegrass. I've said records are long on this project, but my goodness is this thing loooong. I still made it through it all, so I probably enjoyed some of it. I do really love the fact that there's studio noise in between some of the songs, really gives the impression that these songs were just off-the-cuff jam sessions. Favorite tracks: "Will the Circle Be Unbroken", "Tennessee Stud", "Keep on The Sunny Side"

Not bad. Never been super into Aerosmith, but never hated them before. The title track from this record is one of my favorites. Solid rock record. Call it a 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Round and Round", "Toys in the Attic"

Mood music. Very mellow. Jammy. I like it as background music, but when I focus on it, I seem to lose focus quickly. It's pleasant enough. Favorite tracks: "Cowboy Movies", "Song With No Words"

Peaceful. As always, jazz puts me in a fall and winter mood. Some impressive trumpeting on here. Favorite track: "Inner Crisis"

Weird, strange, and offbeat in a way that only Lou Reed truly ever was. Unfortunately, he never really clicked with me, and this album is no different. It's fine, and I enjoy it in spots, just not as a whole. Favorite tracks: "Caroline Says I", "How Do You Think It Feels"

I enjoyed it more than I did the previous recommendation ("Liege and Lief"), a lot less straight up folk. It's not bad, just not anything impressive to me. Favorite tracks: "A Sailor's Life", "Million Dollar Bash"

I, like much of my generation, really only knew Isaac Hayes from South Park. Glad to have gotten this and checked out the record. Tight, funky, soulful music that's engaging to listen to despite it being background music for a film score. Favorite tracks: "Ellie's Love Theme", "No Name Bar", "Do Your Thing"

As somebody who listens to a lot of punk with a pop edge, I know how important Buzzcocks are to a lot of my favorite bands. Great album. Favorite tracks: "Fiction Romance", "Sixteen", "Fast Cars"

Just a solid rock album. Elements of country and blues interspersed throughout. More than a little horn. Favorite tracks: "Country Honk", "Live With Me", "Midnight Rambler"

An insane, electrifying album from front to back. Incredible performances, engaging music. Can't speak any more highly of this one. Favorite tracks: "Chameleon", "Watermelon Man"

Peaceful. I like Drake's voice. Pleasant enough, I like the string sections. Didn't have a big impact on me. Favorite tracks: "River Man", "Saturday Sun"

The first few songs sound like a pretty basic hardcore/thrash record, but it does get a little more experimental as it progresses. It's enough to separate it from the big four. Favorite tracks: "Altered State", "Subtraction", "Under Seige"

A few bright spots in an otherwise long album. Each song really feels like it could've chopped at least a minute off of it, sometimes more. Very sleepy, sedate. Favorite tracks: "While You Wait for The Others", "Fine For Now"

Loose, sparse. Seems fitting that I listened to this in the Seattle area (even though Liz was based in Chicago): very riot grrl, lo-fi, grungy. Certain points I was into, certain points not so much. Eighteen songs is a bit long. Favorite tracks: "Fuck and Run", "Divorce Song", "Soap Star Joe", "Shatter"

Somewhere between jazz fusion and folk. Little blues thrown in there as well. Inoffensive. Kind of boring. Favorite track: "May You Never"

Kind of hard to hate Aretha, right? The more I listened, the more I realized I couldn't really find any flaws in it. Smooth soul and gospel backing a one-of-a-kind voice. Favorite tracks: "Money Won't Change You", "Since You've Been Gone", "Ain't No Way"

A pretty straightforward punk record with a few dub/reggae influences sprinkled along a few tracks. A good start, great harmonies, just overshadowed by later works. Favorite tracks: "I'm So Bored With the USA", "Career Opportunities"

I've known the story behind this album for quite a while but never actually sat down to listen to it. It's very, very bitter. Still maintains a solid groove, and once you get past the first two songs and understand what you're in for, it's really a great album. Favorite tracks: "Anger", "Is That Enough", "You Can Leave, But It's Going to Cost You"

A resounding "meh" from me. It gets better when it brings in a full band, but I still can't shake the Dylan comparison. Fine enough, just nothing Earth-shattering. Favorite track: "With Tomorrow"

Am album I feel like I could sit down with, and contemplate everything. Cohen's lyrics are simple, sometimes to the point of either brilliance or inanity. Love the feeling of the record, somewhere between hymnal and drunk older man singing at a dead bar. Favorite tracks: "You Want It Darker", "Leaving the Table", "Traveling Light"

This sounds less like a cohesive album, and more like Rod Stewart throwing various songs and genres at the wall to see what sticks. I've never been a huge fan of Rod Stewart, this isn't doing much to change that. Favorite track: "You're My Girl"

An album I feel like I've heard a ton despite never actually sitting down with it. It's nice to hear a lot of the songs in context, though I think I'm permanently tired of "Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2". Some of the most exquisite guitar playing you'll ever hear. Favorite tracks: "Young Lust", "Comfortably Numb"

A surprisingly beautiful album. A rare album that I threw back on immediately after listening to it. It's weird, but also has some wonderfully sticky hooks in it, as well as some varied instrumentation and some interesting noise influences here and there. Could imagine enjoying a relaxing evening flying among the stars to this record. Favorite tracks: "A Spoonful Weighs a Ton", "Waitin' on a Superman", "Feeling Yourself Disintegrate"

An album I feel like I would've loved if I found it before all the other punk music I got into prior. Don't get me wrong, I know how influential this record is, but I personally can't give it a five. Rotten's snarl/sneer vocals get tired after a while, and a lot of the songs begin to blend together. Still an important record. Favorite tracks: "Pretty Vacant", "Problems"

At a certain point, the boom-bap beats start to wear on you. There are also a few cuts near the end that drag the record down a little. However, the flows are technical and tight, and this is still an enjoyable listen. Favorite tracks: "Freedom", "What's Golden"

I'm at odds. I like this weird little album, it seems extremely personal and goes between folk and bombast. While I think it's good, I'm not sure it should be here? It's a solid 3.5 from me. Favorite tracks: "Marz", "It's Easier", "Queen of Denmark", "Jesus Hates Faggots"

The album that launched a thousand bands. Being a big pop punk guy, it's weird I never sat down with this, but the radio did kill a few of these. Still a tight effort. Favorite tracks: "Longview", "Pulling Teeth", "She"

Peaceful, relaxing. I really enjoyed the second side of this record (and their Dylan pastiche). First half, minus "Scarborough Fair", somewhat forgettable. Gorgeous harmonies. Favorite tracks: "A Poem on the Underground Wall", "Flowers Never Bend With the Rainfall"

Big beats. Good background music that frequently demands your attention. Very relaxing, could smoke to this. Favorite tracks: "Midnight in a Perfect World", "Changeling / Transmission", "Building Steam With a Grain of Salt"

Even as a metal head this was kind of a tough listen. The production is bad (something the genre it would inspire would take to heart), and the songs blend together pretty hard after a while. "Teacher's Pet" is... just a weird addition here, as well. Favorite track: "Don't Burn the Witch"

Meditative. Extremely unique; can't say I've listened to Indian electronic music before. The vocals can get a little hit and miss, and the writing/lyrics on this can occasionally be pretentious. Still, didn't hate it. Favorite track: "OK"

Never been a big Who fan. Some songs stick out, while others sound like generic rock n' roll tunes that could've been any faceless band. Meh. Favorite tracks: "Out in the Street", "I Don't Mind", "My Generation"

The energy never dies. A frantic, funky record. Only one real slow spot, the rest of it has me moving. Favorite track: "Nawa"

An impressive spread of genres ranging from blues to psychedelic to folk, without ever really feeling unfocused. Loses me a little during the middle, but gains my attention back by the end. Favorite tracks: "Trem De Doido", "Lilia", "Un Girassol Da Cor Do Seu Cabelo"

Some classic beats here. Guru's flow can occasionally be a little simplistic and one note, but I enjoyed it more often than not. Call it a 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Check The Technique", "Take A Rest"

Some certified bangers on here, but eventually I zoned out a little. Very pleasant vocals, shimmering instrumentals, nice production that doesn't sound dated at all. Favorite tracks: "Dancing Queen", "Dum Dum Diddle", "Knowing Me, Knowing You"

It's the Stones. For a double album, it flows by relatively quickly. Not sure what else can be said about this record aside from, "I enjoyed it." Favorite tracks: "Tumbling Dice", "Ventilator Blues"

Just some extremely solid, country-fried rock and roll. No real misses on this record. "Simple Man" is one of the best ballads ever written, and despite the pseudo-meme status of "Free Bird", it still kicks so much ass. Favorite tracks: "Simple Man", "Free Bird", "I Ain't the One"

Fine for a bar band, but for this list? Nah. Some of the most basic lyrics I've ever heard. One or two songs prevent this from being a total one star. I did like the violin flourishes though. Favorite tracks: "Was There Anything I Could Do?" "I'm All Right"

Very quintessential 90s with some interesting sampling, but not overdone. Reminds me of Beck, if he was a little more focused. The lyrics occasionally paint a great scene. Favorite tracks: "Susan's House", "Mental", "Your Lucky Day In Hell"

My earliest memory listening to this was in my freshman year science class through a headphone I was hiding. A gorgeous, layered album. Still a bigger fan of "Wish You Were Here". Favorite tracks: "Breathe", "Time", "Eclipse"

Not my favorite Iggy Pop project but still a good album. Hearing Bowie play on here is cool as well. Favorite tracks: "The Passenger", "Success"

Nina's control over her voice and ability to push emotion is amazing. The arrangements behind her only compliment the songs. Favorite tracks: "Four Women", "Why Keep On Breaking My Heart", "If I Should Lose You"

Sleepy, sparse, and subdued. Short, I was surprised when it was over. Has that 80s/90s production that I hate, where everything sounds like it was recorded in a tunnel. I like the ideas, but there's nothing I'm crazy about here. Favorite tracks: "Nine Million Rainy Days", "Fall"

A pleasant-enough folk-rock record. I had received another Drake record previously, and I feel about the same about this record. It's peaceful, nice, good arrangements, just nothing I'm crazy about. Favorite tracks: "Hazey Jane II", "Hazey Jane I", "Poor Boy"

Raw. An incredibly performed record. No notes. Favorite tracks: "Mary Jane", "Ironic", "All I Really Want", "Hand In My Pocket"

Real tears-in-my-beer stuff. I feel it. Willie knows how to sell it, with his plain-spoken singing. For a short album, it drags on a little long. Favorite tracks: "Blue Eyes Crying in The Rain", "Remember Me"

Dark, swirling madness. Normally I dislike the 80s tunnel production, but I think it really adds to the vibe the record is going for. Really enjoyed the atmosphere. Looking for reasons to not give this a five, and I couldn't find any. Favorite tracks: "One Hundred Years", "Pornography", "Siamese Twins"

Definitely a lot more of a reggae influence on this record. Surprisingly, I think it goes well (not a huge reggae fan). Also, for a double album, it goes by very quickly. Love a lot of little touches on this album, from the piano and horn sections to the gritty punk sections. Favorite tracks: "Spanish Bombs", "Wrong 'Em Boyo", "Rudie Can't Fail", "Brand New Cadillac"

Just a solid rock record. I enjoyed this one more than "Toys in The Attic". I feel like you can trace the lineage from Led Zepplin to Guns 'n' Roses through this record. Favorite tracks: "Back In The Saddle", "Last Child", "Rats In The Cellar", "Home Tonight"

I feel as if, no matter how I approach this album, I'll always be biased against it. Everyone was so quick to absolutely tongue-bathe this record that, now that I check it out? It's fine. Just fine. "Wake Up" sounds like the literal definition of the commercialization of indie rock, or some sixteen-year-old trying acid for the first time. This is my second Arcade Fire record that I've received and my patience grows thin. Favorite tracks: "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)", "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)"

"Green Onions" is still a phenomenal instrumental, but this album feels like the product of a record thrown together after an unexpected hit single. Everything here is fine, but it's all just wallpaper, or at least interesting if you recognize the song. There's even an attempt at a second lightning strike with "Mo' Onions". It's... fine. Probably wouldn't have thrown it on this list. Favorite tracks: "Green Onions", "I Got A Woman"

I feel like this album showcases Dylan's voice, sometimes to a negative effect. Sometimes he hits highs, and it can be very grating. The instrumentals are standard Dylan, sparse and stripped back. I do enjoy the storytelling aspects. Not my favorite project of his. Favorite tracks: "Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts", "Shelter From the Storm"

Not trying to be rude here, but Grace Slick is the real star here. She gets to belt on two tracks, and they're the biggest hits. The rest of the record is pretty stock-standard acid folk. Favorite tracks: "White Rabbit", "Plastic Fantastic Lover", "Somebody To Love"

I'm from Jersey and my local soft rock station played half this album to death, but I'm surprised just how into it I am. Billy Joel is a dork. At certain points, he tries to portray himself as a tough guy (notably on "Only The Good Die Young"), but he's tough in the way that anyone who has ever portrayed a gang member in West Side Story is tough. I still can't help but really appreciate this album, despite the cheese. Favorite tracks: "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant", "Only The Good Die Young"

The same twisted, dissonant, weird surf-rock that the Pixies served up on "Doolittle". I still enjoy it, though it's not as front-to-back tight as "Doolittle" was. Favorite tracks: "Rock Music", "Velouria"

The sample choices are awesome (loved the Slayer pull). I enjoyed it, but it can be intense in a tiring way at certain points. The energy never really dies, even when Flav has his own song. Chuck D's rhymes can be basic, but also great at certain points. Call it a 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Cold Lampin' With Flavor", "Black Steel In The Hour of Chaos"

Very lo-fi, subdued. Weird sentence but I feel like this record and Liz Phair's "Exile In Guyville" are two sides of the same coin: very singer-songwriter, earnest. I liked a lot of the recording tricks found on here, all seem very made-with-love, for lack of a better phrase. Favorite tracks: "Rose Parade", "Cupids Trick", "2:45 AM"

Blistering acid rock. Janis Joplin absolutely steals the show with her insane yowl. I could take or leave some of the jamming, but overall I enjoyed this quite a bit. Good highway music. Favorite tracks: "I Need a Man to Love", "Piece of My Heart", "Ball and Chain"

Sarah has wonderful control of her voice. I enjoyed it quite a bit when she messed up and was able to throw it into the song without really interrupting the flow at all. Pretty. Favorite track: "Willow Weep For Me"

First off: weird album cover. Second, the singer's voice reminds me a lot of Bob Dylan, but somehow quite worse. Nothing really stuck with me on this album, save for maybe one or two tracks. Favorite track: "Magic Hollow"

Just an extremely tight set. After reviewing Bob Dylan's "At Royal Albert Hall" immediately before this, this is a breath of fresh air. The crowd is super into it, and Frampton brings across a super bubbly, buoyant, and fun set. It doesn't break the mold or anything, just wonderful rock n' roll. Favorite tracks: "Show Me the Way", "All I Want to Be", "Baby, I Love Your Way"

I'm surprised that I didn't enjoy this album as much. It's got some noisy elements I wasn't expecting and didn't really care for. I enjoyed parts of songs, but didn't find a song I enjoyed until almost halfway. Favorite tracks: "Sweet Dreams", "Jennifer"

Ginger Baker is a monster of a drummer and he really gets to flex both his fills and his pocket presence on this record. Admittedly, this record didn't have my full attention, but it's got just enough jazzy funk to draw me back in quite frequently. Favorite track: "Black Man's Cry"

One where I think crowd noise really helps. Not that this album isn't fantastic, but the crowd is hyped up to see BB and it really makes the record that much more fun. BB was a phenomenal showman, and this album showcases it very well. Favorite tracks: "How Blue Can You Get?", "You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now"

Super fun record somewhere between punk and post-punk. Just a tight set of songs, in, punk, out. Favorite tracks: "Three Girl Rhumba", "Ex Lion Tamer", "Lowdown", "Strange"

Call this one a *hard* 4.5 because man, I was vibing hard to this record until "Coconut" brought it to a screeching halt. "Coconut" feels like a novelty song mixed in with some absolute, genuinely wonderful pop music. The rest of the album? Flawless. Just drop "Coconut". Favorite tracks: "Gotta Get Up", "Down", "Without You", "Jump Into the Fire"

A rare time I looked up the public reviews on this site, and I'm glad it seems a lot of people are whelmed as hell with this record. I like Bob Dylan, but aside from some energetic strumming, the first side is extremely, extremely, *extremely* long. The second disc has more of a pulse, but I feel like the damage has been done by that point. I'm somewhat amazed I made it through this entire thing. Favorite tracks: "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues", "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat"

Gets my vote for "pretty cool". A smidge dated in spots, but it made my night flight to Nashville a bit more entertaining and, in spots, spooky. Held my attention while not being the center. Really enjoyed this one. Favorite tracks: "Pt. 1", "Pt. 2"

Solid, but not super mind blowing, 90s rock. Seems to share some space with the likes of Blur. I liked parts but I don't think I'll really be revisiting it. Favorite tracks: "Kevin Carter", "Enola / Alone"

Pleasant enough, nice guitar work. A little one note, similar tones of voice through the entire thing. Favorite track: "Place to Be"

A classic blues musician held back by 80s production that I dislike so much. The guest list also feels like a slight vanity project, or similar to how Santana was in the mid 00s (convenient he's on here too). Favorite track: "Rockin' Chair"

I'm not sure what to say that hasn't already been said. Personally, this was my introduction to Radiohead, as I was intrigued by the pay-what-you-want model they were offering. It's a gorgeous album with tight performances, especially on the layered "Videotape". Favorite tracks: "15 Step", "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi", "Videotape", "Jigsaw Falling Into Place"

I remember enjoying "Protection" a bit more. Think the music and beats are fine, think the weakness lies in the guest vocalists. Favorite track: "Lately"

An odds n' ends record that somehow comes together and feels cohesive. The personnel list on this record is insane, and the record itself runs the gambit of the various incarnations of the blues, even including a Hendrix cover in the mix. That being said, the project runs a little long and some fat could've been trimmed here. Oh, also, Clapton is still a massive dickhead. Favorite tracks: "Bell Bottom Blues", "Layla", "Key to the Highway"

Honestly this record had a lot going against it: the style of 80s production I dislike, and the fact that I'm not a super huge Madonna fan. Still, it eventually won me over, partly due to Price (whose fingerprints are all over this), and partly due to the introspective and personal songwriting. Favorite tracks: "Like a Prayer", "Till Death Do Us Part"

A rare album in this list that I've listened to a few times, and held off on rating for quite a while. I was familiar with this album prior, but never listened to it (aside from one attempt where I stopped after "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart"). Feels very... fall-into-winter. Each song is varied, with a wide array of instruments, and some noise elements thrown in between. Great segues into each song... I fought myself, but I feel like this is a record that I'll revisit every once in a while, maybe sit down and have a drink with. I'm glad I gave it some time. Some surface listens didn't do it justice. Favorite tracks: "Radio Cure", "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart", "War on War", "Jesus, Etc.", "Pot Kettle Black"

A bit of a mixed bag. Queen has always been a singles band to me, not meaning that as any shade (cos their singles are great). A few hits, but the songs that flow together do so in such a jumpy, weird way that it's somewhere between glam camp and a poorly-run stage show. Also, if Freddie Mercury is your lead vocalist, you let Freddie Mercury do lead vocals. No one else. Favorite tracks: "Stone Cold Crazy", "Dear Friends", "Killer Queen", "In The Lap Of the Gods (Revisited)"

Fun, kind of brainless (by design) rock 'n' roll. Kind of lost me near the end, but the energy carries it far. My first thought was, "they seem serious about not being serious." Favorite tracks: "Zillion Dollar Sadist", "Prince of the Rodeo", "Selfdestruco Bust"

Quite the blend of genres: jazz, hard rock, progressive rock... I feel like there are echoes of what would become post-punk in certain spots? I was obsessed with this album in high school (yep, nerdy, I'm aware), but I'm glad it still holds up. The bass playing is insanely impressive. Favorite tracks: "Roundabout", "We Have Heaven", "South Side of the Sky"

I'm not a Kiss hater. Honestly, going into this record having never sat down and listened to it, I assumed that it would probably end up in the 3.5 to 4 range for me. It's just a shame I find there to be more outright stinkers on here than actual quality tracks. Costumes aside, rabid fans aside, Kiss don't make bad music. But if this is their peak, maybe I overestimated them. Favorite tracks: "Detroit Rock City", "Shout It Out Loud"

In my review of "In Rainbows", I wrote that IR was my introduction to Radiohead. This album actually shook something loose in my brain, and reminded me I was familiar with (of all things) "Karma Police" prior to that record. I haven't listened to this album front-to-back in a minute, but it's still just as good. It's a grand shift from what Radiohead was (a decent alternative rock band) into what they would become. This album shows the beginning flirtations of their electronic side (which they'd get more into on their next record), while still being accessible enough for their older audience. It's impressive, in its scale. One of those records I feel like I could discuss with the right people for quite a while. Favorite tracks: "Karma Police", "Paranoid Android", "No Surprises", "Climbing Up the Walls"

One of those albums that's insanely important for moving the genre forward, but hasn't aged all that well. Certain songs (the entirely voice-boxed "Scorpio") are total misses, while certain songs (the title track) are just awesome, and still have a very important message (heh.) With context, good. If you weren't super into rap and didn't realize what the genre owed this record, pretty bad. Favorite tracks: "The Message", "You Are"

Mood music to the highest caliber. Wistful, melancholy. Makes me want to smoke a cigarette under an awning in the rain, glass of whiskey-on-the-rocks conveniently in the other hand as a compliment. Sinatra has a very powerful voice, you can tell when he hits those big notes, and when he brings it down to an almost stare-out-the-window-dreaming whisper. I appreciated when the band behind him broke into some jazzy numbers to break up the big band music. Favorite tracks: "Can't We Be Friends?", "This Love of Mine"

My one negative takeaway from this song is the borderline nice-guy-ish "Da Bitchez". It's a shame, cos it's a super catchy song, just feel like the message hasn't aged super well. Aside from that, the flows are tight, the lyrics flit between conscious hip-hop and classic, and the beats are great, occasionally showing some dissonance and noisiness. I got Gang Starr earlier in the list, and I still love the beats DJ Premier puts out. Also, massive, massive shoutout to Jeru for making cool little gifs that go along with each song on Spotify. Wasn't expecting that, and it's fun as fuck. Favorite tracks: "Come Clean", "Brooklyn Took It", "Ain't The Devil Happy"

An unexpected delight. Sparse, but doesn't really need much. Feels like am intimate back porch jam. Blends bluegrass, country, and folk expertly. Vocally reminds me of Bonnie Raitt. Didn't expect to give this a 5, but here we are. Favorite tracks: "April the 14th", "Elvis Presley Blues", "Everything Is Free"

Fine, pleasant, subdued. I imagine this is one of those records that was huge overseas but never really got as big in the states. I liked some songs, but I'm a little hesitant to say this belongs on this list. Favorite tracks: "Writing to Reach You", "Turn"

True story: I'm from Jersey and never bothered to look into who Count Basie was. A great record of uptempo swing and big band. Think more should be added to the list, but this is a good start. The album cover, by modern standards, looks very... my first MSPaint. Favorite tracks: "Duet", "Flight of the Foo Birds"

I don't mind instrumental music, and I don't mind angular, noisy stuff, but the first movement of this really set my expectations low. Rest of it is pleasant-enough background music. Just didn't do much for me. Favorite track: "Mysterious Semblance At the Strand of Nightmares"

I like that the double album is divided up into similar sounding sections. Wikipedia says the first section is supposed to have a latin feel, which I don't really see. I still enjoyed that side, and felt like I enjoyed the country side the most (side B). Favorite tracks: "Fallen Eagle", "The Treasure", "Colorado"

Glam rock has never really been my thing, but I did enjoy this. Certain slower parts felt very Velvet Underground. There are some serious grooves on this. Favorite tracks: "Chariot Choogle", "Telegram Sam", "Baby Boomerang"

In terms of rap music, as a whole, I genuinely don't think it gets much better than this. A step up from their debut, the beats are just as fresh as the day this came out. The rhymes are great, lyrics great. Thirty years later, and it's still amazing. "Check the Rhime" is still one of the best rap songs ever released. Favorite tracks: "Check the Rhime", "Buggin' Out", "Jazz (We've Got)"

Much more subdued than "The Slider", which I got earlier in the list. Reminds me of Bowie and the Velvet Underground, maybe a little more rambunctious. Some good tracks, but neutral feelings overall. Favorite tracks: "Get It On", "The Motivator", "Jeepster"

I'm sure this album's inclusion is going to stimulate some good debate. As a card carrying member of the sad white boy club, I've enjoyed some singles from Coldplay (as members are required to do), but I've never sat down with one of their albums from front to back. It's subdued, and seems like it owes equal measures to U2 and dream pop. Has some ethereal qualities to it, as well as being a little simple. Did I enjoy it? Somewhat, the middle feels a little barren until it hits the last two songs. Does it deserve to be on this list? Possibly. Coldplay has been a cultural force for a quite a while, insomuch that their most recent record was still generating significant buzz. I've seen another reviewer call this "lowest common denomenator", which I agree with, but it's at least good enough to truly appeal to that wide a swath. It does feel genuine. I personally somewhat enjoyed it, but might just stick to the singles. Favorite tracks: "Amsterdam", "The Scientist", "Clocks"

Dark, smokey, sultry. Rainy, late night mood music. Reminds me of Burial, and some of the darker, more ambient projects that came out of vaporwave (see 2 8 1 4). Favorite tracks: "Sereia", "Antropofagos"

Funky. Calling this record "horny" is a gross understatement. A little indulgent in certain spots, but if you get caught into the groove, it's tough to shake it. Favorite tracks: "Little Red Corvette", "Delerious", "Let's Pretend We're Married"

One of the albums I'm most familiar with on this list. "Wish You Were Here" is one of the first things I learned to play on guitar, so this album has a special place in my heart. All killer, no filler. Still sounds crisp and gorgeous. RIP Bob. Favorite tracks: "Have a Cigar", "Wish You Were Here"

Blink and you'll miss it. Not totally sure how it manages to keep up the energy through the whole record, but you can never say it got boring. I can say that singer Pelle Almqvist's voice got a little irritating on certain tracks. Still, felt like running cheetah-speed through multiple brick walls. Call it a solid, solid 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Die, All Right!", "Untutored Youth"

Much like everyone listening to this record for the first time, I was expecting Beck's jokey, white-boy self. I was not expecting a genuine and deeply personal-sounding record. A similar vibe, in my mind, to "You Want It Darker" by Leonard Cohen: a record that I don't feel like I'm getting everything on first listen, and really want to sit down with and explore the layers. If I ever get my heart broken again, think this is the first record I'll look for. Favorite tracks: "Guess I'm Doing Fine", "Sunday Sun", "End Of the Day"

It's an impressive pop album, pulling from an extremely wide range of genres including vocal music, trap, 90s R&B... Both very horny and very jealous. Takes a lot of risks while maintaining a poppy catchiness. Beyonce is, obviously, an impressive vocalist, though I don't know if I really like the guest voices here (I typically like Frank Ocean and Jay-Z, never been a big Drake fan). Favorite tracks: "Mine", "Pretty Hurts", "Drunk In Love", "Heaven", "***Flawless"

I think my favorite thing about this record is how every song on here feels like it begins with one instrument, and then slowly builds until it's a massive dance party. "North American Scum" is playing through my head whenever I travel abroad, and "All My Friends" is still one of my go-to depressed songs, even if it's somewhat about touring life. I fought against giving this a 5, but I don't really think I have any complaints, so a 5 it gets. Favorite tracks: "Get Innocuous!", "North American Scum", "Someone Great", "All My Friends"

Nas is an insane lyricist. This album also serves as a who's who, featuring members of Gang Starr and Tribe all over the record. Still insane all these years later. Plus, front-loaded with some of the best rap tracks ever. Favorite tracks: "New York State of Mind", "The World is Yours", "Memory Lane"

Where to begin? I have nothing personal against Costello, he seems like a fine guy. His voice can be grating at times, though I did appreciate the variety it provides due to various inflections, etc. I like certain parts of songs, but never the whole song. Just never really clicks with me. Favorite tracks: "Moods for Moderns", "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding"

Crosby, Stills, and Nash really nailed something by adding Neil Young to their lineup. He not only brings some extra great harmonies, I just love it when they cut loose and really rock out. The mellow songs are relaxing and gorgeously arranged, with some of the harmonies giving genuine chills. Just a tight set of songs. As a total aside, I would get this record the day Neil Young pulled his catalog from Spotify (fuck 'em, though, Neil is right). Favorite tracks: "Woodstock", "Country Girl", "Almost Cut My Hair", "Carry On"

It's an interesting take on some classic blues, but I have to admit I zoned out quite hard a few times. Just didn't super interest me. Favorite track: "Beto"

Pleasant, 60s pop music. Dusty has a nice voice, but occasionally can be a little faceless. Favorite tracks: "When The Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes", "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow", "Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa"

Pleasant enough but nothing earth shattering. Norah Jones has a very nice, smoky quality to her voice, but it never really shifts from that. Reminds me of Borders bookstores and Starbucks. Favorite tracks: "Don't Know Why", "Shoot The Moon"

Feel like this will get a lot of comparisons to Daft Punk but I hear more Ratatat and Swedish House Mafia. Big, rubbery base tones. Lotta glitchiness. Basically a self-contained rave. Favorite tracks: "Genesis", "D.A.N.C.E.", "Waters of Nazareth", "One Minute to Midnight"

Anthemic and epic in scascale. Very Queen, if Queen had written a space western opera. The few times it slams the breaks really break up the flow. When it's going fast, it's killer. Favorite tracks: "Assassin", "Supermassive Black Hole", "Starlight"

Whew. I've got a lot of complaints about this. I'd say most songs on this record last at least one, sometimes two, minutes too long. Most of the time, it's a verse, repetitive chorus, then vibing to the beat for an additional minute. The DJ can be a little overbearing, sometimes scratching til that's all that's left of the beat. I appreciate the sentiments in some of the songs, but most of the time they're presented in some pretentious, preachy tones. Also, where a group like Tribe can have beats that sound like they're from a certain time but still be fresh, these beats sound dated and are, again, sometimes ruined by an over-ambitious scratch session. I found two tracks I enjoyed, but if I'm being honest, I would've turn the record off much earlier before I found em. Best left to the past. Favorite tracks: "Dawn of the Dreads", "Tennesse"

Introduced the world to the madman known as Henry Rollins. A lot of noisy punk, with some sludgey riffs happening later in the track list. I think the recording holds back just how truly chaotic this must've been to hear live. Favorite tracks: "Gimme Gimme Gimme", "Six Pack", "Damaged I", "Padded Cell"

Never been a big U2 fan. Enjoyed the Edge's playing, but never the group as a whole. This record, at certain points, sounds very loose, like a jam session that happens to be going well. Bono has a lot of effects on his voice but none make me enjoy it anymore. Hard zone out on a good portion of this record. Favorite tracks: "One", "Ultra Violet"

Short, snacky songs. Has some mild psychedelic tones to it, reminding me of a lighter Sgt. Pepper's. The songs are pleasant enough but I didn't walk away from this one changed, or anything. Strong songwriting throughout. Favorite tracks: "Picture Book", "Wicked Annabella"

Was not expecting to see Lightning Bolt, of all bands, on this list. Occasionally locks into a groove that doesn't really go anywhere. It's like if Death From Above 1979 decided to go as un-commercial as possible. When it hits, it's a massive burst of energy in static colors. Favorite tracks: "Dracula Mountain", "Crown of Storms"

Blues rock with a giant slice of psychedelia. I don't think Jeff Beck gets enough room to flex his muscles here. Never knew the Pussycat Dolls of all people sampled from this record. Middle gets a little lost, but finishes strong. Call it 3.5. Favorite tracks: "He's Always There", "Turn Into Earth"

I had absolutely no idea what I was in for. To say this was a challenging listen is putting it mildly. Kate's voice has such a range, and it can jump from the low-end to the psychotic high-end faster than my mother reading my report card. Some interesting musical influences here, classical, opera, theater... some celtic influences as well. I was ready to turn it off after one track, but I gave it a few more and walked away feeling better for the experience. Definitely wasn't expecting anything like this. Favorite tracks: "Pull Out the Pin", "Get Out of My House"

The fact that Stevie performed six of these songs himself is insane. I've seen commercials with "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" in it and would've expected that would've ruined it for me, but I still enjoyed it, especially with the added latin flair throughout the song. Strong funk, soul, gospel record. Favorite tracks: "Living for the City", "Jesus Children of America"

The bridging link between AYE and EL. Some songs play like basic psychedelic rock, others play like the heavy rock and blues influenced EL. I'm more partial to the latter, but the whole record is pretty nice, with some relaxing moods and heavy tracks. Favorite tracks: "Spanish Castle Magic", "Little Wing", "Ain't No Telling"

One of the rare albums where I really paid attention to the lyrics on the first listen. Granted, the musical accompaniment is sparse and kind of forces you to. Occasionally, Joni's falsetto got a little grating, but never enough to where I wanted to shut the record off. The lyrics are great, and some even really hit home for me. Favorite tracks: "River", "Blue", "California"

Like a somehow-more feral Talking Heads. A record that would be playing while you were shopping, bleary-eyed, for records. Part of me, for some reason, enjoys this, but "Codex" knocked it down from a 3 to a 2. Though I'm sure the haunting, "I think about you all the time..." will visit me in my sleep tonight. Favorite track: "Caligari's Mirror"

I was hoping this album would be a little bit more influenced by trip-hop, based on their song "Missing". It's a lot more jazz, lounge influenced. It's pleasant, and Tracey Thorn has a really nice voice, but it ended up being more background than anything. Favorite tracks: "Goodbye Sunday", "Lonesome For a Place I Know"

Spacey, psychedelic. I dislike using the word "hypnotic", but "Leb' Wohl" has beach sounds, a man speaking softly, and what sounds like a steady metronome... so... A bit repetitive, but that definitely feels like it's by design. It's pleasant background music that I feel like I could dig into a bit more, or just enjoy it passively. Favorite tracks: "Seeland", "E-Musik"

Quite a unique album. Kind of an intersection of funk and krautrock? Like if you taught a robot the basics of funk, or something. A record that, on first surface listen, I enjoyed, but feel like I could listen to a few more times and dig further and further. Favorite tracks: "Golden Years", "Stay"

Is it weird to say this record feels... sloppy? The first few tracks are painful, with difficult grooves and a kind of maximalist approach where everything and the kitchen sink got thrown it. The middle of the record gets good, but the ending tracks fall to the same issues. I can hear the influence this record had on UK Garage and even Dubstep (both the Skirllex and Burial kind), but overall I'm just unsatisfied. Favorite tracks: "Bingo Bango", "Red Alert"

Out there, maaaaaan. Reminds me of Pulp, the Beatles, and the Flaming Lips in distinct parts. Very trippy. Slightly overstays its welcome, but still a pretty neat listen. Favorite tracks: "A Touch Sensitive", "Subway Serfer Girl"

Heartland rock, very Bob Dylan influenced. A lot more harmonica than I was expecting. Ballad heavy. Drunken bar singer going through a bad breakup. It's good, maybe could've cut one or two, but overall a good, dour record. Favorite tracks: "Come Pick Me Up", "In My Time of Need"

I'm from New Jersey. My wedding was catered by a man who had more pictures of Sinatra in his store, than I have of my own mother in my house. I've been to more weddings where the first dance song was Sinatra than all other songs combined. Sinatra is so much background to my youth and growing up, that I simultaneously enjoy him, and tune him out. My personal bias aside, it's nice to see him included in this list. I still enjoyed it, even the "kids these days are degenerates" anthem "Anything Goes". Favorite tracks: "Anything Goes", "I Thought of You", "You Make Me Feel So Young"

Ms. Dolly has quite the way of selling heartbreak. The few times the songs weren't about romance, I felt I didn't enjoy as much. "The Mystery of The Mystery" felt jarring in the middle of the other songs, and "Early Morning Breeze" felt more folk-pop than anything. Still, the rest of the songs are great and Ms. Dolly is a national treasure. Favorite tracks: "Coat of Many Colors", "Here I Am"

Big, anthemic, aims for the cheap seats and successfully nails them. I've never been a big "britpop" guy but Suede is convincing me otherwise (between this and the other album I've gotten from them on here, "Dog Man Star"). The Bowie inspiration is obvious, and I can definitely see The Smiths in this as well. Don't think the production is that great. Favorite tracks: "The Next Life", "So Young", "The Drowners"

Subdued. I got "Either/Or" previously, and found myself enjoying this one a bit more. I like it when the full band comes onto a track. At certain points, a little bland. Call it a 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Son of Sam", "L.A.", "Happiness", "Can't Make A Sound"

Weirdly, I've seen this movie before. I was young, had access to Netflix (the movie-mail version), and heard this movie was good? I remember nothing about it, aside from... just about everything going over my head. I do remember finding out about it through Air doing the soundtrack, which was a band I did (not) listen to at the time. So... yeah, I was a weird kid. This record is nice, but I think the problem is that it's supposed to compliment scenes in films. While it's good, it's background music. It's very Pink Floyd in their "Dark Side of the Moon" era-influenced. Favorite track: "The Word Hurricane"

Neil does a fantastic job conveying the moods he feels on the songs on this record. This record feels sad, drained, and worn down, all while being a wonderfully cohesive set of songs. Favorite tracks: "On the Beach", "Vampire Blues", "Revolution Blues"

Piano-driven, lyrically charged and focused. Tight performances. One of those "this record doesn't interest me much, but I definitely see why it's on this list" records. Favorite tracks: "Sleep to Dream", "Sullen Girl", "Criminal"

Soulful, spiritual. Feels very mature, laid back, but tightly controlled. I'm not particularly spiritual, so I could do without "Jesus", but it's still a great album overall. Favorite tracks: "Love to the People", "Hard Times"

A solid show, even if it's a few shows stitched together. I knew about Thin Lizzy before, but had never listened to what I heard past the songs on the radio. Excited to get one of their records on this list. The transition from "Cowboy Song" to "The Boys Are Back In Town" is fantastic. Favorite tracks: "Don't Believe A Word", "Dancing In the Moonlight", "Still In Love With You"

South Philly's finest. Black Thought is still one of the most underrated MCs in the game. The beats on this thing at certain points make me think of the best block party ever. A little long. Favorite tracks: "Thought @ Work", "The Seed"

Anthony, Andrew, and I took some mushrooms and tripped hard to an early Sabbath concert where Ozzy still had youth in his face that he hadn't destroyed with drugs yet. Then we turned on a Tom Jones record, and watched a industrial crusher destroy a bunch of toys on YouTube. We laughed our heads off. This record is still one of the most imitated, but never duplicated. Lightning stuck hard with this one. Favorite tracks: "Iron Man", "Faeries Wear Boots", "Electric Funeral"

The original kings of emo. Morrissey can be a little melodramatic, from envisioning himself being buried in a grave, to wanting to be involved in a fatal car accident, but his voice and Johnny Marr's reverb-drenched guitars add a certain morbid romance to the whole thing. Shame Morrissey's a massive cunt! Favorite tracks: "The Queen is Dead", "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out", "Bigmouth Strikes Again"

I think a lot of people are familiar with the "lost album" this album shares it's name, as well as possibly knowing the story about how it drove Brian Wilson mad. I can somewhat see why. I think "ambitious" isn't an ambitious enough word to describe the undertaking here. Each song changes phase so frequently it's tough to keep track of them. It's well arranged and flows well together, just maybe a little insane. Favorite tracks: "Heroes and Villans", "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow"

On one hand, I'm gonna be nice to this album, because it's one of my mom's favorites and I grew up on Ms. Bonnie Raitt. On another hand, this is the same time of corporate blues-rock that Clapton was putting out in the mid-eighties. It's boring, somewhat uninspired. Bonnie is a fantastic guitarist, and this record doesn't really do much to showcase it. Still, it gets a bonus, for my mom. Favorite tracks: "Nick of Time", "Cry On My Shoulder"

Where as "Actually" sounded very advanced and ahead of it's time, "Behavior" sounds a bit dated. I blame the late 80s/early 90s style of production I despise. I like the lyrical messages and choices on this record, just not the fake keyboard orchestra stabs. Favorite tracks: "Being Boring", "This Must Be the Place I Waited to Leave"

Just a solid album front to back. Despite being in the early nineties, this record sounds ahead of its time, as well as being a culmination of all of the darker synth-pop that had been released up to this point. Real vampire rave music. Plus, the album versions of "Personal Jesus" and "Enjoy the Silence" are fantastic. Favorite tracks: "Personal Jesus", "Policy of Truth", "Enjoy the Silence"

A building block to modern alternative rock. Noisy. I feel like this, and Sonic Youth in general, are more of a "vibe" band, to use a more modern description. It's great in the background, and Kim Gordon's voice is the definition of "cool", but I can only really appreciate what it helped to inspire. Favorite tracks: "Kool Thing", "Titanium Exposure"

A dance party that still sounds just as crazy and futuristic today. Fun, with quite an impressive guest list for a group making their debut. At times a little cheesy. Something that only really could have come out in the early 90s and gained traction. Favorite tracks: "Deee-Lite Theme", "Groove Is In the Heart"

Somewhere between root reggae and post-punk. Usually not for me, but I was enjoying the vibe. Favorite track: "Instant Hit"

Frantic. A very dark, cacophonous record. I appreciate the one brief reprieve of the flutes, but the addition of the flamenco guitar was a little jarring. Intense. Favorite track: "Group Dancers"

Dark, frantic, vibrant. Vocally very interesting. Very "cool". Driving music. I'd say the only downside is that it sounds a little hollow, needs more bass. Drums are great though. Favorite tracks: "Spellbound", "Halloween"

I'm about 400 albums into this list, and there's a lot of 80s pop. A lot. Ironically, despite being on this list, a lot of it is a little dime-a-dozen. This record, however, is pretty goddamn close to flawless. A solid range of sounds and moods, while remaining cohesive and extremely catchy. If there were more narrow ratings, I'd probably give this a 4.5, but I feel it's close enough to warrant the 5. Favorite tracks: "Head Over Heels", "Shout", "The Working Hour"

Without attempting to be too dismissive, it's kind of a dime-a-dozen indie rock band from the 00s. It's a little earlier, so it's possible it helped to inspire the wave, but all I'm really getting out of this is pleasant-enough U2 influence. Favorite tracks: "M62 Song", "Satelittes"

It's fine. In my early teens I really liked Korn but never listened to a full album, and eventually moved on to Deftones (the best band to ever, at one point, wear the "nu-metal" tag). It's a rough, full listen. I love the bass playing, and the singles, but it really starts to blend together after a while. Ice Cube really sounds like he phoned in his verse (his ad-libs are fun, though), and "All In the Family" is...uh... "dated". Favorite tracks: "Got the Life", "Freak on a Leash"

I'm either getting old, or this list is making me more of a country fan. A solid set of songs from front to back, and doesn't overstay its welcome at all. Favorite tracks: "The Last of the True Believers", "Love At the Five and Dime", "Fly By Night", "Lookin' For the Time"

Looking down the barrel of a 28-song record, I was surprised that it wasn't that hard to get through. I had a break at one point, but did still enjoy the record, despite the fact that there's some fat to trim here. The range of influences is nice, from the psychedelic-shoegaze of the Pumpkins' early careers, to some Spiritualized-esque near-ambient music, and even some dabbling in country, of all genres. That being said, the record can be a little schizophrenic, jumping from some extremely heavy songs to some very hushed, light songs with reckless abandon (see "Bodies" to "Thirty Three"). Favorite tracks: "X.Y.U.", "Porcelina of the Vast Oceans", "Bodies", "Zero"

Mellow, pleasant. A lot less electronic-heavy than the last album I got ("Felt Mountain"), though the influences are still there. A little sleepy, though I personally enjoyed the album's ending. Favorite tracks: "Caravan Girl", "Monster Love"

A strong debut. Don't think it's as solid-gold as the records later in the catalogue, but hints at the greatness to come. Favorite tracks: "The Book I Read", "Psycho Killer", "Pulled Up", "No Compassion"

An album that I could kind of tell what it sounded like, but not how much I would enjoy it. It's a little trippy, little weird. The first track had me worried I'd hate it, but the record really grew on me. For some reason, paints a vivid picture of hanging on someone's outdoor porch in the dead of summer: it's hot, sticky, warm, but the conversation is too interesting to really care. Favorite tracks: "The Body Breaks", "Will Is My Friend", "Fall"

As I've mentioned in my reviews of the other Who albums, never been a big fan. At least those albums ("Tommy" and "My Generation") I wasn't as familiar with. This record is not so lucky. Classic rock radio has beaten at least four of these to absolute death, so much so that when I saw the last two songs were "Behind Blue Eyes" and "Won't Get Fooled Again", I decided to spare myself. If I had known "Bargain" by the title, I would've skipped that one as well. Two of these songs both have similar enough melodies, albeit differing intensities, and to have them back to back is just poor design ("The Song is Over" and "Getting In Tune"). The other three songs are absolutely forgettable. The Who are a classic rock band that I've never understood why every radio station in America is required to play their music. I just wish they'd go away. Favorite track: "Won't Get Fooled Again"

I'm at odds with this record. Amy manages to blend a classic, 50s/60s girl group style vocal with blunt, vulgar, sometimes gaudy lyrics well. There's almost a fun shock when you get to a song like "Fuck Me Pumps". However, the backing instrumentals attempt to do something in the same vein to less success. The background instrumentals attempt to conjure images of those classic numbers, big band, and 90s/00s R&B, but it manages to sound poorly produced and heavily dated. Favorite tracks: "You Sent Me Flying/Cherry", "October Song"

I know this probably isn't everyone's bag, but I was raised on the Allman Brothers. This is probably the pinnacle of southern blues-rock. I'm not typically one for the long, drawn-out solos, but they all seem to work here. And "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" is one of the best modern instrumentals ever. Favorite tracks: "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed", "Whipping Post"

I'm a sucker for Latin jazz. Love the tracks with call-and-response hooks. Lot of energy. Wish it continued through the whole thing, but the bongo-solo song kind of lost me. Favorite tracks: "Billumba-Palo Congo", "Choferito-Plana"

I think from the moment "Perfect Skin" concluded I wasn't going to enjoy this record. As always, I finish each record on this, and this isn't any different. That time gave me a chance to distill what I didn't like about this record. This record sounds like it's full of songs that are destined to be TV theme songs (see: the "Friends" intro song). Lloyd Cole attempts a voice that I can only assume was supposed to be "seductive", but manages to be able as "seductive" as wallpaper paste. Lyrically, there are plenty of lyrics that felt like he went with the first idea that came to head and called it "good enough". When I was on the Wikipedia page for this record, the first thing you see is a quote from Lloyd Cole essentially insinuating that "Perfect Skin" is him trying to be Bob Dylan, and hinting that, "Dylan would've written it quicker". I'm not even a huge fan of Dylan, and I'm insulted on his behalf. I normally end each review with a "Favorite tracks", but gracefully all of these have slipped out of my mind. It's somewhere between yacht-ish yuppie rock, and the type of watered-down, corporate blues that Clapton was making in the 80s. No. No. Absolutely not.

I think what makes the Dead Kennedys one of my favorite punk bands is multifaceted, but a major point of that is that it's not just angry-three-chords. There's elements of surf rock and even some early horror stuff on this record. East Bay Ray is a fantastic guitarist and second to maybe only Joe Strummer. Jello Biafria's lyrics, sarcastic-yet-serious delivery really seals the deal as well. Favorite tracks: "California Uber Alles", "Kill the Poor", "Holiday In Cambodia", "Let's Lynch the Landlord"

Not my favorite Smiths record, despite having one of my favorite songs ("Stop Me"). Weirdly, I feel like Johnny Marr's presence is subdued a little here, and the addition of synths has made it sound a little dated. Favorite tracks: "Stop Me If You Think That You've Heard This One Before", "Girlfriend In a Coma"

Hard, fast. An album that flows well, almost a little too well. It's easy to get lost in the groove and not realize what track you're on. Think it finishes a bit weak, as well. Favorite tracks: "Chico's Groove", "One Too Many Mornings"

Just a solid set of progressive rock. The vocal harmonies are tight, the bass playing in particular is incredibly impressive. Each song moves in such a way that feels natural, but keeps you engaged. Favorite tracks: "Yours Is No Disgrace", "Starship Trooper"

I think we can all agree the Beatles are one of the greatest bands of all time, right? Then we can agree this album doesn't stand up compared to their older stuff. It should probably be on here, but it's not their best by a long shot: the songs are all variations of "I love my baby" or "I miss my baby", with some descriptions of very chaste romance. Compared to their later stuff, this is child's play. Favorite tracks: "A Hard Day's Night", "Can't Buy Me Love"

Heavily indebted to the Beatles and Beach Boys. With all due respect, I think if this didn't have the claim of "first ever rock opera", it wouldn't have made the list. Favorite tracks: "Balloon Burning", "I See You"

Just a blistering combination of jazz and rock. Sounds spontaneous yet controlled and methodical. The instrumentation is insane. Only one song on here I didn't particularly enjoy, luckily it's the shortest here ("Little Umbrellas"). Favorite tracks: "Willie the Pimp", "The Gumbo Variations"

This is definitely a rating about my own personal enjoyment of this record. There's no doubt it needs to be here. However, I personally find this album a bit bloated and indulgent. It's got hits, but leaves a lot more to be desired for me. Favorite tracks: "Baby I'm Gonna Leave You", "How Many More Times"

Peaceful, relaxing, meditative. Can't say I'm super familiar with this form of classical music, so I don't feel I can fairly critique it, but I enjoyed listening to it while it was on. Favorite track: "Bhoop"

Just a solid set of synthetic pop with an incredible voice and some 80s keyboard cheese. Think the front half is much stronger than the second half. Fantastic hooks. Favorite tracks: "The Sun Always Shines on TV", "Train of Thought", "Take On Me", "And You Tell Me"

The opposite of "groovy". Cool. I enjoyed it more than "Goo", but it's still not driving me crazy. At certain points, unbelievably pretentious. Favorite tracks: "Tom Violence", "Death to Our Friends"

Love Otis. Think the song choices here are good, just for the most part I appreciate the versions I'm more familiar with. I like the three Cooke choices, but it's really hard to top the king, yeah? Meanwhile, on the Rolling Stones choice, I love the energy and the passion thrown behind the song. Think it tops their version. Favorite tracks: "Satisfaction", "I've Been Loving You Too Long"

On one hand, I enjoy a lot of the lyrics and think a lot of the songwriting is top-notch. That being said, there are certain points where this album drags pretty hard. Most of the songs are lengthy when they don't really need to be. Still, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, especially after my lukewarm feelings on "Common People". Favorite tracks: "Like A Friend", "Seductive Barry", "The Fear"

I think it was midway through the second song that I realized that Jack Antinoff definitely had something to do with this. I wasn't a fan of the first song, but the rest of the album slowly won me over (save for maybe the two reprises). Reminds me of the shift Nelly Furtado made back in the mid 00s. Lorde is really the star here: her voice is great and the lyrics are, at the same time, personal yet totally relatable. Favorite tracks: "Perfect Places", "Sober", "Homemade Dynamite", "Liability"

What a gorgeous album. To say my usual of, "it blends [x] genres well," would be doing a disservice. It's amazing what Ray Charles is able to do here, between picking some real country weepers, changing them entirely, and keeping the soul of the songs. My only nitpick is the chorus: they're a little bland and sometimes bring down a song pretty heavily. Favorite tracks: "Half As Much", "Just a Little Lovin'", "Careless Love"

Incredible performance. I do believe that all of this was improvisational, as Jarrett's occasional whoops sound like he's even impressing himself. The valleys give way to amazing peaks.

When I was a kid, one of my go-to karaoke songs was "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". I never sat down to listen to the album proper, and honestly forgot about that until I did today. The record does a fantastic job of playing everything from shirt-rending wails of grief ballads, to drunken-knock-down-fight party songs. There's surprisingly little fat to trim here. It's also an impressive move to open a pop album with an 11 minute prog-ish song, and having it pay off is just another point in Elton John's favor. Favorite tracks: "Bennie And The Jets", "I've Seen That Movie Too", "Saturday Night's Alright", "Social Disease", "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"

Admittedly, pretty exhausting. The synth sounds range from "interesting" to "that hasn't aged well *at all*". Also contains one of the least sensual songs on sex I've ever heard. I can hear Rush being inspired by this. I feel like it'd make an interesting stage show, though. Favorite tracks: "In the Cage"

The first track is a little slow and seem like they don't actually want to start. Meditative, reflective. I like the use of dissonance during the whole thing, "Vibraphonissimo"

It's tough to describe why I enjoy this album. Listening to it, I realize that it's definitely not going to be for everyone, but it strikes a chord with me, having grown up on emo and screamo. I love the atmosphere, which the sparse instrumentation and Curtis' deep, macabre voice lends to. It's a downward spiral, it's depressing. I can understand where he's coming from, I think. Favorite tracks: "Heart and Soul", "Isolation"

I got this record after Joy Division's "Closer", and I feel like this record might have been pretty influenced by Joy Division's catalogue. It's post-punky, sparse. Still knows how to cut loose and turn up the volume, and having Karen O as a front woman never hurts. That being said, even as a passing fan of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, I'm a little surprised to see this record here. It's not bad, a little front loaded maybe, but I'm not particularly sure it's something I needed to hear. I appreciate the songwriting here, just didn't click with me as much as their debut did. Favorite tracks: "Heads Will Roll", "Soft Shock", "Skeletons"

It's fun getting this now when "Running Up That Hill" is surging up the charts again. That being said, this album goes way over my head. I zoned out a little in a few spots, and while I "appreciate" this album, I probably won't be listening again. Favorite tracks: "Running Up That Hill", "Under Ice"

Loud, boisterous, fun. Can be a little formulaic, but the formula seemed to work just fine, and the songs are short enough to where it isn't much of a drag. Favorite tracks: "Tutti Fruiti", "Rip It Up"

I like this record more when it's energy levels are higher. The varied instrumentation, including saxophone and piano, are nice. The slower, darker moments are also nice, though my attention is held more during the livelier tracks. Favorite tracks: "Of Lillies and Remains", "Dancing", "The Man With X-Ray Eyes"

Retro futuristic. I understand the impact this had on mainstream music, but Gary's voice can kind of start to get grating. Still, fun to dance the robot to. Favorite track: "Cars"

Normally not a reggae guy, but I really enjoyed this record. The vibe was great, I enjoyed the political angles of it, and the more laid-back angles too. Loved the inclusion of the flute, and loved the unique vocals (see "Tradition") Guess I should check some more real roots reggae. Favorite tracks: "Marcus Garvey", "Slavery Days", "Live Good"

An incredibly strong offering. Hate him or love him, Kanye West's fingerprints are all over this thing, and it only makes Jay Z stronger. His flows complimented with Kanye's "chipmunk soul" style beats is a deadly combination. The only time Jay shares the spotlight, I think it's stolen from him, especially since the beat on Renegades compliments Eminem's style a bit more than it does Jay Z (both put in fantastic verses, though). "Takeover" is an absolutely vicious diss. Favorite tracks: "Takeover", "Izzo", "Heart of the City"

Somewhere in the same velocity of Bowie and Sparks (and T. Rex). Where Bowie went weird and spacey with it, these guys seemed to keep it tight. The production on this thing is cacophonous, feeling like you can actively hear every single instrument used. Favorite tracks: "Out of the Blue", "Casanova"

Had no idea who this was until he started singing, then I realized he's one half of Steely Dan. A tight set of jazzy numbers, very lively. The almost bossa nova of "The Goodbye Look" is a little jarring. A little yuppie-ish, though I think I'll have the melody from "I.G.Y." stuck in my head for a while. Favorite tracks: "I.G.Y.", "New Frontier"

I was really big into that first Arctic Monkeys record, so I was familiar with the name of the Last Shadow Puppets, just not what they sounded like. Turns out: eh, not for me. It's almost like a classic western score, with the singer from AM on vocals. Just didn't do much for me. Favorite track: "The Chamber"

Long time music listener, first time glam rock enjoyer. Seriously, the 80s form of glam rock has never really jelled with me, but *man* did I enjoy this album. Sounds like it was made for huge stages and big festivals, insert your own crowd chanting while listening. I'm not sure if it's the use of the name "Rosalita" and the killer saxophone solo in "Ice Cream Summer", but man, it sounds just like Springsteen went glam. Early on in the record, I thought, "this isn't bad," and near the end I was super into it. Fuck it. I'm feeling generous tonight. Favorite tracks: "Mental Beat", "Tooting Bec Wreck", "Beating Gets Faster", "Ice Cream Summer"

Never been a big ska fan, so while I found this pleasant while it was on, I probably won't revisit it. Favorite tracks: "A Message To You Rudy", "Monkey Man"

Bowie ups the glam, also keeps some classic rock and roll in here. Massive shout outs to the backing vocalists and pianist, who put in some dazzling work on this record. Favorite tracks: "The Jean Genie", "Let's Spend the Night Together"

Raw, very cut loose but tight performances. Lovely harmonies throughout. Not my favorite of Neil Young's, but the spirit is there. Favorite tracks: "Love to Burn", "Mansion on the Hill"

It's rare you can find an album that captures two moods so well: there's a certain revelatory nature of the whole record; the beats are huge and have aged like fine wine while still capturing a time and place. At the same time, this record isn't as lackadaisical as it seems on the surface: there are plenty of shots to other rappers ("Come over here and let me suck your dick!") and just talks of hard living. G-funk is still a fantastic genre that only Dr. Dre seems to fully understand, and Snoop is in prime form on this record. Favorite tracks: "Lyrical Gangbang", "A Nigga Witta Gun", "The Next Episode"

Aerosmith is one of those bands that I feel like most people, when pressed, will admit that they don't mind them. It's fun, somewhat generic rock and roll that feels like it could've come out from any point after Led Zepplin took the stage. I went into this fully expecting to give it a middle-of-the-road score, but came away realizing I knew (and enjoyed) more songs on it, from the whooping "Love in an Elevator" to the weird ... keyboards? ... of "Janie's Got a Gun". Even recorded, Steven Tyler is an electric performer. Favorite tracks: "Love in an Elevator", "What It Takes", "The Other Side"

Ethereal. I've never really heard anything labeled "folktronica" before, but I enjoyed the vibe. Very peaceful. Feels like some fae creature singing to you in the middle of a clearing in the forest. Favorite tracks: "Modern Kosmology", "The Architect", "Valley"

I think I remember reading a review for a Little Richard album, saying that it was unfair to judge the album since Little Richard existed before the concept of an "album artist" was established. I feel the same for this. The songs were looking to fill a niche and weren't designed to be listened to back-to-back like this. If I were judging it that way, I'd say the songs get a bit repetitive (he mentions "20 notches in a pistol" in three songs I can remember), but he has a wonderful voice and paints a vivid picture. Favorite tracks: "Big Iron", "Saddle Tramp"

Say what you want about about this record, and the memeification of some of the songs, but man does this record hold up. Some of Green Day's strongest songcrafting, a huge step up in maturity while still managing to keep the sound and the fury. The types of rock here on display (classic pop-punk, emo punk, etc) keep each song feeling fresh, which helps especially when two songs have multiple movements inside of them. Favorite tracks: "Holiday", "Whatsername", "St. Jimmy"

You can really hear shades of what would come in the emo and pop-punk scenes throughout this record. There's a ton of flavors and different types of punk throughout this record, the only misstep being the sad-clown-anthem "These Hands". Favorite tracks: "Noise, Noise, Noise", "I Just Can't Be Happy Today"

Kind of reminds me of Phoenix or LCD Soundsystem if both bands weren't as... good. Let's call it what it is, this record feels very inconsequential. Overall forgettable. Favorite tracks: "Ullswater" "Boxing Day"

I think I can sat I enjoyed it, but it wasn't entirely for me. The production is immaculate, even today sounds great coming out of speakers. Just runs a little long for my taste. Favorite tracks: "Da Funk", "Around the World", "Alive"

Steely Dan goes pop. I can't say I've ever been a massive Steely Dan fan, but I preferred "Aja" to this. Still, the harmonies are great, the musicianship tight. Favorite tracks: "Night by Night", "With a Gun"

It's really hard to find a bad song or record through Metallica's first four. Loud, heavy, but absolutely gorgeous in spots when they peel away the overdrive and delve into more the classical pieces. Favorite tracks: "...And Justice for All", "One", "To Live is To Die"

I feel like the weakest part of the album are the instrumentals. They're all pretty, but sometimes they don't match up with Taylor's voice, creating something that just doesn't blend well together. The guests on here all do well, and Taylor's voice and lyrics range from passible to good. My favorite parts are where she dips into her country music roots. Favorite tracks: "No Body, No Crime", "Ivy", "Gold Rush"

The introduction really set the tone by making the album feel more personal. Can't think of a record that starts with one, but I love it here. This is some real tears-in-your-beer kind of music, but I am here for it. Lyrically, it's great, and vocally, it's superb. Ray Price is a hell of a singer, and really conveys those emotions directly into me. Also, holy hell, Willie Nelson on bass and backing vocals? Neat. Favorite tracks: "Night Life", "Sittin' and Thinkin'", "There's No Fool Like a Young Fool"

I was conscious of Adele and her meteoric rise, but never listened to anything I didn't glean from osmosis, like hearing "Rolling In the Deep" in several commercials. Gotta admit, she's good. Great voice control, very emotive. You can almost hear her smirk on "Rumour Has It". Good mix of styles of music (man, that bossa nova cover of "Lovesong" works pretty well), so much so that the one song that's country-esque makes me think she might've had something in that genre if she came up in the 70s. And in America. Favorite tracks: "Lovesong", "Rumour Has It", "Set Fire to the Rain"

It's a neat novelty idea, but that's all it really is: a novelty. Most of the tracks on here are covers, and while I can see where they were used in later rap, but anything other than that, it's unessential. Favorite track: "Last Bongo in Belgium"

Very future funk. I feel like the influence (Stevie Wonder) is so obvious you'd be forgiven from considering this a pastiche. It's good, talented, the whole record is just a little samey and not for me. Favorite track: "Hooked Up"

I think during the first song, I was confused as to what I was listening to, but it won me over by the second song. Some phrases that kept echoing through my head were: "Anti-David Bowie", "funk with no charisma"... It's weird, but it's like if Bowie was creating outsider music, almost. Favorite tracks: "Blockheads", "I'm Partial to Your Abracadabra"

I remember there being a book of bass tablature in the guitar shop I got lessons from that was strictly for this album. Naive, 12-year-old me flipped through it one day landing on "Sir Psycho Sexy" (of course, the tab book had lyrics). Years later, I finally got around to listening to the record, and it became my favorite RHCP record of their entire discography. Love them or hate them, this is RHCP firing on all cylinders, a well-oiled machine of funk rock, somewhere they would never really touch again. Flea absolutely puts work into this record, and John Frusciante creates wonderful soundscapes for Anthony Keidis to go into full white-boy-rock-funk mode. It's, in my opinion, a great album, the right combination of youth, drugs, and just fucking going for it. There's plenty of vulnerability on here too, with "Under the Bridge" remaining a very important track to me. A few songs could be described "misses" on this project, but they'd be the best songs on a lesser album, so they get a pass. Favorite tracks: "Sir Psycho Sexy", "The Power of Equality", "Under the Bridge", "Blood Sugar Sex Magik", "Suck My Kiss"

Pleasant, calm, hypnotic. Something I appreciate more than I truly "enjoy": it's fine, it just doesn't really do much for me. Favorite tracks: "Mitternacht", "Autobahn"

Man, there is just something with Paul Simon that doesn't agree with me at all. The record is fine, it's pretty, and the lyrics are very well written it's just so... chaste. Just not my thing. Favorite tracks: "Cecilia", "Baby Driver"

Imagine my surprise when I enjoyed the first few tracks of this record, and found out it was one of the members of the Jam, a band I've gotten two albums from on this list. I've been extremely whelmed by the Jam's 60s pastiche, but for some reason, Weller's solo Clapton (and occasional Dylan) pastiche is really working for me. The album is a little bloated, and the old man "Maybe the world will fix itself" ("Moon in your Pyjamas"), first-attempt-at-writing-a-meanful-song lyricisim can grate a little. But it's overall solid. Favorite tracks: "5th Season", "Sunflower", "All The Pictures on The Wall"

The moments this album loses me are the slower ones. It's already a very relaxed album, so the slower moments ("April 5th", "Chameleon Day") are so slow they border on catatonic. Still, despite the semi-yuppieness of this record, it's a fun, textured, catchy listen that I'll come back to. Favorite tracks: "Happiness Is Easy", "Life's What Your Make It", "I Don't Believe In You", "Give It Up"

Heavy, industrial, feel like there are also some dub influences here. Surprised I'd never heard of this before; feel like a band like Big Black or Failure would have worn copies of this record. Favorite tracks: "Wardance", "The Wait", "S.O.36"

Two things work really in favor of this album: the absolute cacophony of drums and Fiona's impassioned performance. I'm usually skeptical of recent albums on this list, but this record is just objectively good. Love the lyrics, really love the energy and intensity of this record. Favorite tracks: "Shameika", "Relay", "Heavy Balloon", "Drumset"

The infamous Black Album. Never been a huge fan of this one. Funnily enough, the ballads I like, I think my problem overall is this album just feels like it lost a little something. The tunes can be heavy, but they don't feel as crushing as the classic four do, and while lyrics were never the strong suit of Metallica, the lyrics here feel especially glaring. Also, a personal bias: I am sick to death of "Enter Sandman". "Sad But True" still gets a pass. Favorite tracks: "The Unforgiven", "Nothing Else Matters", "Sad But True"

It had me and lost me a few times. I like it when the album gets darker and a bit experimental, kind of reminds me of what Burial or Four Tet would be doing a decade later. Otherwise, it's occasionally pleasing-enough background music. It just never really feels cohesive, bouncing from sound palette to sound palette. Favorite tracks: "Something Wicked This Way Comes", "It's Business As Usual", "Dirty Barry"

Costello has always been a singles artist to me: I usually like one or two songs, but never really the whole album. This is the third Costello album I've gotten, and that hasn't really changed. He's fine, he knows how to write a hook, he just never keeps me for the full record. All that aside, the bass performance on this record is absolutely insane. Fucking gymnastics through this whole thing. Anyway, call this record a 3.5, it's my favorite Costello so far but not changing my overall opinion. Favorite tracks: "Lip Service", "Pump It Up"

It's a solid country-ish record with some nice psychedelic elements. Definitely feel the spirit of CSNY in certain spots. 75 minutes is a lot for any album, though. Favorite tracks: "Forget the Flowers", "Hotel Arizona", "Sunken Treasure"

I know people can see Jim Morrison as pretentious, and he is, but he does have the charisma to back it up. That charisma *bleeds* through this record, backed up by absolute powerhouses of musicians. This is their last record with Morrison before he passed, and it's a solid note to go out on. Bluesy, gruff, only one real dud ("L'America"). Favorite tracks: "L.A. Woman", "Love Her Madly", "Riders On the Storm", "Been Down So Long"

For someone who's become a big Neil Young fan through this, this record didn't do much for me. I liked it when it cut loose, but other than that it's a good example of acid folk with some heavier tendencies. Just didn't grab me. Favorite tracks: "Expecting to Fly", "Rock and Roll Woman"

The 80s were draped in excess, and no band really indulged quite the way that Guns N' Roses did. For fucks sake, there's a woman being fucked on the bridge of one of these songs ("Rocket Queen"). It can be a bit formulaic (aside from the ballads), but it's still just as adrenaline-surging as always. There's a reason Axl Rose is such a known figure, and why Slash has launched so many kids to check their local Guitar Center. Favorite tracks: "It's So Easy", "Sweet Child O' Mine", "My Michelle", "Nighttrain"

Subdued, yet celebratory. Love the influences on this thing, and the production is crisp and nice. Think it gets a smidgen navel-gazey at times, but otherwise it's solid. Favorite tracks: "Bow", "Stop Dem", "Miracles"

Far out, man. It's fine enough when it's on, the use of synthesizer is a pretty big step forward. Aside from that, most of the record is in the vein of Jefferson Airplane, the Beatles, or the Doors (the last song of which is so Doors it hurts my teeth). Favorite tracks: "The Garden of Earthly Delights", "Where is Yesterday", "Stranded In Time"

My old boss used to say that, if the Kinks hadn't been banned in America, they would've been as big as the Beatles. I think this album does a good job backing that claim up. Hooks for days. Maybe not as progressive as the Beatles were at the time, but you can tell there's a non-zero chance that they could find their way there. Favorite tracks: "Yes Sir, No Sir", "Brainwashed", "Young And Innocent Days"

My god, this thing is sooooo looooong. I have a bias coming into this record about being lukewarm on Zeppelin, but man is 80min of Zeppelin *a lot* for me. Most of the songs, they find one or two grooves and latch on for sometimes 11 minutes(!!). I'm also not entirely convinced that Robert Plant is singing, mostly just moaning sexually. And hey, I don't really mind if stuff gets sexual, but Christ do I not like Plant on this record. Luckily, a few songs later in the album prevent this from being a one-star, but man, was it close. Favorite tracks: "Ten Years Gone", "The Wanton Song"

This is the third Kate Bush album I've gotten on here and I've grown to appreciate her. I'm not a huge fan or anything, but you have to admit that she's incredibly unique in both instruments, vocals, and lyrics. I really enjoyed the chorus of backing vocals on two of the tracks. Favorite tracks: "Love and Anger", "Deeper Understanding"

I've seen most people think Nirvana killed glam, but this seems like the more obvious link to me. It's got the tones and fun of glam, but it's much more... dangerous. There's like a druggy, unnerving edge to this. Dave Navarro's guitars are great, the rhythm section puts in so much work, and Perry Farrell makes for an electrifying performer. It's like glam metal meets Aerosmith, with the heroin sensibilities of grunge. Favorite tracks: "Ted, Just Admit It...", "Mountain Song", "Jane Says", "Oceansize"

Lots of fun. Super bouncy and driving, love the bass and surf-guitar. Think it's a little front-loaded, but not enough to not enjoy. Favorite tracks: "Our Lips Are Sealed", "This Town", "Tonite"

Love the stripped back instrumentation. Adds just enough body, but still leaves the focus on Gil's poetry. Think it all works really well together. Favorite tracks: "H2O Gate Blues", "Your Daddy Loves You", "The Bottle"

Another great record from CCR. I think my biggest complaint, is that CCR is more of a singles band. That being said, the jams on here are tasty. Favorite tracks: "Born on the Bayou", "Proud Mary", "Penthouse Pauper"

A pleasant surprise. The first few tracks I wasn't super into, but once the album really kicked in, I was totally into it. Very retro-futuristic. Not sure how much I enjoyed John Lydon's performance, but enjoyed the other performance. Favorite tracks: "Melt", "Song of Life", "Space Shanty", "Storm 3000"

Nice, relaxing. Even if it was released over twenty years ago, it still has certain elements that make it sound futuristic. Think I appreciate the instrumentals more than I do the tracks with a guest rapper on them. It's good mood music, with the mood being "walking around in a light drizzle while stoned". Favorite tracks: "Bladerunners", "To the Moon's Contractor"

Abso-fucking-lutely. Just a great, strong, heavy album. I am totally in love with the plethora of percussion instruments on this record; the breakdown for "Breed Apart" did NOT need to go that heavy, but I'm glad it did. Praise aside, it's a bit of a long one, and while there are flourishes of texture, it can be a little repetitive at times. Still, phenomenal album. Favorite tracks: "Breed Apart", "Ratamahatta", "Roots Bloody Roots", "Itsari"

All horrific accusations aside (yes, I know, bad start)... this album is just tight. Shouts out to Louis Johnson, who played bass on this record, for putting the entire thing on his whole back. Jesus Christ, just listen to the bass line in "Get On the Floor" and tell me that's not magic. The whole album is a bit frontloaded with the party jams, but the wide variety of genres is refreshing. Favorite tracks: "Get On the Floor", "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough", "Off the Wall"

Pleasantly surprised: I don't normally enjoy britpop, but I love the punk edge put on this record. Think the front half is a lot stronger than the second half, and it seems to run out of steam near the end, but love the occasional noise and the occasional pop-punk sounds on this one. Favorite tracks: "Line Up", "Annie", "Connection", "Waking Up", "S.O.F.T."

It's not hard to see why Kid Rock was such a cultural force during the late 90s/early 2000s. There's a ton of charisma on this record, mixed with Kid Rock's "redneck pimp" character. There's a large swath of genres blended here, though country and country rock blends with metal and rap more often than not. Kid Rock is fine enough on the mic, though he is absolutely blown out of the water by the best white MC to ever grace the game on "Fuck Off". It's more a time capsule than anything: where I appreciate that it's here in order to tell the story of nu-metal in the late 90s, I think there are better examples of the genre. Also, how the fuck does Holland-Dozier-Holland have a writing credit on this record? Did they come up with the "blow bubbles up your asshole" line, or the "your girl is sucking my cock while I'm taping it" one? Favorite tracks: "Cowboy", "Bawitdaba", "Wastin' Time"

Very, very raw. There are some spirited performances on here, but I feel like I'd probably not want to see this if it were at a bar. Favorite track: "Rebellious Jukebox"

Listen, I don't mind a jam session. I'm not *that* huge into the Grateful Dead, but I can appreciate them. There's elements of noise rock and psychedelic here, but man, they find one chord progression and beat it into a grave, don't they? Yes, yes, the lyrical topics were extremely progressive for their time, but there's got to be more than that, especially when the vocals are buried beneath everything else. I thought this album would escape my one-star graveyard, but then "Sister Ray" started to drag on and I realized, with growing horror, that it was going to go on forever. This is just my purgatory, I guess. "Suckin' on his ding-dong," eh, Lou?

Sparse, but works really well. Springsteen's lyrics do a wonderful job of painting pictures of various characters, which might be lost with a full band performance. Favorite tracks: "Atlantic City", "Jonny 99", "Open All Night"

Nirvana's "Nevermind" were famously produced "like pop songs". "In Utero" clearly aims to not be that. While the production on here is still great, the rhythm section is wielded as a cudgel, while Kurt creates a one-man wrecking crew of noise and abrasion. Even the most "poppy" song on here is not-safe-for-radio, the harshly named "Rape Me". Favorite tracks: "Tourette's", "Serve the Servents", "Milk It", "Dumb"

Very psychedelic. I like the flourishes of other music, as well. It's a quick album, captures the era, just didn't really do much for me one way or the other. Favorite tracks: "Onde Andaras", "Soy Loco Por Ti America"

The instrumentation is sparse, and it's been years since I spent time on Duolingo French, so this album doesn't really do much for me. It's not offensive, by any means, but if the focus of this record is going to be the story and lyrics, I need to be able to understand it. Favorite tracks: "Ah Melody"

A solid set of pretty well-worn country ballads, and some more uptempo numbers as well. The last song ("Private Lives"), I more enjoyed for the unorthodox subject matter, don't think I've heard a "gossip column" teardown song before. Favorite tracks: "Borrowed Angel", "Mary Don't Go Round", "The Grand Tour"

It's not bad, early pop-punkish right there with the likes of Buzzcocks. The singer's voice, to someone who is usually good at not being "annoyed" by singing styles, can get a little irritating due to how "snotty" it is. I like it when he gets pretty guttural on "Ugly". Also, they typically find one chord progression and beat it to the ground. It caused me to zone out a bit. None of this is offensive, and I like the multi-part closing track, but none of this is... super memorable. "Peaches" is a weird track, too. A punk-rock ass-anthem. Strange. Favorite tracks: "Princess of the Pack", "London Lady", "Down In the Sewer"

The concept is neat. The instrumentation is sparse, but it's not the main point: the lyrics, tied with Nick Cave's frightening baritone is. It's a solid album that (aside from all the murder) swaps up the music enough to stay interesting. Favorite tracks: "Where the Wild Roses Grow", "The Curse of Millhaven"

Very R.E.M., if R.E.M. had a lot more punk backbone. It's a long album, and the songs don't really shift up from point A to point B, so it gets tiring to listen to. There's also really no connecting thread through the record, so it's just a bunch of songs together. None of this makes it terrible, but it doesn't make me want to revisit anything aside from the tracks I liked. Favorite tracks: "Ice Cold Ice", "Friend, You've Got to Fall", "Tell You Why Tomorrow"

I like Elvis, just seems like a pretty tight concert to me. Didn't do much more for me than that. Favorite tracks: "I'll Hold You In My Heart", "Any Day Now"

It demands too much presence to be "ambient", while the songs find one progression they like and continue to beat it into the ground for six, sometimes seven whole minutes. I like a lot of electronica, but it's the first record I've received in a while where I was pretty desperate to stop listening to it.

Let me get my snarky, probably-not-original joke out of the way real quick: "Is This It?" Yeah, I guess it is. Anyway, I recently finished "Meet Me In the Bathroom" by Elizabeth Goodman recently (fantastic, by the way), and it's a great oral history of the period of rock-music-history that helped to create this record. People were *hyped* for this thing, and it ended up getting a lot of other NYC based bands signed as well. As for my personal opinions? It's fine. The guitars on the record are great, but for an album surrounded by such rock mythos, apparently created while the members were living the true rock-and-roll lifestyle, it's actually kind of subdued. It gets some more pulse later in the record, but that's on the very last track. I've never really seen what the deal is about the Strokes, and this hasn't done all that much to change my mind. Favorite track: "Hard To Explain"

I'm tough on the Clapton records on this list; a lot of his solo records on this list border on his yuppie 80s rock. This, however, is just a solid blues record. Love the horns, love the organ, and Clapton is absolutely ripping through this album. If I had one minor complaint, it's that John Mayall's voice is a little weaker than needed for some of the notes, but it's never so bad it's offensive. Favorite tracks: "Hideaway", "What'd I Say", "Have You Heard"

I enjoyed it. Reggae is one of those genres I never seek out, but enjoy enough when it's on. It's good background music, but never really does much more for me. Still, solid. Favorite tracks: "Why Must I Cry", "Ketchy Shuby", "Till Your Well Runs Dry"

Lively performances, makes for good background or tea/coffee music. It's solid, just nothing I think I'll revisit. Favorite tracks: "Water From An Ancient Well", "Sameeda"

Björk continues to elude me. I like the concepts, I like the atmosphere, but she makes albums that seem to demand multiple listens to unlock everything, and I'm just not that deep into it. I do love the choral vocals and the various flavors of electronic music on here, however. Favorite tracks: "It's Not Up to You", "Aurora"

It's a solid album. Of course the harmonies are gorgeous. I don't think CSN really hit their apex until they added Y, but that doesn't mean this isn't worth a gander, either. Favorite tracks: "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes", "Wooden Ships", "49 Bye-Byes"

The Springsteen influence is palpable, but I don't really think it holds up to that comparison. Springsteen, even during his ballads, has a lot more energy. There's also some notes of Arcade Fire in here, as well. That being said, the production is nice, and I like some of the soundscapes throughout the record. Favorite track: "An Ocean In Between the Waves"

A gorgeous indie album that doesn't sound like it's trying to sell me clothing (a rarity in the 00s indie scene). There's a wide swath of instruments on here, and it almost makes it feel like it's a stage play. It also sounds like it'd be a wonderful road trip record. That being said, it loses a little steam at the end and could've made due with some fat-trimming. Favorite tracks: "Casimir Pulaski Day", "Chicago", "Jacksonville", "John Wayne Gacy, Jr."

Moody, dark, yet somehow still very catchy and weirdly sexy (just me?). I don't think this is their apex, I think they hit that with "Violator", but this is still just a solid record. Love the use of sampling throughout, as well as the atmosphere. Favorite tracks: "Never Let Me Down Again", "To Have and To Hold", "Behind the Wheel"

There really is only one word to describe it, and that's "cool". It's just a solid record, and I love the constant use of dissonance throughout. Favorite tracks: "Moon Dream", "Boplicity"

I gave "The Soft Bulletin" a 5 star but this one didn't click with me like that one did. It's a little more left-field. The production is great, but sometimes works against the songs with how kitchen-sink it can be. Favorite track: "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1"

Just a solid collection of soulful, big band and jazz adjacent music. Favorite tracks: "Deed I Do", "Just For a Thrill", "It Had to Be You"

Radiohead start to shake off the 90s grunge/alternative with this one. It's not bad, has a few duds, but for some bands, this might be a peak. For Radiohead, this is only the beginning. Favorite tracks: "High and Dry", "Fake Plastic Trees", "Just"

I don't mind music that's sparse, music that leaves a lot of space for your mind to fill in. The only way I can describe this record is like eating a fistful of CBD with no THC: all the couch lock laziness with none of the fun "seeing colors" stuff. It's sleepy, lazy (but purposely so), but I can't say I loathe it. It's definitely not for me. It's definitely for someone who writes at Pitchfork. To me, there's way too much space between everything and I just can't get behind it. Favorite track: "Intro", "Basic Space"

I definitely enjoyed this record more than "Frank". The production on this record is a lot better, with Amy's voice always at the center and in hard focus. The instruments have a bit more of a modern flair to them, while still managing to invoke the girl groups of the Motown era, mixed with the hedonistic lyrics of later rock and roll (the Stones come to mind). Favorite tracks: "You Know I'm No Good", "Back To Black", "Tears Dry On Their Own"

Yeah something about Neil Young just clicks with me super well. It's not my favorite project from him, but call it a solid 4.5. Favorite tracks: "Down By the River", "Cinnamon Girl"

Bizarre and kitschy in all the right ways. Not sure what's in the drinking water in Athens, Georgia, but it makes some truly fun music. Favorite tracks: "52 Girls", "Rock Lobster"

It's difficult to describe how important this record was to a 15-year-old me. The angular rhythms, Chris Cornell's growl-into-a-wail, it all just made sense to me. Still does. I haven't listened to this record in years, but man, these tracks still kill. I'd say I'm biased based on my youth, but I revisited another album that was important to me when I was younger (Franz Ferdinand's self titled), and that one didn't hold up. Everything about this one still works for me. Favorite tracks: "Limo Wreck", "The Day I Tried to Live", "My Wave", "4th of July"

Ridiculous, mind-bending riffs that border on orchestral at certain points. An incredible thrash record. Favorite tracks: "Tornado of Souls", "Five Magicks"

Crazy dark, lots of space left on this record. Very eerie and jagged. Favorite track: "Bitches Brew"

Jangly rock n roll. Always been more of a Beatles guy, myself. Favorite tracks: "Sympathy for the Devil", "Parachute Woman"

A solid country record with some modern (and retro) twists. The influences range from Dusty Springfield to what sounds like Daft Punk? Pretty nuts and caught me totally by surprise. Favorite tracks: "Slow Burn", "Butterflies", "Space Cowboy", "High Horse"

I'm writing this about ten minutes after listening to this record, and I can't say I remember much. I remember some reggae and dub influences, mixed with some modern-ish techniques. Honestly, the whole package was a little bit yacht-rock-ish to me. The performances are listless, just very wallpaper. I think I can say I enjoyed "Supreme I Preme", because it was a least a little bit interesting. But the more I thought about it, the more I began to feel that there's no way this album should be here.

I feel pretentious by enjoying this record, but it's got a good, solid groove throughout. It's like progressive rock, with a heavy jazz influence thrown in. I can see why people might not enjoy it, but I enjoyed how mellow it was. The instruments build particularly well throughout the whole thing, though they may get a little lost in the weeds on "Bel Air". Favorite track: "Future Days"

Just a solid punk record. Doesn't stay longer than it needs to. Plus, Ian MacKaye gets a thumbs up from me in every form. Favorite tracks: "Sob Story", "It Follows"

Somewhere between Bowie and Talking Heads. Notes of post-punk too. Just didn't grab me at all. Favorite track: "Re-Make/Re-Model"

This is the third or fourth Costello record I've gotten and I'm starting to feel bad. He really should click with me, but I can't get anything below the surface level with him. It's pleasant enough when it's on, just nothing I enjoy enough to go out of my way to listen on my own. Favorite tracks: "Allison", "Blame It On Cain", "I'm Not Angry"

Adding David Crosby didn't do much here, except turn the Byrds into a poor man's CSNY. The most interesting part of the Byrds was how they always seemed to get incredible members and make boring music. Favorite track: "What's Happening?!?!?"

Genuinely surprised how much this reminds me of The Smiths. It's good, just think R.E.M. would hit their stride on later albums. Favorite tracks: "Radio Free Europe", "Laughing", "Sitting Still"

Gorgeous, heavy blistering shoegaze-y noise with just a pinch of psychedelia. It's a bit long, and I think the record could've ended after "Spaceboy", but it's still a solid album throughout. Call it 4.5 stars. Favorite tracks: "Hummer", "Disarm", "Soma"

Really just doesn't get much better than this, when it comes to gansta rap. I'm biased, because my youth was spent running around shouting the lyrics to "Gimme the Loot". But the beats are still incredibly fresh, and Big's rhyming and flow are still unmatched. Favorite tracks: "Gimme the Loot", "Machine Gun Funk", "Juicy", "Suicidal Thoughts"

Just a solid blues album. I always enjoy when you can hear the crowd, especially in blues recordings. Super fun. Favorite tracks: "Got My Mojo Working Part 1", "Baby, Please Don't Go"

Cheesey in certain spots, but it'd be difficult to deny this still goes surprisingly hard. The lyrics can be a little basic, but they get a pass for the amount of passion and energy put into them. Favorite tracks: "30 Days", "It's Like That", "Hard Times"

Just a solid, noisy, angry punk record. Shades of everything from Judas Priest to Ministry. Think it loses a little steam near the end, but I was surprised how much I enjoyed the whole thing. Favorite tracks: "Bad Houses", "Stinking Drunk", "Fists of Love"

I think this album broke me similar to how "Everywhere At the End of Time" did. I think it's akin to watching a horror movie on acid. I'm not going to pretend I enjoyed it, or even liked it, but it made me feeling something. Mounting dread. Horror. But that's what it's going for, isn't it? Favorite(?) track: "E-Coli"

Shimmery, sparse. Early on into the record, I came to the conclusion that this is music you listen to, wine-drunk, in the bathtub, while slipping under the water. It's depressing, but quietly so. I enjoyed it quite a bit more than I thought I would, but it's not anything I plan to revisit. Call it a 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Tulsa Jesus Freak", "Not All Who Wander Are Lost", "Dark But Just A Game"

It's fun to trace a path from Rubber Soul to Sgt. Pepper's. There's still a twee-ness about certain aspects of this record, but the experimental side (be it the psychedelic aspects, or Harrison's flirtation with Asian/Indian music) is really just something to behold. The straightforward tracks are still good, the experimental ones are just super fun. Favorite tracks: "Taxman", "I'm Only Sleeping", "And Your Bird Can Sing", "Tomorrow Never Knows"

This thing has hooks for days, but often they're kind of "annoying earworm" type hooks. Very AC/DC, Aerosmith. Very, very shiny. I went into it with an open mind: I love "Photograph", but *loathe* "Pour Some Sugar On Me". Unfortunately, this record is more the latter. Aims for the cheap seats, and every track is way, way too long. Am I excited? Nah, not really. Favorite track: "Armageddon It"

Just a solid pop record. Good melodies. My one coworker says The Kinks would've been bigger than the Beatles in America had they not been banned. I've always been skeptical, still am, but I can see this record being big. Favorite tracks: "Waterloo Sunset", "Harry Rag", Afternoon Tea", "Tin Soldier Man"

Fun, lively. I thought the album was great when it leaned heavily into the latin feel, and I wasn't as thrilled with the rapping. Felt a little cheesy. Favorite tracks: "Nadie Te Tira", "Believe"

Smooth, soulful. Easy to get caught up in the groove. I think the earlier part of "By The Time I Get to Phoenix" is a little boring, personally, but once it kicks in it's more pleasant. Favorite track: "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic"

Glammy, rambunctious. I liked the summation of turkey finale. Just not my cup of tea. Favorite track: "School's Out"

I kind of came into consciousness around this time, and I vaguely remember seeing this artwork. I also remember this was the time when albums were *packed*. I'm not sure if it was an effort to pack them so they had a better shot at a hit, but man, this thing could easily be cut in half and be a much, much better record. There's so much stuff on here that just... doesn't need to be. The first few tracks are good. The production is good. But man, is this thing bloated. Favorite tracks: "The Art of Noise", "Livin' Again"

Of course I've heard this album before. Each song on this thing has been played at different points in my life. It's not my favorite album, but I think it's difficult to deny just how fucking awesome this thing is. Favorite tracks: "Bat Out of Hell", "Paradise By the Dashboard Light", "Two Outta Three Ain't Bad"

Pleasant enough, just didn't really do much for me. Favorite track: "Pacific Ocean Blue"

Kind of reminds me of Springsteen, weirdly. Heavy on the traditional folkiness, but I enjoy it when it's more upbeat, even if those moments run on a little long. Favorite track: "We Will Not Be Lovers"

If you've turned on classic rock radio ever, you know at least three-fourths of this album. It's an album that's permeated the cultural knowledge so thoroughly, I don't think anyone could ever provide an objective review. I'm not huge into Zeppelin, but even I know these songs kick major ass. My spicy take, however, is that "Battle of Evermore" keeps this one from being perfect, at least in my book. Favorite tracks: "Stairway to Heaven", "When The Levee Breaks", "Four Sticks"

Simultaneously blink-and-you'll-miss-it and just... a lot. The songs are short, but about 30 into this 45-song project, and you've got a great idea of the Minutemen sound and vibe. It's jokey, yet sometimes serious, and overall pretty fun. Just also overall pretty long. Definitely a "pick your favorites and move on" type of record. Favorite tracks: "Corona", "Viet Nam", "History Lesson Part 2", "It's Expected I'm Gone", "This Ain't No Picnic"

Fun, lively, huge beats. Fades into the background a little at times. Favorite tracks: "The Rockafeller Skank", "Kalifornia", "Praise You"

Most of the pretension of U2, maybe about half the atmosphere. Whenever the bass was the focal point, it very rarely felt like it was playing along to the same song. Didn't hate it, just won't revisit. Favorite track: "Tinseltown In the Rain"

I remember when looking at the Wikipedia for this book, I was surprised at how Woody Guthrie didn't have an album on here (he does have music recorded, after all). If this is as close as it'll get, I don't mind. I previously got "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" on here and discovered I really enjoyed it, but I'm not as familiar with Billy Bragg. I think the idea is great and it's executed well. Despite the fact that Guthrie has been dead nearly 100 years, he can still connect. Even being... let's say agnostic, I enjoyed the pro-Jesus anti-politician "Christ For President". My, how times have changed, eh? Favorite tracks: "Way Over Yonder In a Minor Key", "At My Window Sad and Lonely", "I Guess I Planted", "Christ For President"

It's fun to hear Rod Stewart front a heavier band than I'm used to hearing. Reminds me of Aerosmith a little. Still, very middle of the road for me. Favorite tracks: "Memphis", "Miss Judy's Farm"

Album #3 from PJ Harvey for me and... yeah, it kicks so much ass. Surprising, seeing as how her other entries on this list haven't been anywhere near as memorable (to me, at least). Raw, incredible use of dynamics... Just blown away, really. Favorite tracks: "Rid of Me", "Missed", "Rub 'Til It Bleeds", "50ft Queenie"

I kind of realized I was in for something when I saw the band name is "Jah Wobble's Invaders of the Heart". I was, however, expecting some roots reggae, not... this. I guess my one thought is, who is this for? It's a hodgepodge of various "world" sounding music, some occasional speak-singing by a guy who is absolutely Pretentious with a capital "P". "The word 'fun' was invented by soft drink companies"... my god, if my eyes could roll any harder, I'd be fucking blind. The only person I can imagine this "influenced" might be Sting, since I can draw a parallel between this and "Desert Rose" of vague/pseudo-deep-sounding ""world"" music. It doesn't deserve to be anywhere near this list. It's infuriating. It's beige wallpaper trying to pass itself off as a mosaic.

Middle of the road for me. Quite the mood. Nick consistently has a wonderful voice, but this album is so subdued it sometimes fades too far into the background. I think it's pretty good overall, for what it's worth. Favorite tracks: "Into My Arms", "Brompton Oratory"

Hey, a Paul Simon record I actually somewhat enjoyed. I feel like it's got enough flirtations with world music to be interesting, but not over-the-top. The production is also pretty nice, very warm. Seeing as how this is my fourth Paul Simon record on the list so far, maybe he's breaking me, or maybe this is just the only one I enjoyed. Call it a 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Duncan", "Papa Hobo"

If David Bowie was playing a character from Mars, Talking Heads are playing characters (and music) from planets that haven't received actual names yet. Super fun, weirdly, oddly funky. Favorite tracks: "Life During Wartime", "Heaven", "Animals"

When it locks into a good groove, it's great. Can get a little bit lost in the weeds, though. Favorite tracks: "Bombast", "Paintwork", "Cruiser's Creek"

Mildly pretentious, though as much as I found the protest song a little full of itself, I still think it had a catchy melody. The vocals alternated between annoying me and genuinely enjoying them. Very 90s. Don't think I'll be revisiting it. Favorite tracks: "You Just Have to Be Crazy", "The Shining Hour"

It's pretty cool that everyone on here is a singer and songwriter, though it does make it feel slightly less cohesive. Nice heavy blues and psychedelic notes. Favorite tracks: "Changes", "Omaha", "Fall on You"

I've been getting a lot of records lately that I couldn't possibly be biased on. This is one of my dad's favorites, so much so that I have quite a few memories of listening to this in the car when the remaster came out. It's a solid record, very spiritual, with a huge cast of fantastic backing musicians. "Epic" is probably a strong word but it's what I'd use to describe the scope. Maybe somewhere on the same level as "Pet Sounds", just not as well remembered. Could it have done with some trimming? Sure. But man, it's a solid record even without that. Favorite tracks: "All Things Must Pass", "Wah-Wah", "My Sweet Lord", "I Dig Love"

I enjoyed the first half of this album a bit more than the second half. Dylan tends to go long whenever it's just him and a guitar, plus he sounds so much livelier when he's backed up by a band. Still, all solid. Favorite tracks: "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream", "Outlaw Blues", "Maggie's Farm"

LL Cool J has charisma in droves. He's got some weird song topic choices here ("Milky Cereal"), and the beats are sometimes sparse, but his ability carries it. Favorite tracks: "Mama Said Knock You Out", "Around The Way Girl", "To Da Break of Dawn"

I think anyone my age or a little older will remember this album was *everywhere*. Hell, I still hear the main three songs ("Kids", "Electric Feel", "Time to Pretend") pretty consistently. Do I like it? ...Eh. It tries stuff. A few of the songs attempt having multiple parts instead of the standard verse-chorus arrangement. But sometimes they succeed ("Of Moons, Birds, and Monsters") and sometimes they don't ("The Handshake"). It's fun, synth-driven psychedelia. That being said, I could easily go the rest of my days without hearing "Time to Pretend" again. Favorite tracks: "Electric Feel", "Of Moons, Birds, and Monsters"

If you listen to anything earlier from the Beach Boys, I think it'll just show the distance they went from there til here. Insanely lush, gorgeous, and dynamic. Favorite tracks: "God Only Knows", "Sloop John B", "Don't Talk"

The album doesn't really meet the high that the title track gives. A lot more of solo singer songwriter stuff than I was anticipating. Favorite tracks: "American Pie", "Babylon"

Initial reactions thought it would be more country heavy, but it's actually a gorgeous mix of country, folk, psychedelia, and what would later be termed "yacht rock". It's just all around pretty, reminds me of a trippier John Denver or Beach Boys. Favorite tracks: "Silver Raven", "No Other", "Some Misunderstanding"

I really like the style and vibe, and I'm sure it's been said before, but I really miss the bass guitar. Feels a bit hollow without it. Also, the production on the remastered version of this is... not great. Favorite tracks: "Garbageman", "Mystery Plane"

God I hate giving this album a one but it's just so... all over the place. It meanders constantly. The jazziness is definitely noticeable, but it doesn't save the record from getting super boring. The songs are long, and it all just feels like a marimba-heavy jam session that got recorded and Tim Buckley said, "Yeah, good enough, send it." Just... not for me, I guess.

So I usually joke about how I hate production from around this year for sounding too cheap and fake but maaaaaan. What a fucking record. The production sounds of-its-time but it only makes the record stronger. Pretty much every song is a bop. Also, I'm not usually one for slow, sex jams, but "Someday Is Tonight" is making me feel some sort of way. Shout out to Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Holy shit. Favorite tracks: "Rhythm Nation", "Someday Is Tonight", "Black Cat", "Love Will Never Do"

The Kate Bush influence is very apparent, in a sense blending her avant-garde style with more alternative rock leanings. I love how forward the piano is in the mix, I think it adds a lot to the music. It's very 90s, lots of angst, very heavy, both topically and musically. Favorite tracks: "Precious Things", "Mother", "Leather"

This is a record I feel like I can't possibly separate my biases from. I've read "Johnny Cash: A Life" and the story behind this record is really interesting, and the music is great as well. Ruminations on life from a man not long for this world. Very powerful. If I could make one complaint, I don't think the guest vocalists were necessary. They're all solid vocalists, but would've probably been better just being Johnny's album. Favorite tracks: "Hurt", "In My Life", "We'll Meet Again"

Listen, I've seen Radiohead live. I ate an edible, they played "How to Disappear Completely", and it broke me a little. No way I can be objective here. It's a good album. It's "experimental" in the way that word should convey, instead of "this is noise we are passing off as music". It definitely shouldn't be anyone's first foray into Radiohead, but overall it's a gorgeous, detached, depressed album. Favorite tracks: "How to Disappear Completely", "Treefingers", "Everything In Its Right Place", "Motion Picture Soundtrack"

Say what you will about Jim Morrison and the Doors, the man truly performs like a man possessed. Pretentious lyrics aside, he had "it", whatever that is. Also, the Doors had a sound that I don't think many bands have ever been able to truly match. The organ-heavy sound has been copied multiple times, but I don't think they ever come close to what the Doors were doing. Favorite tracks: "Soul Kitchen", "Break on Through", "The End"

Well, wasn't expecting that. Very sparse but with big performances, especially vocally. I don't think you can miss what the subject matter is, and I think vocally Anohni just nails the right mix of vulerable and strong. It may have not been created for me (as a straight cis guy), but I'm very happy it's here. Favorite tracks: "Bird Gehrl", "You Are My Sister", "Fistful of Love"

It's a difficult album to describe because it may be one of those "you had to be there" moments in order to fully "get" it, without trying to sound too pretentious. When "Somebody Told Me" dropped, the Killers were everywhere overnight. I wasn't a crazy big fan, but I do remember enjoying that song. I actually found this record around college, and it clicked, "Oh, this was what all the hype was about." It's not anything mind-blowing, but all of the songs on here are solid songs, and there's plenty of variety to keep one interested: from the sleezy "On Top" to somber cuts including "Jenny Was a Friend of Mine" and the classic bar-closing "Mr. Brightside". Again, it's nothing crazy, but it's just a solid batch of songs, and it was a moment. So in my mind, it deserves to be here. Favorite tracks: "Mr. Brightside", "Smile Like You Mean It", "All These Things I've Done", "Read Your Mind"

A slightly less-horny Prince that the first album I received, but he's still there. The man was crazy in the right ways and can just... write a banger of a tune. You can see that brilliance when he starts a song giving a gospel-style sermon about life and ending with a guitar solo so awesome, I'd be amazed if his guitar didn't spontaneously catch fire. Favorite tracks: "I Would Die 4 U", "Purple Rain", "When Doves Cry"

As always Prince delivers tight grooves that have the ability to stray out of the lines for either a ridiculous guitar solo or the horniest sexual yelping you've ever heard. Even the more serious tracks manage to land. Favorite tracks: "Housequake", "Strange Relationship", "I Could Never Take The Place of Your Man"

Coworker and I were having a discussion on guitarists (as we semi-frequently do) and we had a few people whose riffs can be played by someone else, but won't have the same intensity and passion behind them. Hendrix was the first name that came up that inspired the discussion. I don't know how you can listen to any of this and not hear there being a genius at work behind the guitar. Incredible performance. Favorite tracks: "Fire", "Manic Depression", "Are You Experienced?"

Every time I listen to the Who, I swear I'm going insane. I can't see how a band that would earnestly write and practice a song like "Silas Stingy" could be this revered by history. Sure, they have one or two good songs, but man, have I never understood how this weak psych-rock band still merits plays on classic rock radio. One song keeps this from being a one star, but it seems I'll never understand where all the praise comes from (aside from the talent of the band, which doesn't count for too much). Favorite track: "I Can See For Miles"

Sometimes it sounds so loose, like they were just jamming and happened to come up with this awesome, tight sound. I'm not even a big Van Halen fan ("Jump" docks an automatic point from me), but all of this sounded killer as hell. Can see why they were such a huge deal. Favorite tracks: "Panama", "Drop Dead Legs", "Hot For Teacher"

I've been waiting to get this one. It's a record I couldn't possibly give a "first reaction" to. It's one of my dad's favorites and I've listened to it so much on my own, it's kind of become one of mine as well (though I admittedly think the follow-up "Wheels of Fire" is the stronger record). The vocal trade-offs are great, the playing is tight (especially the drums, beware Mr. Baker indeed). I don't know what someone hearing it for the first time might think but damnit, it's my list. Favorite tracks: "Outside Woman Blues", "Tales of Brave Ulysses", "She Walks Like A Bearded Rainbow"

It's Springsteen on a huge budget. Some of the songs work pretty well (the title track, opener "Lonesome Day"), but at times the record feels like they're throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks. There was a point where every aging rocker needed a vaguely Middle Eastern-sounding song on their album, and I just don't like it for the Boss. Coupled with the fact that it's followed by a sex(?) jam ("Let's Be Friends"), it makes for a weird one-two punch. It's an album that probably had too much money behind it, and way too long a tracklist. Even "My City of Ruins", a fantastic song, has waaay too much behind it to register the emotional hit it's aiming for. Favorite tracks: "The Rising", "Lonesome Day", "You're Missing"

Seems like it has some flamenco influence, as well as being coated in strings. Nice enough when it's on, but not sure it's gonna be anything that sticks with me. Favorite tracks: "You Set the Scene", "A House Is Not a Motel"

It's like being in a drunken bar brawl. Noisy, abrasive. The members play as if they're all attempting to compete for your attention, somehow working against and with each other throughout the record. It's a record I know will have mixed reviews on here, but man, do I love it. From this record, we get the whole late 90s/early 00s emo boom. Favorite tracks: "Do You Compute?", "Here Come the Rome Plows", "Luau"

A lot more honky-tonk style country than I was anticipating. Sure, there's a pretension here, but the songs are overall solid. I'm also a sucker for a good diss track. Favorite tracks: "How Do You Sleep?", "Imagine", "Gimme Some Truth"

It's Maiden. I don't know how you can't enjoy it (though I'm sure some people don't). It's fun, campy, cheesy, but also requires full-throated singing. Favorite tracks: "Run To the Hills", "The Number of the Beast", "Hallowed Be Thy Name"

Local drunk man with access to a marimba records album in secret. It's fun, very weird, almost vaudevillian, jumping genres between songs. It's quick and fun enough, but I think "vibe" alone is not enough for me to give this higher than, say, a 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Franks Wild Years", "16 Shells From A 30.6"

Reminds me of the Buzzcocks. Some pop-punk, horror, and maybe a touch of psychedelic... It's fine, just nothing incredible to me. Favorite tracks: "Bored Teenagers", "Bombsite Boy"

Very fun classic skiffle/rock n rock. No real notes here. Favorite tracks: "Rock Me My Baby", "Not Fade Away", "Maybe Baby"

Owes a debt to Elvis Costello and punk bands like Husker Du and The Replacements. Ernest, jangly fun, but I feel like you understand what it's about by about halfway through. Favorite tracks: "It's A Shame About Ray", "My Drug Buddy", "Alison's Starting To Happen"

Near the end of the record, I realized that Rod Stewart reminds me of a lower-pitched Robert Plant. Never been the biggest Zeppelin fan, and never been the biggest Rod Stewart fan. Maybe it's all correlated. Not for me. Favorite tracks: "Maggie May", "(I Know) I'm Losing You"

Surprised to find this is from a former member of Fairport Convention, a band I've been lukewarm on through this list (being generous). I don't think these tracks do anything super new, but I do think they are super well written and just overall great tunea. Reminds me of Frightened Rabbit, a little, especially the wonderful downer of "The End Of The Rainbow". Favorite tracks: "When I Get To The Boarder", "The Calvary Cross", "I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight", "The End Of The Rainbow"

Ethereal, anthemic. Production is gorgeous on this. Favorite tracks: "Don't You Wait", "Don't Wish Me Well"

I don't think anyone can deny Dimebag Darrell's chops. I kept going back and forth between a three and a four on this album. I don't like the production (so high, so much gain), and the lead singer is a notorious shithead, but it is a fantastic metal record. Favorite tracks: "Fucking Hostile", "Mouth For War", "By Demons Be Driven"

It's Rush, so once you get past the dorkiness of it all, it's great. Geddy Lee uses his high voice a bit more than I can take on this one, but has fantastic performances from everyone (especially Alex Lifeson). Favorite tracks: "2112", "Something For Nothing"

I'm actually surprised how much this reminds me of "Bat Out of Hell" by Meatloaf. Very theatric, feels like it tells a story. Favorite tracks: "Thunder Road", "Jungleland", "Born to Run", "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out"

My rating is definitely colored being more familiar with the Dickinson era of Maiden. This record is solid, but having known and loved Maiden for a while, it just sounds like a band almost there. Instrumental work is solid, just missing something. Favorite tracks: "Prowler", "Transylvania"

Y'kno, I might just be tired enough to where this *really* clicked with me. It's fucking bizarre, isn't it? Sounds like a time capsule simultaneously from the past and future, or some sort of alien music (doesn't hurt I can't understand a word of Brazilian Portuguese). It's got pop hooks, it's got weirdness... like strange cousins of the Beatles, who got heavier into acid. Absolutely love it. Favorite tracks: "A Minha Menina", "Adeus Maria Fulô", Tempo No Tempo", "Baby"

Post punky a la the Slits. Some new wave and blues influence here as well. Middle of the road for me. Favorite tracks: "Guilt", "Why D'ya Do It?"

Huh, wasn't expecting to see this on here. I was more a fan of "Meteora", but this is still good. Is it cheesy at spots? Yeah, "Crawling" has been a meme for-fucking-ever for the "teenager's tear-stained diary" approach. But I think the songs are well-written, catchy, and I think Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda's trade-offs flow naturally and wonderfully. Also, Joe Hanh does fantastically on the turntable. I'm biased because I was a teenager when this was out, but I genuinely think it still holds up. Favorite tracks: "One Step Closer", "Pushing Me Away", "Cure For The Itch", "Points of Authority"

Not a Swiftie, but have enjoyed some of her songs, mainly through the osmosis of hearing them randomly. That being said... does this need to be here? It's a fine pop album, but I don't think it does anything super new or mind-blowing. Some of the songs I find somewhat irritating: if I can go without hearing "Shake It Off" again, with it's weird farting-tuba """"sick"""" beat and white-girl rapping. But other ones are pretty decent. I could weirdly pick out a track that I was pretty sure Jack Antinoff was on ("Out Of The Woods"). That being said, it's fine, nothing offensive, but an album I need to hear before I die? Nah, probably not. Favorite tracks: "Style", "Out Of The Woods"

The White Stripes have never really done much for me. I appreciate Jack White as the strange, aloof musician he is, but it's never translated to me, music wise. It's fine, I like it when it gets super-heavy bluesy, but other than that I could take it or leave it. Favorite tracks: "Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine", "The Hardest Button to Button"

It's a lot more RnB focused than I'd expect a Missy album to be. Also didn't know Timbaland and Missy were in a group together prior to this. The beats are great, and while Missy isn't a bad singer, I just don't think this style suits her as much. Favorite tracks: "Beep Me 911", "The Rain", "Pass Da Blunt"

Lush, gorgeous. Very bright and uplifting. Good in-between of funk and soul. Curtis really did have the cool, didn't he? Favorite tracks: "Superfly", "Pusherman", "Freddie's Dead"

What's there to say? It's a great record, even avoiding some of the more twee-ish songs. Favorite tracks: "I Want You", "The End"

It's technically solid, if a little one-note. It's fun, just maybe one the records on here that's weird to judge as an "album" when it was most likely firing off singles to see what sticks. Favorite tracks: "Strychnine", "The Witch"

Dare I say a little yuppie-ish? It's new wave with some heavy jazz and disco influences. The horn section is nice, and the music is nice and bright, but admittedly, it's a little easy to let this fade into the background and zone out. Favorite tracks: "Calling Captain Autumn", "Kingsize"

Brutal, terrifying, but still weirdly fun? The record does a fantastic job of capturing what I imagine a Stooges-in-their-prime sounded like live. It wanes here and there, but it's still a massively good album. Call it a strong 4.5. Favorite tracks: "TV Eye", "Loose"

It's a little bit singer-songwriter, a little bit americana, all cloaked in the hue of the 90s, a little irony, a little alternative. Aimee's voice is very far up in the mix, but I think that's a good thing to focus on her writing, which is very strong, save a few spots. It's all very earnest, and I like it. Favorite tracks: "I Should've Known", "Say Anything", "I Could Hurt You Now"

I was a teenager after 1992, of course I'm going to give this a 5 star rating. What else could I add to a body of work that speaks for itself? Noisy, angsty, depressed... but catchy as all get-out. Favorite tracks: "Territorial Pissings", "Endless, Nameless", "Drain You"

Wow, is this a long album. It also repeats the same song three times on side one... Or at least, the expanded edition does, for some reason. It's cool to get into a stellar groove, but much how I feel with most jammy music, the lulls can be very, very dull. Favorite tracks: "Smoke On the Water", "Space Truckin'"

It's like the strange lovechild of Meat Loaf and The Dead Milkmen. Almost Rocky Horror Picture Show-esque. Doesn't help that Handsome Dick on the cover looks like a fatter Frank-n-Furter (no offense). It's fine, the songs are just a bit longer than I'd like, they definitely overstay their welcome by about a minute each. Favorite tracks: "Master Race Rock", "California Sun"

I give the fuck up, Elvis. I've tried. I've gotten at least three of your records so far and they have all done absolutely nothing for me. For some reason, maybe just being tired of this or just not enjoying this record specifically, I found Costello's voice especially tiresome on this record. Constantly yelping out of nowhere... Just. I'm done. Please. No more. Favorite track: "13 Steps Lead Down"

Robotic, alien funk. I think it'd be kind of hard for someone to be introduced to this as their first Talking Heads record, but as someone who's already very familiar, I love it. A few songs sound a little bit the same until it hits the fantastic "Take Me To The River" cover. Favorite tracks: "Take Me To The River", "Found A Job", "The Big Country"

I just found it pretty difficult to get into this album. It sounds extremely dated in a way that I don't enjoy, and the singers voice can be... bothersome. The last two songs won me over, though, so it's not a total wash. Not something I'm going to revisit, I think. Favorite tracks: "Soul Mining", "Giant"

It's a bit long. I appreciate when the bears switch up, but the boom-bap style eventually gets warn out. Hard to keep the energy up this long. Favorite track: "Nighttrain"

I've always enjoyed the Edge, but not Bono, so U2 has always been a bit of a blur to me. Listening to this album made me realize how deep their post-punk roots are. They just turned it up and made it a little more anthemic and inspiring. It's still just not for me. Favorite tracks: "Where The Streets Have No Name", "In God's Country"

Having not listened to Jeff's stuff before, I was more expecting singer-songwriter stuff. There's a lot of backbone to this record. Despite a lull in the middle, the record explodes with the Jane's Addiction-esque "Eternal Life". Call it a solid 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Eternal Life", "Grace"

I guess I never realized the impact George Michael had on modern music. You can hear shades of his theatrics in Lady Gaga and Sam Smith. Great mix of genres. Still, each song feels like it stretches on maybe a minute too long. Favorite tracks: "Freedom! 90", "Cowboys and Angels", "Heal the Pain"

Bar none, some of the best guitar playing I've ever heard on a record. Just... shredding, incredible. Album loses a little steam near the end, but it's all fun, funky, and delightfully weird. Favorite tracks: "Maggot Brain", "Super Stupid"

A lot folkier, more acoustic. Still has the bluesy feel. I'm still not the world's biggest fan of Robert Plant's horny yowl. Album is a little front-loaded, too. Favorite tracks: "Immigrant Song", "Celebration Day"

Great beats, great scratching. Zany in a way that I don't think anyone else but Kool Keith could do. Sexual to a, frankly, mildly worrying degree. Favorite tracks: "Blue Flowers", "Halfsharkhalfalligatorhalfman", "Real Raw"

Yeah I think I just overall like Morrissey. He's a total shitbag, but he writes a solid tune, even if he never does a ton different. Favorite tracks: "Bengali In Platforms", "Late Night, Maudlin Street", "Break Up the Family", "Margaret On the Guillotine"

Very... if aliens had listened to modern RnB and tried to recreate it. If La Roux made a collaborative album with Burial (which I'd throw some money at, now that I type it out). Weirdly horny. Do I like it? Eh. Do I hate it? Nah... "Indifferent" is not the right word. It's creative and I've never heard anything like it, but it might just be a little *too* weird. Favorite tracks: "Video Girl", "Lights On"

I looked back at my previous review for Dexys, and I compared them to The Clash but with an added horn section. This record feels a lot more indebted to Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, with horns and a very active violin. More Celtic influence, as well. It's fun, but this record felt a little one-note to me. Once you heard a few songs, you got it. Favorite tracks: "Old", "Come On Eileen"

Solid album, but nothing really matches the centerpiece of "Papa Was A Rolling Stone". Once it hits that, it's more miss than hit. Favorite tracks: "Papa Was A Rolling Stone", "I Ain't Got Nothin'"

I was amazed to find this was Michael Franti. I thought it might be a supergroup featuring members of Public Enemy. It's a lot less militant, and probably just a little preachy. Like the in between of Arrested Development and Public Enemy. The beats, however, are fucking fire. Not a bad one in the bunch. Favorite tracks: "Satanic Reverses", "Socio Genetic Experiment"

Vibrant, fun, high energy. The flows and beats on this thing are constantly interesting and fun. Favorite tracks: "Pack The Pipe", "Passin' Me By", "Oh Shit"

Very sparse, singer songwriter stuff. Fine but didn't do a hell of a lot for me. Favorite tracks: "Small Blue Thing", "Undertow"

I like the production on this one better than the previous record I got ("There's A Riot Goin' On"), but the song order choice can occasionally be schizophrenic, going from a deep-prog-funk groove to a more sunshine-y pop song. Still sounds like a house party I'd like to be at. Favorite tracks: "I Want To Take You Higher", "Sex Machine", "Everyday People"

I mean, shit, I don't think I've ever heard a solo on the level of the solo in "Dimineuendo And Crescendo In Blue". The energy here is unmatched, and you can tell the crowd was feeling it. Insane performance. Favorite tracks: "Dimineuendo And Crescendo In Blue", "Festival Junction"

I had a boss who was really upset when John Prine died at the beginning of the pandemic, and now I know why. "Subversive" isn't really strong enough a word. To be playing songs like these in a country circle must've gotten him hell. Whip-smart, funny lyrics; great, catchy melodies. Favorite tracks: "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven", "Illegal Smile", "Flashback Blues"

If I had a nickel for every time I wrote, "this is not what I was expecting," on this site I'd probably have enough for a soda. That being said, it's a darker record than I expected for ABBA, which maybe a touch more progressive pop. It's still just as grand as you'd come to expect, though hits a lull through the middle. Call it 3.5. Favorite tracks: "The Visitors", "Head Over Heels", "When All Is Said and Done"

It's pretty easy to say that the 00s era of hip-hop and RnB don't exist without this record. Shame we'll never get another one. Favorite tracks: "Doo Wop", "Lost Ones", "Every Ghetto, Every City"

Christ, how do I even begin to review this one? I remember seeing "The Widow" video on TV and not liking it, but somehow finding myself listening to this album (which doesn't even have that song) and making myself a massive Mars Volta fan at age 14. I have worshiped at the altar of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. I was a massive participant on the Mars Volta thread on Ultimate-Guitar way back in the day. "Bias" doesn't even cover it. This was one of my first true introductions to the weirdness of prog-rock, along with Yes' "Fragile", though this record appealed to me more at the time since I came to this after listening to mostly Breaking Benjamin and Seether. Still not sure how I survived that jump. It's heavy, it's winding, and it's easy to get lost in the gorgeous soundscapes if you let yourself. Jon Theodore puts literally everything he has into the drums of this record, and he doesn't get enough credit. I can definitely see a lot of people calling this one "pretentious", and rightly so, but fuck that. I haven't heard anything that sounds quite like this ever, and I don't think anyone will ever get close to the absolute fever dream that this record is. Favorite tracks: "Drunkship of Lanterns", "Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt", "Roulette Dares", "Cicatriz ESP"

Having gotten "Pornography" earlier in the list (and absolutely loving it), I can sense a spark here, but it's not fully there yet. There's some atmosphere, the songwriting is mostly there, it just needs a little more time. It's a fine record, just not as good as what would come later. Favorite tracks: "A Forest", "Play For Today", "In Your House"

Sounds a lot bigger than the three people that made it. Karen O's personality translates well, and Nick Zinner's guitar creates a lot of atmosphere when needed. Crazed, fun. Favorite tracks: "Y Control", "Tick", "Date With The Night", "Maps"

I've listened to ELO here and there, but never really noticed their obvious Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys worship before actually sitting down with this album. Jeff Lynne can really write a tune, and while a few songs kind of feel same-y, there's enough here to break up the monotony. Favorite tracks: "Jungle", "Mr. Blue Sky", "Turn To Stone"

It's difficult to pin this down since, over 30 years later, "post hardcore" means something else entirely. Think this record does a great job of bringing fresh ideas to the table, and has wonderful dynamic and rhythm play. "Greed" has some excellent uses of this. There's a lot of intensity, but it's not all rage, rage. It's there, below the surface, slowly boiling over. Favorite tracks: "Repeater", "Styrofoam", "Merchandise"

I mistakenly listened to and reviewed "Live Through This" instead of this project, so this review is definitely going to be a little comparison heavy, but I definitely enjoyed LTT a bit more. This record is much shinier, with huge production and more straight-forward pop songwriting than the previous record. It's fine, but I find myself missing the grime, and found I enjoyed the blunt and honest songwriting of LTT. This record hits a lull in the middle that I don't think it ever really surmounts, too. Favorite tracks: "Celebrity Skin", "Reasons To Be Beautiful"

I got "Tigermilk" as my sixth album on this, and now at 639, I'll admit I don't really remember that record. Based on my review, this is pretty similar to that one, but I find myself enjoying this one a bit more than my rating would insinuate for that record (which received a 3). It's twee, subtle, but maybe the band came into their own, because after the first song, it won me over a bit. I don't think it's life changing, but it's certainly a solid record. Favorite tracks: "Me And the Major", "The Fox in the Snow", "If You're Feeling Sinister"

Hadn't heard of Ute Lemper before, but thoroughly enjoyed this. Sultry, dark, caberet. I appreciate that this list has albums like this on it. Suffers a little from early 00s super shiny production. Favorite tracks: "The Case Continues", "Streets of Berlin", "Tango Ballad"

Strange synth pop made by synthetic, futuristic, robotic aliens. Stilted in such a way that I think is intentional. Straddles a line between too poppy for avant garde, but not weird enough. Fun enough. Favorite tracks: "The Thing Dreams Are Made Of", "Do Or Die", "Don't You Want Me"

Post-punk with heavy leanings into punk and some goth sprinkled in. Not bad but nothing wowing me. Favorite track: "Recoil"

When this thing hits with hooks, it hits. It does fail to stick the landing a bit, in my opinion, as the album falls off in the latter half. Still, I'm not sure if there's anything as instantly catchy as half this record. It's fun, and for once, the production on it is very nice (for an 80s album, this is pretty rare). Favorite tracks: "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", "Time After Time", "Money Changes Everything"

Fine, my Jersey roots continue to show in the fact that I genuinely love this album. Not even the Boss' weird yawlp a few times on earlier tracks could prevent that. Favorite tracks: "Racing In The Streets", "Streets of Fire", "Prove It All Night", "Darkness On the Edge of Town"

Very sparse, skeletal album, where the focus is on the flamenco-esque guitar playing and Cohen's voice and lyrics. Nice, but didn't really wow me too much. Favorite tracks: "Avalanche", "Famous Blue Raincoat"

An interesting one. Singer Peter Perrett's lackadaisical drawl occasionally works in the favor of this record, and occasionally against. There are some cool musical ideas here, especially the jazzy breakdown of "Breaking Down", but sometimes the songs get so close to something great and stop short, causing almost something akin to blue balls. I'm going to assume some members of The Strokes had this one on their record shelves. Favorite tracks: "The Beast", "City of Fun", "Breaking Down", "Another Girl, Another Planet"

Admittedly, I didn't like Lenny Kravitz on sight alone. I had never really listened to his music aside from the music I absorbed through osmosis, but something about him seemed... off. Which is a shame. He's clearly a talented guy, since Wikipedia notes he played most of the instruments on this himself. However, I think I finally have a spot to plant my flag: the lyrics. Kravitz's lyrics are first-draft, but he howls them with such confidence as to obfuscate that fact, or maybe because he feels like what he's saying is *that deep*. It's coffeeshop, "Why can't we all get along, racism is bad," type shit. I flipped between a two and a one on this project, mostly due to the hook and riff of "Fear", until I hit "Rosemary". It was a double whammy, honestly: the whiplash of the religiosity of, "He love you so much He gave His only son," with two lyrics later telling the titular five-year-old to "stay down on [her] knees." Obviously, he means prayer, but... did you run that one by anyone? Anyone? At all? Especially when the rest of the record is so, so, so very horny. Kravitz obviously enjoys Prince, but tries to blend that with a few Christian themes here and there (notably, "I Built This Garden For Us"), and the two just... don't particularly mix. It also doesn't help that Kravitz feels like a Prince the record industry tried to synthesize in a lab. I'm not heartless and can admit that there is some genuine (instrumental) talent on here, but it's nowhere near enough to save this project.

Very earnest hearland rock, punk. Kind of like a proto Gaslight Anthem to me. I'm not sure how I feel about the jokey songs being here, but it's hard to deny that they're still just as strong. Favorite tracks: "Androgenous", "Answering Machine", "Sixteen Blue", "Unsatisfied"

I think I can hide behind the fact that I'm more of a Biggie fan to explain my rating. Pac has always been more of a singles artist to me, I think a full album might be a little much. Still, he has charisma, and these g-funk beats don't really get old. Favorite tracks: "Me Against The World", "Old School"

Bright, joyful, super smooth. I've always had an appreciation for this type of RnB, the kind when the piano just glistens as the singer sings soulfully over it. Anita has a gorgeous voice, and it just plays against the instruments so well. So many wonderful melismatic runs, hooks for days. It might be a little cheesy, but I think it's aware of that, and plays into it. Favorite tracks: "Mystery", "Sweet Love", "Caught Up In The Rapture", "Same Ole Love"

Bizarre, genre-bending... somewhere between punk and country, like the country that likes driving in the desert looking for aliens. Obviously I'm familiar with this through Nirvana Unplugged, but I'll admit I like their version of "Plateau" better. Favorite tracks: "Plateau", "Aurora Borealis"

I think you hear shades of the 00s EDM boom in this record. However, it definitely sounds a bit more of it's time: very late 90s/early 00s "futuristic" sounding music. Favorite tracks: "Air Towel", "Rowla"

The adoration for The Police continues to elude me. They're great musicians (and I'm not even counting out Sting himself here), but the record has occasional flits of greatness (seriously, even I enjoy "Message In a Bottle"), but never really nails it: some songs feel half-finished, and it switches between serious and almost-Offspring-level of jokey ("On Any Other Day"). I will say, I never noticed their post-punk tracks before, but those aren't the ones that usually play. Favorite tracks: "Message In a Bottle", "Deathwish", "No Time This Time"

Fine folk-rock with some psychedelic bits thrown in. Can be pleasant, can be annoying ("Mind Palace" sticks out). Very middle of the road, despite my usual enjoyment of David Crosby. Favorite tracks: "Thoughts and Words", "My Back Pages", "Why"

I rarely have such strong opinions when it comes to music, but honestly, if you don't like Sam Cooke, I absolutely do not understand you. This album is an absolute joy to hear, just a good-time party. It's the legend at his best. Favorite tracks: "Having A Party", "Medley: It's All Right/For Sentimental Reasons", "Nothing Can Change This Love"

I think it's impressive how Mariah can adapt to basically any track. On another singer's record, the gamut of gospel, R&B, hip-hop, and pop might sound strange, but for the most part Mariah fits perfectly in. A few duds here, but otherwise solid album. Favorite tracks: "My All", "The Roof", "Breakdown"

It's a nice record of Willie Nelson doing some old classics. He does them well enough and even stretches his genre boundaries a lot here. Still, doesn't really wow me. Favorite tracks: "All Of Me", "Someone To Watch Over Me"

As I get older, I find myself softening on reggae. I still hold the same opinion on the likes of UB40, but I like this. I like the politically charged lyrics that convey agony and anger without it necessarily being a "heavy" song. Favorite tracks: "Them Belly Full", "Rebel Music", "Revolution"

Album 3 from Arcade Fire... and I think I kind of get it. Early on in this record, I mentally drew a comparison to U2's grandiosity. It's aiming for the cheap seats in the arena, and much like U2, I think it's all pomp and no circumstance, to turn a phrase. It's fine, and I appreciate the varied instrumentation on this record, but it's all just so... pretentious. Favorite tracks: "Black Wave / Bad Vibrations", "No Cars Go"

The varied instrumental styles allow Sinead to keep the record fresh, and her lyrics and vocal ability are unique and very good. Kind of hard not to respect, on some level, someone like her. Favorite tracks: "Black Boys On Mopeds", "Nothing Compares 2 U", "The Last Day of Our Acquaintance"

A beautiful blend of various genres, from rancheros to some ridiculously played latin jazz. It can be relaxing, it can make you want to dance... just super fun overall. Favorite tracks: "Dos Gardenias", "Buena Vista Social Club", "La Bayamesa"

I mean, it's what it says on the tin: ambient. There are some grooves on here, but I assume the author had heard Aphex Twin was an important figure and went with this record. It's not nearly as challenging as some of his later stuff, as someone who only knows him in passing, but it's pleasant enough when it's on. Spots sound a little dated, while other spots still sound fresh. Favorite tracks: "Tha", "Xtal"

Retro-futuristic. Reminds me of what people in the 50s thought music the music of interstellar travel would be. I like it, it's relaxing but commands enough attention to not become background music. Favorite tracks: "La femme d'argent", "Remember", "New Star In The Sky"

Funky robots. There's not really much I can add that hasn't been said before. Kraftwerk is pretty ubiquitous in music nerd circles at this point. Favorite tracks: "Spacelab", "Neon Lights"

I enjoy the vibe of this record, it's relaxed, and somewhere between stoned and melancholy. The production is nice. It does somewhat just float on by, grabbing your attention every once in a while, but it's a nice way to float, I guess. Favorite tracks: "Doves In The Wind", "Broken Clocks"

A bit of a mixed bag. Absolutely no one can talk badly about the talent of each individual member, and when they come together to show off, it has the best results. However, when they tone down their ability and just play simple stuff, it's pretty boring and unmemorable. Favorite tracks: \"Cult Of Personality\", \"Open Letter\", \"Which Way To America\"

A bluesy take on a long-dead Russian composer's work... Yep, that's prog alright. As far as introductions to ELP, it's a strong choice, but I enjoyed it. It's played solidly, and it's fun to see which winding path it takes you down. Favorite tracks: "Blues Variation", "The Hut of Baba Yaga (Part 2)"

Leaving aside that Kanye has absolutely lost his mind on a public stage for the better part of the last, what, two years? It's a decent album. I was a big fan of Kanye's but fell off around "Graduation", so this is my first listen through of this. The production is, as always, immaculate, but certain parts can be pretty cheesy (let's just say the whole of "Blame Game", skit included). That being said, love or or hate her, this record introduced the world to Nicki Minaj, who absolutely slays a verse in a room full of heavy-hitters. This record has hits, just maybe some dead air in between. Favorite tracks: "Runaway", "Lost In the World", "Monster"

I have no problem with bossa nova, but unfortunately my brain just processes it as pleasant background music most of the time. Favorite track: "Corcovado"

Madonna tried trip hop. At certain points the glitchiness feels overwrought, and at certain points they don't feel like Madonna songs, but more songs featuring Madonna. Somewhere. There are a few genuinely good tracks, but I don't think this record needs to be here. Favorite tracks: "What It Feels Like For a Girl", "Runaway Lover", "I Deserve It"

Ice Cube's talent is undeniable, but I've just never been a big fan. Long album, kind of gets same-y after a while. Very hard to keep up this intensity for long. Favorite track: "Rollin' Wit The Lench Mob"

Probably my favorite Sonic Youth album I've received on this list, but it's still... long. The noisiness gives almost a bludgeoning effect after a while, with the songs somewhat swirling together into one great big wall. It's good, just listening to the entire thing gets tiresome. Favorite tracks: "Teenage Riot", "'Cross The Breeze", "Hyperstation"

Just a good groove throughout. Favorite tracks: "Zombie", "Observation Is No Crime"

Folk pop with some sick blues licks interspersed. I don't think it does anything to break any molds, but it's a solid record, regardless. Favorite tracks: "Tall In the Saddle", "Water With the Wine", "Help Yourself"

It's difficult, because I am a fan of Radiohead. However, I've always felt this album is... out of place. They really went for it on the last one and a half (since Amnesiac came from the same sessions as Kid A), but this record feels like them dialing it back all the experimentation a bit. It's still solid, just not my favorite, and in my opinion, not as memorable. Favorite tracks: "There, There", "2+2=5", "The Gloaming"

I have a feeling this record will be divisive, and all I can really say is, "Well, I like it." Nobody really does "freak out" like Zappa and co., where every song is about as tight as you can get it before bursting, while also seeming very free-wheeling and spur-of-the-moment. Favorite tracks: "Concentration Moon", "Flower Punk", "The Idiot Bastard Son", "Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance"

Herky-jerky, electronic influenced indie/post-punk. It's, but a few of the lulls in the middle of the tracklist ("Stork and Owl", "Family Tree") kind of prevent this from being a stronger project. Favorite tracks: "DLZ", "Halfway Home", "Dancing Choose"

Funky, disco-y. Very heavily indebted to the likes of Michael Jackson. Kind of loses steam about halfway through. Pretty cool that it has a version in the singer's native language of French. Favorite tracks: "Girlfriend", "The Walker"

Loose, raw, southern blues. That kind of rowdy and horny you can really only be if you're a guy from the ages of 16 to 21. It's fine, but does it need to be here? Favorite tracks: "Taper Jean Girl", "King of the Rodeo"

I think just calling this "worldbeat" (as Wikipedia does) is kind of a disservice. I feel like the prevailing sounds kind of point me towards blues, and maybe even some neoclassical stuff. That being said, once he finds a chord progression, it never seems to change too much, and these songs are waaaay too long just to have one chord progression. Makes the whole experience a bit meditative. Favorite track: "Djam Leelii"

A solid groove with very politically conscious lyrics. Hard not to enjoy, even on a surface level. Favorite tracks: "What's Going On", "Mercy Mercy Me"

I typically like my post-rock to have a bit more edge to it, but this is nice. Relaxing. Very Kraftwerk. Bold choice to have the record open with a twenty-minute opus, bolder choice to have it find a groove then cut it off. Would've probably made Andy Kaufman proud. Favorite tracks: "Glass Museum", "A Survey"

This record is *insane*. You can never tell where it's going. Funk-metal cover of a Curtis Mayfield song to start, immediately goes into some breakneck ska. A song on this tracklist sounds like a piss take of the theme from "Rawhide", while another is a ridiculous take on Prince and the Minneapolis sound in general. It's getting 4 stars for the absolute audaciousness of it all. Favorite tracks: "Bonin' In the Boneyard", "Subliminal Fascism"

It's impressive how many different styles Moby can cover on the record, though it is a little long. The variation really helps. Feels kind of like a full DJ set put to record. Favorite tracks: "Bodyrock", "Machete"

I am so conflicted here. On one note, I feel like I've found a missing link. I can hear the Replacements, and even some 90s emo in here. I can also here where basically every post-grunge band got their sound from, and even The Gaslight Anthem, who are my absolute favorite band. That being said... I like emo, and I'm usually pretty talented at ignoring vocalists who just *go for it*. But this guy just *goes for it* so frequently, and... I really don't think he can sing. He's pitchy, and when he tries to hit those highs, he rarely comes close. The lyrics are another problem, I realized, when he bluntly said he had a dick instead of a brain. Just... very weird, overall. Favorite track: "Debonair"

I've gotten (I think) every other Sonic Youth record on here, and I want to say this one is my favorite. The songs are shorter and don't feel dragged out, (unlike "Daydream Nation"), and they're not going art over actually good music. I never realized, until this record that they're probably big Velvet Underground fans. I can hear the bridge between VU and (one of my favorites) Failure on this record. It hits a lull in the middle (especially the cover of "Hot Wire My Heart", which feels sooooo out of place), but closes out strong enough. Favorite tracks: "Hot Kross", "Tuff Gnarl", "Catholic Black"

I got John Martyn's album "Solid Air" several hundred albums ago, and I remember not really caring for it (I found it boring). This album is a bit more lively, but only in the yacht-yist of yacht rock ways. I think my whole problem here stems from... these tracks are fine, I guess. They don't leave any impression on me, aside from the fact I'm surprised there's a bossa nova track (though should I be?). I liked the relaxing sound collage/guitar of the final track "Small Hours", but... this album just didn't leave me feeling anything. It'd be fine being background music at a dinner, but this, to me, just sounds like music for people who don't have any opinion on music.

Kind of reminds me of a more twee Flaming Lips. Wikipedia says the bands have some history together, so it's not super surprising. I like the latter half of the album more, when it's more of a blend of rock and chamber pop, and less chamber pop. That's a personal preference, though. Favorite tracks: "The Funny Bird", "Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp"

Kind of a unique bridge between Krautrock and more widely listened to genres like jazz. Ambient, meditative, but occasionally catches a good groove. Call it a 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Giggy Smile", "Run"

Very smooth album. I like the nods to things like gospel, smooth jazz, and even a little trip-hop on the title track. It's crazy, even a song about beating up your lady's lover can be a smooth, chill song before you realize you're hearing lines about blood and handcuffs. Plus, the "Cruisin'" cover is pretty solid too. Favorite track: "Brown Sugar"

Dad got me into Cream at a young age, as well as Clapton's various side projects, so I've always been a fan of Steve Winwood. Still never really checked out Traffic, and I'm pleasantly surprised at how strong an album this is. Everyone plays their heart out, and the music fits perfectly in my wheelhouse. Favorite tracks: "Glad", "Freedom Rider"

Honestly, after I found the intro annoying, I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. Being released in 1993, I feel like you can hear the influence a record like this has on the late 90s/early 00s, in terms of the dark, bass-heavy music these guys were putting out. Favorite tracks: "Halcyon and On and On", "Walk Now..."

On first glance, I figured it'd be some indie album. I'm really pleasantly surprised. Younger me would've been *all about* this shit, and older me still really enjoys it. It's something I signed up to find: a band I'd never heard of, that I immediately want to find more out about. I think the last three tracks cause the album to falter on the landing, but otherwise it's just a huge fucking record. Call it 4.5. Favorite tracks: "We Don't Need Who You Are", "The Skank Heads", "Tracy's Flaw"

I was surprised how much of a band like The Cure I can hear in this, especially since New Order are contemporaries. It's kind of like if you took that dour post-punk and mixed it in with some of the Madchester scene. It feels like it bridges a gap I didn't realize there was. Favorite tracks: "Mr. Disco", "Vanishing Point"

Dark, great beats. Think it doesn't ever really pause to breathe, just keeps hitting you with one big beat track after another, but it's short enough to where it only started wearing on me near the end. Favorite tracks: "Meth vs. Chef", "All I Need", "What The Blood Clot"

Solid 70s blues inspired hard rock. Kind of hits a lull in the middle and, as a guitarist, I've heard "Smoke On the Water" enough to fill several lifetimes. Still, it's impossible to deny how hard some of these tracks rip. Favorite tracks: "Highway Star", "Maybe I'm a Leo", "Space Truckin'"

The only thing you can be certain of is that you're never truly sure where it's going to go. It's great in spots, but fades into the background in others. Indie, trip-hop, and even some heavy Indian influences. Very cool. Favorite tracks: "Sleep On the Left Side", "We're In Yr Corner"

I mean... it's ambient music. What am I supposed to say about it? It's pretty, but the whole purpose is to be calming background music. I listen to ambient stuff when I'm studying or just need something on in the background. Of course Brian Eno is the one who coined the term. But, on a list of 1001 albums I have to listen to, is this necessary?

Surprisingly pleasant, very light, with a lot of great melodies. Toes the line between "light and interesting" and not, and occasionally trips over that line ("Horsin' Around" being the notable example). Favorite tracks: "Faron Young", "Appetite", "Desire As"

The length of this really works against it. Some fat trimming would have made this a 5 star, but some of the chaff gets through and weighs down the album a bit. Still, this list continues to swing me into being a fan of Pixies. Favorite tracks: "Whatever Happened to Pong?", "Calistan", "Ole Mulholland", "Fazer Eyes"

Lively, angular. Just real pretty stuff. Favorite tracks: "Brilliant Corners", "Bemsha Swing"

Well-executed, but bland. Lightly funky, bordering on yacht rock. Favorite track: "Carnival of the Night"

Listening to Mountain Stage the other night, I realize how limited my knowledge of traditional American music is (folk, blues, etc). Guess this is a good jumping off point. Very by the basics, but you see where American music gets the jumping off point from recordings like these. While I'm here, how is there no Woody Guthrie album on here? He has recordings. Favorite tracks: "Boll Weevil", "New York Town", "Dink's Song", "Salty Dog"

Kind of funky, the flute gives me a feeling of disco. The instrumentals here are the main focus, with the rapping feeling a bit placeholder-ish. It's mostly a vibe. Favorite tracks: "Sketch", "Fade Away"

I feel like calling this, "certainly something," makes me feel like a grandma whose grandson just arrived home with a pink mohawk. It's... abrasive. Noisy. But there's an energy to it. I don't feel right relegating this to my one-star graveyard, because those were albums I felt nothing for (or, in the case of Lenny Kravitz, an absolute disgust for). So I'll just stick with this and say, man, this is certainly something.

Never heard of him, but what a strong album. Baroque, theatrical. A little bit of Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, and Billy Joel all rolled into one. Spots of the Beach Boys at their "Pet Sounds"-iest too. Has a weak moment or two, but I don't think it's enough to detract from the score. Favorite tracks: "Love's Enough", "Another Friday Night", "Family Band"

A perfectly fine punk rock record, in the vein of the Buzzcocks or Ramones. Favorite tracks: "Male Model", "Teenage Kicks", "Here Comes The Summer"

Very orchestral, feels very much like a broadway show. Sticking to one topic, especially one as broad and nebulous as "love", does get saccharine after a while. Favorite track: "I'm All You Need"

Post punk with a good amount of synth. Very Talking Heads adjacent. Seems like it would've been a big influence to the synth-pop revolution coming in just a few short years. Favorite tracks: "Sleeping Gas", "Went Crazy"

A Bollywood soundtrack that reminds me of the "Shaft" soundtrack. Lightly funky, but with a lot more Indian flair. I like it. Call it a 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Title Theme", "Naag Devta"

Punk-ish with some psychedelic influences. Not bad, just nothing crazy for me. Favorite tracks: "Old Pervert", "I Wanna Destroy You"

It's my list and I say this record isn't perfect. It's close. It inspired pretty much every record that ever came after it. But some of these songs don't land. Just ignore my scrub 4. Favorite tracks: "With a Little Help From My Friends", "When I'm 64", "A Day in the Life"

Feels very loose and energetic. Dabbles in B52s-esque new wave, maybe a little light industrial (I got less noisy Big Black vibes on a few tracks), as well as some basic hip-hop. A fun, quick one. Favorite tracks: "Deceptacon", "Let's Run", "My My Metrocard"

Wikipedia lists this one as "folk punk", which I think is close, but not entirely accurate. It definitely has some folk, and maybe what I'd generously call "punk", but probably call either country or bluegrass, and maybe a little rockabilly. I like the sentiments on the record, but it didn't do too much more to wow me. Favorite tracks: "Honey, I'm A Big Boy Now", "There Is Power In a Union", "Help Save the Youth of America"

I'm not sure where to start with this one. I guess to get the obvious out of the way, it's long. It seems a bit Madchester-adjacent, so it seems to lose itself in the groove more often than not, and at about the third track I realized it's extremely repetitive. I flitted between giving this a two and a one, but I think the length eventually chewed me down to a one. There were some decent grooves on here, but they are too few and far between, and I'd really rather listen to anything else. Maybe even Lenny Kravitz again. At least he knows brevity.

A perfectly serviceable glam rock album, with shades of the Stones and Bowie. Nothing memorable. Favorite track: "Hymn For the Dudes"

What *was* the deal with albums around this time trying to jam every song they had written onto a single CD? Nothing wrong with a tight 30 minute album. That being said, once you've heard about five songs, you get the gist: mechanical, pulsing drums, distorted compressed guitars, and Marilyn Manson either doing a strange dark/sexy/weird low guttural tone or shrieking until his voice gives out. Trent Reznor's fingerprints are all over this, and sometimes (most times, honestly), it's to the detriment of the record, making MM sound like someone merely imitating than someone who had a long history with Reznor. The man and his horrific proclivities aside, this record is just bloated and one note. Favorite track: "The Beautiful People"

Well, you can't say it's not energetically performed. It just happens to go off the rails very easily, and turns from music to just... background noise that might have a groove somewhere underneath it. Favorite track: "Dead Joe"

Raw. Fast. Darby Crash's voice takes a little to break into, but it really doesn't get more punk than this record. Favorite tracks: "Lexicon Devil", "What We Do Is Secret", "Media Blitz"

I mean, with all due respect, I couldn't possibly be unbiased to a Dead live album. I had a coworker who, when given control of the radio, would only play shit like this. So it's soaked into my conscious at this point. There was one time, he and I were speaking on hologram performers (a la Tupac). He said to me, "Y'know, if they did a one night only Jerry hologram... I might go." Brian, you would've killed someone for a ticket to that. Anyway. Favorite track: "Death Don't Have No Mercy"

I'm at odds here. I've never been crazy about this record, but I do love the fact that they shied away from the big hits and played some unknown covers, turning them into hits. They also transform some of their songs into nice acoustic versions. But there are lulls, and some songs don't particularly work. Favorite tracks: "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?", "All Apologies"

Christ, I don't know. I don't necessarily *want* to give this a one-star, since it wasn't particularly offensive. I already know I'm more of a casual DnB fan: if it's on, whatever, but I don't actively seek it out. However, this thing is getting close to two and a half hours long and that's... too much. I got distracted and, after giving it an earnest attempt, stopped trying. I feel like I understood it after the first three tracks. I like electronic music, but I also like it when it's a bit more... varied than this.

Simon and Garfunkel is usually a little too twee, a little too choir-boy for me. This album avoids that, for the most part, for me. The arrangements are interesting without being bogged down with too much, and the songwriting is, as always, solid. Probably my favorite S&G, both solo and as a duo. Favorite tracks: "Overs", "Mrs. Robinson", "A Hazy Shade of Winter"

Fun, lively. I'm not super informed about this genre, but I enjoyed it while it was on. The performances, especially vocally, are fun and engaging. Favorite tracks: "Haq Ali Ali Haq", "Yaad-e-Nabi Gulshan Mehka"

Riffs for days. A lot of classical influence thrown in here, just played at warp speed. It's a solid overall record, but the one thing that's kept me from being a huge Megadeth fan is Mustaine's voice. Nothing personal. Favorite tracks: "Bad Omen", "Peace Sells"

A perfectly fine brit-pop album in the vein of the many that came before it. Probably doesn't really need to be here. Favorite track: "Streets of Kenny"

My only main complaint is the production is super muddy, but I'm familiar with Husker Du so it's not all that surprising. I can hear things in here that would be expanded on through the 90s, including Failure ("The Slim") and Harvey Danger's brand of sarcastic, skuzzy alt-rock ("A Good Idea"). There's even nods to Handel, I think ("Hoover Dam"). Call it a strong 3.5, light 4. Favorite tracks: "Fortune Teller", "Hoover Dam", "Changes", "Man On The Moon"

This is a tough one. I've known about The National and would even say I really enjoy "Bloodbuzz Ohio" and "Exile Vilify". I'm also a card-carrying member of the sad white boy club, which this definitely aims for. It's moody. I feel it captures that "tears in your beer" feeling that classic country does, but maybe a little bit darker, like being around close to house-lights-on at a corner bar on a Tuesday. I was skeptical at the beginning, but it eventually won me over. When it misses, it feels saccharine and dull, but when it hits, man it hits. Favorite tracks: "Bloodbuzz Ohio", "Lemonworld", "England", "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks"

Leaving all of the personal drama aside... The hooks on this thing are sticky as all-get out. It's a little ballad heavy, but when it goes for the aggressive hit, it usually nails it. I will say, it's from that era of music where the synths sound terrible to me, but it still works on how good the songwriting is. Favorite tracks: "Bad", "Smooth Criminal", "Dirty Diana"

Pleasant, celebratory, finds a groove and sticks with it. I've gotten one of his albums before, and can't say I remember much of it, but this is fine enough when it's on. Favorite track: "Daniibe"

Dissonant, proggy. I'm not particularly sure why I'm letting this escape my one star graveyard, but maybe a part of me likes it. It's weird. But I don't think I understand it, at all. Favorite track: "Alifie"

I know this is tied to Drive Like Jehu, which I love. Reminds me of Rancid, and maybe Trent Reznor (vocally, anyway). Seems to be very early rock-n-roll influenced, with a lot of Elvis Costello thrown in. It's fine. Has some sticky hooks and great tunes early, but doesn't really crest over that. Favorite tracks: "On A Rope", "Born In '69"

Sweeping, grand, orchestral. Somewhere between The Smiths, Modest Mouse, and Suede. Didn't really grip me. Favorite track: "Vagabond Holes"

I'm biased because a good friend of mine introduced this record to me a few years ago. According to the Wikipedia page, Iggy describes it as "Kraftwerk meets James Brown", and I think that's the most apt description there can be. There's a weird funk-ish, soul-ish undertone to all this, but it feels... sanitized and mechanical. Like it's mass produced (ba dum tish.) It also helps that I've been to Berlin, and I can feel the architecture of the city bleeding through this record. Again, it's biases all the way down. The songs feel somewhat like a session nightclubbing (I swear, I'll stop), maybe as the end of the night is starting to dawn on people, everyone's messed up and wanting another but probably not able to actually handle it. A lot of words, in a rambling order, to say I really enjoy this record. Maybe I should revisit "Low". Favorite tracks: "Sister Midnight", "Nightclubbing", "Mass Production", "Dum Dum Boys"

I'm not one for hair metal, so I'm probably in the wrong category for this. Technically speaking, it's impressive: Justin Hawkins' melismatic-slash-gymnastic runs sound difficult to pull off, and the backing music has some killer headbanging solos. That being said, I feel like I enjoyed parts of this album more than I enjoyed whole songs, and I'm not particularly sure why it's here. Didn't set off a huge hair metal revival or anything. Call it a generous 2.5. Favorite tracks: "I Believe In a Thing Called Love", "Growing On Me"

Dinosaur Jr. feel like they're those guys who are secretly into the Grateful Dead, but also really like freaking out hippies when they get the chance. I love how this record shifts from psychedelic pop to pure, unabashed noise on a moment's notice. The tones on this thing are great as well. Favorite tracks: "Don't", "Badge", "Yeah We Know"

I really, really like the subject matters dealt with here and how brazen and bold they are. No mincing words. On first listen, I feel like I really pick up a heavy Sonic Youth influence, but heavier vocals. I enjoyed this, but I think it attempts to be a little harsh at the expense of either being a harsh record, or having songs that might be considered "poppier". Call it a 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Doll Skin", "She Walks On Me"

Stones-y, Elvis-y, loose, jangly garage rock. It's fun, and it's quick, couldn't really find a lot to fault this with. Favorite tracks: "Evil Hearted Ada", "Have You Seen My Baby?"

Sad honky-tonk. Very Johnny Cash inspired, with much more modern production. It's good, just not anything I'll proabably revisit. Favorite tracks: "What I Don't Know", "I Hear You Knockin'", "Streets Of Bakersfield"

Everything is performed super well, I just think the schizophrenic nature of the album really weakens it. When they're sticking to ridiculous prog instrumentals, sick. But they frequently jump around to... classic rock n' roll, and hymns? It's weird. I enjoyed it, but it's weird. Favorite tracks: "Tarkus", "Infinite Space"

A straight-forward country album by a British group. I appreciate the Louvlin Brothers track. All played competently, inoffensive when on, just... fine. Favorite tracks: "The Christian Life", "You're Still On My Mind"

Lou Barlow being in Dinosaur Jr. really makes sense here. Well-crafted, grungy pop songs that turn into hippie freakout music really quickly. Can be a little schizo with three separate writers each creating separate tracks. Favorite tracks: "Think", "Elixir Is Zog", "Soul And Fire"

It's McCartney, so you know the songwriting is solid. It's impressive how many genres this album manages to bring together to make sound like one cohesive album. Blues, cod-reggae, and even something between a stadium singalong and a pirate shanty make it onto the album. It's all solid. Favorite tracks: "Band On the Run", "Bluebird", "Let Me Roll With It"

I had an epiphany while listening to this. Maybe I've been approaching dance albums on this all wrong. Maybe the purpose of things of this genre is losing yourself in the music like you would on a dance floor, and when you came to, you enjoyed what you were listening to. I think it's difficult to say whether that's right or wrong, but approaching this album like that, it definitely became my favorite dance-music album on the list. It's a little dated in spots, but you can see some of the influence it would have further down the line. Favorite tracks: "Donkey Doctor", "Pacific 202", "Sunrise"

I am, admittedly, a sucker for this type of music. I do appreciate that this album feels like an album, as opposed to some of the older stuff on this list, where it feels more like, "We made a hit and now have to try to capitalize on that again." It's got roots in country, blues, and pop. It's pleasant. Favorite tracks: "Always It's You", "Love Hurts", "Lucille"

Loose, like a record written after smoking a good bowl and kind of just... letting it out. There's a good mash-up of genres, with a wide variety of instruments thrown around. It's nice, but fails to capture my attention a ton. Favorite tracks: "Punchbag", "Lying In the Snow"

Violently horny. I mean, for fuck's sake, it has a song called "Gang Bang" on it. The performances are electric, and despite being a bit repetitive in spots, it just scratches that dumb-caveman glam rock itch really well. Favorite tracks: "Giddy Up A Ding Dong", "The Faith Healer"

While some of the subject matters haven't aged well, some of them have, and almost all of the beats are still fresh as ever. Favorite tracks: "Fuck Tha Police", "Express Yourself", "Straight Outta Compton"

Phish and Radiohead are obvious influences. Hoooooooooly fuck, is this thing busy. At certain points, I'm convinced they have two drummers just absolutely going at it. It can be a bit distracting, but when the members gel together, it can be great. A conflicting record. Favorite tracks: "Back At the Farm", "Bess St."

Kind of makes me think of the natural conclusion of where Pet Sounds was driving. Also reminds me of the white boy "world music" of Paul Simon. It's an interesting listen, but I think it's probably best experienced not sober. Favorite tracks: "Daily Routine", "Lion In a Coma"

Without looking, I'm going to assume the vocals are a big problem for everyone. After a few tracks, I personally got used to them, and at certain points even liked them; however, I think the main attraction here is the gorgeous guitar work. It sounds like Johnny Marr is a big influence: something not flashy, just adding to the ambience while being quietly brilliant. The instrumentation throughout really brings a lot, it's lush, it's orchestral, it's very pretty. Favorite tracks: "We Still Got The Taste Dancin' On Our Tongues", "Two Dancers (i/ii)"

Sure, it sounds a little dated, but this is one record that doesn't need to justify itself. The trade-off rhyme style is crazy fun, the energy is hype, and it's part of the reason that rap is so huge today. Favorite tracks: "It's Tricky", "Walk This Way", "Dumb Girl"

Great harmonies from Emmylou Harris, clean production. I'm a sucker for a slide guitar. Favorite tracks: "Return of the Grievous Angel", "I Can't Dance", "Medley Live from Nothern Quebec"

Feels a little pretentious. Starts a little noisy with synth-pop elements, but eventually drawls out to long, repetitive instrumentals. Kind of had me in the beginning, but eventually lost the flavor, and lost me as well. Favorite track: "She's Leaving"

Pretty, very psych influenced. At certain points, leans into the psych a little too much to become dull and too spaced out. Solid songwriting otherwise. Favorite tracks: "Season Of the Witch", "Guinevere"

A total trip. Never super sure where it's going to go, but it's played incredibly, and it is indeed a freak out. Favorite tracks: "Help, I'm A Rock", "Motherly Love"

While it can be extremely interesting to hear, at the end of the day, it's an immediately-post-Beatles McCartney kind of aimlessly fucking around. Of course, he'd strike absolute gold on "Maybe I'm Amazed", but taken as a whole, the project feels just as aimless as McCartney must have. Favorite tracks: "Maybe I'm Amazed", "Every Night", "Momma Miss America"

Covers a pretty wide swath of genres. You get some southern rock, acid folk, even boogie. It's nice, if a little bit twee in spots. Favorite tracks: "Darkness, Darkness", "Trillium"

Surprisingly subdued for something like this. Dancey in spots, but mostly meanders and only has flashes of anything interesting. Favorite track: "They Don't Want Your Corn, They Want Your Children"

Just a solid rock album. Had me doing the stink face occasionally. You'd think the flute would be kind of prog-y pretentious, but man it hits so well in this album. Favorite tracks: "Aqualung", "Hymn 43", "Locomotive Breath"

There's a feeling of comfort that comes with this, but I did grow up with the Toy Story movies... Parents were also a big fan of "Little Criminals", the album following this one. Gets a little samey throughout, but it's not enough to not enjoy it. Favorite tracks: "Birmingham", "Marie"

I feel as if I've always been a mere observer of the funk. More Jane Goodall than Tarzan. Funk, to me, is like watching a vivid cartoon, where the episode involves a house party: it hits so hard, even the house itself is grooving along. It's an odd record, but if you surrender yourself, you can truly enjoy the wide palette that the record covers: doo-wop, reggae, and some absolutely shredding rock. Favorite tracks: "Groovallegiance", "Who Says a Funk Band Can't Play Rock?!"

Just a solid, fun album front to back. Pulls a few insane guests (Andre 3000? Busta?). The TLC story is extremely sad, but the music is so fantastic. Favorite tracks: "Waterfalls", "Switch", "Diggin' On You"

The Fall flirt with industrial. I feel like the genre suits them well, with Mark E. Smith's flat delivery. The Fall, however, continue to elude me; some songs drag on a bit past their welcome, and when it's one repeated stanza over and over again, it grates. Favorite track: "Past Gone Mad"

Front to back, great album. Keeps a solid energy throughout, doesn't overstay its welcome. Dark, sinister beats mixed with tight lyrical ability and flow. Favorite tracks: "Gold", "Shadowboxin'", "Investigative Reports"

"Green" finds R.E.M. in a transitional period, between the slightly more pop/folk direction they'd pursue, and the college rock past they had just come from. As a fan, it's not my favorite records, but there are some worse. I'm also just a sucker for Michael Stipe's lyrics and deadpan delivery. Call it a 3.5, bumped due to prior bias. Favorite tracks: "Pop Song 89", "You Are The Everything", "Orange Crush"

Phil Spector's trademark style meets the bluesy stylings of Dion. I typically like Spector's production style, but I think it can be a little smothering here. The songs also last a little too long, feeling quite longer than they actually are. Favorite track: "Only You Know"

I think getting the PJ Harvey albums backwards was the incorrect way to do things, because I was surprised by "Rid of Me", and I'm equally surprised and blown away by this one. It's got a swagger to it. I love the strange, jerky rhythms it works with. Maybe I'll give the newer records another try. Favorite tracks: "Water", "Dress", "Hair"

I'm a sucker for southern rock, but an hour and a half might be taking the piss a little much. I like the production, especially the guitars, and I like the singers changing out every few songs. Helps keep things fresh. Could probably do without the defense of George Wallace, even if it does seem to be coming from a good place (or maybe that's just me). Favorite tracks: "Ronnie and Neil", "Dead, Drunk and Naked", "Shut Up and Get On the Plane"

My problem, as always, with Leonard Cohen, is how difficult it is to put instrumentals behind him. The sparser, the better, but still. They're not the main draw here: the words and Leonard's voice are. Favorite tracks: "Bird On the Wire", "The Partisan"

It's an ambitious album. It would quickly establish Kendrick as the rapper to emulate, turning him into one of the most important figures in the game. I think it slips up occasionally, and I think it's been surpassed, but I think it's still an incredible album that, for its few faults, is almost all positives. Favorite tracks: "Money Trees", "m.A.A.d. City", "Backseat Freestyle", "Swimming Pools" Also, unrelated, but shoutout to the guy using 1001 who said this is "vile and disgusting" yet gave "The Marshall Mathers LP" by Eminem a 5. Like dude, what?

One of my favorite memories in the city of Baltimore, was hanging out at Max's doing karaoke. A guy, drunk beyond words, got up to do "Wonderwall" and... managed to be a full measure off. The song would play: "I said maybeeee" and by "may" he was coming in, full force, full throat, from the beginning of the line. It was fun, singing to the song in time, only to be interrupted by this drunk guy howling out the lyrics. So cheers to that guy and Baltimore. Hope the hangover wasn't bad. Favorite tracks: "Wonderwall", "Champagne Supernova", "She's Electric"

Think this is my third (or so) Nick Cave record, and I find myself appreciating his showmanship more than the music. He knows how to carry a feeling, but none of these songs really stick with me. The storytelling, however, is great. Favorite track: "Straight To You"

I like the "colors" this album gives off. Very flower power, very of its time, but I enjoyed it. It probably won't be a repeated listen, but it was good while spinning. Favorite tracks: "This Will Be Our Year", "Time Of the Season"

Tears-in-my-beer country with an edge. Reminds me of the Allman Brothers Band, if they had steered a little more country than rock. I love the album cover, too. Favorite tracks: "Christine's Song", "Hot Burrito #2"

Has a heavy blues vibe in the vein of Deep Purple or Led Zepplin. Also has some nods to the prog-ishness of likes of Yes. It's cool at certain points, but I find the lyrics to be pretty repetitive and mostly chorus. Favorite tracks: "Nothin' To Hide", "Mr. Skin"

I feel like this album is here as a time capsule to 00s pop music. Aside from two of the songs, the production is handled in turn by The Neptunes, or Timbaland with Scott Storch. I prefer the Neptunes tracks, typically (I'm not all for Storch's pseudo-Middle-East schtick), but most of the songs on the record drag out far too long, and some of the tracks wear their influences too close on the sleeve. Still, an interesting listen, if only for the glimpse into what pop would become. Favorite tracks: "Cry Me A River", "Like I Love You"

I've actually listened to the Dandys a bit before. Young me was huge into "Veronica Mars" and their excellent "We Used to Be Friends" served as the theme, causing me to dig into their "Welcome to The Monkey House". I never dug too far into their past catalogue, admittedly. This is definitely more of a drugged-out, stoner version of Blur and Oasis, capturing more of the feeling of being high on record than Oasis did. At times it lags, but it always manages to come back up: peaks and valleys, if you will. My bias seeps in a bit, but I enjoyed the drugged psych pop it was. Call it a 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Minnesoter", "Not If You Were The Last Junkie on Earth", "Cool as Kim Deal"

Bowie apparently refers to this album as "plastic soul", and I think that's an apt description. There's a coldness to this, kind of like a lounge singer who has totally disassociated from his reality. It's kind of an interesting listen, and I correctly guessed that the album following this was "Station to Station", which keeps that coldness up to a shocking degree. It hits some slow points at times, and that Beatles cover is... something, but the roboticness of this won me over in the end, especially on closer "Fame". Call it a 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Fame", "Young Americans", Fascination"

The issues I had with "Happy/Sad" still persist here. "Focus" is the word of the day, and this record (much like "H/S") gets lost in the weeds a lot. Sometimes, it ends up well, and sometimes it just... doesn't ("Hong Kong Bar"). Still, a spirited performance and, despite my criticisms, a tighter set of songs than previous. Favorite tracks: "Move With Me", "Devil Eyes"

Truth be told, I like the artist's story more than the music. It's good, it just all sounds dated in that way that anyone who even looked at a keyboard between 1988-1992 does. Has lulls, and also that dated way of "rapping" a lot of artists in this genre would use, but it's fine overall. Favorite track: "Last Train to Trancentral"

I fear I'm going to sound like I'm damning with faint praise here, but I'd most likely take this over another 60s/70s generic psych-pop album. It's got a fire under its ass, that's for certain. After the initial shock wears off, and you really pay attention, you can tell these songs are just... songs played at 3x the speed. Fast. Almost a reckless abandon to it all. It's cool, it's a total freak out. Favorite track: "Peace Warriors"

I audibly groaned for two reasons before starting this record: one, it's in that time and place where 77 minutes was considered a reasonable run length, and two, Scott Storch handles a large portion of the production. As far as I'm aware, he's a Timbaland protegee with a penchant for throwing ""middle eastern"" sounding production onto everything he touches ("Baby Boy" by Sean Paul and Beyonce comes to mind). I guess he hadn't reached that place yet, since the production is more restrained and varied. Christina can fucking sing, and she's best when she's going for broke and absolutely belting, but I don't think there's enough of this. She does the soft, sensual singing well, but I just think her strengths lie elsewhere. Her abilities vocally push a song that might have some cheesy lyrics into something else, something meaningful. I can't imagine many other singers tackling "Beautiful" and coming out sounding anything less than sappy. This thing could've been trimmed and been more manageable, but we had to have twenty tracks. Call it a 2.5, but Christina's powerhouse vocals keep this from being lower. Favorite tracks: "Fighter", "Beautiful"

The use of unusual time signatures make this one a super fun, engaging listen. Favorite tracks: "Time Out", "Blue Rondo a la Turk", "Everybody's Jumpin'"

I'm a fan of R.E.M. and I... just don't really like "Everybody Hurts". I have to be in the right mood for it, and that mood is *not* depressed. I don't know what mood that is. I find the track to be saccharine, with it's almost full-throated-yodel from Stipe. That being said, it does fit well in this record, and I forgot how much I love the caffeinated bounce of "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite". It's a gorgeously dark album with some light breaking through the clouds occasionally, and has some nice sound palettes, be they Zeppelin-esque ("Ignoreland") or doo-wop influences ("Star Me Kitten", "Man on the Moon"). Hard not to like the whole package, I guess. Favorite tracks: "Ignoreland", "Nightswimming", "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite", "Find The River", "Man On the Moon"

Proto INXS and Duran Duran. Slow paced. At certain points (namely "In Vogue"), songs just feel repetitive and too long. Favorite track: "Halloween"

Those who are not ready for grindcore will have a rough one of this. That being said, I hear elements of Motorhead in this, just way, way faster. I thought I didn't like the production on the first half of the record, but it ironically gets noticeably worse in the second half. Just happy to hear some more metal on this list, especially from a genre that you'd never actually expect. Favorite tracks: "Scum", "Siege of Power", "Control"

I feel weird giving Queen such a low rating, but they continue to be a singles band for me. This record is fucking all over the place, hitting Yes-style prog rock within one or two songs of something that sounds vaguely like a country standard. The arrangements, especially vocally, are something to behold, and of course the evergreen "Bohemian Rhapsody" is on here, which nails a freefall landing. Favorite tracks: "Bohemian Rhapsody", "The Prophet's Song"

Feels like pop music put through a grunge or industrial filter. Works surprisingly well, but that's probably because it's carried hard by the gorgeous production and the absolutely phenomenal vocals. I'd probably call it a 4.5 if I was being nuanced, but I was surprised just how much I enjoyed this record. Favorite tracks: "Queer", "Only Happy When It Rains", "Not My Idea"

I mean, Earth, Wind, and Fire has always been that kind of music that makes the world a little brighter. In my opinion, it's hard to hate. Thing everything is performed wonderfully, the harmonies add a huge amount of warmth throughout. Favorite tracks: "Shining Star", "That's The Way of The World", "Yearnin' Learnin'"

Listening to the entire thing, it doesn't surprise me that Alice In Chains started as a glam band. I think it's all in the harmonies, they're a huge shining spot throughout. I also love the sludgy tones, but I've always loved that about this band. It's a little bloated and could use some fat trimming, but it's solid overall. Call it a 4.5. Favorite tracks: "Them Bones", "Rain When I Die", "Dirt", "Would?"

I remember the cycle around this album, the Kings of Leon "sellout" album. I remember a lot of press. I also remember hearing "Sex on Fire", what was (and still is) a decent song, and deciding not to check out the rest of the album. In retrospect, I think it's fine. The songs sometimes meander without ever getting to a destination. It certainly sounds big, but also kind of empty. Like a garage rock band attempting shoegaze. Favorite tracks: "Notion", "I Want You"

I like this album when it's heavier, has a little blues to it. The bubblegum stuff just bounces right off of my brain. I feel like I can take or leave the last track, enjoying certain parts of it but maybe not a whole eighteen minutes. Favorite tracks: "Stephanie Knows Who", "Seven and Seven Is"

A post-punk album with rockabilly sensibilities. A fresh take, but kind of drags on a little. Think it requires further study. Call it a 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Cool Drink of Water", "She's Like Heroin To Me"

There's a joyousness to this record that is infectious, even if some of the subject matter can be dark (man, I love that twist in "The Theater"). It sounds like the Pet Shop Boys trying to be the missing link between disco, house, and the Madchester scene, and I'm really here for it. Favorite tracks: "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing", "A Different Point of View", "The Theater"

The only strong suit I can see is that, if the instrumentals were improved, the hooks on this could be so much better. The sparse, plastic-sounding instrumentals bring it all the way down to the basement, exposing the flaws of the vocals. In a list cluttered with synth pop records, this one definitely didn't need to be here. Small concession: I do like how the final track cuts out midway through repeating "For a very long time!" Pretty funny.

The first half of this album is super solid, with some experimentation mixed in for good measure. I think the second half of the record leans into the experimental side a little too much, but at certain points regroups to be more of an interesting listen. Fascinating, more than anything, with some tight grooves. Favorite tracks: "Paperhouse", "Halleluwah"

"Ambitious" is the word that most comes to mind with this. I'm not sure why the band thought we needed a mostly-straight cover of "Born to Run", as well as a few others, but they really bring the record down. The originals on here are solid, maybe drenched in a little 80s excess, but once they dig really into the covers, the record never really recovers. I like the production though, it's very big and "futuristic". Favorite tracks: "Welcome To the Pleasuredome", "Relax"

On Prince levels of horny. The levity in the rhymes and vibe just really sell this thing, even if I think some of the tracks (and the album) drag in certain spots. The beats are still absolutely killer though. Also "The Humpty Dance" is an all-time classic, and if you disagree, I just can't be friends with you. Favorite tracks: "The Humpty Dance", "Doowutchyalike", "Underwater Rimes"

It's weird, I remember Googling Aaron North (the guitarist from Icarus Line) a while back because I remembered him from his time in Nine Inch Nails, and never knew Icarus Line was as big as it was. I can definitely see it: there's hints of glam with the sleaze turned up to ten, noise, all lead by someone doing their best Iggy Pop impersonation. Reminds me a little bit of the bass-heavy Death From Above (1979). It's easy to get lost in, like after a night out where you're drunk out of your mind and you're trying to piece it all together the next day. I like it, or maybe the idea of it. Favorite tracks: "Up Against the Wall, Motherfuckers", "Getting Bright At Night", "Big Sleep"

I was completely on board after the first track. Unfortunately, as the album drew on, it whittled away the great start it had. Some of the vocalists on here bring it down, especially the repetitive "Pilgrim", but any time there's an instrumental it's killer. Cool fusions of jazz, electronica, and what my limited knowledge will refer to as Indian music. Call it a 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Broken Skin", "Tides", "The Conference"

It's solid. Not really much more to say, just that I enjoyed it. "Fingernails" is a weird song topic though, right? Call it a 3.5, anyway. Favorite tracks: "Boxcars", "Tonight I Think I'm Gonna Go Downtown"

Feel like I can trace the before and after of this band, with all the fuzzy-power-pop of The Cars and the Replacements, and on the other end you have the likes of Fountains of Wayne and The Dandy Warhols. I like it, I just don't think it keeps up the momentum throughout the whole thing. Favorite tracks: "God! Show Me Magic", "Something 4 The Weekend", "Frisbee"

Quite the murderers row of people playing on this. Phil Collins, Robert Fripp, Kate Bush? Damn. I love some of the songs, but a few didn't feel anything for or found myself annoyed by (specifically the opener "Intruder"). Call it a 3.5 overall. Favorite tracks: "No Self Control", "I Don't Remember", "Lead A Normal Life"

After the surprise success of "Missing", EBTG decided to shift away from their sophisti-pop stylings and lean way into modern electronic techniques. I like this one a lot better for it. Tracy Thorn's voice fits so, so well over these (for further proof, check out her appearing on the Massive Attack song "Protection"), but the problem I have is they're too cool and subtle. They make great music, but it never demands attention. It renders this record into pleasant, but unfortunate, background noise a lot. Favorite tracks: "Wrong", "Flipside"

A little bluegrass, gospel influence. Incredibly powerful voice. Not entirely my cup of tea, but it was nice having on. Favorite tracks: "Boulder to Birmingham", "Bottle Let Me Down"

I feel like this is the right type of glam: something that goes so over-the-top that it turns out grimy and pushing the envelope. Like how "glam" fashion feels, in reality, like putting a lot of makeup on a pig. It's pretty, but underneath? Favorite tracks: "No More Mr. Nice Guy", "Elected"

I am a sucker for early 60s soul and rock songwriting, and this isn't any different. Didn't knock my socks off or anything, just overall solid, and a lot of passionate delivery. Favorite tracks: "Cry To Me", "If You Need Me"

Noise/found sounds collage that flits between interesting, robotic funk, and something slightly above ambient. I appreciate the music it inspired, at the very least. Also, the bass playing on some of this is absolutely choice. Favorite tracks: "Regiment", "Very, Very Hungry"

Whoo boy, what to say about this one? Vocally, it's impressive. Terence goes out of his way to belt almost every note, aside from a few tracks where it goes, stylistically, more R&B. It wears on you after a while. The production is that late 80s/early 90s sound that I just never got in to, so another mark against it. I think this might escape my graveyard if it was shorter, and if the songs cut off after a little while, but it just wants to show off so. badly.

Fun fact, the first song I ever played on stage was "Down Through the Night". Buddy of mine in high school was obsessed with Hawkwind, though I never listened to them. I like the groove and I imagine this is better enjoyed intoxicated, but for 90 minutes, it's basically a lot of the same. Very well recorded, though. Favorite tracks: "Down Through the Night", "Orgone Accumulator"

There's almost a childlike feel to this. It's simple, but effective. The arrangements are nice, but don't do more than allowing the vocals and story to be told. I enjoyed it, but don't think it's anything I'll come back to. Favorite tracks: "Longer Boats", "Wild World"

I had gotten a Rufus Wainwright album prior (the "sequel" to this one, "Want Two"), but admittedly didn't remember much of it. Without revisiting it, this sounds a bit like that one, but maybe less (as I described it) "theatrical". The impulses are still there, but they feel like they mix in to the straight-forward pop provided. Certain parts remind me a little of Rod Stewart, but with a nicer voice. It started losing me a little near the end, but call it a 3.5 cos it never truly lost me, just made me ready to move on to the next one. Favorite tracks: "Go Or Go Ahead", "14th Street", "11:11"

I remember getting "Herculean" as part of the free singles program on iTunes (throwback). It was nice and I enjoyed it, but it never left me wanting any more. I realize this is a supergroup, but it certainly plays kind of... plain. There are some nice dub influences sprinkled throughout, but it mostly ends with a dreary, kind of boring record that should justify why it's on this list aside from "the members are all in other, popular groups". Seriously, how did they waste a drummer from Fela Kuti's outfit? Favorite track: "Herculean"

I think something like this walked so someone like DJ Shadow could run. It's also an interesting note that Mark E. Smith and Queen Latifah were on the same fucking record. Back half is way stronger than the front. Favorite tracks: "Stop This Crazy Thing", "Smoke Dis One", "Not Paid Enough"

I've listened to Hot Chip a little ("Ready For the Floor"'s cool video was on my iPod video back in the day), but never dove super deep in. It has always amazed me these five, accountant-looking British guys can make legitimately great dance music. I'm surprised how much I enjoyed this album; it sounds like a killer remix album for an already-killer pop album. I think it stumbles once or twice ("Now There Is Nothing", and how do you not use "Let Me Be Him" as the closer?), so I'd call this a 4.5. I'm rounding up due to the fact I threw it back on once I had finished, which hasn't happened frequently on this list. Favorite tracks: "These Chains", "Night And Day", "Flutes", "How Do You Do?"

Unhinged in a way that only someone truly unhinged could be. You can hear notes of psychobilly, punk, and country in here. It's fantastic and exactly why I started doing this thing, over 800 albums ago. Favorite tracks: "Reverberation", "Thru The Rhythm", "Monkey Island", "You're Gonna Miss Me"

Queen sounds an awful lot like Led Zeppelin here. As I've mentioned in a few other Queen reviews, they continue to be a singles band for me. Obviously, there are some fantastic musicians on this, but they don't always come together in ways that I love. Also, Christ, why is Freddie Mercury ever giving up the microphone? Favorite tracks: "Father To Son", "The March of The Black Queen"

Love the passion on this thing. You can hear it in the tight-yet-uncontrolled playing on all the instruments. Firing on all cylinders. It's what I imagine every blues-rock dad would want their live concert to sound like. Call it a 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Kick Out the Jams", "Rocket Reducer No. 62"

I mean, what could I possibly say? I'm not a huge Van Halen fan, but even I acquiesce that this is essentially a "Greatest Hits" album. It fucking shreds. It's suuuuper horny. Grab a fucking forty and just chill to a tape of this. Favorite tracks: "Running With the Devil", "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love", "On Fire"

It's not that it's bad, it's just that, for The Beatles, it's unimpressive. It's a rock n' roll record of its time: some originals, a lot of covers. The Beatles do them well enough, on a sliding scale of "ehhhh" to "yeah that's good", but the Lennon-McCartney tracks are the main standouts. Favorite tracks: "It Won't Be Long", "Hold Me Tight"

It's like being in a drunken bar brawl with Talking Heads: you're never super sure where the next punch is going to come from. It misses more than it hits, but the hits feel solid enough. Call it a 2.5. Favorite tracks: "Life Stinks", "Street Waves"

As with all of the dance records on here, this one feels better enjoyed not sober. But I will say, sober, that I could see myself really enjoying it. It's interesting that it's a compilation between a bunch of DJs, simply because it rolls together really well. I could find myself returning to it.

I assume a lot of people will have issues with Randy Newman, but I've never been one to. I like his tongue-in-cheek songwriting, especially here, though I do find "You Can Leave Your Hat On" weird, even from his character-sketch perspective. Favorite tracks: "Dayton, Ohio 1903", "Memo To My Son", "Political Science"

What can I say, I'm out of my depth on acappella stuff. I enjoyed this, but it's something I don't think I'll be returning to. Admittedly, there were some techniques (mainly the "lip smacking" ones) that I disliked, but I hate it when people do that in general anyway. Favorite track: "Golgotha"

I continue to be amazed there are more KoL records on here. Surely I've hit the last one? This album is loose, in a "fuck around and expect nothing" sense. The vocal delivery, as a mouth filled with marbles, wore on me quite quickly, and the music wasn't really enough to make up for it. It escapes the graveyard because, as with the other releases, I've found one or two tracks that genuinely rock, but it was the closest one to death out of the three. Favorite track: "Molly's Chambers"

I think everything done is here is done well, talent-wise. There's a ton of influences pulled in and blended here, it's just... indulgent. Long. Pretentious. This is album #3 for Dexys, and it's just... you don't really need this one on here, I think. It's the lead singer going for broke after landing a fluke, extremely catchy hit, and him absolutely going broke.