942
Albums Rated
3.03
Average Rating
87%
Complete
147 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
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Rating Timeline
Average rating over time
Ratings by Decade
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Activity by Day
When do you listen?
Taste Profile
1970s
Favorite Decade
Grunge
Favorite Genre
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Top Origin
Balanced
Rater Style
88
5-Star Albums
82
1-Star Albums
Taste Analysis
Genre Preferences
Ratings by genre
Origin Preferences
Ratings by country
Rating Style
You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heroes to Zeros | 5 | 2.9 | +2.1 |
| Groovin' | 5 | 3.02 | +1.98 |
| Teenage Head | 5 | 3.03 | +1.97 |
| Queen Of Denmark | 5 | 3.14 | +1.86 |
| Honky Tonk Heroes | 5 | 3.14 | +1.86 |
| Permission to Land | 5 | 3.15 | +1.85 |
| Truth | 5 | 3.16 | +1.84 |
| The Bones Of What You Believe | 5 | 3.18 | +1.82 |
| Scissor Sisters | 5 | 3.23 | +1.77 |
| S&M | 5 | 3.26 | +1.74 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highway 61 Revisited | 1 | 3.77 | -2.77 |
| Pearl | 1 | 3.73 | -2.73 |
| Hounds Of Love | 1 | 3.61 | -2.61 |
| Blue | 1 | 3.49 | -2.49 |
| It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back | 1 | 3.37 | -2.37 |
| Debut | 1 | 3.36 | -2.36 |
| Fear Of A Black Planet | 1 | 3.34 | -2.34 |
| Pornography | 1 | 3.31 | -2.31 |
| Bitches Brew | 1 | 3.3 | -2.3 |
| Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black | 1 | 3.23 | -2.23 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Led Zeppelin | 4 | 5 |
| Radiohead | 6 | 4.5 |
| Beatles | 5 | 4.6 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 4.67 |
| T. Rex | 2 | 5 |
| Green Day | 2 | 5 |
| Iron Maiden | 2 | 5 |
| Coldplay | 2 | 5 |
| The Rolling Stones | 6 | 4 |
| Creedence Clearwater Revival | 3 | 4.33 |
| Pink Floyd | 3 | 4.33 |
| The Who | 5 | 4 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Björk | 4 | 1 |
| Public Enemy | 3 | 1 |
| Kate Bush | 3 | 1 |
| Joni Mitchell | 4 | 1.5 |
| Public Image Ltd. | 2 | 1 |
| M.I.A. | 2 | 1 |
| Barry Adamson | 2 | 1 |
| Scott Walker | 2 | 1 |
| Robert Wyatt | 2 | 1 |
| Kanye West | 3 | 1.67 |
| Pere Ubu | 2 | 1.5 |
| Can | 2 | 1.5 |
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 5 | 2.2 |
| The Cure | 3 | 2 |
| Bob Dylan | 6 | 2.33 |
Controversial Artists
Artists you rate inconsistently
| Artist | Albums | Variance |
|---|---|---|
| Portishead | 2 | 1.5 |
| Miles Davis | 4 | 1.12 |
| Neil Young | 4 | 1.12 |
| Morrissey | 4 | 1.12 |
5-Star Albums (88)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
M.I.A.
1/5
This is obnoxious. I couldn't make it more than two songs in. From a one-hit-wonder to two albums on this list is a tragedy.
9 likes
Can
2/5
This started out cool enough but devolved into exactly what I expected partway through Halleluwah. The second half of it is almost unlistenable
2 likes
Jeff Beck
5/5
Stewart and Beck know what they’re doing. Blues to rock, with everything in between. I’ll gladly listen to this again.
1 likes
4-Star Albums (220)
1-Star Albums (82)
All Ratings
The Who
4/5
5/5
Jamiroquai
3/5
Foo Fighters
5/5
Anita Baker
2/5
Eminem
2/5
LCD Soundsystem
1/5
Amy Winehouse
5/5
Laura Nyro
2/5
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
The xx
2/5
Boring white stripes. Like silversun pickups. Catchy but ultimately uninspired.
Elvis Presley
1/5
Blegh. Boring.
Lenny Kravitz
3/5
Ray Charles
4/5
Michael Jackson
4/5
T. Rex
5/5
Arcade Fire
2/5
Ready to Start is fun but the rest is forgettable.
Various Artists
5/5
Arrested Development
3/5
Faith No More
4/5
Epic is awesome. Strings section is amazing
Turbonegro
1/5
Why is this on here?
Tom Waits
1/5
Not my favorite. Too jammy jazzy. I’m not smart enough it feels.
Miles Davis
2/5
Chaotic. Fueled by drugs and jazz.
Common
2/5
Got a little chaotic musically in the mid tracks. I like it otherwise.
Rocket From The Crypt
1/5
Not sure why this is in the list, either. It’s ok, not good. Not revolutionary like I expect.
Tori Amos
2/5
They speak of the label wanting to move to guitars in place of Tori’s piano and I very much agree. This was boring. I couldn’t hum the tune or recite a line from any of the songs and I just finished listening to it.
Ian Dury
1/5
Immature and unintelligent.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
I’ve heard of Elvis Costello before but couldn’t name a song. This is good and seems like a precursor to most of the early 2000s bands. Lenny Kravitz seems to pull most of his inspiration from here as well.
Deep Purple
4/5
It's amazing this was played live.
Jimi Hendrix
2/5
Pretty jammy. Like stoner jazz.
Eagles
5/5
So classic. Amazing.
N.W.A.
3/5
Good beats. Same message today as in 1988.
The Doors
4/5
Much more blues oriented than I ever realized. Jim has pipes
Buck Owens
2/5
Silly but fun. Talented but not my cup of tea.
Sepultura
2/5
Face melted. I long for a chorus but was banging along.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Oh Daddy is the black sheep in this otherwise perfect album.
The White Stripes
3/5
Any good songs seem to be hidden behind distortion and fuzz with odd lyrics. I think they write 8bars and improvise the rest. It’s catchy but I wonder what they’d do with more experience or talent.
The Sugarcubes
2/5
It wasn’t as bad as I expected. Sort of a precursor to The Cranberries, 4 Non Blonds, Local H, etc.
Dion
1/5
Terrible. Boring. He so desperately wants to be Jackson Browne but falls short in every way. There have to be 1000 better albums than this one. He mumbles to boot.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
How have gone 40 years in my life without ever hearing this? I’ve of course heard of Velvet Underground but I guess I’ve never sat down and listened. It’s brilliant. Lou’s drawl and apathetic approach sets the tone.
Orbital
2/5
I like Halcyon and On and On but I’m not sure how this is relevant in the whole scheme of albums to listen to. It’s just a long collection of sounds scapes and clips.
Super Furry Animals
2/5
Reminiscent of New Pornographers or Supergrass. I’m not sure what sets them apart enough to have an album on this list. I tapped along to most of the songs but couldn’t tell you one now and it’s 30 minutes since I finished.
Kanye West
2/5
“Pussy and religion is all I need.” Well, if that’s all you need, take a 2/5. He hides behind all the other guest artists to get any semblance of music into a track.
OutKast
4/5
Amazing.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
1/5
Some weird Australian stuff? This doesn’t belong on the list.
DJ Shadow
5/5
Amazing soundscapes. The drums are the key to keeping the beat going.
The Band
3/5
Got a little too Cletus the Slack Jawed Yokel by the end.
Radiohead
3/5
No real hits on this one. Good, but just meh.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Of course it’s good. It’s Michael Jackson.
Aphex Twin
2/5
Good but ultimately boring.
The Cure
1/5
This was a chore to get through. The Cure might be a time and place band. No beat variation and no hits. Not sure why this is in the list.
Adele
4/5
It’s great. It gets lost in the middle tracks but ends nicely. She sings with so much emotion and the audio is well produced.
She ends up with an award winning album after a breakup and I get stuck with alimony.
Rolling in the Deep is one of those songs -- like I Will Always Love You, Stairway to Heaven, Let It Be, Kiss From a Rose, Unchained Melody -- that has become part of the cultural air we all breathe. A significant accomplishment.
50 Cent
2/5
I want to say that the last 20 years haven’t been kind to this but then I’d be saying it was good 20 years ago.
The hits are mostly memes by now.
Funkadelic
3/5
Might not be into it right now but it’s very interesting.
Massive Attack
3/5
Trip-Hop beginnings. I loved it. Tracey Thorne is amazing for the first track.
Everything But The Girl
3/5
I was hoping this had their massive hit on it but it's ...missing.
John Lennon
2/5
He can’t write a chorus for shit. He writes what he knows, which are hateful lyrics to Paul, and an attempt at a love song for Yoko. Both of which fall flat.
He’d probably argue this was music he made for himself but I disagree with that as a whole. You don’t write, produce, and distribute an album for yourself. It’s for everyone else. I don’t think many people related to this one.
Haircut 100
3/5
Pretty funky, new wave, goodness. I’ve heard Love Plus One somewhere before but I’ve never heard of anything else, including their name.
UB40
2/5
You're in the lobby of a tropical hotel. There's a fake plant in the corner. This album plays on a nearby speaker. You slowly nod off, never noticing the music was being played by the actual UB40.
This is really boring. A lot must have changed before they got to Red Red Wine.
Cornershop
2/5
The drummer, whoever they are, needs a better job than this.
Brimful of Asha is great, the rest is meh.
Public Enemy
1/5
Didn’t age well. Bad samples.
yyyyeeeeaaaaaa booooyyyyy gets old real quick
The Jam
3/5
This sounds like an alternate universe where The Ramones sold out and went pop in the 80s.
Or if The Smiths weren’t clinically depressed.
Not that I dislike it. I’ll come back to this another day.
Astor Piazzolla
1/5
I think I prefer the old tango.
Glockenspiel solos were never my thing.
PJ Harvey
3/5
It’s good. It paved the war for so much but that road is so well traveled the uniqueness is lost.
Jeff Beck
5/5
Stewart and Beck know what they’re doing. Blues to rock, with everything in between. I’ll gladly listen to this again.
The Clash
5/5
Divine.
4/5
I did enjoy the show. Fixing a Hole to Within You Without You is a bit of a bore but it picks up again with When I’m Sixty-Four.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
A little repetitive in chord progression and strum pattern but I can get over that.
The Divine Comedy
3/5
A cross between Belle and Sebastian and Magnetic Fields. Good, not great.
Violent Femmes
5/5
An absolute gem. Acoustic punk for the win.
Lauryn Hill
3/5
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
Just meh.
Deep Purple
4/5
Solid tracks that drone on a little too long. Best enjoyed in an elevated state.
Leftfield
4/5
Super cool 90s electronica. When I was listening to it I kept thinking it would have gone well in the Hackers soundtrack. After I looked at the track listing for Hackers and saw them prominently featured.
Wilco
4/5
This holds up surprisingly well. It sounds like Band of Horses copied their homework from the 90s.
I’ll give some more attention to Wilco going forward.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Classic jams. The horns are a fun addition but don’t add to the overall rock feel.
The 13th Floor Elevators
3/5
Trippy. The jug gets repetitive and annoying.
I might revisit in an altered state of mind.
Willie Nelson
5/5
Concept albums aren’t only for psychedelic rock!
Blue Eyes Cryin in the Rain is one of the prettiest songs I’ve ever heard.
I’ll keep coming back to this.
Massive Attack
3/5
Well done but mostly boring.
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Solid but nothing caught my ear. I kept wanting this to turn into Buena Vista Social Club.
Lana Del Rey
2/5
Lana Del Rey must have a recording booth in her 2 bedroom with her roommate, Tim. Tim works nights and has a short temper. Lana knows this so when she records her latest record she sings so breathily and minuscule to not wake him and incur his wrath. Seriously, she uses 90% or her air for the breathy sounds leaving the last 10% for sound.
She throws in pop culture references to keep the listener just awake enough to ride out the high from the painkillers they’re obviously on otherwise they’d be listening to something, nay, anything else.
This has no place on this list. It doesn’t even belong on the 9,001 albums you should listen to list.
5/5. Great stuff.
Public Enemy
1/5
Public enemy wasn’t made for me. I try but it’s just not me.
Kate Bush
1/5
Bjork on coke. This is one experiment that doesn’t work for me.
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
Just ok. Got a little repetitive toward the end.
Johnny Cash
4/5
It’s a classic so it’s probably getting rated higher than it should.
Johnny can’t tune his guitar, the drums sound the same on every (train) track, and he can’t remember the words for some of the songs.
But it’s so real and raw it’s deserving.
Parliament
4/5
Super funky with a capital P. You’re dead inside if you’re not dancing along to this wherever you are.
The Beach Boys
3/5
It was made to have no filler but it doesn't come across that way. It feels like the ramblings of a man who couldn't adapt to the evolving musical style of the late 60s. He's "the smartest guy in the room" and it really shows. Slow your genius roll, Brian Wilson.
U2
3/5
Not as offensive as so many U2 haters seem to lead you to believe. Besides Mysterious Ways it's pretty unremarkable, though. It got a little boring and repetitive by the end of the album.
Muddy Waters
4/5
Little Simz
2/5
I don’t get it. Not a single jam and not something I’ll tell my kids to listen to.
Kendrick Lamar
2/5
Hoodrat shit.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Just okay. Rooted in Blues is great if you're good at Blues.
The Pharcyde
3/5
More fun than Public Enemy or NWA. I love the roots it planted for Jurassic 5 and Gorillaz.
Sepultura
2/5
A bit too much for my taste. I had a white-knuckled l, rage driven car ride home from this.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
This is a mood. I want to sit in the dark smoking cigarettes and making comparisons and metaphors to the Old Testament.
I wrote off other albums for being too story-driven with not much musical background (ahem Kendrick Lamar and Little Sims) but this doesn't offend quite as much.
The guy in the corner with the mouth harp is the glue holding all of this together.
Femi Kuti
2/5
Super meh.
Eurythmics
3/5
Kind of a boring sandwich. Sweet Dreams is obviously great but the rest feels like filler around it.
David Bowie
4/5
To be able to produce an album and have little to no recollection of it is amazing. Golden years is amazing.
The rest seems to be the birth of alternative rock in my opinion. Bowie was years ahead, as usual.
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
Solid, but not memorable.
Gorillaz
5/5
So good. It's closer to Blur than Gorillaz now but it's still so good.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
Someone on this submission board has a boner for Arctic Monkeys and it shows. This is pretty bland.
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
This seems like a cocaine-fueled attempt at being cool again. Oh, wait - it is.
Bobby Shad had the better performance in Walk Hard.
ZZ Top
5/5
A master class in cool. If you're not tapping or singing along you're likely dead.
Van Halen
4/5
Solid. How can you deny this?
Tracy Chapman
3/5
I long for more Fast Car. Unfortunately the rest of the album doesn't fulfill that wish.
Depeche Mode
3/5
Got a little boring after the first three songs.
Miles Davis
4/5
So many different flavors of cool.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
1/5
No thanks.
Eagles
3/5
This is a lot more CSNY than I expected. I can't pick out Don Henley's voice anywhere in the tracks but I hear his signature sound. I know the popular songs but not the rest and it'll probably stay that way.
John Grant
5/5
Wonderful, quirky, and intelligent.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
Some great songs, but irritating after the first.
Goldfrapp
3/5
Snooze. There are so many better Goldfrapp albums than this one.
The Who
3/5
Pinball Wizard is the only song that stands alone. I'll never pull up 'Fiddle about' and listen to it again.
The Prodigy
5/5
Solid. Timeless.
Hole
4/5
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
GZA
2/5
Maybe the G is for grossly overrated. I like the incorporation of the films, I just wish they had anything to do with the music.
Grizzly Bear
2/5
Generic alternative. Two weeks is obnoxious.
Steve Earle
2/5
I see how this works for others but it doesn’t do anything for me.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
💎
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
This album wasn’t representative of the jams they’re capable of. This was dollar store Cure/Clash.
The Waterboys
4/5
Refreshingly fun.
Björk
1/5
Garbage with a capital trash.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Hookworms
2/5
Patti Smith
2/5
Ice Cube
3/5
Radiohead
5/5
Not sure how I ended up being one of the few who likes Thom Yorke.
The Lemonheads
3/5
Mrs Robsinson carried this to the list. The rest was ok.
The Young Gods
1/5
Swiss French? No thanks.
Santana
4/5
Solid gold.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
This was made to be bad, right?
Laibach
4/5
I’m in the minority for this but I loved this. It’s weird enough but not in your face weird.
Metallica
5/5
I wish this was a studio album and not live. But I love it so much.
The Jam
3/5
One album by The Jam might be one too many on this list.
I always thought That’s Entertainment was a Bowie song.
Elastica
4/5
Three member bands are my jam.
Beatles
5/5
A 10/10. Perfect score. It feels rushed by the end but it might be because you don’t want it to be over.
Norah Jones
3/5
Bubble bath jams.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
She’s extremely talented but I just don’t like it.
Bobby Womack
2/5
Baby makin music.
Kate Bush
1/5
Hot garbage. Seriously, how do you listen to this?
Green Day
5/5
A gem through and through. The Led Zeppelin of our time.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Three albums in a year? Amazing.
Not a lost jam in this one.
Steely Dan
5/5
It’s hard to believe this is 1972. In a sea of what seemed to be CCR and CSNY this is the lighthouse to the 80s.
Björk
1/5
Why this list has so much Bjork is Bjeyond me.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
This album just ain’t no good
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
So good. Definitely a must-listen.
Radiohead
5/5
Alice Cooper
4/5
Alice cooper has surprised me. I thought this was going to be White Zombie in the 70s but it’s ultimately more blues than anything else.
Tim Buckley
3/5
Orange Juice
2/5
Dracula’s moonlighting 80s Jamaican band.
Neil Young
4/5
This hits hard. Losing home, love, and friends can inspire some great songs.
Bob Dylan
3/5
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
So whiny, but the voice of a generation.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Venom
3/5
"If the urukai from LOTR had a band, is this what would sound like?"
Deep Purple
3/5
Could use a little more structure but it's a jam.
The Cure
2/5
Slog city.
Pearl Jam
5/5
So many jams. It’s unfortunate this got lumped into the 90s grunge scene because it’s so much more than that.
Morrissey
2/5
Unintelligible lyrics layered on top of a mediocre band. This isn’t Bjork bad but it’s close.
Scissor Sisters
5/5
Fun as hell.
The Zombies
4/5
Wonderful vocals, amazing harmonies, but the songs still kind of fall flat.
This Will Be Our Year shines through and Time of the Season will be hoisted to the rafters for generations to come.
Frank Ocean
3/5
meh.
Sheryl Crow
4/5
She's got two volumes - loud and louder.
Digital Underground
3/5
Fun but got a little old by the end.
Buena Vista Social Club
5/5
bonita
3/5
Raekwon
1/5
Another vote for booting this from the list.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
An ok album - not his best, not his worst.
Public Enemy
1/5
If I never hear another Public Enemy album...
Pulp
4/5
the last of the mods
Marilyn Manson
3/5
This is Trent Reznor produced so it’s got a good sound musically but he can’t sing. And he can’t write lyrics that mean anything. So by the time the 4th song came on I was done.
The Black Keys
4/5
this is so good.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Where is that girl from again?
George Harrison
5/5
The best Beatle.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
A little altruistic, but that's what the times called for.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
1/5
If this is a masterpiece then I make a masterpiece every day after my morning coffee.
Poop. It’s poop.
White Denim
3/5
I liked this but it wasn't extraordinary.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Love love love Tumblin' Dice.
Shake your hips == La Grange
Which is just Blues Riffs 101
The Doors
4/5
I loved this. Iconic psychadelic jams.
Stan Getz
4/5
Pretty good.
2/5
Why? This is a bootleg album.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Snooze fest 1968.
Pretenders
4/5
Amazing.
Wire
4/5
This is not the Smiths. Closer to the Clash or Sex Pistols.
I like this. I’ve got a soft spot for this type though.
The Doors
3/5
After peace frog this kind of just drones on. I didn’t know Roadhouse Blues was the Doors. I expected ZZTop or Bad Company.
The Stone Roses
3/5
It all kind of sounds the same.
Khaled
1/5
It’s not available as a whole album anywhere. Why is this here?
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
Little Richard
3/5
Well, let me tell ya 'bout a rockin' man,
Whose music's wilder than a runaway van.
Little Richard's his name, and he's a real cool cat,
His album "Here's Little Richard" ain't nothin' but fat!
Wooo! Yeah! Little Richard's on fire,
His music takes you higher and higher.
It's loud and fun, gonna make you move,
With every beat, you just can't help but groove!
Michael Kiwanuka
5/5
Unexpectedly great. How have I not come across him before?
Aerosmith
3/5
Three jams and the rest sounds the same.
Jungle Brothers
3/5
90s hip hop filler. Nothing of importance here.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
Better than a lot of his other stuff but I still just don’t get it. Slam the instrument more so it makes noise!
Christine and the Queens
2/5
Mumble-pop. This isn’t good. I have no idea who paid who to get on this list.
Television
4/5
Refreshing addition to the list. Jammy like Allman Brothers, but vocally like Violent Femmes. A solid listen.
U2
3/5
You can have a three todaaaaay!
Peter Gabriel
4/5
So good.
Simple Minds
1/5
Anyone who rates this above a 2 has a simple mind.
Neu!
3/5
There’s something here, but I’m not sure what. I waited two days to rate it to see if anything stuck. It hasn’t.
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
I'm on board with this. My foot was tapping the whole time.
Big Black
1/5
Just no. Absolutely not.
I award this no starts and may God have pity on your soul.
Saint Etienne
3/5
It seems to get on this list for a 90s album is to poorly cover one song from the 60s then ramble or meander through the rest of the songs for about 35 minutes. Lemonheads was another example of this.
The Clash
3/5
I expected more from this.
Suicide
1/5
This is by far the worst thing I’ve ever heard. Captain Beefheart seems like The Beatles in comparison. Seriously. Go awful. I had cringe-induced goosebumps the entire time I listened. When he starts screaming in Johnny Teardrop I feared for my life. How anybody decided this is “art” is beyond me.
There’s no musicality to this. It’s a Casio on loop with a shit tambourine sample. The guy talks about a man killing his family in Johnny Teardrop or just outright has an orgasm into the mic on Girl.
Supergrass
3/5
Not their best but a solid addition.
Supertramp
3/5
A weak addition since they have so many other better albums. Bloody well right will be stuck in my head a few days.
The Verve
3/5
Another 90s insertion for 1 good song. There were so many good albums from that decade but they just keep finding the one-hit-wonders. I swear if Chumbawumba is in here...
George Jones
3/5
What a sad sack. You can’t shoot at your wife and expect her to stay, dummy.
I probably won’t come back to this. It’s not the satirical country everyone knows, but god damn is it close.
Def Leppard
4/5
Solid addition with plenty of jams. A little formulaic in sound and production but you can’t deny the goodness.
David Bowie
3/5
It's probably rated higher than necessary since it's Bowie. This is pretty tame.
Jorge Ben Jor
2/5
Portishead
5/5
Gold. 10/10
The perfect rainy day album.
The Stooges
3/5
I can see how this is influential, but by today’s standards it’s a little boring.
Hair Metal took a lot of notes from this.
Otis Redding
5/5
Just perfect. This is pure Americana.
The Black Crowes
4/5
Such an iconic sound. I'll continue to keep coming back to this.
Green Day
5/5
Just perfect. Every song hits hard.
Paul Simon
3/5
Garfunkel must write all the hooks, because there aren't many here. Me and Julio is good.
The Louvin Brothers
2/5
I did not Louv this.
Amy Winehouse
3/5
This was good, but not Back to Black good. It looks like Mark Robson brought something to the table for that album.
XTC
2/5
If the Beatles chose to go New Wave they’d sound nothing like this, but kind of close.
Dear God was pretty awful.
Doves
3/5
I've liked other albums from Doves, but this one was boring. Does the producer just walk away from this with a sense of accomplishment or just a "well, that's over with"?
Tortoise
3/5
Try as they might, they couldn't achieve the same sentiment in a 19 minute song, it had to be 20 minutes and 57 seconds. This is just angsty spa music.
David Bowie
2/5
Heroes is great (but Jacob Dylan did it better). After that, the rest of this album is just Brian Eno being a "non-musician".
Yes
3/5
First song is good, long, but good. The rest kind of is just there.
Queen
5/5
Yeah, this is just a blast to listen to. There isn’t a note out of place anywhere.
I think because of the music video for Bohemian Rhapsody I always thought it was the rest of the band doing backup but it’s just layers and layers of Freddie.
Bohemian Rhapsody hits differently after listening to this. Obviously I’ve heard it before but this builds up to it. I assumed (incorrectly) that Queen is 90% FM but it’s clearly a good combination of talents.
If you played Good Company blindfolded and asked me who it was I’d have said the Beatles.
I don’t know how this only topped out at 4.
Metallica
5/5
Polished to a chrome.
Belle & Sebastian
2/5
This really doesn't belong on the list. I hope it gets booted in later versions. It's a slog.
Metallica
3/5
Good content but needs polish. I’m one of the few who liked Black album and on a bit more.
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
I had high expectations for this, and that's probably my fault. The singles are good, the rest is just kind of there.
The Go-Go's
4/5
I love this but ironically the beats could be amped up a bit more.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Not much beyond the title track for me.
Tom Tom Club
3/5
What a fun track. And then the fun is over and the rest of the album has to happen.
Minor Threat
1/5
This makes babies cry. Possibly some adults, too. I like the addition of punk to the list but this just doesn't cross any boxes for me other than annoying.
David Bowie
5/5
Beautiful. This is prime Bowie.
Nirvana
4/5
The singles are great! But that's not really fair since they were produced after the fact to make the album sell more.
It's not often an artist get free rein to make their followup album but in this case they did, and it falls flat. Those singles carry it, however.
Abdullah Ibrahim
1/5
I couldn't listen to this - it's not available in my country.
Tom Waits
2/5
This is weird. Imagining Tom as Oscar the Grouch with a beret and a cigarette helped me get through this easier.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
2/5
I hate her voice so much. People say it’s strong but it’s just loud. And like she drinks a cup of milk before recording.
There are some iconic songs but they’re ruined by Janis. She’s still got nothing on Bob Dylan, though.
New Order
3/5
I don’t get it. Seems like a watered down version of The Cure.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Just amazing. Ozzy kills. Guitar shreds, bass thumps. But my god, lay off the cymbals for a fucking second.
John Lee Hooker
3/5
Boring. A sad addition to the list if this is all we’re getting from this legend.
Rush
4/5
Wow. I didn’t realize I knew as many tracks from this. These are mostly all great.
Witch Hunt sounds like a version of an 80s track from Ghost.
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
This has all the makings for something I’d like but it did not blend.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Shivkumar Sharma
1/5
Yes
3/5
Another Yes album. Another 8-minute jam. It’s not bad but I just don’t see the significance.
Weather Report
2/5
Started ok but turned into a meandering mess by the end.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
2/5
It wasn’t until the very end of the album did he reveal he could actually sing.
Cream
4/5
Great stuff. Perfect psychedelia without being too jammy. Hendrix could have taken notes on that front.
This could use a remaster. It’s pretty muddy.
Megadeth
2/5
It's all technical. You need a little more than repeating the song title to make a chorus.
Erykah Badu
4/5
Very talented singer. I noticed a few bars were ripped by Lin Manuel Miranda for Hamilton.
The Bees
2/5
Lost in a sea while trying to be The Beach Boys. This didn't scratch any itch I had.
Sly & The Family Stone
2/5
Different strokes for different folks. This didn't stroke anything for me outside Everyday People. A three seems too much.
Simply Red
1/5
The fuck is this?
Aerosmith
4/5
Often emulated, never outperformed.
5/5
You’re dead inside if this doesn’t get you dancing.
Super Furry Animals
2/5
This has the right parts for something I’d like - but twenty years late. This is boring.
Bob Dylan
3/5
More proof that can write but should have never performed.
Big Star
2/5
This is the most boring glam rock album ever.
Bob Dylan
2/5
This does absolutely nothing other than annoy me. For the voice of a generation he sure doesn’t have anything coherent to say.
Suede
2/5
This is a no from me, dog.
Mott The Hoople
4/5
If David Bowie were the lead singer of Lynyrd Skynyrd, this is what they would sound like.
King Crimson
4/5
I liked this. It's like if The Moody Blues were into heroin.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4/5
This is the vanilla ice cream of jazz.
Suede
2/5
Ugh this is depressing Brit pop again.
They want to be the Beatles and Bowie
I can’t do it.
FKA twigs
2/5
This was just breathy noise. I didn’t notice when it ended.
Stan Getz
4/5
The jazz must flow
Living Colour
3/5
I like this but I'm torn on where it stands. Between a 🥉 and 🥈
Billy Bragg
2/5
It’s so over the top British it seems like satire.
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
Sad bastard music.
Culture Club
3/5
I have no objections to this, but it’s all pretty similar after the first track.
Pavement
4/5
I like this. He’s not a good singer but the jams make up for that.
Garbage
4/5
I liked this. It's definitely a stepping stone for what we have today but it held up for me.
Arctic Monkeys
2/5
I find this singer irritating.
Neil Young
2/5
Boooooring
Love
3/5
I keep wanting this to be The Doors or The Moody Blues but it stays directly in the sucky middle of the two.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
3 Little Birds is easily one of the top 20 songs for me.
Judas Priest
4/5
Grinderrrrrr - Looking for meat. Things you knew then but REALLY know now.
Al Green
5/5
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
Good but slow. Rainy day album #43.
Guns N' Roses
5/5
Yeah, so many good jams on this one.
Snoop Dogg
5/5
Solid. This holds up so well.
Duke Ellington
3/5
I have to figure out why some arrangements like this make me anxious.
This sounds like something from the 40s, not 56.
De La Soul
3/5
This was just ok for me. The singles are fun but the rest ranged from meh to obnoxious.
Depeche Mode
3/5
This was ok. I wanted more singles, less droning.
Tom Waits
3/5
I didn’t dislike this one as much as previous albums of his. It has more musicality I guess. It’s still weird as hell but easier to digest.
Neneh Cherry
1/5
This is irritating
Bad 90s beats, awful lyrics, annoying voice
And no singles.
Frank Sinatra
2/5
The Avalanches
4/5
I kinda really like this. Catchy, cool samples, almost a high energy ambient album. Frontier Psychiatrist is a jam.
Black Sabbath
3/5
Good, but nothing stood out for me.
Joni Mitchell
1/5
Some one said it before but it resonated - this is beat poetry garbage.
Kraftwerk
3/5
If the band from The Big Lebowski was real I imagine this is what they sound like.
Tim Buckley
3/5
Acid Elvis
Cocteau Twins
2/5
The Cure meets Tegan and Sara.
Sex Pistols
5/5
Perfection.
Deerhunter
3/5
Chill indie.
Adam & The Ants
2/5
Just ok.
R.E.M.
4/5
It all blends together minus the title tracks. Good, not great.
2/5
Pere Ubu
1/5
This was intolerable. Avant-garde BS.
Fishbone
1/5
This feels like a college group project, where everybody had their own uncompromising, differing opinion on what the assignment actually was. I have no idea who nominated this for the list, but I kind of never want to meet them. This was awful.
Miles Davis
1/5
What the hell? This is insane.
The whole album just feels like a systems check. Maybe a warmup. Nobody seems to be playing off each other, except maybe the drummer.
Dr. Dre
3/5
If indo is Snoop’s drug of choice, a Glock is Dre’s.
CHIC
3/5
Some good groundwork was laid here, but to call this the definition of disco seems disingenuous. 1979 seems a little late to define something that's already been going strong for a decade and is finally starting to fade. Besides, the Bee Gees definitely had their picture next to the entry in the dictionary.
The Who
4/5
Solid rock without the jammy fluff. The Tommy tracks don't stand alone well.
Peter Tosh
2/5
Yep. You like weed. It’s still not like cigarettes, though.
Aimee Mann
2/5
This is great on paper. Great technical abilities, but ultimately boring and unforgettable.
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
I wish this went a little deeper into being good. No bangers. All mash.
Louis Prima
4/5
Just so much fun. Skill and class all the way.
Elis Regina
3/5
Fun, before its time, but not that memorable for not being in English, to me anyway.
Justin Timberlake
4/5
The first half is great, the second falls a little flat.
Dolly Parton
3/5
Lovely woman, lovely voice, but this all started to sound the same after awhile.
Incubus
4/5
Wow the other ratings are just chock full of vitriol. It’s a decent album with some stellar hits. It’s not amazing but it sank its teeth into a generation and has held on for almost three decades so I’d say it has its place among others.
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
Chill.
Bee Gees
2/5
A lot more southern rock influenced than I expected. Not terrible, but this isn’t the band I know or expected.
Fats Domino
3/5
I just listened to his essentials playlist. He’s fun and talented. You can tell he enjoys making the music.
Carpenters
3/5
These were great. She’s got a wonderful voice. The cover of Help wasn’t my favorite though.
Beth Orton
2/5
I didn't get anything from this album. She's a talented songwriter, but the breathy, lazy singing just wasn't my jam. There's so much flourish in each song it's hard to tell what's actually going on.
Bob Dylan
1/5
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Whoever “found” Bob Dylan needs to rethink their choices in life.
Beck
4/5
So many jams. Solid, but I like Odelay more.
The Soft Boys
2/5
Maybe spend more than $10 on your next album.
Beck
4/5
This has aged really well over the 30 years (omg) that it's been out.
Blur
3/5
I had heard really good things about this but beyond Song 2 this fell a little flat. I like the sound of it all, and it feels like they’re having fun in the studio, but it’s missing that spark.
Guided By Voices
2/5
One that I’ll forget I ever listened to.
The Hives
3/5
Odd that there’s a compilation in this collection. They’ve got one really good jam, Hate to Say I Told You So, and the rest are too similar. The constant screaming/yelling/singing is grating on the nerves.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
Very fun.
The Stranglers
3/5
The Doors if they lived through the 90s.
Mj Cole
2/5
More songs to shop for khakis to. Boring, repetitive, and mostly unstructured.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
A classic, but Neil brought a long of structure to the group.
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
Good single but the rest grated on my nerves.
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
This is by far the most talented weirdness I’ve ever heard. I’m not even sure where to start with this. This seems like it could be the soundtrack to a life in the day of Hunter S Thompson. It’s just that freaking weird.
Slayer
2/5
I get why others like this, but it’s not my style. Talk singing with some shredding can only keep me interested so long.
Queen
3/5
This is great, and belongs here. But this also didn’t reach any high points. It didn’t swell into the genre in the same way other prog rock albums do.
Mariah Carey
3/5
Terrific voice but most of these fell flat for me. I kept wanting more of Fantasy from her earlier album but this never got to that level.
Machito
2/5
I couldn’t find this anywhere.
Radiohead
5/5
This is peak Radiohead for me. Dripping with emotion and class.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
This is like putting Tom Waits through a grinder and taking off all the edges but still ending up with a (much smoother) ball of shit.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Easy gold. Rock out.
Funkadelic
4/5
This is funky butt loving. So good. Every part slaps, but it gets a little repetitive here and there.
Beastie Boys
3/5
As much as I think I like the Beasties, this all sounds like the same stuff from track to track, album to album. Intergalactic is the only song that really stands out from the last 20 years or so. It's not bad, but I just get bored of it. I'm not the type of person that really listens to lyrics, especially when they're this fast.
Hole
3/5
This didn’t work as much for me as celebrity skin. More screaming, more angst lyrics from Kurt.
Bill Evans Trio
2/5
A friend put it well - they’re not playing for the audience, but for themselves. That’s admirable but I get lost in the fray.
Nick Drake
4/5
Maybe this just hit at the right time, but this was excellent. Catchy riffs, interesting lyrics, and an amazing tone carried me through a rainy day listen.
I had assumed he was from the late 90s, early 00s because of my introduction to him in the Garden State soundtrack.
Sister Sledge
4/5
I’m ready for my starring role in the next season of Sex in the City.
This was fun, catchy, and well executed. I don’t see myself coming back to it, but it’s not to be ignored.
Killing Joke
3/5
This got really irritating after the first couple tracks. I can see what they were trying to do but it just didn’t work for me.
Missy Elliott
2/5
Not my style. Timbalands beats were excellent but the rest was kind of a slog of unverified bravado.
Solomon Burke
4/5
I’d never heard his voice before but it’s a great one. Lots of soul. It led to a good seed for other songs too. I’ll remember this one.
Minutemen
3/5
This is OK, it doesn’t need to be on the list but it’s not offensive either. They have a cool sound and corona definitely leads the album in that regard but I don’t know it got a little fart smelly in the middle.
Moby
3/5
Man, this didn’t age well. The samples are over played. Just way too many times. Porcelain was a staple of my youth and is a wonderful song, but I still have so much fatigue from hearing it EVERYWHERE.
Ramones
5/5
So troubled yet so simple. They took punk to where it needed to be, and at a pretty high cost. I’ll always come back to this.
Meat Loaf
4/5
The cheesiest lyrics I've heard yet. I liked this a lot more than I expected to.
Steve Winwood
2/5
Oof the synth, the lyrics, the sound of his voice. I think my mom added this one to the list.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
Ugh this is so boring. She’s technically a good singer, but she just has terrible songs.
Johnny Cash
3/5
A Boy Named Sue is amazing. Told perfectly. The rest is kind of the same as what he did at Folsom. Good, but done before.
AC/DC
4/5
4 really good singles, and a song about alcohol for an album supposedly for a bandmate who died from, you guessed it, alcohol.
There's some really good stuff on here, but it isn't elevated enough for me to consider it for 5 stars.
M.I.A.
1/5
This is obnoxious. I couldn't make it more than two songs in. From a one-hit-wonder to two albums on this list is a tragedy.
The Auteurs
2/5
Someone else called this Blur on Clonazepam and they're pretty accurate. The backing band is good, almost great. It could use a few more riffs here and there that are memorable. But the singer, Jesus. No thank you. There isn't anything lyrically or vocally interesting going on here.
Radiohead
5/5
It's solid gold for me. From the era where everything was trying to copy Nirvana or Pearl Jam this shined through them all.
D'Angelo
2/5
Smooth, but ultimately so boring. This stinks of too much axe body spray and pre-pubescent pheromones.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
Easily the best CCR album there is.
Iron Maiden
5/5
I’m really surprised that I don’t think I’ve ever listened to a single track from these guys.
I dig this. What a good listen.
Isaac Hayes
3/5
I don’t dislike this, but it’s not really engaging without the movie.
I don’t see any other soundtracks on the list, so why include this one? Because it has one iconic song? The Saturday Night Fever album has four. Because it’s by Isaac Hayes? He’s got better work on the South Park bill.
King Crimson
3/5
Weird, but somehow intriguing. They have a really great tone that I can tell inspired a lot of late 80s maybe early 90s grunge/rock bands. I don’t think I’ll come back to this, but it wasn’t the worst.
Bee Gees
3/5
What a downer. This had moments of greatness, but it just made me realize how much they needed disco to really stay alive.
ZZ Top
4/5
This has the unfortunate circumstance of coming after already listening to Eliminator. This is a great album, but just doesn’t hold a flame to the other. Plenty of good blues rock, rhythm, and La Grange is a classic, but that’s the only one that really stood the test of time.
k.d. lang
4/5
She has an amazing voice. Absolutely stunning. Like, probably one of the top vocalists in our lifetime. But - Her songs all sound the same. She knows her strengths and leans into them, a lot. The only song that sticks out is Constant Craving, which was insanely popular. Maybe there was a different producer or direction take with that track versus the rest.
The Dictators
4/5
I think I found my new favorite version of I Got You Babe. California Sun, not so much.
This was fun, full of energy, and seemed to inspire a great deal of artists.
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
Jams, jams, jams. This all sounds the same. I can imagine being pretty drunk at this show and having a more interesting conversation at the bar.
Giant Sand
2/5
This guy must have listened to Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen, and/or Lou Reed and decided he could do the same thing.
Bad news, Howe - you aren’t any of those guys. Quit smelling your own farts and calling it music.
Red Snapper
2/5
For something labeled as acid jazz this wasn’t the auditory assault I expected. It was just another shopping mall electronica album, though.
It probably came packaged with the reviewers new 5 disc CD changer.
The Triffids
2/5
Bruce Willis' album The Return of Bruno charted higher than this. I'm not saying the US is the be-all and end-all of a good music judge, but it's usually a good watermark.
Elvis Presley
3/5
Slightly anemic when compared to the original (black) artists. He’s obviously talented, but effortlessly so.
The Blue Nile
2/5
David Byrne on Ambien. Blegh. So boring.
Jazmine Sullivan
1/5
This isn’t for me. Hell, it isn’t for anyone.
The Band
4/5
Solid sound and they lost some of the twang from Levon, thankfully. The Weight is definitely a classic, worth the 4 stars alone.
Gram Parsons
3/5
Emmylou was robbed. She’s ann amazing singer and shines through Gram’s heroin-addled performance.
The Beach Boys
2/5
I’m just amazed there’s an album from The Beach Boys for which I know NONE of the tracks. Not a single one. Brian Wilson kept performing long enough to see himself become the villain.
I’m torn on how to rate this. It’s a solid performance, but nothing stuck with me. It’s mostly a downer, but Student Demonstration Time’s sound does not match the content in the slightest.
The Sonics
3/5
YYYYYYYYEEEOOOOOWWWW
This sounds like it was recorded on a potato. The levels are so distorted it’s hard to listen to, and then he screams into the mic the 37th time (in a row?).
If this was better recorded and had more original songs it’d be rated higher. The third of the songs that are original are good, but the covers barely hold up to their counterparts.
Sam Cooke
4/5
Holy shit this IS raw. He’s more amped up here than I ever imagined he could be. I always envisioned some lounge bar crooner that exudes cool, but this is on par with Little Richard more than Dean Martin or Sinatra.
Not that this is bad - it’s excellent in most ways, just unexpected. His backing band seems to have fun with what they’re given, but a little dry. Most drum beats and bass parts sound the same.
Small Faces
3/5
This was odd. Really odd. It’s alright but it just has a weird vibe to it.
The beats were great, it’s just the lyrics.
And they do this weird fade out then back in toward the end of the song.
Just odd.
Nitin Sawhney
1/5
Boring. Not influential. Lyrics have a superiority complex.
John Coltrane
2/5
Jazz. Anxiety filled jazz.
Lou Reed
4/5
Bowie - good
Mick Ronson - good
Lou Reed - okay but with the other two, good
He’s got a great voice for storytelling, but maybe not for signing. Great beats, great lyrics. Solid album that’s been imitated for decades.
Milton Nascimento
3/5
This was musically pleasant. He's (they're?) good at singing and kept me interested in each sound/song. It has a relaxing mood, but I think not being able to understand it in the slightest takes a point away for me.
Maxwell
2/5
Ahh… The soundtrack to the Nordstrom’s men’s department. I’m so glad I listened to this.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Mumble singing with a strained voice sounds like he’s trying to record this while anticipating having to throw up.
Good lyrics, his storytelling is great, the band is rock blues with some guitar, sax, or harmonica shredding so it’s got a good format, his singing is just awful. Sorry Boss.
Skepta
2/5
How did we get here? What are we doing? Why is this even on the list? Is it just because it’s British? There is a crazy amount of bias for this list for average British artists. This is just terrible.
Radiohead
4/5
Big surprise, I like this. The Rhodes in the first track is just perfect.
The last half of National Anthem I HATE. It's just noise.
There are other songs I really like, like Idioteque and Morning Bell, but the rest kind of falls into some experimental ambient jazzy thing.
I think what I like most about it is the mood. It's got this contemplative but melancholy angst that just hits the right places.
Janelle Monáe
3/5
The first four tracks seem to be recorded all in one take, which is impressive given the amount of energy they have.
Cold War was really cool, almost had a drum track like OutKast. Then I saw Big Boi on the next track and it made sense.
This is supposed to be all part of her android metropolis story, which I guess makes sense but the analogy isn’t very strong.
This is good but I just don’t see myself coming back to it. The target audience seems to be theater kids.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
At some point this is just noise. Good base for songs, and I can see how this inspired a lot of the alternative acts yet to come.
R.E.M.
4/5
This is a mood. Nightswimming is just perfection wrapped up in 4 minutes. Its meaning has changed to me over the years.
Also, I had no idea Man on the Moon wasn’t made for the movie.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Yeah, not sure what else to say. It's funky cool, but not extraordinary.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Anthony Kiedis can't really sing, but he does the best with what he's got.
I always forget their funky roots. My nostalgia might be rating this a bit higher, but I feel each song has mostly its own feel. They have the signature RHCP sound for sure, but break the mold for I Could Have Lied, Breaking the Girl, Under the Bridge
Justice
4/5
I was really excited for this, but I don’t think it aged as well as I thought it would. The beats are good but somewhere in the middle it just kind of gets annoying. stress is just fucking awful. The first song really makes me want to buy a Cadillac though.
The Kinks
4/5
This is Wes Anderson's wet dream.
It's a good album with slightly memorable tracks. David Watts and Harry Rag stick out most to me.
Pink Floyd
5/5
What a perfect way to send off the 70s and progress into the 80s. It had to happen, but when the wall came down it wasn’t the same on either side.
Pixies
4/5
Let's stay in the 90s forever.
I think this is great. The perfect amount of not taking themselves too seriously and really good music.
Django Django
4/5
You know how most of the movies these days are all about setting up the kid of the hero from the 80s movies? This is like that, but the hero is The Beach Boys. Sprinkle in a little Beck, Vampire Weekend, and Alt-J as the suspected father and you’ve got a Maury Povich show in the making.
The tracks are smooth, the lyrics are non-sensical but all in all it’s a good experience.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
The sax on this guy… wow.
It’s good jazz, what I expected Coltrane or Davis to sound like but without all the cocaine.
Joan Armatrading
2/5
Kind of a nothing-sandwich. This kept me awake, but just barely. Technically sound but I wanted so much more from this.
PJ Harvey
2/5
It’s 1994. Your car dies on the way to a luncheon. Two guys in a shaggy dog van stop and pick you up. The guy in the passenger seat turns to you and says, “Hey, you wanna hear the most annoying sound in the world?” then puts on this album.
Ok, it’s not that bad but it doesn’t have many redeeming qualities either. Then she covers Dylan in an unimaginably worse way than he ever performed it. (See my rating for Highway 61 by Dylan)
Maybe I’m just not eclectic enough or maybe she’s a musicians musician, either way this isn’t on my palate.
Arcade Fire
3/5
I hated the “whole band choir” thing when the Lumineers did it and I hate it now too.
This has a few decent tracks but it’s not nearly as good as Funerals.
Bonnie Raitt
3/5
Smooth voice and a joy to listen to. The slide guitar is just as masterfully played as her singing. Not a lot of jams on this one, was hoping for a few more.
ABBA
4/5
Really good. They’ve got their sound down to a science.
Fernando and Dancing Queen will live forever.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
So. Boring.
Dollar Store Annie Lennox just doesn’t do it for me.
The Kinks
4/5
Sounds a lot like the cross of CCR and The Beatles.
Prefab Sprout
2/5
Tears for Fears on a massive amount of sedatives.
The KLF
2/5
Every 90s movie montage was set to one of these tracks.
The Only Ones
2/5
I was really thinking this would be an excellent listen based on the instruments. Then he starts singing.
It like he went to the Lou Reed school of vocals and got a D in every class.
Morrissey
1/5
This is some psuedo-intellectual bullshit. Shut up already.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
You know, since I’ve already been served Trout Mask Replica I was expecting this to be a similarly rated experience but I was pleasantly surprised and impressed that this kept true to its rock and blues roots. It’s still extremely weird (I’m looking at you, Electricity) but the sound and musicality of this isn’t too far off from other bands in the time period and genre.
Queen Latifah
2/5
Extremely dated, and yeah, so are so many other albums on the list but this one is above and beyond. Rap/Hip-Hop wouldn't be the same without this, but we don't really need to recall it.
That and it's pretty boring. The same loops/beats and rhyming meter.
David Bowie
3/5
It wasn’t that bad but it’s a single or two from being memorable. I doubt I’ll pick this album up again.
This also should be nominated for laziest/worst album art ever.
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
Chill but extremely repetitive. This doesn’t seem like it influences anyone or anything. Not sure why it belongs with the likes of Beck and Chemical Brothers.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
This is good technically and musically, and I’m sure he puts on a good show. But it’s like that video you take of fireworks you know you’re never gonna watch it again. It’s good in the moment but it’s not really something that can be bottled. Also, why does he mumble so much?
The Libertines
2/5
If the Clash a dog a ran into a wall that was The Arctic Monkeys you’d have this pug-like abomination that really wouldn’t really survive on its own.
Bill Callahan
3/5
Spoken word weirdness. Oddly calming.
James Brown
3/5
This is James Brown. Not sure what else to say. He’s better when he’s singing, not screaming, but that’s his schtick.
Spacemen 3
4/5
I like Spiritualized, so it’s not surprise I like this. I would have liked it more in my twenties, though.
Lucinda Williams
2/5
On a road of tunes, dull and slowed,
Lucinda Williams’ effort, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road.
With a twangy accent that never flowed,
It's a journey that feels strained and bowed.
Each track meanders, the excitement owed,
Lost in Car Wheels on a Gravel Road.
No spark, no fire, just a heavy load,
In her melodies, a passion stowed.
The twang of guitars, a tiresome goad,
In Car Wheels on a Gravel Road.
Every note, a struggle to decode,
Leaves listeners feeling cold and sowed.
So if you seek a thrill, this isn’t the road,
Avoid Car Wheels on a Gravel Road.
Lucinda’s charm here hardly showed,
In this album, unfortunately slowed.
Madonna
3/5
Let's sample a coffee can and use it the whole album to see if anyone notices.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
So far these are just songs I hate.
I've given Leonard a few shots now and I don't really get the appeal. Maybe I just don't like feeling or feeding sad. The poetic aspects are random and obscure with a lyrical sprinkle of something biblical or historical. He's got a great backing band, however.
The Beta Band
5/5
Barry Adamson
1/5
This is not fun, interesting, or "colourful". It feels like a demo tape for an aspiring composer right out of college.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
It’s not bad but they needed a jam or two on this album to keep me invested. The Cutter is good but not enough to hold the album.
Baaba Maal
2/5
EXT. WESTERN AFRICAN MARKETPLACE - DAY
The sun casts a warm glow over the bustling marketplace, where vendors and shoppers weave through colorful stalls adorned with vibrant fabrics, spices, and handcrafted goods. The atmosphere is alive with the sounds of chatter, laughter, and the rhythmic beats of traditional music.
You get the idea of what this is in the first few minutes. You don’t need the whole hour.
Dire Straits
4/5
Solid blues rock. It’s held up over time, unlike a lot of the artists from the 80s.
Fiona Apple
4/5
Super smoky voice. She's got some great track but the last half of the album kind of drones on for a bit.
Waylon Jennings
5/5
What country should have always been.
The Who
4/5
So very British, but so very good.
Portishead
2/5
What a terrible departure from their previous success. This just feels like arthouse garbage.
Mike Ladd
2/5
I could have gone a few lifetimes without ever having listened to this. Lewd at times and boring at others.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
3/5
Danger Mouse phoned this one in. He's usually so much more involved with the beats and overall sound.
Damon Albarn is, well, he's just Damon Albarn. That's not bad but god damn is it predictable as hell. He found his voice with Blur and has ridden every producer since. Don't get me wrong, I love his sound and voice, but it'd be nice to get some variety from him.
The Coral
3/5
I absolutely LOVE Dreaming of You and the two or three songs surrounding it are good, but the last half of the album is a real slog to get through. Their hidden track is just awful. It needed to be at least sped up by 2x in order to even be palatable.
Pixies
4/5
Gimme those 4 chord songs and I’m in heaven.
Japan
2/5
He’s got the voice of Paul McCartney but he squanders it with this shit.
Thundercat
4/5
Very good. He’s got some great beats. I think he’s missing a lead singer or hero track.
2/5
New Wave Prince. But boring.
If you told me this was the Hives I’d believe you.
Miriam Makeba
4/5
What an absolute delight this was to listen to. She has an amazing voice. Up there with Nina Simone and Harry Belafonte styles.
I fear that I’m a little too harsh when it comes to “world music” but this one surprised me. I would gladly call this album up again for a vacation drive.
And One More Dance has some of the most contagious laughing I’ve heard in a long time.
Happy Mondays
2/5
Pretty bummed that this is included in the list. Nothing spectacular here.
1/5
56 seconds. That’s a new record!
That’s the shortest amount of time I’ve spent listening to an album before I had to turn it the fuck off.
Bert Jansch
2/5
Oh God. Insert Animal House guitar smashing scene.
Merle Haggard
3/5
It’s decent. I confuse him with Waylon Jennings but Jennings has more teeth that sink in to your attention.
All in all, just ok.
Drive-By Truckers
3/5
It’s just too friggin long. They have a decent sound. They could probably open for Hootie and the Blowfish one day.
Van Halen
5/5
Solid addition but it’s so short.
Gang Starr
3/5
I'm sure this was revolutionary at the time, but this just got so dated in the 30 years since then.
Word.
Coldplay
5/5
So good. It's likely nostalgia guiding my hand on this one, but I can't deny it.
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
Ugh. I’d rather listen to AI music about gluing balls to my asshole.
Lorde
3/5
I don’t know why this doesn’t hit as hard as other recent singers. On paper this should be great, but it just doesn’t have that oomph.
Iron Butterfly
3/5
Mom, can we have The Doors?
No, we have The Doors at home.
At home: this album.
Too many drugs and too much time on their hands.
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
This isn't bad, but it's also not spectacular. Pretty generic unst unst unst bwow bwow bwow music. Probably pretty great at the time, though.
Eels
4/5
Yeah, it’s pretty 90s. Not sure how this flew under my radar. It falls in line with most of the other stuff I was listening to at the time.
Elton John
4/5
Touches of Pink Floyd. The singles are amazing. The rest of it, eh. This didn’t need to be a double album and it’s not his opus, but it is pretty great.
Nirvana
5/5
This was the first time we found out the kids weren’t in fact, alright.
Grohl nails it, Cobain sells it. This hit all the right spots in the 90s and it still gets the job done today.
Soft Cell
2/5
Gah, Tainted Love is just so good but the rest of this was a chore.
Did they all want to be the Sex Pistols at the time?
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
Absolutely trash.
> Throbbing Gristle's confrontational live performances and use of often disturbing imagery, including pornography and photographs of Nazi concentration camps, earned the group a notorious reputation, but they maintained that their mission was to challenge and explore the darker and obsessive sides of the human condition rather than to make attractive music.
If this was a person it wouldn’t be allowed within 5 miles of a school, and it shouldn’t be within 500 miles of this list.
Janet Jackson
2/5
Like a fourth-graders current events report set to a drum machine.
I expected more bops out of this.
Rush
3/5
He’s a very whiny singer but he controls it well. The rest of them have mastered their instruments.
It fits in well with the genre like KISS and Black Sabbath. If anything they’re a little pretentious with their song titles.
Janis Joplin
1/5
God I cannot stand her voice. For reference Billy Corgan is a favorite of mine. This is just atrocious.
2/5
I tried for a week to get through this album. It’s just so god damned boring. Even Thom Yorke couldn’t spice this up.
It’s like if you took Radiohead and Fiona Apple but took away everything that gave them any sort of passion.
Can
2/5
This started out cool enough but devolved into exactly what I expected partway through Halleluwah. The second half of it is almost unlistenable
ABBA
3/5
Yep. This is ABBA. Not anything famous from ABBA, just plain ABBA.
Kid Rock
1/5
Oh god. Dear god.
How does someone like this get to be here?
Isaac Hayes
3/5
You get just about everything you need to hear by the 7th minute of the first track
The Crusaders
2/5
I almost didnt' recognize this without the "Your call is important to us. Please stay on the line and we'll be with you as soon as possible." every 30 seconds.
Death In Vegas
2/5
Dollar Store Gorillaz.
Ray Price
3/5
This was my grandmothers favorite artist. I can smell the cigarettes wafting out of the shag carpet.
1/5
I was trying to figure out why I didn’t know this when this should’ve been out at the height of my musical awareness days. So I started listening and quickly realized why I had never even heard of this. It’s garbage just absolute trash.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
So many of the reviews are praising the lyrics and I just don't get it. It's so fart smelly you could cut it like cheese.
[Verse 1]
Once there was a song, the song yearned to be sung
It was a spinning song about the king of rock 'n' roll
The king was first a young prince, the prince was the best
With his black jelly hair he crashed onto a stage in Vegas
[Verse 2]
The king had a queen, the queen's hair was a stairway
She tended the castle garden and in the garden planted a tree
The garden tree was a stairway, it was 16 branches high
On the top branch was a nest, sing the high cloudy nest
In the nest there was a bird, the bird had a wing
The wing had a feather, spin the feather and sing the wind
[Verse 3]
The king in time died, the queen's heart broke like a vow
And the tree returned to the earth with the nest and the bird
But the feather spun upward, upward and upward
Spinning all the weather vanes
And you're sitting at the kitchen table, listening to the radio
I get it's about Elvis but is this really the tone that you set for a song about Elvis? The fuck?
Basement Jaxx
2/5
A continuation of “Music to shop for slacks to” at your local mall.
Ananda Shankar
3/5
Ok. At first I thought this could be fun. Sitar instrumentals of famous rock songs. Those were fine. Then we got to Sagar (The Ocean). It’s just sitar jam session. When it ended and the next song started my three-year-old in the back seat even asked if it was the same song again.
Circle Jerks
4/5
I really love this, but I don't expect that to have the same sentiment across the board.
The brevity, the attitude, the growl of the bass, the drum kit that sounds like it's made of scrap metal, it all adds up to a great sound that's unmatched.
Brian Eno
3/5
It seems kind of ahead of its time for 1980 because it’s not synthesized all to hell but the random weird samplings from old recordings I guess or movies whatever they are. It’s just not working for me.
Like, if you took out the samples and told me this was a Trent Reznor produced I’d believe you.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
Gosh she's a great singer. Technically. Her Talent is definitely undeniable as a singer, but her writing is just a little lacking in my opinion. I think she could also use some emotion when she’s projecting. I don’t know. I guess I just think of how Amy Winehouse can belt one out but she still sounds angry or sad or whatever emotion she was trying to convey in that song. Christina is just the same on all of them. Loud.
I think the biggest differences I feel like I’m being sung at instead of being sung to
John Lennon
4/5
George did this better.
The Flaming Lips
3/5
I like the Flaming Lips. They're fun.
Not too serious but not screwball either.
It's like Gen-X Talking Heads.
Talking Heads
3/5
Yeah, some jams are good, but the rest was pretty Eno-riffic. When the bonus outtakes started I turned it off. That shit got annoying.
The Associates
2/5
Remember that time Dracula got really into Bowie and started a band?
Moby Grape
1/5
I can’t find this anywhere.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
I still just don’t get the appeal. He “sings” too low so it sounds like shit. Maybe he’s like Bob Dylan where he writes better than sings/performs but even the content isn’t great lyrically.
Cheap Trick
4/5
Holy shit what is it about this venue?
>>> A number of famous acts have played at the Budokan. The Beatles were the first rock group to play there, in a series of concerts held between June 30 and July 2, 1966. ABBA ended their last tour and held their final live performance there in March 1980. Numerous acts have recorded live albums at the Budokan, including Blur, TVXQ, Bryan Adams, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Eric Clapton, Cheap Trick, Neil Young, Dream Theater, Duran Duran, Kiss, Ozzy Osbourne, Mariah Carey, Judas Priest, Paul McCartney, Asia, Ringo Starr, Journey, Deep Purple, Masayoshi Takanaka, and Michael Schenker Group.
Ahh, I see now.
>>> The venue is popular for recording live albums because it has good acoustics, is relatively large and Japanese audiences are known for being highly appreciative when appropriate but quiet during performances. Eric Clapton described the Tokyo audience as "almost overappreciative" in interviews promoting Just One Night (1980), his own live album recorded at the Budokan.
It's pretty vanilla but I like this. It's hard not to tap your foot or sing along.
Klaxons
3/5
Not sure how this one snuck by me in 2006. It’s good stuff. Not stellar, but good. It like TV on the Radio and MGMT.
Jurassic 5
4/5
What’s Golden was a staple for me awhile back, but has faded since. I still enjoy this.
They’re kind of the successor to the hip hop artists of the 80s.
Songhoy Blues
4/5
African Black Keys at the start but generic world music by the end. I REALLY enjoyed the beginning, though I had no clue what they were saying.
Joy Division
2/5
Yeah, this is tough. The drums are the same, the band is just noise, and the lyrics are just Blegh. I can see how this spawned a lot of inspiration in grunge and rock, but this is just not fun.
Nick Drake
3/5
This was nice and calming but it all sounds the same. I was ready for something different by the end.
Scott Walker
1/5
This is really out there. Like Space Ghost in a velvet suit.
Slipknot
2/5
I shouldn't have listened to this in bumper to bumper traffic. It just made me rage even more.
I can appreciate this musically, especially that drummer, but the yelling/singing just puts me on edge.
Iggy Pop
3/5
Yeah, this is really Bowie-adjacent. It's hard to tell where one starts and the other ends. Not quite as catchy, though.
The La's
3/5
This was pretty good. The single wasn’t like any of the rest of the album, but it worked out okay.
This sounds like R.E.M., Soul Coughing, and Dave Matthew’s Band all in one. That’s good but not enough for me to place on the top 100 or even 200 greatest albums list.
John Cale
2/5
This is probably what would happen if you made Ringo the leader of the Beatles.
He’s got a good voice - he sounds like an alternate universe Jim Morrison, all but that last track. The whisper singing just absolutely threw me over the edge. I also hate those asmr videos people put out and this was way too similar.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
Solid. More psychedelic than I thought.
Nanci Griffith
4/5
Yeah. Americana in a bottle. Not too much country, not too fart smelly, and she’s singing beautifully. I want more of this.
Soft Machine
2/5
What in the shit is this? Let’s go ahead and lie and say I listened to this all the way through and they’ll probably still let me into music heaven.
John Prine
4/5
What Bob Dylan should be. Relatable, funny, melancholic, and just a solid listen. Angel from Montgomery is an absolute classic.
Keith Jarrett
3/5
Beautiful but I’m not sure I’d be able to stay awake, even at the live recording. It gets a little too John Tesh vesty at times too.
The The
3/5
Not terrible, but definitely not what I expected. Based on the album art I expected a punk, violent femmes type sound, but got this oingo-boingo vibe.
Jeff Buckley
3/5
Oof. I had higher hopes for this. Hallelujah has been on my playlist for decades. The rest of it kind of falls really flat. His dad was the better singer/songwriter.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Not bad, but pretty unremarkable. There’s likely a huge overlap with Elvis Costello fans and Bruce Springsteen fans.
Linkin Park
4/5
So torn on this one. Chester had the voice of a generation, and probably still would if he were alive. But Mike Shinoda... he's just the worst. He doesn't have the presence that Chester did and it's so painfully apparent.
Röyksopp
4/5
Solid work. Very chill ambient electronic music, and much is hard to find.
Jeru The Damaja
1/5
I damajed my ears listening to this.
There’s so much better hip hop out there.
The Slits
3/5
If Kurt Cobain had posters on the wall of his room they’d be of this band.
It’s just ok. Almost annoying but not. They sound like Jefferson airplane at times, but mostly not.
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Solid work. I wanted a few more hits but the funky soul is nice to chew on.
Muddy Waters
3/5
Yep, this is Blues.
My only gripe is that's it's the same Blues he'd been playing for years.
Shuggie Otis
3/5
Good. Like a funky jazz ripoff.
Slipknot
2/5
Alright dude, we get it. You have a double kick drum.
I’m not sure what I’m supposed to take away from this other than unbridled anxiety and a headache.
The Electric Prunes
3/5
Yeah. It’s decent and I can see why it’s here, but meh. Needs more oomph.
Richard Thompson
2/5
Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to get your heart rate up more than 2bpm while listening to this album.
It’s pretty enough sounding, but what a snooze fest.
Baaba Maal
2/5
One long African jam session. That’s fine if it’s your thing, but it’s not mine.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
The honky tonk is strong here. Like the rented a slide guitar and had to get their moneys worth.
G. Love & Special Sauce
2/5
This is best poetry from the 90s. Baby Got Sauce is catchy but the rest is pretty meh, borderline cringey.
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
He sings so wonderfully, he’s got a great talent, but god dammit just pick up the pace. The lazy schtick is completely overdone.
The Monkees
3/5
I have to imagine it’s hard to be taken seriously given their roots. This is solid work, but I want some more hits.
Blur
2/5
Holy crap they toned down the British-isms in their later work. This is almost unlistenable.
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
This is Thom Yorke-ish. Like Radiohead but if you sucked the life out of it.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Just wonderful.
The Young Rascals
5/5
Well I loved it. Might be considered boring but Groovin’ is just perfect. A masterclass for songs to get stuck in your head.
Syd Barrett
3/5
Had he obtained medical help I wonder if could have continued his career successfully. Pink Floyd would be completely different.
Motörhead
4/5
The definition of Metal. The recording value on this is just superb.
Ella Fitzgerald
4/5
When you play this the spirit of Nora Ephron appears and conjures a screenplay starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan before your very eyes.
She’s incomparable with any contemporary artists, but this is a lot of music.
Johnny Cash
3/5
So many good performances, but so many odd choices in song selection. Cash singing a song by Paul Simon just really seems off.
Yeah. It’s no secret I like Rod Stewart.
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
Yep. Stuck somewhere between Michael Jackson, Prince, and Lenny Kravitz. And by between I mean miles behind. Not even at the same table.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
4/5
This reminded me of the Sesame Street alphabet song by these guys. Amazing stuff. Probably not coming back to it anytime soon but it’s good to have in the back pocket.
Mercury Rev
3/5
Diet Flaming Lips, now with more weird instrumental tracks.
This was ok. It didn’t have any bite in the regular tracks and the instrumentals left a bad taste in my mouth.
The Cure
3/5
I got a fever, and the cure is no more The Cure.
I kid, this was decent and relaxing. A little bland, but I think that's their thing.
The Undertones
4/5
Sex Pistols sound without the Sex Pistols content. Grade A post punk greatness.
The Magnetic Fields
4/5
This is too much. It started off well enough but it devolves into the same mess. Some of the tracks get stuck in your head, so that’s a plus.
3/5
Drinking wine in an industrial bar. This isn't bad, just not very compelling.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
The Cure meets Reel Big Fish.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3/5
Yeah if this was popular it hasn’t stood the test of… 39 years. It’s very dated.
Kings of Leon
4/5
Good stuff. Bluesy rock always hits the right spot.
Blondie
5/5
But seriously I really liked this one. I'd only heard their singles before but actually not a bad song on this and Deborah Harry has a great voice
Taylor Swift
4/5
By no means am I a Swiftie, (is that right? That’s what the kids call it?) but this was enjoyable. She might have an army behind her that makes sure every album a certain amount of money or marketing, but it works.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
Reel Big Fish meets The Cure.
Sugar
4/5
Feels like the filler soundtrack to a lot of 90s buddy comedies. I was hoping for a single or two, but I like what they're doing. Surprised they didn't go further.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
Oh no. No no no. I don't like it. It seems pretentious, and it is.
Sleater-Kinney
3/5
High energy with raw lyrics, but lacking in earworms. It’s got everything I should like but for some reason, it just doesn’t grab me.
It sounds like it should come from the late 80s like post punk stuff, but it’s 10 years later. It kind of reminds me of Sonic Youth.
Frank Zappa
3/5
It started out cool enough, but then it got to the sax part of Gumbo Variations. It just went downhill from there.
I got this about 550 albums into the list, after Captain Beefheart and Trout Mask Replica. I can see how this is a gateway drug to those.
Talking Heads
2/5
This was really obnoxious. I tried but his voice on this album is just peak irritating.
Liz Phair
2/5
This is what Courtney Love wanted to be but surpassed. This is almost insufferable. Her later stuff is way better, more produced.
Eminem
3/5
He tells a good story, but it gets a little too much in the end.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
4/5
Ok, Next (the song) was awful but the rest was pretty decent. I need to read up more on this guy.
Happy Mondays
3/5
What even is this? It sounds early 80s but is early 90s? Nah, I’m out.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
Prince Valium’s Get Up Mix. Just boring and dated.
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
This didn’t age well. Just Casio defaults with emo shit that all sounds the same.
2/5
You know that Muppet band that just (poorly) wails on their instruments at any given moment? Yeah, this is what they were modeled after.
I’ve mentioned I was impressed by live recordings sounding so so good. This one does not meet that bar. It’s like a Garage band that got a live gig.
Napalm Death
3/5
Yep, that’s metal. I can get what they’re doing, but more than 30 minutes of this gets my blood boiling.
Burning Spear
3/5
Yep. Reggae. Anyway.
The National
4/5
I like this a lot and I’m not sure why. I’ve criticized other albums for shortcomings that this has too. Mumbly singer, droning voice, weird ass lyrics, and backing music that isn’t all that interesting. I think it’s because it’s catchy. They have the ear worm algorithm down.
AC/DC
4/5
Surprised I only knew Highway to Hell from this album. It’s full of jams, not sure how they never made the radio or into pop culture.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
Oiiilll spilllll… it’s not terrible but I’m not coming back to this.
Paul Simon
4/5
You know, this kind of works. Call Me Al was definitely what marketed this album but the rest was beautifully crafted and should be listened to carefully.
Billy Bragg
3/5
I like the Wilco parts, but the rest doesn’t have much teeth.
The Afghan Whigs
2/5
This is awful. Like some shitty, watered down Nine Inch Nails. Whatever influences came from soul are completely lost.
Madonna
2/5
Incredibly boring. This only got a pass to be on the list because it's Madonna. Had this been some no-name (probably with a first AND a last name, loser) musician it wouldn't have even been considered.
Alice In Chains
5/5
Ugh the angst, the growl, the feels. This was a perfect storm of 90s grunge that has yet to be met.
Fairport Convention
2/5
I can’t stand Joni Mitchell and I can stand this even less.
Blue Cheer
3/5
This has “we have Deep Purple at home” vibes. The last half of the last track just sounds like filler to get over the 30 minute mark.
I liked it - but it wasn't over the top.
David Bowie
4/5
This feels like the end of the Glam era. It leans more into harder rock than anything else.
Malcolm McLaren
3/5
Yeah, that was a thing. Buffalo Gals was fun, but it's pretty dated.
Shack
2/5
90s leftovers for sure. The singer is just so boring. If they had someone like Niall Quinn from The Cranberries it'd be so much more interesting.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Just as boring as the last time this came up.
Donovan
3/5
White guy at the farmers market with the sitar
I hate the way he writes his songs. I don’t have the technical vocabulary for it, but he has like an A/ B verse and it gets really irritating after the fourth or fifth time he does it.
Def Leppard
4/5
Amazing. It doesn’t deserve the ire for selling out, it stands well on its own.
The Shamen
3/5
Now That’s What I Call Mall Music ‘90!
Barry Adamson
1/5
Too all over the place. Happy marimba music, then creepy soundscape with voicemails. Not worth my time.
The Youngbloods
3/5
I wanted Get Together on this album. This is just ok. Get a little too jazzy in the middle, but gets a pass.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
A lot of building up to a chorus but never actually getting there.
The Byrds
3/5
This was good. I can smell the indica coming out of the speakers.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Yeah, this was okay. I see what it did but I don’t have to keep thinking it’s the best. VERY VERY VERY repetitive.
Kraftwerk
3/5
This is uber German.
And yeah, I liked it. Pretty peaceful except for that last track. It’s just too open concept for me to really appreciate.
CHVRCHES
5/5
Mgmt adjacent.
Maybe m83.
Really good stuff.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
My favorite Bruce album. It's one lead guitar away from being in top 20 for me.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
2/5
It’s amazing that the 60s and 70s produced some of the most timeless and memorable music ever, and then there’s the 80s. This sounds so dated. His vocal tone, the Casio synth, drum machine, everything.
Fever Ray
2/5
I’m just not cool enough for this. It’s droning.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Soulful, amazing, and right where it needs to be.
The Darkness
5/5
Yep. Still love this. High energy, great production, and man I would have loved to see them live.
Faust
2/5
This is so easy to ignore. It’s supposed to set a scene but it just sets off my ADD
Primal Scream
1/5
A band named primal scream that isn’t punk? This is just generic 90s garbage techno.
Ministry
3/5
Actually expected to not like this, but it’s pretty good. The drummer is amazing. I can see a lot of these guys in more recent acts.
The Kinks
3/5
So very British. I wish I had the lens to look at these guys when they released this. It seems like they just went with safe Beatles mimicry, but it could be something that stood alone.
Steely Dan
3/5
Decent enough, but the first track is the only memorable one.
The Mothers Of Invention
4/5
Ok, so I kind of liked this. It's weird as shit. Almost like some of the tracks came off a Muppets album. "Cream Cheese! Cream Cheese! Cream Cheese!"
But other tracks have a really good sound and keep the weirdness to a minimum. It's worth the listen, but alter your state to a higher plane if you want to fully enjoy it.
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
I swear this was recorded with a tin can microphone in an aluminum submarine.
It's fun, but the context is lost on me.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
1/5
This is just noise.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Good, not great.
Frank Black
3/5
So Frank heard Kurt and said, "I can do this too!" but it turns out he couldn't.
This has all the right stuff, but it's boring.
David Crosby
3/5
Great harmonies, great sounds, but kind of meh songs.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
She's a great singer, but the songs don't hold up. They all have better covers elsewhere.
It's also a bit anachronistic - this is a 1964 album with mid 50s songs.
Goldie
2/5
Inner City Pressure.
This might have been good when this came out, but it is most definitely not "Timeless".
Dead Kennedys
3/5
This has all the right stuff.
Jethro Tull
4/5
A time traveling minstrel that learned how to rock.
Robert Wyatt
1/5
This is some real art house bullshit.
Brian Eno
1/5
“Music” “Talent”
Fugees
3/5
I'm not nearly cool enough to like this album.
Sigur Rós
5/5
lol whales boning music.
It’s a mood, for sure. But a mood that always gets me feeling better.
Ray Charles
3/5
Pretty genius, but not all that exciting either.
Air
5/5
Another perfect rainy day album. Front to back, just a whole vibe.
The B-52's
3/5
Weird in the right ways. I love the satirical commentary of the 50s.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
I hadn’t noticed this being similar to my bloody valentine, but now that you mention it it’s pretty close. But these guys have the jams.
This owned the 90s and has a place in my heart Today.
Thelonious Monk
3/5
Not quite as irritating as other jazz aficionados, but I’m not sure why that first track took 12 takes. It’s all chaos.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
I can imagine putting this on the record player and chilling to it while I got a nice heroin high.
Cat Stevens
4/5
Set the scene for modern folk. Well done.
Wu-Tang Clan
4/5
Ahead of their time. This holds up incredibly well compared to albums from the same year.
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
Have you ever had a meal that’s so wonderfully tasty but there’s just too much of it? You keep eating it because it’s rare that you come across anything like it, but by the end of the plate you’re left feeling sick and too tired to do anything else. That’s this album. It’s so so good. But it’s way too long.
The Monks
3/5
I like the band, hate the singer. He’s got that obnoxious quality in his voice that reminds me of Captain Beefheart.
The Incredible String Band
1/5
It’s like they found a sitar and slide whistle at a pawn and decided to make an album. Unlistenable to modern era.
The Streets
1/5
yea booyyyyyyy
This is Ali G trying to play it straight, but failing.
The first half is great but the second half wanders down where the streets have no name.
Bon Jovi
4/5
It’s amazing that their best songs are all on one album.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
Ok. Lots of slide guitar. And Gram Parsons, whom I don't really get yet.
Elvis Costello
3/5
I still don’t know who his target audience is. He’s not rock, not jazz, and his lyrics aren’t all that inspired.
William Orbit
1/5
Unavailable.
Marianne Faithfull
2/5
Cyndi Lauper before drugs.
Sade
3/5
All you children born around February 1985 can thank this album for your existence. It’s good background music, not really meant for direct ingestion. It’s a bit boring that way.
Stereo MC's
3/5
Their famous track has the same beat as the Sopranos opening song. This is fine. Not amazing.
Scott Walker
1/5
This is fart smelling at its highest.
What the fuck is this even about? Why do I have to get through 9 tracks before there’s an actual chorus?
Why are there 4 fucking albums from this guy?
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
1/5
Unavailable in US.
Beatles
4/5
Some great tracks, but also some really weird tracks.
Supergrass
4/5
Not as good as their later stuff, but still pretty good. Falls outside the brit-pop genre more than others, and that's a good thing.
The Human League
2/5
These guys are one-hit-wonders. Do yourself a favor and skip to the last track, then never turn it on again.
Jane's Addiction
4/5
This is like Alice in Chains and Violent Femmes rolled into one. I love it.
The Cult
3/5
This scratched an itch for 80s rock without being glam metal. Their Highway to Hell cover is probably one of the worst I've ever heard.
Megadeth
3/5
Good sound, but no real bops. Was hoping for something that caught my ear.
Julian Cope
2/5
Meh. Lost in the obscurity that was the 90s.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
Meh, there were others in this era that were definitely more worth listening to.
Holger Czukay
2/5
The spoken word stuff in track two was enough for me to turn it off.
Marty Robbins
5/5
He’s got a formula for sure. And it seems a little anachronistic since most of the cowboy fandom had been out style for a couple years, but I have to admit, this guy knows how to lay this down. I’ll return to this often.
Adele
5/5
This is very well produced. It’s all so clear. She’s an amazing singer and will likely stand the test of time as such.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
Artsy fartsy with no substance.
Ice Cube
4/5
Love this.
1/5
What a blunder this was. Screaming, slapping instruments, needlessly cursing and crudeness. This is why 9/11 happened.
Elbow
3/5
Blegh. Boring alt rock. Reminds me of Doves but so anemic.
Kanye West
2/5
He complains about working at the gap. Not sure why that doesn’t hit the same way when someone else complains about a job in a song.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
I’m not really sure who this is for. It’s not electronic enough to be techno or whatever you call that music it’s not rock enough. It’s not hip-hop enough. It’s not rap enough. I’m not sure who really would go for this.
Ozomatli
2/5
The one track is okay. This is basically chumbawumba pt 2
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
2/5
This is a cheesy 90s movie soundtrack.
pirate penguin ninja laser beams I'm so random omg pew pew
Black Flag
3/5
I think I want to like this more than I actually do. The vocals get old but the content and message is strong.
Genesis
2/5
The 80s did some favors for these guys. All that's missing from this album is the laser show and fog machine.
Emmylou Harris
4/5
God, she's amazing. She gives a masterclass in vocal emotion.
2/5
I'm glad I never had to deal much with 80s music. This is lame.
Hanoi Rocks
3/5
Opening for Motley Crue, these guys!
And that’s about the only place they should have stayed.
Bad Brains
3/5
If Prince joined Alive in Chains. I’m here for it.
Pavement
2/5
We barely needed one Pavement album, and the other one is better than this. It drones on and gets a little repetitive toward the end.
Fugazi
3/5
Very 90s. This sounds like something Jay and Silent Bob would be listening to outside the Quick Stop.
I can see why this was included, but it's extremely outdated now.
Sabu
1/5
You can actually see this show live now - and it’s free! Walk your way to the closest downtown area, any downtown area should do, and listen for the noise. You’ll know it when you hear it. Eventually you’ll come upon the band. The one guy playing the 5 gallon bucket, maybe two of them if he had enough tips the previous day, and then the guy with the rollerblades and strapped on guitar amp. That’s them! Or the ghost of them. Toss them a five and they’ll play your favorite track, but who can pick just one?
The Cramps
4/5
Yeah, I like this gear too. Kind of a halloween inspired rockabilly surfer jam.
The Pogues
4/5
I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy this, since Elvis Costello and I don’t always see eye to eye, but I was pleasantly surprised. Irish punk just seems to work really well together. It is a bit long, though.
Beatles
5/5
Their bad tracks are other bands' wet dream.
The Divine Comedy
1/5
This is on the same level as Scott Walker - god awful. It’s some cheesy lounge act that’s trying to be serious. Even the Thom Yorke-looking-dude on the album cover can’t be taken seriously as a “Casanova”.
Magazine
3/5
Billy Idol took some notes from these guys. And then made it better.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Here we are again, Leonard. It seems you’re sad. Again. Did you take your pills? Yes, from the bottle sitting on your bible. Or bibles. Why are there so many bookmarks sticking out of it? No, you’re not having another drink, let’s go get you some sunshine. Jesus, Leonard.
Sonic Youth
3/5
I think if I were ten years older this would be my jam. It starts out cool enough but devolves into just noise. I love the rest of the playlist it seeded though.
The Fall
3/5
There isn’t much to write home about this one. Not bad, not great.
The Adverts
3/5
This is all the same song.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
What a weird guy but damn can he write a good song.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
This is the same as all the other Elvis Costello albums. I just don't get the appeal. He's an ok singer/songwriter but it isn't worthy of the admiration he draws.
Wild Beasts
1/5
This was awful. The artist thinks their farts smell like roses and wants the world to know.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
This is all one song/jam session. It's not bad, but not as revolutionary as one might think.
Youssou N'Dour
2/5
That's about what I expected.
The United States Of America
3/5
This got a little weird. Too many psychedelics.
Gene Clark
3/5
Neil Young did it better.
The White Stripes
4/5
The spark of a generation. Not a bad track.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
Absolutely slaps. It woke me up to a world outside ninja turtles and thundercats. Though, now I have to be in the right mood to listen to it. I get too worked up.
The Style Council
2/5
I think I can do without the lame 80s jazz.
Ryan Adams
4/5
He’s got some really good tracks on here. It’s a really long album.
Gang Of Four
3/5
Influential, yes. Need to listen to? Probably not.
Bauhaus
1/5
What in the Brian Eno is this shit? Please make it stop.
The Killers
5/5
Front loaded with so many good tracks, but it plummets after Believe Me Natalie. I’ll always return to this one, though.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
How bad can the misogyny actually be? The second track is called, what was that? Stupid Girl? Oh, yep. There it is.
It's too bad because I really like this.
Germs
3/5
It's cool hearing a young Pat Smear, but meh.
Oasis
3/5
I hate his voice so much. Here's another entry for the big British book of smiles
John Martyn
3/5
Acoustic Sade.
LL Cool J
3/5
This was ok. It’s not as corny as the other 90s rap/hip hop but it’s still up there. He was kind of always corny, though.
Mudhoney
2/5
This sucks. Not much music talent to be found.
Missy Elliott
3/5
She's got talent and I reaches through the mic to her audience, but it's just not for me. Not a hater.
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
I love the rock cuts they use instead of generic electro filler. And who doesn't love Tricky?
Richard Hawley
3/5
I don’t hate this as much as I expected. It’s crooney, yea, but this guy can actually sing. He doesn’t lean too far into the cheesiness in fake vibrato or weird voice control like Scott Walker does.
It’s boring, though. He probably does a mean cover of Tiny Bubbles.
The Smiths
4/5
I liked this more than I thought I would considering the state of Morrissey.
Pixies
3/5
This has some good grooves but I couldn't shake the overall "smashing a tambourine on the mic" sound of the production it was just tiring to listen to.
It had a bit of the grunge wall of noise but it cooled down by the end of the album. These guys are also one of those musicians for musicians. They’re inspiring and probably made a path for future acts, but somewhat bland themselves.
Neil Young
5/5
It's hard to say no to this. Pure Americana. Or Canadacana.
Doves
4/5
Maybe I listened to this a few times in the early aughts and it's nostalgic, or maybe it's good. Hard to tell. He's got a droning voice and some of the beats get repetitive but all in all, I'll keep revisiting this.
The Offspring
5/5
Just awesome. Again and always. They’re the voice of my generation, and we’re not alright.
Neil Young
3/5
I like that he goes for the lower regsiter in his voice more often on this one, but there's not any single track to write home about.
Dennis Wilson
3/5
I like this. It's really melancholy. But it's WAY too long, even without the bonus album content.
It sometimes has some Pink Floyd vibes to it.
The Beta Band
4/5
Repetitive but in all the right ways. Mumble rock for the win.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Their weakest album is 110% better than most of the shit I’ve listened to from this project and I’m 750 albums deep.
Rod Stewart
4/5
Maggie May is amazing. Just pure excellence. The Elvis cover seemed like filler, especially with Amazing Grace at the end.
I’ve not noticed before now, but Rod could probably do a few mean covers of AC/DC.
Kate Bush
1/5
There are two types of people in the world - people who hate Kate Bush and absolutely insane that need to have a CAT scan.
The Modern Lovers
2/5
Can’t say I get it. Seems like Suicidal Tendencies covering deep cuts of The Doors.
Elvis Presley
3/5
I guess I expected more from Elvis. I wanted more jams.
B.B. King
4/5
I don't normally like live albums but this one isn't too bad. That's where he thrives, I assume. Add this one to the list of artists that Walk Hard parodied.
Can
1/5
At times like this I have to relate with the Grinch. This is just noise, noise, noise. Please make it stop. Don't make me steal Christmas.
Ryan Adams
4/5
Hes a little dylan, and little costello, but pretty cool.
Tina Turner
3/5
Her backing band wanted nothing to do with her Michael Jackson impersonation - they wanted to unleash the sickest, funkiest grooves ever. This was okay. She's got a few good jams.
Randy Newman
3/5
Holy shit that first track... It's described as satire/parody but I can see a few people using that as their own anthem. The album was good, but he's a better writer than he is a singer.
The Dandy Warhols
4/5
I actually dug this. Not sure how I escaped the nineties having never listened to this. They’re like a mix of Blur and My Bloody Valentine.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
Oh my god we get it - you’re a feminist and a victim of your own talent. What else do you have to sing about?
Lou Reed
2/5
Noped out of this when the kids started crying. And then I heard the kids in Oh Jim.
Stick to the hits, Lou.
Fela Kuti
3/5
Eh, it’s ok. The better of the afrobeat albums, but just ok.
Robbie Williams
3/5
I don’t get it.
Animal Collective
2/5
You know when you’re listening to music but you only have one headphone on and you hear half of the song it’s a little weird. This is just that exactly it feels like half of the songs are missing. There’s either a melody or some sort of chorus thats just not there.
It’s basically showcase for millennials.
Boards of Canada
3/5
It got a little long, but it has a few good beats.
Mike Oldfield
3/5
This has to be the free album they gave you when you bought a new stereo. On cassette. Maybe 8-track.
Les Rythmes Digitales
3/5
With your favorite tracks like “Jacque your body makes me sweat.”
This is basically the album that plays to the baby dance from It's Always Sunny.
The Replacements
4/5
I like it. Nothing special but better than a lot of other albums on here. I realized I knew them from Can't Hardly Wait.
George Michael
5/5
He owns this. His voice really sells the emotion. And being backed by MJ make this do gNo wrong.
R.E.M.
4/5
I’ve had these guys before and had the same thoughts: they’re inspiring, talented, and make great songs, but what a fucking downer he is as a singer.
The Notorious B.I.G.
4/5
Yeah the skits suck. The rest was awesome.
Beastie Boys
4/5
This was awesome. I didn’t know they had that punk side to them. Their beats and rhymes are amazing but the flow seems unchanged from song to song.
Teenage Fanclub
2/5
I’m surprised they got a label, not to mention beating out Nirvana album sales.
You’d think I would have heard of this before if that were the case.
Cypress Hill
3/5
Are these guys brothers to Faith Hill?
I can see where OutKast drew a lot of inspiration from here.
Ravi Shankar
2/5
This is just a banjo with an accent.
Kraftwerk
4/5
This is just the soundtrack to Astro bot. But it’s pretty good actually.
The Charlatans
3/5
Another Oasis, Verve, brit pop clone.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
Lord, they born a ramblin' band. Tryin' to write an album but doin' the best they can.
When it's time for ratin', I hope they understand, I can't stand a ramblin' band.
Beyoncé
2/5
I didn’t know any of these songs going into the album, and I won’t know them tomorrow either. Ultimately forgettable.
Does she have a restraining order against getting within 100ft of an actual musical instrument?
Nina Simone
4/5
It’s fine for Dinner music. Inoffensive. She’s also got that tortured voice that Chet Baker had.
4/5
They write 8 bars and call it a day. Repeat repeat repeat. It's good stuff, though.
The Zutons
2/5
They probably think they were born in the wrong generation, but they would have been mediocre then too. They need a hit to drive this to a 3 for me.
Devendra Banhart
2/5
This has the lyrical fun that Vampire Weekend or Alt-J has, but the guitar that Simon and Garfunkel have. Just kind of a mismatch and a slog. God they need a drummer.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
5/5
What a debut! Jam after jam after jam.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Front loaded. Gets a little bit monotonous toward the end but it’s solid. The radio stations in LA definitely overplayed this but it’s LA, they pretty much have to.
Morrissey
4/5
Gah I wanted to hate this. He writes a good song. His voice sucks and sounds the same in every song but it’s catchy. It’s melancholy as fuck but in the right mood it slaps.
If anybody ever did a morriseey cover album they could do a lot better (but why in their right mind would they?)
Spiritualized
4/5
I can get behind this. It hits just right when you're working on something. I don't think I'd like this live.
Primal Scream
3/5
Neither Primal or Screaming. I want my money back.
Big Star
3/5
Oh shit that 70s show theme. This could use a tempo increase. Maybe some guitar effects. It was a little anemic.
The Who
5/5
Big surprise, one of the better bands to come out of the last millennium gets a 5 star rating.
Nas
3/5
Didn’t do much for me.
Iggy Pop
4/5
These all sound like Rolling Stones b-sides but I love them.
The Beach Boys
3/5
This style was really long in the tooth when this debuted. I'm surprised they never really expanded beyond this sound.
Solange
2/5
She would be absolutely a nobody without her sister, and I don’t think “queen B” is all that great, either.
Madonna
3/5
She heard Shirley Manson from Garbage and thought, “I could do that.” Turns out, she could not. This has the attempt of a song, but it’s just not quite there. Her singing is great, it’s the producer that did wrong.
Taylor Swift
3/5
It doesn’t have a bite. She’s very expressive and a good singer, but this was a nothing burger. The Bon Iver song was an odd duo.
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
Man, the harder tracks are amazing. The folky tracks are a little much though. So much tambourine.
Manu Chao
2/5
There’s no soul to this. It’s a shell of what Latin music should be. I can see a Spanish high school class using this to translate or recite.
It’s music to ignore while you stuff your face with chips at a Mexican restaurant.
Love
3/5
This was fine. I’m curious how The Rolling Stones had the better song for She Comes in Colors without it being the same song.
SAULT
2/5
No thanks.
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
This was pretty cool. Better than the Shaft soundtrack since it didn’t need context from the movie.
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
Ugh. New wave drivel.
M.I.A.
1/5
I hate this so much.
Traffic
3/5
It's Steve Winwood with jazz flute. What more needs to be said? It's odd, but not offensive.
TLC
4/5
Smoother than I expected. They excuse 90s cool. I wonder why they faded away. (I know one of them died, but I thought was way beyond their success)
OutKast
4/5
Again, I could do without the skits but god damn was this good. This will always be the soundtrack for my college years.
k.d. lang
3/5
Solid work. Not sure why or how she got the photo of Jake Gyllenhal from 1988, but that's cool too.
Seriously, she's got a lovely voice and her producer did amazing work here, I just want more bangers.
Genesis
2/5
They’re trying to be Pink Floyd or The Who but falling very short of that.
Prince
4/5
I love the jams. I love the beats. He exudes cool. It gets a little weird in the middle but the beat keeps on.
Hugh Masekela
3/5
It’s nice enough. I don’t see how it’s influenced by or for anything, though. It’s probably another album for musicians by musicians.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
I don't get it. He's a mechanic vampire that goes for sticker shock.
The Birthday Party
1/5
I just don’t get Nick Cave. He wants to be Tom Waits, but worse.
Anyway, this is like mechanic-core metal. They put this on and bang one out to a model-t or something.
Suzanne Vega
2/5
Lisa Loeb read from this playbook. This is a bit boring.
Dr. Octagon
2/5
The beats are fun, rhymes/flow are cool, but the lyrics and content are way too fucking lewd for me. Go figure that an album with a name like this would be childish veering toward downright abusive.
The Go-Betweens
3/5
I saw it stated before, but this really is The Smiths without Morrissey. I hate saying it because Morrissey sucks, but he writes a good song. These are just boring and devoid of soul.
Stephen Stills
3/5
This is like taking a flight from Los Angeles to West Virginia. When you land you're so far into country you can't find your way back.
Joy Division
4/5
Ho boy. Talk about overrated. It's a cool sound some of the time. I can tell they lifted a lot from Kraftwerk and plenty of other German post-punk bands, but more importantly I can tell you how they influenced a generation after this.
Throwing Muses
1/5
I can’t find this anywhere. It’s a shame because it sounds like it’d be up my alley.
Tom Waits
3/5
Ok, I expected to not like this. It's kind of cool, though. I hate to stifle artists, but I wonder what he could do with a real producer that didn't let him run amok with recordings from a concrete room and letting Cookie Monster sing lead.
Bad Company
5/5
I had no idea they were on Led Zeppelin’s label but it makes sense. They have similar sounds.
This has so many great tracks it would be a tragedy to rate this anything less than a 5.
Dwight Yoakam
3/5
Another entry for the Bakersfield sound. He has a great voice, and it seems his reputation proceeds him. I know of him, but I couldn't tell you any of his famous albums or tracks.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
I expected more from this because of his experience. It’s somewhat jam-band inspired and meandering musically. Brilliant, but his producers should have reined him in a bit more.
Fairport Convention
3/5
Ren Faire Rock (tm).
Fatboy Slim
4/5
Dated technically, but contemporary in beats and samples. Rockafeller Skank was a jam and still is.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Hard to beat.
George Michael
3/5
I was kind of bored by this. He gets right to edge of a good hook or chorus and it lands flat. Freedom is really good, but it didn’t carry the whole album for me.
Jack White
4/5
Yeah, I like this, but it's not his best work. I really enjoy when he pairs up with Brendan Benson in The Raconteurs.
Paul McCartney
4/5
This plays like a notebook of songs. But they’re DaVinci’s notebook. Maybe the flying machine will never work, but it’s fun to look at.
The Byrds
3/5
I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it.
Travis
3/5
This would have been my jam in 2001/2002. Today it just seems like sad bastard jams.
T. Rex
5/5
Just amazing. It doesn't get better than this. I'm not sure how The Velvet Underground gets criticized for being snooty or too artsy when this is basically the same.
Billy Joel
5/5
I can’t believe how many hits are on this. Masterful.
Joni Mitchell
1/5
Beat poetry with a monotonous voice. I hate this will all my being.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Pretty slick. I'm surprised they got as big as they did. In the aughts the indie thing was huge and this fits the bill.
Sonic Youth
4/5
I don't care for the vocals, but everything else is perfect. It gets a little drony at times, but its nostalgic to the 90s kid in me.
Joe Ely
3/5
"I keep my fingernails long so they click when I play the piano."
Not sure what to make of this. It's certainly not relevant today.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
3/5
Funky fresh.
Herbie Hancock
3/5
Funky jazz that takes a turn about halfway through. Solid listen, but I probably won't revisit.
Gillian Welch
2/5
She mumbles, sings like a slide guitar, has so many dissonant tones, all the sings sound the same, and her lyrics are boring.
There's a song that could be about the Titanic but it’s just about some stoners she sees in Idaho or some shit.
R.E.M.
4/5
Maybe it’s the comparison to garbage from previous albums, but I like this. It’s not spectacular but it’s nice. I can see how they’re seen as the pioneers for a lot of the indie alternative rock.
I don’t think we needed three REM albums on the list though.
The Isley Brothers
3/5
Smooth and funky. Not sure why they covered Summer Breeze, though. Seals and Croft did it better.
The Damned
4/5
I don’t dislike this. I’ve got a soft spot for punk bands though. It’s a little more musical than others from the genre. It’s hard to be punk and play keyboards I guess. The Offspring have a decent cover of Smash It Up.
Jane Weaver
3/5
Good working music. Good vibes, but kind of boring. It's like if you took the electronic portions out of Zero7.
Stereolab
4/5
Say what you will about the French, they make a good chill electronic album.
Meat Puppets
4/5
I liked this. The singer is awful but the instrumental tracks are really cool. He’s also trying to be awful, which I don’t get, but it’s his jam. I'll be looking for more Cow Punk.
System Of A Down
3/5
The guitar parts on this seem simple. I remember being able to play some parts of it when I was in high school, which says something. It’s not a bad sound, just not complex.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Yeah, no notes. All around good.
Joanna Newsom
1/5
I don't get it and I don't like it. Someone made the Bjork comparison and it's all I heard. Tuneless, idiotic noise.
3/5
So very bri'ish. It feels like the picked the wrong Beatle to idolize.
MGMT
4/5
This was EVERYWHERE in the late aughts. Solid work, but it didn't age particularly well because of the imitators.
Duran Duran
4/5
This actually holds up against its contemporaries. Some of the other bands get lost in their state-of-the-art Casio but these guys kept on the guitar jams.
Lupe Fiasco
2/5
So very bored by this.
The Undertones
4/5
Love the punk submissions, even if they are a little more poppy than others.
Soundgarden
5/5
Again, no notes. Just solid stuff from Chris and crew.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
Extremely dated rapping style, but they have some really good samplings.
Hawkwind
4/5
Whoa, how have I not heard of this before? I'm amazed at how trippy cool this is. It went on for a long time but help my attention the whole time.
Elton John
4/5
Two very solid jams then some lyrically amazing tracks. Also, this is his THIRD album in one year?! Bonkers.
Fela Kuti
3/5
I anticipated this being another generic world jazz album but it’s pretty good. Solid jams, doesn’t meander too much, and has a good sound.
The xx
3/5
This was boring. His mumbling and monotone voice gets old pretty quick. At times it seems the vocals and music don't line up.
I've heard 'On Hold' before. It’s weird they sampled Hall and Oates in this but there aren’t any other samples that prominent in the rest of the album.
Gotan Project
3/5
Actually, this was pretty chill. Not as jazzy, not as world, just good working music.
Fiona Apple
2/5
She wants to be Tom Waits so bad. Too experimental. Too pretentious. But her voice is pretty so... ?
Madness
3/5
I listed to their self-titled album instead of this one, but I feel I got the jist of it. It's fine. Our House has stayed somewhat relevant and catchy.
Kendrick Lamar
2/5
I wish I got it. Maybe I'm too old. What am I missing because “this dick ain’t for free” wasn’t telling me a story.
SZA
2/5
I know I overuse "chill" but that's what this is. I do not like the auto tuning trap voice, though. The backing tracks are almost too simple. I wanted a little more complexity. Her rapping flow doesn't really make sense to me.
And the lyrics. I hate the lyrics. I don't need a tribute to your or your partners genitals, male or female. This isn't a take on "modern love", it's just dick and pussy music.
Brian Wilson
3/5
Wall of sound = lots of noise.
Seriously, he was a tortured soul. So many demons. But he made pretty music.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Can you imagine coming out of the gate with this banger of an album?
Tom Waits
3/5
I didn't hate this as much as I hated his other albums. There isn't a fake audience, no pretentious upright bass, just sad bastard lyrics and a gravelly, no, cobblestoned voice. Seriously, how does he do that?
Drive Like Jehu
2/5
This was just too much noise. There was nothing appealing here.
Fleet Foxes
4/5
They sing well, but the echoey hall and everybody singing at once got extremely overdone in this era and I’m so over it.
Dr. John
3/5
What a trip. It's Zappa or Captain Beefheart adjacent without the weird turned up to 11.
Mudhoney
3/5
This was probably good at the time since it was pretty early grunge, but now it's lost in all the much better albums of the genre. I'm surprised it left the garage they recorded it in, to be honest.
Scritti Politti
3/5
This is breathy Prince or George Michael, but in a boring way. Nothing came across as influential, catchy, or all that entertaining. Just another brit-pop entry on the list.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
Not bad. I don’t get all the hype, but it’s not as annoying as previous albums by them.
4/5
I don't understand all the U2 hate. This is great and years ahead of their contemporaries. Their tracks still get stuck in my head.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
I keep trying to picture who is the number one Nick Cave fan and I can’t picture them. Mostly because Robert Dimery didn’t include a photo in the dust jacket of the book. Seriously, why do they have so many albums on the list? It’s all boring and depressing.
Tears For Fears
4/5
I love this. So many jams. I want to hear what they’ll do without the Blue Man Group as a backing band, though.
Brian Eno
3/5
What an experience it could have been for the music performers in the studio with “director” Brian Eno. He’s standing there in his outfit, the producers start rolling tape and he starts dancing and waving around while the band plays. How is that directing? Then he clearly admits the lyrics don’t mean shit and this is just word salad.
Honestly, this wasn’t a bad listen, it’s just really weird it has his name on it.
Nirvana
5/5
Top ten albums of the 90s.
Morrissey
3/5
Again with this guy? He’s a sub human twat. But dammit he can write a catchy melody.
X-Ray Spex
4/5
Fucking awesome. She took the Sex Pistols aa inspiration and made it way better. Fun lyrics, good performances, and just a good time.
Iron Maiden
5/5
What a bunch of nerds. I love it. Dio belts it out.
Air
3/5
I prefer Moon Safari to this, but it's not bad. I've not seen the movie but the trailer looks like some arthouse BS.
Alanis Morissette
3/5
There are some bops on here, but I can only take so much of her voice.
Harry Nilsson
4/5
What an absolute nut. Just out of his mind, but he makes decent music.
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
Easily the worst album on the list.
Ice T
3/5
This isn’t as dated as the LL Cool J album but it’s up there. 90s badass-erry just hits different today.
Pere Ubu
2/5
Not quite as bad as the prior album, Dub Housing, but still not great. It’s a lot of noise, but the drummer and bassist seem to know what they’re doing. I’d say I would rather stand in a classroom full of third-graders blowing on kazoos, but I think that might have the same effect they recorded here.
Elliott Smith
4/5
He’s got a pretty distinct sound that seems to be emulated throughout the indie artists following him 10 years later. Sad story he's got, though.
Aerosmith
4/5
Jesus, this is 50 years old. It's easy to forget they've been at this for this long. They stayed relevant (enough) throughout the 90s/00s unlike their contemporaries. Solid sound as always.
Pantera
4/5
I liked this a lot. The singer is the weakest link, though. I like how clean the guitar and drums sound. Clean maybe isn’t the right word but it’s not muddied down like a lot of metal bands do with their stuff.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Well, he's nothing if not consistent. This is a 3. Again.
Flamin' Groovies
5/5
This fuckin slaps. The Sticky Fingers comparison might not be exactly right in that this isn't better, but it's still really good.
Metallica
3/5
I think I liked Pantera more than this. One is amazing, but the rest kind of fall flat. Hot take: Metallica was better after going for the arena rock genre.
MC Solaar
3/5
French jazz hip hop. My favorite.
The Verve
2/5
Oof this was awful. For all the 90s albums that come through here this has to be one of them? This was a slog of anemic jams and sadness.
Dire Straits
4/5
Front loaded with jams. The rest of the tracks are like 3-4 minutes too long.
TV On The Radio
3/5
This was okay. I like Wolf Like Me from another album more than any of these tracks.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
The good tracks are good, the rest are kind of filler. I listened to this one prior to Parsley, Sage Rosemary and Thyme. Its decent to good. Folk always seemed like some white-people-nonsense so maybe I never gave it a fair shake. (I realize the irony in that)
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
Post-punk is the worst and this is no exception.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
I found that Frank can sing better when he was younger. It turned into speak singing as he aged (and got more drunk, I assume)
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
This is excellent. Way better than Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. The Boxer is just a perfect track. The model tracks glide along without much consequence.
The Stooges
4/5
We Will Fall is pretty tough to listen to sober.
Other than that, it's solid 70s rock. Hard to go wrong with that.
Incredible Bongo Band
3/5
My impression based on the name alone was not great, but this turned out to be better than I thought. It’s still not top-tier level stuff that needs to be included in the list, though. I could see this being the intermission music for a movie theater in the 70s.
Queens of the Stone Age
4/5
I love the sound they make, but these tracks aren’t nearly as memorable or good as Songs for the Deaf.
David Holmes
2/5
Boring and uninspired. Terrible samples and awful loops. The “skits” are the diarrhea icing on top of this shit cake.
The Smiths
2/5
Boring and unnecessary. Morrissey is a twat and johnny marr just makes noise.
Björk
1/5
It’s like she’s reading a Werner Herzog script while doing a Dutch Yoko Ono impression. The backing music is decent, almost Sigur Ros like. But no, she’s awful.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I respect the hell out of him, but I just don’t get the appeal.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
I liked this a lot. They’ve got a good mix of analog and digital sound.
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
Bananeira sounded like a song from the Minions soundtrack. All in all, it wasn't bad, but I wouldn't write home about it. This is background music at a Brazilian steak joint.
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
Dinner jazz to feel pretentious to.
She’s got a pretty voice, accurate for the era.
Ok her scatting is terrible. Like the Pam Anderson in Lethal Weapon but not satirical.
Destiny's Child
3/5
This was a moment in time and doesn't really hold up today.
Sonic Youth
3/5
My Bloody Valentine, Joy Division, and these guys all the sound the same.
Billie Holiday
3/5
Her voice is not like satin.
It’s like she drank a glass of chocolate milk then got behind the mic.
The bubble in her throat is the real star here.
The White Stripes
3/5
This was fine. They shouldn’t let Meg sing, though. Oof.
The Mars Volta
4/5
I like this a lot and it's good as a whole but I was looking for a singular banger. I'll come back to this for sure.
Nine Inch Nails
5/5
Finished. I don’t think I’ve listened to that from start to finish before.
Amazing. It’s not shocking that he moved to movies. He creates a good soundscape.
Traffic
3/5
I liked "feeling alright". This was fine.
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
This is fine. Cabana music I guess. Easily ignored.
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
Yep that’s Paul. This is ok. Jet gets stuck in your head.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
1/5
Kanye West
1/5
Nope.
Hüsker Dü
4/5
This is like early R.E.M. I like this a lot. Good vocals, the drummer is awesome.
It all blends together at some point. Another instance of not needing to be a double album.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Sparks
3/5
My first thoughts were, wait this isn’t glam rock. Wait, these sound like guys. What the hell is going on?
After a few tracks it calmed down and I enjoyed it. I HATE the drummer though. It’s all the same very simple beat and they mash on the cymbals for every beat on every track.
Slint
2/5
Mom, can we get My Bloody Valentine?
No, we have My Bloody Valentine at home.
MBV at home is this.
Tuneless drivel. They wish they had all the pedals and effects that their contemporaries have.
Kelela
2/5
Ultimately forgettable, even 5 minutes after listening.
I can see that she's trying to be The Weeknd, but failing spectacularly. No hooks, no chorus, just uninteresting lyrics on a beat machine.
Robert Wyatt
1/5
Yeah, this is awful. What the fuck is a Canterbury Scene? This is pretentious rock jazz.
Alice Cooper
4/5
I know I’ve said it before but I’m still surprised by how much musicality these albums have.
Van Morrison
2/5
WAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHLLLLLL he likes to yell a lot over the music.
Jazzy backing music is nice enough, but he just blasts over it with little regard for tune, timing, or musicality.
The Temptations
3/5
This was fine. Generic soul. It feels out of date for 1969.
Motörhead
4/5
I liked this, but I expected more from this.
Jailbait is cringey AF.
Gil Scott-Heron
3/5
Jazzy Hendrix.
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
This was fine. Elliot Smith meets Simon and Garfunkel. Very long album.
This might evoke a guitar smashing GIF from some.
Jean-Michel Jarre
2/5
Yeah this is just a dude messing around on a keyboard. The keyboard salesperson probably put this on to demo and make a sale.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I'll never be able to listen to Bob Dylan without thinking of Dewey Cox from Walk Hard. It's just too spot on.
This wasn’t as annoying as his other albums.
Mylo
2/5
This was pretty repetitive and in a terrible way. I wish I knew what the line was. Daft Punk, Justice, etc do the repetitive thing but I guess they're not using a hammer. All in all, not sure why this is on the list.
Kings of Leon
3/5
While I enjoy Kings of Leon, this list has more of them than I expected.
This was fine. Blues rock with a passionate voice.
Buffalo Springfield
4/5
This was good, has some earworms and doesn't overstay its welcome. Nothing that will change your life though.
Calexico
4/5
I'm not sure how I didn't hear these guys already. They're similar to everything else from that time period that I was listening to. This was nice and easy. Almost an intro to Band of Horses.
The Stooges
4/5
Ok, this slams. A little Ramones, a little Hives.
Spiritualized
3/5
it’s got some jams but delves into just noise at some point.
Heaven 17
2/5
Extremely 80s. And not in the good way.
Ghostface Killah
2/5
Surprise, I did not like this and it makes me feel old for saying so. It's loud, it's obnoxious, it's lewd, and it's just not that great lyrically, musically, or creatively. The only song that was ok was the one with all the wutang dudes.
2Pac
3/5
I think this is another example of me knowing the artist more than their work. I finished this and didn't recognize a single song. I went to his top songs and didn't recognize any of them except for California Love.
I liked it more than the Ghostface Killah album I had yesterday. It seems like a cautionary tale more than a boast.
Coldplay
5/5
Ahh... the perfect Radiohead album.
Seriously, this has banger after banger.
The Smiths
2/5
This one sucked. I can get why there are a few Smiths or Morrissey albums in the list, but this one has redeeming qualities, jams, bangers, or mashes. Just recycled garbage from decades prior.
Beatles
5/5
I’m starting to think these Beatles guys were good.
Peter Frampton
4/5
Adult rock, but it slaps.
Roxy Music
1/5
Well, I hated this. He wants to be David Byrne but fails miserably. And I don't like David Byrne that much either. It's aimless and odd.
The Icarus Line
1/5
Music to listen to while you feed your snake.
This was pretty bad. They want to be Marylin Manson but are closer to Oasis. Every instrument is routed through a bullhorn.
TV On The Radio
2/5
I honestly can’t tell the difference between these guys and the xx. It’s pretty obnoxious music.
Carole King
5/5
Amazing. She belongs with the greats.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Not bad. I’ve consistently maintained that these guys want to be cooler than they want to make good music.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Amazing. No notes.
Emmylou Harris
2/5
She kind of fell from grace. Once amazing, but now this is a slog to get through. A good ol’ country slog.
Crowded House
3/5
This isn’t as bad as I was expecting. It starts off as a talking heads clone but turns into its own thing.
3/5
Holy shit the British is turned up to 11 in this album. It's hard to take, honestly. I liked when they leaned more into the weird, alternative styles.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
This one doesn't fall in the bin of "mention the book in the blurb so it probably sucks"
I like it. It's pretty late big band swing. A little anachronistic, but I was around in the 50s to know.
Thin Lizzy
3/5
I think I expected more from this. It’s a good addition, but not the best.
New Order
2/5
Ugh it’s fine. His voice gets really obnoxious as the album goes on. The Casio sounds are really dated, too.
The Specials
3/5
Ok, I can get behind a little early ska. It’s fun and somewhat original.
The Everly Brothers
3/5
This was fine. A little campy. I hate Cathy’s Clown though. It's annoying.
Hot Chip
3/5
This was fine. Pretty lackluster from what I expected. I wanted a little more The Knife or Daft Punk.
Björk
1/5
Oh good. ASMR Björk. Just what the world needed.
10cc
4/5
This is actually really cool. Completely different than their popular song, though.
Os Mutantes
4/5
This is odd. Not bad, not great. It’s like psychedelic glam with sprinkles of Zappa.
Prince
5/5
I love this. He somehow falls smack dab in the middle of David Bowie and Michael Jackson for me.
It’s too short though.
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
This drones on and on. I get what they’re doing and I don’t dislike it but grunge made this way more tolerable.
Chicago
4/5
This took me awhile to get through, but it’s awesome. Not sure what it would take to get to 5 stars.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
This was pretty awful except for Killing Moon. Droney and kind of a Smiths clone.
Paul Weller
3/5
This was fine. Steve Winwood-esque. He’s talented but can’t get over the edge of boring.
I don’t like the way his acoustic guitar is mic’d. It’s more strummy than anything else.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
Sad 80s alternative. Meh.
Sebadoh
2/5
I can see how this toes the line of grunge, but it just comes across as more postpunk than anything else to me and that’s not my favorite genre. I can tell how it would be influential to a lot of of those grunge bands from the 90s, but this is just annoying.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
3/5
It’s pretty German. I like the music but the singer ruins it.
This is kind of the grandparent to M83.
Elvis Costello
3/5
This was actually pretty good. The vanilla ice cream of rock and roll. It mostly all sounds the same. It’s not bad but not spectacular
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
This was cool. A bit dated. Good jams, good rhymes.
Donald Fagen
2/5
These songs all sound the same. Technically good, but meh.
Roni Size
3/5
It’s cool that they’re using real instruments. This is speed jazz more than electronic.
Randy Newman
2/5
There are only two decent songs from Randy Newman and neither are on this album.
The Residents
1/5
Nope nope nope.
You can tell what this is within 2 seconds of it starting. Shitty Halloween music.
Q-Tip
3/5
This is fine. Generic hip hop. I didn’t know it was the guy from a tribe called quest but it makes sense now.
Tito Puente
3/5
Oh cool another album to play on white people taco nights.
Rod Stewart
4/5
My favorite gremlin singer.
Miles Davis
3/5
Now That’s What I Call Jazz
Talking Heads
2/5
It’s hard to imagine this coexisting with Saturday Night Fever. Like, who walked into a record store and had to have this? Who is it for?
These all sound the same. Psycho Killer is cool, but it's all the same otherwise.
Derek & The Dominos
4/5
I hate Eric Clapton, but I love this. He's a horrible human, but dammit he makes a guitar sing.
Dizzee Rascal
2/5
Yeah, I can't deal with this. Shitty hip-hop with bad beats and incoherent lyrics that are over the top british.
Pink Floyd
3/5
Likely a spicy take, but Syd wasn’t doing them any favors. This was rough to get through. It got REALLY British at times.
Paul Simon
2/5
It’s typical solo Paul Simon. Boring and a bit uninspired.
Willie Nelson
4/5
An intro to country. He’s got so much emotion to his voice and transfers that into his guitar, too. Really pleasant and I’ll come back for sure.
Cowboy Junkies
3/5
This isn’t what a band called Cowboy Junkies should sound like. I expected some of electronic 80s bops, maybe even a thrash punk album. This is a slogfest. They even said that they couldn’t be loud when recording this otherwise the neighbors would complain.
Girls Against Boys
2/5
Mom, can we have Queens of the Stone Age?
No, we have Queens of the Stone Age at home.
Queens of the Stone Age at home: this.
Nah, this is too broody. The want to be NiN but can’t get over that hump of shit.
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Yep, this is hip hop. Nothing revolutionary, but I guess you had to be there for it to have an effect.
The The
3/5
Generic 80s drivel. I’ve heard worse.
Jacques Brel
3/5
This was fine. Better than Scott Walker. It sounds like it would be a lot more enjoyable if I spoke French.
Beck
4/5
Such a great rainy day album. I queue this up with Portishead and sulk all day.
JAY Z
3/5
Wait, is he Jay-HOVA as in Jehovah? I didn’t catch that until today. There’s just so much context to this I don’t have. What happened with Nas?
Britney Spears
3/5
The first two tracks are decent. The rest falls into a 90s pit devoid of originality. She's a good singer, but they hide her behind some shitty tracks. I'd love to hear her do some covers or reimagnings of other songs. This is pretty bad. E-Mail my heart was especially awful based on the title alone.
Korn
2/5
Ugh this is one of those situations where I liked this because of those around me. Jonathan Davis cannot sing. This is more of a trauma dump over anything else.
They're very much nu-metal wall of sound. I don't know how they de-tuned their basses so much that they do that slap slap noise they do. It's more of a percussion instrument than stringed.
3/5
Ooof... She's talented vocally but what a sad sack.