My 1001 Albums Journey

Album	You	Global	Diff
GI	5	2.54	+2.46
Welcome to the Afterfuture	5	2.56	+2.44
Duck Rock	5	2.65	+2.35
Space Ritual	5	2.68	+2.32
m b v	5	2.72	+2.28
Lam Toro	5	2.72	+2.28
Alien Lanes	5	2.75	+2.25
Beyond Skin	5	2.77	+2.23
Strange Cargo III	5	2.77	+2.23
Djam Leelii	5	2.79	+2.21

Album	You	Global	Diff
The Joshua Tree	1	3.67	-2.67
Frank	1	3.45	-2.45
The College Dropout	1	3.31	-2.31
Mama's Gun	1	3.25	-2.25
OK Computer	2	4.1	-2.1
All That You Can't Leave Behind	1	2.98	-1.98
The Dreaming	1	2.96	-1.96
Blood And Chocolate	1	2.92	-1.92
A Short Album About Love	1	2.77	-1.77
Yeezus	1	2.77	-1.77

Artist	Albums	Average
David Bowie	9	4.89
Beatles	7	5
Miles Davis	4	5
Talking Heads	4	5
Led Zeppelin	5	4.6
Tom Waits	5	4.6
Pink Floyd	4	4.75
Bob Marley & The Wailers	3	5
Queen	3	5
The White Stripes	3	5
Brian Eno	5	4.4
Stevie Wonder	4	4.5
Beastie Boys	3	4.67
The Stooges	3	4.67
Creedence Clearwater Revival	3	4.67
Kraftwerk	3	4.67
Simon & Garfunkel	3	4.67
The Flaming Lips	2	5
Stan Getz	2	5
Rush	2	5
Fela Kuti	2	5
Willie Nelson	2	5
Aretha Franklin	2	5
The Pogues	2	5
Air	2	5
Iron Maiden	2	5
Baaba Maal	2	5
LCD Soundsystem	2	5
Dolly Parton	2	5
The Temptations	2	5
M.I.A.	2	5
R.E.M.	4	4.25
Björk	4	4.25
The Doors	3	4.33
Black Sabbath	3	4.33
Neil Young & Crazy Horse	3	4.33
Nirvana	3	4.33
Paul Simon	3	4.33
Michael Jackson	3	4.33
Johnny Cash	3	4.33
Arcade Fire	3	4.33

Artist	Albums	Average
Kanye West	3	1.33
U2	4	1.75
Pere Ubu	2	1.5
Roxy Music	3	2

Artist	Ratings
The Divine Comedy	1, 4
Amy Winehouse	1, 4
Fairport Convention	5, 2
Kate Bush	4, 2, 1
Blur	5, 2, 3

David Bowie

5/5

One of my all time favorites! I discovered Bowie in like 8th grade with Ziggy Stardust. I think I first heard Aladdin in college. Watch That Man - A driving rock opener. Simple, but gets your grooving. Shades of Rebel Rebel Aladdin Sane - Just perfection. Bowie essentially has a seizure on a piano during what is ostensibly a pop rock album. Love the screaming squeaky sax and the bass line that just repeats forever. Drive In Saturday - Bowie does Motown. This feels like it would be appropriate at a high school type dance or in a movie about a high school type dance. Sax areas the show again. Panic in Detroit - I’ll never forgive him for pronouncing Detroit wrong. But he does good guitars and bass so it’s okay. Cracked Actor - This song is filthy. Five stars. Time - Second best track. Haunting. Carnivals! Fun! Imagine what it would look like for time to “fall wanking to the floor”. It’s important to remember that Dave was surviving on a diet of milk, bell peppers, and cocaine at this time. The Prettiest Star - the only forgettable track I think. Nice. Doo-wop vibe. Let’s Spend the Night Together - The crazy piano comes back! A driving desperation throughout. Jean Genie - Bluesy as heck. Harmonica and all. I don’t know what a jean genie is but maybe you meet one after you’ve had enough milk and cocaine. Lady Grinning Soul - The piano on this and Bowie’s vocals are breathtaking. Tender and sad. Most underrated track. John I’m Only Dancing - Dumb and Fun. I like both versions, but this one is better because of the sax. All the Young Dudes - I know he wrote this for Mott the Hoople, but it’s always been Bowie’s song. This version is so much better than theirs.

Madman Across The Water

Elton John

4/5

Unlike yesterday with Aladdin Sane, there were quite a few tracks on this album that I had never heard before. What an incredibly sad album! I read this entire project as a rumination on finding beauty and dignity within tragedy. I enjoy the instrumentation throughout, and can't help but feel like E.L.O. attempted to steal a lot of this sound. Tiny Dancer - The biggest 'hit' from the album, and the one I had heard the most before. Still catchy and fun to sing along with. Maybe the worst song on the album? This song is about unrequited love and holding a torch for someone long gone. SAD SONG. Levon - I had heard this one before too. I like the string riff throughout. A song about a man whose parents thought he was destined for greatness, but then he becomes a miserly balloon seller and his son hates him. A SAD SONG. Razor Face - A song about losing your former greatness. We assume that at one point Razor Face was a tough customer, but now he needs someone to help him walk. A SAD SONG. Madman Across the Water - A song about insanity. A SAD SONG. Indian Sunset - My favorite track on the album. A bit problematic today, as it uses reductive imagery of Native Americans as seen by a white british man. But also it's a sympathetic view of the American genocide of the Native American. A SAD SONG. Holiday Inn - I'm a sucker for mandolin anywhere. Second favorite track. A track about the malaise and boredom of being an under-appreciated backup musician on the road. A SAD SONG. Rotten Peaches - A song about the prison industrial complex and losing optimism. A SAD SONG. All the Nasties - A rather prescient song about people who nitpick and criticize. The critics are calloused without actually knowing anything about the person they judge. I love the choir. A SAD SONG. Goodbye - A song about feeling worthless, and giving all your energy to others. A SAD SONG. I really enjoyed this, but if I have staked Aladdin Sane as a 5 star album, then this by rights cannot be higher than 4. I may give it a 3 just to give myself room for future albums.

Berlin

Lou Reed

4/5

This one is completely and utterly new to me. Have not heard a single Lou Reed song. I don't even think I've actually heard a Velvet Underground song. This is probably the most "difficult" album so far (after 3 days). Some atonal melodies, some depressing subject matter. I, for one, love when a band or an artist is fronted by someone who kind of can't sing. Reed's vocals are the highlight here for me. I can hear how he influenced Bowie, and a handful of other artists. I can even hear a bit of Waters-era Pink Floyd in this. You can also see this being an early form of a rock opera or concept album. I can also hear how Reed influenced a lot of the punk scene. These songs maybe don't 'sound' like punk, but the lyrics are filled with anger, rage, shame, and malaise. I don't think Reed was in a good place when he produced this. The Caroline tracks really stand out to me, as does Oh, Jim and also The Bed. Interesting to end the album with Sad Song, probably the least sad song on the album, and the most heavily produced. I'll have to sit with this a while, but I could see myself coming back to it.

Kid A

Radiohead

4/5

My experience so far with Radiohead includes "Creep", and the entire album of "The Bends". I love both; have been meaning to get around to more of their stuff. Here we are! I did not care for the first track very much. Thom York's vocals, especially in later Radiohead, are very grating on my ears. I wasn't sure if I was going to dig this album much based on the first song. But the rest of the album is great! I listened in the car, so I honestly couldn't tell you much about each track individually, but the construct as a whole is excellent. Really good "jam" material. Certainly not much to tap your toes to, or sing along with. I cannot even begin to imagine what a Radiohead concert is like. But I could see myself revisiting this often. I think it would be good "working" music. It also reminded me a bit of I am Robot and Proud, which is a favorite artist of mine. I wonder if he was inspired by Kid A.

Astral Weeks

Van Morrison

2/5

I always confuse Jim Morrison and Van Morrison and Morrissey. Van Morrison is the Brown Eyed Girl guy... and the guy who did this. Astral Weeks - Sort of light fluffy folksy stuff here. Inoffensive. If not for the length, I could hear this being played at a diner. Beside You - A bit more jazzy. A bit more dissonant. A bit better! Sweet Thing - I feel like all three of these tracks so far are kind of like the folksy acoustic songs that Zeppelin did, but that Zeppelin did them better. Cyprus Avenue - Okay this album is just the music that all the boomers lost their virginity to, isn't it? The Way Young Lovers Do - I feel like Quentin Tarantino likes this one. Jazzy and brassy. So far this is the best song to me. Madame George - Okay this is the best song on the album. Indelibly sad. Possibly about a transvestite. This was worth the price of admission. Ballerina - Fine. Slim Slow Slider - The only track that's not really over produced. Sad, slow. Great! I don't think I liked this one very much. Sorry, Ivan.

Hounds Of Love

Kate Bush

4/5

That album cover is hilarious. Don't know anything about Kate or her Bush. Let's listen! Running Up That Hill - Oh, this is SOOOO 80s. I kind of love it so far. Hounds of Love - Another fun one. Reminds me of Heart. Big Sky - This one gets a bit wild. Frenetic energy. Mother Stands for Comfort - The first bust for me. Slow, plodding. Not great. Cloudbursting - Fun instrumentation. And Dream of Sheep/Under Ice - These kind of ran together for me. Fine Waking the Witch - HOLY SHIT. This one is nuts. Techno/Vaporwave style with all kinds of sound bytes. Watching You Without Me - Backward singing and ocean sound effects. Some vaguely bollywood sounding beats/lyrics. Jig of Life - I can't not love a bodhrán. This entire second side of the album is *WILD* Hello Earth - More chanting. This has kind of a Lord of the Rings feeling to it. The Morning Fog - A mellow end. This has been the greatest undiscovered treat of the project so far!

Disintegration

The Cure

3/5

I love the cure, but this album was just fine. Great melodies. I like the longer tracks allowing the band to just vibe and jam for a while. I miss the punchy drums and lyrics. Boys Don't Cry over Disintegration any day.

Felt Mountain

Goldfrapp

4/5

Never heard of this band, this album, or none of this. I LOVED IT! Kind of a trance techno jazzy tango thing. Super retro futurism of the early 2000s. I liked a lot of the remixes on the extended album. This is going into my rotation STAT.

Everything Must Go

Manic Street Preachers

3/5

Tom said it best when he called this "Generic 90s rock". That sounds like a slam, but this was highly enjoyable. Sometimes you need generic 90s rock! I really liked a lot of the acoustic sets and remixes at the end. The album really helped me get through my workday today. But let's be real, this isn't getting anything higher than 3 stars.

Dire Straits

5/5

Wow. Silky smooth riffs and bitchin' solos abound. Can't believe this is a debut album. I think In The Gallery may be the weakest effort here, but every other track is gold. Sexy, groovy mix of sparse rock and roll mixed with country, folk, and blues. My knowledge of Dire Straits was Money for Nothing. This is at least 500x better than that.

Armed Forces

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

3/5

I like a lot of EC's hits, but all of EC's music sounds identical to me. It's good, peppy, 60s style rock with a more modern sound. But it's so generic. I want to like it more than I do. Also, pretty sure Elvis drops the N bomb on one of these songs. That ain't great!

Made In Japan

Deep Purple

4/5

First live album of the project, and what a way to start! Smoke on the Water was my only knowledge of DP. Come to find out I also knew High Way Star. Another cracker. The rest of the tracks are less memorable, but it was a lot of fun hearing them try to banter for their Japanese audience. And the solos! Solos for days. That drummer ain’t no John Bonham but the guitar solos were great. Glad I found this one.

Juju

Siouxsie And The Banshees

3/5

The most surprising thing about this album is how early into the 80s it is. This band feels like the blueprint for 80s girl bands for the rest of the decade. Good stuff.

The Sensual World

Kate Bush

2/5

Okay, I really liked Hounds of Love, but this album is not *nearly* as enjoyable. Two albums deep into the Bush, I think I can safely say that I love Kate when she's being WEIRD, and that I cannot stand her when she is playing by the numbers. I think about 80% of this album is by the numbers. The standout exceptions are The Fog and Deeper Understanding. The Fog features some frantic rhythms and fun soundbites. Deeper Understanding is WEIRD and FUN. I love the story of Kate falling in love with a computer. Extremely prescient for 1989. Probably won't ever listen to this again until I literally die

The Joshua Tree

U2

1/5

I think this is the worst thing I've listened to yet. I tried. Honest. It was really a struggle to power through this. Every song was exactly the same. At its best, I found some of these songs to be somewhere between "Gen X Easy Listening" and "Songs to hear when you're in the dental chair". If you found a Gen Z kid who had never heard U2 and then played this album for them while saying "These guys sell out stadiums", they straight up wouldn't believe you

Bitches Brew

Miles Davis

5/5

Thank god. Finally something truly excellent. This is not my favorite Miles album. That would be Sketches of Spain. But compared to the rest of the albums we’ve covered on this list, this is an easy five stars. Every track is a groovy odyssey.

To Pimp A Butterfly

Kendrick Lamar

5/5

I think I just listened to art. Only album in this list so far I’ve listened to twice in a row

Fever Ray

4/5

This kind of stuff is extremely my shit. If late Tegan and Sara were Swedish and had a drum machine. I’m down to clown.

School's Out

Alice Cooper

4/5

This album gets "most surprising" of the list so far. The titular track is great and fun, but also I've heard it 10,000 times. Track 2 and 3 were... not great. I was like "Okay, this is middle school boy music", which is fine, but I ain't in middle school anymore. Then we get the rest of the album! There's jazz, there's show tunes, there is a big fan finale. So much depth for a hard rock album. Most improved.

Sunshine Superman

Donovan

2/5

Guy who hangs out with The Beatles makes an album that sounds a lot like The Beatles. Cool. Season of the Witch is fun. I mean, I guess it's all fun. It just sounds like a copycat who is slightly less competent. It's the Hydrox cookies of The Beatles Oreos.

The Sun Rises In The East

Jeru The Damaja

4/5

Sounds like Jay Z's granddad. I love the historicity of this album, but I also really dig the album itself. Jeru has great flow, good beats, and some truthful rhymes. This will definitely stay in my rotation for a while.

Disraeli Gears

Cream

3/5

Good rock. Plain and simple

She's So Unusual

Cyndi Lauper

2/5

Thought I was not going to like this. Come to find out I like it just fine. Cyndi is a fun bubblegum/synthpop lady. Watched some of her music videos and she does this weird thing where her lips go a bit too high on her face. Girls Wanna Have Fun still sucks, but the other tracks are pretty good. Have a soft spot for "Time After Time", and I really dig "Money Changes Everything". The others were just okay.

The Last Broadcast

Doves

3/5

This album sounds like just about everything that XFM was playing in 2002 (You're an idiot, play a record!). Peppy Brit Pop. This also sounds a lot like early Coldplay. You could probably toss a coin in 100 realities and find that in 50 of them Coldplay became the huge megaband and in 50 of them Doves became the megaband. Kind of generic. A solid 3 across the album. I wouldn't turn it off, but none of the tracks have a particular hook.

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan

4/5

Always knew Dylan was the protest song guy, but never knew how ANGRY he could get. Love it. Screw the fat cats!

The Genius Of Ray Charles

Ray Charles

4/5

Good old Ray. I’d heard some of these before. Others are new. I like how the album was arranged, A side having different instrumentation from the B side. Great listening for a Sunday morning

Strangeways, Here We Come

The Smiths

4/5

All these songs are catchy as heck. I don't know much about The Smiths, but I like this. I'm always down for catchy melodies with sad or strange lyrics. This album cover could have used some workshopping, though. Come on!

Country Life

Roxy Music

2/5

This did not really speak to me in any way. It was fine from beginning to end. I know Brian Ferry and David Bowie get compared a lot, and I just don't hear it.

Tragic Songs of Life

The Louvin Brothers

3/5

This album cover looks like a horror movie poster. I really enjoyed this album. Through no fault of its own, I had a hard time concentrating on it. I mostly associate this kind of music with background music on television and in films. It was lovely to listen to while I worked yesterday, yet I couldn’t tell you anything about any of the songs. One of these brothers sings like a lady though. He harmonized at a very high pitch. Maybe 3 stars isn’t fair, but I have a hard time giving it more.

Bat Out Of Hell

Meat Loaf

5/5

Why have I not been listening to Meat Loaf my whole freaking life? These songs have been stuck in my head all day. Rock operas are cliche now but I think this is the pinnacle of that achievement. One reviewer once said that this was "Grand Guignol pop", and that is also appropriate.

Licensed To Ill

Beastie Boys

4/5

Crazy to think that, in the 1980s, the only way you could get white people to listen to rap was to fill it with Led Zeppelin samples and have the flow come out of the mouths of upper middle class white boys from Long Island. I love the Beastie Boys, especially their hits, but you have to admit that they seem more of a cultural oddity the further away we get from the 20th century. Highlights on the album include the infectious "Girls", the 1-2 punch of "Fight For Your Right" and "No Sleep Til Brooklyn", and the goofy horn riff of "Brass Monkey". "Sabotage" aside, I don't think the Beastie Boys ever got better than this. Well, maybe Hello Nasty is better.

Live At The Star Club, Hamburg

Jerry Lee Lewis

3/5

I know nothing about Jerry Lee Lewis but it seems like he got famous playing other people's songs. He sure likes doing that cat growl thing, eh? Great Balls of Fire is fun though.

Bandwagonesque

Teenage Fanclub

3/5

Dunno anything about these guys! The Concept - A nice, mellow song. Sad lyrics. Kind of rides the line between early pop punk, emo, and grunge Satan - Accurate! A mental breakdown December - Another kind of emo love song. What You Do To Me - Beach Boys with more fuzz. I Don't Know - This is kind of an easy listening track. All of these songs have nice melodies. Star Sign - Another touchpoint for me is Rooney. These guys sound like Rooney. Metal Baby - Pure Beatles on this one. Same melody, harmonies. This could be a Beatles song. Pet Rock - Kind of a jam session continuation of the above. Sidewinder - Back to Beach Boys again. This album started out being a downer, but the entire back half is peppy pop songs with the effects pedal turned up. Alcoholiday - Great title. Do I detect some melancholy returning? Guiding Star - Back in full melancholy, even though the melodies are still lilting. The fuzz just keeps increasing! Is This Music? - Good question. I'd say so! Favorite melody on the album, even though it gets a bit close to the U2 department. Overall, this is a fine album. I'm not sure if it belongs on the list of 1000 greatest ever, but I didn't hate it. Pet Rock

Murmur

R.E.M.

4/5

Right out of the gate this album is more fun and more well-crafted than yesterday's. It's worth noting since both are debut albums! REM has already solidified much about what makes their sound unique by the time they got into the studio the first time. I dig R.E.M.'s vibe at all times. Even though none of the songs on this album became hits, it's still nice to listen to. This probably doesn't deserve a 4, but I've got to give it higher than Teenage Fanclub.

Marquee Moon

Television

4/5

First heard about these guys from the "No Dogs in Space" podcast. Really great album, and you can hear the proto-punk "attitude" really seeping out in every track. This is almost exactly halfway between rock and punk. The standout track is the lovely 10 minute Marquee Moon. I listened to a few different versions, and they're all transcendent.

Bubble And Scrape

Sebadoh

2/5

That album cover is definitely a butthole. Some of these melodies were enjoyable. Let Tomorrow Bee is a standout. Otherwise I found a lot of this to be mildly unpleasant. I think if you're in the right mood you could love this album.

Morrison Hotel

The Doors

4/5

First real listen to The Doors outside of House of the Rising Sun. I love their dirty, raw, bluesy rock. I get why they got so famous! I enjoyed the raw outtakes at the end of the 40th anniversary version of this album. The Frog song stood out the most to me, and I think Side A is stronger overall than Side B.

I Should Coco

Supergrass

4/5

I was ready to really hate this based just on the album cover. Seemed like it was going to be real miserable. Guess what? It's a ton of fun! They have serious Fratellis energy.

Scott 4

Scott Walker

3/5

This album really comes and goes. It's barely half an hour long! Scott is a good singer. His voice is ethereal and deep; not the kind of voice you hear too often on a pop album. This was nice to listen to, but I'm done now, thanks.

Endtroducing.....

DJ Shadow

5/5

No idea about anything about this. Let's dive in. Best Foot Forward - Classic 90s rap intro. Not really music. Building Steam with a Grain of Salt - Lovely little piano line leads into a great hook. Quotes from a guy who MIGHT be JK Simmons? This track evolves into something that sounds a lot like Blockhead The Number Song - This reminds me of a Guitar Hero spinoff game called DJ Hero. Shadow has a great knack for mixing other people's melodies, drum beats, and samples. You could draw a direct line from DJ Shadow in the mid-90s to Girl Talk in the mid-2000s. Peppy with a lot of hard kicking drums. Changeling - A rainy, dreary, ethereal piece. Eventually a melody comes in that can only be described as Cyperpunk Weather Channel. What Does Your Soul Look Like (Part 4) - Jazzy AF with a nasty little bass riff. Untitled - I have to imagine that this is the stinger at the end of Side 1 on the LP (and the cassette). Just a goofy little 20 second thing. Stem/Long Stem - A long medley of melodies Mutual Slump - This one didn't make a huge impression on me Organ Donor - I think this hook was LITERALLY used by Blockhead! Why Hip Hop Sucks in '96 - Frankly, I don't think it does! Midnight in a Perfect World - This one also failed to make much of an impression on me. Napalm Brain/Scatter Brain - Chill vibes What Does Your Soul Look Like (Part 1 – Blue Sky Revisit) - Maybe the best track on the album? Overall this is excellent. You can hear the artists that influenced Shadow, as well as the artists he influenced. Excellent. Excellent. Excellent!

Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots

The Flaming Lips

5/5

Yesssssss.... This is hands down one of my all-time favorites. A kitschy, fuzzy, psychedelic odyssey in the form of a sci-fi anime rock opera. Every song is cinematic, melodious, and fun. Covering topics like sentient robots and vitamin-eating Japanese schoolgirls.

Technique

New Order

4/5

Wow. Another shocker for me. I was *vaguely* familiar with New Order, but I thought they were some sort of generic 80s/90s hard rock group. This album cover is also not great. Combined, I thought I was in for a bad time. This was excellent! I don't listen to a ton of "Dance Rock", but maybe I should. I loved the rhythms, melodies, and vocals. This album at once sounded quintessentially 80s while also sounding like something completely new. Gotta add New Order to my rotation.

Heaven Or Las Vegas

Cocteau Twins

2/5

This is like if some aliens sang 80s songs in an alien language. It's kind of magical, but I don't know that I ever need to hear it again.

Automatic For The People

R.E.M.

5/5

The second repeat! Much more welcome than Kate Bush. Going from R.E.M.'s debut to their 8th album is a huge jump. The band is more confident, more powerul, and more in the groove. This album has a bunch of hits on it, and the non-hit tracks still slap. Very, very enjoyable. Hung out for a while listening to live cuts and demos. I'm not sure if this deserves a straight 5, but it's miles ahead of Murmer, which I gave a 4.

Can't Buy A Thrill

Steely Dan

3/5

www.dadrock.com Are you a dad? Do you know a dad? Then you'll have heard all these songs before and probably have jammed out to them while working on your car or driving your boat around or something.

Tonight's The Night

Neil Young

2/5

I like Neil Young. Before this album, I had often asked myself “is there such a thing as too much Neil Young?” I learned today the answer is yes. This has some nice tracks but the whole thing just along at such a middling tempo that Young’s whiny vocals really grate by the end.

Live 1966 (The Royal Albert Hall Concert)

Bob Dylan

3/5

Another Bob Dylan, this time live. Disc 2 is way more energetic with the full band than disc 1. I found this album to be somewhat less enjoyable than the last Dylan we did. He seems to be kind of phoning it in on his performance, something Dylan is rather famous for. His songs here also lack a certain amount of anger, which I really enjoyed on Freewheelin'. Not a bad listen, but nothing life changing.

Exodus

Bob Marley & The Wailers

5/5

I mean, can this get anything short of 5 stars? Marley is transcendent, and this album is no exception. This album gets 5 stars off of Jamming alone, and that's before you get to 3 Little Birds. I listened to it straight through and then just listened to Marley all day.

Club Classics Vol. One

Soul II Soul

2/5

What on earth is this...! Keep On Movin' - Strong Opener. Fun beats and feel Fairplay - Wow this is the most annoying vocals I've ever heard on a track ever. Sorry, Rose Windross Holdin' On - This track has awful vocals too, but ends strong. Feeling Free - This is my shit. Great beat, fun raps. African Dance - Excellent. Jazzy Flute Dance - Also excellent. Feel Free - Oh okay here we go back to horrible shit. This lady is making my ears bleed. Happiness - Chill groove Back to Life - This one I've actually heard before. Great. Jazzie's Groove - Maybe my favorite one. So great. Makes London seem cool, and that's saying something. Ambition (Rap) - This album is at its best when people are rapping instead of singing. All the remixes on the 10th anniversary bonus content are also great. Many are better than on the original album itself. There's too much that I find grating her, so I cannot in good faith give it a high rating, but the good tracks are gold.

Dance Mania

Tito Puente

4/5

Much like Jazz, I love "Latin Music" and Cha-cha-chá, but I have a hard time differentiating it. This entire album is straight fire, but I could not really separate which tracks I like and which ones I don't like. I would buy this cd, put it in my car, and just have it play forever whenever I'm going to or from the grocery store.

Make Yourself

Incubus

3/5

Mildly ashamed by how much I liked this.

Like Water For Chocolate

Common

3/5

A lot of this album comes from a place of pain, but it is a thing of beauty. Not as good as Pimp a Butterfly, but still quite remarkable. I, weirdly, mostly know Common as an actor. To hear him in his original environment is a real treat. Not sure that this is my favorite thing ever, but I'm curious to check out the rest of his work.

Superfuzz Bigmuff

Mudhoney

2/5

These guys are like the precurser to Nirvana, and they were fine. Nirvana is a bit better in my opinion. The grunge sound is here, but none of the songs stand out with a memorable set of lyrics or melody line.

Beyond Skin

Nitin Sawhney

5/5

Transcendent. Jazzy, cinematic. Excellent. The first track isn't really my cup of tea, but then it takes off from there.

Jazz Samba

Stan Getz

5/5

Is it possible for Jon to give a Jazz album fewer than 5 stars? Yes. Is it possible for Jon to give a Samba album fewer than five stars? Yes. Is it possible for Jon to give a BOSSA NOVA album fewer than five stars? No.

Crooked Rain Crooked Rain

Pavement

3/5

Generic early 90s rock. Has a bit of a Weezer edge to them, but I think early Weezer was better. Nothing too memorable or catchy here. I sort of liked Cut Your Hair.

Appetite For Destruction

Guns N' Roses

4/5

This is a tough one to rate. On the one hand, it is insanity to think that a debut album could contain this many hits. It is up there with Boston's debut in that regard. I feel that it almost deserves 5 stars simply for that. On the other hand, I am so sick of these songs. You cannot turn on a radio station without hearing at least one of these songs once a day. 40 years later and we are still absolutely inundated with Sweet Child O Mine. I can't see myself listening to the entire album on purpose again, so I cannot give it 5.

Space Ritual

Hawkwind

5/5

This is a perfect jam album. Just have this on all day. Driving, playing Risk, whatever. Just have it on. 5 stars. 6 stars if you're smokin and jokin

Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim

Frank Sinatra

4/5

This is lovemaking music, pure and simple. Frank and Antonio go well together. I think I prefer Stan Getz and his version of The Girl From Ipanema a bit more. But this is still great.

Tical

Method Man

2/5

Not really for me. I think I prefer west coast 90s rap.

All Mod Cons

The Jam

4/5

Wow this was good and fun. I couldn’t define Mod, but this is that. I like it.

Hard Again

Muddy Waters

4/5

Muddy is so hard, and he wants you to know it.

Songs Of Love And Hate

Leonard Cohen

2/5

A sleepy Leonard moans his way through 9 dirges

The Holy Bible

Manic Street Preachers

2/5

Another fine generic album by the preachers. Why do these guys have TWO albums on this list???

Butterfly

Mariah Carey

2/5

Not unpleasant, and I can see how R&B fans would like this, but it's not for me. Every track sounds exactly the same. Mariah doesn't really sing songs so much as just moan scales.

Ramones

4/5

Pretty funny to think of how explosive, controversial, and offensive this was when it came out. Just a coupla boys having fun, sniffing glue, etc. This who album is hit after hit after hit. I'm constantly impressed by bands doing in their debut albums what it takes many other bands decades to achieve.

White Ladder

David Gray

4/5

This is a great album. Smooth, chill, and yet soulful. You can hear the origin story of artists from James Blunt to Ed Sheeran, but David is not nearly as smarmy or annoying as James or Ed. You can also hear why Dave Matthews liked it too.

Crosby, Stills & Nash

4/5

Some smooth-ass sounds. A great ride! Dad jams 2021

On The Beach

Neil Young

4/5

This is the best Neil Young album so far on the list. I really enjoyed it! Its biggest problem is how short it is. Put your shoes back on, Neil.

Sheet Music

10cc

4/5

Like Tally Hall did an album in 1974. Goofy, but melodious. These guys are just having a laugh. The highlights are Hotel and The Worst Band in the World

Life Thru A Lens

Robbie Williams

3/5

I don't mind Britpop, and Robbie Williams is the classic example of it, but I also didn't grow up with it. Totally fine; don't need to listen again, not mad about it, wouldn't turn it off. Just fine.

461 Ocean Boulevard

Eric Clapton

3/5

Eric Klepto-man is at it again. Motherless Children - What a joyful memory about dead moms! Give Me Strength - Mellow and Bluesy Willie and the Hand Jive - I think I hate this. But, to be fair, I have always found the phrase "hand jive" inexplicably gross. Get Ready - A nice bluesy rocker I Shot the Sheriff - The Bob Marley version is so much more superior in every way. This version is over produced, and the poor attempt at reggae seems vaguely racist in 2021. I Can't Hold Out - Great blues track, but not as Hard as Muddy Waters is. Please Be With Me - Maybe my favorite track. Fun and peppy Let It Grow - What if Stairway to Heaven but shorter and more boring? Steady Rolling Man - Another winner Mainline Florida - As a mainline Floridian, this is wonderful. All together, this album is FINE. Probably better than Robbie Williams, but it doesn't feel like it *deserves* 4 stars.

Black Sabbath

4/5

Like Cream, but way better!

Led Zeppelin III

Led Zeppelin

5/5

I've been a fan of this album for, I shit you not, 20 years. East 5 stars for me. Celebration Day is the weakest song on the album, and that's saying something. Don't tell Stairway, but Tangerine is the best thing that Led Zeppelin ever did. DONT @ ME

Come Find Yourself

Fun Lovin' Criminals

4/5

What a fun album! Kind of borderline "Gangstagrass" on the first track. Mixing hip hop with numerous styles, this album is just silly, while also being cool.

The Modern Lovers

4/5

An amazing cross between Doors-style rock and proto-punk

Remain In Light

Talking Heads

5/5

One of my favorite bands of the last decade (for me, not them. They haven't been together in a while). This album is not my favorite Talking Heads album. It's pretty middle of the road for me. However, I gave Modern Lovers and Fun Loving Criminals 4 stars, and Remain in Light is WAY better than either of those. Once in a Lifetime is a song that gets better and hits harder every single time I hear it. That track alone also makes this a 5 star album. But Born Under Punches, Crosseyed and Painless, and Fela's Riff are also all top notch

Rattus Norvegicus

The Stranglers

4/5

These guys are fun. I like these songs. They are silly, angry, rude, and catchy. 5 stars.

Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde

The Pharcyde

3/5

This is classic "I went to the hat store and bought myself a hat!"-style 90's rap, but it's FILTHY. Overall it's a lot of fun, but it runs a little long in the tooth.

The Village Green Preservation Society

The Kinks

4/5

I've always really liked The Kinks. They remind me of a more-socially-conscious Beatles. A lot of their songs are timeless, and their lyrics are so great. That being said, I've always thought Lola was the better album.

The Contino Sessions

Death In Vegas

4/5

Wow. I knew nothing about these guys or the music they did. This was GREAT. Not the kind of thing I'd go to a concert for, or listen to in the car, or at a party. But excellent "Get work done" music. Dirge and Death Threat are big favorites

Electric Music For The Mind And Body

Country Joe & The Fish

3/5

Who could forget the time that LBJ fought the Fantastic 4 and Doctor Strange? This album is on DRUGS

Talking Book

Stevie Wonder

4/5

This album is liquid sexuality. Every other song a hit, and the ones that aren't hits should have been. Big Brother is a standout favorite.

Chelsea Girl

Nico

3/5

This was going to be 2 stars, but I recognized that some of these songs have been in Wes Anderson movies. Giving them some context, and associating them with a time and place really allowed me to appreciate these songs more. They are certainly 'of an era'. They're the kind of thing you'd put on when someone broke up with you, or if you were having a very specifically-themed party.

Little Earthquakes

Tori Amos

3/5

This is a fun little album that DRIPS with 90s mood. The only real knock against this is that Crucify is the best track, and it only goes down from there.

A Short Album About Love

The Divine Comedy

1/5

Wow I really hated this. This is the closest I've come to giving a one star since U2. Gonna have to really think about it.

Germfree Adolescents

X-Ray Spex

5/5

Wow! What a kickass album. I love the vocalist and the shitty saxophone. Girl punks > Boy punks

Beach Samba

Astrud Gilberto

4/5

This is way too short to be an album. 27 minutes? Really? It's nice, and I would definitely listen at a beach. But 27 minutes??

In Rainbows

Radiohead

3/5

While not unpleasant, I really, really, really do not *get* Radiohead. They peaked with The Bends, don't @ me. This album gets a bump for being the first album ever sold at a "pay what you want" model. That's is some historical shit.

Kilimanjaro

The Teardrop Explodes

4/5

This reminds me a lot of The Smiths, another band I never would have listened to if I hadn't been doing this 1001 albums. I like it! Moody melodies and 80s malaise.

Ragged Glory

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

4/5

This is my favorite Neil album so far. Inventing garage rock? Neat.

Car Wheels On A Gravel Road

Lucinda Williams

4/5

Not sure if I'd rank this as one of the "1001 best ever", but I really liked this! I love Americana, and the crossroads of Blues, Country, and Rock. Titular track, Lake Charles, Greenville, and Still Long For Your Kiss are all highlights.

Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite

Maxwell

3/5

Some more sex-having music. Sometimes it moves a bit too far into "weather channel" territory.

Imperial Bedroom

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

3/5

Elvis Costello is some of the most inoffensive rock ever written. Your grandma won’t hate it!

Bringing It All Back Home

Bob Dylan

5/5

This is the best Dylan album so far. Every single one of these is a hit. If someone was like "I don't get why Bob Dylan", you'd play this for them.

Faust IV

Faust

3/5

A cracking moody experimental german exploration. The genesis of the term "Krautrock". I don't like it as much as a lot of German rockers, especially Kraftwerk and Neu!

Vento De Maio

Elis Regina

4/5

Some eaaaaasy ass listening. Alright.

Pelican West

Haircut 100

4/5

Talking Heads Lite ™️

The Dark Side Of The Moon

Pink Floyd

5/5

I saw the cover and I went "okay, easy 5 stars", but then I decided that that wasn't fair. Does one of the go-to greatest rock albums of all time deserve a pass? Absolutely not. I decided to listen to it with a critical ear, as if I had never heard it before. ...easy 5 stars. Every single song is an absolute classic. Sure, it's boomer music, but this album is proof positive that boomers aren't all bad.

We Are Family

Sister Sledge

4/5

A goddamn CLASSIC. I always associated We Are Family with Motown; come to find out they are from Philadelphia. Still a great album.

Damaged

Black Flag

2/5

I appreciate hardcore punk but it makes my ears sad

Toys In The Attic

Aerosmith

2/5

The quintessential middle school boy rock album. GET IT? SEX! GET IT? CUM! DO YOU GET IT? DO. YOU. GET. IT???

Kenza

Khaled

3/5

I have no frame of reference from which to judge this. And yet I love it. It loses an entire star because of Imagine.

A Date With The Everly Brothers

The Everly Brothers

4/5

I thought that these were the Louvin Brothers again for a minute, but this is a much better album. Catchy melodies, lovely harmonies. That Classic 50's Sound.

A Girl Called Dusty

Dusty Springfield

4/5

Dusty. What else can you say? These are some of the biggest hits of the 60s. Countlessly covered, remixed, reused, recycled, and replayed. Do Re Mi is the album's low point, but I'm not sure if I can isolate its high point. It's all so good! I'm partial to Wishin and Hopin.

New Boots And Panties

Ian Dury

4/5

Holy moly! What a unique, fun album. I love this guy's style, and his lyrics are goofy. Reminds me a bit of Taco, but this guy is 100% original.

Paul's Boutique

Beastie Boys

5/5

You know, I said License to Ill was the BBoys at their best, but this may be better. Their sampling game is on point here, and a lot of their most juvenile lyrics have gone away. I'm not sure if this deserves a 5, but I gave License to Ill a 4, and this album is definitely much better than that. SO IT MUST BE.

Eli And The Thirteenth Confession

Laura Nyro

3/5

Great voice, and a tragic story. The first half of this album is great. I love the jazzy show-tunes-y nature of it! The second half really drags on as she goes higher and higher into her register. I was glad it was over by the end.

Here Come The Warm Jets

Brian Eno

3/5

I've been a big fan of Eno for a long time, both his solo works and also his incredible producing with the Davids Bowie and Byrne. This is not my favorite album, though. It's a bit too poppy, and nothing like his later ambient works. It's just fine!

All Hope Is Gone

Slipknot

2/5

This album was way better than it had any right to be. Not only that, but it got better as it went along! The worst stuff was at the beginning. But no Slipknot album needs to be over 70 minutes long. What are the Slippies thinking?

Fun House

The Stooges

5/5

Was great to "wash out" the Slipknot from my ears with truly one of the greats. What else is there to say? A seminal album that rocks hard and flows perfectly.

Pearl

Janis Joplin

5/5

What an excellent album, and yet a desperately sad one. She was just a kid. Such a tragedy.

Will The Circle Be Unbroken

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

4/5

I love Bluegrass/Old-school country, and this album is a treat. Lots of standards on here and some fun behind-the-scenes tracks. I would rate this a 5 except for its INSANE length. This is just too much music. Is there such a thing? Yes.

The Nightfly

Donald Fagen

3/5

Very middle of the road for me. A nice morning listen. The cover is definitely better than the album.

Picture Book

Simply Red

4/5

Wow! A lot of fun. I'll admit that I was sick of another "Debut album by British pop & ___ band". This list is lousy with debut albums by British pop and [something]" artists. Great beats. Real 80s. Sound. Michael Jackson-esque vocals. Really surprised to hear that these dudes hail from Manchester. I found the Heaven cover to be a bit lame, but mostly because I think Talking Heads are untouchable. Money is my favorite track.

Oedipus Schmoedipus

Barry Adamson

3/5

What a fun, weird ride. Some great sax work here. Business as Usual was miserable to listen to. The whole project was strange, but at least he was trying something. At least it's not another "Debut album by British pop band" like 500+ of the albums on here.

One World

John Martyn

4/5

A chill, jazzy, moody album. I like the instrumentation more than the vocals, but the low growly vocals ain't bad either.

Mothership Connection

Parliament

5/5

I was not ready for these levels of Funk. My Funkometer EXPLODED and I got Funk particles (Funkocules) all over my room.

Bummed

Happy Mondays

2/5

Incredibly middle of the road and forgettable. I don't think I've come across an album on this list yet that I have had less of an opinion of. I literally finished it less than 60 seconds ago and I have forgotten it entirely. At least Slipknot was memorably bad.

Sunday At The Village Vanguard

Bill Evans Trio

5/5

A jazz album worthy of some serious superlatives. Blissful stuff from open to close. I am a sucker for Alice in Wonderland; this nearly gets 5 starts just for that track.

Boston

5/5

Insta-5. What even can be said?

Pink Moon

Nick Drake

5/5

Before I started listening to this, I had had it confused with Nick Cave. Needless to say, I was surprised once the record started spinning. Sad, mournful, soulful. I love his warm guitar sound and angelic voice. I am sorry that he was in so much pain, but I am glad that something beautiful could come out of it.

Rings Around The World

Super Furry Animals

4/5

Just a whole lot of fun. Beautiful melodies giving way to strange, psychedelic riffing. The vocal timbre of the singer is also pleasant. Really enjoyable!

Suede

4/5

This album warmed up on me as it progressed. The Smiths really did a number on the UK, didn't they? I feel like every single band post-1983 tried so hard to emulate them, and Suede is no exception. But, hey, there are worse bands to ape. I really enjoyed the swirling guitars and the flighty vocals.

Low-Life

New Order

3/5

Whereas Technique felt like something refreshing and new, this album is just "What if we were The Cure?" I love The Cure, so I didn't hate this. But The Cure does it better.

The Scream

Siouxsie And The Banshees

3/5

Another fun album from the Banshees. I don't think I liked it as much as the last one, but it's close. Metal Postcard is a favorite.

Mama Said Knock You Out

LL Cool J

3/5

At least 3 stars for the title track alone. The other tracks are a lot of fun. I love 90's rap, and I feel like this album starts to bridge the gap between old school and more 2000s-style gangster rap. I wish I knew more about the genre, I feel inadequately equipped to fairly appraise it.

Lust For Life

Iggy Pop

4/5

This album gets 3 stars for The Passenger by itself. The other tracks are classic Iggy. I feel connected to Iggy because, so I'm told, he lived in the same apartment in Ann Arbor that I did.

Crocodiles

Echo And The Bunnymen

2/5

Okay we get it the dude who wrote this book likes British rock and punk bands from the 80s. Jesus christ this album was so imminently forgettable I'm actually angry about it.

Nick Of Time

Bonnie Raitt

3/5

Alright Bonnie, you go on with your bad self. Some nice 80s ballads in here. I prefer the bluesier tracks on the second half of the album, as the acoustic guitar tracks

Life's Too Good

The Sugarcubes

3/5

Hey bjork had a rock band, who knew? I like it

Bayou Country

Creedence Clearwater Revival

5/5

I needed some CCR this monday morning. Proud Mary is an all timer, but it was great to hear some new tracks that aren't on all the greatest hits albums.

Merriweather Post Pavilion

Animal Collective

4/5

This album is very, very good. I listened to the whole thing thinking it was by Glass Animals. It's not. It's by Animal Collective. These are two different bands. Glass Animals is better. But this album is very good.

The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady

Charles Mingus

4/5

I've never quite heard anything like this, and I've listened to a lot of Jazz. It's amazing how Jazz can be so varied. This also shouldn't factor into my rating, but the cover photo of Mingus is 100% Grade-A badass.

Truth And Soul

Fishbone

4/5

The black ska band from the 80s that all the white ska bands from the 90s copied. Are we surprised? One of my favorite things about this whole 1001 albums thing is finding all the predecessors and progenitors. I like how *FUN* this album is. It's sassy, it's naughty, it's just some boys playing around on their trombones. It probably gets a 4.5 from me. 4 seems too low (I've really been tossing out 4s a little too easily), but 5 seems a bit too high. It's not as polished as it could be.

At Fillmore East

The Allman Brothers Band

4/5

Listened to the 2.5 hour deluxe version. A rambling, jamming, bluesy concert. Great times! I really enjoyed the extended length Whipping Post and Mountain Jam.

Blur

5/5

This is an iconic album that really goes all over the place. Song 2 is such a big one for me personally and a specific time in my life. I’m biased, but aren’t we all?

Vincebus Eruptum

Blue Cheer

2/5

Bland example of early metal. It’s earlier than you expected for metal, but it’s bland and bad.

The Velvet Underground

2/5

What a sleepy, dull album. It’s very soft and would be good for naps or to play for your grandpa. Gets an extra star for After Hours

Hypnotised

The Undertones

4/5

Maybe it’s the crappy music I’ve gotten all week making me biased, but this album IS GREAT. Just some northern Irish blokes having a laugh

Me Against The World

2Pac

5/5

If the song about his momma doesn’t make you cry then you don’t love your mama

Pump

Aerosmith

2/5

I cannot believe Aerosmith gets TWO albums on this list. They’re good musicians and capable of great harmonies, but their lyrics are so stupid. I like the dulcimer stomp and the outtro to what it takes the best. This isn’t as good as toys in the attic, but it’s not a 1 star. So it’ll get a 2 from me as well.

Diamond Life

Sade

4/5

Enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would! Spent my morning drive grooving to this and feeling like a sexy adult.

L'Eau Rouge

The Young Gods

4/5

I kind of love everything about this. It's sort of cute how dark it's trying to be. It reminds me a lot of the Moulin Rouge soundtrack, and I mean that in the best way possible. Love Les Enfants

Double Nickels On The Dime

Minutemen

3/5

This is a fun album with short, noodly little songs. The album as a whole is too long by about 35 minutes, so that loses a star for me. Jackass theme song was quite a surprise!

Vulgar Display Of Power

Pantera

4/5

This is a lot of fun, and probably my most enjoyed metal album so far on this list. Really great! Knocking a star off for being a little over long and homogenous

Immigrés

Youssou N'Dour

4/5

What a fun, chill, relaxing album. Spent the rest of the day listening to his other albums!

Tea for the Tillerman

Cat Stevens

5/5

Instant 5 stars for me. This is one of my all time favorites, and one I revisit frequently. Another one I have a hard time even putting into words. What can be said about Father and Son? or But I Might Die Tonight? Spent the day listening to various mixes of this album. Tea for the Tillerman 2 is wild. Love the addition of strings.

L.A. Woman

The Doors

4/5

I have always felt like I knew nothing about The Doors. They were always that band I should probably listen to at some point. Morrison Hotel reinforced that a few weeks ago when it came up. Highly enjoyable, but all new to me! This album was a surprise because I think I've heard every one of these songs before. This is like a greatest hits album, but it's a regular album. These guys do blues-rock really well, and that's undeniable.

Blood Sugar Sex Magik

Red Hot Chili Peppers

3/5

FINALLY AN ALBUM ABOUT SO CAL. This album is too long by half, but I still love some of the hits (Under the Bridge, etc). Weird Al's versions are better though. YOU HEARD IT HERE.

S.F. Sorrow

The Pretty Things

3/5

What if the Beatles were from Kent? But they still wrote Sgt. Peppers? But nobody cared and they never got famous?

Haut de gamme / Koweït, rive gauche

Koffi Olomide

4/5

I am truly impressed with the amount of non-western music that is on this list. I loved this album, a unique sound, and very melodic. You can hear some of the French/Belgian influences there, but this is really its own thing. As with a lot of African albums on this list, I do not really feel qualified to rate this in any sort of objective way. But I found this so groovy that I HAVE to give it at least 4.

Actually

Pet Shop Boys

3/5

Love a good Pet Shop Boys single. This album is very enjoyable, although the tracks really run together. PSB are better 1 or 2 songs at a time, and not all in a row like this.

Rapture

Anita Baker

4/5

Classic R&B sound. I didn't really listen to this in the "idea" setting (I was at work), but Baker's powerful voice and the songs' melodies still were readily apparent to me.

Faith

George Michael

3/5

What if Michael Jackson was a white guy from north London? Well, he'd probably sound very similar, and he'd probably be very popular with white British people. I liked this a lot! Sexy, poppy, fun. Still, feels very derivative and I can't shake that.

System Of A Down

3/5

I liked this more than any other "metal' albums so far. More melodic, and also doesn't seem like it's taking itself too seriously. It's also not way too long, like Slipknot was.

Slippery When Wet

Bon Jovi

4/5

I'm not the biggest BJ fan, but you can't knock this album. It is HIT after HIT after HIT. If you've ever enjoyed a bit of hair metal, you've heard and enjoyed every one of these songs.

Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)

The Kinks

3/5

Not as good as Preservation Society, but some fun songs nonetheless. Davies LOVES TROMBONES

Surf's Up

The Beach Boys

4/5

Wow, nothing at all like I expected when I saw that the album of the day was a Beach Boys album. Melancholy and socially critical. These songs "slap", as the kids say. Gone are the days of goofy surfing lyrics and "Rah rah rah be true to your school". I like the double meaning of the album title.

Dusty In Memphis

Dusty Springfield

5/5

Dusty! After 2 Dusty albums on this list, I have a newfound appreciation for her. I had always known "of" her, but never intentionally listened to her. This album is better than "A Girl Called Dusty", and nearly gets to 5 stars for "Preacher Man" alone. What a great, great album.

New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)

Simple Minds

3/5

This entire genre, what I have started calling "Inoffensive British 80s Pop" is way over-represented on this list. It's all fine. It's probably even good. But it's WAY over-represented on the 1001 albums, and it shows the original author's obvious biases. Simple Minds. More of the same. I don't mind it. May even add it to a few playlists. But, like, I couldn't hum any of these songs or tell you anything about them. They pass over me like a warm ocean wave, and are immediately forgotten.

Slipknot

2/5

I put this off for a whole day because I was dreading it so much. I cannot BELIEVE that there are MULTIPLE Slipknot albums on this list. Like what in the actual fuck. Slipknot? Just like "All Hope is Gone", this album is a lot better than I thought it was going to be. I actually really dug the opening track "(sic)". But, just like All Hope is Gone, this album is about 20 minutes too long. The monotony of the screaming and the noise wears out its welcome after 10 minutes, and becomes truly excruciating after 30.

Sail Away

Randy Newman

4/5

Randy is fun. I like when he observes things as they happen, or just says whatever comes to mind. A lovely “ear wash” after goddamn Slipknot

Fred Neil

3/5

A nice, chill album. I enjoy the folky soft rock mix. Kind of forgettable maybe.

Gold

Ryan Adams

4/5

I liked this! Bluesy rocky Americana stuff. This is all upbeat (except Sylvia Plath). Would go great on a roadtrip playlist or something. This album is the kind of album that makes me glad this list exists. I never would have even given that cover a second glance! Never would have heard it. Is it 5 stars? No. Is it 4? Probably not, but considering how much I've been liberal with my 3 stars this year, I'll have to give it a 4. Really enjoyed "When the Stars Go Blue", "Nobody Girl", "Sylvia Plath", "Tina Toledo's Street Walkin' Blues", and "Rosalie Come and Go"

Viva Hate

Morrissey

4/5

Viva Hate sounds a lot more badass than the sort of middling whine he does throughout most of this album. I think The Smiths, and by extension, Mr. Morrissey here, are one of my favorite finds of this whole list. I really dig the sound. That being said, I really don't get the hardon some people have for him. Just look at him.

Revolver

Beatles

5/5

*sigh*. This is the most begrudging 5 stars I'm going to give. This is far from my favorite Beatles album, but it's the goddamn Beatles. Anything less than 5 is just straight up untrue.

I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got

Sinead O'Connor

4/5

I really like this. Sinead has a great voice, and I like the somewhat sparse arrangements of the tracks. Most of these have a very 80s sound, but with a transitionary feel. Nothing Compares is obviously the star of this album, and it still holds up, but I really liked I am Stretched On Your Grave, Black Boys on Mopeds, and I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got. Really surprised by my enjoyment of this.

Autobahn

Kraftwerk

5/5

One of my formative albums from one of my formative bands. Is this you a five star album objectively? No. But it is for me.

Rumours

Fleetwood Mac

5/5

I wish I hadn’t known that this was the number one highest rated album on 1001albumsgenerator because that has really messed with me. Giving it five stars seemed unfair. I didn’t want to go with the crowd. But giving it less than five seemed worse. It’s really, really, REALLY great. Ultimately, I think it gets four stars for Dreams by itself. Truly one of the greatest songs of the last fifty years. So the question becomes: is the rest of the album worth one more star? And the answer is an easy yes. I cannot stop listening to this.

MTV Unplugged In New York

Nirvana

5/5

Wow what a great performance. I’m not the biggest Nirvana fan in the world, but this feels like such a slice of time. And the unplugged venue really showcases Cobain’s vocal strengths. This is probably the second best version of Man Who Sold the World. But it’s close.

Swordfishtrombones

Tom Waits

5/5

The incredible string of 5 star albums continues. What an INSANELY good album. I’ve heard some of Tom’s more stopped down outings before, but the instrumentation and production values on Swordfishtrombones is out of this world.

2112

Rush

5/5

Five star streak continues. On Fourth of July no less! Great summer album. Priests of Syrinx and Train to Bangkok are tops. Not the best Rush album, but any early rush gets a 5 from me

3 Years, 5 Months And 2 Days In The Life Of...

Arrested Development

3/5

The first half of this is like a party where everyone has a bit too much energy and you want to go home. I much prefer the back half with its chill grooves and beats.

A Walk Across The Rooftops

The Blue Nile

4/5

Like a more calm talking heads. Did not like the beginning of track one and I dreaded the rest. But then I got hooked! Very enjoyable, and I’ll definitely be revisiting.

Eliminator

ZZ Top

3/5

The first ‘whole’ ZZ Top album I’ve listened to. The hits are SO good. The non hits are SO forgettable. All balances out.

Fifth Dimension

The Byrds

2/5

The most generic 60s rock ever. I’ll give it this: it makes me appreciate the Beatles a lot more.

A Grand Don't Come For Free

The Streets

4/5

Yessssss 🙌 I have loved The Streets for YEARS. I love the Birmingham accent. I love the lingo. You don’t hear rap like this. The fact that this is a concept album or a “rap opera” is so unique. Simultaneously epic, and yet incredibly mundane. “Could Well Be In” and “Get Out of My House” are the big highlights, but the whole thing is a jam. That all being said, I think I still prefer Original Pirate Material or Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living.

Ocean Rain

Echo And The Bunnymen

3/5

Way better than the other Echo album from a few weeks back. This sounds like A House, but it’s not as good as A House. If you hate new wave, I’m coming to realize this list isn’t for you.

Deserter's Songs

Mercury Rev

3/5

Not often you get rock albums with someone playing the saw. Basically a flaming lips album from an alternate reality.

Modern Life Is Rubbish

Blur

2/5

Unlike the other Blur album (Blur), this one is just so incredibly boring and generic. Some more truly bland replacement-level rock. Starting to think this list didn't need to be 1001 albums long

The Coral

2/5

An interesting mix of rock and... idk... kind of like... sea chanties? I'm kind of here for it. Before I started listening to all these albums, I used to think that the British were good at music, but now I'm starting to realize that they just make a lot of mediocre music that the whole world eats up for some reason apparently.

Modern Kosmology

Jane Weaver

4/5

I. Loved. This. Shades of Laurie Anderson's Superman. Electronic sounds with a more spoken-word lyrical vibe. I could listen to it for days. Don't know that I'd go to a concert or blast it in my car, but it was excellent music to just vibe to.

Millions Now Living Will Never Die

Tortoise

5/5

Easy 5 stars for me. Like the "Lo Fi Hiphop" youtube channel, with a bit more experimentation and daring. I loved all the surprising twists and turns this instrumental odyssey took.

Let Love Rule

Lenny Kravitz

2/5

Way too jesusy

Halcyon Digest

Deerhunter

4/5

Ah I'm just a sucker for lo-fi folky stuff from my college days. If I were being completely objective, this would probably be a 3, but it gets a nostalgia bump for me.

Sincere

Mj Cole

2/5

Mediocre British dancehall music from the early 2000s. The only thing that is saving this from literally 1 star is "Bandelero Desperado", which is a 5 star track that, as the kids say, slaps.

Step In The Arena

Gang Starr

5/5

Some of the smoothest rhymes and rhythms I've ever heard. This album has aged like a fine wine. I imagine it was considered rather intense when it came out, but in the rearview, it is so mellow and enjoyable. I never wanted it to end.

This Nation’s Saving Grace

The Fall

4/5

A fun, interesting mix of genres. Kind of a post-punk vibe throughout, but sometimes it goes full Stooges-style punk. Other times we get Rockabilly. A real treat from start to stop.

The Poet

Bobby Womack

5/5

Where has this been all my life? Smooth, sexy, groovy, passioned, and damn COOL

The Sounds Of India

Ravi Shankar

5/5

Ravi alternates giving helpful lessons and absolutely SHREDDING a sitar to within an inch of its life for 45 minutes. First album on this whole list that I feel like is way too short by half.

Sweet Baby James

James Taylor

4/5

Starts out country, ends a little bit rock and roll. Enjoyable and smooth throughout. I wish he'd trim his eyebrows though.

Clube Da Esquina

Milton Nascimento

4/5

This album starts *so good*, and I am truly a sucker for Portuguese singing. This should have been an easy 5 stars for me! But the second half of this album drags SO HARD. It comes to a creeping, drudging close.

Live!

Fela Kuti

5/5

Totally bitchin from start to finish. Another rare instance where I wanted this album to be twice as long. Working Freeform radio in college, Fela was a name I had heard a bunch, but I don't think I ever sat down and listened to an album before.

Moby Grape

3/5

A great 60s jam band with hints of CCR. Some good rock that, for me at least, has completely fallen off the radar in the last 60 years.

Moving Pictures

Rush

5/5

Not every Rush album is an auto 5 stars from me, but Moving Pictures definitely is. Even on a list of 1001 "must listen" albums, you'd be hard pressed to find many albums with the powerhouse opening line-up of Tom Sawyer->Red Barchetta->YYZ->Limelight. Tom Sawyer is a bit overplayed at this point, especially on "classic rock radio", but JUST LISTEN TO IT. IT IS SO GOOD. Red Barchetta is the most emotional rock and roll sci-fi ballad since Queen's '39. It makes me, ME, care about a car. YYZ is Rush's best instrumental in their entire catalogue. I've never been to Toronto Airport, but I assume that it feels like this. Limelight rounds out the first side and is quite bitching. The rest of the album is not as good, but is still very solid. I think a more objective Jon would drop a star for the indulgent Camera Eye, but the first side is just THAT good.

Pink Flag

Wire

5/5

A thoroughly bitching album. The rockier tracks have shades of The Black Keys, while the punk tracks are pure Ramones and Minutemen. I like my punk musicians to be... actually able to play music, so this album was a real treat.

Low

David Bowie

5/5

I am a massive, massive Bowie fan, and I think even amongst his pretty great catalogue that the Berlin trilogy is quite near the top. Bowie and Eno. What a dream team. Every one of these songs slaps, but Sound and Vision and Be My Wife are the big standouts. Perfection. We didn't deserve Bowie.

Natty Dread

Bob Marley & The Wailers

5/5

I prefer later, live versions of No Woman, but come on. Bob is an all timer.

Arise

Sepultura

2/5

This is hands down my favorite metal album that this list has generated so far. It still gave me a headache and was about 25 minutes too long. 2.5 stars, really.

Graceland

Paul Simon

5/5

Call Me Al has been one of my favorite jams and most favorite music videos for years now. This album would get 4 stars just for that. The other songs are new to me, but are all infectiously good. Glad Paul went to Africa.

Ambient 1/Music For Airports

Brian Eno

5/5

Starts out as music for airports, becomes music for spaceships. Brian Eno, and more specifically his ambient albums, were a great comfort for me during a lot of recent stressful times in my life. Just to have something nice on in the background while working through some stuff. Just perfect.

Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room

Dwight Yoakam

3/5

A nice little country album. 1 star because I secretly like country 1 star because Dwight is great on that sliding steel guitar. 1 star because I love the melancholy lyrics -1 star because this is dangerously close to when country gets TERRIBLE. It's knocking on the door of mediocre country. -1 star for the... weird anti-Semitic lyrics?

Penance Soiree

The Icarus Line

3/5

A fine bit of post punk/hard rock. Some tracks reminded me more of stuff like Siouxsie and the Banshees and others reminded me of Wolfmother. First few tracks were the best. The album kind of overstayed its welcome by the end.

Midnight Ride

Paul Revere & The Raiders

3/5

Manages to sound like The Beatles, The Doors, and The Beach Boys all at once, while predating pretty much all of them. That counts for something!

1984

Van Halen

4/5

You know, as much as Aerosmith has aged poorly from my middle school days, I feel like Van Halen has continued to age well. Juvenile lyrics? Sure. But underneath are the incredible musical stylings of the Van Halens, and the powerhouse vocals of DLR. At a time when rock bands were eschewing the synth, Van Halen puts all their chips into the center of the table. The album opens with more synths that you've ever heard in your entire life, and it just goes from there. The first seven tracks are unimpeachable in my eyes. Hit after hit after hit. Girl Gone Bad and House of Pain are much weaker offerings, but do not ruin the album altogether. Those drums on Hot For Teacher? Come on...

Greetings From L.A.

Tim Buckley

3/5

I nice little album of bluesy-country-rocky songs.

3 + 3

The Isley Brothers

5/5

I wish *I* were a brother of the Isley Brothers so that we could all play and slay together. Just classic track after classic track and total guitar mastery. What's not to love? I think if I were being honest, I would give this a 4.5. It's not quite a perfect album to me. But it's much better than a lot of the 4's I've given out on this list, so a 5 it shall be.

Songs Of Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen

3/5

This is much better than the last Cohen album on this list (Songs Of Love And Hate). More upbeat. I enjoyed most of these ballads quite a bit! I still have not heard much from Cohen that beats Hallelujah. One hit wonder? I remain unconvinced otherwise.

Orbital 2

Orbital

3/5

This album probably deserves 4 stars. It's innovative, interesting, and unique. But, I feel like "my kitchen table at 8am while I'm checking my emails" is not the ideal environment to experience something like this. I shouldn't hold it against the album, and yet I do.

Sheer Heart Attack

Queen

5/5

Queen is absolutely my favorite band of all time. I think their worst album probably still gets 4 stars from me. SHA is by no means their worst, though. Brighton Rock - I loved this song before Baby Driver made it cool. The chord progression through the chorus always gives me the goosebumps, and May's guitar solo here, finally perfected from Queen II, is one of the top five solos HISTORY. Killer Queen - Their biggest "hit" from the album. Probably my least favorite track because of its ubiquitousness. How many times have I heard it? 10,000 at least. Still, it slaps. Tenement Funster - Roger Taylor tracks always get short shrift from Queen fans, but I have a soft spot for him. I love the youthful rebelliousness. The transition from this into Flick of the Wrist into Lily of the Valley is the best thing Queen *ever* did. Flick of the Wrist - Shades of their later Death on Two Legs piece. Angry, but still playful. The drums and, again, the guitar solo here really stand out. Lily of the Valley - A bold operatic piece that nearly always brings me to tears. Freddie shows off his vocals for truly the first time on the album. Tingly piano throughout. Now I'm Here - A song that cannot truly be appreciated without listening on headphones. Queen does a bunch of goofy name dropping here that is always funny. In the Lap of the Gods - Another headphone essential. Taylor shows off his insanely high range here. Kind of a Pink Floydy song. Stone Cold Crazy - I have heard this getting more radio play in the last few years, which I find interesting. It's a great, quick rocker that doesn't overstay its welcome. Dear Friends - A sad, mournful little piece that is gorgeous Misfire - A Middle-of-the-road Queen track. Its worst sin is being forgettable. Bring Back That Leroy Brown - A goofy, good-time skiffle song. All the different voices and rhythms make this one a real treat. She Makes Me (Stormtrooper in Stilettos) - The harmonies here are just perfection. The most underrated song on the album. In the Lap of the Gods Revisited - The better Lap song. Really shows off their arena sound a few years early. You can just hear audiences of thousands singing along. Love love love this album.

The Low End Theory

A Tribe Called Quest

5/5

Devastatingly cool and smooth. This album can be enjoyed in the background, with beats that go on for days, or with an intensive focus, with lyrics that bend and twist in delightful ways. This 1001 albums list is making me realize that I'm a much bigger fan of hip hop and rap than I initially thought.

Copper Blue

Sugar

3/5

A nice 45 minute jam session with a classic early 90s rock sound. Nothing really amazing; I'm not sure why this deserves to be on the list, but I still enjoyed every minute of it.

Pretenders

4/5

Didn't think I knew this band, but I do! Tatooed Love Boys and Brass in Pocket are two of those songs that are always cropping up in movies and stuff. This album was really fun! Definitely categorize is in the "Ahead of its time" column. This sounds PURE 80s, and mid-to-late-80s at that, but this came out in 1979. Really enjoyable.

Buffalo Springfield Again

Buffalo Springfield

3/5

A nice album that wavers between forgettable and classic. I prefer the folkier tracks. Wouldn't skip any of these if they came up on rotation, but probably wouldn't seek them out.

Private Dancer

Tina Turner

5/5

This album is pure energy in your ears for an all too short 50 minutes. Turner brings everything to a series of upbeat jams that are absolutely electric. Powerhouse ballad after powerhouse ballad. Her cover of Bowie's 1984 might... even... be better than Bowie's? That might be sacrilege but that's what I'm feeling right now. Days like this are when I am SO happy I found this website, and SO happy I have discovered so many all time great works of art.

Good Old Boys

Randy Newman

3/5

I enjoy Randy Newman's schtick, but it really is just a schtick. I can't believe he has 2 (if not more!) albums on this list. A lot of these tracks are funny. Rednecks and Naked Man had me cracking up.

Oxygène

Jean-Michel Jarre

5/5

Inject this shit directly into my veins

Brutal Youth

Elvis Costello

2/5

The only thing brutal here was listening to this album all the way through. I generally find EC to be somewhere between "fine" and "good", but something about Brutal Youth was just absolutely unbearable. Why are all the good albums only 30 minutes and all the bad ones over an hour? He just kept GOING and GOING and WHINING and WHINGING. No thank you Elvis. I'll stick to Alison.

Sea Change

Beck

4/5

Had to listen to this twice to really get a feel for it. The music kind of sits in a comfortable place between country, folk, and Coldplay/Radiohead-style early-2000s rock. It's very pleasant to listen to! Beck's vocals are very low-key and underplayed, while still packing in quite a bit of emotion. I've been oscillating between 3 and 4 stars, but I think I talked myself up to 4. Lonesome Tears is the track that did it for me.

Machine Gun Etiquette

The Damned

4/5

A joyful, fun, punky album that is light on anger and heavy on messin' around. Some good guitar work. As with all excellent albums it's way too short.

Dog Man Star

Suede

2/5

I've listened to so many new wave albums on this list, and there's just no end in sight. When New Wave is good, there's nothing like it. It washes over you, and you can really get a feel for the emotions of the time. When it's bad, it's just dreary and meandering nonsense. This is a time when it was bad. Really just took forever to get through this.

Parachutes

Coldplay

4/5

I know some people can't stand Coldplay, and I won't say that I'm a gigantic fan. I don't think most of their songs are very singable... but this album it this spot today. Melancholy without being overplayed. Nice stuff. Yellow still slaps after all these years. I don't think this album is as good as Viva La Vida, but it's still very good, and it kind of defined a whole musical era of the early 2000s.

Hunting High And Low

a-ha

2/5

Take On Me is an all time favorite, but the rest of this album is just boring new wave bs. Sorry, a-ha.

Dear Science

TV On The Radio

5/5

This was really something else. Kind of reminded me of LCD Soundsystem, with a disco vibe, and yet it was something uniquely its own. This will quickly be added to my rotation.

The Message

Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five

5/5

He went to the hat store, and he bought himself a hat HA HA. HA HA.

Ray Of Light

Madonna

3/5

This is sitting somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars for me. I found it enjoyable, and much more enjoyable and surprising than what my perception of a Madonna album could be. But I lack the true context to really get why this is a great Madonna album. Why this one? Why not the others? I’m also kind of “over” the whole “white lady discovers ethnic music and thinks she can do it better” thing

The Velvet Underground & Nico

The Velvet Underground

3/5

This is like my 4th VU or Nico album so far, and I really just... don't get it. It's all very dreary. I can appreciate the historical significance, but it's really just not for me.

With The Beatles

Beatles

5/5

This is probably the most forgettable Beatles album... but it's a Beatles album.

Exit Planet Dust

The Chemical Brothers

3/5

I like the Chemical Brothers and their dancey electronic music. I also liked the break from the streak of pretty generic 60s music I've had all week. But I fail to see the "greatness" of such an album. It's good! I like it! But is it one of the 1001 most important albums? Or one of the 1001 I NEEDED to hear? Idk.

Music for the Masses

Depeche Mode

3/5

When it comes to British New Wave, Depeche Mode is certainly another one of the bands on this list.

Blood And Chocolate

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

1/5

Before I started listening to these "1001 albums", I would have called myself an Elvis Costello fan. Thanks to the nonstop onslaught of Elvis albums on this list, I have gone from fan, to indifferent, to actively despising this man's terrible terrible music. It's like a parody of generic, shitty rock and roll. His voice is more goofy than Randy Newman. His smug self-satisfied lyrics are completely insufferable. This was the longest hour of my entire life. If more EC comes up on this list, I may just have to skip them.

Rock 'N Soul

Solomon Burke

3/5

A fun little romp through what I can only describe as "Music that Marty McFly's parents probably danced to". I love that this dude was a preacher but had a side hustle INVENTING ROCK AND ROLL

Hunky Dory

David Bowie

5/5

This was the album that got be into Bowie in the first place. Queen Bitch was the first Bowie song I ever heard that I was consciously aware of as being a Bowie song. This entire album is perfect. Obviously it's full of hits, but even the 'lesser' tracks shine. Quicksand and Andy Warhol are some of my most favorite tracks ever.

Casanova

The Divine Comedy

4/5

You know what? This was a lot of fun. Reminded me of a lot of Joe Hawley's solo work (Hawaii: Part II). Also reminded me of Taco (Puttin' on the Ritz). Just a fun, goofy album.

Haunted Dancehall

The Sabres Of Paradise

3/5

This was an interesting electronic/dance album that delivered on the spookiness promised in the title. It strayed more to the side of "interesting" than to the side of "fun" or "enjoyable". It's not super relistenable, so it loses a star.

The Clash

4/5

It's The Clash, ya know?

The Slider

T. Rex

4/5

T. Rex is a band that I absolutely love, and yet always get the impression that I probably don't appreciate them as much as I should. This album lacked any of the "hits" I was already familiar with, but every single track was a joy.

Exile On Main Street

The Rolling Stones

3/5

This was certainly a Rolling Stones album. Incredible to think all the members are 112 years old and still touring

Murder Ballads

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

4/5

Nick Cave is like if a vampire was telling you about his day. Had a hard time getting through this, even though I actually enjoyed pretty much every track. Took me nearly three days! Don't know why. Nick Cave will always make me think of Wings of Desire/Himmel Uber Berlin.

Odessey And Oracle

The Zombies

4/5

Like a darker, more whimsical, much better Beach Boys. An enjoyable half hour. Time of the Season is an all time classic.

Five Leaves Left

Nick Drake

3/5

I like this Nick Cave fellow he writes sad songs with good melodies.

My Aim Is True

Elvis Costello

4/5

I used to think I liked Elvis Costello and that this was his best album, but after being literally ASSAULTED with Elvis Costello albums by this list (I swear like fully 2% of the 1001 albums are Elvis Costello), I've realized that I actually hate Elvis Costello and that this is his ONLY good album. But this album is real good.

Surfer Rosa

Pixies

5/5

Wow this was amazing. Every track was awesome. A delight to the ears. Some of the "hits" I had heard before, but I never really realized that they were Pixies tracks. A new favorite.

Kind Of Blue

Miles Davis

5/5

This was my first jazz album. I had heard plenty of jazz before, but this was the first jazz album I sought out, bought, and listened to on repeat. I studied it. I learned it. I could hum along with basically the entire thing. It is no longer my *favorite* Davis album, I think that goes to Sketches of Spain, but it is still probably objectively his best one, and holds such an important place in my heart.

Born In The U.S.A.

Bruce Springsteen

2/5

Exhaustively boring safe boomer rock

A Nod Is As Good As A Wink To A Blind Horse

Faces

5/5

This album rocked my absolute shit and made me into a fan of Rod Stewart, a feat heretofore deemed impossible.

Face to Face

The Kinks

4/5

Far out duuuude

A Rush Of Blood To The Head

Coldplay

4/5

Dammit I don't care if it makes me a square I really like Coldplay, and this album has basically all their hits. I almost want to give it a 5, but I know deep down that that's outrageous.

Spiderland

Slint

4/5

Very low production quality, but I love the level of creativity by a bunch of young rockin dudes.

Catch A Fire

Bob Marley & The Wailers

5/5

I think this is an underrated one by Bob. High Tide or Low Tide may be my favorite Bob Marley that no one ever talks about.

Talking Heads 77

Talking Heads

5/5

Talking Heads is one of my all time favorites, but 77 has never been my favorite of theirs. Going into this, I was prepared to give it a 4, due to its low ranking among my own Talking Heads cannon. But listening to this with critical ears, it is really a great album. There are some all time favorites in here, like Book That I Read, Psycho Killer, and Sugar On My Tongue. Byrne's style isn't fully developed yet, but the band is already firing on all cylinders. Talking Heads is already an excellent band by '77.

Beggars Banquet

The Rolling Stones

4/5

As much as I joked about Exile On Main Street, Beggars Banquet was actually VERY GOOD and VERY ENJOYABLE. The Stones hit kind of a country twang here and I totally dig it, plus Sympathy for the Devil is my favorite track of theirs.

Paranoid

Black Sabbath

5/5

We do not deserve and can barely handle the badassery of Black Sabbath. This song is at least 50% hits, and the other 50% slaps. Keep it up and you'll go places, Oswald.

John Prine

3/5

This guy's got jokes, but if you listen closely he also has a point or two. I guess Vietnam was pretty bad.

Dummy

Portishead

3/5

Nice beats. The lady singer is a bit much sometimes.

Music For The Jilted Generation

The Prodigy

2/5

Straight up did not enjoy listening to this NEVER ENDING album. You know in really cheesy 90s movies that tried to be really cool where there was inevitably a scene in some sort of REALLY COOL 90s club where people were like dancing in cages and had very spiky hair and there's just incredibly obnoxious NOISE blaring through the speakers? Turns out, in literally every one of those scenes in every one of those movies they are listening to this album by The Prodigy. Only thing saving this from 1 star was 3 Kilos, which was enjoyable (surprise! It had a melody and wasn't 350 bpm!)

Trans Europe Express

Kraftwerk

4/5

Always always love Kraftwerk. This album is not their best one, but I love a lot of the melodies. I think I like the German language one better (fyi: every single Kraftwerk song has a German language version). The main "Trans Europe Express" melody gets over-used a lot by the end. Still a damn good time and my ears are happy.

Heartbreaker

Ryan Adams

3/5

Ryan seems like a nice boy who writes nice songs. It's good that there are some albums on here that wouldn't offend my grandma if I put them on.

Mama's Gun

Erykah Badu

1/5

This took me three days to get through. One of the most miserable experiences I've had, nearly 300 albums in. I'm not a fan of the genre, but can generally appreciate artistry/talent. This one I really struggled to find anything redeeming about. Inane lyrics bellowed dramatically over pedestrian jazz licks.

Cut

The Slits

4/5

Lots of fun from beginning to end. I love punky girls. That Grapevine cover is a hoot.

James Brown Live At The Apollo

James Brown

4/5

I never thought I'd say this on the 1,001 albums list, but this album is TOO SHORT! Wow, can't believe I said it. But it's true. This album is like a flash in the pan of high octane energy. Just as you're really getting into the groove, it's over!

1989

Taylor Swift

4/5

I'm not above enjoying a pop album, and this is one of the defining pop albums of the last few years. So many of these tracks still SLAP. I love Bad Blood so much. I'm not going to give this 5 stars. It's too new. It lacks proper historical context. But it's such a perfect example of what it is, both in time and place.

Oar

Alexander 'Skip' Spence

2/5

"What if every single folk album from the 60s except maybe slightly more dull?" It seems like Skip was just noodling around, thinking about maybe writing a few songs, and someone accidentally recorded it. AND YET SOMEHOW THERE'S LIKE 90 MINUTES OF ALBUM HERE. I forgot every song literally 2 seconds after it ended.

Something Else By The Kinks

The Kinks

4/5

Aside from one or two songs, I will never rate The Kinks incredibly highly. They just don't hook me like The Beatles do. But, conversely, I will also never rate a Kinks album low. It is always a good listen that feels well worth my time. When my ADHD-riddled brain is able to focus in on the lyrics a bit more, I appreciate that The Kinks do social commentary head-and-shoulders better than their contemporaries. Harry Rag and Waterloo Sunset stick out the most here. Harry Rag because it sounds gross, and Waterloo Sunset because it's a cracking song.

Close To The Edge

Yes

4/5

Yes are one of the cornerstones of prog rock. Makes we want to play a nice long game of Risk. Honestly the best track on the album is the cover of Paul Simon's America

Vanishing Point

Primal Scream

3/5

Based on the band name and album cover I thought this was going to be miserable. And yet, it was really enjoyable! I liked the melodies quite a bit, and it didn't overstay its welcome.

Ingenue

k.d. lang

3/5

I found this album very surprising! To my regret, I didn't know anything about k.d. lang at all, other than that she's a bit of an LGBT icon. I didn't expect such an old soul, folky album. This is a 3 star for me, but it's the best kind of 3 star, because it's one that makes we want to delve into her catalogue a bit deeper.

Let's Stay Together

Al Green

5/5

Al Green rustles my jimmies

Green Onions

Booker T. & The MG's

4/5

A lot of fun from beginning to end. I had heard Green Onions a million times and never knew the title.

Shake Your Money Maker

The Black Crowes

3/5

Pretty alright 90s rock album. Glad I know where that Hard to Handle cover comes from that I hear on the radio sometimes I guess

Elephant Mountain

The Youngbloods

3/5

A pleasant enough album that feels very transitionary. You can hear late stage Beatles here as well as mid stage Zeppelin. Pseudo Psychadelic and Pseudo Folky.

Microshift

Hookworms

4/5

Reminds me of all the indie rock albums I listened to in college. This isn't a bad thing at all, but it feels of an era pre-2015. Surprising that it came out in 2018. Probably doesn't deserve a 4, and if I really think about it, I don't "get" why it deserves a slot on this list. But I like this kind of music a lot.

The Pleasure Principle

Gary Numan

2/5

What if the song cars but an entire album in length? Numan really just picks one kind of syncopated synth beat and really runs it into the ground.

Ill Communication

Beastie Boys

5/5

Rockin' as hell, and rich in beats throughout. Sabotage is obviously an all timer, but Root Down, Sure Shot, Futterman's Rule, and Flute Loop are all favorites as well. I love the musical ending.

No Other

Gene Clark

4/5

Somewhere between Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young and Blanche. Started out not feeling it, but by the end I was really feeling it.

Back In Black

AC/DC

5/5

Whereas I get sick of Aerosmith's "middle school boy music" aesthetic, I still cannot get enough of it when AC/DC does it. Maybe they're just better at it. Maybe they're the real thing when Aerosmith is just poseurs. I don't know. What I do know is that every single one of these songs is a stone cold rock classic. Just listening to one of these is guaranteed to get you an STD. Hail Satan, and rock on AC/DC.

Boy In Da Corner

Dizzee Rascal

3/5

Kind of just sounds samey after a while, but I like the early dubstep feel here. I had heard Fix Up, Look Sharp in some video game or somewhere years ago, so it was fun to discover that again. Honestly this would be higher if the samples and sound effects weren't so annoying. The beats are good and Dizzy has good flow.

Chris

Christine and the Queens

4/5

This hits right in the Tegan and Sara spot for me. I'd be shocked if Tegan and Sara weren't aware of and fans of Chris. I think I prefer the french versions, but the English versions are great too. Makes me want to smoke a cigarette.

Remedy

Basement Jaxx

4/5

I find "Where's Your Head At" to be rather grating, so I did not have high expectations for this. AND YET. Some supremely gnarly grooves, and some truly beautiful melodies. A kickass album from front to back.

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme

Simon & Garfunkel

5/5

These boys can do no wrong in my ears. Does not contain my all time favorite S&G tracks, but it is still loaded with hits. Hit just right.

Rust Never Sleeps

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

5/5

Much, much, MUCH more of this please. Neil Young's solo stuff (at least on this list) has been a bit more hit and miss for me, but any time Crazy Horse is in the mix it is a great time. Hard to pick a favorite track.

Stardust

Willie Nelson

5/5

Willie does the standards! I loved this so SO so So so much. Funny story, when I first discovered this website, I made an account and this was the FIRST album that came up. I didn't end up listening to it by the end of the day, and I was so new to the site that I couldn't figure out how to go back. So I started a whole new account, and I've been waiting about a year for it to come back up. Georgia on My Mind, Unchained Melody, and Don't Get Around Much Anymore are tops.

Giant Steps

The Boo Radleys

2/5

Pick a lane, guys! This wasn't terrible, but it is another example of "why the heck is this on this list?". Just some guys goofing around. Why is it that all the bad albums are OVER AN HOUR LONG? Like what is it about mediocre musicians that makes them go, "Let's just keep playing. Everyone will want to listen to this track for six minutes at least!"?

Crime Of The Century

Supertramp

5/5

One of my first "Favorite Albums". I've loved this thing since I was 11 years old. It was one of my first Amazon purchases, back when they just had books and cds. On a personal level, I feel like it still holds up. It's hard to choose between Bloody Well Right and Dreamer as my favorite. I think I could listen to the musical intro for Bloody Well Right on repeat forever until I die. Every other track is a classic in my eyes (ears?)

From Elvis In Memphis

Elvis Presley

4/5

Elvis has such a lovely voice. It's great just how many songs are packed into this rather short album, and with a decent amount of variety. In the Ghetto back to back with Suspicious Minds was the highlight for sure.

Time Out Of Mind

Bob Dylan

2/5

This was a miserable, terrible slog for the first 40 MINUTES. The last few tracks got slightly better. Not Dark Yet single handedly saves this from being a 1 star. Dylan's voice has always been an acquired taste, but in this album it's all blown out to trash. He sounds like absolute shit. If he were a new artist, this album would have NEVER been recorded.

John Barleycorn Must Die

Traffic

3/5

My estimation of this varied wildly as the admittedly short album progressed. Track 1 I was all in. Purely bitchin' musical jam. 4 stars, easy. Once the vocals kicked in, I was annoyed. The vocals were weak and didn't fit the music. I dropped down to 2 stars quickly. But by the time we get to the final two tracks, Traffic had really heated up. The title track, John Barleycorn, is SO. GOOD. Like Jethro Tull at their peak. I was all in again, ready to give 4 stars. So, my 3 star rating is more of an aggregate of all the tracks than my feelings overall. Tracks 1, 5, 6 are four-star-tracks, and 2,3,4 are two-star-tracks.

The Hissing Of Summer Lawns

Joni Mitchell

3/5

Started out with a pretty low opinion of it, but really warmed up as the album progressed. By the end, I was in the groove. This genre is really not for me, but I found that I really dig Joni's voice. Plus, this kind of music is so incredibly evocative of a specific time and place. I feel like I'm wandering around New York City on an autumn day in the mid-70s. So, again, my 3 star review does not capture my true feelings of the album. I respect the artistry and the singular vision enough to give it a 4, but my enjoyment was probably closer to a 2.

Let England Shake

PJ Harvey

3/5

I would have been way into this in high school/college. I like that folk revival shit. It feels a bit tired now and this isn’t the best example of it. A FINE OKAY ALBUMEN

Closer

Joy Division

2/5

Oh hey another dull monotone 80s depression band. This list of one thousand and one albums is AT LEAST 30% THIS bullshit. If you don't love this exact sound then you may as well give up now.

Dookie

Green Day

5/5

Pop punk until I die, bitches. I am the exact perfect age to love Green Day, and I really do. I first heard American Idiot, so it took my a while to work my way back to Dookie. This album has so many great tracks on it, and is full of a great energy. Makes me feel like I'm in high school again in a good way.

Vol. 4

Black Sabbath

4/5

Sabbath is never not bitching, but this one was slightly less bitching. Not as many hits that I was familiar

Be

Common

4/5

As much as I viewed Like Water For Chocolate as an interesting curiosity, this album is just straight up art. Wonderful from start to finish. Warm, intense beats and thoughtful lyrics.

Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby

Terence Trent D'Arby

4/5

Big Michael Jackson energy. I enjoyed the heck out of this. Some great hooks, and romantic grooves.

Shaft

Isaac Hayes

5/5

Groovy as hell and smooth as a motherfucker

Let It Bleed

The Rolling Stones

3/5

You definitely know it's the Rolling Stones when you're listening, and you never forget it. What else can be said, you know? When it comes to all the monster huge bands of the 60s and 70s, I've always liked basically every other band more than the Stones. They're totally fine, and this is one of the most middle of the road albums of theirs I've ever heard.

Either Or

Elliott Smith

4/5

I've always loved Elliott and his depression-fueled melodies. This takes me way back to a very specific place in my high school career. Parts of this album reminded me of Sufjan Stevens, in a way that other Smith never really has before. Lovely stuff.

Welcome to the Afterfuture

Mike Ladd

5/5

A Surprise! Excellent album which I had never heard of from an artist I had similarly never heard of before. This is the kind of album that makes this whole list and this website a lot of fun. This guy has a *very* Madvillain/MF Doom vibe. If you like them, you'll like Mike. I was going to go with four stars, but I really think I've talked myself up to 5. This was truly excellent.

That's The Way Of The World

Earth, Wind & Fire

5/5

If you aren't absolutely grooving to Earth Wind and Fire, what are you even doing? EWF has had a special place in my heart for like 16 years at this point (half my life!). Side A is better than B, but Africano may actually be my favorite track. The origin of a bass line that literally SLAPS

Protection

Massive Attack

5/5

Never listened to these guys before. I always assumed they were kind of metal-adjacent because of their name. Turns out they're actually Thievery Corporation-adjacent. Also turns out that I'm a Massive Massive Attack Fan. Adding to all my groove playlists.

Moondance

Van Morrison

3/5

Much better than Astral Weeks. Enjoyable, if not super remarkable, from top to finish. My two take-aways: 1. Van Morrison has more good music than just the song Moondance 2. That part of Moondance where he goes "Bahvvvvaaavvvvaavvaavvaavvaa" really fast is so weird and we need to talk about it more.

Every Picture Tells A Story

Rod Stewart

3/5

The boomerist of boomer music... Nothing bad here, but outside of Maggie May, nothing great either.

Surrealistic Pillow

Jefferson Airplane

4/5

Liked this a lot more than I thought I was going to! Also, rather surprised at the number of tracks I already knew. I'm more familiar with the later Jefferson Starship. I find the 60s Psychedelic scene to be a little bit... exhausting, but this album was great! Embryonic Journey, Somebody to Love, and White Rabbit were all killer tracks.

Lady Soul

Aretha Franklin

5/5

All hail Lady Soul. It's just that simple.

Tapestry

Carole King

5/5

Wow! An excellent album that completely blows a lot of the other female singer songwriters of the era out of the water. Tough getting Aretha and Carole back-to-back, since it makes what would be a great rendition of Carole singing "You Make Me Feel" seem incredibly pedestrian in comparison. That's not Carole's fault.

Nilsson Schmilsson

Harry Nilsson

3/5

Me, listening to this album in real time: This is kinda nice. Feels like a vanity project, but he actually has some chops. Oh this song is good too, but in a different way. WAIT THIS IS THE LIME IN THE COCONUT GUY?!?!? WTFFFFFFFF A fine lil' album that I was happy to find. It's weird that he's the lime in the coconut guy. Is that song why this album was included? Maybe.

Different Class

Pulp

3/5

A very fine if not totally generic Brit Rock album from the 90s. Does what it says on the tin.

Definitely Maybe

Oasis

4/5

These boys are more than just Wonderwall. Not much, but they are.

Highway to Hell

AC/DC

3/5

Starts strong ends strong. Weak middle. Not as good as back in black.

In A Silent Way

Miles Davis

5/5

Shhhhhhhhhhhh Quiet jazz for when you don’t want to be loud Shhhhhhhhhhhhh

It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back

Public Enemy

3/5

Good and important but repetitive AF. A lot of times the samples are OVERBEARING

Forever Changes

Love

2/5

Reminded me of the first album spinal tap released in the parody film this is spinal tap. BAD AND NOT GOOD.

GREY Area

Little Simz

5/5

Wow! This is great! Low key beats and awesome flow. Love the accent on the raps.

Queen Of Denmark

John Grant

4/5

Pretty basic sort of alt rock melodies, but the lyrics here are WILD and I think Grant makes some good hooks. This grew on me as it went along. I like it!

Yank Crime

Drive Like Jehu

2/5

Today I learned that this band exists Today I learned that people love this band Today I learned that this is the origins of "emo" music Today I learned that people love "emo" music I am not one of these people. At teams quite creative, but generally quite grating and meandering. Doing something difficult with a guitar, or something that is not easily emulated, does not mean that it is good or elegant.

Rum Sodomy & The Lash

The Pogues

5/5

I goddamn love the goddamn Pogues. This is my absolute Jam. What a cracking album.

Rage Against The Machine

5/5

Thanks to RATM I've been saying ACAB since I was like 12 years old

Tusk

Fleetwood Mac

4/5

Not nearly as good or cohesive as Rumours, but still an enjoyable time. I like the title track best, I think.

Shaka Zulu

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

5/5

What if you took the BEST part of the BEST Paul Simon album, and you made THAT into its own album?

The Marshall Mathers LP

Eminem

4/5

Eminem's flow and his hooks are the stuff of legend. I also appreciate his "lil' stinker" vibe, and the fact that he is intentionally a provocateur... But also some of those lyrics are HARD to listen to

This Is Hardcore

Pulp

3/5

This band is so middle of the road and forgettable that I was like “never heard of these guys wonder if they’re any good”, and then I realized I heard an album by them from this list like less than a month ago!

Born To Run

Bruce Springsteen

3/5

Better than Born in the USA but goddamn Bruce is so boring and literally every one of his songs is in the same key with the same tempo and it’s just the same

Risque

CHIC

4/5

Solid disco hits

American Idiot

Green Day

4/5

The singles off this are the band at their best and are genre defining tracks for pop punk. The other tracks are sadly kind of generic. I wanted to give this five stars, but too many songs that I literally forgot about after fifteen years.

xx

The xx

3/5

Okay. Some sparse electronic melodies that aren't half bad.

Let's Get It On

Marvin Gaye

4/5

A fun, sexy time.

Sound Affects

The Jam

4/5

Closer to 3.5 stars than a full 4. I like the Bowie-adjacent vocals! Both The Jam albums so far have been pleasant.

Phaedra

Tangerine Dream

4/5

Feels like the grandfather to house music. Great to have on in the background; not sure that I would ever be like, "time to sit down and do nothing so that I can focus entirely on Tangerine Dream"

Songs From A Room

Leonard Cohen

3/5

More of the same from Leonard. 3 albums in and I have yet to figure out *why* he deserves to be on this list. Like it's all just fine.

The Blueprint

JAY Z

3/5

Aside from some of his mega hits, I don't really love Jay Z all that much. Maybe it's because I have hard time separating the art from the artist, and Jay Z is kinda gross. Izzo is still great, and is the best track on the album, but it's not his best.

Countdown To Ecstasy

Steely Dan

5/5

Steely Dan is one of the best things to come out of this list for me. Perfect meld of Dad Rock, Yacht Rock, and Psychadelia.

First Band On The Moon

The Cardigans

4/5

The vocals don’t work on every track, but when they click it totally sings.

Beautiful Freak

Eels

5/5

Eels are a band I often forget about and then I remember them and I say "how come this isn't my favorite band?" I like Hombre Lobo and End Times both more than this, but this is still such a GREAT album.

The Doors

5/5

The most classic Doors album. May as well be a greatest hits.

White Light

Gene Clark

3/5

At its best it kind of feels like a Neil Young album, but even then it just makes me want to go listen to Neil Young because I would have a better time.

Blue Lines

Massive Attack

4/5

Not *quite* as good as Protection. Don't care for the lofty high pitched female vocals on a few tracks. Still really enjoyable though! Second half is better than the first.

Kimono My House

Sparks

4/5

Just some good clean fun from beginning to end. How did this manage to sound so exactly like a 70s album while also sounding unlike anything I've ever heard? Chaotic and melodic and anarchic and fun.

Stand!

Sly & The Family Stone

5/5

Hey do you love bitchin jams and drum solos and funky funky bass? Sly and his family got the hook ups.

Channel Orange

Frank Ocean

4/5

I hear a lot of Gambino in Frank Ocean. Anyone who can do some genre bending and mix soulful lyrics with some silky smooth flow gets a pass from me. It gets some dings for being too long, and sounding a bit “more of the same” after the first half hour or so, but I had a great time listening to this. Super rich kids and crack rock are my faves.

Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space

Spiritualized

5/5

Wild wild ride. I think it would have been better if I were smokin and jokin, but still awesome. A rare one that is long and earns it

The White Album

Beatles

5/5

My esteem with The Beatles only grows over time. I am not sure if they are truly, objectively the *best* band of the 60s. I know for a fact they weren't the *first* band to make the choices they did or have the sound they did. However, when you listen to the White Album you cannot help but go, "oh, literally every band for the last 60 years has been trying to emulate this sound".

Heavy Weather

Weather Report

4/5

Turned off by the title and the album cover; upon starting the first track I realized that I was actually very familiar with Zawinul and his Jazz Fusion! I played a lot of this in Jazz Band growing up. I guess that's what I get, judging an album by its cover!

AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted

Ice Cube

3/5

Ice Cube sounds pretty west coast, and I guess I prefer east coast. Not a bad album, but not very catchy either.

Urban Hymns

The Verve

2/5

I've always found The Verve to be SUPER forgettable, with Bitter Sweet Symphony being the only track that is remotely memorable (I can even hum it!). I was excited to dive into this album, the first time I've purposefully listened to The Verve for an extended period, and my first whole album experience. Sorry to report, but this has not changed the needle for me AT ALL. My opinion is completely unchanged. The Verve is like U2, if they were less annoying, but also way more generic. Every single track is at the same exact tempo, and has a complete lack of energy to it. Sorry to bother you, Verve. Didn't mean to interrupt whatever you were doing and have you record this album. The exception to this is the last track, "Come On!", which features heretofore undiscovered techniques for our boys, include changes in TEMPO, changes in VOLUME, and lyrics sung with EMOTION. This last track, and the fact that they *are* less annoying than U2, gives them an entire bonus extra star from me.

Superunknown

Soundgarden

4/5

Listen sometimes I think grunge gets overrated but Soundgarden and Nirvana are always welcome in this dojo. Grunge is certainly better then the absolutely exhausting Brit Pop that was also popular in the 90s, and all that meandering Shoe Gazey stuff. This album rocks so hard and so good right from the outside. Cornell's vocals have always hit me just right. Black Hole Sun is an all timer, of course, but my money is on Spoonman for best of the album. If you aren't playing air guitar with Spoonman then you are literally not welcome in my home.

A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector

Various Artists

5/5

Baby Boomer Santa, thank you for everything in the world.

Home Is Where The Music Is

Hugh Masekela

5/5

Hugh can blow with the best of 'em. Perfection.

Dirt

Alice In Chains

3/5

Alice In Chains is somewhere in the ballpark of Metallica or Tool, but not quite as good as either of them. Rooster is the standout track, but they’re all absolutely fine and I’m not mad or excited or anything.

Loveless

My Bloody Valentine

3/5

Probably good for driving or studying or something. Kind of just noise but not unpleasant. This is the bad that your college freshman roommate insists is absolutely brilliant for reasons he cannot quite articulate.

Antichrist Superstar

Marilyn Manson

4/5

As a 90s kid, Marilyn always had a connotation of being very hardcore/evil. I was kind of dreading this because metal is absolutely not my thing. I'm happy to report that this album rules. It is closer to NIN than Slipknot, in every good way. I was also a bit surprised to realize that I had heard Beautiful People before. It is a good track.

Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs

Derek & The Dominos

4/5

Didn't even realize this was an Eric Clapton joint until near the end! A great bluesy album. Love Layla (Look, I didn't know it was THAT Layla). The one-two-punch of Layla and then Thorn Tree in the Garden is the best

Metallica

4/5

Listen, the guys of Metallica are kind of big loser babies, but I cannot deny that this album absolutely rules. I enjoyed every rock and rolling minute, and may have banged my head once or thrice.

Strange Cargo III

William Orbit

5/5

I am here for William and his Strange melodies. Brian Eno-esque in all the right ways, with a little bit of world music vocals and groovy Thievery Corporation beats.

For Your Pleasure

Roxy Music

2/5

Some of these tracks got a little wild, but in general I don't "get" Roxy Music. I don't "get" how it fits into the larger scene of the era, and I don't "get" why they are constantly referenced among the greats.

Led Zeppelin II

Led Zeppelin

5/5

This is, for my money, the best Zeppelin album. Hard to pick a favorite track, but I'm always tickled pink by the Gollum reference in Ramble On. Moby Dick is one of the best drum solos of all time, but actually *any* live recording is better than the album version. Ah well, still a perfect album.

Cross

Justice

5/5

This fucking album. This was on HEAVY rotation for me during the first half of college. I have heard this album at least 100 times. I listened to it while jogging, while partying, even while cleaning the house. It has the the simultaneous power to chill you out while it also pumps you up.

Live At The Witch Trials

The Fall

3/5

Great title and album cover. Another fun quirky punky romp from The Fall. Last time I gave them 4 stars. This album feels more like a 3 from me. I am not well-versed enough in The Fall to know if I truly think this is a lesser album than This Nation’s Saving Grace, or if maybe I just wasn't in the mood.

The Real Thing

Faith No More

2/5

Faith No More is such a generic rock band. I do not find any sort of edge or originality to them. The best track on this album is the cover of War Pigs, and that's because it reminds me of a better band.

Seventeen Seconds

The Cure

4/5

I'm glad that this list has introduced me to more Cure. I think this is album 2? I'm surprised at how much I love their music. There's a lot more to them than Boys Don't Cry. I'm also surprised at how many instrumentals they did. They did a lot! That being said, I've yet to hear anything *better* than Boys Don't Cry. It also has the problem of sounding a bit samey after a while. Like I couldn't tell you how this is different from Disintegration at all. This feels like a 3 star, and I gave Disintegration 3. BUT... looking back at my last 10-20 albums, this is way better than a lot of the 3s I've been giving out, and is at least as good as a lot of my recent 4s. So she's a 4.

Your New Favourite Band

The Hives

5/5

My review, in the form of a math proof. Let N = Music that is 100% absolutely my shit. 1. I have never heard of these guys. 2. I am *extremely* into Early 2000s Garage Rock Revival. 3. Therefore, N is inclusive of Early 2000s Garage Rock Revival. 4. The Hives are Early 2000s Garage Rock Revival. 5. Therefore, The Hives = N 6. Therefore The Hives = Music that is 100% absolutely my shit.

Odessa

Bee Gees

3/5

TIL that before The Bee Gees were a disco band they were desperately trying to copy The Beatles, to varying degrees of success.

Transformer

Lou Reed

4/5

I found Andy's Chest to be confusing and upsetting, but otherwise this is a really nice album. Perfect Day and Wild Side are such classics that they single handedly bump it up to 4 stars. You can hear a lot of Bowie in this album. Or, maybe you can here a lot of this album in Bowie.

Tago Mago

Can

2/5

I hated almost every single second of this. Saved from the 1 star because I still prefer it to U2 or Erikah Badu

No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (Live)

Motörhead

3/5

Ace of Spades and Train Kept a Rolling are two all time great rock songs, and this entire live performance is brimming with high octane energy. I can't imagine listening to the deluxe 2+ hour version, but ~40 minutes was just fine with me!

Beauty And The Beat

The Go-Go's

4/5

CUTE AND FUN BOPS. Look, after a year of mopey boring british new wave, and stomach churning thrash metal, it's really great to hear an album that is nice and fun and cute.

Music From Big Pink

The Band

4/5

Dad rock reaching its MAXIMUM CAPACITY

1977

Ash

4/5

Has an early Weezer "Blue Album" vibe to it, so I'm all about it

Cypress Hill

3/5

Captures the rap scene right as it is transitioning from "I went to the hat store and I bought myself a hat" and "I am going to fucking shoot you in the fucking face". I think I prefer the Rage Against the Machine version of Kill a Man, but I respect the original and I am glad to have heard it. I love that 99% of rappers are, at their heart, real big goof balls. It's a genre that is meant to be playful and silly, and is at its best when it is done so.

The Hour Of Bewilderbeast

Badly Drawn Boy

4/5

Sometimes you just want a sad boy strumming the guitar. Catchy and soulful. Reminds me of a less emo Conor Oberst

Joan Armatrading

5/5

So happy to have discovered Joan. Soulful, deep voice doing that classic 60's/70's singer/songwriter thing. Closest thing I can think of melodically is early Elton John, but with a richer voice. She dips into a Motown sound from time to time, but never as much as you'd think considering the era (I guess it was on the other side of the pond). Secret little gems like this are what keep me coming back to this challenge even after an entire year.

Another Music In A Different Kitchen

Buzzcocks

5/5

I can't believe that for all these years the BBC has been telling me to Never Mind these guys! Fun Brit Punk from the absolute height of the Brit Punk era. Crusty in all the best ways.

Scream, Dracula, Scream

Rocket From The Crypt

3/5

A fun album. Somewhat unremarkable. One of those "I don't hate it, maybe I even like it, but why is it one of the essential 1,001 albums of ALL TIME???" albums.

Led Zeppelin IV

Led Zeppelin

5/5

Look this is one of those albums that a lot of people, especially certain types of people, call ‘the greatest of all time’. And they’re not necessarily wrong. Stairway to Heaven is one of, if not THE greatest rock song ever recorded. AND ITS THE WORST TRACK ON THE ALBUM HANDS DOWN. Going to California is the best one don't @ me

Peace Sells...But Who's Buying

Megadeth

3/5

This is the beginning of the transition from the kind of Metal I love (Iron Maiden, even Metallica) to the kind of Metal that I find incredibly challenging and literally headache inducing (Slipknot, etc). It strays a little too close to the Slipknot side of the spectrum at times, but overall the album stays within the margins of what I enjoy. The B side is stronger, I think, than the A-Side. I could see myself revisiting this, but not often.

A Night At The Opera

Queen

5/5

This was my first favorite album at the age of 8 or 9. I have probably listened to these tracks more than any other tracks, or at least for the most years. It's hard to analyze these songs objectively. I like how silly a lot of them are. The Skiffle Band influence is on full display here. This is Queen in transition. They are not quite yet the powerhouse arena rock band they became, but they are also growing out of their art school glam rock phase (I mean, they were always glam, let's be honest). Bohemian Rhapsody is so overplayed on the radio that it takes a conscious effort to listen with fresh ears and appreciate its brilliance. That being said, I think Prophet's Song does what BR is also doing, but better. I'm in Love With My Car is the worst song Queen ever wrote, and I'm happy they got it out of the way this early in their discography.

Dust

Screaming Trees

2/5

I feel bad for Gen X for only having the most boringest rock and roll to listen to.

Moon Safari

Air

5/5

We have really failed as a species considering the fact that we don't make more music that sounds like this.

Teenage Head

Flamin' Groovies

3/5

Kinda fun early 70s rock. Wavering between a more Bluesy sound and a Rockabilly sound. Unremarkable, but not unenjoyable. I don't think I'd ever add it to a playlist, but if it ever came on the radio I would probably go "hey these guys are fun!", not really remembering their name but also not turn it off.

Psychocandy

The Jesus And Mary Chain

2/5

You know how you can tell your headphones are on the verge of breaking because everything sounds pinched and crackly? And how when this happens you get really pissed off because you go "damn now I need to go get new headphones because all this music sounds like total shit"? Well, what if your entire album sounded like that on purpose apparently?

Virgin Suicides

Air

5/5

Two Air albums in three days! What luck! I’ve not seen this film, but the album is excellent. I heart Air

Roger the Engineer

The Yardbirds

4/5

What is this here rock and roll that the kids are listening to goodness gracious korean war etc etc

Happy Trails

Quicksilver Messenger Service

3/5

Psychadelic and trippy and woah man vietnam

Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black

Public Enemy

2/5

I've picked up a trend with a lot of the artists that make it onto this list 3+ times: All their albums sound exactly the same. I don't dislike public enemy. A lot of their rhymes are great, and their social commentary still feels prescient 30 years later. But, gun to my head, I could not identify a single song from a single album even if you played me a 30 second clip and gave me liner notes. Like, why is this album also worthy of inclusion in addition to It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back? How do these two albums differentiate themselves from each other, as well as the other 999 album? Why are they both so representative of the last 70 years of Western Music?

Thriller

Michael Jackson

5/5

5 stars for perfect album 0 stars for kiddy diddling

Paul Simon

4/5

Me and Julio, baby. Not as strong as Graceland, but what is? That jacket on the cover looks comfy.

Coles Corner

Richard Hawley

4/5

Low key and soulful and pleasant. Not at all what I expected when I saw the listed genre as "Britpop"

The La's

3/5

Surprised by how much I liked this one. Pleasant enough that I even listened to some of the demo tracks on the "deluxe" edition

Wild Wood

Paul Weller

3/5

A pleasant little romp that my wife liked a lot more than me. Somewhere between a 2 and a 4 for me, depending on the track. Looking at my past week of ratings, it is nowhere near as good as a lot of my 4s (Paul Simon, etc). It's also better than a lot of my 2s (The Jesus and Mary Chain), so I think a 3 is the most fair thing. Kind of a Bruce Springsteeny vibe.

Dirty

Sonic Youth

3/5

this sounded about what I thought it would. punky and fuzzy. It was fine and not too long.

The Visitors

ABBA

4/5

"Late-era" ABBA is kind of an enigma to me (and also not so late era now!). Lacks the hits and compulsive singalong quality of early ABBA, but they make up for it with rich melodies and complex beats. I'll take it!

A Love Supreme

John Coltrane

5/5

As someone who likes to play the saxophone, Coltrane is a bit of an idol. While not as melodious as other Jazz greats, Coltrane more than makes up for it in creativity. A masterpiece that I wish were longer.

Underwater Moonlight

The Soft Boys

3/5

What a great band name. Ain't never been boys softer than these. This album was not great, but it was actually a lot better than my expectations. I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. The opener, Destroy You, and the closer, Moonlight, were my faves.

Punishing Kiss

Ute Lemper

1/5

I would describe the process of listening to this album as "tortuous". Absolutely. Fucking. Miserable.

Truth

Jeff Beck

2/5

A sleepy bluesy album of little note. I recognize that basically all these songs were stolen from Black people, but at least when Led Zeppelin did it they made interesting musical choices.

Fever To Tell

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

4/5

I've loved this band since Rock Band. Who hasn't? Maps gets 4 stars by itself. What a refresh after fuckin Ute Lemper.

Peggy Suicide

Julian Cope

3/5

The 3 stars I am giving this really belies my listening experience. Most of the tracks were in the low 2 area; I found it generic and greating. However, some of the tracks were really quite excellent. Like a mix of They Might Be Giants, A House, and Morphine. A weird synthesis of formative sounds of my youth that I never imagined together. These tracks are in the high 4, even low 5 territory. This averages out to a 3, but really it's quite a divisive experience.

The Atomic Mr Basie

Count Basie & His Orchestra

5/5

Cool cover Killer jazz Wicked solos 5 stars or gtfo

Bookends

Simon & Garfunkel

4/5

I much prefer solo africa-inspired Paul to the duo (Sorry, Art), but this is still a pretty undeniable album. So many toe tappers!

Fragile

Yes

3/5

Pretty funny to get this right after the Simon and Garfunkel album that features America on it. Not bad as far as Yes-style prog-rock albums go. Doesn't go too off the rails with its synthy blasts. Still, missing a certain something that all albums like this seem to be missing. Idk what it is exactly. It doesn't really justify its existence.

Basket of Light

Pentangle

4/5

File under: Ren Fair orgy music

Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1

George Michael

3/5

I don't have faith that I'll be listening to this one again!

Red Dirt Girl

Emmylou Harris

2/5

Didn't nobody ask for this christian shit

A Seat at the Table

Solange

4/5

As someone who doesn't really like R&B that much, and generally dislikes Beyonce whole cloth, this album is EXCELLENT. The songs and interludes fit together really well, and the entire thing has a lovely melodic cohesiveness. It is passionate while still being smooth and laid back.

Tigermilk

Belle & Sebastian

4/5

I know this is from the 90s, but this sound is so 2006-2008 for me it's wild. I've always loved Belle and also Sebastian equally. Their initials spell BS, but you know what this album isn't???

Go Girl Crazy

The Dictators

4/5

Early punk is best punk

Music in Exile

Songhoy Blues

5/5

Desert blues, you say? Also known as Tishoumaren, you say? Tishoumaren , which is based on a french word meaning 'Unemployed', you say? EXILES YOU SAY? Five stars, I say.

It's Blitz!

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

4/5

Yeah! Yeah! and again Yeah! Fewer "hits" than the last album by them, but I thought this one had a much more deep and dark sound. Really great stuff. I like this more than Fever to Tell, which I gave a 4, but I don't feel this is *quite* truly a 5.

Siamese Dream

The Smashing Pumpkins

3/5

Grew on my as I went. I didn't realize I knew so many Smashing Pumpkins songs. Not really for me, but the quality and lasting cultural impact of these tracks is enough to bump it from a 2 to a 3.

Under Construction

Missy Elliott

4/5

What a pleasant surprise! Missy Elliot has a masterful control over the production of this album; great old school beats and fun raps. I like the overall positive/light hearted spin, but also that the album is dedicated to the people that she lost. I knew Work It, obviously, but it was fun to revisit. I also REALLY enjoyed some of the music videos. Creative stuff.

Deja Vu

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

5/5

The original supergroup justifies their existence.

Frank

Amy Winehouse

1/5

This is the kind of wailing scatting atonal jazz shit that I absolutely cannot stand. Had to listen in like 30 second stretches with lots of breaks in between. The closest I've ever come to a DNF in over a year of doing this.

I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail

Buck Owens

4/5

Absolutely 100% the kind of country music that I LOVE. That steel guitar is awesome. Buck having fun with his lyrics. Just excellent stuff. I feel like I've been too hyperbolic lately, and I can't see myself listening to this every day, so I'm going with 4 stars. In my heart right now it's a 5, but cooler heads must prevail.

Chemtrails Over The Country Club

Lana Del Rey

4/5

Knew nothing about Lana other than her name. A little suspicious of something so new. Super enjoyable listen! I love how low key everything is. The lyrics are allowed to shine. Will definitely listen to again.

Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul

Otis Redding

5/5

Sorry I can't write any notes because I am still recovering from this sexual experience

American IV: The Man Comes Around

Johnny Cash

5/5

I am not sure if this is controversial, but late Johnny Cash (American I - VI) is my favorite Johnny Cash. 5 stars for hurt by itself, but Blackbird is on point, too. This is one of the first albums I reviewed for the radio station I worked at in college.

Hot Buttered Soul

Isaac Hayes

4/5

Anything hot and buttered is a thing of beauty. The first ~10 minutes of Phoenix is a miss, but everything else is fire.

Back At The Chicken Shack

Jimmy Smith

5/5

Paring this back to back with Isaac Hayes' "Hot Buttered Soul" was a perfectly smooth 1-2 punch. What goes perfectly with chicken shack? Hot butter! I mean come on. This album was great and perfect and I married it.

Tommy

The Who

3/5

You know... fine, okay. I guess.

Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts

The Adverts

5/5

Very Ramones in a very good way. SHIT these songs are catchy.

OK

Talvin Singh

3/5

About what I expected from the cover. You could look at this cover and know nothing else and know that it came out in 1998 and EXACTLY what it sounds like

In The Court Of The Crimson King

King Crimson

4/5

Thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. Has a lot of an early "prog rock" vibe, without a lot of the over the top synthesizer that later English prog rock gets. Which is fine by me...! Their composition reminds me a lot of Jethro Tull, which I also love. They seem to have a full horn line, which is awesome. They mix more classic rock with some of the more esoteric/bebop jazz compositions. Good stuff.

Zombie

Fela Kuti

5/5

Fela you've never done me wrong. African Jazz is some of the best shit we, as a species, have ever come up with (not that I can take any credit for it). ONE OF THE FEW ALBUMS ON THIS CURSED LIST THAT IS TOO SHORT INSTEAD OF TOO LONG.

Are You Experienced

Jimi Hendrix

4/5

Now Jimi played guitar Jamming good with Weird and Gilly And The Spiders from Mars He played it left hand But made it too far Became the special man Then we were Jimi's Band Jimi really sang Screwed-up eyes and screwed-down hairdo Like some cat from Japan He could lick 'em by smiling He could leave 'em to hang He came on so loaded, man, Well-hung, snow-white tan So where were the spiders While the fly tried to break our balls? Just the beer light to guide us So we bitched about his fans And should we crush his sweet hands? Oh yeah Jimi played for time Jiving us that we were Voodoo The kids was just crass He was the naz With God-given ass He took it all too far But boy, could he play guitar Making love with his ego Jimi sucked up into his mind (ah) Like a leper messiah When the kids had killed a man I had to break up the band Jimi played guitar

Live Through This

Hole

4/5

I loved this a hole lot (hahaha). Had NO idea that this was Courtney Love. Hell, I didn't know she was in a band!

Phrenology

The Roots

3/5

Kind of all over the place, pushing boundaries. I'll never turn down The Roots, and I love the daring attempts. Not all of it quite "hits" though.

Opus Dei

Laibach

3/5

If you ever wondered what the slovenians were up to before the Yugoslav Wars, it was apparently... this? Some UNRECOGNIZABLE covers of Queen songs in here. I didn't even know they spoke German! Enjoyable as a bizarre world artifact, but not exactly a toe tapper. My weird-ass wife dug this a lot more than me.

Suicide

3/5

A landmark album that sort of changed the world forever that's sort of also painful on my little baby ears.

Darkness on the Edge of Town

Bruce Springsteen

3/5

Calling the UN because having 3 (or more!?!) Bruce Springsteen albums on this list is a crime against humanity that needs to ne investigated. This is the best BS album yet, as there is some variation in terms of tempo, style, and emotion. It's almost like these are real songs. Regardless, it's all just so safe and boring. No generation that actually had a hard time of it could produce music so dull.

This Is Fats Domino

Fats Domino

4/5

Love some deep origins rock and roll. Fats can really cook. You also have to give the man credit for calling himself "Fats" I never tire of this kind of thing.

Raising Hell

Run-D.M.C.

4/5

Wow this is excellent and good thank you for this. Still think that their Walk This Way cover is kinda weird. Front half has all the hits, but back half of the album might be better?

NEU! 75

Neu!

4/5

Has some good Kraftwerk Autobahn vibes. I prefer all the instrumentals to the lyrics. Still a good time for all!

Lost In The Dream

The War On Drugs

3/5

Ranges between a sort of soft rock sound (meh) to a Vapor Wave sound (fuckin rules) Overall a lot more enjoyable than I thought it would be

Sign 'O' The Times

Prince

3/5

This album is good and nice and really a jam. I kind of don't "get" Prince. By which, I mean, a lot of people think he's the greatest artist of all time. I don't get it.

Guitar Town

Steve Earle

3/5

Just a nice country boy singing his nice songs. Inoffensive

Darkdancer

Les Rythmes Digitales

3/5

Sort of a less impressive Fatboy Slim. There's some gold in here mixed in with a lot of generic 90s Brit Beats

Screamadelica

Primal Scream

2/5

Less than 12 hours ago I listened this. I listened with all my heart and my full attention. I have forgotten it entirely. I like the cover though.

Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea

PJ Harvey

3/5

I'm a feminist so I believe that women should also be allowed to create boring generic rock and roll.

Elvis Is Back

Elvis Presley

5/5

I always liked Elvis more than the Beatles as a kid because it felt like the edgier thing to say. I now know that I was a fool. But Elvis still fucks. I mean, literally. Your grandma lost her virginity to this album. I'm sorry to say that and for making you think about it. But it's true.

The Last Of The True Believers

Nanci Griffith

4/5

Major Allison Krauss vibes. I'm here for it. Takes me back to my childhood in a cozy way.

Sweetheart Of The Rodeo

The Byrds

3/5

A fine album. The cover is the best part about it I think. The Christian Life is a standout.

Pyromania

Def Leppard

4/5

Okay so this may have the best album cover of all time? Why did nobody warn me? Yes it's hair metal. Sometimes you really want to listen to hair metal. Foolin' is obviously an all timer. Die Hard the Hunter was awesome too. All the tracks were at least okay-to-good.

Inspiration Information

Shuggie Otis

5/5

What a revelation. Mostly instrumental pieces that are smooth and funky. Didn't want it to end. And that cover? Sheesh.

The Suburbs

Arcade Fire

4/5

There was a brief period from like 2008-2012 when literally all music sounded like this. And I'm totally a sucker for it.

Slanted And Enchanted

Pavement

2/5

If me and my friends decided to become a novelty band that only wrote and performed songs that were meant to parody the absolute forgettable dreck that is Gen-X music in a mocking and dismissive manner, this is the album that we would write.

Kick Out The Jams (Live)

MC5

4/5

Raw and powerful. Really getting the excitement pumping from minute one. Roots of punk, roots of metal. Just excellent stuff. And Detroit natives to boot!

Clandestino

Manu Chao

5/5

An old favorite from way back. I mean, he's the king of Bongo Bong, what more is there to say?

The New Tango

Astor Piazzolla

5/5

Tango was already perfect. Did we really need a new Tango? Turns out maybe we did. This album is a delight. Playing around with classical tango sounds, tossing in some vibraphone just to be cheeky, and towing the line between classical and avant garde perfectly. I'm a sucker for any kind of Tango music like this. Reminded me a lot of Gotan Project, for example. Easy 5 stars for me even though I can see why this wouldn't work for a lot of people.

Rust In Peace

Megadeth

5/5

I cannot handle how awesome this is. The song titles are SICK but also funny and not too self-serious. That's what I'd say about the whole album, honestly. These guys are having fun and we're just along for the ride. Some of the most insane guitar solos I've ever heard to boot. Crazy that tour de force albums like this are on the same list of albums as like 15 Elvis Costello snoozers

The Man Who

Travis

3/5

What if Coldplay were a little... well... warmer? What if Radiohead were a little more accessible? These are the incredibly deep questions that Travis asks, and then unceremoniously answers: It would be fine!

Wish You Were Here

Pink Floyd

5/5

Pink Floyd's best album hands down. There is no question. It is perfect. Don't @ me.

Bridge Over Troubled Water

Simon & Garfunkel

5/5

I mean what is there to say? This is one of the most iconic albums of all time. Every single track is among the most famous modern american folk songs ever written. Even if you've never heard these songs before you've DEFINITELY heard them. And they're perfect.

The Lexicon Of Love

ABC

2/5

What if Duran Duran had a killer hornline? Well... they'd still be Duran Duran... so...

Celebrity Skin

Hole

4/5

Hole has been one of the more pleasant surprises of this entire list. Never knew they existed! Never knew they were Courtney Love's band! I think this album maybe isn't *quite as good* as Live Through This, but I think the title track is such a banger that it balances out.

Speakerboxxx/The Love Below

OutKast

5/5

Most artists do not produce this quantity of quality music in their entire careers. To have it all packed into a double album single release is truly incredible. Hey Ya is one of the defining tracks of the 2000s, and it's not even the best track on here. I think my favorite thing may be the My Favorite Things jazz odyssey.

At Newport 1960

Muddy Waters

4/5

I liked the part where he sang about his mojo for 20 minutes

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

2/5

Music your dad listened to while cleaning the boat and drinking bad beer.

Buena Vista Social Club

5/5

If you think I'm giving less than 5 stars then clearly you hain't been paying attention. Ibrahim Ferrer is one of my musical heroes. I've oddly never heard this, but I've had Rhythms del Mundo on moderately heavy rotation for about 15 years now.

Raw Like Sushi

Neneh Cherry

4/5

A pretty slammin early hip hop album! I enjoyed it from top to bottom, although Buffalo Stance is hands down the best track. Feels like a bit of a misnomer to call her "Swedish" when she was raised in the US and has spent her entire adult life in London, but that's on wikipedia and not 1001 albums.

At Mister Kelly's

Sarah Vaughan

5/5

God I need a cigarette

Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

5/5

Nick Cave continues to be the vampire bandleader we need, and not the vampire bandleader we deserve. This whole double album is stellar. I liked it more than Murder Ballads. Not every song is a classic, but if I gave MB a 4, then I guess this one's a 5. Nearly 500 albums in my rating system is all fucked up. But I'm happy to be here with my vampire friend.

Elephant

The White Stripes

5/5

Some people don't like Jack White, and those people are wrong. Some people don't like Meg White, and those people are *extremely* wrong. This isn't the White Stripes' best album, but it is probably their most famous and enduring if only for Seven Nation Army. Its power is undeniable, and just about every track is great. I am not a huge fan of Little Acorns. The run of You've Got Her in Your Pocket through Ball and Biscuit to The Hardest Button to Button is one of the strongest hat tricks the White "siblings" ever composed.

Mermaid Avenue

Billy Bragg

4/5

What an interesting pedigree this album has. Bragg, who I'm unfamiliar with, composes music to go with unpublished Guthrie lyrics, and gets some help from Wilco. I love Guthrie and I love Wilco. After this, I'm not sure if I love Bragg, but this was a cool project to do. Birds and Ships is beautiful, and Christ for President is funny/poignant. God, Woodie Guthrie was a cool sumbitch.

C'est Chic

CHIC

3/5

Definitely something undeniable about this album, though I cannot quite say what. Also something definitely arrogant about naming your band Chic, your album C'est Chic, your first song "Chic Cheer", and then using the word "Chic" at least once per song for the entire album. This list has turned my wife into a real big disco fan. I appreciate it more, but it's still just okay.

Here Are the Sonics

The Sonics

5/5

Early rock and roll containing the kernels of punk and grunge. You love to hear it! Bonus star for being less than 30 minutes long! In and out and over with!

Songs For Swingin' Lovers!

Frank Sinatra

4/5

I mean it's Frank! Nothing more Frank than Frank (except for maybe CANNOLIS!) Forget about it.

Maggot Brain

Funkadelic

4/5

A striking, terrifying cover/album name combo. George Clinton trades in some hard hitting funk for some wild cool licks. This album is weird and wooly, and I'm hear for it (get it?)

Deep Purple In Rock

Deep Purple

3/5

Turn that music down, dad.

Time Out

The Dave Brubeck Quartet

5/5

What can you say about one of the greatest Jazz albums of all time? Blue Rondo is a personal favorite ever since I played it in high school Jazz band.

Deloused in the Comatorium

The Mars Volta

4/5

This is a band I had heard of but knew nothing about. Didn't even know what kind of music they play! Turns out it's kind of a meld between NuMetal and Pop Punk. Aka, it's probably not for everyone but I really enjoyed it. Love the weird song names and the wild long guitar solos.

Fetch The Bolt Cutters

Fiona Apple

4/5

I've been a huge fan of Fiona ever since Extraordinary Machine, and I'm a big lover of "quirky female vocalist in the 2000s with like a ukulele or whatever" as a genre. Was very excited to check this new album out; surely one of the newest on this entire list. It's a bop! I loved Shameika, Ladies, and Under the Table, but the whole album reminded me that I should listen to more of her stuff. An Apple a day, you know...

Miriam Makeba

5/5

Wow! Wow! Wow! Paul Simon can stay home, we got Miriam now

Homework

Daft Punk

3/5

This was my first Daft Punk album back in the day and I thought it was SO AWESOME. This is back when it was the only one. I still love me some DP, but they grew a lot over the years and this album has aged TERRIBLY. A lot of it is headache inducing. Still, I appreciate its importance and I remember how it once made me feel.

In The Wee Small Hours

Frank Sinatra

3/5

2 Sinatra albums within a week! Wild how these patterns pop up on such a huge list. This album is straight slow, sad ballads. Got very one-note after a while. And none of these are "the hits". BUT EEEEHH ITS FRANKIE WHAT YOU WANT ME TO FORGETABBOUT IT? WHERE AM I GONNA PUT THESE CANNOLIS? I LOVE LISTENING TO MY BOYS THE RAT PACK WHILE I EAT MY GABAGOOL

Odelay

Beck

3/5

Beck sure does write some songs and then sing/perform them, doesn't he? Very middle of the road, but never annoyed or insulted me.

Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo

Devo

3/5

I've always been more of an Oingo Boingo fan than a Devo fan, but having now heard this Devo debut, I am really struck by how similar their first albums are. I can see how people dismissed Boingo as a Devo knockoff at first. This whole album is a lot of fun, and makes me want to dive into more Devo beyond just their biggest hit.

Band On The Run

Paul McCartney and Wings

4/5

Ah, yes, the second of Paul McCartney's THREE DISTINCT MUSICAL careers. Most people don't even have ONE! This guy has three. Faul quit hogging the musical careers. There are some undeniable hits on here and I have a huge softspot for whatever genre of Rock this is. Easy 4 stars from me, but not quite transcendent enough to get me to 5.

Power In Numbers

Jurassic 5

4/5

Some nice mature sounding rap/hip hop. These fellas don't sound like kids, but grown ass adults. Enjoyably of a Thursday morning.

The Number Of The Beast

Iron Maiden

5/5

These boys really are the cat's pajamas

Group Sex

Circle Jerks

4/5

Let's normalize 15 minute albums. There's an argument to be made that if you can't get your point across in 0:31 (the length of the album's two shortest songs), then you should just pack up and go home.

Fromohio

fIREHOSE

2/5

I guess one of the drawbacks of going through these albums using this website is that you cannot read the author's justification for including an album on the list. Because wtf is this generic ass boring ass shit? Like I'd much rather listen to a terrible album than this, because at least a terrible album would be making a choice. At least it would be interesting. At least it would make me feel SOMETHING. That being said, the album name "Fromohio" is very fitting. Because this is the Ohio of albums. Completely middle of the road, largely inoffensive, 100% forgettable thing that has no real purpose and that no one ever needs to visit.

The Stone Roses

3/5

Spent most of the album with this at a two, as in "why is this generic boring shit on here". But some of the later tracks reminded me a bit of A House (a superior band) and it softened me to a 3. IT'S ALL FINE

Very

Pet Shop Boys

3/5

VERY average

Moss Side Story

Barry Adamson

4/5

This fellow's schtick is so odd, but I think the "soundtrack to a movie that doesn't exist" idea works much better here than on Oedipus. The back half of this album is straight up full of jams. Disappointed it's not an album about Maurice Moss.

Cafe Bleu

The Style Council

4/5

I was so ready to hate this album. ANOTHER British New Wave Band??? LOOK at that cover. I knew *exactly* what this was going to sound like... And then I was completely wrong. This was a fun romp that played with a bunch of genres. Sounded like the kind of thing you'd hear in a cafe.

Bad Company

4/5

My favorite rock song on Bad Company by Bad Company is Bad Company (Bad Company version). But really this album rules.

Broken English

Marianne Faithfull

3/5

Alrighty then - Reverend Father Ace Ventura (Pet Detective)

A Northern Soul

The Verve

2/5

Best doctor prescribed cure for insomnia on this list yet. They should put "BETTER THAN AMBIEN" on the cover of this dull ass white people album

The Stranger

Billy Joel

3/5

I’ve always preferred Elton to Billy but this album is sort of undeniable. I love when goes ack ack ack ack like Cathy.

The Seldom Seen Kid

Elbow

4/5

I am very much here for Elbow. This is the kind of working class British music in the loosely rock and roll sphere I can get behind. More of this, less of new wave, please.

Palo Congo

Sabu

4/5

Just a nice and good time. Some killer drum work. This Sabu fellow has an interesting pedigree. I like it!

Heroes

David Bowie

5/5

Bowie basically always gets a 5 from me. This is my 4th of his albums on this list. Interesting, but not surprised that the list author likes his Berlin trilogy so much. I think this is probably my favorite of the Berlin albums. Moss Garden is just about the most brilliant thing he and Eno ever did. Then Heroes is also awesome. Almost halfway through the list and still happy I'm doing it!

Billion Dollar Babies

Alice Cooper

3/5

Coupla bangers on here, namely Mr. Nice Guy, Billion Dollar Babies, and Mary Ann. Coupla tracks I would leave. I think you could probably leave School's Out on this list and take this one off. I love Alice, but I don't know if he needs to albums on here.

Rattlesnakes

Lloyd Cole And The Commotions

3/5

The singer has some goofy tics which make this album more fun and stand out more than all the other super generic 80s British new wave on this list.

Superfly

Curtis Mayfield

3/5

Another funky funk soundtrack. This one didn't resonate with me as much as some of the other ones on this list, but it was still a good time. Probably sounds best with a scratchy record player and a bottle of some golden colored liquor.

Fear Of Music

Talking Heads

5/5

Maybe my least favorite Talking Heads album. But then it has some of their all time best songs on it, like Heaven and Life During War Time? Ah well 5 stars I guess for these fuckin' guys.

Pornography

The Cure

3/5

The Cure is always good but I'm starting to think they're rarely great. 4 albums and counting on this list! Wild.

Oracular Spectacular

MGMT

4/5

Oh look it's the sound of my time in college. Didn't realize how many of these songs that were perpetually on in the background were 1) by MGMT and 2) on this album. I like it!

Shalimar

Rahul Dev Burman

4/5

Shit like this on the list is both refreshing and infuriating. Refreshing because it is good, fun, interesting, and also not something I would regularly be exposed to! It's why I started this project and keeps me coming back. It's infuriating because the fact that it is included here means that Robert Dimery, the original author of the 1001 albums list is aware that music like this exists. He's clearly aware that there is an entire world of music out there. SO WHY HAVE I LISTENED TO 200 80s BRITISH NEW WAVE ALBUMS AND 200 SCOTTISH ROCK ALBUMS FROM THE 90S??!!?

The Idiot

Iggy Pop

4/5

Iggy can do no wrong in this dojo. Love my Detroit passenger

São Paulo Confessions

Suba

5/5

Very Island Outpost. Very Samba. This is such a snapshot of like the electronic, chillwave, house music scene of the late 90s. It is retrofuturistic, and oddly optimistic. 5 stars no comment.

Repeater

Fugazi

4/5

These guys are just having fun and we're just along for the ride. A nice mix of punky reggae ska jams.

Woodface

Crowded House

4/5

My kind of 90s music for sure. Didn't think I'd ever heard of these guys, but I've definitely heard that Weather With You song a bunch.

Isn't Anything

My Bloody Valentine

4/5

More than halfway through this project, and easily my lowest rated genre is "shoegaze". Once I saw that this is a "seminal shoegaze album" I was truly ready to hate it. Imagine my surprise when I not only kind of liked it, but I started to vibe with it hard! I just floated on the fuzz and didn't want it to end.

Scott 2

Scott Walker

1/5

Shut up Scott

Lazer Guided Melodies

Spiritualized

4/5

Pretty transcendent chill relaxing vibes. I could listen to this all day. In fact, I think I might! Great music to work to.

Red Headed Stranger

Willie Nelson

5/5

Big Willie styles.

Djam Leelii

Baaba Maal

5/5

I discovered Baaba in college, so I knew what I was getting into. Love the instrumentation and the hauntingly beautiful singing. I could listen to this all day forever.

Brothers In Arms

Dire Straits

3/5

Really doesn't hold a candle to Sultans of Swing. I like Money for Nothing obviously, but the rest I could really just leave.

British Steel

Judas Priest

4/5

These guys are just having a lot of fun. Enjoyable album from start to end. I was going to go with 3 stars until I read that Rob Reiner based Spinal Tap off of Judas Priest. That's a bonus star from me.

Daydream Nation

Sonic Youth

4/5

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

I'm Your Man

Leonard Cohen

4/5

Fourth Leonard. At this point I just assume all of them are on here. My favorite one by FAR. Like a skeleton singing you love songs.

Dub Housing

Pere Ubu

1/5

Good joke but April was MONTHS ago

Get Rich Or Die Tryin'

50 Cent

4/5

Love expanding my rap and gangster rap knowledge using this list. Like a lot of rap albums I think this is a hair too long, but otherwise is excellent. More 50 please.

Third/Sister Lovers

Big Star

3/5

Knew nothing about this band before I pressed play... and I kind of still don't. 70s rock and roll in the dictionary is probably just a photo of someone listening to this album I guess. I can't imagine anyone listening to this and being glad they weren't listening to like... any other 70s rock band. Zeppelin? Queen? Literally anyone else is better.

Out Of The Blue

Electric Light Orchestra

4/5

You're telling me ELECTRIC made this light orchestra??

Garbage

4/5

Despite what the name belies, this album is not garbage! It's actually pretty good!

Hejira

Joni Mitchell

3/5

Joni is kind of like the female Randy Newman. She just kinda sings about what she sees as she's going around. There is a lovely ethereal quality to this, and I ended up liking it more than I expected, but the lyrics are just ridiculous. Also she looks like a frankenstein on that cover.

Soul Mining

The The

4/5

The The! Didn't expect you guys to show up. Always creative, always fun. Something a lot of these artsy post punk bands forget when they are pushing the envelope is that they should still be enjoyable to listen to.

Frampton Comes Alive

Peter Frampton

3/5

Dad rock you don't need to pay attention to. Peter has a steady hand, he doesn't need you to check in on him. He'll just keep going competently until you tell him to stop.

Nevermind

Nirvana

5/5

Not as good as I'd remembered, the middle sags a bit, but it's still a 5 star album by sheer weight of stone cold classics on here. Growing up I always thought Smells Like Teen Spirit was their best... but I think In Bloom might be way better? Idk, tough to say.

Siembra

Willie Colón & Rubén Blades

4/5

The picture of colon that Spotify uses when I stream this album on my tv is just nearly as cool as the album itself. I listen to a lot of salsa and it all sounds exactly the same, but that’s what I like a about it.

More Specials

The Specials

3/5

I am now convinced that pasty British people *can* make Ska music, but I am now yet convinced that they *should be allowed to*

american dream

LCD Soundsystem

5/5

LCD I love you, but you're bringing me down. Because you haven't released an album in like 5 years! This album really brings out their Talking Heads side and I enjoyed dancing to it.

Illinois

Sufjan Stevens

5/5

I have loved Sufjan ever since a friend put "For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti" as her MySpace song in 2006. I prefer his Michigan album for obvious reasons, and I think basically all of his work is brilliant, but Illinoise remains his biggest "hit". Hard to pick a favorite track, but John Wayne Gacy Jr. has some of the most fucked up lyrics I've ever heard.

Roxy Music

2/5

Still don't really get it. Glad Brian Eno got famous off this but his talents are best highlighted elsewhere. Probably better than a two but I rated the other Roxy albums a two and this one isn’t any better

Hybrid Theory

Linkin Park

4/5

Started out as a three but it grew on me. How could it not? Just some angry boys having fun. Kind of like a low rent Rage Against the Machine.

Play

Moby

4/5

Was feeling a three on this until the second half of the album kicked in. It's such a jam! Great music to work to or read to or groove to.

Unknown Pleasures

Joy Division

2/5

Wow it's the album that's on the t-shirt that all the people who are "really into music" wore in college. If I had known that that t-shirt represented such a lame ass band I would have treated it like the obvious "kick me" sign it was. Yet another post punk album for the author to pop a boner to. PEOPLE JUST STARTING THIS JOURNEY BEWARE: THIS LIST IS 500+ POST PUNK ALBUMS. Honestly this deserves closer to 1 star, but it's not as bad as U2 so it gets 2.

Off The Wall

Michael Jackson

4/5

Ah Michael. Some mega all time hits on here and some hidden gems. Minus 1 star for pedophilia I guess

Let It Be

The Replacements

3/5

There's a They Might Be Giants song called "We're the Replacements" that is, I think, better than this whole album. But these boys are just here having fun and playing their music with the guitar loud. Can't hate on 'em.

Fulfillingness' First Finale

Stevie Wonder

5/5

Stevie can do no wrong in this household, son. Listen to your mother. Do your chores.

Only Built 4 Cuban Linx

Raekwon

3/5

Pretty good and emblematic of the era. I spent about half the album thinking it came out in *1985* and was VERY IMPRESSED. 1995 is more sensical. I like it and would listen again, but also was not totally swayed by it.

Arc Of A Diver

Steve Winwood

4/5

Hey I liked this! Synthy samples with a very 80s feel.

Hail To the Thief

Radiohead

3/5

This was my first Radiohead album. I saw some release poster or something and thought “this is a band I hear about all the time lemme check them out”. I was underwhelmed and confused. Almost 20 years later and I’m happy to report that I’m still pretty underwhelmed and confused. This is almost good enough at times to rate 4 stars but then Thom Yorke opens up his whiney trap and I’m back down to 2. It averages out to 3 I guess.

Vivid

Living Colour

4/5

Really enjoyed this album. Why aren't there more Black rock bands? Started out mid-level but as the album progressed I loved the diversity of Genres they played with. Early tracks reminded me of 80s Hair rock, later tracks reminded me of Barenaked Ladies. Some ska, reggae, metal, and even rap in there. FUN. GOOD JOB GUYS.

B-52's

The B-52's

3/5

What if teenaged vampires went to the beach? You have to give the B-52's credit for making music like literally no one before or since. And that's all you have to give them credit for.

Maxinquaye

Tricky

3/5

I like beats and I like British voices ladies. Don't know if this will have a lasting impression on me, but I was not unhappy while it was on.

High Violet

The National

4/5

Like all good 4 star albums on this list from bands I am unfamiliar with, it grew on me as it progressed. By the end I was very excited to listen to more of their stuff. Love the Eddie Vedder-esque vocals.

Let's Get Killed

David Holmes

4/5

Really feeling the grooves and beats here today. I loved the samples. Could see myself roadtripping with this on.

Come Away With Me

Norah Jones

4/5

Whenever I listen to Norah I feel like an adult listening to music for adults. Maybe it’s been the string of bad albums lately but ima give this a 4 (Note: I’ve been traveling and not had reliable internet. I happened to have this and Hail to the Thief on my iPod already. Will have to fill in some gaps in a few days)

Figure 8

Elliott Smith

5/5

All the cute emojis girls in high school loved Elliott Smith and so I did too.

Run-D.M.C.

3/5

They went to the hat store and they bought themselves a hat. Just some nice boys having a good time. Weird to think that this scared White people. But it gets a bit repetitive.

E.V.O.L.

Sonic Youth

2/5

The worst of the 3 sonic youth albums (so far??). What if fuzzy but also incredibly bored. These boys are too bored.

Abbey Road

Beatles

5/5

I'm not the biggest fan of the first half of this album. It ranks low for me, Beatles-ly speaking. But then the second half makes up for it. By the time you get to The End you cannot help but give it the full five, right?

D.O.A. the Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle

Throbbing Gristle

3/5

Honestly not bad. I cannot believe this is the lowest rated album on this entire website. Sometimes your brain needs to be challenged a bit, and this was a very interesting series of sound experiments. i can totally see how this is the grandfather to NIN.

Drunk

Thundercat

5/5

Sometimes I get the idea in my head that I am a relatively cool guy and then I hear an album like this which is dripping with so much coolness that I immediately have to buy a one way ticket to squaresville. Groovy, funny, sexy all in equal turns. I immediately need to hear the rest of the Thudnercat discography.

Take Me Apart

Kelela

4/5

My kind of R&B album. Really felt the groove the whole way through. I think this gal is going places!

Bryter Layter

Nick Drake

3/5

Boy Mr. Drake took one puff of a marijuana cigarette and look what happened to him...

Close To You

Carpenters

4/5

Hold me and sing me to sleep Karen

Hysteria

Def Leppard

3/5

This was definitely a Def Leppard album. You can tell because it sounds exactly like you think it is going to.

S&M

Metallica

2/5

Not an unpleasant listen but the inclusion of this album on this list is somewhat baffling. There are literally DOZENS of examples of "popular band gets orchestral backing". They used to always be the cheap albums at Best Buy. This one gets a bit more credit since it's performed live and with the actual band (a lot of those other orchestral albums are done with cover bands), but it's still more of the same. None of these arrangements are particularly fresh or exciting. They're all very similar to the studio album versions, plus with the mix/master of this album Metallica actually drowns out the orchestra most of the time. So we're left with an otherwise generic live album of what (in my estimation) is a pretty generic pop metal band. This would normally garner 3 stars from me but this album is NEARLY 2.5 HOURS LONG. Sorry boys. That's just not fair.

21

Adele

5/5

Adele really isn't my favorite artist but this album is undeniable in its power. Both her talents and also the sheer force that these songs shocked the airwaves with. Basically every single one of these songs was a hit radio single and all the white girls in college were belting them out every chance they got. Also it's impressive to hear a voice like that coming out of a ginger.

Being There

Wilco

4/5

Never don't like a bit of Wilco. Even when they stray toward the more generic side, their vocals and rhythms are still interesting enough to rise about the rest of the chaff.

Reign In Blood

Slayer

2/5

Always enjoyed the title track but the rest of the album was more challenging. Not really my cup of tea.

Iron Maiden

5/5

Okay Iron Maiden officially has moved from "they're pretty good" to "damn I've been sleeping on one of the greats" Every. Single. Track on this bad boy.

In Utero

Nirvana

3/5

This is probably like every Nirvana superfan's favorite Nirvana album, but as a casual Nirvana listener I found it immature and annoying. Some good tracks in there (especially Heart-Shaped Box and All Apologies) help balance the keel to an even 3, but the mindless screaming of "Scentless Apprentice" and the horrible bullshit that is "Rape Me" really tried my patience.

Vespertine

Björk

4/5

I've had a fascination with Bjork ever since she showed up on Space Ghost Coast to Coast. This is a lovely album full of haunting melodies and complexly layered compositions. I want to marry Bjork and live in her weird Icelandic castle and wear bizarre clothing with her.

Melody A.M.

Röyksopp

5/5

Come for the beeps, stay for the boops.

Dr. Octagonecologyst

Dr. Octagon

4/5

Pee pee and doo doo are funny, beats are great, flow is smooth. Don't... *love* the porn samplings but I get it. Happy to have discovered it!

The Renaissance

Q-Tip

4/5

Very solid from beginning to end. No notes.

Bitte Orca

Dirty Projectors

4/5

I was way into this kinda stuff in college. The name of the band and the album cover are very familiar to me. Listening to it, I don't believe I have heard it before. It takes me back to '09 for sure. It feels sort of dated in a "very much a product of time/place" sort of way, but I still really enjoy it. Unique vocal stylings. You know what? Bitte Orca IS fun to say!

Dig Your Own Hole

The Chemical Brothers

2/5

This kind of music always reminds me of the club scene in the first Matrix. Which is to say that it is loud, obnoxious, and makes it difficult to hear Trinity talk.

Coat Of Many Colors

Dolly Parton

5/5

"And people say she's just a big pair of tits"

Parallel Lines

Blondie

2/5

If you had asked me a year and a half ago, I would have told you that Blondie rules and that Cyndi Lauper sucks. This was based entirely on a general feeling and not actual experience. Well, if the albums featured here are any indicator, I was completely wrong! This album is pretty soulless and feels very perfunctory.

Raw Power

The Stooges

5/5

The boys from Ann Arbor showing us that they know how to ROCK. No complaints, no fat. Just good fucking jams.

Music Has The Right To Children

Boards of Canada

3/5

Good beats make a good atmosphere. Could see myself adding this to a "gotta focus on work and drown out the other noises" playlist. Not a million miles away from Blockhead, who I like quite a bit. Can't imagine going to a concert of these guys though.

The Specials

4/5

Makes me want to grab a skateboard and grind on Nelson's column

En-Tact

The Shamen

3/5

Alright album of kinda dance trance music. Why is this on here? Oh, it’s Scottish. That’s why.

KIWANUKA

Michael Kiwanuka

4/5

Very smooth and enjoyable listen. Wikipedia classifies this as a "rock album" which is sort of baffling to me. Reminds me a bit of "Awaken, My Love!"

Hotel California

Eagles

3/5

Enjoyable ride but somewhat overrated. Hotel California has always been a bit too cloying to be a "classic" for me. I think the last track is the best, actually!

Ananda Shankar

5/5

Nepotism will get you everywhere. Loved the Rolling Stones covers, and the rest of the tracks were a jam too.

There's A Riot Goin' On

Sly & The Family Stone

4/5

Love my family (stone)

Bright Flight

Silver Jews

3/5

This is an indie band and I cannot be convinced otherwise. Very generic and forgettable. I've listened to a few tracks per day for several days and EVERY time I turn it on I go "oh THIS is what these guys sound like?" This list is full of swings and roundabouts, to be sure, but I've been going through a stretch of like... just boring corn fields.

Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables

Dead Kennedys

5/5

Song called "Let's Lynch the Landlord" = instant 5 stars Song called "I Kill Children = instant 5 stars 14 tracks but the whole album is barely 30 minutes? = instant 5 stars.

Junkyard

The Birthday Party

4/5

This album is ranked #1001/1001 on this site and I honestly can't figure out why. It's just a Nick Cave album. It's like all his albums. Abattoir Blues has a global average of 3.35 and Junkyard here has a global average of 2.08. This album is interesting and spooky and you're all just big babies.

Violent Femmes

5/5

An incredibly formative album for me during high school. I haven't listened to it in at least a decade and yet I can sing along like I wrote the damn things.

Smash

The Offspring

4/5

Good and fun but never as good or as fun as Pretty Fly for a Rabbi, the Weird Al Offspring Parody

Trio

Dolly Parton

5/5

Before The Avengers, before the A-Team, before Charlie's Angels, there was The Trio. I'm a simple man, I see a Dolly I give her 5 stars.

Sticky Fingers

The Rolling Stones

4/5

I always think I don't like the Stones, and then I listen to them and remember I like them a lot. Wild Horses might be my favorite track of theirs ever. What is it with every single 70s/80s rock group having an album cover that is: JEANS?

Triangle

The Beau Brummels

2/5

They say you shouldn't judge an album by its cover, but having looked at this album cover and then listened to the album I have to say that I got exactly what I thought I would.

Want Two

Rufus Wainwright

2/5

Boring music for boring middle-upper-class, vaguely center-left adults who support "diversity" as long as it isn't in their neighborhood.

The Colour Of Spring

Talk Talk

2/5

When these tracks are at their best they remind me of Peter Gabriel. When they're at their worst they remind be of BORING PETER GABRIEL. Listen, guys, no one is forcing you to make an album. If you're this bored and listless about the concept of recording music you could just go and do a new career.

Master Of Puppets

Metallica

3/5

I like their music, but it’s hard to get past their personalities. Plus this is far from their strongest effort

I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

Aretha Franklin

5/5

One of the most powerful voices of all time belts some of her greatest hits. Love my Detroit divas. I particularly enjoyed the songs I *hadn't* heard before. This album is real sexy! Don't tell Aretha's momma she's singing like this.

Supa Dupa Fly

Missy Elliott

3/5

More like 3 and a half. Don't need all those goofy sound effects in there. I think those are Timbaland's contributions? TIL that he's the thing I hate most about late 90s/early 00s R&B/hip hop. Sound effects aside, this album has great vibes and good flow. First half is stronger.

Bad

Michael Jackson

4/5

The only thing "Bad" about this landmark album is thinking about all the children he diddled while recording it :(

Rio

Duran Duran

3/5

Just listened to this and it definitely sounded like Duran Duran. Maybe they were really provocative back in the day or something but to me they are just "what the metro detroit classic rock station plays in between songs I actually want to hear while I'm out doing errands I'd rather not be doing"

Shadowland

k.d. lang

5/5

Being pretty young throughout the 90s, and growing up in a rather conservative area, the only context I *ever* had for k.d. land was "DiD yOu KnOw ShE's A lEsBiAn?!?!?" I'm sad to say that that was still basically all I still knew about her before listening to this. Imagine my surprise (and delight!) to learn that she is essentially a slightly more baritone, updated version of Patsy Cline! I adored this album. Catchy tunes interspersed with wistful ballads. This is my favorite kind of country music. I'm somewhere between a 4 and a 5 on this, but writing out my feelings has (temporarily, at least) boosted me to a 5.

Tracy Chapman

3/5

Two female singer songwriters' debut albums from 1988 in a row for me. Weird! I like the class and social consciousness of this album, and Tracy's voice is great. The arrangements are pretty unremarkable, though. I could tell you *nothing* about the melodies of any of these. I am glad artists like Tracy exist. I don't think I'll be listening to this again, though.

Blackstar

David Bowie

5/5

David Bowie puts our perhaps his greatest ever album, a sort of concept album, about how the cancer is eating him alive, while the cancer is eating him alive. It comes out two days before his death. It’s like Freddie Mercury doing The Show Must Go On for a whole album. If I found out I was dying I would just cry a lot and lay in bed. Bowie recorded a magnum opus. Don’t like it? Fuck off.

Fishscale

Ghostface Killah

5/5

Some of the best rap I've heard in a long time. Loved all of it. The flow, the samples (these guys love their comic books), the collaborations. All of it!

Ten

Pearl Jam

3/5

Competent grunge. Not as good as Nirvana (SORRY NOT SORRY). But I like the hits, and the non-hits were fun to discover.

Van Halen

5/5

Earns its stars on Eruption alone, but I have loved each and every one of these tracks for over 2/3 of my life. Van Halen have some other good tracks, but they never again had a wholly good album. Let alone an album where every single track is a classic.

The Score

Fugees

4/5

Came for a good time, left with a good time. Particularly liked the cover of No Woman No Cry

Blonde On Blonde

Bob Dylan

3/5

All Bob Dylan sounds more or less exactly the same to me. It's all fine, but I think you have to be a boomer to pop a tent over it

Live At The Harlem Square Club

Sam Cooke

4/5

Love these old live rock and roll albums that pop up on this list now and again. Just a great time. Electric energy. Shirt and sweet.

Californication

Red Hot Chili Peppers

2/5

"CALIFORNIA CALI CALI FORNIA CALIFORNIA CALI CALI FORNIA IT'S CALLLLLIFFOOORNIA CALIFORNIA DA NANG DA NANG DA NANG DA NANGNENG NENG NENG" Every single RHCP ever

The Who Sell Out

The Who

2/5

You know what people love listening to? Especially people who are professed music fans? ADVERTISEMENTS. Know what's better than advertisements? PARODIES. Know what's better than parodies or advertisements? PARODIES OF ADVERTISEMENTS.

(Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd)

Lynyrd Skynyrd

5/5

Another situation where the album is basically a greatest hits album. And the hits are undeniable. Sure Free Bird is a bit of an overused meme at this point, but listen to them guitar solos and tell me you aren't losing your mind. Ps. Happy 600

The Stooges

4/5

Big fan of Iggy and his Stooges, and I appreciate the significance of this album. Listen to the birthing pains of a new genre. But it does feel like a bit of a fossil, and does not hum along the way Funhouse does. Ah well, they can't all be perfect.

I See A Darkness

Bonnie "Prince" Billy

4/5

Sometimes you need a nice emo boy singing you songs about your inevitable death. Not exactly Monday morning listening material but idk today it hit the spot.

Ogden's Nut Gone Flake

Small Faces

3/5

"Nut Gone Flake" is a phraseI don't want to see, say, read, or think about. This album isn't bad, tbh. Pretty unremarkable..

Dig Me Out

Sleater-Kinney

5/5

I have a gigantic enormous middle-school-style crush on Carrie Brownstein. The rest of the band is also awesome. This band is awesome and cool.

The Queen Is Dead

The Smiths

4/5

The ghost in the machine forced me to list when the queen had died. As much as I am sick of all the new wave BS on this list, The Smiths are still hands down the best at it, and make everyone else seem like pale imitators. This is probably a 3.5 for me, but I want to really put some distance between it and all the rest of the new wave crap.

The Age Of The Understatement

The Last Shadow Puppets

3/5

An understated album, appropriately. Great accoustic qualities, the album occasionally feels almost like a 60s-era folk pop album. Wavers between that and more generic late 2000s rock. Another one for "perfectly competent album that seems to be padding out the '1001' reqirement".

Peter Gabriel

3/5

A clear 80s sound, breaking new ground in 1977. Doesn't quite hit the heights of Gabriel's later stuff. I'm a gigantic Sledgehammer fan. But this is pleasant enough! Solsbury Hill is overplayed on the radio, but I like it! I like Pete!

Brilliant Corners

Thelonious Monk

5/5

This guy's corners are brilliant.

Franz Ferdinand

4/5

I mean, just a classic of 2000s rock revival. Not quite as good as You Could Have It So Much Better, but still a classic.

The Madcap Laughs

Syd Barrett

3/5

A mental disintegration caught by recording speakers. For a long time I've been obsessed with Syd Barrett. He of Pink Floyd fame. He, the subject of Wish You Were Here. There's an interesting alternative history where Barrett never lost his mind and stayed in charge of PF. They would have probably continued to have middling success and then eventually broken up by the early 70s. We'd never have gotten Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall, or any of their other triumphs. But then again Barrett's story would have had a much happier ending, which is probably worth the trade-off. Ultimately, I like the idea of him more than his actual music. But this album captures his style really well. You can hear the early Floyd here, as well as some new directions he was trying to go in.

Alien Lanes

Guided By Voices

5/5

Pretty great stuff. Reminds me of a lot of demo tracks from other bands. I hear some early Weezer in here. I hear some early Mountain Goats. Short, sweet tracks and a short, sweet album. I like it!

Melodrama

Lorde

3/5

I'm a big fan of "Royals" so I actually found this to be somewhat generic and disappointing. At its best, she sounds a lot like Halsey, but not quite as good as Halsey. Put Halsey on this list instead.

New Wave

The Auteurs

3/5

My first thought upon seeing an album literally called "New Wave" by a British band, after listening to what seems like 376 British New Wave bands on this list was "God dammit" Butttttt this album is pretty good? I like the vocals a lot, and the melodies are catchy. I like the melancholy without dipping into full-on Smiths-style ennui. If more new wave was like this I think I'd be less likely to say "God dammit" when I see a new wave album. Closer to a 3.5 or even a 3.75, but let's not get ahead of ourselves here.

Future Days

Can

3/5

Less "experimental" than I thought. Also less Kraftwerk-adjacent than I expected. Honestly it's almost a lo-fi album with some surfer music influences. The only thing that keys this into being an experimental German rock album is that one of the tracks is over 20 minutes long. But it ain't bad! I've heard worse.

Younger Than Yesterday

The Byrds

2/5

A real yawner. Don’t judge albums by their covers, but take it from me that this cover is an accurate depiction of what you’re in for.

One Nation Under A Groove

Funkadelic

5/5

There's a track on this one called The Doo Doo Chasers so what else do you want to know

The Dreaming

Kate Bush

1/5

Seems like no one ever told Kate no, and that's great for feminism but terrible for my ears. This was going to be a 2 until the last track which is literally Bush screaming like a banshee while a man screams HEEE-HAWWWWWW like a donkey for 5 minutes

Gentlemen

The Afghan Whigs

2/5

Sort of a boring parody of a boring generic 90s album. So ethereal that it completely leaves your memory *as it is playing*

Chirping Crickets

Buddy Holly & The Crickets

3/5

THIS is what Don McClean was so upset about? JK, these are some nice boys doing some nice soft music that you can fall asleep to. Funny to think that this music was getting people WORKED UP 2/3 of a century ago

My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts

Brian Eno

5/5

Brian Eno's music is like getting little kisses on your brain. I've always mixed this one up in my head with some of Talking Head's later stuff. There's a lot of crossover here (even more than usual)

The United States Of America

2/5

Imagine if you went back in time to the 1960s and took some 1960s drugs and then went to a 1960s circus. That's this album. At times it's nearly good enough to be "a bad beatles album". Nearly.

Bluesbreakers

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers

3/5

Love when white British people (the white people of white people) play black american music. It definitely sounds whiter.

Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music

Ray Charles

4/5

Love Ray, but the back half of this album DRAGS and is very SAMEY. But still... love Ray. Can't in good conscious go less than a 4. If this were just "volume 1" it would be an easy 5.

Brown Sugar

D'Angelo

3/5

I don't really *get* R&B. I enjoy it but I really struggle to figure out the difference between good, bad, and excellent. Overall I really enjoyed this. I found the lyrics to be a bit naughty! My goodness. Toss this on on date night, I guess.

Whatever

Aimee Mann

3/5

Not an unpleasant time, but I'm not sure why it belongs on this list. I will say, this is the rare album that gets better as it goes on. It's back loaded, and not front loaded! Wow.

Horses

Patti Smith

3/5

I like her vibes and her politics but jesus you can smell the condescending arrogant "I'm cleverer than you" new york art scene of the 70s bullshit dripping off every one of her tracks.

I’m a Lonesome Fugitive

Merle Haggard

4/5

This country man sure has some good yarns about going to prison and such. I'm a sucker for this exact country sound (and very few other country sounds)

LP1

FKA twigs

3/5

The quiet part of techno songs but that's the whole album. Not bad, but each song feels like literally half a song.

Foo Fighters

3/5

Was ready to really not like this. Grunge is my least favorite of the Rock sub genres, this is not the best few years for rock music, and also the Foo Fighters are a bunch of gross AIDs deniers. But it's actually a pretty great listen. Some of those riffs really rip, and the driving beats are catchy throughout. I suppose my qualms, balanced out with my pleasant surprise and enjoyment, equals out to a three. I could go 4 on some individual tracks, but overall 3.

Illmatic

Nas

3/5

This is my favorite era of rap, I think. Nothing about this album, however, really stood out to me. It's just solid as hell.

The Wall

Pink Floyd

5/5

Not much to be said here. The reputation stands for a reason. It's not my favorite PF album, but it's still a clear 5 stars. One thing I will say, is that this album hits home more and more as I get older.

Destroyer

KISS

4/5

As a former citizen of Detroit Rock City, I have to give it up for the boys in make up. Beth is such a classic, too

Achtung Baby

U2

2/5

Didn't absolutely hate this. Pretty inoffensive as far as U2 goes. Annoying? Yes. Overlong? Yes. Self indulgent to the point of being masturbatory? Of course. But not unlistenable.

Rip It Up

Orange Juice

3/5

Like it a lot more when it leans into the reggae/Caribbean sounds. Dislike it a bit more when it's *YET ANOTHER POST PUNK 80S ALBUM ON THIS LIST JFC*

Bossanova

Pixies

3/5

I'm down with the Pixies, and Havalina is a great song. That's the review. It's a good album.

Station To Station

David Bowie

5/5

The Thin White Duke returns and reminds us why he's the best little space alien. Golden Years earns this 5 stars on its own, but literally every single one of these is deserving of inclusion on a greatest hits album. One of his best.

Blue

Joni Mitchell

2/5

Largely good and definitely deserves to be on here but some of her WAILING really clangs on the ears.

Cloud Nine

The Temptations

5/5

A but more intense and “issues” driven than your classic “My Girl” Temptations. Predicting some of the classic sounds of the 70s quite early. But hey, when I see Temptations I do a 5 star

The Gilded Palace Of Sin

The Flying Burrito Brothers

4/5

Had fun with this one. Apparently lynyrd skynyrd just lifted their whole look from them? More country than rock or soul but you can hear the beginnings of them all melding.

Ritual De Lo Habitual

Jane's Addiction

4/5

First half is Chili Peppers but better than the Chili Peppers ever were. Second half is a 90s rock odyssey. I like.

Behaviour

Pet Shop Boys

3/5

Like every other PSB album I’ve listened to, I found it pretty enjoyable. It overstays its welcome, and the first few tracks are by far the strongest.

Africa Brasil

Jorge Ben Jor

5/5

Jorge come over and let’s have a dance party in my living room.

This Year's Model

Elvis Costello & The Attractions

4/5

It's absolutely insane that this relatively mediocre man has nearly 1% of all the albums on this list. That being said, this is easily his best album. If any of his albums deserve to be here, it's this one. The whole thing is pretty light and breezy with some good riffs throughout. Just what ya want in a rock n roll.

Duck Rock

Malcolm McLaren

5/5

Exactly what I’m looking for an in album and exactly what I hope for Every single day when I load up this website. Thanks.

Foxbase Alpha

Saint Etienne

5/5

A fun sexy time. New contender for “just play it on loop”

The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway

Genesis

4/5

An epic full of twists and turns. As far as prog rock goes, it never really reaches the shrill ear shattering clangs of Yes, but it's also never quite as good The Wall, or anything Styx or Rush ever did. Way too long, but still glad I heard it. Surprised me in some fun ways. Probably more of a 3.75, but I'm feeling generous today so I'll round up.

Machine Head

Deep Purple

4/5

Weird that Smoke on the Water became this band's all time decade-defining hit. It's the most okayest song on here. Really really loved Lazy and Space Truckin'. Highway Star is great, too, but I can't not associate it with the game Rock Band. Lots to love here.

Night Life

Ray Price

4/5

Some more country greats. I really enjoyed "Are You Sure?", though I think I still prefer the Willie Nelson version. I also liked how the album kind of opens with an ad for the album itself. "Hope you like this one! If you like it, buy it and we'll make more like it!" BOLD

Calenture

The Triffids

4/5

I totally get why everyone seems to hate this but I was IN THE POCKET for it the whole time. I loved this! Heck yeah. Triffidshead 4 life. Reminded me a lot of the underappreciated Irish Band "A House", so maybe that's why I dug it.

Pet Sounds

The Beach Boys

3/5

Every year or so I try to "get" the Beach Boys and I never do. Is it just because this is what Boomers heard when they were in their tweens? Like it unlocked something for them? Great harmonies and I'm glad they've stopped singing about the fucking beach, but Jesus Christ they're still going with Sloops and all that shit...

Pacific Ocean Blue

Dennis Wilson

3/5

Two Beach Boys albums in a row (kinda) I like this whenever it doesn't sound like the Beach Boys

Winter In America

Gil Scott-Heron

5/5

This was such a wonderful synthesis of blues, R&B, and just that classic 70s Black sound. I loved every one of these tracks, but my jaw dropped during H20Gate Blues. That shit could have been written YESTERDAY it's so sadly relevant. I was on the fence about 4 or 5 here, but I've talked myself into a 5 because I realize I want to listen to this a lot more, and also to the rest of Gil's records.

Wonderful Rainbow

Lightning Bolt

3/5

30 seconds in and I was miserable. How was I going to get through the whole thing? But after about 2 minutes something clicked and I really dug the groove. I like the mix of noise, chaos, metal, dance, and jazz. Moreover, unlike a lot of the more esoteric albums on this list, I feel like these guys are *talented*, *know what they are doing*, and most importantly *are having fun*. That mood really comes out and infects the listener. Don't know if I can go all the way to 4, but I'm in the high 3s for sure. Consider my interest piqued!

Physical Graffiti

Led Zeppelin

4/5

I think Kashmir kind of carries this album but it is still absolutely supreme. Gotta drop a star because, you know, they stole all these songs from Black people. But what a great album.

Doolittle

Pixies

3/5

Hadn't realized how many of these songs I've heard. They're all pretty good and enjoyable. Not sure if this is an essential album, though. High 3, but not quite 4 level.

Back to Mystery City

Hanoi Rocks

4/5

This would be a fun, 3 star-worthy album if it were just some guys from, like, Branson Missouri. The fact that they're from Finland bumps it up to 4 stars for me. They do such an excellent job of imitating/replicating that early 80's American sound of punk-leading-into-glam-rock. It's good!

Lady In Satin

Billie Holiday

4/5

Nice Jazz Lady sings nice Jazz songs in a Lady style. I particularly liked the bonus track with all the takes and her getting frustrated. It's always fun peering behind the curtain.

American Pie

Don McLean

3/5

This album is all about American Pie. It's the name of the bloody album and it takes up 25% of the runtime! And I get it. I get why it's on here. I'm tired of it, but I get it. The rest of the album is actually quite pleasant. Don M has a nicer voice than I originally gave him credit for. Idk fuck it three stars

If You're Feeling Sinister

Belle & Sebastian

4/5

File under "a decade or two ahead of its time". This sounds like the kind of stuff I listened to in college in the late 2000s. Definitely an early entry in the lo fi indy folkie genre that became so prevalent ten years later. I liked it!

Veckatimest

Grizzly Bear

3/5

Fun story: In college I briefly toyed with the idea of becoming a journalism major. I decided to go and work at my college's newspaper when they announced they needed new team members, in order to test the waters. It was so exciting! The newsroom was not unlike what I had seen in the movies. Everyone was running around and trying to meet deadlines. I very quickly was given my first assignment: covering the Grizzly Bear concert that was coming to town on Friday night. What luck! I wasn't just going to be a journalist, but a MUSIC JOURNALIST. I was going to go to a FREE CONCERT and also GET TO MEET THE BAND. The road to my future seemed paved before me. I excitedly grabbed my new credentials, and checked out a camera in order to take pictures. Back in my dorm, I hurriedly sent out messages to friends and loved ones. Mom! I'm going to be a MUSIC JOURNALIST and I've already gotten my first assignment! Fast forward to Friday night and I rushed down to the theater. Maybe I could get some pictures of the band setting up; perhaps catch the final sound check. At the door I was told to go away. "No, you don't understand, I'm with THE PAPER" "Where's your ticket?" "There should be one reserved for me, since I'm with THE PRESS" "There isn't a ticket. Go away" ".... can I... buy a ticket? Maybe they'll reimburse me" "No, the show is sold out" "Can I... come in and interview the band? Look, here are my credentials" "No, they don't want to talk to the newspaper. Go away" The next day I went back to the newspaper and got chewed out for not covering the assignment I was given. So that's the story of how Grizzly Bear ended my nascent journalism career. Anyway, this album is fine. Fleet Foxes does the same schtick better.

Here, My Dear

Marvin Gaye

4/5

I feel the exact way about this that I did the last Marvin Gaye album: A fun, sexy time.

Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury

The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy

5/5

Jesus this album hits a little too hard. We've really learned nothing in the last 30 years, huh?

All Things Must Pass

George Harrison

5/5

Chocolate Harrison is my favorite Beatle. I'm glad he love jeep as much as I love him. If we could do half stars I'd knock half a star off because this album is way too long. But I'm not going to shortchange Georgie Porgie

...And Justice For All

Metallica

3/5

This is the FOURTH METALLICA ALBUM ON THIS LIST and listen up, friends, it's the most generic one yet. It's metal for people who don't like metal! Or good music! Or thinking! Or breathing through their nose! I'm not going to give this a one. It's entirely inoffensive, and pretty easy on the ears. I'm also a fan, funnily enough, of the song "one", so that saves this from getting a 2. I'd probably go 2.5 but I'll round up.

Young Americans

David Bowie

5/5

The little alien reinvents himself again. This is one of my favorite Bowie albums (even though I love essentially all of them) because this is where Dave went "Hey let's slap some filthy sax on every one of those tracks". Also, I think this is Bowie at his most beautiful. Look at that album cover! Take that man out for some dinner, and make sure he eats more than milk and red bell peppers.

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

Iron Butterfly

3/5

I came here for a good time and I had a good time so I guess I can't dip lower than a 3, but I'd be lying if I said I really "get" why this album made the list. Yes I've heard the title track sampled a million times, and heard it pop up in a million movies. Not sure if that alone qualifies it or not. I guess it deserves some credit for inventing the "20 minute long rock and roll song" that became so huge in the 70s with bands like Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. Also: I wish I had gotten a more METAL album for album #666, but that was the role of the dice.

Ready To Die

The Notorious B.I.G.

5/5

An old favorite, my true introduction to the world of 1990s rap, and the reason I will always prefer NY to LA. It really hit home on this listen through that Biggie was NINETEEN YEARS OLD when he wrote and recorded all of this stuff. He packed a lot of living in his short life. How tragic. Listen, I don't really care for skits or interludes, and I find these ones particularly.... gross. But that just comes with the genre I guess, and it doesn't takeaway from the historical impact or the frankly excellent listening of the actual tracks.

Axis: Bold As Love

Jimi Hendrix

3/5

It was definitely Jimi. Nothing really stood out here. Good guitar work, but not even as good as on his other albums.

All That You Can't Leave Behind

U2

1/5

U2 continues their trend of writing great music to listen to at the dentist office while getting your teeth drilled. As inoffensive as it is pretentious! As annoying as it is forgettable!

Kala

M.I.A.

5/5

Obviously am super familiar with Paper Planes, a track that still slaps after nearly 15 years. But this whole album is straight fire. I love the mixes here, infusing hip hop and world music in really creative and enjoyable ways. The track with the rapping childen is SO CUTE but also badass. Very happy with this one.

Femi Kuti

5/5

Do you like jams? Do you like bitching jams? Do you like bitching afro pop jams? Well...

Document

R.E.M.

4/5

This one goes out to the band I love All killer no filler. Not my favorite band of all time but I'm never mad when they're on.

Signing Off

UB40

5/5

Expected: Red Red Wine Received: Dank Dank Dubs

The Band

4/5

Love my Canadian band boys. No notes. No complaints. Just good tunes.

Cheap Thrills

Big Brother & The Holding Company

5/5

I can't be the first person to have this realization but I think Robert Plant bases a lot of his vocal stylings on Janis Joplin? Just another thing Zep stole... This record is great! Imagine hearing these people live. They're really going for it.

Live At The Regal

B.B. King

4/5

BB rips and roars for a good 30 minutes. No complaints here. Probably closer to a 3.5 but I've been TOO HARSH lately

Rejoicing In The Hands

Devendra Banhart

4/5

Reminds me a lot of the Tallest Man on Earth. I loved just about every one of these tracks, especially Todos los Dolores and Insect Eyes. Eager to check out more Devendra. This is the kind of stuff I started this project for! I think if I were in a better mood I would go full 5 for this, but I'm cranky today and wasn't able to get as into it as I know I would other times

Kenya

Machito

5/5

I know I sound like a broken record (HAHA) but can we have more of these albums and fewer generic forgettable boring 1980s post punk scottish wastes of my time? I have nothing to say about this album that isn't just a tired superlative. It's so good and restores my belief in the power of music.

OK Computer

Radiohead

2/5

Every year or two I decide "This is the year I'll like Radiohead! and then I listen to like 4 albums and go "...Maybe next year" So generic and bad and boring and you can smell the axe body spray

Here's Little Richard

Little Richard

5/5

This little guy has a big sound! You can basically hear him sweating on these tracks he's cooking so hot

The Next Day

David Bowie

4/5

In the context of Bowie's career at this point, it's an incredible album. It was widely believed that he was more or less retired. His release of a full album of new material was considered a bit of a surprise. The fact that it's full of bangers was nothing short of a miracle. That being said, divorced of its context, I think this album is merely very, very good. It's not nearly as good as Black Star, nor is it anywhere as good as a lot of his earlier triumphs. But it's still a Bowie album that's not Don't Let Me Down.

Blood On The Tracks

Bob Dylan

3/5

What if Bob Dylan wrote more normal songs and sang in a less annoying way? You'd get a more generic album. Sure it's less harsh on the ears, but it's more forgettable. It's very telling that the number one most upvoted FIVE STAR review for this album features advice on strategies to get through the album "if you find Dylan’s vocals unbearable". That's from someone who LOVES this album!!! Honestly. It's completely fine. I'm glad it gives boomers boners or whatever.

At Folsom Prison

Johnny Cash

5/5

Johnny Cash is a stone cold badass and he once said "You know who would love to hear my music? MURDERERS AND CRIMINALS AND SHIT" and he just went and sang a bunch of songs about DEATH AND BEING HANGED to STONE COLD MOTHERFUCKERS And we get to listen to it today.

You've Come a Long Way Baby

Fatboy Slim

4/5

This was what cool sounded like in the 90s. I can see how if you weren't there you'd think this was lame. But I was there and I think it's awesome.

Elvis Presley

3/5

I think if this album had come up earlier in my 1001 journey I would have rated it higher. As it stands this is my 685th album, and it kind of sticks out like a sore thumb against other Rock albums of its era. I literally had Little Richard doing Tutti Frutti earlier this week. This pales (word use intended) in comparison. A lot more plain. A lot more boring. A lot more white.

Le Tigre

4/5

Every once in a while on this list you'll come across an album that's just a bunch of cool women being awesome and fuckin around. This is one of those times. Punky and catchy and fun.

Something/Anything?

Todd Rundgren

4/5

Classic dad rock upside, plus some weirdness sprinkled in to keep things interesting. I would give this a 3 normally because honestly most of the tracks were kind of forgettable (as in, I don't remember them less than 24 hours later)... HOWEVER Todd is getting a bonus star from me for the track halfway through the album where he reads the recording industry for ABSOLUTE FILTH by highlighting shoddy production values and it's hilarious.

Second Toughest In The Infants

Underworld

4/5

I like cool 90s Techno and I don't care who knows. Great music to work to, and probably dance to? Not great if you want to do a singalong.

Rain Dogs

Tom Waits

5/5

A scary drunk (ghost?) pirate wanders into a haunted house, sits down at the piano, and orders another whiskey

Devil Without A Cause

Kid Rock

2/5

Hmmm... On the one hand this really isn't that bad. I think most of the exuberant 1-star reviews are really over-reacting. On the other hand, it's also not very good. And the whole sexist racist neofascist antiscience thing makes me not feel like defending it at all. Like, this isn't a hill I'm going to die on.

The Notorious Byrd Brothers

The Byrds

3/5

Far out dude now pass me a doobie man before this shit gets heavy

Tres Hombres

ZZ Top

3/5

2.5 stars for the album 0.5 stars for the beards. It's not the greatest thing ever but it's ZZ Top I can't give them less than 3 it would be a crime. I like La Grange, who doesn't?!

Nowhere

Ride

2/5

My least favorite genre in my least favorite decade from my least favorite country on this list! I literally avoided this for days! My expectations were so low that I actually kind of come off impressed by this. It's alright.

The Downward Spiral

Nine Inch Nails

4/5

I went down a big NIN hole a few years ago. One could call it a spiral. This was never my favorite of their albums, and I think it sags in the middle, but it's still great. The opening and ending are good enough to bang this up to a 4 at least.

Hearts And Bones

Paul Simon

4/5

Maybe the weakest Paul Simon effort on this list but it is still a Paul Simon effort on this list. It grows in the listening though. The back half is way better than the front (a rarity!)

If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears

The Mamas & The Papas

5/5

This album is so good it makes me want to surreptitiously break into a policeman's house so that I can clean his fish tank, replace his soaps and towels, and slowly buy him larger and larger stuffed animals at a pace that he never quite notices.

Songs In The Key Of Life

Stevie Wonder

5/5

What's to say? This album is so great that I didn't even mind it being a double LP + an EP. Some of his greatest hits as well as some that should be greatest hits. I didn't want it to end! Always happy to spend time with Steven Wonder

Public Image: First Issue

Public Image Ltd.

2/5

1001 Post-Punk Albums You Don't Really Need to Hear Before You Die, Or Ever, Really.

Grace

Jeff Buckley

3/5

If there's one thing the author of this book loves more than post punk it's boring white men singing Hallelujah

Music From The Penguin Cafe

Penguin Cafe Orchestra

3/5

A cool mix of folky music that blends in a lot of Eno's ambient ideas. Would get a 4, or maybe even a 5, from me if not for the few times that it veers into "1970s New York Performance Art Piece"; this trend is at its worst on "Milk" P.s. Happy #700!

Before And After Science

Brian Eno

4/5

Two Eno projects in a row, what are the odds! Not my favorite Eno (or Eno-adjacent) outing. It's a little too mainstream and "normal" for me. He is at his best when he is at his most quirky, and I love all his ambient albums. As usual, I think this gets credit for sounding like the 80s in 1977. Considering the somewhat mediocre albums I've had this week, I think this gets another bump for just not being more of that.

Violator

Depeche Mode

4/5

Wow! Who would have thunk that Depeche Mode would put out an album this good over a decade into their career? Very synth-wave and 80s, but in a way that is more mature, developed, and new. You can hear how the genre is evolving into a new decade. If not for Grunge, Hip Hop, and the other major 90s movements superseding this sound, one can imagine many more 90s albums having a sound like this. A happy little discovery, and this is coming from someone who would not consider themselves a DM fan.

Untitled (Black Is)

SAULT

4/5

You can tell within about 10 seconds that this is going to be a kickass album. And then it is! This is not usually my genre but I was completely in the pocket for Sault. Put some Sault on my fries! I want more!

Steve McQueen

Prefab Sprout

2/5

This album asks the very brave and original question: what if music were boring and kind of bad? The answer may surprise you. Shout out the most cringe-inducing British band name ever

Hot Fuss

The Killers

5/5

This list went ahead and assigned me this album like I haven't had it in heavy weekly rotation for 18 years running

Like A Prayer

Madonna

3/5

Enjoyable if not wholly original disposable 80s pop. I think Madonna is underrated nowadays, and I think younger people don't really get just how massive she was. But also it's just fine. She ain't reinventing the wheel here.

New York Dolls

4/5

NYD are like the granddaddies of everything I like in music, and are badass in their own right. I’ll take all of it you got.

Sister

Sonic Youth

3/5

What if Rock music were kind of fuzzy?

Synchronicity

The Police

4/5

Hey this Sting sure knows his stuff Not my favorite Police tracks but I like what they do so I’ll give it a pass

In It For The Money

Supergrass

2/5

A somewhat unique entry on the list of 1,001. You see, THIS album is an incredibly generic offering by a forgettable Britpop band of the 80s-90s. Unlike many other albums on this list, this one is completely justified in being here and I am glad that I was made to listen to it. It definitely wasn't a false promise that it would be enjoyable.

People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm

A Tribe Called Quest

4/5

Some of the compositions overstay their welcome but overall this is smooth AS FUCK hip hop and I needed it today

Bone Machine

Tom Waits

4/5

Sometimes you don’t know why an album has the title it has, but that’s not the case here. Tom made a machine out of bones. A bone machine. And then he plays it for you and you suffer eternal damnation.

The Healer

John Lee Hooker

4/5

The kinda blues where you’re so horny you gotta sit on a rocking chair and rock real fast and make up a blues song about how you’re doing the horny rocking chair dance

Real Life

Magazine

3/5

For a band that’s considered one of the best post-punk bands, in a genre that was supposed to be really groundbreaking in the 80s… this sure sounds a lot like what Syd Barrett was doing in the early 60s

Jagged Little Pill

Alanis Morissette

5/5

I think this might be the most definitive album of the entire 1990s? It certainly evokes what the 90s *felt* like more than any other album, for me. If I had to knock it for something, it would be that a lot of the songs are a bit same-y. Similar tempos, rhythms, and musical compositions. But it's a winning formula and I never got sick of it. Probably closer to 4 than 5, but I've had some really dogshit albums for almost 2 weeks straight, so I'm high on this right now!

Since I Left You

The Avalanches

4/5

Some chill hip hop beats to work/study to

Innervisions

Stevie Wonder

4/5

Unlike a lot of the repeat offenders in this list, I’m never mad when more Stevie pops up. Is this album sufficiently different from any of his other ones? Thus necessitating its inclusion on this list? No. Does it still slap balls? Yes.

Chicago Transit Authority

Chicago

4/5

Great way to end the year, my second year doing this! Only one to go... I don't know if I've ever listened to this entire album before. I'm a big Chicago fan, but am more familiar with slightly later stuff. This album rocks a lot more than their later works, and even veers into the slightly avant garde. Happy it's on here.

Leftism

Leftfield

4/5

Thievery Corporation upside. A pretty good time! Happy new year

Abraxas

Santana

5/5

Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va back to back?!?! THEN A WHOLE REST OF AN ALBUM? Santana, you really shouldn't have.

Scum

Napalm Death

2/5

I can’t fully hate a band who has the audacity to put a four second track on an album with a straight face

Treasure

Cocteau Twins

3/5

Entirely pleasant with moments that achieve a "greater than the sum of its parts" feel. Sort of telling that the wikipedia page for this entry says that it's "regarded as one of their worst albums". BUT HEY IT'S UK POST PUNK NEW WAVE BS SO CHUCK IT ON HERE

Brothers

The Black Keys

5/5

Love me some Rust Belt Rock. I associate this with college a lot. This album is so full of bangers! If I'm being really critical then I'd say this drags a bit near the end. But also I got Scum by Napalm Death this week so Black Keys is an easy 5 by comparison.

Ágætis Byrjun

Sigur Rós

4/5

I’ve loved this album ever since I tracked it down after hearing Starálfur in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. I was a weird kid. Still love that movie and this song. Makes me teary eyed. The rest of the album never hits that height, but is still a blast, mixing ethereal sounds with post-rock, jazz, and all kinds of goofy sounds.

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

The Smashing Pumpkins

3/5

An eclectic mix of 90s rock sounds. Sometimes it's generic 90s rock, sometimes it sounds grungy, sometimes it sounds like proto-pop punk, sometimes it goes into nu-metal. It's always pretty interesting. I like that Billy Corrigan doesn't have what you'd call a traditionally "good" singing voice. But that doesn't stop him! He hits all the right notes, and he sings with confidence, and that more than makes up for having such an odd timber. But for the love of god why is it over two hours??!? This should truly be a 3.5 or even slightly higher, but compared to my last few days of excellent albums, I really cannot round up to the 4. Plus I refuse to give such a long album a pass!

Roots

Sepultura

3/5

If one has to listen to death metal, I think one can do a lot worse than Sepultura. This album especially. We get a lot of the tropes that I find challenging to listen to, but we also get the following: -Clear vocalizations! I can understand what they're saying! And they're mad! -Clear guitar melodies. The distortion is heavy, but not so heavy as to mask incompetent playing. These fellows know how to riff! -Unique and interesting compositions! They utilize a lot of indigenous sounds and chants from Brazil, giving this album a sound that could only have come from there! Way to go guys. I don't need to listen to this again, and it was way too long, but I'm glad I was here for it.

Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo

MC Solaar

4/5

Very smooth and VERY French, laid on top of some smooth, buttery beats. Je l'aime bien!

Born To Be With You

Dion

3/5

What a fuckin' NERD This is the most middle of the road album I’ve ever heard. It’s so middle of the road, it should be titled “Dashed Yellow Lines”

Snivilisation

Orbital

4/5

Like a dank funky version of a Mr Scruff record. I loved every second of this goofy time

Tubular Bells

Mike Oldfield

5/5

Dangit 5 stars, no notes. Weird in the right ways, creative in the right ways, silly in the right ways. Prog rock isn't for everyone, and this is sort of a Prog Rock Ur-text. Kinda wild that he basically revolutionized prog rock AND horror movie soundtracks

Street Life

The Crusaders

4/5

Bitchin smooth jazz that sometimes veers a bit too far into Weather Channel Jazz

Exile In Guyville

Liz Phair

3/5

The 90s were cool. You could just be kind of an acerbic white lady with a guitar and sing about how you hate blowjobs or whatever and you could have a hit record on your hands! Let's go back to the 90s.

Colour By Numbers

Culture Club

3/5

Love supporting my LGBTQ+ friends, but 1 banger and a bunch of snoozers does not an essential album make.

Entertainment

Gang Of Four

4/5

A fine album that is very fine. A rare instance of the second half being miles ahead of the first. I like these boys! I think I'm feeling more of a 3.5 on this, but considering the last handful of ratings I've given, I have to go 4. It's better than a lot of my 3's lately.

The Man Machine

Kraftwerk

5/5

These weird robot people simultaneously invented electronic music, techno music, and also what the kids are no calling "Vapor Wave". Jeeze guys take a day off and go to the beach or something. Real fans prefer the German version B-)

Selling England By The Pound

Genesis

5/5

I mean it’s Genesis what do you want me to do give them less than 5? Not in this century bud

It's A Shame About Ray

The Lemonheads

4/5

I can see why a lot of people don't like this, and I can also acknowledge that it's not very impressive on a technical or production level. But, it hits my nostalgia centers so hard. I didn't even listen to this band growing up, but this sound is what my childhood sounded like. It's attacking all the soft spots in my brain and I am powerless to resist. Isn't that what music is, anyway? Something that tickles your brain and activates your memories?

White Blood Cells

The White Stripes

5/5

Maybe their best album? Meg rocks so hard on this.

Electric Warrior

T. Rex

5/5

Fun and sexy and funky. There's a reason Bowie was in love with Bolan.

Is This It

The Strokes

4/5

I always think I'm going to like The Strokes more than I end up doing. I think I confuse them with The Shins? Either way, this album is good. Great even. It's just not as good as I think it is. BUT THAT COVER MADE ME UNCOMFORTABLE I AM GOING TO CALL MY LOCAL GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE ABOUT IT

Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)

Eurythmics

4/5

This list includes a lot of albums that ultimately boil down to "they were a one hit wonder and this album is the song that the one hit was on". You get one very famous track and a lot of useless filler. By the end of the album you wonder why it was included on the list at all, what you're doing with your life, and if you should maybe call your therapist. But this album isn't that! This album is actually great! Sweet Dreams (Is Maybe This Album's Lamest Track).

Bert Jansch

3/5

What if Bob Dylan were Scottish and didn't haven an annoying voice?

Connected

Stereo MC's

4/5

Would you like to listen to smooth grooves for about an hour? Because that's what this is.

Purple Rain

Prince

3/5

I really don't get Prince, and nearly half these songs were just a bit too chaotic for me. Lots of screeching and screaming and random sound effects. But Doves Cry and Purple Rain are all time bops, so I think it evens out.

Black Holes and Revelations

Muse

5/5

Muse is a band I was only vaguely familiar with and for some reason just assumed I didn’t like. But fuck this thing rocks so hard. It owns bones.

Larks' Tongues In Aspic

King Crimson

3/5

This album's name is BAD This album's music is FINE At times it gets kind of prog rocky, and that's GOOD. At other times it does this ambient Brian Eno but in China thing which is VERY GOOD. At other times it's generic 70s stoner crap and that's BAD.

Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols

Sex Pistols

4/5

Punk rock by committee. Focus grouped, polled, tested, branded, and marketed to sell clothing and other sponsored products. Over-produced and safe. When you frame it that way, this is really better than it has any right to be! 3.75

The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn

Pink Floyd

4/5

Come for the gnome, stay for Gerald. I love this goofy little album but it’s a pretty deep cut vis a vis Pink Floyd. Weird that it’s on here tbh.

La Revancha Del Tango

Gotan Project

5/5

I've had this album on HEAVY rotation for the last 20 years. I'm absolutely tickled that it made the list. Hey, one fewer scottish new wave post punk boy album!

You Want It Darker

Leonard Cohen

4/5

First thought: dammit not more Leonard Cohen. Second thought: this rules. I love haunted old men with broken, ruined voices and filthy souls

Ctrl

SZA

3/5

A friend of mine turned me onto SZA like two weeks ago and now she's popping up here! What a coincidence. I think her newer stuff is better than this, but it's all pretty good. Chill hip hop. Smooth as butter. Just don't let your grandma hear you listening to it

Who's Next

The Who

3/5

Still don't really get what the big deal is with The Who. I didn't before and I still don't too.

There's No Place Like America Today

Curtis Mayfield

3/5

Just fine. Another fine release from Curtis. Lacks the appeal of Supafly, but I'll give it a 3 as well.

Imagine

John Lennon

2/5

John takes a break from beating his family to shit out one of the most overrated boomer anthems of all time

The Yes Album

Yes

3/5

Do I like prog rock? YES Do I like YES? YES Do I like this album? SURE

Too Rye Ay

Dexys Midnight Runners

3/5

Unremarkable but pleasant and listenable. Every song kinda feels like come on Eileen. But there’s a ton of shit on this list and I’d happily take more of this

World Clique

Deee-Lite

4/5

Pure 90s dance joy. Fun and happy, evoking such a specific time and place. I know that hip hop's origins are several years before this, but this specific album feels like such a transition. It's halfway between disco and hip hop in the perfect way. Can't go full five; it becomes a bit repetitive. Would need to revisit.

Queens of the Stone Age

2/5

Only the best in Butt Rock

Nothing's Shocking

Jane's Addiction

2/5

Jane is addicted.... to bad music

Eagles

3/5

I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke I won't make a Big Lebowski joke

Stankonia

OutKast

3/5

Not nearly as good as Speakerboxxx Love Below... Still don't like skits on albums... But undeniably charming, and some good bangers on here.

All Directions

The Temptations

5/5

Did you know that The Temptations were some of the all time greats? I did

Apocalypse Dudes

Turbonegro

4/5

Do you want fun, energetic rock riffs while a bunch of goofy dudes say words like 'anus' and 'motherfucker'? Because that's what this is. Don't threaten me with a good time!

Mask

Bauhaus

3/5

Oh thank god I was worried there wasn't anymore british post-punk on this list. Pretty enjoyable all told.

Tuesday Night Music Club

Sheryl Crow

2/5

This album deserves to be on the list of albums you must here because it’s important to learn (or be reminded) about the absolute wasteland of 90s adult alternative music. Creatively bankrupt and musically destitute. This album just sort of happens and before you know it it’s over. It doesn’t offend anyone because it doesn’t say anything. At least it’s not U2

The Soft Bulletin

The Flaming Lips

5/5

The Flaming Lips were the first band I ever discovered "on my own". It wasn't something my parents listened to and it wasn't something my friends told me about. Yoshimi was my first love, and I couldn't get enough. I heard on the early internet (The E.I.) that some people thought this album was EVEN BETTER than Yoshimi! I had to get my hands on it. I was obsessed with this from about 2002 to 2004. It is still great, but I acknowledge that I am the opposite of whatever Objective is.

I Am a Bird Now

Antony and the Johnsons

5/5

Haunting; full of pain, pleasure, and beauty. I think Anhoni may have been my first exposure to a trans person. I discovered this album shortly after it came out and was completely captivated by it. Still love it today. I think it has aged very well!

Neon Bible

Arcade Fire

4/5

A great album from a great band with great songs and great music and a great album cover YOU'RE WELCOME

Birth Of The Cool

Miles Davis

5/5

Does what it says on the tin. One of the greatest recordings of all time. What more do you want?

Nebraska

Bruce Springsteen

3/5

Without a doubt the best Springsteen album this last has forced me to listen to.

You're Living All Over Me

Dinosaur Jr.

4/5

An exciting down and dirty energy runs throughout this album. It is fun, kinetic, and low-fi in all the right ways. Contender for worst cover art of all time, though.

Fire Of Love

The Gun Club

4/5

Yes! More punk, less post-punk! Kind of rides the line of punk and rock-a-billy. Doesn't overstay its welcome. Toes the line of anger and goofiness. Love it!

Pretzel Logic

Steely Dan

4/5

I love dad music and I'm here to say, this album will get played on another day!

Seventh Tree

Goldfrapp

4/5

Kind of like what you'd hear in a jazz lounge on Deep Space 9. Silky smooth vocals over fun beats. BIG FAN.

More Songs About Buildings And Food

Talking Heads

5/5

One of my least favorite albums from my favorite band. Still... it's Talking Heads...

Queen II

Queen

5/5

Ah Queen. My first favorite band. Queen has always been, and in many ways remains, extremely popular. Liking Queen is kind of like liking Star Wars. It doesn't make you cool or unique or nerdy. They're one of the biggest bands of all time. That being said, I feel like most of Queen's fame and notoriety comes from their middle years. The Stadium Rock Anthem belters, occasionally veering into weird artsy stuff. For as big of a band as they are, I feel like their early years and later years are underrated. Queen II is a Queen in transition. They are still finding out who they are, and that is Queen in a very interesting place. Queen II is a dark fantasy, something clearly created by young art students. Fairies! Ogres! Queens! They get a lot of their imagery and philosophies form the early days of prog rock, but their musical sensibility is much more hardcore than the boops and beeps of Yes. An early mantra for the band was "No synthesizers. Ever" (This lasted until Freddie changed his mind). You can hear the beginnings of their Rock Opera mentality in pieces like White Queen and The March of the Black Queen. They're almost the Queen everyone knows, but they're still trying on different outfits. I also REALLY enjoy the B-side of See What a Fool I've Been. We get a great glimpse into the "what if" or "sliding doors" scenario of a Queen that pulls more influence from Led Zeppelin (and Black American Blues music by extension). Anyway it's a perennial favorite.

Penthouse And Pavement

Heaven 17

3/5

This is an album I listened to that went into my ears and that I heard. I solemnly swear. It was neither good, nor bad. It just was.

Electric Ladyland

Jimi Hendrix

3/5

Jimi shreds. An album with as many hits as misses. His tragedy, resulting in too little music from a genius, means that we all hold up what little we do have as precious. I hate to bag on this because it's freaking Jimi Hendrix but honestly if he had lived another 50 years this album would be completely forgotten.

Gris Gris

Dr. John

2/5

I'm so glad I wasn't alive during the 60s. Some interesting ideas here but ultimately just a stupid waste of time

3 Feet High and Rising

De La Soul

4/5

A good time for everyone and it feels a little too perfect to be assigned this album on its 34th anniversary

I Against I

Bad Brains

4/5

Hey this is great. We need more Black punk music. Silly fun angry fast and rocking. And it's barely half an hour! Checks basically all my boxes.

Maverick A Strike

Finley Quaye

3/5

Perfectly passable as a reggae album. It's a little weird that he's a Scottish person of Ghanaian descent doing a Jamaican impression. Feels like he's trying to get away with something. Which would be fine if it were great, but it's just okay. Top track by a country mile is Ride On and Turn the People On

Head Hunters

Herbie Hancock

5/5

Sad that Rockit isn't on this album, but Herbie Hancock is a lean, mean, jazz machine who can row my boat any day. This gets 5 stars for Chameleon alone, nearly loses a star for the more bebop parts of Sly, and then gets its star back in Vein Melter.

The Gershwin Songbook

Ella Fitzgerald

5/5

Unsure if this was supposed to be the entire Songbook as the text says, or just the Greatest Hits as the picture showed. Luckily, I love Ella, so I was perfectly happy to listen to the entire book. I tend to prefer my jazz without vocals, but I'll ALWAYS make an exception for Ella. She and her velvety voice are perfect.

Safe As Milk

Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band

4/5

Oh they are a Doors cover band In the end a lot of fun, but not what I expected from their name.

Teenager Of The Year

Frank Black

3/5

An album of fun songs that’s just a bit too long. Enough variety to keep it interesting. Definitely WAY better than the album cover would indicate

Emergency On Planet Earth

Jamiroquai

4/5

A fun sexy jazzy funky time. Any time that Bari honks I am cackling

evermore

Taylor Swift

5/5

This album doesn’t deserve 5 stars but I’m just so in the pocket for Taylor Swift I can’t help it. PLUS she’s a lil cutie

At San Quentin

Johnny Cash

3/5

The energy in this is a lot of fun, but do we need TWO Johnny Cash "Prison Albums? on the list? I would argue we don't. When compared to Folsom, this recording is much shorter, includes a lot more chat and a lot less music. Fully 20% of the songs are the San Quentin song on repeat!!! Just pales in comparison to Folsom in every way. On its own this may be a 4, but on this list it cannot be higher than a 3.

Marcus Garvey

Burning Spear

5/5

I'm sure bad reggae album exists but thankfully I have not heard one.

Feast of Wire

Calexico

4/5

Somewhere between Wilco, a Mariachi Band, and a soundtrack to a western. I. Was. Here. For. It.

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Wilco

5/5

An all time favorite from me

Follow The Leader

Korn

2/5

This is very mediocre but it's far from the worst thing on this list. As with anything even remotely close to the metal genre this was SO UNBELIEVABLY LONG

The Cars

5/5

Another case of where the band basically put out a greatest hits album for their first album. Incredible. Not my favorite songs or my favorite band, but the sheer talent and staying power of all these songs is undeniable. The fact that it's their first attempt at an album is ridiculous.

Teen Dream

Beach House

4/5

The kind of music you'd hear at a beach house in 2010. Liked it a lot didn't love it. Like a 3.8 but I'll round up since I also listened to Korn today

What's Going On

Marvin Gaye

4/5

Still fun, still sexy. Well, maybe a little less fun.

Green River

Creedence Clearwater Revival

5/5

CCR no notes

Street Signs

Ozomatli

4/5

Great mix of world music sounds and grooves. A good choice of music to work or clean the house to.

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

Lauryn Hill

3/5

Nice voice good beats good grooves good samples. A good album! Any time Mary J Blige shows up my ears hurt. Do not like that artist!

Highway 61 Revisited

Bob Dylan

3/5

Happy 800. My 7th (!) Bob Dylan album on this list. I've come to realize that I think that Bob is INCREDIBLY overrated. His voice is truly awful, and his songs are simplistic boomer garbage. But a few of his songs are absolutely undeniable and this album features a bunch of them, so I guess this is a wash.

Parklife

Blur

3/5

The definition of fine. Look if you come from a culture where ketchup is too spicy and the only side dish you can handle is "mushy peas" then this music probably blows your fucking mind.

Doggystyle

Snoop Dogg

3/5

I've always thought Snoop has a smooth, pleasant voice and a buttery, rich flow. This album does not change my mind. Gin and Juice is still a classic of the genre. Lots of these songs are very fun, and I hate to sound like an old, but the horrific misogyny gets hard to listen to after a point

(What's The Story) Morning Glory

Oasis

4/5

It's a meme now but listen Wonderwall is still a great song. So are a lot of these other songs! Against my better judgement I liked this album and was sad when it was over!

Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor

Lupe Fiasco

4/5

A fun rappy time. Kind of a Will Smith album for the new millennium (in an alternate reality where we aren't living in the Willennium, of course)... I like Lupe's rhymes and I like the perspective of someone a bit different (Chicago Muslim) than a lot of other rappers who are (vaguely) east/west coast christians.

Third

Portishead

5/5

This is the kind of music you can put on for like 12 hours and sort of just forget about. I mean that in the best possible way. I couldn't remotely hum any of the songs, and I can't imagine being like "let's go to a Portishead concert"... But I loved it!

American Gothic

David Ackles

2/5

Exactly like all the other vaguely weird vaguely boring 70s crooners that are on this list. They are indecipherable from one another

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

Arctic Monkeys

4/5

Easy to see how this influenced a lot of rock in the late 2000s and early 2010s on both sides of the pond. All meat, no fat! An album that hits hard and doesn't overstay its welcome. High 4 for me, but not quite a 5.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Elton John

4/5

Half all time best Elton John bangers half forgettable shit that you WILL forget.

Straight Outta Compton

N.W.A.

4/5

The Blueprint

Meat Puppets II

Meat Puppets

3/5

Some goofy dudes noodling around. At their best they sound like Nirvana, which doesn't surprise me given their influence on Nirvana. At their worst they sound like Some goofy dudes noodling around. Which is what they are.

Bongo Rock

Incredible Bongo Band

5/5

I came here to listen to bongos and kick ass.

Wild Gift

X

5/5

Fuck if I don't love music like this. Never knew about X before but now I need more!

Gunfighter Ballads And Trail Songs

Marty Robbins

5/5

This is a cracking album with some of the best the genre ever had to offer. I think this also might be the oldest album I've come across so far (#813 for me). It's a shame this guy was a bigoted asshole. It makes me not want to give the album 5 stars, but also he's dead and in hell so who cares

Playing With Fire

Spacemen 3

2/5

Most of the album sounds like early David Bowie which would be cool if this album didn't come 25 years *after* early David Bowie. The track "Suicide" sounds a lot like the band Suicide, which doule be cool if this album didn't come 12 years *after* Suicide. Spacemen 3? More like Derivative 3

The Boatman's Call

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

2/5

Sleepy time honk shoo album of the year

Manassas

Stephen Stills

4/5

Definitely sounds like an a Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young album. Or an album by one of them individually. Giants of folky rock. A good time! A little overlong.

The Rising

Bruce Springsteen

2/5

I suppose I must give credit where credit is due, in that Bruce is branching out her and playing with some different musical styles. Some of these songs sound a bit different from your average Bruce Springsteen song! Unfortunately he is still a horrible songwriter, trash musician, and has a moldy garbage can voice. This list needs to stop forcing Bruce onto me. It's not going to happen.

The Fat Of The Land

The Prodigy

3/5

90s Brit Electronic music. What does that evoke for you? That sound you heard in your head is this album. It's fine!

Liquid Swords

GZA

5/5

One of the all time greats. I think this thing basically earns 4/5 stars just for its intro. The flow on this thing is out of control, and I feel like (being whatever the opposite of an expert on rap is) it really ushered in a new era for the genre. A favorite for many years.

25

Adele

4/5

My esteem for Adele has only grown over the years, but weirdly I remember this being a better album. Hello is a classic, and I really like Send My Love (To Your New Lover). The rest of the album is kind of easy to dismiss, for me. I guess I prefer 21! I need to get around to listening to 30. Maybe after I finish this list in 6 months

16 Lovers Lane

The Go-Betweens

4/5

Reminds me of A House, one of my all time favorite bands. I really liked this! Like... a lot! Not ready to go full 5, but I could see myself bumping it up to 5 in a year.

Live And Dangerous

Thin Lizzy

4/5

I like live albums with lots of energy! I like the songs I know! I like people named Lizzie!

Reggatta De Blanc

The Police

3/5

fuck the police... but not THESE police. Who knew that their non-hits were so... quirky?? An enjoyable time. Sting knows how to sing and how to structure a song. Not sure if the album lives up to its promise of "White Reggae", but maybe the white reggae was the friends we made along the way. It's a high 3 for me, but I've been giving out too many 4s lately, so a 3 it shall be.

Crazysexycool

TLC

4/5

Effortlessly cool in a way that almost makes me mad. These girls are the best. Minus one star for the toilet flushing sound which is so gross. Glad I didn't have this on headphones.

Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

4/5

Neil Young is one of those guys where you always know exactly what you're going to get. I can see how that would annoy some people (it annoys me with a lot of artists!) but with Young I'm just like "this is great!" Down by the River is the album's highlight and, I assume, the reason the album was included on the list. Great vibes.

American Beauty

Grateful Dead

3/5

Never really listened to Grateful Dead. It's nice! A little more country than I was expecting. The softest of rocks.

Amnesiac

Radiohead

4/5

There is a very fine line for me between Radiohead being good/enjoyable/unique and Radiohead being so far up their own ass that they cannot see the sunshine. This album jussssstt squeaks into the first category for me. I loved it! More this and less OK Computer please

Pieces Of The Sky

Emmylou Harris

4/5

It's hard not to compare Emmylou to Dolly Parton. They have a similar vocal style, play in the same genre, and literally sing each other's songs. This is not a fair comparison for Emmylou, because Dolly wins it every single time. But I think that says more about Dolly (and me) than it does about Emmylou. On her own, she's pretty great! A lot of these songs are enjoyable, especially the ones where she talks about BEING DRUNK. Hell yeah, Emmylou, tie one on with me.

London Calling

The Clash

5/5

Don’t like the clash? Fuck you!

Our Aim Is To Satisfy

Red Snapper

4/5

A grooving cool smoky smooth soundscape of beats and samples. A great time! Don't listen to "The Rough and the Quick" if your grandmother is around.

Water From An Ancient Well

Abdullah Ibrahim

4/5

I've been a huge fan of the Abdullah Ibrahim Trio for years, so this is right up my alley. Love the sad, sassy trombone on the title track.

Darklands

The Jesus And Mary Chain

2/5

What if you were too bored to actually play any music on the day you were meant to play music but then in a serious of hilarious coincidences you accidentally recorded yourself being bored and then the recording studio saved it, pressed it, released it, and then 35 years later some dickhead put it on a list?

Harvest

Neil Young

5/5

One of the best albums of all time. That's the review. By total chance I've had several Young albums in the last chunk albums, as well as albums by Stills, and an album by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. Will my last 100 just be albums by this combination of people? I'm okay with that.

Fear and Whiskey

Mekons

2/5

I listened to this about 12 hours ago and I couldn't tell you a single thing about it. I think it was okay?

Stripped

Christina Aguilera

5/5

My wife told me that if I didn't give this 5 stars she would leave me. But I think I would have given it 5 anyway. Even as someone who didn't think they were an Xtina fan, and didn't know any of her songs, this album is full of iconic songs that were ubiquitous in the early 2000s. Her voice is undeniable, and she toes the line of R&B without being too grating on the ears like some R&B artists on this list. Soooo I think I would have given it 5 anyway. But we'll never know.

Music

Madonna

2/5

Pretty ostentatious to name your album "music", as if to encompass all music. Also, how does one talk about this album? "Have you heard music?" "yes, of course" "no, I mean Madonna's music" "like a virgin? yes" "no, I mean her album music" "yes she puts her music on albums" "no" All jokes aside this is pretty bog standard pop music. This is probably the worst of the 3 albums by her I've come across on this list (so far?), but it's inoffensive. Except for her cover of American Pie. That shit was a war crime.

Goodbye And Hello

Tim Buckley

2/5

I love to bag on the author of this list for all the 80s/90s british post-punk/british new wave. Because it's funny how like fully 25% of the albums on this list, which is supposed to encompass the entire world and a century of recorded music, is so one-note. But while I get tired of those albums because there are just so many of them, the music itself is generally pretty enjoyable. I like them all just fine. What we really need to start talking about is the author's obsession with BAD 60s/70s singer-songwriter folky bullshit like this asshole. This album is so bad and so hack and I feel like I have to listen to essentially this exact album at least once a month on here. All the lyrics are about fair maidens and knights and also about like protesting nuclear war or some shit and there's fucking lutes and gtf-outta here with this nonsense.

Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret

Soft Cell

2/5

Tainted Love and Several Other Worse Songs That Sound Like Tainted Love

Konnichiwa

Skepta

4/5

Grime is a fun genre and this is a good album. As with most rap, I really don't need the skits. I get it, it's a fundamental part of the genre. But really, I cannot imagine a single person on the planet earth who is like "oh yeah I loved that skit off that rap album" CUT EM OUT OF ALL RAP ALBUMS

Hot Rats

Frank Zappa

4/5

Zappa is one of those people I feel like I should be a bigger fan of but never full clicks with me. I never "want" to listen to more. I listened to this. It was great! Like... really good! And yet my first instinct after the album was over was to go listen to Gordon Lightfoot (rip), and not more Zappa. I am waffling between 3 and 4 here. I think my brain says 3, since it didn't connect with me that much, but my heart is saying 4 because I know it's great and I think the fault lies within my stars.

Don't Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)

Loretta Lynn

5/5

This list has really cemented for me how absolutely in the pocket I am for 60s country/western music in general, but specifically 60s country/western music from powerful women who hate their drunk husbands.

Bug

Dinosaur Jr.

4/5

Another fun album from Dinosaur Jr. This one sounds ahead of its time in that it's pure 90s, despite coming out in 88. This reminded me a lot of early Flaming Lips (who I love), but I suppose that these guys pre-date them. Nice!

Your Arsenal

Morrissey

3/5

More like "Your Arsehole" Has anyone done this yet? I always like his music more than I think I will, but he's just such an enormous knobhead. Even if I didn't know he was a knobhead, he eminates knobhead energy so strongly in his lyrics and vocals.

The Beach Boys Today!

The Beach Boys

3/5

This is a great album because I am able to like the Beach Boys for exactly 28 minutes per day.

Infected

The The

5/5

Sometimes The The reminds me of They Might Be Giants. Sometimes The The reminds of me Oingo Boingo. Either way, I win! This was such a great little album.

Emperor Tomato Ketchup

Stereolab

3/5

Good name album. Good album art. Just find music. It's very French and even if I hadn't read the blurb I think it's Frenchness would have been apparent. Not bad!

Fuzzy Logic

Super Furry Animals

3/5

Fuzzy, Furry, Funny fun. Sounds very 90s but it's all good. A surprising amount of variety despite not jumping out of its genre too much.

Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water

Limp Bizkit

2/5

Sure, it's mediocre, but at least it is unbearably long!

Rubber Soul

Beatles

5/5

For my money this is the Beatles' best album and that's saying something

The Bones Of What You Believe

CHVRCHES

5/5

Big Tegan and Sara energy

Live At Leeds

The Who

3/5

I find it odd that The Who are considered one of the giants of "classic rock" when they are, in my opinion, the absolute most generic version of classic rock that there is. Perhaps it is the long association of their one song with CSI, but any time I hear their music I think it sounds like a royalty free track called "safe classic rock - good for car wash commercials" And then this album has the added bonus of the boys bantering and coughing up phlegm into a mic while making jokes about "fornication". Really edgy stuff.

My Generation

The Who

2/5

More nice safe classic rock that wouldn't feel out of place on a denture commercial. Rock and Roll! As featured on Young Sheldon. This ain't your dad's rock and roll. Because it's your grandad's.

The Undertones

4/5

Fun punks having fun. Hard to hate on it!

I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight

Richard Thompson

4/5

A nice folky romp!

Fisherman's Blues

The Waterboys

4/5

Celtic and Folky and just wonderful. Gonna knock a star for some of the tracks that are 9 minutes long and DONT NEED TO BE.

90

808 State

3/5

Really approximates what I assume being in a club in a middle-upperclass area of great London in 1989 was like. You can practically smelly the LYNX

Sulk

The Associates

2/5

Sometimes sounds a bit like Bowie but most of the time sounds a bit like shit

Arrival

ABBA

4/5

Idk what was happening at schools in Sweden in the 70s but this feels inappropriate. Lots of all time favorites on here, but a few duds. Ah well, at least it's not another scottish post punk band from the 80s!

Throwing Muses

4/5

Cool girls gone bad

Killing Joke

3/5

This was fine. A bit post punk (boo) a bit industrial (yay) a bit fine.

Movies

Holger Czukay

3/5

This gets at least 2 stars just because of his bitching mustache. The music itself is fine, good even! I think I liked this better than the actually Can album on the list (Future Days). Wouldn't turn off if it came up on a playlist, but also probably wouldn't personally put it on a playlist. THREE IS MY JUDGEMENT

If I Should Fall From Grace With God

The Pogues

5/5

If I'm being brutally honest, this isn't quite as good of an album as Rum Sodomy & The Lash. But... it has Fairytale of New York on it... So five stars it is!

Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge

Mudhoney

2/5

Not sure this is one of the 1,001 albums I needed to hear before I died, but that cover definitely belongs on the list of 1,001 Very Good Drawings Done By a 2 Year Old. I just absolutely do not get the draw of any grunge that is not explicitly Nirvana.

Timeless

Goldie

2/5

For a record called Timeless this sure sounds like a playstation 1 racing game

Fear Of A Black Planet

Public Enemy

5/5

Righteous anger is cool and relevant and fun to listen to

They Were Wrong, So We Drowned

Liars

3/5

Kinda like NIN if they were weird and goofy. I liked it! Don't know when I'd put it back on, so it gets a 3 instead of a 4. Hey, at least it isn't more post punk from the UK.

Trafalgar

Bee Gees

2/5

Sometimes there are albums on this list that I feel like are only here because they "subvert expectations". When I saw The Bee Gees come up I thought "oh fun some disco to start my work week", and then this album was nice but it didn't sound like disco at all. Cool, I guess, but is it revolutionary? Does it deserve to be in these ranks?

The Chronic

Dr. Dre

3/5

Getting this in the same run as a Public Enemy album makes this seem worse than it probably is. Good beats and flow being hindered by juvenile lyrics and some truly awful skits. I recognize the talent and the historical significance but I just wasn't feeling it today.

Eternally Yours

The Saints

4/5

Fun punky boys rippin and roaring around. Punk particularly fits the Australian aesthetic in my mind (having never been).

Devotional Songs

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

4/5

You're not exactly gonna put it on during your morning commute, but this album rips

Black Metal

Venom

4/5

This hit the absolute sweet spot of metal for me. Harsh and gutteral without being unlistenable. Somewhere halfway between like Black Sabbath (love it but that’s just rock and roll) and Korn (no thanks!) I also love how on the joke of their own act they were. Metal is supposed to be over the top and goofy with the satanic witch shit. Not up its own ass. Really enjoyed it!

Gorillaz

5/5

On heavy rotation for me from like middle school to college. I love there later stuff but kind of think they never topped Clint Eastwood

Guero

Beck

4/5

Another classic for younger me. I think the back half is a bit weaker but it was a fun revisit and still a strong album

Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle

Bill Callahan

3/5

I like the tone of his voice and the slow haunting melodies. I feel like the product is worse than the sum of its parts, though. Something doesn’t fully click. Good! Not great. High 3, really

Myths Of The Near Future

Klaxons

3/5

Feels like part of the British new wave of rock from the 2000s while also getting a bit more weird and wooly. Sometimes it works and hits hard. Sometimes it’s abrasive and my ears are sad.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Beatles

5/5

Every Beatles album, when I’m listening to it, feels like it is unquestionably the best Beatles album. That being said, I think this is unquestionably the best Beatles album.

Central Reservation

Beth Orton

3/5

This was an enjoyable album that is very much in the “solo female singer songwriter in the 90s” genre. I don’t think this broke new ground really, but she’s got a nice folksy voice and I liked some of her darker compositions

Trout Mask Replica

Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band

3/5

A lot of you have never accidentally recorded yourself having a nervous breakdown while on acid and IT SHOWS. All kidding aside I liked this a lot for the artistic experiment of it all. A mind melting mix of rock, country, bepop, avant-garde spoken word, and proto punk rock. I can see how this influenced a generation. I can also see why most people hate it. That being said, I’m not adding it to any playlists for summer block parties or anything.

Fleet Foxes

4/5

Another college favorite. Love the harmonies. This feels like an early entry in the 2010s folk revival trend, which I still love. I will say that the songs get a bit samey near the end, and I found myself checking my watch. Which is saying something for a 39 minute album.

Honky Tonk Heroes

Waylon Jennings

4/5

Hell yeah Waylon sing me a sad song

Ghosteen

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

4/5

Nick Cave continues to be the king of spooky sad vampire music. In this one his sound scapes evolve into what I can only describe as “Division Bell-era Pink Floyd”. Which is one of my favorite PF eras! Loved this, is what I’m saying

Floodland

Sisters Of Mercy

2/5

Some truly bog standard 80s synth wave/new wave. Your level of enjoyment with this really depends on how long you’ve been working through the list. I’m creating album 900, and I’ve definitely heard this exact album 50+ times now.

The ArchAndroid

Janelle Monáe

5/5

A fun and melodic mashup for an hour and change. A techno jazz odyssey!

Tarkus

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

3/5

On the one hand I like Prog rock and this album cover is so awesome. On the other hand sometimes ELP goes too hard and I need them to slow down.

Green

R.E.M.

4/5

This list has really forced me to really reckon with whether I like REM or not. They’re on here like five times! Turns out I do. Orange crush rules and the rest of the album ain’t half bad

Legalize It

Peter Tosh

4/5

DONT CRITICIZE IT

Back To Black

Amy Winehouse

4/5

I was so ready not to like this but it really kicks ass. Enjoyed it too to bottom. The Deluxe version has a bunch of ska/reggae tracks at the end! Even better

Rhythm Nation 1814

Janet Jackson

4/5

Another album I expected to be Meh on but I was totally grooving to this. A bit overlong (idk why but the second an album hits 60 minutes I’m DONE) but a great intro to Jan Jack

Idlewild

Everything But The Girl

2/5

I assume that this album plays on repeat in suburban British dentist offices, and I will continue to assume that until I am definitely proven otherwise.

Another Green World

Brian Eno

5/5

A monumental classic. After listening to this I went and listened to Brian Eno for like 3 more hours (Whoops!) My man has released like 4+ hours of music in 2023 alone. Hardest working minimalist out there.

Done By The Forces Of Nature

Jungle Brothers

4/5

Lots of good fun. Classic harmless “went to the hat store” early rap. I really like their sampling game.

The College Dropout

Kanye West

1/5

If someone tells me they’re a nazi I believe ‘em

Happy Sad

Tim Buckley

2/5

What kind of dirt does the Buckley family have on Robert Dimery?

Ace of Spades

Motörhead

3/5

This is a fun band that I will always associate with Tony Hawk (showing my age here?). I'm not sure we need both this AND No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (Live) on the list. The track lists are almost exactly the same. If I had to choose one, I would be inclined to go with the live album for its energy.

Solid Air

John Martyn

2/5

British people shouldn't be allowed to do Blues music

Skylarking

XTC

3/5

Kind of Genesis-y. I'd heard of XTC before and this is absolutely not what I was expecting. I enjoy being surprised. But also it wasn't that impressive.

Planet Rock: The Album

Afrika Bambaataa

4/5

Uh oh another fun early rap album what are we to do? Uh oh more bitching cover art what are we to do?

BEYONCÉ

Beyoncé

2/5

I pretty miserable experience. I've never liked Beyonce, and I still don't. I find her voice annoying, and her singing to be insufferable. She's also a bad person! I've had the misfortune of being friends with (and married to!) lots of Beyonce fans, so it's not an issue of lack of exposure. I tried to give this a chance (and I did listen to every single track on this 90+ minute masturbatory odyssey) and it's just not for me.

Electric Prunes

The Electric Prunes

3/5

Somewhere between Beach Boys and the Doors, with a sprinkling of The Beatles. But, of course, not nearly as good as any of those groups. Come for the goofy band name, stay for the tight pants.

Savane

Ali Farka Touré

5/5

I know I'm a stereotype of myself, but I fucking loved this. 4 tracks in and I was already sad at how quickly it was going by. I never wanted it to end! Cool rock attitudes with some traditional elements and an overall catchy swagger.

A Wizard, A True Star

Todd Rundgren

3/5

Fun and a lil goofy dad rock. I'm suspicious of anyone named Todd.

Two Dancers

Wild Beasts

3/5

At times this sounds a bit like Glass Animals, which is when it’s at its best.

A Hard Day's Night

Beatles

5/5

5 stars for If I Fell by itself, you know?

Call of the Valley

Shivkumar Sharma

5/5

I'll add to the list of people who say DON'T LISTEN TO THIS ON SPOTIFY THE ALBUM THAT COMES UP IS NOT THE RIGHT ALBUM. Listened on Youtube and it was so enjoyable that I listened to it immediately a second time after.

Time (The Revelator)

Gillian Welch

4/5

Was ready to be bored but her dark silky voice over bare bones folk was exactly what I needed today. Could be talked up to a five.

Liege And Lief

Fairport Convention

5/5

First impression upon seeing the album cover and that it's another goddamn British band - "oh no not again" My impression after listening to the album - "Can this play on repeat forever?" Maybe it's the sort of rainy gloomy day here but I was completely transported by every single track here.

Meat Is Murder

The Smiths

2/5

Some days I feel like I like The Smiths and some days it’s extremely grating on my ears. But no matter what every single track sounds exactly the same. These knob heads wrote one song and dined out on it for like 4 decades

Architecture And Morality

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

3/5

For a band "inspired by Kraftwerk" that "wanted to be the next ABBA", this was very uninspired. Synthy poppy tunes with someone hammering on some metal sheets in the background. Kinda fun and quirky at times but not especially remarkable.

O.G. Original Gangster

Ice T

3/5

Entirely too long. Contender for world's worst album cover? It's easy to make fun of T, but my friend has some good flow and he managed to do something no rapper has ever heretofore made me do: laugh at one of his skits.

Highly Evolved

The Vines

4/5

Always love this period in Rock music. It was very much a coming of age time for me. I had never heard of this band, nor any of their songs WITH THE EXCEPTION of "Get Free", but weirdly I had only ever heard Weird Al's cover. Either way I was a big fan of this. A good day!

Rock Bottom

Robert Wyatt

3/5

Weird and proggy

Traffic

4/5

A funky blend of rock, funk, prog, psychedelia, folk, etc. that all feels way ahead of its time. A fun time! Definitely surpassed my middling expectations. I would listen to this again, and even seek out more tracks from Traffic.

Kings Of The Wild Frontier

Adam & The Ants

3/5

Kind of like a not-quite-as-good Oingo Boingo. I'd listen to them again, but I'd just spend the whole time thinking about how Boingo is better.

The Grand Tour

George Jones

4/5

Good, even great, country.

Grievous Angel

Gram Parsons

3/5

Pretty good country music but what's with the myspace photo for the cover??? Hilariously bad.

Cee-Lo Green... Is The Soul Machine

Cee Lo Green

2/5

This sounds so incredibly dated in such a specific way. I think the mix is pretty good, you can hear the influence of Outkast. But the master sounds like shit! At least on Spotify. Cee Lo is a mediocre lyricist and his flow is also pretty "mid" as the kids say. Gnarles Barkley is a better outfit than any of his solo stuff.

McCartney

Paul McCartney

3/5

Look he's 1/4 of the Beatles so this album is at least 1/4 as good as a Beatles, which is pretty good. Is it essential? Probably not, but I do think it earns a spot on this list, and I was glad to listen to the whole thing.

Youth And Young Manhood

Kings of Leon

3/5

What if SOUTHERN fusion of grungy and 2000s garage rock? The lead singer is the mumbliest man ever recorded. Should be in a Guinness book or something.

White Light / White Heat

The Velvet Underground

3/5

I am often somewhat dismissive of Velvet Underground but I was really feeling the groove today. I dug it! 17 minutes is still too long for a track though.

The Slim Shady LP

Eminem

2/5

As a native of the greater Detroit area my feelings on Eminem are... complex. I appreciate anytime a "hometown hero" makes it big, and Marshall is absolutely a better rep of The D than a lot of the other options (Kid Rock, Uncle Kracker, Ted Nugent... a real murderer's row of pieces of shit). Plus, Mathers has great flow and undeniable talent. The hooks are memorable and, if nothing else, incredibly catchy. But jesus christ is this hard to listen to. What if an edgelord middleschooler was given a global platform and purposely said every awful thing he could think of in order to be a provocateur? I think he's actually gotten better as he has aged (and matured). This shit is hard to get through in 2023.

Headquarters

The Monkees

3/5

why listen to the beatles when you can listen to someone doing a beatles impression?

Ellington at Newport

Duke Ellington

4/5

Excellent album with wayyyyy too much talking. It's cool that we have this little recorded artifact but a good 25+ minutes of this 2 hour album is introducing band members, talking about what jazz is, or riffing with the crowd.

Post Orgasmic Chill

Skunk Anansie

5/5

Me before hearing of the sub-genres "clit-rock" and "Black feminist rage": "what are clit-rock and Black feminist rage?" Me after hearing of the sub-genres "clit-rock" and "Black feminist rage": "I'll take all of this you've got"

Blood, Sweat & Tears

4/5

A firm entry into the Dad Classics genre. Rock and jazz together, you say? I'm there! Literally my only complaint is that Lucretia Macevil isn't on here.

So

Peter Gabriel

4/5

I'm a latecomer to Peter Gabriel, having only discovered him in the last 5 years or so. This album begins and ends so strongly, and is evocative of a very specific type of "80s" feeling for me. I love it! If it didn't sag so much in the middle I think this would be an easy five for me, but there's a track or two in the middle that are very forgettable.

Cosmo's Factory

Creedence Clearwater Revival

4/5

One of the greats. I’d never heard the full length Grapevine before. What a groove

It's Too Late to Stop Now

Van Morrison

4/5

Some nice easy listening that is not controversial. I think anyone from the age of like 2 to 100 would have a hard time getting worked up and negative about this. I enjoyed all these songs and if I heard them again I wouldn't turn them off. Somewhere between a 3 and a 4 (the live band is very tight, some real skill here). I'm going to go 4 because I'm in a good mood and also my next album in the line up is the notorious Spy vs. Spy.

Spy Vs. Spy: The Music Of Ornette Coleman

John Zorn

3/5

Challenging, yes, but entertaining. The speed, intensity, and dexterity with which these talented musicians play is CRAZY. Not good BBQ music, sure, but I'm glad I heard it and would be open to hearing it again.

Smile

Brian Wilson

2/5

All of the worst things about the Beach Boys. Okay he harmonizes well and has a high voice. Why does everyone fall over themselves to worship this guy?

...Baby One More Time

Britney Spears

4/5

A pop classic. Wish I hadn't been such a stereotypical "boy" when I was younger because I could have been enjoying this for many more years! Some of the slower tracks in the middle get a bit samey/boring. There's a proclivity in these songs to lean on the R&B which I don't think is Britney's strength necessarily. But the first 4-5 and last 2-3 tracks are so good that really it's a good time all around. Can't believe she recorded this at 18!

Atomizer

Big Black

3/5

Harsh dark sounds that occasionally groove. Not the worst, but not the best. Don't need to listen to this one again.

Metal Box

Public Image Ltd.

2/5

I try to approach every post-punk album on this list (today marks number 75!!!) with a fresh mind. I consciously try to drop off all my baggage from the last 74 albums at the door and start a new relationship with a new album. For the first, like, 45 seconds I was really into this! Good bass lines and interesting synth compositions. And then the singing starts and it is a FUCKING NIGHTMARE... I enjoyed the last track or two because they were entirely instrumental. Shut up this man.

A Little Deeper

Ms. Dynamite

3/5

BOG STANDARD R&B.

Paris 1919

John Cale

3/5

BOG STANDARD 70s FOLK

Peter Gabriel 3

Peter Gabriel

4/5

I love Pete Gabs and you should too

4/5

Against my own better judgement and the outright jouvenile nature of side A of this album, it won be over by the end. I actually didn't want it to end! It could have been 10-15 minutes longer, something I don't say lightly after nearly 950 of these albums.

69 Love Songs

The Magnetic Fields

5/5

When I saw the runtime on this I nearly shat a brick. Knowing the proclivities of our ne'er-do-well list maker, I was really dreading this listen through. And then I fucking loved it. It's a mix of Tally Hall and Mountain Goats and Ween and Ben Folds Five. I would have been obsessed with this in high school. This probably actually deserves a 4, but I am giving it a 5 to offset the disappointing number of people who have said "I saw the runtime and just didn't bother" and then gave it 1.

Henry's Dream

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

3/5

Still like this spooky vampire man but I don't know if we need 5+ of his albums on here, and this one in particular could be dropped

Songs From The Big Chair

Tears For Fears

4/5

I am really sick of this genre and the seeming compulsion of our List Author to include every single album of this era. HOWEVER Tears for Fears rules and this album rules and I was very much in the pocket for it yesterday.

We're Only In It For The Money

The Mothers Of Invention

3/5

Zappa sure is a weirdo and I'm glad weirdos exist and are represented on this list. I'm also glad someone is dunking on all the hippies because someone needed to do it. But I don't need to hear it more than once.

Getz/Gilberto

Stan Getz

5/5

Two of my favorite people playing some of my favorite music? A great Friday for me !

Aftermath

The Rolling Stones

3/5

This is from the era where the US and the UK versions of the same album not only had a different track order but an entirely different track listing. If it's different songs and a different album cover and released at a different time, is it even the same album? I assume based on our author that this list entry is the UK version. A good album! I've always liked the Stones without really getting why they were as big as they were. 60s rock! Great! Sounds like other 60s rock! Maybe people just like Mick Jagger because he looks like a human blow up doll

Blunderbuss

Jack White

5/5

If you don't have this on so loud that it is actively giving you tinnitus then you didn't have the volume up high enough.

Out of Step

Minor Threat

4/5

Me when the 327th post-punk album pops up on this list: I sleep Me when the 327th punk album pops up on this list: real shit

G. Love And Special Sauce

G. Love & Special Sauce

3/5

After a lifetime of hearing them being listed as 4th tier guests at 3rd rate music festivals around metro Detroit, it was nice to finally hear what the special sauce was. It was fine! Kinda rappy bluesy lazy music.

Vulnicura

Björk

4/5

I love Bjork and her weird vagina outfit and her weird jellyfish hat and her weird swan dress and her weird music

Golden Hour

Kacey Musgraves

4/5

A very Taylor Swifty country album. Nice simple, bare-bones compositions accompanying nice vocals. This is not innovative or groundbreaking, but it is a good example of a good genre done very well.

Nighthawks At The Diner

Tom Waits

4/5

Love Tom Waits and I want to be in the imaginary jazz club where all these nonsense happened

Live / Dead

Grateful Dead

2/5

I've given it a lot of thought and honestly after weighing the two options, I'm going to go with dead.

#1 Record

Big Star

3/5

I asked ChatGPT to write me the number 1 record of 1972 and this is what came out. Pretty good!

Slayed?

Slade

3/5

Best track off this album wasn’t even on the album it was a non album single. These boys should have spent more time in school, their spelling is atrocious

Aja

Steely Dan

4/5

If you're in your 30s-40s, your parents banged to this album. I'm sorry, but it's a fact.

Dry

PJ Harvey

4/5

A genre of music that I would not list among my favorites 3 years ago, this list has really made me appreciate the sub genre of 1990s female-led alternative rock. Stuff like Garbage, Hole, Sleater-Kinney, and PJ Harvey. So thanks, list! Thlist.

If I Could Only Remember My Name

David Crosby

4/5

Are Crosby Stills Nash and Young the best ever supergroup? They are so fantastic together and also on their own. Neil Young will never be topped but this album by Crosby comes really close. Absolutely loved it.

Kollaps

Einstürzende Neubauten

3/5

I feel like whether or not you enjoy this is really predicated on how much Quake you played in the early 1990s

Now I Got Worry

The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion

3/5

The artist's name really says it all. While perhaps somewhat controversial, I like Spencer's Elvis schtick.

The Good, The Bad & The Queen

5/5

Dunno how I originally stumbled across this but I've been a fan for like 15+ years now. Love hearing the Gorrilaz guy do something a bit different.

Joan Baez

4/5

A genre that I can be really hot and cold on, yesterday this hit hard and went down smooth. I enjoyed just about every track on this stellar debut album. I think the highlight may be House of the Rising Sun. Girl of Constant Sorrow was interesting, but the Soggy Bottom Boys did it first (and best!)

Suzanne Vega

4/5

Getting this immediately after Joan Baez's self-titled debut makes for a good duet. Quickly hearing 30 years of female-led folk evolving right before your ears makes you appreciate it even more. And this album is a worth successor! I liked just about every track, with Marlene on the Wall being a clear favorite. Good stuff.

Honky Tonk Masquerade

Joe Ely

3/5

Some of these songs were silly! Good honky tonk action

Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches

Happy Mondays

3/5

So 90s! Kind of like a crappy Red Hot Chili Peppers

Tank Battles

Dagmar Krause

2/5

I want to give this a one but since we share a surname I think Dagmar and I must be related. You have to stick by your family, even if they make a horrible, horrible mistake. Also, joking aside, there are parts of this that aren't that bad. Whenever she's actually singing in German and there's actually music playing behind her, I feel like there's some quality here. It's when she sings uncomfortably in English and/or the "music" turns into "arthouse circus" that I get sad.

When I Was Born For The 7th Time

Cornershop

5/5

Shhhhhiiiiiiiitttt this was cool. When I saw it was *another* "English Indie" band I was very apprehensive, but this is so fresh and original and unique. I loved the blending of rock, pop, hip hop, and classic Indian sounds. I'm more inclined toward Side B of the record, with more chill hip hop sounds, but really this whole thing is great. I'm 963 albums into this goofy journey and there are STILL nuggets of gold to find. This is what keeps me coming back to wade through all the crappy Post Punk bs

Goo

Sonic Youth

3/5

Sonic Youth continues to coast off of the radical concept of "what if rock music sounded a little fuzzy like maybe your speaker isn't very good but we're doing it on purpose". This is the 5th album by them on the list that I have come across (SO FAR) and they're all totally fine. I never wanted to turn it off or jump out a window, but I cannot imagine someone spending their hard earned money on purchasing an album from these people at an FYE at the mall in 1990

Rising Above Bedlam

Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart

4/5

Made the mistake of looking into this guy and seeing that he was a founding member of Public Image Ltd (PiL). I think think those guys succcckckkkk. So I went into this with a chip on my shoulder. Turns out the album rules! Really great mix of world musical styles and grooves.

The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter

The Incredible String Band

4/5

I wish I hadn't known this was one of the lowest rated albums on this entire list. I really do, because I think I probably would have given it a 2 or 3. It's fine, if a bit amateurish. I like the hippie folky weirdness of it. But y'all are overreacting so much that I need to offset your frankly insanely low ratings and adjust the average rating here a bit. This album isn't great, but it isn't even in the bottom 100 on this list.

1999

Prince

5/5

Sometimes I feel like I don’t get prince and then sometimes I listen to 70 minutes of ball-tingling bangers

Freak Out!

The Mothers Of Invention

2/5

Oh look it's a slightly angrier Piper at the Gates of Dawn. I'm glad Zappa exists but I really don't get him. And I love weirdos!

Electric

The Cult

3/5

Generic 80s hair band stuff that I enjoyed until I got to their cover of Born to Be Wild, which is so laughably bad that it made me realize that I could have spent today listening to a better 80s hair band

Destroy Rock & Roll

Mylo

3/5

Dammit if I didn't really like this album of groovy beats and smooth sounds. Nothing to write home about but it was chill with my coffee on a Saturday morning

New Forms

Roni Size

2/5

Dull and repetitive, Mr. Roni simply pushed "90s fast drum beat sound effect" on his computer and accidentally forgot to stop for 2 hours.

The White Room

The KLF

3/5

Very fine and not terrible and not remarkable at all

Tanto Tempo

Bebel Gilberto

5/5

Another album I've loved for over 20 years. Sing to me Bebel

Funeral

Arcade Fire

5/5

Pretty unequivocally their best album, I think. A great from a a great era in the genre.

The Rolling Stones

3/5

Wow these white British boys sure do make Black American blues music sound digestible to white audiences. All joking aside, this album sounds great and is a lot of fun. They already have a Rolling Stones sound.

Searching For The Young Soul Rebels

Dexys Midnight Runners

4/5

I was initially shocked and a bit annoyed to find TWO albums by 1 hit wonders Dexys Midnight Runners on this list. This album doesn't even have Eileen on it! What's the point?? But then I listened to it. This is such a fun little album. All ska horn lines and youthful energy. Lot's of real toe tappers on here!

War

U2

3/5

The most overrated band on this list (and that's saying something). This is their 4th appearance! Blasphemy. I'll say this, there were parts of this album that weren't annoying, and other parts that were even enjoyable! Sure, they're entirely up their own ass the entire time, but I will give credit where credit is due. The other 3 albums can be dropped from this list. Honestly, all 4 can, but if you're going to keep 1, this can be it.

The Predator

Ice Cube

4/5

By a WILD coincidence I was watching the 2015 film "Straight Outta Compton" on the very self-same day that I was assigned this album. The movie was alright, but I think the synergy made me enjoy both a lot more. Love the righteous anger and the flow. This album sounds like the future (and it was, in a lot of ways). Don't love the homophobia or sexism, but I also understand that that's part of the genre/image.

Tom Tom Club

5/5

I love literally anything even tangentially related to Talking Heads, so I am all about this shit. Can I join the club???

Vauxhall And I

Morrissey

3/5

I have such a love hate relationship with Morrisey. This is the sixth (!!) Morrisey project on this list (that's .05% of the whole list), and what I've learned is that Morrisey has a really punchable face, his lyrics are incredibly up their own ass, and all the music sounds exactly the same. And yet, I always find myself completely in the pocket about 10 minutes into an album. His sound is great, there's a reason thousands of music acts have been imitating it (most of them are on this list!). Just don't listen too closely and don't look at his face and you'll have a great time.

What's That Noise?

Coldcut

4/5

Whenever I see "British Electronic Music Group" on here (so basically every other day for the last 3 years) I always cross my fingers. Sometimes it's great, and sometimes it's awful. Today was great!

Groovin'

The Young Rascals

3/5

This is a contender for the worst album cover I have ever seen. Why the fuck was the the style for the entirety of the 60s and 70s? I refuse to believe that anyone thought it looked good. But hey the album was fun and melodious and pretty good for a Beatles knockoff.

Duck Stab/Buster & Glen

The Residents

4/5

Wild wild ride. I can hear the influences of early They Might Be Giants, early Ween, and so many more of my favorite college radio faves. This album is weird and offputting and at times legitimately unsettling. VERY COOL

Da Capo

Love

3/5

Wow man it's rock and roll dude. 18 minute rock odysseys are stupid, but as far as those go this one is fine. I like when it gets kinda jazzy at the end.

Olympia 64

Jacques Brel

4/5

Ah Jacques Brel. My familiarity with him begins and ends with Amsterdam, and only because Bowie did a (Superior, I think, although it's close) cover. This album is fun and zippy and what's not to love about a French crooner?

After The Gold Rush

Neil Young

5/5

I can only hit 5 stars so fast, you know?

Only By The Night

Kings of Leon

3/5

Yep it’s the Kings of Leon alright

Os Mutantes

4/5

Pretty generic 60s psychadelia album that gets an admittedly biased bump from be for being Brazilian. I like when there is any variety at all on this list, and hearing non-English lyrics and some unique instrumentation tickled me.

The Bends

Radiohead

5/5

For my money this is their best album. I find that Radiohead spans from "this is fine" to "shut the heck up you pretentious ass", but for whatever reason The Bends absolutely clicks with me and I genuinely think it's a masterpiece. The rest of their stuff can leave this list and this can stay.

Want One

Rufus Wainwright

4/5

This grew in me immensely as it went on. Ended sounding like Radiohead or Fun. or something.

Mott

Mott The Hoople

3/5

Bog standard 70s rock. Always enjoyable, but I found myself looking at my watch before the end. These guys are better when Bowie helps them.

The Modern Dance

Pere Ubu

2/5

Much better than the other Ubu album on here (That's right there's TWO OF THEM) but only just. Some of the musical compositions are interesting, and I kind of like the humor in taking a groove and inserting some challenging sax bleats or whatever. Really it's the horrid, awful vocal wailing shit that I cannot stand.

Sex Packets

Digital Underground

4/5

So glad to now know where Coach Z got his licks from

Among The Living

Anthrax

4/5

I don't think I can make any argument that these guys are better than the likes of Black Sabbath or Pantera or a pantheon of others. But they're also not notably worse. Sometimes you want some uptempo shredding, and today this fit the bill perfectly.

Talk Talk Talk

The Psychedelic Furs

3/5

Yes, essential. Yes. Look, there's nothing to scoff at here, and I found the whole thing pretty catchy. I'm not sure how monumental it is, since there are roughly 300 other albums on this list that sound exactly like this (and today is #995 for me, so I can say that with authority.

m b v

My Bloody Valentine

5/5

I love the ethereal fuzz of MY Bloody Valentine so much. This is my 3rd album of theirs on this list, and they absolutely grow in my estimation each and every time. This rating is really for the band overall, I'm not sure if this individual album is truly their best. I'll need to revisit it over the rest of my life!

Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes

TV On The Radio

4/5

Fun and quirky and deep and weird. Loved this from beginning to end! Never knew what the next track would be.

KE*A*H** (Psalm 69)

Ministry

4/5

In spite of myself I really enjoyed this. It's somewhere between NIN (which I love and think is art) and Slipknot (which is awful and like a bad parody). Like sometimes this album goes hard and is awesome, and sometimes it pushes up (or even goes past) that very fine line between awesome and lame. But overall it's a good time, and I would wager a guess that these guys don't take themselves too seriously.

Arular

M.I.A.

5/5

M.I.A. is just so fucking cool she makes me want to be a criminal

Apple Venus Volume 1

XTC

3/5

Fun and quirky and melodic. I was going to go with 4 stars because this is very much my kind of music, but I need to drop 1 whole star for "Your Dictionary" which has some of the dumbest lyrics I have ever heard in my entire god-forsaken life.

You Are The Quarry

Morrissey

2/5

I always want to try really hard to approach a Morrissey album with fresh opinions. I want to say something more substantive than "Jesus Christ, what a fucking wanker" But here we are. Jesus Christ, what a wanker! (Happy 1,001, Tom)

Debut

Björk

5/5

I love Björk and I find her brand of weirdness sexy and fun.

Smokers Delight

Nightmares On Wax

3/5

Pretty low key and chill. Very much a predecessor to "Chill beats to study to" or whatever.

The Only Ones

3/5

Another Girl Another Planet and then some other stuff. Sometimes it’s okay to let one hit wonders be one hit wonders

Stephen Stills

5/5

I am a stereotype but sometimes that's okay.

Better Living Through Chemistry

Fatboy Slim

5/5

One of my first ever Amazon.com purchases (back when they had first expanded to selling music in addition to books). I don't even know why I wanted it, but I did. Still slaps top to bottom.

Court And Spark

Joni Mitchell

3/5

Sometimes Joni hits me just right and sometimes she leaves me cold. Today felt like autumn and I pictured leaves blowing as she sang her tunes. This was pretty good until the last track switched over into caterwauling

Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

Wu-Tang Clan

4/5

I'm a sucker for the kung fu rap fusion stuff that Wu-Tang absolutely pioneered. I've had Liquid Swords on heavy rotation over the last 6 years or so. This was new to me, but I enjoyed every minute of it.

The Köln Concert

Keith Jarrett

5/5

Beautiful jazzy improv, what's not to love?

Talking With the Taxman About Poetry

Billy Bragg

3/5

I like the sound and feel of this album, even if the lyrics can be a bit overbearing. Bragg is not a "good" singer and yet his voice and passion works really well here. High 3 low 4 for me, but I've given out a lot of 4s and 5s this week, and this isn't as good as those, so I'll land on 3.

Django Django

4/5

This album sucks, unless you love weird fun and chill groves and awesome hangouts. Oh, you do? Then this album rules.

The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators

The 13th Floor Elevators

4/5

Fun and wild psychadelia in a way that feels provocative, maybe even dangerous. Very enjoyable!

Dare!

The Human League

3/5

Do you remember that song that's used in commercials a lot that goes "Don't you want me baby"? What if that band actually had recorded a whole album? It's certainly fun to imagine and think about, but luckily they never did so we don't have to worry about it too much.

Shleep

Robert Wyatt

3/5

Someone once told Robert Wyatt he was quirky as a compliment and he just ran with it! Shleep is much more fun to say than it is to listen to.

Porcupine

Echo And The Bunnymen

3/5

I literally cannot believe there are more than one Echo and the Bunnymen album on this website list. There must be some mistake.

Fuzzy

Grant Lee Buffalo

3/5

Absolutely no one would disagree that this is music that was recorded and put onto youtube for me to listen to as a part of this very long list.

Heaux Tales

Jazmine Sullivan

3/5

I like the crisp clean arrangements and the beats are smooth. The album peaks early (Put on your feelings) and outstays its welcome despite its 32 minute run time

Who Killed...... The Zutons?

The Zutons

4/5

Exists somewhere in a Venn Diagram of The Fratellis, The Killers, The Shins, and Jack White. Yes please!

The Trinity Session

Cowboy Junkies

2/5

The first track is kinda fun but this entire album creeps by at a dull 60bpm. It really just goes on and on and it’s fine but like why are they so bored with their own music

Quiet Life

Japan

4/5

A silky smooth, smoky, neon-glowing good time. It's amazing how mood affects your enjoyment of something. I tried listening to this during a long car ride yesterday and thought it was incredibly dull and bad. Today it hit perfectly

Elastica

5/5

Girls who rock are always cool in my book, and this album is no exception. Could listen on loop forever.

Selected Ambient Works 85-92

Aphex Twin

3/5

Bops on top of bops, blips, bleeps, and boops. How does one rate something like this? I do not know enough about the genre to appreciate the craft to the level that I feel confident appraising this thing fully. I liked it!

Third

Soft Machine

2/5

I like a lot of prog albums quite a lot. This one is very "mid" as the kids say. It's extremely meandering and just feels like it's padded out to fill up a double album for the sake of it. The musicianship is loose without feeling intentionally so. It comes off as amateurish and bored.

So Much For The City

The Thrills

2/5

What if The Flaming Lips never, ever, ever did drugs even one time and frankly is offended that you even asked about it?

The Wildest!

Louis Prima

5/5

He rips and roars and is wild. More of this please.

Southern Rock Opera

Drive-By Truckers

2/5

Decent Lynyrd Skynyrd knock-off but no way it needs to be almost two hours long.

Lam Toro

Baaba Maal

5/5

Makes ya wanna go to Senegal, right?

Gasoline Alley

Rod Stewart

2/5

Sure, Rod Stewart is the only man that can still sexually excite your septuagenarian aunt, but what value is he providing the rest of us? It's nice that Aunt Laverne quivers at the very thought of his large chin and very androgynous features (she deserves to quiver at her age!), but it does very little for me.

Heartattack And Vine

Tom Waits

5/5

This little piano gremlin has done it again

Nixon

Lambchop

4/5

Didn't know what sound to expect when I hit play, but I was overall surprised by this. Lambchop has a knack for beautiful, yet haunting, simple, yet catchy melodies. Love the Neil Young-esque vocals. Definitely going to check out more of their catalogue.

Ys

Joanna Newsom

4/5

Wow great! Folky and lovely. I like the little squeak her voice does sometimes.

Cupid & Psyche 85

Scritti Politti

2/5

this album boldly asks the scandalous question, \"what if michael jackson didn't have access to good producers, writers, editors, or talent?\"

Walking Wounded

Everything But The Girl

2/5

When you go to the dance club but it's "Geriatric Easy Listening Super Softees" night

Justified

Justin Timberlake

3/5

This takes me back to, like, middle school dances. This is a scenario about which I have many complicated feelings. Trying to divorce my feelings about that time and about the actual music is a challenge. I think this is all just fine early-2000s pop music, I guess. It's been stuck in my head all afternoon so I'll give it that.

Back to Basics

Christina Aguilera

3/5

If this were just disc 1 I'd give it 4 or maybe 5. She's got the pipes and this is great 2000s pop! Ain't No Other Man is one of my favorite pop tracks of the era. But this album is nearly 90 minutes long and the entire second disc is disposable.

Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus

Spirit

3/5

Bog standard 70s rock. Enjoyable! Good, even. Not sure it belongs here? The music itself is pretty basic, and a peek at wikipedia tells me that the album was not a huge hit, and still remains not a huge hit. The band members are not big names (it's not like this was Bruce Springsteen's first band or something). The most remarkable thing I can figure about this album is that the producer eventually also was a producer for Neil Young? Is that enough to place it on the "albums you must hear" list?

Black Monk Time

The Monks

4/5

Feels anarchic and edgy even now. Fun to read the "story" behind this group and this album. I needed a win after more than a week of 2 and 3 star snoozers!

Caetano Veloso

4/5

I Like the mix of everything going on here, and the fact that it's in Portuguese makes it especially fun. I'm here for it!

Songs The Lord Taught Us

The Cramps

4/5

A bunch jerks goofing and riffing, making punky surf music. Yes please.

At Budokan

Cheap Trick

3/5

A legendary live album from an okay band. I like the hits, the rest can go take a hike

Aqualung

Jethro Tull

5/5

Some of the tracks on here are kind of forgettable, but Aqualung, My God, and Locomotive Breath alone earn this fucker 5 stars

Don't Stand Me Down

Dexys Midnight Runners

2/5

Some truly dire shite. 3 full albums is way too much for a band with (barely) a single hit.

Sound of Silver

LCD Soundsystem

5/5

The best from the best

All Hail the Queen

Queen Latifah

4/5

Gets a liiiiitle repetitive but otherwise I Stan a queen (the queen!)

Scissor Sisters

4/5

Sounds like a 70s/80s British Disco/Glam band, but it's from the US in 2004! Wow how is that possible. Are these gays time travelers? I've enjoyed the scissor sisters since they were featured in a Doctor Who episode around 2006. So, yeah, I was cool in high school.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Kanye West

2/5

This album is pretty undeniably great but I absolutely cannot separate the art from the artist here. I wish I could! Honest!

California

American Music Club

2/5

Sure it's safe, but at least it's boring

good kid, m.A.A.d city

Kendrick Lamar

4/5

Nowhere near as good as Butterfly but I still like his style and his melodies.

The Libertines

4/5

British 2000s Rock Revival is my shit. I don't like it as much as the Americans and their Garage Rock revolution, but it's pretty good. Nonetheless, I think this is a lesser album of the subgenre. Good! Listenable! Lots of fun! Would have dug it in high school. But not excellent

Led Zeppelin

4/5

Low down dirty blues rock. The foundational text. Want to give it a 5 but they stole literally all these songs from Black people and I can't not think about it whenever I listen.

Rid Of Me

PJ Harvey

4/5

My esteem of PJ grows with each entry of hers on this list. Another very 90s sounding fem rock album

Survivor

Destiny's Child

3/5

I think this is the best iteration of Beyonce but I'm really just not a Beyonce fan in any capacity whatsoever.

Tellin’ Stories

The Charlatans

2/5

Oops the author accidentally put another Oasis cover band on here

In Our Heads

Hot Chip

4/5

I don't think this is as good as One Life Stand, which for my money is the best Hot Chip album, but I suppose I'm happy that they're included in this list at all! It's still groovy as hell, I just don't think it has the infectiously compulsive "sing along" feeling of One Life Stand.

Pictures At An Exhibition

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

4/5

I've always loved Mussorgsky's Pictures. Hearing it with synths is even more fun! Neat.

Histoire De Melody Nelson

Serge Gainsbourg

3/5

I like the low sexy voice and the laid back, chill vibes of the tunes. It's extremely samey. After the first track you can predict what the rest of the album will sound like (exactly like the first track) There's also perhaps the most annoying laugh ever recorded hidden about halfway through this

Permission to Land

The Darkness

4/5

An 80s hair band pastiche in the 2000s. It's just so great! I've always loved these guys. Ironically or unironically, you tell me.

Locust Abortion Technician

Butthole Surfers

4/5

While I love the B-Surfer, I don't think this is quite as good as their later stuff. Give me Weird Revolution or Electriclarryland any day of the week.

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

David Bowie

5/5

One of the best from the absolute best. This is Bowie at his most approachable and most iconic. I think as I get older, I appreciate his other personas and albums more. To the point that I think this is one of his middle or even lesser albums. But it is the gateway to Bowie, and it is still perfect.

Rocks

Aerosmith

3/5

I still think their hits are good but I'm not sure we need the rest. I guess I outgrew them. Sorry friends.

Medúlla

Björk

4/5

Björk can moan at me all she wants

D

White Denim

3/5

Somewhere between a country band and a rock band and a jam band. I didn't hate it!

Sunshine Hit Me

The Bees

4/5

Didn't immediately register that this is the same group as "A Band of Bees". I love these guys! I'm more familiar with their 2007 album Octopus, but this was a joy as well.

Wild Is The Wind

Nina Simone

4/5

A really smoky, velvety voice over some simple jazz melodies. It isn't reinventing the wheel, but it's classy and sexy and I'm here for it.

Yeezus

Kanye West

1/5

I mean sure he's a severely mentally ill bigot with a huge platform, but at least his music is dull and amateur

...The Dandy Warhols Come Down

The Dandy Warhols

3/5

Fuzzed out outer space sounds. Not really any obvious pop singles. It's weird when an American band becomes a de facto British band. What about their sound "hit" over there and not here? Who can say... I didn't hate it! Better than most of the generic 90s Brit Rock on this list.

Talking Timbuktu

Ali Farka Touré

4/5

I love me some African inspired jazzy jams. This album is a little too long, too paired down, and too repetitive for me to go full 5 stars, buuuuut I loved it and it was close.

Unhalfbricking

Fairport Convention

2/5

More like FAIRly CONVENTIONal folk music. 100% the only reason this is on here is because Dylan is listed as a writer on some of the song credits and nothing makes the author of this book harder than a Dylan writing credit.

Hot Shots II

The Beta Band

3/5

A cozy album that doesn't ask too much of you. I'm convinced that this is on here because of the first track, which you've probably heard before. This list's author loves to throw a whole album (or 2 or 3!) onto here for the sake of 1 semi-popular track from 20-40 years ago.

GI

Germs

5/5

File under B for "Bitchin"

Logical Progression

LTJ Bukem

3/5

Someone on one of these (many, many) 1990s UK electronic albums on this list commented that it sounds like PS1 music and I'll never not think that. I'm sure if you've done a bunch of drug and are at a club and it's 1996 and you're just seen an episode of friends or whatever then this is probably incredible. As music to listen to at work, it's more than serviceable. I have a hard time differentiating from track to track. It's wild that this is a compilation of 5+ artists. It's wild that it's even more than 1!

Aha Shake Heartbreak

Kings of Leon

2/5

Imagine being a fan of Kings of Leon? Kings of Leon is the most generic of all early 2000s rock. It's the beige of early 2000s rock. It's the lukewarm of early 2000s rock. It's the broth of early 2000s rock. It's the going exactly the speed limit of early 2000s rock.

Fly Or Die

N.E.R.D

3/5

Hmm sounds less like fusion and more like they don’t know what they want to sound like. It’s all okay I guess. I don’t really like Pharrell’s solo stuff but I prefer it to this.

Venus Luxure No. 1 Baby

Girls Against Boys

2/5

Generic bad 90s “hard” or “alternative” rock.

I See You

The xx

4/5

Occasionally veers into safe car-commercial pop music, but the dance beats and bass save it at those times. I liked it!

The Infotainment Scan

The Fall

4/5

Fun and cool. Grew on me

Hms Fable

Shack

3/5

Occasionally has Barenaked Ladies upside. Really remarkable for late 90s Britpop in that it doesn't completely blow chunks. It also doesn't sound EXACTLY like the other 259 late 90s Britpop albums on here. It mostly sounds the same, but not EXACTLY the same.

Warehouse: Songs And Stories

Hüsker Dü

3/5

Dares ask the question, "What if Barenaked Ladies and REM got together and recorded the same kinda fun kinda boring song 20 times and then released it?"

Get Behind Me Satan

The White Stripes

5/5

This ain't my favorite White Stripes album but it's still the fuckin' White Stripes and I gotta represent. Love the pattern of up-tempo then slow-tempo. Love that Meg sings. Love that Conan helped out.

Tidal

Fiona Apple

4/5

It's wild to me that basically every Fiona Apple album is on this list EXCEPT the one that I think is unequivocally her best (Extraordinary Machine). But I still love my gal and I'll give her 4 stars. Back half of this is better than the first half.

The Rise & Fall

Madness

2/5

Hey gang just a heads up this is another example of "mediocre British band that literally no one has ever heard of and then when you look them up you find out that they were a one hit wonder and you've heard the one song and it's okay but the rest of their stuff is mediocre and forgettable". You know, like approximately 75 of the albums on this list.

Mr. Tambourine Man

The Byrds

3/5

Definitely not the Beatles. Nope. Very different.

Welcome To The Pleasuredome

Frankie Goes To Hollywood

3/5

Kind of hot and cold on this one. On the one hand, I like the sound of it a lot. On the other hand, it's almost all covers? Like all the best tracks are just covers of other bands, and if I'm being honest I don't think they do any track BETTER than the original artist. I like the variety, and it does kind of transcend the whole 80s sound of it all. I was never bored, but I can also never see myself revisiting

Jack Takes the Floor

Ramblin' Jack Elliott

4/5

A good ol' time with some good ol' boys. Ramblin' and hollerin' country folk music. Anyone who is a friend with known communist and fascist hater Woody Guthrie is a friend of mine.

The World is a Ghetto

War

4/5

Do you love awesome grooves and jams? Because if not then you should skip this one.

Lost Souls

Doves

3/5

I think this is the second or third doves album? I like them well enough. I prefer when they aren’t singing, for what that’s worth. High three low four, but I’ve been too free with my fours lately.

Chore of Enchantment

Giant Sand

3/5

Kind of enjoyed their unique, loose, low stakes style. Some creative choices always meant that songs didn't go in the direction I expected.

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band

John Lennon

2/5

What a total knobhead. Ignoring all the BS about Lennon being a massive abusive asshole, this is incredibly mediocre. It's clear that the heroin ruined whatever talent he had. Or maybe it was really the other three pulling all the weight. Or maybe he only had so many good songs in him.

Heroes to Zeros

The Beta Band

2/5

Well this is it! #1089. I'm done with this whole shebang after I write this review. And let me tell you, this album is the perfect way to close off this 3 year trip. It is so emblematic of this list as a whole. Boring ☑ Forgettable ☑ British ☑ Bullshit ☑ It's been a real slice, y'all, and I am happy to have found hundreds of albums worth 5 stars. But the overwhelming majority of this list is dumb boring forgettable british bullshit.

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