User Albums Journey
Exploring beyond the book, one album at a time
View 1001 Albums Summary407
Albums Rated
3.68
Average Rating
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
2020s
Favorite Decade
World
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Cheerleader
Rater Style ?
105
5-Star Albums
10
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
News at 11
Cat System Corp.
|
5 | 2.39 | +2.61 |
|
Alive Or Just Breathing
Killswitch Engage
|
5 | 2.47 | +2.53 |
|
Alexisonfire
Alexisonfire
|
5 | 2.47 | +2.53 |
|
TEKKNO
Electric Callboy
|
5 | 2.47 | +2.53 |
|
Watch Out!
Alexisonfire
|
5 | 2.63 | +2.37 |
|
Symbolic
Death
|
5 | 2.7 | +2.3 |
|
BABYMETAL
BABYMETAL
|
5 | 2.71 | +2.29 |
|
Savage Sinusoid
Igorrr
|
5 | 2.75 | +2.25 |
|
How to Operate With a Blown Mind
Lo Fidelity Allstars
|
5 | 2.75 | +2.25 |
|
A1A
Jimmy Buffett
|
5 | 2.8 | +2.2 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lemonade
Beyoncé
|
1 | 3.28 | -2.28 |
|
Hammersmith Odeon, London '75
Bruce Springsteen
|
1 | 3.12 | -2.12 |
|
The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads
Lift To Experience
|
1 | 2.9 | -1.9 |
|
Repetition
Unwound
|
1 | 2.84 | -1.84 |
|
Beautiful Midnight
Matthew Good Band
|
1 | 2.72 | -1.72 |
|
Eye
Robyn Hitchcock
|
1 | 2.68 | -1.68 |
|
Vs.
Pearl Jam
|
2 | 3.63 | -1.63 |
|
Get Rich Or Die Ryan
Spose
|
1 | 2.62 | -1.62 |
|
Choirs Of The Eye
Kayo Dot
|
1 | 2.61 | -1.61 |
|
Songs Of A Lost World
The Cure
|
2 | 3.61 | -1.61 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Daft Punk | 3 | 5 |
| Weezer | 2 | 5 |
| King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard | 2 | 5 |
| Alexisonfire | 2 | 5 |
| Pink Floyd | 2 | 5 |
| Bon Iver | 3 | 4.33 |
| The Hold Steady | 3 | 4.33 |
5-Star Albums (105)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Neutral Milk Hotel
5/5
Another one where it is the height of insanity that this is NOT in any edition of the actual 1,001.
This little bonus project has been a lot of fun for me because I spent 1,089 days bitching about most of the albums being forgettable Gen X bullshit, and then I've spent the last 2 weeks being like, "Yes, obvious masterpiece" and then I read the other reviews and see people complaining that it's forgettable Millennial bullshit.
I guess we're all just a product of what we listened to when we turned 14.
28 likes
Bruce Springsteen
1/5
Whatever sicko added this to the list needs to be found and studied.
Bruce, a mediocre boomer who already has FIVE albums on the list when he barely deserves one. An OVER TWO HOUR LONG album that is LIVE?
This is supposed to be a fun time, not an investigation of war crimes.
21 likes
Death
5/5
Does what it says on the tin.
Won't be for everyone.
But those people can fuck off.
15 likes
Tally Hall
5/5
I submitted this, so of course I think it's a 5 star worthy album.
But, really, it's a 5 star worthy album. Tally Hall creates interesting melodies and lyrics that range from thought provoking to goofy. They're the greatest and most popular band that never were.
I saw them in a high school gymnasium early in their career and thought "these guys are going to be huge!". Then they ALMOST WERE. They signed a major record deal. They were touring on Good Morning America and shit. They had a song featured on The OC right when the OC was absolutely the biggest thing on TV. They had a hit youtube show back before Youtube shows were really a thing.
And then they imploded an they all went their separate ways. Ross went back to school. Rob created one of the biggest internet memes ever with "Actual Cannibal Shia Lebouf". They doing music for children's television now.
I still think back to this album and what could have been.
I think Gen Z has sort of discovered them and now they're a popular Tik Tok thing? Good for them!
13 likes
Sufjan Stevens
5/5
Still have a soft spot of Michigan (and Illinoise) but this is probably the pinnacle of Sufjan's whole deal, so I'm glad someone submitted this.
I hope he's doing better. He had a rough 2023.
10 likes
1-Star Albums (10)
All Ratings
First Aid Kit
5/5
GREAT start to day 1 of this new project.
This scratches the Mumford and Sons/Edward Sharpe itch for me.
I know some people hate stuff like this but it is 100% the exact thing I love.
Bran Van 3000
4/5
I've been a Bran Van Stan for nearly 2 decades, man!
I'm much more familiar with "Glee", but this is great too. I'll give it a bit of a ding for being over an hour, but this is still a piping hot platter.
So far I think the User Albums are waaayyy better than like 500+ of the actual albums!
Madvillain
5/5
Hands down one of the best albums of all time. When this popped up I was a little confused. SURELY this was on the actual 1,001 list already? It HAD to be! If there was room for 273 mediocre post-punk albums by Scottish 1-hit-wonders, then there must be room for Madvillain?!?
Oh well. Now it's here, thanks to another real one who put in the work.
Cluster
4/5
A really fun time listening to ambient german beats! Somewhere between vaporwave and retro-german-techno-futurism.
What a cool find!
Type O Negative
2/5
It's a good thing that they don't care what I think, because I think that they are kind of shitty
Tally Hall
5/5
I submitted this, so of course I think it's a 5 star worthy album.
But, really, it's a 5 star worthy album. Tally Hall creates interesting melodies and lyrics that range from thought provoking to goofy. They're the greatest and most popular band that never were.
I saw them in a high school gymnasium early in their career and thought "these guys are going to be huge!". Then they ALMOST WERE. They signed a major record deal. They were touring on Good Morning America and shit. They had a song featured on The OC right when the OC was absolutely the biggest thing on TV. They had a hit youtube show back before Youtube shows were really a thing.
And then they imploded an they all went their separate ways. Ross went back to school. Rob created one of the biggest internet memes ever with "Actual Cannibal Shia Lebouf". They doing music for children's television now.
I still think back to this album and what could have been.
I think Gen Z has sort of discovered them and now they're a popular Tik Tok thing? Good for them!
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
4/5
A haunting, unique, cinematic journey from beginning to end.
You're not going to pop it on at a party, but it'd be cool to drive around at night to!
Most importantly I'm very happy to have been exposed to it, which is what this website is all about.
Angelo De Augustine
4/5
It makes sense that this person tours with Sufjan, because Angelo sounds like a not-quite-as-well-formed Sufjan.
Enjoyable!
Garbage
3/5
This is lots of good fun, but I'm not sure it's better than the Garbage album that's on the real list already!
Ian McDonald
3/5
A nice proggy time that doesn't hit the ear-grating heights of something like Yes
Weezer
5/5
I mean, one of the totemic titans of post-80s rock. It hurts my brain, stomach, and heart that this album is turning 30 this year. I still remember going to Best Buy first thing in the morning to pick up the Deluxe Edition on its 10th anniversary! And that was 20 years ago!
Every single track is an absolute classic. Weezer is a bit divisive nowadays. Most people are firmly in the "they still exist?" or "they suck now!" camp, with a few people in the "they are the greatest band this side of the Beatles" camp. I'm somewhere in the middle. They're nowhere near as good as they used to be, but they still produce bangers now and then.
But this is a classic. This is required. It is a CRIME that this isn't actually on ANY edition of the official 1,001. A lot of people go to bat for Pinkerton being the "better" album, and on some days I think that's probably true, but I'm usually in the Blue camp.
Hard to pick a favorite track but today I was feeling "Garage" and "The Sweater Song". Actually I think my favorite track is "Jamie" on the deluxe edition.
Childish Gambino
4/5
Fuck. Yes. I've been a fan of the Gambino since Werewolf Bar Mitzvah (spooky! scary!).
My immediate thought is that this isn't as good as Awaken, My Love! or a lot of his earlier albums and EPs (I love Camp and the 2011 EP so much).
But then I put it on and it's just so fucking good.
Donald's career is always one to watch. He's one of those people that is just unbelievably good at everything he does, and I always wish he did MORE of that thing. I wish he did MORE stand-up, I wish he did MORE comedy acting, and I wish he did MORE rapping/music writing.
But I'm glad for what we have.
5/5
Love Eels and have loved Eels ever since I heard Fresh Blood
Neutral Milk Hotel
5/5
Another one where it is the height of insanity that this is NOT in any edition of the actual 1,001.
This little bonus project has been a lot of fun for me because I spent 1,089 days bitching about most of the albums being forgettable Gen X bullshit, and then I've spent the last 2 weeks being like, "Yes, obvious masterpiece" and then I read the other reviews and see people complaining that it's forgettable Millennial bullshit.
I guess we're all just a product of what we listened to when we turned 14.
blink-182
4/5
Everyone loves Blink. I don't think this is quite as good as some of their earlier efforts (I'm partial to Enema of the State), but once again I'm shocked to be reminded that here is another artist completely missing from any edition of the book whatsoever.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
5/5
Not my first foray into the realm of the Lizard Wizard.
Just a damn good damn for music nerds, perverts, and weirdos (which I am)
Daniel Bélanger
3/5
What if French music was gentle?
Bad Religion
4/5
The reviewer that mentions Tony Hawk Pro Skater nailed this on the head.
If you like that you'll like this. Pretty good!
Steven Wilson
3/5
The most bland of these bonus albums so far.
Totally inoffensively fine.
Men I Trust
4/5
What if Québécois music was soft and sexy
Extrechinato y Tu
4/5
Cool Spanish music and poetry. Rocky and folky and full of feeling.
Chromatics
4/5
Vaporwave - the album!
I had a good time.
THE SPORTS
2/5
Wow this was so dull and basic and vaguely 80s that I'm shocked this artist isn't on the real list 5+ times
Garmarna
4/5
Feels somewhere between like the Midsommar soundtrack and the Witcher soundtrack.
I'm 100% here for it and would like a wench to bring me some ale.
A little long and samey by the end. Shave off maybe 2 tracks and this is a 5 star slice of Scandi gold
Ty Segall
3/5
Fun times with a garage goofball
Maldita Vecindad Y Los Hijos Del 5to. Patio
5/5
All killer no filler.
Protomartyr
2/5
More post punk. No thanks, I listened to three years of this mediocre forgettable stuff.
Amadou & Mariam
5/5
Hell yeah let’s go to the beach and listen to Amado and Mariam
Stromae
4/5
In a bit of serendipity my friend introduced me to Stromae a few weeks ago. Cool Belgian party music
Jellyfish
3/5
This was kind of nice.
I'm not sure I have anything else to say about it.
Phish
3/5
Never listened to Phish before and now I've listened to over 2 hours of it.
I liked it more than I expected. It sounded at times like Barenaked Ladies, a band that I like a lot that is nowhere on the real list (or, so far, on the user list).
But I'm still not sure I "get" it.
Dave Matthews Band
3/5
His real fans call him Dave.
Liked this a lot more than I thought I would!
Not ready to buy one of those dancer stickers and put it on my Suburu, though.
Susanne Sundfør
5/5
Haunting and lovely. Would make for a good "walk in the woods in autumn" album.
Jimmy Buffett
5/5
Jimmy just mellows me out every time.
Back half way stronger than the front half.
Where's my margarita glass?
The Postal Service
4/5
The Postal Service takes me to a very specific emotion at a very specific time in my life and for that I can never evaluate it fairly.
If I try to peel back my psychological tendrils and peer at the thing with fresh ears I may say that it overstays its welcome and honestly sounds a bit silly with how mopey it is. But I was once silly for mopey I was.
Status Quo
2/5
Garbage can classic rock.
Ai generated classic rock.
Earth, Wind & Fire
5/5
I gave the official EWF album on the official list 5 stars, but this is a better album. I want to travel back in time with Verdine White and make my past self give THAT album a lower rating because this one is so good.
And then we'll all groove on.
Alex Cameron
5/5
This grew on me immensley throughout its runtime.
It is the exact mix of sincerity and tongue-in-cheek that I love. The beats and grooves are genuine enough, though!
Frank Zappa
2/5
what an edgelord
4/5
I was immediately sort of turned off by this. I wanted the bass to be higher and I wanted the beat to "make sense".
But the deeper I got into it, the more incredible the whole thing is. I have *never* heard anything even remotely like this.
I somewhat recently stumbled upon the term "hyperpop" and I find it to be incredibly challenging. I don't know that I... like it. But hey it's something new!
You gotta hand it to these kids, at least they are doing new/exciting/challenging.
INXS
3/5
This is all fine but I really, really struggle to conceptualize the person whose #1 album OF ALL TIME this is.
It's like an album of theme songs to early1990s TV shows on MTV or something.
I don't want to be mean. It's enjoyable for what it is! But this is a user submitted album which means someone was like "here's my shot to submit my #1 album of all time! Let me submit Kick by INXS", and I want to meet that person and ask them 15-20 questions.
Sparks
4/5
What if The Killers and ELO formed a supergroup?
This sounds SO 70s and also SO 80s and SO 2000s. Really a fun ride and a RARE instance of me wishing it was a longer album!
Pedro The Lion
3/5
Very Pearl Jam-adjacent. Not bad!
John Mayer
3/5
John Mayer will always in my head be like "that guy my aunt listened to in the early 2000s"
He's very fine and very safe and I struggle to think of anything negative to say about his music.
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
Channeling Bowie and T Rex really hard. Sounds like a fuzzy outer space lounge act. Just a Iittle too samey by the end to earn a full five from me
Kaizers Orchestra
5/5
What if The Fratellis were from Norway?
TOOL
3/5
Not my favorite Tool album by a long shot, but they are pretty undeniable. I'm enjoying Nu-metal more as I get older.
Nuyorican Soul
5/5
A mix of Thievery Corporation and Gotan Project and Motown and Buena Vista Social Club
Louis Armstrong
5/5
King Louis don't stop.
Glad to have learned the origin of the term "muggles" thanks to this album.
The Posies
3/5
Some nice inoffensive pop music you could play for a grandmother or a sick dog.
The Lumineers
4/5
I, too, went to college in the 2010s
Rachel Stevens
2/5
What if Britney Spears was named Rachel Stevens? What would that be like?
King Tubby
5/5
Can always use more dub in my life
Switchfoot
3/5
If you're too young to remember, this is what 2003 sounded like.
I never realized it until now. But it sounded like Switchfoot.
Procol Harum
3/5
Kind of like a more chill Jethro Tull.
If you've ever listened to Jethro Tull and thought "these guys need to calm down" then Procol Harum is for you.
Tame Impala
5/5
Wow this was great! I can tell Childish Gambino is a Tame Impala fan; I hear a lot of Because of the Internet here.
blink-182
5/5
The superior 182 album. Way better than the official album on the list
Bon Iver
4/5
Does not match the highs of Emily, but is still pretty great. Cool to see that his sound continued to evolve even after I stopped listening regularly.
Jóhann Jóhannsson
3/5
A nice album mixing classical and modern sounds. I can tell this was originally conceived of as a soundtrack to something.
Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera
2/5
The Beatles sure made it look easier than it was, eh?
The Decemberists
4/5
The ultra rare album where the closing track may be the best one?
Chucklehead
4/5
Damn this thing grooves.
Amon Düül II
5/5
Do you like when Germans jam? I do
Haley Heynderickx
5/5
Pretty incredible. This is a very specific kind of music that I am 100% in the pocket for
The Weeknd
5/5
Some immense talent on display here. Thanks for sharing!
Sublime
4/5
This is what the 90s felt like
Fontaines D.C.
2/5
This sure was an album I listened to
The Avett Brothers
5/5
Somehow I missed this one during my peak college late-2000s folk revival phase.
I appreciate that this sound is very specific to a time and a place, and more then a decade past that musical moment it seems a bit silly and cliched. I can imagine younger listeners wondering what the collective folk hallucination was all about.
That being said, I'm still 1000000% in the pocket for this style and I guess I'm that old increasingly irrelevant music guy.
Thanks for sharing.
Porter Robinson
4/5
Has a sort of "Sigur Ros but happy" vibe.
A good time!
The Hold Steady
5/5
I really really really enjoyed this. Reminds me a LOT of The Mountain Goats.
Listened to it on a Friday, forgot to rate it, listened to it again on a Monday and liked it even more the second time.
Sampha
3/5
This was fine and I think really is ideal for when you want music *on* but don't want to actually *listen* to it.
That Handsome Devil
4/5
Delightfully weird and groovy. No track overstays its welcome.
Richard Dawson
3/5
Nice kinda folky jams
Gotcha!
2/5
In 1993 a couple of Dutch guys heard a Red Hot Chili Peppers album and said, "This is the absolute pinnacle of man's artistic achievement. We must dedicate our lives in the pursuit of emulating this pure ecstasy. The angel Gabriel has spoken and it sounds like he's from Southern California"
Thee Oh Sees
4/5
Fun energetic punky concert. The kind of concert that justifies its existence from the raw energy that is not repeatable in a studio.
Mustafa
4/5
A very nice way to spend 20 minutes, and a great reminder not to judge an album by its cover.
My Chemical Romance
5/5
I think Pop Punk is really THE genre of Millennials. It's something that Millennials invented that no other generation really likes. I remember in the early 2000s that my parents (and my friends' parents) were completely baffled by it. It appears that Gen Z is following in step, appraising it as a weird quirk of their parents' (or older siblings') era.
But I fucking love it and they're all wrong.
Bruce Springsteen
1/5
Whatever sicko added this to the list needs to be found and studied.
Bruce, a mediocre boomer who already has FIVE albums on the list when he barely deserves one. An OVER TWO HOUR LONG album that is LIVE?
This is supposed to be a fun time, not an investigation of war crimes.
Alexisonfire
5/5
Wooooooow
A band I have not thought about in probably 15 years.
There was a minute where I was ALL in on City and Colour. Saw him perform at the Fox Theater in Detroit and he did a whole mini Alexisonfire set in the middle. It blew my mind!
Thanks for the walk down memory lane. This album still absolutely rips.
Koritni
3/5
Sounds just like anything else you can hear on the classic rock oldies station. Sounds a lot like Iron Maiden. Occasionally whiffs of Audioslave.
I like those bands and this band sounds good. For 2009 it feels a bit derivative.
Josh Ritter
4/5
A lovely folkin' good time.
Idaho is achingly beautiful.
Korn
3/5
What kind of a sick fuck adds a Korn album to the list when there's already one on here?
This was perfectly fine but didn't need to be over an hour long.
Boy Azooga
4/5
A nice little homegrown album that sounds, among other things, a bit like Oasis and the Beach Boys, but then sounds entirely its own thing. Fuzzy without being ridiculous
Marillion
4/5
A really fun throwback! This feels like it came too late for the first wave of great prog albums but a bit too early to initiate a new wave or a nostalgia.
But completely out of context and all on its own in 2024, it's a fun time! Reminds me a lot of Genesis.
The Beautiful South
2/5
Wow this was horrible.
The quirky lyrics do not make up for the terrible, cheesy 80s lounge act music.
Wussy
4/5
Has a real lively energy and a DIY sensibility. I like the variety of vocal performances. Fairly typical of its time. Almost anticipates some of the folk revival sounds of the late 2000s/early 2010s without quite sounding folky.
Infectious little melodies and some good sing-along hooks.
They Might Be Giants
5/5
They Might Be Giants is one of my all time favorite bands. I highly considered submitting one of theirs myself.
I'm not sure that this is my favorite of their albums. It's not even my favorite of the 2010s (I think I have to go Glean or Nanobots). But it's a great album that is highly accessible. I think that if you hear this and like it then you'll have a pretty good idea of what their deal is. If you don't like this album then you're probably not going to enjoy, like, Fingertips or their Dunkin Donuts ad campaigns or any of their other ephemera that I've obsessively listened to over the years.
I think Can't Keep Johnny Down, Canajoharie, and When Will You Die are some of their all time best tracks. I revisit them often.
Roger Waters
3/5
I'm a huge Pink Floyd fan but I definitely lean toward David Gilmour and the whole ambient direction that they go in in the 80s (and beyond!).
This album sounds like a rejected version of the wall.
The bum on the cover is quite nice.
Scraping Foetus off the Wheel
3/5
Not bad. Sort of a silly Nine Inch Nails.
Better than their awful band name would indicate! I kind of truly dug it by the end.
Courteeners
4/5
Has a strong Fratellis vibe. Great Indie British late 2000s sound.
Bloc Party
4/5
At times sounds like The Architecture in Helsinki. Enjoyable, if not extremely similar to a ton of albums on the user submitted list (I guess we're all a similar demographic, eh?)
100 gecs
4/5
Fun, frantic, intense, and feels *new*. The list definitely needs something like this on it.
Childish Gambino
5/5
Just one of the best from one of the best.
Redbone felt like such a revelation when it came out, and still hits very hard.
Unlike the rest of his albums, and yet totally of a chord with all of it.
Sufjan Stevens
5/5
Still have a soft spot of Michigan (and Illinoise) but this is probably the pinnacle of Sufjan's whole deal, so I'm glad someone submitted this.
I hope he's doing better. He had a rough 2023.
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
3/5
Seger is the answer to the age-old question: What if Bruce Springsteen wasn't lame and didn't suck?
Primus
2/5
Sort of goofy industrial faux-rage bass noodly fun time.
I can see how someone could get WAY into this, and I could even imagine a world where I got WAY into this, but I don't think I'm in that world right now.
The Marcus King Band
4/5
A southern bluesy country outfit.
I like classic country a lot, and I'm sure that there is still great country being produced, but it feels like there is a lot of subpar stuff to slog through to find the gems.
So I like when someone submits something like this! Thanks for finding it so I didn't have to. It sounds a bit like CCR or Lynyrd Skynyrd at times, and then other times just sounds like some classic country.
I don't think I'm going to rush out and buy the album, or add it to my active listening playlists, but I'm glad to know that it exists. Next time someone tells me that there's no good country music anymore, I'll point them to Marcus King Band.
Billy Squier
4/5
Never quite registered how many of these songs I had heard over the years. A classic rock power house! If you had asked me this morning "who is billy squier" I would have said "no idea".
The B-52's
3/5
Sounds exactly like every other B-52's album.
Which is to say that it's enjoyable if not unremarkable.
Hombres G
4/5
Smooth and shiny rock album with an easy listening voice.
I would probably give this a 3 as it didn't completely blow me away, but gets a boost from me because:
A) I always appreciate music from countries/cultures not well-represented on the list
B) I literally just got off a plane from Spain today so this feels like serendipity.
Savages
2/5
Ah yes just what this list needs, more post-punk.
It's totally fine.
As usual with albums I don't really care for, I find a song I really like and go "NOW it's picking up!", and then I switch over to Spotify and see that the album in question has ended and that Spotify has just started a new, better album from a better artist.
Death Cab for Cutie
4/5
A super soft album from some super soft boys
Marillion
3/5
Wikipedia tells me that this is a "Modern prog rock band"
Yep. They are.
The Burning Hell
4/5
Very Cake-adjacent. Not bad!
Adam Green
2/5
Wow this sucks. He's trying sooooo hard to be edgy and clever and it comes off as very cringy.
Kano
3/5
Bog standard British hip hop. The kind that you don't turn off, but I cannot imagine someone paying money to go to a concert.
Café Tacvba
5/5
I fuckin love all user-submitted Mexican albums. Love my neighbors to the south and their kickin' smooth grooves.
LaBelle
2/5
I really cannot stand Lady Marmalade, and the rest of these tracks are fine.
Mull Historical Society
4/5
I hear a lot of early Flaming Lips in here. It’s good!
The Jesus Lizard
3/5
A fine little rocker. Slides into rockabilly at times (in a good way). Vocals not strong but they don't need to be.
Sounds like 1991.
Freddie Gibbs
4/5
Smooth as hell. A good listen
Igorrr
5/5
I've never had an album go from 1 star to 5 stars so quickly. I was OUT for most of the first track, and then the second tracked began and it all clicked for me.
It's so weird that its Frenchness is apparent from the beginning. Only someone living with a strong social safety net is able to be this weird
Vampire Weekend
5/5
I was the perfect age when this came out to devour it voraciously. Still love VW and their sort of preppy 80s beach vibe.
The Upsetters
5/5
Inject this shit directly into my veins.
I was about 11 years old when my cool music uncle introduced me to dub and I have never been the same since.
Snarky Puppy
5/5
Purely awesome jazzy riffs with funky grooves and slappy synths.
I can see how a lot of people wouldn't like this, but it was basically exactly my shit.
Reminds me a lot of a lyric-free Vulfpeck
Gang of Youths
4/5
Starts out pretty good, hits a transcendent level around Achilles Come Down, and then sort of outstays its welcome by being too long of an album.
Overall a great time!
Hikaru Utada
3/5
A nice, if overly repetitive album. Hikaru has a nice voice and this album sounds kind of like a Sonic Video game
Graham Parker
3/5
A nice little new wave album that would totally fit in on the proper official list.
Nothing to hate here but I found very little to love. Album opened strong but I was ready for it to be done in the end.
The Alan Parsons Project
5/5
Totally in the pocket for this kind of prog rock passion project.
We used to have TRUE NERDS in this country!
Oingo Boingo
5/5
One of my all time favorites from one of my all time favorites.
Honestly it's probably like my 3rd or 4th favorite Boingo album but it's pure spooky fire from top to bottom. I'll give a relisten in October like I always do :)
Debbie Gibson
4/5
Let's go to the mall!!
Sounds like roller skating.
Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
3/5
Had the album hanging on my dorm room wall in college. I liked that it was simultaneously sort of risque while also being kitschy and retro.
I also convinced myself that I loved the album.
Looking back... it's just sort of a nice novelty album, isn't it? There's nothing to dislike here. Nothing! But it's just so light and airy and there doesn't feel like any substance at all.
Sort of... like... whipped cream.
Valerie June
4/5
Wow just a delightful mix of Blues, R&B, gospel, and Bluegrass.
Utterly unique and utterly American.
The Tragically Hip
4/5
I'm from Michigan, which is a lot like Canada but with more guns and less affordable healthcare. Canada is so close to me that I grew up listening to the CBC on the radio. So, I'm very familiar with the Tragically Hip! However, I think this is my first full album listen.
I don't quite get how these guys transcended to become full on Canadian royalty/icons/institutions, but it's a great album with lots of energy!
I've been listening to them all week, so there's something to it for sure.
Robyn Hitchcock
1/5
This is one of the worst things I've ever heard.
When he shuts up for ten goddamn seconds, the music is pretty nice.
But he never. ever. ever. shuts up.
Chet Baker
5/5
Never heard of this fellow but he can blow a mean trumpet.
Ani DiFranco
4/5
Alanis Morissette coded early 90s angry white girl singer songwriter jams.
I liked it a lot! Napoleon has been stuck in my head for a few days.
I cannot in conscience give 5 stars to an album with the abomination of "Amazing Grace" on it.
Salif Keita
5/5
I *think* this technically violates the rules of the user-submitted list because it is impossible to find on spotify and also impossible to find in a single easy to find playlist on Youtube.com.
But I'm not complaining because this entire thing is wonderful. West African Jazz is my absolute shit. Go off Salif
MF DOOM
5/5
Never going to say anything negative about MFD
Nik Kershaw
3/5
Downside is more new wave bullshit
Upside on a few tracks is that it *nearly* touches Oingo Boingo in new wave fun. Needs more horns!
The lyrics are *very* "I'm 14 and this is deep"
The War On Drugs
3/5
Listened to part of this during the day and I found it boring and forgettable low-key jam band nonsense.
Listened to it at night in my car while driving around and the volume was up and it was awesome and groovy low-key jam band nonsense.
Balances out to a 3 I think
Freestylers
3/5
fun 90s brit club music
sounds like a ps1 racing game
3/5
A very good if not generic accounting of the alternative rock scene in the mid-90s.
I can't say any of this really defies expectations or impressed upon me very strongly.
But, I first *discovered* music in the mid-90s, and so this is all very nostalgic for me, even if the album itself is new.
Don't love don't hate, is what I'm saying.
The Mountain Goats
5/5
One of the best albums from one of my favorite outfits ever.
One of my more memorable concert experiences. Even chatted with John after the show.
I think I'd have gone with Sunset Tree, but this is still perfection.
Gurrumul
5/5
Haunting groovy wonderful
Damien Rice
5/5
A classic I've loved ever since I heard Delicate on an episode of Lost in 2004.
I revisit this every few years.
Arthur Russell
4/5
Chill, occasionally odd, moods.
Very sparse.
Was good for carving a pumpkin to!
Joan As Police Woman
3/5
Nice 90s vibe female singer songwriter album. Never really breaks beyond that for me, but I enjoyed my time.
GAS
4/5
like taking a warm sonic bath
Sunny Day Real Estate
3/5
Kind of a predecessor to Pop Punk. Bridging the early 90s gap of styles.
Not incredible but enjoyable.
The Amazing Devil
5/5
Wow! Fun and occasionally epic
5/5
Nice chill folky tunes with occasionally exciting beats.
A flute shows up sometimes.
I liked this so much.
Mogwai
4/5
Good jam band vibes that sometimes go REAL HARD.
A great time.
Jai Paul
4/5
Pretty great beats! Good for the road trip I was on at the time.
Killswitch Engage
5/5
I was 100% on board with the rage and the hard driving melodies. Loved it so much I listened twice.
Stars
4/5
Kinda fun indie Canadian record. Occasionally sounds a bit like Tegan and Sara. Sometimes sounds like Architecture in Helsinki. Often sounds entirely unique.
Mary Chapin Carpenter
3/5
This was a big album for my mom when I was like 2-5 years old. I don't think I've heard it in 30 years. Shockingly I could still sing along to some of the songs!
I'm not sure if it's one of the "great albums" but it holds a special place for me and it was a treat to see it here.
Khruangbin
5/5
I discovered Khruangbin through an interesting sort of backdoor but have always enjoyed their chill AF vibes.
Hard to give something like this 5 stars. I can't really differentiate from track to track, let alone album to album. Is this the best example of their work? Who can say.
I suppose if it's a 5-star experience then it deserves 5.
The Hold Steady
4/5
Okay so I've definitely heard this entire album before.
Where? I don't know. I've never heard of this band, this album, or any of the album track titles.
Why do I know every single track? Where I was I in 2016?
Anyway it's good, if a little samey. High 3 low 4.
Streetlight Manifesto
5/5
Hi yes I was in high school in 2007, too.
Jimmy Eat World
2/5
As a millennial I'm contractually obligated to love The Middle. I've never heard the rest of this album. It sounds weirdly like Adult Alternative Christian Rock.
Crash Test Dummies
4/5
As any wise man does, I discovered Crash Test Dummies through Weird Al.
I think this album is still pretty good. It feels *very* of its time, but it's so unique. Nothing sounding like it ever really came before or since.
A fun trip down memory lane!
Touché Amoré
5/5
I've really been enjoying being exposed to a lot of post-hardcore and, metalcore on this user-generated list this year.
I never would have picked this up on my own, but I totally loved it! Listened to it twice through.
Pink Floyd
5/5
Not as good as Wish You Were Here, but this is my vote for second-best Floyd album of the 70s.
3/5
A very chill little album that was quite beautiful but did not leave a huge impression on me. May be a tougher nut to crack.
Shania Twain
4/5
If you are under 35 then you will really struggle to understand the ABSOLUTE GRIP that this album had on the entire United States from like 1997-1999.
Every single one of these songs was just in constant rotation on the radio. You could not go out in public without hearing it.
So I may be a bit biased. I think they're all pretty much certified bangers, but it's just fully ingrained into my psyche at this point. It's as American to me (for better or worse) as, like, the national anthem.
Anaïs Mitchell
3/5
I remember reviewing this for my local student radio station in college when it came out. It's an interesting project with some fun numbers (one or two are earworms for sure).
Overall it feels less than the sum of its parts.
Chappell Roan
5/5
Thanks to memes or the internet or whatever I was familiar with Chappell in abstract. I had also heard clips of Pink Pony like 100x.
But listening to the album in full, I totally fucking get it. This thing is SO good. Full on bubblegum pop revitalized for the 2020s.
She's got some pipes on her, and the songs all have enough variety to be interesting while still maintaining the pop aesthetic.
Due to coincidental events happening in my life *while listening* to this album, it will hold a place in my heart forever.
Calibro 35
5/5
holy. shit. where has this been all my life?
I don't even know how to classify this other than "transcendent"
Faith No More
3/5
Perfectly fine early 90s Butt Rock
Cardiacs
2/5
I can't in good faith give this 1 star even though I want to. There's too much creativity on display, as well as a clear sense of authorship. I have no doubt that this is exactly what these artists wanted to produce and put out into the world. I have to applaud that.
I just hated basically every minute of it.
The Dear Hunter
3/5
We all had that one friend in college who was obsessed with The Dear Hunter. So much so that it kind of turned you off from ever listening to them.
They're fine! Fun, even! Kind of a more polished, less bombastic pop punk outfit.
Cool. Good for you, Derek or whatever your name was.
The National
2/5
I've heard of The National, but I don't think I've ever had the pleasure.
I didn't hate this but I feel like if you want "sincere slow music by a deep voiced guy" then Eddie Vedder is just right there.
Harmonium
3/5
This is highly unique and original, I have to give it credit for that. At times it sounds like the soundtrack to a TV movie (I mean this in a good way). At other times it is very pop ballady-y. Almost like a lot of modern Chinese pop ballads. This is made all the more strange because they are singing in Quebecois French.
I didn't love it. It's not exactly my thing, but I will always applaud being introduced to something new and unique.
Shudder To Think
2/5
I started out hating this and it grew on me somewhat.
There are some catchy melodies, and on a certain kind of day I can understand how the hard driving instrumentation would hit the spot.
But the vocals never stopped being annoying, and I don't think it justifies its length (not enough variation here despite the high track number count).
Also look up the dude who sings he has A WEIRD FUCKING HEAD.
Biffy Clyro
4/5
Woah what a surprise!
I really try my best not to judge a book by its cover, but after nearly 1,300 albums, it is somewhat inevitable. I will be honest and say that the name "Biffy Clyro" and the description of "Scottish alternative rock band" kind of set me up to hate this.
And then I put it on and enjoyed the entire duration! More pop punk than alternative rock. This feels perhaps a little late to the party in 2007, but I really enjoy their chorus hooks and the sort of emo lyrics.
Would happily discover more of their music.
Avicii
4/5
Saw what you will about the Swedes but they can craft some platinum level pop
The Sound
3/5
Very post punk very new wave very British
I liked this more than a lot of the smiths so I guess it’s pretty good.
Screaming Females
4/5
If a girl rocks really hard it’s an instant 4+ stars from me. I don’t make the rules.
Tori Amos
3/5
This was largely fine and occasionally quite enjoyable.
I like Tori's smoky voice, and any time the piano is given front-and-center status I really dug the melodies.
But her singing style, overall, is not my cup of tea. These songs are not super memorable, sing-along-able, or affecting enough to get me out of bed in the morning.
Vulfpeck
5/5
I'm not even sure how I discovered Vulfpeck. I'm sure it was some random video being algorithm'd my way. As such, I have no idea of their relative popularity, or, who their audience is? I'm sure, based on the fact that they packed Madison Square Garden, that they have a huge base.
But they've always felt like my little secret, and that's how I like to imagine them. As a UMich grad who used to hang out with music majors, I feel a personal sort of kinship with them. As a Tally Hall superfan, I've always felt like Vulfpeck was sort of their spiritual successors.
So, of course, I've heard this performance before. As soon as I saw Vulfpeck come up I knew this would be an insta-5 stars.
I want them to be the biggest band in the world, but I also want them to be my little secret.
Transvision Vamp
4/5
Was ready to hate this based on the album/artist name and the album cover. Was worried it was going to be MORE. BRITISH. BULLSHIT.
But it's a nice middle ground between, like, Cyndi Lauper and something a little more punky.
Also the track title "Sex Kick" objectively rules.
Would happily listen to more albums.
Kayo Dot
1/5
90% quiet noodling 10% nu-metal.
Like seriously I think they accidentally hit record 2 hours before a rehearsal one day and just decided to publish it and see what happens.
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong
4/5
I'm sort of loosely anti-jam band but this was a lot of fun and I was fully locked in by the end.
I think that I liked that they don't take themselves too seriously.
Jeff Rosenstock
4/5
Just an explosion of fun and creativity. Weaves between a few genres. At barely 30 minutes, this is a rare album that leaves me wishing it were longer.
John Martyn
3/5
This was completely and entirely fine. I had put it off for a while because I thought it would be just fine and unremarkable.
I was right.
The Chats
5/5
This was nearly an instant 5 stars just from the album cover and the album name.
But then I listened to it.
And it was still a 5 star album.
If you name a song "I've Been Drunk in Every Pub in Brisbane" then you have my heart forever
Roky Erickson
4/5
This was very fun. Maybe it's the lyrical content but it reminded me a bit of, like, if you took the Meatloaf songs from Rocky Horror and made an album out of it.
Death
5/5
Does what it says on the tin.
Won't be for everyone.
But those people can fuck off.
The Cure
2/5
I enjoy The Cure. This album is pretty good.
But it's wild for someone to have put a 2024 Cure album on here. Surely it's no where near as good as their classic stuff. Also, there are already 3 Cure albums on this list! What are we doing, friends?
More of a 2.5 for me but I'm full of piss n vin today and I'm rounding DOWN
Charli xcx
4/5
no one told me Charli was British and I feel like that needs to be a trigger warning.
The album color is clearly a reference to mushy peas.
I can smell the fish and chips from here.
But also this was fun and I had a good time.
Joe Cocker
3/5
A good live set of some classic songs. What's to hate?
Teenage Fanclub
4/5
At first blush I was sort of thinking this was a stinker.
But then I started to hear similarities to other bands I like a lot, such as Guster and Rooney.
I think it's pretty good! High 3, low 4, but I'm feeling charitable today.
Operation Ivy
5/5
A great album at the intersection of punk and ska.
Put it on a drink the shittiest beer you can stomach.
Les sheriff
2/5
Starts out great and is a lot of fun. French! 80s! Punky Rock! What a concept.
And then it overstays its welcome SOOOO fast and just keeps GOING ON AND ON FOREVER
Margot & The Nuclear So And So's
3/5
A nice little mid-2000s rock/folk type deal. Not incredibly remarkable but it's a genre I enjoy, so I had a good time with it.
Karnivool
2/5
What if butt rock but Australian?
Bob Mould
2/5
Desperately boring
Nightwish
3/5
Lots of the reviewers here seem to hate fun and whimsy
TOOL
4/5
I kind of think you need to either be incredibly dumb or incredibly smart to like TOOL. I hope I'm the latter but I'm fine with being the former.
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
5/5
My second Godspeed album (and the second one on this user-submitted list) and I think that they are a new favorite!
Loved everything about the journey this too me on.
Björk
5/5
I love this crazy bitch
HELLYEAH
2/5
Yeah it's dumb but it's also kind of silly. I don't hate it.
Joe Jackson
3/5
Lots of fun to be had here but I also don't feel instantly hooked on it the way many seem to be.
I like "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" quite a bit. I always thought that was an Elvis Costello track? Wonder how I mixed that up.
Titus Andronicus
4/5
A lot of energy and emotion packed into kind of pop-punk adjacent rock songs.
Pretty fun! Occasionally gets into Mountain Goats territory a bit (in a good way), but with a more robust instrumentation.
The Stooges
2/5
Punk music is fun because it sounds like shit.
But there comes a point where it sounds too much like shit.
The Angelic Process
4/5
Heavy cinematic orchestral metal.
A great time!
Modest Mouse
4/5
I've never heard such an early Modest Mouse album! I think this is a lot of fun. Much more raw and under produced and a bit wild. Favorite track is Shit Luck.
Yeasayer
3/5
Kind of airy and pseudo-Eastern sounding.
Not a bad use of my time but also nothing to really grab and hold onto.
Polvo
3/5
Some good 90s rock noodling. A little too "shoegazey" for me
Courtney Barnett
3/5
Thanks Courtney.
I like her voice and the sound of her music. A somewhere on the singer-songwriter side of rock.
Slowdive
4/5
A fuzzy dreamy time.
Typically not my genre at all, but I was very tired while listening to this and it fit my brain waves
Jimmy Eat World
4/5
Pop Punk til I die
Avenged Sevenfold
4/5
A bit silly but also goes hard AF.
If you don't like this then I guess you aren't cool, chill, or fun.
Jack Johnson
4/5
Light as air and goes down smooth.
One cannot help but be happy when Jack is crooning. Which, I can understand any criticisms about that, but I like being happy.
CAKE
5/5
She has healthy breasts that bounce on his Italian leather sofa, you see
Amyl and The Sniffers
5/5
LOUD SHITTY AUSTRALIA GIRL PUNK FOR PRESIDENT
The Caretaker
5/5
Something like this is exactly why this list exists, why this website exists, and why I am so happy we are continuing to manually add to it.
Like yeah, fuck, whatever, another Bruce Springsteen or TOOL album is fun... but *this* is why we are here, isn't it?
Chloe x Halle
3/5
This wasn't unpleasant but it's not really my genre. I appreciate how R&B continues to evolve. I appreciate the artistry, and the opportunity to check-in with R&B in the 2020s.
But just not for me.
Carly Rae Jepsen
3/5
Pure bright pop. I like it the dumber and more carefree it is, so tracks like "I Really Like You".
Whenever it tries to be something "more" it falls a bit flat for me.
Overall not bad!
Great Big Sea
4/5
I love shit like this. Fun, light, celtic-adjacent ditties.
Yeah it's not cool. It's not angry like a lot of the punky celtic bands. It's almost annoyingly sincere.
But I love it! Fuck you!
Wishbone Ash
3/5
the most classic of rock.
reminds me a lot of Rush when they were in their earliest prog rock opera stages. Of course, Rush had a much better drum situation going on.
I think this gets a lot of points for being fun/easy to listen to, and also for being somewhat foundational. But at the end of the day it doesn't really stand out against the wall of other early classic rock albums that we can access in 2025.
Mylène Farmer
3/5
oh a 90s french pop/dance album?
This is exactly what I thought it would be. No more, and no less.
Enjoyed my time! Don't need to go back.
Ornette Coleman
4/5
So fucking jazzy. Are you listening to jazz?
YES
The Tragically Hip
3/5
Didn't find this as engaging as Phantom Power, but those boys from north of the border can sure craft a poppy little rock ditty.
Daft Punk
5/5
peak youtube was the homebrew harder, better, faster, stronger music videos.
We didn't know how good we had it.
TOOL
3/5
I like tool as much as the next tool but I think there's now too many tool albums on the user-made list.
tool tool tool
Chris de Burgh
2/5
If there was a Jamaican fella on the Titanic, he might have screamed this. (CD)
This was somewhat unique and not what I expected, but I can't say I enjoyed it. Spent most of it looking at my watch (metaphorically)
Martha
3/5
Kind of a throwback for 2022. Feels like a lot of the sort of indie rock of the mid-2000s or early-2010s.
Didn't hate it, but didn't stand out at all.
Backstreet Boys
4/5
Stone cold hits and chill piano R&B ballads.
These boys had better chops than a lot of us gave them credit for.
Fontaines D.C.
4/5
Liked this waaaaay more than Dogrel!
Boards of Canada
4/5
Reminds me a bit of The Books but more psychedelic.
Kind of put me in a trance and made me want to take a nap. But in a good way.
Bon Iver
5/5
Thanks for introducing me to this immaculate album 18 years ago, Bob Erickson
Arca
3/5
lucille-bluth-good-for-her.gif
The 1975
4/5
I really like the 1975 and that’s okay
Daft Punk
5/5
What if there was a cool french dance party?
The Vaccines
4/5
Good indie rock sound. Never goes too hard but always has fun. Occasionally dips into the folky sound that was popular in the early 2010s, but does not feel of a piece with that genre as a whole.
Alexisonfire
5/5
I was a City and Colour kid first. Saw him live and he did an Alexisonfire set in the middle of the show. It blew my mind. It wasn't really my cup of tea, but I liked the versatility Dallas had.
It's only grown on me over the years. Nowadays I think I prefer Alexisonfire to City and Colour!
Songs: Ohia
3/5
This is a great exercise in how albums meet you where they are. I started listening to this the other day and found it so dull, low key, and QUIET that I was just like "why would anyone like this". I didn't finish.
Today I revisited it, with a different mood. I appreciated the mellow approach, and the thoughtful lyrics accompanying calm melodies.
Definitely not something you'd throw on at a party or driving in the summer with the top down, but I'm glad I gave it a second shot!
3.5, really, but a low 3.5 so I'm going to round down.
Pleasant if unremarkable.
Not nearly enough pokemon references for me
David Baerwald
2/5
A little too Bruce Springsteeny and a little to U2y for my tastes
Sports Team
2/5
Yeah okay this was fine. I'm really glad someone loves this but I have a hard time wrapping my head around it. It's such a line drive right down the middle. At least with music I hate it elicits an emotion. Something where someone makes CHOICES I go "okay this absolutely isn't for me, but I can see how someone would love that choice".
This is just no choices for 40 minutes.
System Of A Down
3/5
Fun middle school vibes. Doesn't take itself too seriously.
Talking Heads
5/5
Perfect. No notes.
One of Jonathan Demme's best films, to boot.
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
I love love love love love Sufjan, but this album has never really sunk into me or stayed with me. It's fine, but it's no Michigan, Chicago, or Carrie and Lowell (or BQE, for that matter)
Screeching Weasel
3/5
Sounds like every Tony Hawk song (aka, great!)
Times New Viking
3/5
Real fuzzy amateur garage indie rock vibes.
Not bad and I could see it really hitting if you were in the mood!
Olivia Rodrigo
4/5
She has a lot of Chappell Roan in her, and I mean that as a compliment! Pretty good 2020s girl pop!
Crystal Castles
3/5
Vacillates between amazing/tons of fun and kind of a cloying 8-bit soundtrack parody.
Guy Clark
4/5
Wow just a great fuckin album top to botton.
Guy is my guy
Portishead
3/5
A pleasant walk through English electronica.
Refused
4/5
All over the place in the best way possible.
Electronic to jazz to screamo to speed metal to punk and then back.
Emicida
3/5
I have recently developed a bit of a bias against the Brazilian Portuguese language, though no fault of Mr. Emicida but rather due to some personal issues I am working through. I tried to put those aside when assessing this, and I think I did a good job, but it is important to note that this album is probably better than I give it credit for.
Hip Hop is a genre I always enjoy, and I find it a treat when it comes from other languages and other cultures.
Talk Talk
4/5
This did not sound like I thought it was going to. Atmospheric, occasionally dipping into things like jazz and blues.
It reminded me of later Pink Floyd, which I mean in the best way possible. This smacks of "The Division Bell".
But also... I'm not sure if it's essential in the way that this list *tries* to be. It definitely is at least as good as like... 400 albums on the real list, though, so why not.
Manchester Orchestra
4/5
Does that 2010s indie folk thing that I like. The musical arrangement is a bit echoey in a way that feels haunting.
I like it!
Unwound
1/5
I just cannot stand the genre of “let’s noodle around for like 6 hours and the producer will hit record whenever he wants”
Noname
4/5
Pretty good low key hip hop! I enjoyed this immensely!
TOOL
2/5
Unlike other TOOL albums, THIS one is nearly an hour and a half long and features complex rhythms and songs that are virtually identical
Bon Iver
4/5
I love Bon Iver and even if it's all sort of samey in the end, it's a delightful and ethereal samey.
4/5
I love The 1975 and even if it's all sort of samey in the end, it's a delightful, electric, and ethereal samey.
Johnny Winter
3/5
Misread this as Edgar Winter and so I started out disappointed. But this quickly won me over! Good clean fun rock and roll.
Os Mundi
3/5
Wikipedia says Krautrock in Latin and that's certainly what this is. Need to be in the right mood, for sure.
Enter Shikari
3/5
Love post hardcore, and it's probably the newest genre I've gotten into. I enjoyed being exposed to this! Would revisit.
Al Stewart
3/5
feather light melodies. painfully british.
R.E.M.
3/5
Well this certainly was an R.E.M. album, wasn't it? Definitely sounded exactly like the FOUR R.E.M. albums on the official list.
Spose
1/5
Good for Spose. It must have taken a lot of dedication listening to 1,089 much better albums before he was able to submit his own to this list.
The Breeders
4/5
Cannonball is permanently on any autogenerated playlist Spotify makes me. Idk why, it’s just in my algorithm. But I like it so I don’t mind!
Expected the rest of this album to be more like that. Kind of a fun and punky girl rock group. But this album is much quirkier and more contemplative. It’s great!
Lo Fidelity Allstars
5/5
This is so fucking groovy. Was really ready to roll my eyes at another goddamn English electronic group.
But this blew my socks off, so shame on me
Sam Fender
3/5
Entirely pleasant, but it's extremely presumptuous to put an album from 2025 onto the greatest albums of all time list, even as a user-submitted proposal
Lots of reviews here drawing a line between this and the Killers, but I'm more inclined to agree with the Springsteen comparisons.
Ween
5/5
This is not MY Ween album. That’s either Mollusk or Country Greats (or maybe White Pepper). But I still love Ween and they should absolutely appear on the real list.
Dead Boys
4/5
We like punk and we like having fun
New Model Army
4/5
Pretty fun! Singer sounds like Danny Elfman. The album is way too long but it keeps moving and I was never truly board/wishing it were over.
Ex-Easter Island Head
5/5
Eno-adjacent with a bit more of a beat.
Jason Isbell
4/5
Lovely rich voice over simple acoustic plucking. A great modern country/folk album
The Chameleons
3/5
Idk I liked it! I got SOOOO sick of this post-punk UK new wave shit on the original list because it felt like every other album for like 3 years.
But maybe the combination of becoming a connoisseur of the genre (against my will) and then taking a bit of a pause from it made me appreciate this more.
It sounds a lot like The Smiths and The Cure, in a good way.
My biggest complaint is that it goes on way too long for what it is. I feel like they get their point across in about 30 minutes and then there's nearly another 30 to go.
Tosca
4/5
Somewhere on the line between ambient and house. I love this kinda shit and it's great music to have on in the background at work, driving, etc.
Yo La Tengo
4/5
A fun variety of tunes. Autumn Sweater is my favorite easily. A band I clearly need to dive more into!
Beyoncé
1/5
My ex-wife loves Beyonce, specifically this album. I've heard this album, conservatively, 200 times.
I never liked it then, and I sure as hell like it even less now.
John Coltrane
3/5
I tend to prefer my jazz to be lyric-less or to be sung by a lady (like Eartha or Ella!). But this was lovely nonetheless.
Psyche Origami
5/5
Just some excellent rapping over slick as hell beats. This is exactly the kind of thing that keeps me coming back to this website after 4 and 1/2 years
Final Fantasy
3/5
This nice violin boy sure is nice
Vangelis
5/5
I listen to this almost weekly. A slam dunk for me personally, and an easy argument for one of the top 10 soundtracks of all time
Neil Cicierega
4/5
Five stars for smash mouth minus one star for
TOO MUCH smash mouth
Medeski, Martin & Wood
3/5
Groovy funky experimental jazz. Never gets tooooo weird or a-tonal, but also never really finds the groove I want it to. More interesting than enjoyable!
Lady Gaga
4/5
I am an enormous Gaga fan but I’ve always contended that this is her least interesting album. Sure we have a lot of classics on here but there’s also a lot of forgotten filler. Give me Art Pop or Joanne any day
Frightened Rabbit
3/5
based on this band's annoying name and album title I thought I would dislike it, but it's pretty great late-2000s rock! Enjoyable on the road trip I was on.
Magdalena Bay
5/5
Loved the dreamy synth pop melodies of these ladies!
Electric Callboy
5/5
Um this ruled. It was very very silly. Guess I’m just a fuckboi
Duncan Dhu
2/5
The only word I can think to put in here is "laborious".
It's pleasant enough, some songs veering more traditional Spanish and some songs veering toward sort of a family friendly 90's soft rock.
But this thing is like triple the length of most albums.
Perhaps it is on me and my lack of cultural experience, but so much of this is very samey. The album felt more like a "greatest hits" compilation. The sound quality varied weirdly between some tracks, as if they were recorded at very different times, etc.
I cannot believe how long this was.
Jon Batiste
4/5
This ruled. Lots of good musicality from ya boy Jon
Rita Ora
3/5
Pretty standard/decent 2020s fem-power pop. Not as good as your Keshas, Chappells, or your Gagas, but still nice. I liked when she sampled Fatboy Slim
Deltron 3030
5/5
I’m so in the pocket for this era of nerdy sci fi low flow hip hop. Perfection
Pearl Jam
2/5
Gen X culture is so aggressively lazy and dull and boring and Jesus Christ I already had to live through this once why are you making me do it again
Cat System Corp.
5/5
Incredible. Nostalgic, haunting. Smooth.
Somehow have never listened to AJJ before. This is so fun and I love it and once the album finished a similar playlist started and it just kept me so happy I let it play.
ISIS
2/5
Not awful put somewhat dull. Goes on way too long. Tool is a much better artist in this genre, I think.
The Who
2/5
I grew up on classic rock.
I love classic rock.
The Who are boring as shit. I've always felt so and have yet to be proven wrong.
Yellowcard
5/5
Pop punk until I die
The Groundhogs
3/5
Hey ChatGPT please record a classic rock album
Reincidentes
3/5
Kinda cute.
Rocks a bit harder than the last Spanish band featured on this list (Duncan Dhu) but is still rather light on the rock and roll spectrum.
My Spanish is quite poor, so I cannot speak to the lyrics much. The melodies are fun if unremarkable.
Kashmir
3/5
What if a Danish band decided to sound like Radiohead?
Aesop Rock
3/5
I like this man! His raps are good and he seems kinda nerdy in a way that I feel like we would be friends.
Dream Theater
3/5
When theater kids start to get the improper idea that they are cool/badass/not extremely beat-upable
(I was a theater kid)
Agalloch
4/5
Not as hardcore as I had expected/hoped. More orchestral than I expected/wanted.
Still fun and way better than my previous album on here: Dream Theater
BABYMETAL
5/5
Thanks to whoever submitted this for filling a space I didn’t know I had in my life. This was incredibly fun and silly and badass and just wild.
Chocolate!
Bruce Hornsby
3/5
This is the kind of music that when you were a kid in the 90s and your friend's parents listened to it you were like "ah so this is grownup music"
Yuppy-ass nonsense
of Montreal
3/5
An interesting listen from a band that a lot of people are really, really, really into.
I'm happy for them.
"Weird Al" Yankovic
5/5
Weird Al: to me, you are perfect
Ozzy Osbourne
4/5
Ozzy was a treasure, and it's always good to be reminded of that.
I'm not sure that this album had a big impact on me other than the always-awesome Crazy Train.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
5/5
The best prog rock album I’ve ever heard. These guys rule. Their name rules.
Baroness
2/5
A very long album that has more in common with Nickelback than the "heavy metal" that wikipedia promised me.
Yawwwwwwwn
Boredoms
3/5
Is there any escape from Noise?
Floating Points
5/5
Wow like Brian Eno picked up a sax
Harry Styles
3/5
This is a perfectly fine modern pop album that I wasn't upset by at all.
My girlfriend is a big fan of this album so I've heard a number of the singles before.
It's fine! It's not as catchy as it could be but maybe that's the point. Idk. I'm not British.
Charly García
3/5
I think it's cool that a lot of Argentinians seem to have discovered this website and worked through the whole list and are now using the opportunity to share Argentinian music! Love being exposed to this stuff.
Wish I connected with it more.
Yoko Ono
1/5
The best way to listen to this album is from quite a long way away.
Living Colour
3/5
My experience listening to this was almost identical to my experience listening to Vivid, the Living Colour album that is actually on the official list. So I'll repost that here:
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.
My only real complaint is... does this album achieve anything that Vivid doesn't? Do we need a second/different Living Colour album here? I'm not sure.
The Church
3/5
Sounds so much like ~500 albums on the original list that I'm surprised this isn't on the official rankings!
Fun as a curio, being that it sounds like 1983 but came out in 2023.
One of the vocalists sounds a lot like David Bowie in a way I enjoy.
The Tragically Hip
4/5
This album is fun and good and I loved it. Still don’t *quite* get their totemic status in Canada but who am I to disagree?
David Allan Coe
5/5
We used to make music in this country.
Various Artists
4/5
Feels like kind of a “follows the letter of the law but not the spirit of the law” to include this on here. RHPS is a quintessential cinematic/live theater experience. It’s one that can easily be argued everyone needs to experience before they die. And it has catchy music.
But is the soundtrack really an album? Is it one that needs to be *heard* before you die? Can it even really be appreciated fully in absence of having seen/experienced the show? I’m not so sure about that.
For what it’s worth, I love RHPS and I love all these songs, so I’ll err on the side of a charitable interpretation here.
Amália Rodrigues
5/5
I've loved Fado ever since Anthony Bourdain taught me about it.
Sure this is a rule-breaking greatest hits album, but I'll take if over fucking Yoko Ono.
Shihad
3/5
It’s nice to know that people in New Zealand can write generic rock songs too
Barenaked Ladies
5/5
I was gifted this album the week before I entered 9th grade and it really made an enormous impression on me, my sense of who I was, my sense of what kind of music I liked.
I can sing just about every lyric from every track.
It’s insane that BNL doesn’t make the OG list at all.
Deafheaven
3/5
An interesting experiment of mixing metal with the sort of ethereal soundscapes of (cribbing from another reviewer here) Sigur Rós.
Mostly successful!
Fall Out Boy
4/5
I unapologetically love FOB. This is one of their later, lesser albums in my opinion, but still full of fun bangers.
Stray From The Path
4/5
Rage Against the Machine-lite.
A lot of this anger feels very justified, and I enjoyed letting it course through my veins. It also feels so futile. Hey, it's 7 years later and EVERYTHING IS WORSE NOW. LITERALLY 2017 SEEMS GREAT IN RETROSPECT.
The Heads
3/5
Maybe I'm just a big dumb idiot but I expected this to sound a bit more like Talking Heads and less like generic rock
Nic Jones
5/5
I loved this and never wanted it to end.
I wanted to crawl inside and sit near the sea with my legs dangling over the edge.
I wanted to sing along in a carpet lined pub.
I wanted to wear a chunky sweater and smell stale beer as I played the melodeon.
BABYMETAL
4/5
Love these gals but I'm not sure we need two albums by them on the list.
Quicksand
3/5
Very standard early 90s rock. Somewhere between Grunge and whatever, like, Tool became.
Denzel Curry
3/5
Hey ChatGPT write me a nice inoffensive 2020s hiphop album
Vampire Weekend
3/5
Nice to know these boys are still out there making music, I guess. Not sure it hits as much as their older stuff.
Malibu
4/5
Sitting on an infinite beach staring into the oceans of time
Ornatos Violeta
3/5
This is definitely some Portuguese rock alright. No question about it.
Chico Science
4/5
Sometimes it's pretty "generic rock but this time it's from Brazil". I would give this 3 stars. I like being exposed to music countries/cultures other than my own, but it is *very* run-of-the-mill.
Sometimes it veers into Thievery Corporation territory, especially with some of the album-closing remixes. I would give this 5 stars because it completely fucks.
So we'll average out to 4 and call it a day, thank you very much.
Black Devil Disco Club
4/5
If ya like fun music and ya like disco and ya like albums with big ol' tiddies on the cover then boy do I have an album for you
Robyn
4/5
Bubblegum pop meets dancehall. It's fun! It overstays its welcome!
Descendents
4/5
Some great fuck you punk. As in, great punk to listen to and shout "fuck you!"
Weezer
5/5
I've heard this album 10,000 times so I feel comfortable rating it before listening today. But also I'm going to listen to it again because it's perfect.
Weezer used to be so great. I'm not really sure what happened. Their new music still *sounds* kinda the same but it just lacks something! I guess they got old and comfortable.
Anyway, there will always be a debate about whether Blue or Pinkerton is their best album. I waver back and forth; it usually depends on which one I've listened to most recently.
Regardless, it's insane that NEITHER Blue or Pinkerton have been on *any* version of the real list, when I think you could easily argue that both belong.
Dolly Parton
5/5
Constantly scheming increasingly elaborate ways to make Dolly my friend.
Built To Spill
3/5
Generic late 90s indie rock sound. You've heard other bands do it better, but you've never heard THIS band do it *just fine*!
Paul McCartney
3/5
Paul McCartney never really veers to far from sounding like Paul McCartney and, hey, I get it! If I sounded like Paul McCartney, neither would I.
I like the album cover heaps.
2/5
Hey it's that band that wrote that one song also wrote 90 more minutes of music that sounds like that.
The Notwist
3/5
Kind of soft electronic mixed with soft indie. Not bad, and very easy to digest.
Rodríguez
4/5
As a native of the Detroit area, I'll always champion the late, great Sugar Man. Good movie, good album, good artist! The story is probably more interesting than the actual music in a vacuum, but I can see why this user wanted to put Sixto on the list.
Hamilton Leithauser
3/5
Could definitely imagine these songs being in a commercial in the late 2010s.
Everything Everything
4/5
i was out on this album initially while I was sort of half listening as I cooked dinner.
Decided to start it again from the top during a nice long bike ride on Sunday and I really keyed in to it!
At times sounds like everything from The Police to The Killers, while also managing to sound wholly of its own accord. They do a lot of interesting things with echos and call/response. I enjoyed it!
Ween
4/5
I love Ween but this may be my least favorite of theirs. Just not enough variety for me. Never quite gets weird enough. Maybe too long?
But they are still a top 20 band for me so I'm not going to complain too much.
Shpongle
4/5
Another one I found as a kid when I first started stretching my musical muscles. A nice house/electronic album with a bit of a world music vibe. No complaints here!
Bright Eyes
5/5
I love Bright Eyes and it reminds me of all my sad white girl high school friends in the best way
Alabama 3
2/5
A great experiment: can a British band sound like a dirty southern US band akin to Lynyrd Skynyrd?
The answer: nope! Almost, but nope!
Ookla The Mok
1/5
Holy shit insufferable!
It's like someone took all the wrong lessons from Barenaked Ladies, They Might Be Giants, and several other bands I like.
Future Islands
5/5
I love this band so much. Discovered them in January of this year. Their newest album is my favorite but I will co-sign any opportunity to listen
Foxing
2/5
I literally just finished listening to this and am STRUGGLING to remember a single thing about it. In one ear and out the other rock music.
The little spotify animation featured a cool kind of facehugger alien thing. I liked that.
Tom Misch
4/5
My music review BFF, tom5643, said it best. This is beach club resort music. Depending on your mood and your surroundings, that may be just what the doctor ordered! Or it may be kind of weightless and forgettable.
I was in the right mood yesterday though so I'm all for it.
Michael Hurley
5/5
Fun! Very Dan Reeder adjacent.
Various Artists
5/5
To whatever sicko suggested this album:
I see you.
Paramore
5/5
Love Paramore, and this is no exception
Spinvis
4/5
A total delight although it's weird to hear Dutch Moby singing in Dutch (I'm just not used to it!)
Turnpike Troubadours
4/5
Good Goddamn, yeehaw!
Swans
3/5
Wikipedia says this is experimental rock. I’d say this experiment is a success! I liked the sort of avant garde-meets-Nick Cave vibe a lot. I would totally give this 4 stars except that it’s OVER two hours long.
So, to whomever submitted this: I have two tickets that I bought here. I’d like to give them to you, so that you can take a flying fuck
Mac Miller
3/5
I shan't speak ill of the dead but I didn't really see any brilliance here. Some nice beats and a sincere performance.
Q65
3/5
Kind of wavers between Beatles cover band (but never as good as the Beatles) and Frank Zappa cover band (but never as weird as Frank).
Never offensive but sometimes a bit sillier than they probably intended 60 years ago
Comus
3/5
I like the instrumentation a lot but the lyrics are kind of gross and unpleasant!
DARKSIDE
4/5
Very low key and chill beats. Listened to this twice, it worked much better on a late-autumn after dark dog walk than it did sitting in my windowless office at 2pm.
No Doubt
3/5
Yep that's Gwen Stefani's band.
Chuck Berry
4/5
Crazy to think that this easy listening music was considered radically dangerous about half a century ago.
Really a 3 star for enjoyment but I bumped it for historical significance.
Charles Aznavour
5/5
I love crooners and nobody does it better than the French.
Put this on while you're sipping a cocktail with a pretty person you have a crush on.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
4/5
A pretty rousing album. Ya love to hear the crowd totally grooving with along with the energy of the musicians.
Lift To Experience
1/5
It's crazy how, when I started using this website nearly 5 years ago I didn't know what "Shoegaze" was, and now I am half a decade older and I have a new least-favorite genre that I've listened to collectively dozens of hours of albums :)
Zamilska
5/5
Pretty fucking rad. Heavy repetitive electric beats
Glass Animals
5/5
This was in heavy rotation for me for several years after it came out. I love it and it's still and absolute jam.
Does it *deserve* to be on this list? Does one *need* to hear it before they die? IDK, the original list has like 15 Bruce Springsteen albums on it and then this fan-created list went ahead and added *several* more.
So sure.
Mr. Bungle
2/5
There certainly were some sounds in here that I did not hear before.
Nujabes
4/5
Cool beats to string Christmas lights to
WHY?
4/5
Angsty edgy lyrics make for kind of an R-rated They Might Be Giants. I dig it.
Bohren & Der Club Of Gore
5/5
It's Sunday, February 26 1933.
You're in Berlin
At a Jazz club.
You have a bad feeling.
But you're also very horny.
2/5
Was absolutely NOT vibing with this today. Never commits to a single sound or genre enough to feel like its worth my time. Came away with lots of thoughts, but the prevailing one is "GRATING"
Modern Life Is War
4/5
This boy screams at you for 26 minutes.
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
3/5
What if 90s rock album sounds a bit like late 60s rock album?
Danny Brown
2/5
Glad to support a neighbor but also this is lowkey kind of annoying from beginning to end.
I was originally going to give this a 3 due to the hometown connection but I could not in good conscience do that.
65daysofstatic
4/5
I thought this was pretty dang enjoyable jams as I listened.
Found out these fine folks did the soundtrack to No Man's Sky which is cool and gets a bump from me.
Metric
4/5
I've loved Metric for like 15 years but have never before today actually sat down and listened to an album in full.
Hey, it sounds like Metric! Gets a bit samey by the end but if you dig the sound then you're in for a good time.
Powderfinger
3/5
Incredibly generic. Incredibly inoffensive. I'd play this for my mom and she'd say "that's nice"
Brand New
5/5
A pop punk opera.
Blackalicious
5/5
A to G was really eye opening to me as a high school freshman. I had not been exposed to much rap music, and grew up in a household that absolutely forbade any form of hip hop. My lack of exposure very much biased me against the genre.
Blackalicious was so different to the snippets of rap I had caught on the radio or flipping past MTV (another forbidden thing in my household) that it immediately grabbed my attention.
What was this? It was clever! It was nerdy! It was silly. It was undeniably technically impressive. It really opened my eyes and ears to what rap could be, and I suddenly had to consume more.
"Changed my life" is probably extreme, but this album absolutely changed the direction of my musical development, and opened more doors to my ears than I would have ever experienced without it.
Good stuff!
Current 93
3/5
I was pretty out on this until the titular track. I loved the titular track!
Savatage
2/5
This iron maiden cover band is really cute. Maybe they'll make their own music someday.
Pink Floyd
5/5
One of my favorite bands and one of their best live albums. I think "Live at Pompeii" is probably a bit better if only for the unique production values.
Younger listeners may not remember, but the CD release of Pulse literally came with a pulsing red LED light in the side of the case. It always drew my eye when I saw it on a shelf in Best Buy because the whole rack would be blinking. Unique packaging like this is what I miss about physical media! Ah well...
Espers
3/5
A real light touch. Feels like something you'd hear at the Renaissance Festival.
Turnstile
3/5
A nice hard rock album that I didn't mind and wouldn't turn off if someone put it on, but also will never ever listen to again.
Depeche Mode
4/5
This album is great! I like Depeche Mode a lot.
Considering that there are already 2 (arguably better) DM albums on the official list, this enters into the territory of "Do we really need another one?".
But I'll be swirling around and bopping my head to the synthy beat while I ponder.
Pop Will Eat Itself
2/5
Maybe the 80s weren't that great after all...
Daft Punk
5/5
One of the all time great soundtracks to one of the all time okay movies.
Soul Coughing
5/5
This album is too long but I've loved it for 20 years and it's nice to know other people love it too.
Gerry Cinnamon
3/5
Worth it for the lovely thick Scottish lilt. A nice debut album, would be interested in listening to more.
Eric B. & Rakim
3/5
Full on "I went to the hat store and bought myself a hat" territory
Wet Leg
4/5
Great little indie LP. Will definitely revisit. Apparently one of these songs was a big thing for a hot second? I missed that, so the entire album was a joy of discovery.
Jaco Pastorius
4/5
my jazzy dude can cook
Porcupine Tree
2/5
What if Tool sucked (even more)?
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
3/5
Definitely rock from the 70s. No doubts about that.
STARSET
4/5
Imagine Dragons but they scream a bit more.
I know the reputation of bands like this, especially among the audiophile community. Childish. Simplistic. Overly stylized. Lame.
BUT FUCK YOU GUYS IT RULES.
Billy Strings
5/5
Wonderful blue grass from the great state of Michigan. Thanks for introducing me to a cool, talented neighbor!
Bruce Cockburn
5/5
A mix between yacht rock and Gordon lightfoot crooning. Extremely my shit.
Songs: Ohia
4/5
Sounds very much like a Neil Young project and I mean that in the best way possible
Bo Burnham
5/5
Somehow missed this in 2021 and never got around to it. Thanks for making me! It earns its reputation and is now a great time capsule.
The Weakerthans
5/5
Exactly the kind of music ya boy loves
Getatchew Mekurya
5/5
Can I get a HELL YEAH?
Crass
3/5
Christ you can smell their teeth from here.
One imagines this caused quite a stir in 1978. This is a genre I have really grown to love, so I had fun here. But also it has real “I’m an edgy 14 year old” energy.
The Hold Steady
4/5
I like these guys quite a bit. They've been on this list before (they're the only repeat album on the list that the mod hasn't caught yet!)
Not sure this is better than their other albums I've heard, but it's fun. I like the singer's unique vocal style.
Mastodon
3/5
Found this more enjoyable than I expected. I kind of wish it were more metal though. Sort of a cousin to TOOL or Metallica.
Matthew Good Band
1/5
Someone listened to a lot of Pearl Jam and U2 and decided that they could do worse
Auri
4/5
Sounds like what I imagine getting laid at the ren fest feels like (complimentary)
Tom Petty
3/5
Starts with an absolute banger I've never heard before and completely fell in love with. Then goes into one of his most famous hits ever.
Then the rest of the album is forgettttaaabbbllleeee
Warren Zevon
3/5
These sure are some songs that you can extrapolate from what Werewolves of London sounds like
Muse
3/5
Never quite takes off. Starts pretty good and then stays in first gear throughout
Imogen Heap
4/5
She’s more than just hide and seek, you know.
Not MUCH more. But more