1001 Albums Summary

Listening statistics & highlights

User Albums Journey

Exploring beyond the book, one album at a time

View 1001 Albums Summary
600
Albums Rated
3.65
Average Rating

Rating Distribution

Rating Timeline

Taste Profile

2020
Favorite Decade
Reggae
Favorite Genre
Other
Top Origin ?
Cheerleader
Rater Style ?
146
5-Star Albums
15
1-Star Albums

Breakdown

By Genre

Tap a bar to see the albums behind it

Top Styles

Tap a bar to see the albums behind it

By Decade

By Origin

Albums

You Love More Than Most

AlbumYouGlobalDiff
TEKKNO
Electric Callboy
5 2.36 +2.64
News at 11
Cat System Corp.
5 2.36 +2.64
Alexisonfire
Alexisonfire
5 2.45 +2.55
Alive Or Just Breathing
Killswitch Engage
5 2.46 +2.54
Rainbow Brain
GRiZ
5 2.48 +2.52
endin on a high
Slim Krusty
5 2.57 +2.43
Watch Out!
Alexisonfire
5 2.64 +2.36
BABYMETAL
BABYMETAL
5 2.74 +2.26
A1A
Jimmy Buffett
5 2.75 +2.25
How to Operate With a Blown Mind
Lo Fidelity Allstars
5 2.75 +2.25

You Love Less Than Most

AlbumYouGlobalDiff
Lemonade
Beyoncé
1 3.26 -2.26
Blonde
Frank Ocean
1 3.16 -2.16
Hammersmith Odeon, London '75
Bruce Springsteen
1 3.13 -2.13
Repetition
Unwound
1 2.87 -1.87
The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads
Lift To Experience
1 2.79 -1.79
Eye
Robyn Hitchcock
1 2.71 -1.71
Vs.
Pearl Jam
2 3.67 -1.67
Deceit
This Heat
1 2.67 -1.67
Songs Of A Lost World
The Cure
2 3.65 -1.65
Choirs Of The Eye
Kayo Dot
1 2.63 -1.63

Artists

Favorites

Tap an artist to see their albums

ArtistAlbumsAverage
Daft Punk 4 5
Ween 3 4.67
Lady Gaga 3 4.67
Weezer 2 5
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard 2 5
Alexisonfire 2 5
They Might Be Giants 2 5
The Mountain Goats 2 5
Pink Floyd 2 5
Bon Iver 3 4.33
The Hold Steady 3 4.33

Least Favorites

Tap an artist to see their albums

ArtistAlbumsAverage
Beyoncé 2 1.5
Porcupine Tree 3 2

Controversial

Tap an artist to see their albums

ArtistRatings
The Beautiful South 2, 5

5-Star Albums (146)

View Album Wall

Popular Reviews

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel

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.

Hammersmith Odeon, London '75 by Bruce Springsteen

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.

Symbolic by Death

Does what it says on the tin. Won't be for everyone. But those people can fuck off.

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!

The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance

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.

1-Star Albums (15)

All Ratings (600)

The Lion's Roar by First Aid Kit
Jan 08 2024

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.

Discosis by Bran Van 3000
Jan 09 2024

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!

Madvillainy by Madvillain
Jan 10 2024

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.

Zuckerzeit by Cluster
Jan 11 2024

A really fun time listening to ambient german beats! Somewhere between vaporwave and retro-german-techno-futurism. What a cool find!

Bloody Kisses by Type O Negative
Jan 12 2024

It's a good thing that they don't care what I think, because I think that they are kind of shitty

Jan 13 2024

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!

F♯ A♯ ∞ by Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Jan 14 2024

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.

Tomb by Angelo De Augustine
Jan 15 2024

It makes sense that this person tours with Sufjan, because Angelo sounds like a not-quite-as-well-formed Sufjan. Enjoyable!

Version 2.0 by Garbage
Jan 16 2024

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!

McDonald and Giles by Ian McDonald
Jan 17 2024

A nice proggy time that doesn't hit the ear-grating heights of something like Yes

Weezer by Weezer
Jan 18 2024

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.

Because the Internet by Childish Gambino
Jan 19 2024

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.

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel
Jan 21 2024

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 by blink-182
Jan 22 2024

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.

Nonagon Infinity by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Jan 23 2024

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)

Rêver mieux by Daniel Bélanger
Jan 24 2024

What if French music was gentle?

Recipe for Hate by Bad Religion
Jan 25 2024

The reviewer that mentions Tony Hawk Pro Skater nailed this on the head. If you like that you'll like this. Pretty good!

Hand. Cannot. Erase. by Steven Wilson
Jan 26 2024

The most bland of these bonus albums so far. Totally inoffensively fine.

Oncle Jazz by Men I Trust
Jan 27 2024

What if Québécois music was soft and sexy

Poesía Básica by Extrechinato y Tu
Jan 28 2024

Cool Spanish music and poetry. Rocky and folky and full of feeling.

Night Drive by Chromatics
Jan 29 2024

Vaporwave - the album! I had a good time.

Don't Throw Stones by THE SPORTS
Jan 30 2024

Wow this was so dull and basic and vaguely 80s that I'm shocked this artist isn't on the real list 5+ times

Vedergällningen by Garmarna
Jan 31 2024

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

El Circo by Maldita Vecindad Y Los Hijos Del 5to. Patio
Feb 02 2024

All killer no filler.

Relatives in Descent by Protomartyr
Feb 03 2024

More post punk. No thanks, I listened to three years of this mediocre forgettable stuff.

Dimanche à Bamako by Amadou & Mariam
Feb 04 2024

Hell yeah let’s go to the beach and listen to Amado and Mariam

Racine carrée by Stromae
Feb 05 2024

In a bit of serendipity my friend introduced me to Stromae a few weeks ago. Cool Belgian party music

Spilt Milk by Jellyfish
Feb 06 2024

This was kind of nice. I'm not sure I have anything else to say about it.

A Live One by Phish
Feb 07 2024

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.

Before These Crowded Streets by Dave Matthews Band
Feb 08 2024

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.

Music For People In Trouble by Susanne Sundfør
Feb 09 2024

Haunting and lovely. Would make for a good "walk in the woods in autumn" album.

A1A by Jimmy Buffett
Feb 10 2024

Jimmy just mellows me out every time. Back half way stronger than the front half. Where's my margarita glass?

Give Up by The Postal Service
Feb 11 2024

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.

Piledriver by Status Quo
Feb 12 2024

Garbage can classic rock. Ai generated classic rock.

I Am by Earth, Wind & Fire
Feb 13 2024

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.

Forced Witness by Alex Cameron
Feb 14 2024

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!

Feb 16 2024

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.

Kick by INXS
Feb 17 2024

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.

No.1 In Heaven by Sparks
Feb 18 2024

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!

Control by Pedro The Lion
Feb 19 2024

Very Pearl Jam-adjacent. Not bad!

Continuum by John Mayer
Feb 20 2024

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.

Feb 21 2024

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

Maestro by Kaizers Orchestra
Feb 22 2024

What if The Fratellis were from Norway?

Ænima by TOOL
Feb 23 2024

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 by Nuyorican Soul
Feb 24 2024

A mix of Thievery Corporation and Gotan Project and Motown and Buena Vista Social Club

Frosting On The Beater by The Posies
Feb 26 2024

Some nice inoffensive pop music you could play for a grandmother or a sick dog.

Cleopatra by The Lumineers
Feb 27 2024

I, too, went to college in the 2010s

Come And Get It by Rachel Stevens
Feb 28 2024

What if Britney Spears was named Rachel Stevens? What would that be like?

The Beautiful Letdown by Switchfoot
Mar 01 2024

If you're too young to remember, this is what 2003 sounded like. I never realized it until now. But it sounded like Switchfoot.

A Salty Dog by Procol Harum
Mar 02 2024

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.

Currents by Tame Impala
Mar 03 2024

Wow this was great! I can tell Childish Gambino is a Tame Impala fan; I hear a lot of Because of the Internet here.

Enema Of The State by blink-182
Mar 04 2024

The superior 182 album. Way better than the official album on the list

22, A Million by Bon Iver
Mar 05 2024

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.

Englabörn by Jóhann Jóhannsson
Mar 06 2024

A nice album mixing classical and modern sounds. I can tell this was originally conceived of as a soundtrack to something.

The Hazards of Love by The Decemberists
Mar 08 2024

The ultra rare album where the closing track may be the best one?

Fuzz by Chucklehead
Mar 09 2024

Damn this thing grooves.

Yeti by Amon Düül II
Mar 10 2024

Do you like when Germans jam? I do

I Need to Start a Garden by Haley Heynderickx
Mar 11 2024

Pretty incredible. This is a very specific kind of music that I am 100% in the pocket for

After Hours by The Weeknd
Mar 12 2024

Some immense talent on display here. Thanks for sharing!

Sublime by Sublime
Mar 13 2024

This is what the 90s felt like

Dogrel by Fontaines D.C.
Mar 14 2024

This sure was an album I listened to

I And Love And You by The Avett Brothers
Mar 16 2024

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.

Nurture by Porter Robinson
Mar 22 2024

Has a sort of "Sigur Ros but happy" vibe. A good time!

Boys And Girls in America by The Hold Steady
Mar 29 2024

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.

Lahai by Sampha
Mar 30 2024

This was fine and I think really is ideal for when you want music *on* but don't want to actually *listen* to it.

Peasant by Richard Dawson
Apr 01 2024

Nice kinda folky jams

Apr 02 2024

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"

Live in San Francisco by Thee Oh Sees
Apr 03 2024

Fun energetic punky concert. The kind of concert that justifies its existence from the raw energy that is not repeatable in a studio.

When Smoke Rises by Mustafa
Apr 04 2024

A very nice way to spend 20 minutes, and a great reminder not to judge an album by its cover.

The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance
Apr 05 2024

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.

Hammersmith Odeon, London '75 by Bruce Springsteen
Apr 06 2024

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.

Watch Out! by Alexisonfire
Apr 20 2024

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.

Game of Fools by Koritni
Apr 21 2024

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.

The Animal Years by Josh Ritter
Apr 22 2024

A lovely folkin' good time. Idaho is achingly beautiful.

Korn by Korn
May 01 2024

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.

1, 2, Kung Fu! by Boy Azooga
May 02 2024

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

Misplaced Childhood by Marillion
May 03 2024

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.

Blue Is The Colour by The Beautiful South
May 04 2024

Wow this was horrible. The quirky lyrics do not make up for the terrible, cheesy 80s lounge act music.

Funeral Dress by Wussy
May 05 2024

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.

Join Us by They Might Be Giants
May 06 2024

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.

May 07 2024

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.

Nail by Scraping Foetus off the Wheel
May 08 2024

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.

St. Jude by Courteeners
May 09 2024

Has a strong Fratellis vibe. Great Indie British late 2000s sound.

Silent Alarm by Bloc Party
May 16 2024

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?)

10,000 gecs by 100 gecs
May 17 2024

Fun, frantic, intense, and feels *new*. The list definitely needs something like this on it.

"Awaken, My Love!" by Childish Gambino
May 18 2024

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.

Carrie & Lowell by Sufjan Stevens
May 19 2024

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.

Stranger In Town by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
May 20 2024

Seger is the answer to the age-old question: What if Bruce Springsteen wasn't lame and didn't suck?

May 21 2024

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.

Carolina Confessions by The Marcus King Band
May 22 2024

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.

Don't Say No by Billy Squier
May 23 2024

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".

Wild Planet by The B-52's
Jun 09 2024

Sounds exactly like every other B-52's album. Which is to say that it's enjoyable if not unremarkable.

Jun 10 2024

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.

Silence Yourself by Savages
Jun 14 2024

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.

Transatlanticism by Death Cab for Cutie
Jun 15 2024

A super soft album from some super soft boys

Afraid Of Sunlight by Marillion
Jun 16 2024

Wikipedia tells me that this is a "Modern prog rock band" Yep. They are.

People by The Burning Hell
Jun 17 2024

Very Cake-adjacent. Not bad!

Gemstones by Adam Green
Jun 27 2024

Wow this sucks. He's trying sooooo hard to be edgy and clever and it comes off as very cringy.

Home Sweet Home by Kano
Jun 28 2024

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.

Re by Café Tacvba
Jun 29 2024

I fuckin love all user-submitted Mexican albums. Love my neighbors to the south and their kickin' smooth grooves.

Nightbirds by LaBelle
Jul 18 2024

I really cannot stand Lady Marmalade, and the rest of these tracks are fine.

Loss by Mull Historical Society
Jul 19 2024

I hear a lot of early Flaming Lips in here. It’s good!

Goat by The Jesus Lizard
Jul 22 2024

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.

Piñata by Freddie Gibbs
Jul 23 2024

Smooth as hell. A good listen

Savage Sinusoid by Igorrr
Aug 20 2024

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

Contra by Vampire Weekend
Aug 21 2024

I was the perfect age when this came out to devour it voraciously. Still love VW and their sort of preppy 80s beach vibe.

Super Ape by The Upsetters
Aug 22 2024

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.

We Like It Here by Snarky Puppy
Aug 23 2024

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

Go Farther In Lightness by Gang of Youths
Aug 24 2024

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!

Ultra Blue by Hikaru Utada
Aug 25 2024

A nice, if overly repetitive album. Hikaru has a nice voice and this album sounds kind of like a Sonic Video game

Squeezing Out Sparks by Graham Parker
Aug 26 2024

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.

Tales Of Mystery And Imagination by The Alan Parsons Project
Sep 08 2024

Totally in the pocket for this kind of prog rock passion project. We used to have TRUE NERDS in this country!

Dead Man's Party by Oingo Boingo
Sep 09 2024

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 :)

Out of the Blue by Debbie Gibson
Sep 10 2024

Let's go to the mall!! Sounds like roller skating.

Whipped Cream & Other Delights by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass
Sep 11 2024

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.

Pushin' Against a Stone by Valerie June
Sep 12 2024

Wow just a delightful mix of Blues, R&B, gospel, and Bluegrass. Utterly unique and utterly American.

Phantom Power by The Tragically Hip
Sep 13 2024

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.

Eye by Robyn Hitchcock
Sep 14 2024

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 by Chet Baker
Oct 05 2024

Never heard of this fellow but he can blow a mean trumpet.

Dilate by Ani DiFranco
Oct 06 2024

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.

Moffou by Salif Keita
Oct 07 2024

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

Mm..Food by MF DOOM
Oct 08 2024

Never going to say anything negative about MFD

Human Racing by Nik Kershaw
Oct 09 2024

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"

A Deeper Understanding by The War On Drugs
Oct 10 2024

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

We Rock Hard by Freestylers
Oct 11 2024

fun 90s brit club music sounds like a ps1 racing game

Oct 12 2024

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.

All Hail West Texas by The Mountain Goats
Oct 15 2024

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.

Djarimirri by Gurrumul
Oct 16 2024

Haunting groovy wonderful

O by Damien Rice
Oct 17 2024

A classic I've loved ever since I heard Delicate on an episode of Lost in 2004. I revisit this every few years.

World Of Echo by Arthur Russell
Oct 24 2024

Chill, occasionally odd, moods. Very sparse. Was good for carving a pumpkin to!

Real Life by Joan As Police Woman
Oct 25 2024

Nice 90s vibe female singer songwriter album. Never really breaks beyond that for me, but I enjoyed my time.

Pop by GAS
Oct 26 2024

like taking a warm sonic bath

Diary by Sunny Day Real Estate
Nov 04 2024

Kind of a predecessor to Pop Punk. Bridging the early 90s gap of styles. Not incredible but enjoyable.

Ruin by The Amazing Devil
Nov 05 2024

Wow! Fun and occasionally epic

Young Team by Mogwai
Nov 07 2024

Good jam band vibes that sometimes go REAL HARD. A great time.

Nov 16 2024

Pretty great beats! Good for the road trip I was on at the time.

Alive Or Just Breathing by Killswitch Engage
Nov 17 2024

I was 100% on board with the rage and the hard driving melodies. Loved it so much I listened twice.

Nov 18 2024

Kinda fun indie Canadian record. Occasionally sounds a bit like Tegan and Sara. Sometimes sounds like Architecture in Helsinki. Often sounds entirely unique.

Come On Come On by Mary Chapin Carpenter
Nov 19 2024

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.

Nov 20 2024

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.

Boys And Girls In America by The Hold Steady
Nov 21 2024

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.

Bleed American by Jimmy Eat World
Nov 23 2024

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.

God Shuffled His Feet by Crash Test Dummies
Nov 29 2024

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!

Stage Four by Touché Amoré
Nov 30 2024

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.

Animals by Pink Floyd
Dec 13 2024

Not as good as Wish You Were Here, but this is my vote for second-best Floyd album of the 70s.

Dec 14 2024

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.

Come On Over by Shania Twain
Dec 15 2024

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.

Hadestown by Anaïs Mitchell
Dec 16 2024

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.

Dec 20 2024

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.

MOMENTUM by Calibro 35
Dec 21 2024

holy. shit. where has this been all my life? I don't even know how to classify this other than "transcendent"

Angel Dust by Faith No More
Dec 22 2024

Perfectly fine early 90s Butt Rock

Sing To God by Cardiacs
Dec 23 2024

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.

Act IV: Rebirth In Reprise by The Dear Hunter
Dec 24 2024

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.

Boxer by The National
Jan 07 2025

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.

L'Heptade by Harmonium
Jan 08 2025

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.

Pony Express Record by Shudder To Think
Jan 09 2025

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.

Puzzle by Biffy Clyro
Jan 10 2025

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.

Stories by Avicii
Jan 11 2025

Saw what you will about the Swedes but they can craft some platinum level pop

From The Lions Mouth by The Sound
Jan 12 2025

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.

Rose Mountain by Screaming Females
Jan 13 2025

If a girl rocks really hard it’s an instant 4+ stars from me. I don’t make the rules.

Under The Pink by Tori Amos
Jan 14 2025

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.

Jan 15 2025

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.

Pop Art by Transvision Vamp
Jan 16 2025

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.

Choirs Of The Eye by Kayo Dot
Jan 17 2025

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.

The Great Outdoors Jam by Pigeons Playing Ping Pong
Jan 18 2025

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.

WORRY by Jeff Rosenstock
Jan 19 2025

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.

Grace And Danger by John Martyn
Jan 20 2025

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.

Get Fucked by The Chats
Jan 21 2025

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

The Evil One by Roky Erickson
Feb 08 2025

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.

Symbolic by Death
Feb 09 2025

Does what it says on the tin. Won't be for everyone. But those people can fuck off.

Songs Of A Lost World by The Cure
Feb 10 2025

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

Brat by Charli xcx
Feb 11 2025

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.

Grand Prix by Teenage Fanclub
Feb 13 2025

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 by Operation Ivy
Feb 14 2025

A great album at the intersection of punk and ska. Put it on a drink the shittiest beer you can stomach.

Mar 05 2025

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

Not Animal by Margot & The Nuclear So And So's
Mar 06 2025

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.

Sound Awake by Karnivool
Mar 07 2025

What if butt rock but Australian?

Bob Mould by Bob Mould
Mar 08 2025

Desperately boring

Once by Nightwish
Mar 09 2025

Lots of the reviewers here seem to hate fun and whimsy

Lateralus by TOOL
Mar 10 2025

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.

Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven by Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Mar 11 2025

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.

Homogenic by Björk
Mar 12 2025

I love this crazy bitch

HELLYEAH by HELLYEAH
Mar 13 2025

Yeah it's dumb but it's also kind of silly. I don't hate it.

Look Sharp! by Joe Jackson
Mar 14 2025

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.

The Monitor by Titus Andronicus
Mar 15 2025

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.

Metallic K.O. by The Stooges
Mar 16 2025

Punk music is fun because it sounds like shit. But there comes a point where it sounds too much like shit.

The Lonesome Crowded West by Modest Mouse
Mar 18 2025

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.

All Hour Cymbals by Yeasayer
Mar 19 2025

Kind of airy and pseudo-Eastern sounding. Not a bad use of my time but also nothing to really grab and hold onto.

Cor-Crane Secret by Polvo
Mar 21 2025

Some good 90s rock noodling. A little too "shoegazey" for me

Souvlaki by Slowdive
Mar 24 2025

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

Clarity by Jimmy Eat World
Mar 25 2025

Pop Punk til I die

City Of Evil by Avenged Sevenfold
Mar 26 2025

A bit silly but also goes hard AF. If you don't like this then I guess you aren't cool, chill, or fun.

In Between Dreams by Jack Johnson
Apr 01 2025

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.

Fashion Nugget by CAKE
Apr 02 2025

She has healthy breasts that bounce on his Italian leather sofa, you see

Comfort To Me by Amyl and The Sniffers
Apr 03 2025

LOUD SHITTY AUSTRALIA GIRL PUNK FOR PRESIDENT

Apr 04 2025

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?

Ungodly Hour by Chloe x Halle
Apr 05 2025

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.

Emotion by Carly Rae Jepsen
Apr 06 2025

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!

Up by Great Big Sea
Apr 07 2025

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!

Argus by Wishbone Ash
Apr 08 2025

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.

L'autre... by Mylène Farmer
Apr 09 2025

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.

Fully Completely by The Tragically Hip
Apr 11 2025

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.

Discovery by Daft Punk
Apr 12 2025

peak youtube was the homebrew harder, better, faster, stronger music videos. We didn't know how good we had it.

10,000 Days by TOOL
Apr 13 2025

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

Apr 14 2025

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)

Apr 15 2025

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.

Millennium by Backstreet Boys
Apr 16 2025

Stone cold hits and chill piano R&B ballads. These boys had better chops than a lot of us gave them credit for.

Romance by Fontaines D.C.
Apr 17 2025

Liked this waaaaay more than Dogrel!

Geogaddi by Boards of Canada
Apr 18 2025

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.

For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver
Apr 19 2025

Thanks for introducing me to this immaculate album 18 years ago, Bob Erickson

Stretch 2 by Arca
Apr 28 2025

lucille-bluth-good-for-her.gif

Alive 2007 by Daft Punk
Apr 30 2025

What if there was a cool french dance party?

May 05 2025

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 by Alexisonfire
May 06 2025

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!

The Lioness by Songs: Ohia
May 07 2025

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.

Triage by David Baerwald
May 16 2025

A little too Bruce Springsteeny and a little to U2y for my tastes

Deep Down Happy by Sports Team
May 17 2025

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.

Toxicity by System Of A Down
May 18 2025

Fun middle school vibes. Doesn't take itself too seriously.

Stop Making Sense by Talking Heads
May 19 2025

Perfect. No notes. One of Jonathan Demme's best films, to boot.

A Beginner's Mind by Sufjan Stevens
May 20 2025

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)

My Brain Hurts by Screeching Weasel
May 21 2025

Sounds like every Tony Hawk song (aka, great!)

Rip It Off by Times New Viking
May 22 2025

Real fuzzy amateur garage indie rock vibes. Not bad and I could see it really hitting if you were in the mood!

GUTS by Olivia Rodrigo
May 23 2025

She has a lot of Chappell Roan in her, and I mean that as a compliment! Pretty good 2020s girl pop!

Crystal Castles by Crystal Castles
Jun 05 2025

Vacillates between amazing/tons of fun and kind of a cloying 8-bit soundtrack parody.

Old No. 1 by Guy Clark
Jun 06 2025

Wow just a great fuckin album top to botton. Guy is my guy

Portishead by Portishead
Jun 07 2025

A pleasant walk through English electronica.

Jun 08 2025

All over the place in the best way possible. Electronic to jazz to screamo to speed metal to punk and then back.

AmarElo by Emicida
Jun 09 2025

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.

Spirit of Eden by Talk Talk
Jun 10 2025

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.

A Black Mile To The Surface by Manchester Orchestra
Jun 11 2025

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!

Repetition by Unwound
Jun 12 2025

I just cannot stand the genre of “let’s noodle around for like 6 hours and the producer will hit record whenever he wants”

Telefone by Noname
Jun 13 2025

Pretty good low key hip hop! I enjoyed this immensely!

Fear Inoculum by TOOL
Jun 14 2025

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 by Bon Iver
Jun 15 2025

I love Bon Iver and even if it's all sort of samey in the end, it's a delightful and ethereal samey.

John Dawson Winter III by Johnny Winter
Jun 17 2025

Misread this as Edgar Winter and so I started out disappointed. But this quickly won me over! Good clean fun rock and roll.

Latin Mass by Os Mundi
Jun 18 2025

Wikipedia says Krautrock in Latin and that's certainly what this is. Need to be in the right mood, for sure.

Take to the Skies by Enter Shikari
Jun 19 2025

Love post hardcore, and it's probably the newest genre I've gotten into. I enjoyed being exposed to this! Would revisit.

Year of the Cat by Al Stewart
Jun 20 2025

feather light melodies. painfully british.

Out Of Time by R.E.M.
Jun 21 2025

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.

Jun 22 2025

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.

Last Splash by The Breeders
Jun 23 2025

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!

How to Operate With a Blown Mind by Lo Fidelity Allstars
Jun 24 2025

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

People Watching by Sam Fender
Jun 29 2025

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.

Jun 30 2025

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.

Thunder And Consolation by New Model Army
Jul 02 2025

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.

Norther by Ex-Easter Island Head
Jul 04 2025

Eno-adjacent with a bit more of a beat.

Foxes in the Snow by Jason Isbell
Jul 05 2025

Lovely rich voice over simple acoustic plucking. A great modern country/folk album

Script Of The Bridge by The Chameleons
Jul 06 2025

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.

Suzuki by Tosca
Jul 07 2025

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.

Lemonade by Beyoncé
Jul 09 2025

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.

Jul 21 2025

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.

Is Ellipsis by Psyche Origami
Jul 22 2025

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

Has A Good Home by Final Fantasy
Jul 23 2025

This nice violin boy sure is nice

Blade Runner by Vangelis
Jul 24 2025

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

Mouth Sounds by Neil Cicierega
Jul 25 2025

Five stars for smash mouth minus one star for TOO MUCH smash mouth

Shack-man by Medeski, Martin & Wood
Jul 26 2025

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!

The Fame by Lady Gaga
Jul 27 2025

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

The Midnight Organ Fight by Frightened Rabbit
Jul 28 2025

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.

Imaginal Disk by Magdalena Bay
Jul 29 2025

Loved the dreamy synth pop melodies of these ladies!

TEKKNO by Electric Callboy
Jul 30 2025

Um this ruled. It was very very silly. Guess I’m just a fuckboi

Autobiografia by Duncan Dhu
Jul 31 2025

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.

WE ARE by Jon Batiste
Aug 03 2025

This ruled. Lots of good musicality from ya boy Jon

You & I by Rita Ora
Aug 04 2025

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 by Deltron 3030
Aug 05 2025

I’m so in the pocket for this era of nerdy sci fi low flow hip hop. Perfection

Vs. by Pearl Jam
Aug 13 2025

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

News at 11 by Cat System Corp.
Aug 14 2025

Incredible. Nostalgic, haunting. Smooth.

Oceanic by ISIS
Aug 16 2025

Not awful put somewhat dull. Goes on way too long. Tool is a much better artist in this genre, I think.

Quadrophenia by The Who
Aug 17 2025

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.

Ocean Avenue by Yellowcard
Aug 18 2025

Pop punk until I die

Y Ahora Qué? by Reincidentes
Aug 20 2025

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.

No Balance Palace by Kashmir
Aug 21 2025

What if a Danish band decided to sound like Radiohead?

The Impossible Kid by Aesop Rock
Aug 22 2025

I like this man! His raps are good and he seems kinda nerdy in a way that I feel like we would be friends.

Images and Words by Dream Theater
Aug 25 2025

When theater kids start to get the improper idea that they are cool/badass/not extremely beat-upable (I was a theater kid)

The Mantle by Agalloch
Aug 26 2025

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 by BABYMETAL
Aug 27 2025

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!

Harbor Lights by Bruce Hornsby
Aug 28 2025

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

Blizzard Of Ozz by Ozzy Osbourne
Aug 31 2025

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.

Polygondwanaland by King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Sep 01 2025

The best prog rock album I’ve ever heard. These guys rule. Their name rules.

Yellow & Green by Baroness
Sep 02 2025

A very long album that has more in common with Nickelback than the "heavy metal" that wikipedia promised me. Yawwwwwwwn

Promises by Floating Points
Sep 04 2025

Wow like Brian Eno picked up a sax

Fine Line by Harry Styles
Sep 05 2025

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.

Piano Bar by Charly García
Sep 06 2025

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.

Fly by Yoko Ono
Sep 07 2025

The best way to listen to this album is from quite a long way away.

Time's Up by Living Colour
Sep 08 2025

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 Hypnogogue by The Church
Sep 09 2025

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.

Up To Here by The Tragically Hip
Sep 10 2025

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?

Once Upon a Rhyme by David Allan Coe
Sep 11 2025

We used to make music in this country.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show by Various Artists
Sep 12 2025

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.

The art of Amalia Rodrigues by Amália Rodrigues
Sep 13 2025

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.

Sep 14 2025

It’s nice to know that people in New Zealand can write generic rock songs too

Gordon by Barenaked Ladies
Sep 15 2025

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.

Sunbather by Deafheaven
Sep 16 2025

An interesting experiment of mixing metal with the sort of ethereal soundscapes of (cribbing from another reviewer here) Sigur Rós. Mostly successful!

Save Rock And Roll by Fall Out Boy
Sep 17 2025

I unapologetically love FOB. This is one of their later, lesser albums in my opinion, but still full of fun bangers.

Only Death is Real by Stray From The Path
Sep 18 2025

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.

No Talking Just Head by The Heads
Sep 19 2025

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

Penguin Eggs by Nic Jones
Sep 20 2025

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.

METAL FORTH by BABYMETAL
Sep 21 2025

Love these gals but I'm not sure we need two albums by them on the list.

Slip by Quicksand
Sep 22 2025

Very standard early 90s rock. Somewhere between Grunge and whatever, like, Tool became.

Only God Was Above Us by Vampire Weekend
Sep 24 2025

Nice to know these boys are still out there making music, I guess. Not sure it hits as much as their older stuff.

One Life by Malibu
Sep 25 2025

Sitting on an infinite beach staring into the oceans of time

Afrociberdelia by Chico Science
Sep 27 2025

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 by Black Devil Disco Club
Sep 28 2025

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

Body Talk by Robyn
Sep 29 2025

Bubblegum pop meets dancehall. It's fun! It overstays its welcome!

Milo Goes to College by Descendents
Sep 30 2025

Some great fuck you punk. As in, great punk to listen to and shout "fuck you!"

Pinkerton by Weezer
Oct 01 2025

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.

The Grass Is Blue by Dolly Parton
Oct 02 2025

Constantly scheming increasingly elaborate ways to make Dolly my friend.

Keep It like a Secret by Built To Spill
Oct 03 2025

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*!

Ram by Paul McCartney
Oct 04 2025

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.

Oct 05 2025

Hey it's that band that wrote that one song also wrote 90 more minutes of music that sounds like that.

Neon Golden by The Notwist
Oct 06 2025

Kind of soft electronic mixed with soft indie. Not bad, and very easy to digest.

Cold Fact by Rodríguez
Oct 07 2025

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.

Get To Heaven by Everything Everything
Oct 09 2025

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!

Quebec by Ween
Oct 10 2025

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.

Are You Shpongled? by Shpongle
Oct 11 2025

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!

Oct 12 2025

I love Bright Eyes and it reminds me of all my sad white girl high school friends in the best way

Oct 13 2025

A great experiment: can a British band sound like a dirty southern US band akin to Lynyrd Skynyrd? The answer: nope! Almost, but nope!

Smell No Evil by Ookla The Mok
Oct 14 2025

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.

Singles by Future Islands
Oct 15 2025

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

Nearer My God by Foxing
Oct 16 2025

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.

Geography by Tom Misch
Oct 17 2025

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.

Ida Con Snock by Michael Hurley
Oct 18 2025

Fun! Very Dan Reeder adjacent.

Katamari Damacy by Various Artists
Oct 19 2025

To whatever sicko suggested this album: I see you.

Brand New Eyes by Paramore
Oct 20 2025

Love Paramore, and this is no exception

Spinvis by Spinvis
Oct 21 2025

A total delight although it's weird to hear Dutch Moby singing in Dutch (I'm just not used to it!)

To Be Kind by Swans
Oct 23 2025

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

Circles by Mac Miller
Oct 24 2025

I shan't speak ill of the dead but I didn't really see any brilliance here. Some nice beats and a sincere performance.

Revolution by Q65
Oct 25 2025

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

First Utterance by Comus
Oct 26 2025

I like the instrumentation a lot but the lyrics are kind of gross and unpleasant!

Psychic by DARKSIDE
Oct 27 2025

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.

Tragic Kingdom by No Doubt
Oct 28 2025

Yep that's Gwen Stefani's band.

St. Louis To Liverpool by Chuck Berry
Oct 29 2025

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.

Que c'est triste Venise by Charles Aznavour
Oct 30 2025

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.

10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads by Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Oct 31 2025

A pretty rousing album. Ya love to hear the crowd totally grooving with along with the energy of the musicians.

The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads by Lift To Experience
Nov 01 2025

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 :)

Uncovered by Zamilska
Nov 02 2025

Pretty fucking rad. Heavy repetitive electric beats

How To Be A Human Being by Glass Animals
Nov 03 2025

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.

California by Mr. Bungle
Nov 04 2025

There certainly were some sounds in here that I did not hear before.

Modal Soul by Nujabes
Nov 05 2025

Cool beats to string Christmas lights to

Alopecia by WHY?
Nov 06 2025

Angsty edgy lyrics make for kind of an R-rated They Might Be Giants. I dig it.

Sunset Mission by Bohren & Der Club Of Gore
Nov 07 2025

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.

Nov 08 2025

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"

Witness by Modern Life Is War
Nov 09 2025

This boy screams at you for 26 minutes.

Take It From The Man by The Brian Jonestown Massacre
Nov 10 2025

What if 90s rock album sounds a bit like late 60s rock album?

Atrocity Exhibition by Danny Brown
Nov 11 2025

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.

One Time for All Time by 65daysofstatic
Nov 12 2025

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.

Fantasies by Metric
Nov 13 2025

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.

Odyssey Number Five by Powderfinger
Nov 14 2025

Incredibly generic. Incredibly inoffensive. I'd play this for my mom and she'd say "that's nice"

Nia by Blackalicious
Nov 16 2025

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!

Nov 18 2025

This iron maiden cover band is really cute. Maybe they'll make their own music someday.

Pulse by Pink Floyd
Nov 19 2025

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...

RENAISSANCE by Beyoncé
Nov 20 2025

Put off listening to this for a long time because I just absolutely cannot stand Beyoncé as a public figure and I always find her music so mid. I always hate her music much less than I think I will but also it never really defies my expectations.

II by Espers
Nov 21 2025

A real light touch. Feels like something you'd hear at the Renaissance Festival.

GLOW ON by Turnstile
Nov 22 2025

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.

Speak & Spell by Depeche Mode
Nov 23 2025

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.

TRON: Legacy by Daft Punk
Nov 25 2025

One of the all time great soundtracks to one of the all time okay movies.

Ruby Vroom by Soul Coughing
Nov 26 2025

This album is too long but I've loved it for 20 years and it's nice to know other people love it too.

Erratic Cinematic by Gerry Cinnamon
Nov 27 2025

Worth it for the lovely thick Scottish lilt. A nice debut album, would be interested in listening to more.

Paid In Full by Eric B. & Rakim
Nov 28 2025

Full on "I went to the hat store and bought myself a hat" territory

Wet Leg by Wet Leg
Nov 29 2025

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.

Tomorrow Belongs To Me by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
Dec 02 2025

Definitely rock from the 70s. No doubts about that.

Transmissions by STARSET
Dec 03 2025

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.

Highway Prayers by Billy Strings
Dec 04 2025

Wonderful blue grass from the great state of Michigan. Thanks for introducing me to a cool, talented neighbor!

Magnolia Electric Co. by Songs: Ohia
Dec 06 2025

Sounds very much like a Neil Young project and I mean that in the best way possible

Inside by Bo Burnham
Dec 07 2025

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.

Moa Anbessa by Getatchew Mekurya
Dec 09 2025

Can I get a HELL YEAH?

Dec 10 2025

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.

Separation Sunday by The Hold Steady
Dec 11 2025

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.

Crack the Skye by Mastodon
Dec 12 2025

Found this more enjoyable than I expected. I kind of wish it were more metal though. Sort of a cousin to TOOL or Metallica.

Beautiful Midnight by Matthew Good Band
Dec 13 2025

Someone listened to a lot of Pearl Jam and U2 and decided that they could do worse

Auri by Auri
Dec 14 2025

Sounds like what I imagine getting laid at the ren fest feels like (complimentary)

Wildflowers by Tom Petty
Dec 15 2025

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

Excitable Boy by Warren Zevon
Dec 16 2025

These sure are some songs that you can extrapolate from what Werewolves of London sounds like

Songs For The Deaf by Queens Of The Stone Age
Dec 17 2025

This album definitely has all the Queens of the Stone Age songs on it that you should know I guess

LUX by ROSALÍA
Dec 18 2025

I like this a lot! Literally operatic with several other influences. Perhaps premature to toss on this list but the fan list has like 4 bullshit Bruce Springsteen albums so who cares!

Dec 19 2025

Never quite takes off. Starts pretty good and then stays in first gear throughout

The Simple Plan by August is Falling
Dec 20 2025

An EP! Short and sweet pop punk

A.M. by Wilco
Dec 21 2025

I like Wilco just fine! Surprised at how much this album sounds like early Flaming Lips

Speak for Yourself by Imogen Heap
Dec 22 2025

She’s more than just hide and seek, you know. Not MUCH more. But more

Barton Hollow by The Civil Wars
Dec 23 2025

Very Allison Krauss/Robert Plant coded. My favorite thing posted on here in a long while

The Decline by NOFX
Dec 24 2025

A fun track, but it's one track. This feels like a troll. A troll that the user spent ~3 years earning.

Stupid Dream by Porcupine Tree
Dec 25 2025

Somewhere at the intersection of oasis and RHCP but more boring than both

A Charlie Brown Christmas by Vince Guaraldi Trio
Dec 26 2025

It’s literally insane that this isn’t on the official list

Love Is Hell by Ryan Adams
Dec 27 2025

Any one song on this album is pretty good. Good enough to earn this album 3 stars. Ryan has a good singing voice and the compositions are somewhere in between blues and adult alternative. The reason this gets 2 stars is that every single song is exactly the same, is almost exactly the same ~78 rpm tempo, and this album is OVER 70 MINUTES LONG JESUS CHRIST

Stella by Yello
Dec 28 2025

The album where that ubiquitous 80s “oh yeah@ sound effect comes from! And an hour of other stuff!

Diamond Jubilee by Cindy Lee
Dec 29 2025

This album is TOO LONG but it's also REALLY GOOD and it reminds me of Twin Peaks

Older by Lizzy McAlpine
Dec 30 2025

Sort of a much more low key Regina Spektor. Good for lazy sundays.

Canciones 1989-2013 by Extremoduro
Dec 31 2025

Imagine an okay song but it's nearly 4 hours long.

Reachin' by Digable Planets
Jan 01 2026

Cute little hip hop album that oozes with that New York sound. He has a bit of a weird obsession with being a bug.

Six by Mansun
Jan 02 2026

ChatGPT: please make me an album of britpop music from 1998. Please throw in a bit of quirky shit like a Christmas song riff, or some opera. Make sure it’s WELL over an hour long.

Broken Social Scene by Broken Social Scene
Jan 03 2026

They're fine but I really don't get the obsession with them that I often come across with music lovers

Hello Rockview by Less Than Jake
Jan 04 2026

CLASSIC late 90s Ska hell yeah. Makes me want to play Tony Hawk.

Artpop by Lady Gaga
Jan 05 2026

I kinda think every single Gaga album is a 5 (except maybe her first one). So this is no exception! What a fucking album filled with bangers!

HEY WHAT by Low
Jan 06 2026

This slaps and doesn’t really sound like anything else. Thanks for sharing!

The Sunset Tree by The Mountain Goats
Jan 07 2026

One of my all time favorites. I could have given this a 5 without a fresh listen, but I listened to it again because I like it so much. I’ve probably listened to it, oh, 50 times. Up the Wolves is the best track. It’s my favorite MG song of all time second only to No Children.

Jan 08 2026

I could write a book on each and every Queen album. To spare my time and your eyes, I’ll simply say that this is them at the height of their power. Teo Torriatte is underrated.

Modern Vampires of the City by Vampire Weekend
Jan 09 2026

Love VW. Never really gave this album enough of a chance. It’s very good! Fizzles a bit at the end I think.

London 0 Hull 4 by The Housemartins
Jan 10 2026

Oh it’s the Barenaked Ladies’ grandparents. Got it.

2 by Mac DeMarco
Jan 11 2026

Not unpleasant but did not grab me.

Walls of Jericho by Helloween
Jan 12 2026

There is no way you can convince me that this isn’t one of the heavy metal parody bands that Strong Bad came up with in one of his emails

Barafundle by Gorky's Zygotic Mynci
Jan 13 2026

wow quirky. the person who submitted this album must be so quirky and cool!

Stormcock by Roy Harper
Jan 14 2026

I imagine if I had stumbled across this when I was a dj at a college radio station I would think it was the coolest little find ever. Sounds very Gensis-esque. I think the pressure of me asking myself “does this belong on this list?” Makes me over think some of my rankings on here. This was pretty good! I’m glad I listened and I wouldn’t have heard it if not for this website. Isn’t that enough?

Z by My Morning Jacket
Jan 15 2026

My Morning Jacket is always a pleasure but I nonetheless find there music to lack stickiness. I couldn’t hum you a single one of their tunes, or even list any of their song titles. Even this, WHICH I JUST LISTENED TO, I strain to think of what it sounded like.

Dear You by Jawbreaker
Jan 16 2026

Perfectly serviceable 90s alt rock. Gives me Rooney vibes at times.

Mezzanine by Massive Attack
Jan 18 2026

Good trance-y music. Obviously one things of House MD every time.

Music by 311
Jan 19 2026

Red Hot Chili Peppers-ass band

August And Everything After by Counting Crows
Jan 23 2026

This album is one of *the* quintessential 90s albums in my mind. I was only ~3 when this came out, and it wasn't something my parents listened to, but I feel like it was omnipresent on television, in movies, and etc., throughout the rest of the decade and into the 2000s. It feels kind of quaint and dated now, but makes me extremely nostalgic. It was also such a big moment, I'm surprised it's not on the OG list.

Psychic Warfare by Clutch
Jan 24 2026

At its best this album reminds me a bit of Electric Six or Cage the Elephant. The rest is sort of a dull edgy take at hard rock or like Metalcore for babies

Almoraima by Paco de Lucía
Jan 25 2026

Why aren't the albums like this the 3 hour ones?

30 Something by Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine
Jan 27 2026

Started this the other day and found it a bit annoying. Restarted it today and found it to be a ton of fun and great energy. Music really meets you where you are. I wonder if I should revisit all ~350 albums I only gave 2 stars to.

My Love Is Cool by Wolf Alice
Jan 28 2026

I like the female vocals. Has Metric upside occasionally, but otherwise pretty unremarkable 2010s rock.

Slapstick by Slapstick
Jan 29 2026

Every generation needs a shitty genre they can half ass in high school so they can say they’re in a band. This was my generation’s. Darn Tooten I’m a Rebel could have recorded Wake Up Stanley, but Slapstick could NEVER have recorded Penguins on the Beach

Flower Boy by Tyler, The Creator
Jan 31 2026

A good time and a nice break from the 2010s generic rock that has been plaguing this user list lately. Probably actually a 3 for me but it hit at just the right time and the variety was needed

Diorama by Silverchair
Feb 01 2026

This occasionally reminds me of latter-day Panic at the Disco (I mean this as a compliment!) Beyond that, this album rarely rises above the level of a pleasant listen. Happy to visit it; don't think I'll be back.

Deadwing by Porcupine Tree
Feb 02 2026

I used to complain about how many boring-ass boomer Bruce Springsteen albums were on the OG list, but then you absolute numpties have gone and put THREE albums by the most boing band of all time on this user-submission list. What the fuck are we even doing here? Life is way too short for this shit.

A Complicated Woman by Self Esteem
Feb 03 2026

My knowledge of Self Esteem is limited to her appearance on Taskmaster. She's fun! This album is fun! Your milage will vary depending on how much you enjoy full choirs singing "fuck you". But I dig it. It's all very tongue in cheek; I mean, look at that album cover!

Ants From Up There by Black Country, New Road
Feb 04 2026

Most of this I found to be enjoyable if not forgettable. As a saxophone player, I’m always happy when saxes show up. But Basketball Shoes was amazing! Reminded me of something you’d hear on Bowie’s final albums.

Demon Days by Gorillaz
Feb 09 2026

The correct Gorillaz album is on the real list. This one doesn’t have a ton to offer outside of Feelgood Inc

Okonokos by My Morning Jacket
Feb 10 2026

I dislike live albums on this list and I dislike 2+ hour albums on this list. But I listened to this whole thing and it RULED. MMJ are SO GREAT.

Feb 11 2026

A really delightful throwback to the early 90s. The world used to sound like this all the time!

Feb 12 2026

Well this definitely is an album that exists. Surprised that it's not on the original list because it is very much the generic "post punk" vaguely emo sort of Brit-sounding crap that is totally fine and that the OG author totally creams his jeans over.

Feb 13 2026

I think if I was in a pub and these guys were there and started playing I'd be like "woah! They're so good! Where'd they come from?!" As it stands, on a list of the greatest albums of all time (even on a user-generated supplement), this feels like such a dully and safe choice. It really pales in comparison to most of the other stuff on here. If this is your favorite band, then that's cool for you. It did not move the needle for me at all.

Feb 14 2026

The only possible explanation for now having TWO Mansun albums on the user list is that the members of Mansun are users of this website. AI-ass alternative rock

Artaud by Pescado Rabioso
Feb 23 2026

Cool 70s rock. The singer's accent sounds more portugeuse than spanish to me, but what do I know? Nothing. I'm a moron

Discipline by King Crimson
Feb 24 2026

A fun jam album I guess

Mingus Ah Um by Charles Mingus
Feb 25 2026

My man can cook

Zach Bryan by Zach Bryan
Feb 26 2026

This is very pleasant but it never feels especially... idk.. special? I like country a lot, and I like this a lot more than the highly polished MAGA country of the 2010s, but still, I have a hard time imagining that this is someone's favorite album or artist.

Loss Of Life by MGMT
Feb 27 2026

This was a pleasant way to spend some time this morning. Sounds like the 2010s alright.

The Ideal Crash by dEUS
Feb 28 2026

perfectly serviceable euro rock. a little weird, but not too weird

Transient by Gaelle
Mar 01 2026

The most interesting thing about this is that it sounds like 1998 at the latest but this came out in 2004.

Crimson by Edge Of Sanity
Mar 02 2026

I liked it! A cool bridge era for metal between like Iron Maiden and the very intense modern stuff

The Italian Flag by Prolapse
Mar 03 2026

This was a lot more fun than the horrible, AWFUL band name belies. Kind of a mix of folk and punk at times.

Tindersticks by Tindersticks
Mar 04 2026

A pleasant album with a unique vocalist. I was reminded, at times, of Morphine and Future Islands. I didn't enjoy this as much as either of those, though.

Feed The Animals by Girl Talk
Mar 07 2026

I fuck so hard with Girl Talk going on like 18 years now

This Land by Gary Clark Jr.
Mar 08 2026

This really impressed me! Pulls from a few different styles but always feels cohesive and powerful. That perfect mix of innovation plus tapping into something timeless.

American Football by American Football
Mar 09 2026

You know the last track on an album is one of down tempo and if it’s a really great album it’s kind of like “hey we’re cooling down and landing at the station. What a great album” but on a bad album it just sort of runs out of steam and you forget it AS it’s playing? This is an entire album of last songs

Blonde by Frank Ocean
Mar 10 2026

I’m genuinely happy for everyone on this website who likes Frank Ocean’s awful music. Good job, you did it.

Espaloian by Itoiz
Mar 11 2026

This is very good and very fun Spanish rock. Thanks for sharing! Upbeat and borders on 90s style ska at times (complimentary)

Chuck by Sum 41
Mar 12 2026

Fuck yes pop punk foreverrrr

Friend by Rozi Plain
Mar 13 2026

Perfectly pleasant lady sings some pleasant songs gently

Flood by They Might Be Giants
Mar 14 2026

A BRAND NEW ALBUM? FOR 1990? IN THIS ECONOMY? One of my all time faves from my all time faves. Minimum Wage is low key my favorite song here.

Roadhouse 01 by Allan Rayman
Mar 15 2026

This guy's vocal quality is almost kinda sorta like the Scatman, and so I expected him to start scatting and HE NEVER SCUTTED ONE SCAT

Check Your Head by Beastie Boys
Mar 16 2026

I like the boys but I especially like when they lean more into dub and less into dumb lyrics. So this!

The Empyrean by John Frusciante
Mar 17 2026

I enjoyed the exercise,especially the lyric-less interludes. Hard to think of this as essential and not just a curiosity

Prelude to Ecstasy by The Last Dinner Party
Mar 18 2026

Take Chapelle and add some more rock chords and Queen-esque power harmonies. I love it! Sinner and Nothing Matters have come up a few times on my algorithm, and I enjoy them even more in context

Welcome To The Beautiful South by The Beautiful South
Mar 20 2026

This album really surprised me. We had The Beautiful South on this list much earlier and I did not like it at all. This really took me, though. It was right on the border between new wave (a genre I often find tiring) and Barenaked Ladies-style 90s alternative (a genre I often love). This feels like such a transitional album and I liked the silly lyrics and the lovely melodies. I was going to go 4 but I’m talking myself up to a 5!

His 'N' Hers by Pulp
Mar 21 2026

There are 2 Pulp albums on the official list and they are both so incredibly forgettable that both times I thought "Never heard of this band before". Today I loaded up His N Hers and thought "wow I've never heard of this band before". If you asked AI to make a Britpop album this is what you'd get.

New York by Lou Reed
Mar 22 2026

Sounds like Lou Reed. I've got to give him credit in that he has such a unique sound unto himself, he was so influential, and also I generally *like* his sound. But also if you've heard one Lou Reed album you've ABSOLUTELY heard 'em all.

Life Goes On by Carla Bley
Mar 23 2026

An obsessively cool and casual piano jazz set. Feels improvisational while also having catchy melodies. Classy as FUCK

Rainbow Brain by GRiZ
Mar 24 2026

Gets maybe a bit too dub-steppy in the back half but I absolutely love the space funk techno fusion sax explosion that's going on. And honestly I secretly love dub step too.

The Unutterable by The Fall
Mar 25 2026

More vaguely avant garde music from The Fall. I like it just about as much as every other time we've been made to listen to one of them.

The Colour And The Shape by Foo Fighters
Mar 28 2026

I always roll my eyes when I see Foo Fighters come up on here but their music goes harder than I give it credit for and I never have a bad time listening.

Blackwater Park by Opeth
Mar 29 2026

A death metal opera. Epic soundscapes that really push the envelope in all directions. Loved every bit of this.

Word Gets Around by Stereophonics
Mar 31 2026

Not unpleasant or, sadly, very remarkable

Desire, I Want To Turn Into You by Caroline Polachek
Apr 01 2026

Sort of like an Imogen Heap album. Lots of fun boops and beeps, and a good voice from Caroline.

Apr 04 2026

Not sure how "new" this order is, when this sounds exactly like every other album that came out of the UK in the 80s

Holy Diver by Dio
Apr 05 2026

Makes me think of Tenacious D or whatever. A lot of fun but doesn't reach the heights of your Iron Maidens, etc.

What If Leaving Is a Loving Thing by Sahara Hotnights
Apr 06 2026

Girl power rock. Reminds me of the 90s trend. Thing Garbage or Hole. The singer sounds a bit like the Dixie Chicks without the country twang. A surprise to learn they're Swedish! I guess I can sort of hear that. Anyway this is a delight and a throwback

Shout At The Devil by Mötley Crüe
Apr 08 2026

So all the heavy metal parody bands that Strong Bad made up are just riffs on Motley Crue?

Funky Kingston by Toots & The Maytals
Apr 09 2026

The absolute cojones needed to call yourself Toots with a straight face

Cracker Island by Gorillaz
Apr 10 2026

This was very FINE. I never dislike Gorillaz but also they'll never be as good as their first two albums

The Livelong Day by Lankum
Apr 11 2026

Primal and witchy. Evokes The VVitch or Wicker Man or some shit. Folk music as folk horror. Sublime.

Red by King Crimson
Apr 12 2026

Do we need this many albums by these guys? Idk more of the same. I get it progressive rock cool.

Zaireeka by The Flaming Lips
Apr 13 2026

Love the Lips, and I've always really admired this project for how ambitious it is. I've *never* been able to experience it as intended, with 4 different boom boxes in different parts of the room. It was still the 90s last time I gave this album serious thought. It would honestly be much easier now that everyone just has spotify on their phone. If you're in a pinch, people have mixed all 4 audio tracks for each song into one file on youtube. 3 stars for the album itself (not my favorite), but the project is so unique I gotta bump it up.

Nu Delhi by Bloodywood
Apr 20 2026

This is *incredibly* lame (complimentary)

Flying Beagle by Himiko Kikuchi
Apr 21 2026

How *dare* Himiko Kikuchi go this hard without a proper warning? This is one of those albums that retroactively makes me mad that I had to listen to so many King Crimson and Korn and Bruce Springsteen albums to get here

Breakfast In America by Supertramp
Apr 22 2026

These guys can really cook. COOK BREAKFAST THAT IS!

The Phantom Of The Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Apr 23 2026

Another gray area in terms of if this fits the concept of "1,001 albums" since, like Hamilton, this is just a cast recording of a musical. It was not conceived of as an album originally. Nonetheless, I love this musical. I've actually never seen it performed (whoops!) but I'm a fan of the movie and I've loved the music for it since I was a little kid (I think my cousin played this cd on a road trip once or something and I was hooked). Gonna be humming this all day

The Crimson Idol by W.A.S.P.
Apr 25 2026

Avoided this for a while because a 2.5 hour metal album seemed like a real… chore. Turns out the original release was a more manageable length, and that this is more in the Motley Crue vein of metal. So not a chore, but also not that remarkable. I enjoyed the sone about Jonathan because that’s my name.

Joanne by Lady Gaga
Apr 26 2026

My favorite Gaga bar none

Fancy Blue by Tywanna Jo Baskette
Apr 27 2026

So this artist does not have a wikipedia page. The wikipedia link takes the user to a sort of fan site about how someone who graduated from college 22 years ago started a music zine that ran for about 2 years. Googling her more, one finds extremely little outside of a small handful of other zine-based websites from the very early 2000s. Tywanna is apparently from Nashville and had a teeny tiny bit of a moment in like 2003. Let's get this out of the way first: I loved the album. LOVED IT. It's haunting and cute and clever and melodic. But I question if this fits the brief of "1001 albums to listen to before you die". It's *barely* a self-produced project. Based on her listens on spotify and her views on youtube, probably fewer than 1,000 people have ever listened to her music *ever*. So I'm not sure what to make of this. But I did like it and I'd like to rate it accordingly.

endin on a high by Slim Krusty
Apr 28 2026

wow. was not expecting this based on the artist's photo and choice of nom de plume. I really *really* liked this. A combination of heartfelt and folky, with plenty of sassy smartass punk sensabilities.

Apr 29 2026

Perfectly fine hard rock sorta punky album with female vocals

Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda
May 01 2026

I have never attended a performance of Hamilton, but I have seen the recorded LMM performance on Disney+. I've also performed a medley of the songs in my community concert band. I fucking hate this shitty musical and it's talentless one-note hackey faux-rap schtick. I hate how this entire musical glosses over one of history's great assholes because LMM didn't actually read a history book. I hate how centrist liberals love this musical because of representation or whatever when in fact the real Alexander Hamilton was the embodiment of the opposite of the ideals they profess to love. Look, I love a lot of musicals. I don't hate musicals. I love a ton of hip hop. I don't hate hip hop. I even like some of LMM's other projects (the songs from Moana, to name one). My unmitigated hatred for Hamilton is not borne out of any sort of blanket prejudice of any of its facets. It is borne out of thinking that these songs are dogshit.

The Fragile by Nine Inch Nails
May 02 2026

NIN can basically do no wrong in my book. Even the whole “this is too long” complaint doesn’t bother me because I could listen all day.

May 03 2026

It took be about 5 minutes to go from "Oh jesus christ a french prog rock album from the 70s in a made-up germanic language?" to "wait this is kinda fun". It took another 5 minutes to go from that to "nevermind this thing fuckin' slaps"

Shakespeare My Butt... by Lowest of the Low
May 04 2026

A little bit Barenaked Ladies, a little bit Hootie and the Blowfish, and a little bit the Friends theme song. Very 90s Canadian. Didn’t hate it, but can imagine early 90s audiophiles dogging on it

Untrue by Burial
May 08 2026

Music like this absolutely has a time and a place. Like a hotel lobby. It's not unpleasant! It's actually very pleasant in that it's extremely quiet and unobtrusive. I have a hard time imagining someone hearing this and going "fuck yes"

Shallow Bed by Dry the River
May 10 2026

Solidly sitting somewhere between Mumford and Sons, Sufjan Stevens, and their ilk. Not breaking new ground here, but a genre I truly love.

Black Celebration by Depeche Mode
May 11 2026

yes, this is depeche mode. if you've never listened to depeche mode and you askd yourself "what does depeche mode sound like?", this is an album you could put on to learn the answer to that question

Donuts by J Dilla
May 12 2026

Smooth as hell. Goes down easy, and leaves you wanting more. Probably actually a 4-star for me but home town pride insists that I bump it up

Shibuboshi by SHIBUSASHIRAZU
May 14 2026

A loud, bombastic jazz EXPLOSION

Songs of Faith and Devotion by Depeche Mode
May 15 2026

On the one hand we absolutely don’t need this many Depeche Mode albums on the list. I think 1 is more than enough. On the other hand this was the BEST DP album I’ve ever heard. Can definitely hear the inspiration for Nine Inch Nails here. I vote we get rid of all other DP albums on either the official list or the fan one, and put this one up as the sole representative.

Diesel And Dust by Midnight Oil
May 16 2026

Bog standard kinda new wave album. Reminded me of oingo Boingo without the fun or demented streak.

Silent Shout by The Knife
May 17 2026

Great bloops. Excellent bleeps. Listened to this on a stationary bike and it was kinda perfect

Jane Doe by Converge
May 18 2026

This is so hard and so fast and so intense and so loud. My first attempt at listening, it was just too much. On a second attempt, in the right headspace, and with the volume at a safe level, I found it pretty enjoyable! But also... really needed to be in exactly the right mood and have the volume QUITE low.

Twilight Override by Jeff Tweedy
May 19 2026

Lovely singer songwriter guy. The Lou reed inspirations are obvious. No one needs to release a triple album

The Fool by Bladee
May 20 2026

Maybe giving everyone with a dream the power to write, record, edit, and release their own music was a mistake

May 22 2026

What if Jethro Tull was European and no one ever told them no, not even once?

May 23 2026

Theatrical metal the likes of Dragonforce. The millennial answer to hair metal. I like this quite a bit more than hair metal, perhaps just because I’m a millennial. It goes from cute to annoying just how badly the lead repeatedly mispronounces Los Angeles

Moanin' by Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
May 24 2026

Great jazz is great

Deceit by This Heat
May 31 2026

I quite liked the variance and experimental nature of this. There is some clear skill behind the noodling. 3 stars from me easy. I’m taking two stars off to counteract the reviewer who gave this 5 stars and wrote the most annoying, self-important, blow hard 9 paragraph review I’ve ever seen in 5+ years on this website.

Purgatory by Tyler Childers
Jun 01 2026

Cozy country

Jun 03 2026

Just a great straight down the middle indie rock album with a bit of a pop punk drive

Pink by Boris
Jun 05 2026

Put this off for a long time because I had a feeling I would need to be in the exact right mood. Had an intense leg workout today and felt like embracing the suck and the noise. It was kind of perfect! Good noise and fuzz with interesting variations in tonality, melody, and genre. Good times!

Aim and Ignite by fun.
Jun 06 2026

Not the obvious fun. pick but I am a fan so I’ll give them their flowers

Silent Hill 2 by Akira Yamaoka
Jun 07 2026

I am a huge fan of soundtracks, mostly film but I'm not above listening to a great game soundtrack too. I feel like this really stretches the definition of "an album that you must listen to". I find that with most game soundtracks, unless you have played the game and have a strong connection/positive memory association with playing it, the music can be a bit tough to connect to. That's what I experienced here. I enjoyed this for what it was, but it was essentially meaningless for me as I have never played a silent hill game. At least a film soundtrack may have a rousing or memorable motif. This was almost entirely moody soundscapes.

Shatter Me by Lindsey Stirling
Jun 08 2026

This is the most I’m a sophomore high school band-ass pick I’ve ever seen (complimentary)

Days Of Future Passed by The Moody Blues
Jun 09 2026

A decadent and luscious orchestral odyssey. At its worst it veers into Beatles cover act territory but mostly manages to tread its own path

Partisans & Parasites by Daniel Kahn
Jun 10 2026

A kinda fun album whose schtick grows tiresome before the end. It's a neat little novelty but I sort of "got it" after a few tracks.

The Glow, Pt. 2 by The Microphones
Jun 11 2026

A nice, quiet man plays nice, quiet music, quietly. Except for samurai sword.

Nimrod by Green Day
Jun 12 2026

A lesser Green Day album but shout out to Time of Your Life for being the graduation song for every single high school in America from 2002-2010

From A Basement On The Hill by Elliott Smith
Jun 13 2026

An earlier and slightly less sad Elliott. He always makes me think of high school, when I went through a bit of a phase where I listened to him a lot. I've probably heard this album before, way back when, but it does not ring a bell today.

Dead Elvis by Death In Vegas
Jun 14 2026

Good and cool jams for listening to while going about town. Sort of House adjacent. A bit smoother than their later work. I like this band a lot every time they come up on here!

Spirit Phone by Lemon Demon
Jun 16 2026

Like if Oingo Boing never left quirky new wave 80s for their darker 90s. And then like if Danny Elfman ever said “i can has cheezeborger?”

Splendor & Misery by clipping.
Jun 17 2026

Deeply, DEEPLY nerdy rap hidden under a thin sheen of experimental avant garde coolness

Pussy Whipped by Bikini Kill
Jun 18 2026

Step on me angry woman

The Golden River by Frog Eyes
Jun 19 2026

An album that appears to *only be listenable* on youtube, and whose youtube watch counts are *all under 200 as of today*. This may be the least listened to album ever on this list. By all accounts nearly all (maybe literally all) of its listens are from people plodding through the User-Generated-1,001. And what is it? Kind of whacky indie stuff. It's a bit too brash to be pleasant and a bit too pleasant to be truly experimental or edgy. I have a feeling Mr. Frog Eyes is probably an interesting guy an artist. Happy for him (them?) that being posted on this website is going to double their numbers. But I also don't think I ever needed to hear this and don't ever need to hear it again.

For Those I Love by For Those I Love
Jun 20 2026

I was going to make a little joke about just how Irish this sounds but really the project is so sweet and sincere I can only return sincerity in kind. I’ve not yet had to lose a friend but when I do I hope my grief can become an art this lovely

All Born Screaming by St. Vincent
Jun 21 2026

Kind of the realm as Florence + The Machines but not as good as that

Fantastic Planet by Failure
Jun 22 2026

You know I didn’t hate this. Somewhere between GooGoo Dolls and early Green Day. Occasional flashes of brilliance. A bit dull in other places. Took me a while to get through

Jun 23 2026

I LOVE Guster! So happy to see them come up here. That being said I don’t even think this is in my top three Guster albums. Ganging Up on the Sun, Easy Wonderful, and ESPECIALLY Keep It Together are all much stronger than this choice. 5 star band, 3 star album, averaged.

Lost Horizons by Lemon Jelly
Jun 24 2026

Simply the best beats and samples. Textbook.

Jinkougaku by ZUTOMAYO
Jun 25 2026

Just fun. I knew from the opening horn lick that this would be a 5 for me. I want to be in this band

Maior Abandonado by Barão Vermelho
Jun 26 2026

EXTREMELY Billy Joel-coded 90s rock. Billi Jaõ

Ultravisitor by Squarepusher
Jun 27 2026

Pretty standard euro electronic that occasionally elevates itself by zigging with you think it’s going to zag. I enjoyed the more melodic tracks and the (??) classical guitar tracks (??)

The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place by Explosions In The Sky
Jun 28 2026

A lovely noodling soundscape that feels very melodic without ever truly settling in to a hummable hook. I liked this a lot more than I expected, which is my favorite kind of album on this project. I’m more excited by a 4 that I think is going to be a 2 than by a 5 I think is going to be a 5

ross. by Low Roar
Jun 29 2026

Lovely little indie album with slow melodies and an angelic voice. This is right up my alley

Panorama by Hällas
Jun 30 2026

A pretty good facsimile and enjoyable listen, but an album less than 6 months old goes so far against the intention of this list that I can’t give it more than 2.

Designer by Aldous Harding
Jul 01 2026

What if Joni Mitchell was still alive and a weirdo?

Stranger Fruit by Zeal & Ardor
Jul 02 2026

Equal parts quirky and also goes HARD. What an interesting idea to mix Black spirituals with black metal. Swiss people are weirdos.

Voodoo by D'Angelo
Jul 03 2026

Enjoyable. Not my go to genre but the talent is u deniable. Reminds me of the kind of music one of my favorite bosses used to listen to. Also weirdly reminds me of Vulfpeck. Half the fun of listening to something new is connecting it to something old

Mint Jams by CASIOPEA
Jul 04 2026

What if the Weather Channel fuuuuuccckkkked?

Moonshine Freeze by This Is The Kit
Jul 05 2026

Just lovely from start to finish. Love her voice love her look

This Could Be Texas by English Teacher
Jul 06 2026

Sometimes Fiona Apple, sometimes Lambrini Girls, sometimes quirky, sometimes genuine. I really loved every aspect of this.

I Trawl the Megahertz by Prefab Sprout
Jul 07 2026

What a fucking vibe. I loved the melodies and narrations. Not at all what I expected from a band called "Prefab Sprout". I also liked this SO MUCH more than the assigned album from the real list.

Field Music by Field Music
Jul 09 2026

Some of the more forgettable music on here. I listened to it yesterday and forgot to write a review until today and I just cannot think of a single thing to say about this. I listened to the entire album straight through in my car. I had no distractions. I listened to every single track closely. It is oblivion to me now.

Violet by The Birthday Massacre
Jul 10 2026

Has kind of an 80s girl power group thing going on but occasionally kicks it into a much harder gear. Cool!

Run The Jewels 2 by Run The Jewels
Jul 11 2026

I'm a dyed in the wool RtJ fan and have been for about a decade now. They just go so hard. I think I like RtJ4 better than this, but it's still an iconic album from a great fuckin' group.

The Mollusk by Ween
Jul 12 2026

I think this is my favorite Ween album. I return to it a lot. I didn't even need to listen to it today, per se. I have basically the whole thing memorized. But I love it so much I was happy for the excuse to put it on.

Dreamboat Annie by Heart
Jul 13 2026

A classic 70s album. I had heard all the hits/singles like a million times (of course). The other tracks clearly are not as timeless while still being enjoyable. I liked the recurring "Dreamboat Annie" theme. Almost like the album is dipping its toe into concept album/prog rock territory while still staying in the girls' comfort zone.

Addicted by Devin Townsend Project
Jul 14 2026

What if a metal band had pop sensibilities? It’s a unique sound and at times fun, but I was ready for it to be done.

Science Fiction by Brand New
Jul 15 2026

Coming about 15 years after I stopped listening to Brand New, I found this album enjoyable. Glad to see they spent the 2010s evolving their sound a bit, even if I far prefer the earlier stuff.

Emergency & I by Dismemberment Plan
Jul 16 2026

Well it’s cute and short I guess. I like whenever a lead singer has kind of a unique voice. Overall unremarkable but not off putting

Jul 17 2026

I found the music itself to be largely inoffensive, or even enjoyable. I'm sure in the late 90s in Ibiza or whatever it was probably life changing. Probably felt good to be grinding up on someone named Sheila and rolling on Molly and have your entire trip paid for by your parents because your college tuition was $500 a year. But driving in my car on the way to work, it didn't have a huge effect on me. I think if I go simply by my experience of listening to this music, I'd be tempted to give it a 3. Not too high or too low. But guess what? 1. This is only available on youtube, with ads every 4 minutes. 2. Those ads expanded on an already mind numbing 2.5+ HOUR EXPERIENCE 3. This is not an album of music by an artist. It's a recording of a DJ set. I have no issue with DJs and I recognize the skill/talent required to be a good one, but this is so far away from what this list is all about that I feel like the user who submitted it must be trolling. So 3 stars, with deductions for the above, we end up with a very reasonable 1 star.

David Comes To Life by Fucked Up
Jul 18 2026

Too long but otherwise a really great scream rock album

Diamond Mine by King Creosote
Jul 19 2026

The tenderest Scotsman croons you to sleep. God imagine this man saying the word “creosote “. Either you or he would have an aneurism

Person Pitch by Panda Bear
Jul 20 2026

Püre tünes. This album sounds a lot like if someone was playing the beach boys in the other room. Your enjoyment will really depend on how much the sound of the beach boys from quite a ways away appeals to you

The Inner Mounting Flame by Mahavishnu Orchestra
Jul 21 2026

On the one hand some of these tracks are among the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard. On the other some of these tracks are way too busy and are an assault on the ears.

Trouble Will Find Me by The National
Jul 22 2026

Probably hits real deep if you’re a moron. Generic and monotonous

Never Too Much by Luther Vandross
Jul 26 2026

I love this album cover. Like Luther is giving full “ain’t I a stinker?” Face. It’s a brief little jaunt into 1990s R&B classic. Nothing to hate and I do feel like this deserves to be on the real list. But still not my genre.

Civilisation by Kero Kero Bonito
Jul 27 2026

Fun bloops and bleeps. You can literally hear her Japanese heritage in a cool way.

You Forgot It In People by Broken Social Scene
Jul 28 2026

That teenage girl song rules but otherwise I just kinda don’t get this band no matter how many of their albums you force on me.

Cheerleader

Average rating: 3.65 (0.59 above global average).

Other

Album origins are grouped into three buckets: US, UK, and everything else. “Other” means the artists you rate highest are from outside the US and UK.