Journey Complete!
Finisher #48 to complete the list
View User Albums Summary1089
Albums Rated
3.49
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100%
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Aja
Steely Dan
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2010s
Favorite Decade
Funk
Favorite Genre
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Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
103
5-Star Albums
15
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Two Dancers
Wild Beasts
|
5 | 2.75 | +2.25 |
|
Olympia 64
Jacques Brel
|
5 | 2.77 | +2.23 |
|
Street Signs
Ozomatli
|
5 | 2.87 | +2.13 |
|
Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
|
5 | 2.88 | +2.12 |
|
Bug
Dinosaur Jr.
|
5 | 2.92 | +2.08 |
|
Call of the Valley
Shivkumar Sharma
|
5 | 2.95 | +2.05 |
|
Introducing The Hardline According To Terence Trent D'Arby
Terence Trent D'Arby
|
5 | 2.98 | +2.02 |
|
The Nightfly
Donald Fagen
|
5 | 3.01 | +1.99 |
|
Something/Anything?
Todd Rundgren
|
5 | 3.03 | +1.97 |
|
The Rising
Bruce Springsteen
|
5 | 3.06 | +1.94 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
You've Come a Long Way Baby
Fatboy Slim
|
1 | 3.35 | -2.35 |
|
Murder Ballads
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
|
1 | 3.08 | -2.08 |
|
Black Monk Time
The Monks
|
1 | 2.94 | -1.94 |
|
Metallica
Metallica
|
2 | 3.79 | -1.79 |
|
Roots
Sepultura
|
1 | 2.79 | -1.79 |
|
Atomizer
Big Black
|
1 | 2.72 | -1.72 |
|
Slipknot
Slipknot
|
1 | 2.67 | -1.67 |
|
Follow The Leader
Korn
|
1 | 2.65 | -1.65 |
|
Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Clan
|
2 | 3.61 | -1.61 |
|
Boy In Da Corner
Dizzee Rascal
|
1 | 2.57 | -1.57 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Steely Dan | 4 | 5 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 5 | 4.8 |
| Bob Dylan | 7 | 4.57 |
| Beatles | 7 | 4.57 |
| David Bowie | 9 | 4.33 |
| The Who | 5 | 4.6 |
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 4.75 |
| Stevie Wonder | 4 | 4.75 |
| Joni Mitchell | 4 | 4.5 |
| Prince | 3 | 4.67 |
| Johnny Cash | 3 | 4.67 |
| Simon & Garfunkel | 3 | 4.67 |
| Isaac Hayes | 2 | 5 |
| Leonard Cohen | 5 | 4.2 |
| Led Zeppelin | 5 | 4.2 |
| Michael Jackson | 3 | 4.33 |
| Bob Marley & The Wailers | 3 | 4.33 |
| Marvin Gaye | 3 | 4.33 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 4.33 |
| Queen | 3 | 4.33 |
| Arcade Fire | 3 | 4.33 |
| Paul Simon | 3 | 4.33 |
| Frank Sinatra | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Slipknot | 2 | 1.5 |
| Sepultura | 2 | 1.5 |
| Fatboy Slim | 2 | 1.5 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Neil Young & Crazy Horse | 2, 5, 5 |
| Kanye West | 2, 5, 4 |
5-Star Albums (103)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Carole King
5/5
9/10. Was really enjoyable to listen to throughout, had a nice cat on the cover.
21 likes
Ghostface Killah
3/5
5/10. He immediately tells us to fasten our seatbelts, which I appreciate because I am tired of listening to rap albums that don't care about the listener's personal safety. Also listening to this for the first time after the MCU made Tony Stark a household name, but knowing that this is older than that made the constant references to Tony Starks and Ironman a bit surprising. I liked that the skits transitioned very smoothly into the following songs in this album. I kinda liked Back Like That, I suppose because it just sounds like a pop song. I also like how when he boasts about women, these women are often intelligent in addition to having great asses etc, which is pretty fun.
17 likes
Lightning Bolt
1/5
2/10. Probably the least wonderful rainbow I've experienced. It was like someone took the noise of unplugging your earbuds in the middle of a song and made that into a whole damn album. There are definitely some bits where there is a bit of an interesting beat going, but not enough to redeem it in my eyes.
14 likes
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
4/10. There's a reason they aren't called the good seeds
13 likes
1-Star Albums (15)
All Ratings
R.E.M.
4/5
Tears For Fears
4/5
Well, Everybody Wants to Rule the World is good of course, and Shout has some nostalgic value for me that makes up for the fact I don't really like the song. Head Over Heels was good too, and most songs were at least pleasant to listen to passively.
The Smiths
4/5
Overall liked it, sounded decent and interesting/goofy lyrics made up for the fact that it sounds pretty mopey throughout.
Sigur Rós
4/5
A pretty cool album, but definitely not something I'd listen to regularly. Has it's place though
Kanye West
2/5
Well, gotta give credit where credit is due for rhyming "parents" with "seance". There were parts of it I thought sounded good, but it just dragged on, and so much of it was just Kanye talking about how cool he was by all his cool names. Which isn't to say there weren't plenty of lyrically interesting sections, but I don't really want to investigate them enough to relisten. Tough call between a 2 and a three on this one, and it probably would have scored higher if it had been shorter.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
The first song really gave me 70's sitcom theme song vibes. After that, it was kinda just like Earth, Wind, and Fire, but not as good. Probably wouldn't listen to it again, and none of the songs really stood out to me, but I liked it okay.
Slipknot
1/5
You know, I enjoy stupid edgy lyrics, so I could probably enjoy this if it weren't for the bits where they scream and it just sounds like it was recorded on my webcam microphone. Which is like, 90% of the album.
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
I really liked the way the music sounded, though there weren't a lot of songs that stood out to me. I definitely want to listen to it again when I am not trying to navigate seatac airport.
Radiohead
3/5
Pretty good listening, nothing really stood out to me.
Earth, Wind & Fire
5/5
Earth, Wind, and FIRE. I'd probably put it as more of a 4.5 if I could, but a 4 just seems miserly.
Korn
1/5
My senses were in less pain than in the case of Slipknot, yet my sensibilities were all the more injured for it.
Brian Eno
4/5
Really cool sound.
Burning Spear
3/5
Pleasant enough to listen to, but probably wouldn't bother with it a second time.
Tim Buckley
3/5
Not bad, but nothing really held me spellbound either.
Janelle Monáe
5/5
I really liked this one. There were some sections that seemed a little bland, and it would have been nice to have more overarching themes, but it was still interesting as an album. A low 5 from me.
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
Aerosmith
3/5
How come the album art is two trucks having sex? A couple songs were sort of fun, but I was always disappointed when a song would have a 30 second intro that sounded kinda wacky and different and then the song itself just sounded like everything else in the album.
3/5
Pretty boring. I don't usually say this, but the singer's voice started to wear on me a little.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
Leonard Cohen
5/5
Said some interesting things, and didn't overstay its welcome. Liked it enough that I want to relisten to it and think it over more
Willie Nelson
3/5
Not bad, but not very interesting
4/5
Felt a lot more like a concept album that I would've thought from the cover and the style, but while I liked the concept, I didn't love the music. 4 stars, good reminder not to be shitty to your spouse.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
Why bother having lyrics if they are just going to be mixed super quiet so you can't hear them? Why bother listening to an album when you could just play one song on repeat, or just not play it in the first place?
Deee-Lite
3/5
Not too bad, though "What is Love?" was creepy as shit
Talking Heads
3/5
I'd have to relisted to it to figure out what I didn't like about it, and I don't really want to
Leonard Cohen
5/5
A low 5, and I like it slightly less than You Want it Darker, but also it's a little more chill to listen to which is nice. These albums are hard to judge because I can't get much of a feel for them if I listen to them while I do something else.
Billy Joel
3/5
I thought there were a few songs that were quite good, but the album as a whole, less so. I don't know that long, slow songs are really Billy Joel's strong suit. Strongly considered giving it a 4 anyway
The Slits
2/5
Some of the music was kinda nice, but the singing absolutely ruined all but a couple songs for me.
Prince
5/5
Didn't care much for some of the filler songs in the middle album, but there's still enough good stuff on here to merit at least a low 5, so I'll leave it at that.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
5/5
Really enjoyed it, very laid back music. Considered giving it a high 4, but Spotify played a bunch of Steely Dan when the album ran out and that put me in a generous mood.
Isaac Hayes
5/5
I really enjoyed this. I wish there were some shorter songs, and I wish the album cover wasn't so zoomed in on this guy's head. Otherwise, no complaints
Johnny Cash
5/5
I like me some Johnny Cash.
Patti Smith
2/5
I didn't like the way she sang. Other parts were fine, but if I want an album to be over well before it is, it can be a high two at best.
Nine Inch Nails
2/5
Kinda painful to listen to, but not downright awful?
Stereolab
3/5
It definitely grew on me. Or maybe the first song was just trash. The songs felt very internally repetitive, but there was variety between the songs. Seriously considered giving it a 4
Jane's Addiction
4/5
Pretty good.
Miles Davis
4/5
I enjoyed it
808 State
3/5
Pretty good, but not really my type
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
Donovan
3/5
Scrapes a passing grade. Not a bad sound, but a little boring especially by the end.
Michael Jackson
4/5
I enjoyed it a lot more than I was expecting for Michael Jackson. Still slow towards the middle, and I wouldn't want to hear most of these songs very often. A low 4
The Waterboys
4/5
Enjoyable
The Monkees
3/5
Had some enjoyable songs, but not fabulous overall. Higher end of 3
Michael Jackson
4/5
Not the biggest fan of Michael Jackson, but he really is too hard on himself. He isn't really really bad.
The Triffids
4/5
Always hard to judge exactly how good an album is while I'm doing homework, but this one seemed quite good
Alice Cooper
2/5
A high 2, considered a 3, but honestly only the first song is much fun to listen to, and even it kinda overstays its welcome
Cornershop
3/5
High 3. Very strange as an album
David Gray
3/5
Sounded nice, but kinda boring idk
Jerry Lee Lewis
4/5
Pretty fun
Suede
4/5
I liked the music, would have liked it better if they didn't mumble so many of the lyrics
Van Halen
4/5
Pretty enjoyable, with a couple of songs with some good nostalgia. And of course I can't be too critical of my namesake
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
I think if I listened to it more I'd probably like it better
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Gotta say, there's not a great excuse for have a 72 minute Springsteen Album. But this album is an okay one, though there are several songs that are longer than they need to be, and have a bit of a dull premise that gets drawn out. Also not a huge fan of the use of backup singers, and I feel like his earlier albums have more emotion in the singing. Worlds Apart was interesting, but didn't quite work, which was disappointing. All that said, I listened to a lot of these songs growing up which has made me rather fond of them, and Mary's Place and The Rising were great, I especially liked how the latter tied back in with Empty Sky a bit. Overall scrapes a five, from me, though I doubt I'll give it another close listen.
Malcolm McLaren
4/5
What a strange album. I didn't really get into any of the songs, but it was pretty fun to listen to
Pixies
3/5
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
4/5
8. Biased upward because cool battle Amarillo on the cover
The Rolling Stones
4/5
8. had some good songs
The Police
4/5
7. I liked that one song that talked about dinosaurs and had some christian themes going on. Like, I didn't actually like the song but it was nice to think about dinosaurs
The Byrds
4/5
7.
Björk
3/5
5. Started out pretty good, but not much to recomend it after that
Happy Mondays
3/5
5. Some was kinda fun but nothing great
Common
4/5
8. Solid album
Meat Loaf
4/5
"You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth" is honestly a really fun song, but the decision to include that first minute about offering your throat to the wolf was a very strange one indeed. 7.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
2/5
Ugggh. So boring. 3.
The Cardigans
3/5
6. Quite pleasant to listen to, but nothing to get very excited about either.
PJ Harvey
3/5
Compulsively put on chap stick every time I saw the album art. Accidentally listened on shuffle. Was okay, but not very memorable. 5?
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Honestly I kinda already forgot what it was like to listen to in the last 8 hours. 5?
Elvis Costello
4/5
Pretty fun. Like a 7 or an 8. I'll go with a 7 though
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
7. Wanted to give a 6.9, but it's definitely on the high side of 7 so that would be unfair
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
3/5
6. There was definitely some interesting stuff going on, but it started to feel a little long and a little too chaotic
The Auteurs
3/5
5. Started out okay. Didn't get any better.
The Cure
2/5
The last song is just flailing around making annoying sounds like they think they're Pink Floyd or some shit. Overall I just didn't find it very interesting, and on top of that some songs were unpleasant to listen to. Like a 4 or a 5.
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
A lot of slow songs. Too many, even. 6.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
Another pretty good album. Around a 7 or an 8.
Miles Davis
4/5
7. Quite good, but I don't like Jazz enough for anything to really stand out to me about it
Deerhunter
4/5
Like a low 7? Idk, didn't pay that close of attention because I was cooking
Gene Clark
4/5
I quite liked this one. I think it scraped an 8, but we'll see how I'm feeling when I enter it into the spreadsheet. The singing was kinda annoying for bits
Neneh Cherry
4/5
Another 7 where I considered an 8, but I just can't see myself ever wanting to relisten to this even though it was pretty fun the first time.
Little Richard
4/5
7. I liked it overall, but his singing annoyed me at times
Arrested Development
3/5
5. They forgot an oxford comma
Sam Cooke
4/5
Another live album that is pretty darn fun, and doesn't overstay its welcome. Low 8.
Terence Trent D'Arby
5/5
Giving it a 9 for now, but I didn't really get to focus on it properly because I was playing with excel. Will revisit.
Tom Waits
4/5
I actually really enjoyed it, but it would have been way better if the singing didn't sound the way it did. 7 I guess, wish I could justify rating it higher, but I just can't see myself wanting to relisten to it
The White Stripes
5/5
9/10. Thought I'd rated this already, but this was an excellent album. Good length, and fun songs that don't drag on.
Roxy Music
4/5
7
Donald Fagen
5/5
10. Considered a 9, because Donald Fagen really is only half the man Steely Dan is
Megadeth
3/5
6. Does a great job being angry and edgy and all that, and sounds far better than I expected, but still not my favorite by a long shot
Teenage Fanclub
4/5
7. Maybe an 8, didn't listen that intently, might come back to it at some point to see
Judas Priest
4/5
Not bad. 7
Pulp
3/5
6. Some interesting songs, but too fucking long
Nightmares On Wax
4/5
7. Good for what it was, didn't excite me
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
4/5
Pretty enjoyable. Got a nice sound, but might be nice if they had more than the one of them. Low 8.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
5. Would have given a 6 on account of being impressed by how good it sounded for what it was, but the length got in the way of that, and the fact that many of the sounds were just annoying.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Low 8 overall. The first half was great, even if the songs sounded kind of similar. But the second half was a lot weaker, and there wasn't even really a strong ending. Should have probably been shorter.
The Beach Boys
3/5
5. I can't take the beach boys seriously enough to listen to them talk about the current events of the past
Eminem
2/5
3. Well, I can see why it is good, but at the same time it felt a bit Korny, and was just unpleasant for me to listen to. Also way too long.
Primal Scream
2/5
4. First song was pretty good, but really nothing to write home about after that, and it was quite long.
The Verve
4/5
7. First song was pretty good, not much else to write home about.
Shuggie Otis
4/5
Pretty good, didn't listen super attentively thought. 7, but might have been a little better
Dusty Springfield
4/5
7. Coloring book doesn't fit in well to an iambic meter, and this album has not convinced me otherwise.
Daft Punk
3/5
Kinda sounded cool for parts, but very long and some sections just sounded like headache. 5.
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
Just sounded really nice. 8/10, may listen to again.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
8/10, solid album, and I especially like that it is not super samey throughout. After much reflection, I did find that the singing on the last song really reminded me of the bit in Elf where the main gal sings in the shower.
Elvis Costello
4/5
8/10, pretty enjoyable, another good Elvis Costello album
Elis Regina
4/5
8/10. Good length, and very engaging throughout
Bob Dylan
5/5
I really love Bob Dylan's songwriting, and particularly the more narrative songs. It does a lot to offset a very samey singing/musical style that starts to drag on for such a long album. Gets a 9/10 because it still has a good number of strong songs on it, but I probably wouldn't listen to it straight through again.
Beatles
5/5
Narrowly a 10/10. A couple really good songs, and none that let the album down. And while it's not the most exciting or emotional music, it just sounds really good. Except maybe the bits where he inhales in "Girl". And it's a very reasonable length for the style of music.
5/5
I'm not always that into Bowie, but I think this album was a 10. Had a fun concept that was tied into a good amount, Starmanis a classic, and there were no songs that felt particularly weak.
Orbital
2/5
4/10. Okay, this album was really long, and fairly annoying. Not so annoying that it distracted me from homework, but it made it a bit less pleasant. The first and last songs were both kinda cool, and even more annoying than the rest of it.
UB40
4/5
7/10. Might even have been a bit higher, it felt a little bit more interesting than some of the other Reggae albums we've had.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Incredibly stupid, pretty fun. I do think the Beastie Boys are better when you don't listen to an entire album at once though.
The Monks
1/5
2/10. The music wasn't very interesting, the songwriting was boring, and the lead singer sounded like a Muppet on the verge of a psychotic break. Not for me.
John Coltrane
4/5
7/10. I am terrible at rating Jazz type stuff, but didn't seem as interesting as some of the others we have had.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
8. Pretty good.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
I dunno, 7? Pretty long
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
7/10. The singing started out more annoying than usual, but seemed fine later on.
Carole King
5/5
9/10. Was really enjoyable to listen to throughout, had a nice cat on the cover.
The Zombies
4/5
8/10. Pretty good, but nothing super exciting
Kate Bush
2/5
4/10. Some songs sounded alright, even rather interesting, others just sounded painful
Madness
4/5
7/10. Some good songs, some weird songs, nothing that really calls me back to it.
Tina Turner
5/5
9/10. A couple of really good songs, and some other pretty good ones. My one complaint is that I really would have like "I Can't Stand the Rain" way more were it not for the weird sounds that reminded me of the Ghostbusters theme and really killed the mood.
The Everly Brothers
3/5
6/10. Alright, dated but not in a bad way, nothing exciting.
The Byrds
4/5
7/10. birb. Their version of Wild Mountain Thyme was a bit lame, actually
4/5
7/10. Weird choice to put a vertically stretched picture of Mike from Stranger Things on the cover. Fairly enjoyable album, but didn't have much of the excitement that live albums often have, and Like a Rolling Stone and Desolation row were the only stand-out songs in my opinion.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
5/10. I just couldn't get into this much, felt a bit dull, and dragged on a while.
Soft Cell
4/5
7/10. Honestly I enjoyed most of this. First song sucked, I don't know that I'd relisten to much of it, but kinda weird kinda fun
The The
3/5
6/10. Seemed fairly bland, but I was not paying the closest attention.
Anita Baker
3/5
6/10.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
7/10. Very solid album throughout, I especially liked the guest appearance of a chorus of frogs.
Ananda Shankar
4/5
7/10. Not quite my thing, but some cool sounds to be sure
Love
3/5
5/10. Pretty forgettable I guess, because I already don't remember it.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
4/5
8/10. Wasn't sure what to expect, but worked out to be quite good, if a bit strange
TLC
4/5
8/10. Got better as I went. The sexy interlude almost made me want to give it a 9, because it was amusing.
CHIC
4/5
Like a 7. At first I figured this was on there because there was one good song on it, then there were some other good songs. Not really my thing, but it was a good length and had fun energy
New York Dolls
2/5
4/10 Mind-numbingly mediocre.
Liz Phair
4/5
7/10. Maybe deserved an 8 as it was definitely quite good, but it did get a bit samey listening to the whole thing, and it's not really my style.
The Jam
3/5
6/10. Good but forgettable
Leftfield
4/5
8/10. Giving this the benefit of the doubt as I didn't get a very clear listen due to having my windows rolled down on the freeway to combat the lack of AC. What I could hear of it sounded pretty cool though, and I expect I'll come back to this later.
Thundercat
4/5
7/10. Pretty good I guess, might want to give it a relisten without talking over it
Common
2/5
3/10. Debated between 3 and 4, but looking at the other threes I've given, this seems reasonable. This album just felt very long and dull, and while it wasn't bad song to song persay, it's not really for me, or at least not for 80 minutes all at once.
Nitin Sawhney
4/5
7/10. Tricky one to rate, but had an interesting concept, and was refreshingly different from a lot of the stuff on this list.
Rod Stewart
2/5
4/10. Bit boring, and opening with a song with the lyric "I fell in love with a slit-eyed lady / By the light of an eastern moon" made it feel pretty dated if nothing else.
Pretenders
3/5
6/10. Pretty good, nothing too special doesn't seem.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
9/10. Really quite good. Possibly could bump it up to a 10 on a relisten.
The Dictators
3/5
6/10. Funny for bits, but not a big fan
Hole
2/5
4/10. Not awful, but nothing stood out to me as being especially good.
Nirvana
3/5
5. Seems like a fairly good Nirvana album, but can't say I love Nirvana.
Animal Collective
4/5
7. Might need to relisten since I did this across multiple stints of driving and navigating, but it seemed pretty good but nothing stood out
PJ Harvey
3/5
6/10. Sounded fine, just wasn't too interesting to me. Kinda like all the other PJ Harvey albums I've heard.
Radiohead
4/5
7/10. Hard to judge well because it definitely sounded better when I didn't listen on my car speakers, but I didn't hear much that interested me. Giving it the 7 over the 6 on benefit of the doubt since it did sound nice.
Rufus Wainwright
4/5
Brian Eno
4/5
8/10 I guess, really pleasant ambient music. But still ambient music, so not the most exciting listen.
Sonic Youth
3/5
6/10. Sounded good in it's own way, but not really something I would listen to on purpose
Funkadelic
3/5
6/10.
Jethro Tull
3/5
6/10
Pixies
3/5
5/10. Damn, I forgot to review this after listening to it and I pretty much forgot what it was like. Not a great sign since that was less than a week ago. Relistening to a couple songs, 5/10 seems fair.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
7/10. Not really my style, but it does feel very well put together as an album, and was lyrically interesting enough to make me at least want to keep listening. There were only a few songs that I enjoyed listening to in their own right, and I still didn't quite love the sound, but overall a positive experience.
Television
3/5
6/10. I guess not the most generic rock we've heard, but overall the singing is meh, and the instrumentals are good but not good enough to justify the lengths of the instrumental sections. Elevation's similarity to Californication weirded me out.
Deep Purple
4/5
7/10. Nothing to write home about, but had a good sound, and a few pretty good songs as well.
The Pretty Things
4/5
8/10. I can see why people think this inspired Tommy. Certainly the albums start similarly enough, but this one manages to be even more depressing, which is an achievement in itself. I'm never as much a fan of Rock Operas that can't tell their stories too well with lyrics alone, but that doesn't entirely apply here because I am pretty sure the story is more just a series of unfortunate events with no strong connective tissue.
Roni Size
2/5
3/10. Much too long to listen to this whole album. The music itself wasn't terrible, but was a bit too frantic to be great background music, and a bit to samey to listen to actively.
Raekwon
2/5
3/10.
Youssou N'Dour
4/5
8/10. Pretty good, I see why I had to learn about this guy in French class
LL Cool J
2/5
4/10, was much too long. Milky Cereal was pretty funny, and generally liked the bits where the lyrics were just dumb jokes, which was most of it. But, it wasn't funny enough or interesting enough to work for a whole hour.
I don't know that I agree with the reviewer here who thinks LL Cool J played Warhammer in high school, but I'll bet he at least did all the assigned readings in English class, like even when they were Jane Austen.
The Go-Betweens
4/5
7/10. I quite like this, just a super chill, straightforward brand of rock, the lyrics are hit or miss and the singing is decent. Honestly, my main complaint is that they really like to delay rhymes from when you expect to hear them, which always irritates me
Grizzly Bear
4/5
7/10, sounds nice enough, but kinda boring. Mumbley lyrics. I got it into my head that he kept starting lines in Cheerleader with "I shitted" and while logic tells me that it is probably "I shouldn't", I couldn't really unhear it. Would be pushing a 6 if I wasn't pretty sure I heard a frog in the background of "I live with you" for like 3 seconds.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
4/5
8/10. This album is all over the place, but generally in a good way. I was not a big fan of "Scorpio". "You Are" was almost like a slow bit of an Earth, Wind, and Fire song. "The Message" was great, but "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheel of Steel" was mostly just annoying, which is sad because it had such a fun name.
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
6/10. The cover art is kind of funny though. Good sound, but nothing to write home about.
Tom Waits
3/5
6/10. I really wish I didn't dislike how Tom Wait sounds so much, because I like his songwriting. That said, this album sounds a lot more chaotic and unpleasant right off the bat than Heartattack and Vine was, and the songs are more all over the place. "Who Are You This Time", and "A Little Rain" are pretty good though. If there was anything that would justify how bad some of this sounds it would be the lyric "In the colosseum, we call 'em as we see 'em". Honestly this is growing on me as I listen through it. "I Don't Wanna Grow Up" is nice too.
Metallica
3/5
5/10. I wish Metal albums weren't always so long. This has probably been the most enjoyable one I've listened to so far, but I still don't want to listen to it for over an hour. It just starts to feel so bland. Maybe I just need to listen to it louder?
Ute Lemper
3/5
6/10. Weird that there was a duet about missing the good old days when they were living in a whorehouse.
Ghostface Killah
3/5
5/10. He immediately tells us to fasten our seatbelts, which I appreciate because I am tired of listening to rap albums that don't care about the listener's personal safety. Also listening to this for the first time after the MCU made Tony Stark a household name, but knowing that this is older than that made the constant references to Tony Starks and Ironman a bit surprising. I liked that the skits transitioned very smoothly into the following songs in this album. I kinda liked Back Like That, I suppose because it just sounds like a pop song. I also like how when he boasts about women, these women are often intelligent in addition to having great asses etc, which is pretty fun.
Jamiroquai
3/5
6/10. Pretty okay, I guess.
The Isley Brothers
4/5
7/10. I'm sorry, but I think "That Lady" is a bit annoying. Overall I liked the style of the album though.
The Damned
3/5
6/10. Liked it more than I've liked a lot of the punk/punk rock stuff on this list, but at the end of the day it is still a bit too frantic and edgy to be particularly pleasant to listen to.
Mercury Rev
4/5
8/10. Really chill, and pleasant to listen to. Had some fairly interesting instrumental sections. Lyrics were present when they needed to be, and were well written when they were present.
The Velvet Underground
2/5
4/10. I will admit, it was better than the Wikipedia article made it sound. But you know, I really didn't need some guy talking into my left ear for 8 minutes straight about some hopeless romantic, and honestly it was a bit of a cop-out to just have him die at the end. Similarly with the 17 minute song at the end, except I couldn't even be bothered to follow the story of this one, though I did figure out that she was busy sucking on his ding dong, because the singer said so about every 30 seconds. I'd be inclined to say the album was fairly good if it weren't for these two songs, except that these two songs are 65% of the album.
Spacemen 3
3/5
5/10. How Does It Feel? Bad, because I swear the sound of this song is designed to give me a headache. Aside from that song though, which gets better after the first 5 minutes or so, the rest of the album sounds good enough, but I found parts of it a little dull.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
7/10. I didn't have super high expectations for an hour long electronic album, but I never really found myself disliking this one. There were bits where it felt a bit repetitive, sure, but not so long as to be unpleasant. That said, there were also no stand-out moments that make me want to rate it above a 7, so here I stand.
Wild Beasts
5/5
9/10. Quite good. Hooting and Howling and This is Our Lot stood out to me, but all of the songs had unique sounds to them that made listening to the album engaging throughout.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
8/10. It is good to see that if 2 hours is not infinite enough for you, the 6 hour deluxe version is available on Spotify. This is a good, angsty album, and like seemingly all angsty albums, it is very long. But I suppose if you only have 30 minutes worth of angst to sing about you might just release a cheerful album instead. But I digress. The point is, this album is very long for not having a stronger theme to tie it together. The wikipedia article says that the band wanted to make an album like The Wall, but they seemingly forgot that The Wall is both shorter and has a central theme/story to tie everything together. Still, the length is partly excused by how different individual songs are. I did not realize, and would never have expected that Bullet With Butterfly Wings and 1979 were on the same album. I don't really know where I'm going with this stream of consciousness review, but I figure if you had time to listen to this album you have time to listen to me ramble. Overall positive experience, probably won't listen all the way through again, at least not for quite a while.
Randy Newman
3/5
6/10. A few of the songs were fairly amusing, which made up for the fairly bland music, but there it is not amusing enough to be especially memorable.
Bert Jansch
3/5
5/10. Pleasant background music, but boring.
Shack
4/5
7/10. I can't quite pin down what it sounds like, but it sounded familiar, and I liked it.
OutKast
5/5
9/10. Stream of consciousness review below, but this was a really enjoyable album. Or two albums. Or whatever it was.
Going to start keeping track of the weirdest alcoholic drink to be mentioned in an album, and this is winning so far with Butterscotch Schnapps (in Bowtie), which it sounded like was either being drunk straight, or combined with Bailey's. As someone with poor short term memory, it is really helpful they say Speakerboxxx every 10 minutes or so to remind me what I am listening to, it's like I'm watching Disney Channel. Rhyming "nasty hoes" with "pistachios" was a stroke of genius. Also had the most fun song about church that I have heard.
It's weird to see a featured artist whose name I recognize, and weirder still that I only recognize the name because she is the live-action Ahsoka actress. Hey Ya is spectacular, of course, and it surprised me how much slower The Love Below feels in general compared to Speakerboxxx and Hey Ya. Repeating "age ain't nothin but a number" at the start of Pink and Blue got me thinking about that my great aunt flirting with one of my friends at my grad party, which distracted from the rest of the song. Dracula's Wedding is cool though. Would not have thought a 5 minute instrumental cover of My Favorite Things could be that enjoyable.
Ian Dury
3/5
6/10. A strong British accent does make bad sex jokes about 20% funnier, which brings this up from a 5/10. I think it might have been more enjoyable if I'd been able to focus on it a bit more, because I could tell there were some jokes that I missed, but I don't think that would bring the rating significantly higher.
Faith No More
4/5
7/10. I feel like these guys listened to some metal music and were like "Wow, what if we made something like this but made it occasionally sound good?" I enjoyed most of these songs, Epic and War Pigs stood out as things I have heard before.
Motörhead
2/5
4/10. I feel like they're just making noise for the sake of it being loud. I couldn't distinguish much between the songs, or even pick out many of the words the singer shouted at me. That said, they do a fairly good job of making noise.
Fiona Apple
5/5
9/10. Was stuck between a 9 and an 8 on this one, but I am feeling generous today, and if something stands out to me as good while I am working, that's a good sign. Shadowboxing was a good track, and I remember liking Sullen Girl as well, but I wasn't paying as much attention to what track I was listening to later on, but everything was pretty solid.
David Bowie
5/5
10/10. There wasn't a miss on here. Young Americans is a classic, and the rest ranged from solid to excellent. I'm skeptical that there needed to be 9 Bowie albums in this list, but so far so good
The Stooges
3/5
6/10. I can already tell they are going to be one of the bands that is thoroughly enamored with the idea that they can send sounds to just one side of my headphones if they want. The lyrics were certainly did not stand out as good, and indeed stood out as pretty uninspired and dull quite often, but it did sound pretty good throughout.
Tom Waits
4/5
8/10. I really liked this once I got into it. This album just gives off major singing skeleton vibes, the Marimba combined with the hoarse singing, and the depressing lyrics just added up to a skeleton playing music on his ribcage as he wiles away eternity. That said, if I was a cursed skeleton captain of a pirate ship, I would play this constantly. In a weird way, a lot of these songs remind me of Springsteen as well, just his voice is rougher.
Marty Robbins
3/5
6/10. I do enjoy this music, but I can't take it seriously, and as an album, 45 minutes of it is a lot because it all sounds roughly identical. Now, there is the plus side that each song usually tells a fun little story. The Master's Call's lyrics almost feel like a parody, but I am pretty sure this is meant to be sincere: "My wicked past unfolded, I thought of wasted years
/ When another bolt of lightning killed a hundred head of steers" Or better yet: "I will weep like the willow that weeps in the valley"
The Style Council
3/5
6/10. Not especially memorable, but sounded pleasant throughout. Possibly one to visit and to revise scoring on in the future.
Bob Dylan
5/5
9/10. Like a Rolling Stone and Desolation Row are fantastic, the rest was largely enjoyable, but nothing stood out especially from the middle section. I think Blood on the Tracks was a little bit better, but I am not sure if it is a whole number score better or not.
The Beach Boys
4/5
8/10. Solid album overall, with a few stand out classics like Sloop John B
Lambchop
3/5
5/10. Fairly boring as best as I could tell
Beastie Boys
4/5
7/10. Had some really fun moments, but an entire album-length session of listening to their voices is a lot.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
4/10. This sounded pretty samey, and was rather boring to boot.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
8/10. Led Zeppelin all kind of blends together for me, but in a pretty positive way.
Fever Ray
4/5
7/10. Sounds good, but in a really boring way. Without the vocals this would make a fantastic video game soundtrack, but it's too slow for me to want to just listen to it.
Eminem
2/5
3/10. Pretty sure this gave me an ear infection
Fleet Foxes
4/5
8/10. Well, I can certainly see how this one was influential. Overall I liked it, it had a nice, peaceful but sorrowful sound to it, and while the album would have been more interesting if it varied from that a bit more, it would have ruined the mood.
Frank Ocean
5/5
9/10. This was pretty good. He has a nice voice. Beginning of Super Rich Kids had me worried because it sounded like Benny and the Jets for a moment.
Chicago
4/5
8/10. This is definitely on the jazzy side of jazz-rock, in that it really just felt like jazz with some guitars thrown in. The singing was probably the biggest thing holding it back for me, as the lyrics and delivery just felt emotionless when they were present. But, I was also listening to this at work and didn't get the opportunity for a super close listen.
Travis
4/5
8/10. Feels quite enjoyable on a first listen, but I am not sure if it is something that will start to bug me if I relisten, or if I'll grow to like it more. Always fun when the 5th song on an album spontaneously decides to be half in French-as-a-second-language. Hidden tracks don't work well on Spotify at all.
Bad Company
3/5
6/10. Glad to see that sometimes people do name a song, an album, and their band all the same thing. Pleasant enough to listen to, but it really slipped into the background a lot.
Steely Dan
5/5
10/10. You can't buy a thrill, but it would be thrilling to buy this album. I think Do It Again is one of the more overrated Steely Dan songs, but I have no right to be salty that people enjoy this more than I do, and this is still a good tune to have come on at the grocery store. Dirty work is a fairly drastic mood swing from Dirty Work, and this is pretty common for the album which I think is why I rarely listen to it through, even though I listen to all the songs a lot. Kings, then, jumps back into the more energetic, sarcastic mood of the first song. The we get to Midnite Cruiser which is one of my favorites form this album. The chorus is so catchy, and the lyrics so savory, and broken up into these delightful little bite-sized lines when sung. Next, we have Only a Fool Would Say That, which is where we first get to a Steely Dan song with pretty much nonsense lyrics. I'm not sure what "Of salads and sun" is supposed to mean, and thought for the longest time he was singing "Of Saladin's son" which also doesn't make sense. Still a pretty fun little song. Reelin' in the Years is probably what a lot of people would call the most overrated Steely Dan song, but honestly this song is just spectacular. The only reason I can see to resent it's popularity is that it has spawned multiple live versions now, and both of the one's I know of don't sound right. I love how the lyrics just seem to fall, almost jumbled, out of his mouth, as if the narrator's world is rapidly falling apart. Fire in the Hole is my least favorite from this album, but I've been told that I clearly just hate Pianists. Brooklyn still makes very little sense to me lyrically, but it is a real pretty song. Change of the Guard makes a fun change of pace, but isn't really a stand-out song in my opinion. And then Turn That Heartbeat Over Again is a very sporadic, yet extremely catchy song that sort of reflects the album as a whole with its jumps between fast and slow lyrics occurring line-to-line, but still all fitting together real nice.
Depeche Mode
4/5
8/10. I quite liked a few tracks from this, but as an album it has some boring stretches. The intro to "I Want You Now" just sounds like an overdramatic person inflating a paddleboard. And "Pleasure, Little Treasure" is a bonus track, but it was a lot more fun than most of the album. I can't quite decide if I like the Route 66 cover, but the occasional panting in the background does not help it out.
Os Mutantes
4/5
8/10. I'm hearing a lot more circus than bread in the first track, but maybe the lyrics I don't understand balance that out. Overall a fun album to listen to, I like that they changed up the pace a lot.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
5/5
9/10. I like salsa music, but not usually enough that I can sit through 42 minutes of listening to it fairly actively. This had a lot more variety of sound than I am used to hearing in salsa, which is no doubt biased by me listening more closely to this, but still a very enjoyable album.
Cat Stevens
5/5
9/10. I like Cat Stevens.
Wu-Tang Clan
2/5
4/10. I like that the lyrics are fairly funny from time to time, even forgetting that they just sample a shit ton of kung fu sound effects. Still wouldn't ever want to listen all the way through again, and there were no particular tracks I'd want to come back to either. Certainly wasn't bad, but I didn't care for it much.
Public Enemy
4/5
7/10. Interesting to hear from a rap group that was against reclaiming the N-word. I really don't need the blaring noises in alternating ears in "One Million Bottlebags". "Bring Tha Noize" is an oddly fun note to end on considering how intense the social/political critique got towards the middle, but I'm not going to complain.
Blur
3/5
5/10. Meh
Louis Prima
4/5
8/10. Very energetic, lots of fun to listen to
Mudhoney
3/5
5/10. They seem oddly self aware about song length. Like all of the songs that extended much longer than 2 minutes did so because they were a bit better than the rest of the album. Still pretty meh from where I'm standing though.
Pantera
3/5
6/10. Pretty decent metal album, but I wish all metal albums didn't insist on being an hour long.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
9/10. This album keeps things short and sweet, which is always refreshing after a metal album.
The Allman Brothers Band
4/5
8/10. I was working while I listened to this, so that could have distracted me from any boring sections, but I really enjoyed this album. The 20 minute extended performances of some of the songs worked out the be pretty enjoyable to listen to.
Sabu
2/5
4/10. The second song was pretty annoying. Wait, I think that might just be the whole album. The songs are so long and repetitive. The ones that are just instrumentals are actually alright, but nothing super exciting. Overall not my favorite, but nothing that stands out as awful
The Gun Club
4/5
7/10. Pretty revolutionary to take punk music and merge it with genres that sound good. I can see how it was influential.
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
8/10. Quite enjoyable for the most part some songs were a fair bit better than others
Soul II Soul
4/5
7/10.
The Byrds
3/5
5/10. Pretty boring
PJ Harvey
2/5
4/10. I almost liked the cover of Highway '61 Revisited, but overall after four albums of PJ Harvey, I am just glad to be Rid of Her.
The Offspring
4/5
7/10. The album cover really made me think I was going to dislike this. Honestly I probably would have liked it a bit less if there hadn't been some familiar songs that helped me get into it a bit more.
Tom Waits
4/5
7/10. I guess this album is so early in Tom Waits' career he hadn't figured out he could make his voice sound really raspy and awful yet. That said, I don't enjoy it lyrically as much either. Still I think the fake jazz club setting is kinda fun overall
Kraftwerk
3/5
5/10. I do not want to hear the words Tran Europe Express chanted at me ever again. Based on the title, I would have thought metal on metal would have been the most grating sounding song, but actually one of the more pleasant because I didn't have to listen to them chanting some bullshit. Still, looking past the speaking bits, the music was pretty enjoyable.
Frank Zappa
5/5
9/10. Actually I really enjoyed parts of this while sitting in traffic, it must be solid.
The Sonics
3/5
6/10. Pretty enjoyable for what it is, but I am glad it was short.
Ray Charles
4/5
8/10. Enjoyable, quick songs. Rather samey, but doesn't drag on.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
9/10. Had a few very good songs, and then some others that just blended into a pleasant background. I especially liked The Boxer.
M.I.A.
2/5
4/10. They talk very Bri'ish loike. I liked XR2, Paper Planes would have been good if I hadn't heard it so many damn times on the radio. But most of the songs I was not a big fan of, and the runtime exaggerated this.
Hugh Masekela
3/5
6/10. Pleasant, but dull
k.d. lang
3/5
5/10. Pretty decent, but a little boring. Might have been more enjoyable if I paid more attention, or it might have just dragged on longer.
3/5
6/10. Might be worth a 7. Liked about every other song, but several annoyed me a bit
Screaming Trees
4/5
7/10. Pretty good.
The Saints
3/5
6/10. Forgettable.
T. Rex
4/5
7/10. Pretty enjoyable
Bob Dylan
4/5
8/10. Pretty good overall, as per usual only a few songs stood out to me, especially "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue". I was particularly pleased by the pittance of protracted pieces, as those tend to make the Dylan discography drag.
Oasis
4/5
7/10, might bump up to an 8 on a relisten because I didn't focus during a lot of the middle section.
Dr. John
4/5
7/10. Some cool sounds, but nothing to drive me wild.
Queen
5/5
9/10. All pretty good, but nothing that I really love.
Fugees
3/5
6/10. At the start of the album I was thinking this would be closer to a 4, because I didn't love the sound. I still don't think it's fantastic, but either it grew on me as I was listening, or it got better as it went. Furthermore, it felt really well tied together as an album, with good transitions and callbacks. Still, every track just felt too long, and the album dragged too much for me to rate it higher.
Van Morrison
4/5
The album cover is me waiting for the next album to generate. 7/10, Moondance was a good track, nothing too special about the album in general for me though
Bob Dylan
4/5
8/10. Good overall, really long, and started out a bit weak in my opinion. I am not sure how his production quality is still so low in the 90's, but I guess he found his style and he's sticking to it.
4/5
7/10. Honestly pretty good, just resent that Blur made this list more times than Tom Petty
Cocteau Twins
4/5
8/10. Really chill and ethereal.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
8/10. The simplified music to emphasize the lyrics is a good style for Cohen, but I didn't enjoy most if the songwriting as much as I liked Songs of Leonard Cohen
ZZ Top
4/5
8/10. Surprisingly good
Beach House
4/5
8/10. Pretty chill
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3/5
5/10. Not bad, but not good. Welcome to the Pleasuredome itself was fun, a lot of stuff was okay, the Born to Run cover just felt like a worse version of the original, and I really don't understand why The Ballad of 32 needed to have sex noises in the background, like do some people enjoy that in their music? Because I just don't get it. Enjoyed San Jose and The Power of Love. Also rather long.
Kanye West
5/5
9/10. The only major complaint I have is that it drags towards the end, as it is quite long and frontloads some of the best songs. Might bump to a 10 on review, tbh
Prince
4/5
8/10. Pretty good, but certainly not my favorite Prince album. Had good variety which helped mitigate the length, but not much of it stood out to me.
Eurythmics
4/5
7/10. Considered an 8/10, but not feeling generous today. Fun and synthy, short and sweet, would relisten to because most of the songs were solid enough and the opening and title tracks were quite good.
Yes
4/5
7/10. I like the format, but want to come back to this one and give it a closer listen.
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
6/10. Jeez, I'd never realized that Layla was 7 minutes long. I like Layla just fine, but this album is just 76 minutes that all sounds like Layla but a little worse. Not an unenjoyable experience by any means, but a little samey.
Adam & The Ants
3/5
5/10. Not so bad, but why was there a random pirate song? Maybe I needed to pay more attention
2/5
3/10. Did not enjoy. Sounded about as bad as The Dictators, but without the tinges of humor.
James Brown
4/5
7/10. Nothing super special, but was fun to listen to, and it is always nice to get a short and sweet album in this challenge.
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
8/10. Quite good, great vibe to have going in the background, and probably solid in the foreground as well, though I haven't tested that as much.
Garbage
4/5
7/10. Good, edgy rock music.
Fairport Convention
4/5
8/10. This was really laid back, and pleasantly folksy. A bit like Bob Dylan if his lyrics were less interesting and his production a million times better.
Portishead
4/5
7/10. Kinda strange, sort of peaceful
Talking Heads
4/5
7/10. Pretty good, but the way they sing grates on me after a while.
Pink Floyd
5/5
That's a 10. I don't know if I like this or The Wall best, as they are both phenomenal but very different
Bon Jovi
4/5
8/10. Great album, but I feel like these songs sounded a lot better when I was a kid.
Cream
3/5
6/10. Not especially memorable, though Strange Brew at least fits the Halloween season
Caetano Veloso
4/5
7/10. I liked this, didn't blow my mind or anything though.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
8/10. Really long, but good music. Doubt I'll want to listen to it all in one sitting again.
Taylor Swift
4/5
7/10. This is a pretty solid album.
Mudhoney
3/5
5/10. Meh, not terrible as grunge, and the original version of the album at least is nice and short.
a-ha
3/5
6/10. Well, it has Take on Me on it. Otherwise, fairly bland, though never too unpleasant.
ZZ Top
4/5
7/10. Good stuff, but not especially stand-out. Quite liked La Grange
Arcade Fire
4/5
7/10. Sounds like 2000's Indie Music, for better and for worse.
Elton John
5/5
10/10. I'm calling this a 10 for now, but it is very close to being a 9 on account of it being real long with a weaker back half. Even still, this album had a lot of great songs filled in by a lot of good songs, and I enjoyed listening to the whole thing.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
7/10. Pretty fly. I liked Give Me Your Love and Superfly.
The Prodigy
3/5
5/10. I love the cover art, and how confusingly it clashes with the title. Sadly the music sounds a bit like something a 12 year old would have as the background for their minecraft tutorial youtube video. Found myself liking it okay on the whole, at it was decent as background music, but wouldn't want to listen to it actively
Parliament
4/5
8/10. Really sounded like they were just making mouth-farting noises for a lot of the last track, but had some really enjoyable parts as well, and I enjoyed that they had a silly sci-fi conceit. I'd say 8/10 despite being a bit too funky for my taste
Rush
4/5
8/10. Already reasonable familiar with this, and after this listen, I still like it, but still not that much. I like the cheesy Rock Opera that makes up the first half, and while the second half sounds similarly good, it's not as fun without the unifying theme.
Funkadelic
4/5
7/10. Funky
Lynyrd Skynyrd
3/5
5/10. had some good songs
The Crusaders
4/5
8/10. Fun to listen to, but nothing blew me away.
Iron Butterfly
3/5
6/10. Had an interesting sound to it, title track did not need to be that long.
Black Sabbath
3/5
6/10. Sounded a lot like their other album. Pleasant enough to listen to, but not in love
John Lennon
4/5
8/10. Very pretty sounding, a little boring? I dunno, worth a re-listen to get a better formed opinion.
Big Star
2/5
4/10. Based on the first song, this album is not worth the additional hassle of not being on spotify and having different song orders for several different releases…
Overall, I don't love the singer's voice, and while the music is not as boring as it could have been for an album of this length, it is not really pleasant to listen to either.
Pink Floyd
4/5
8/10. Pipe 'er at the Gates of Dawn? I 'ardly know 'er! I really wish they didn't feel the need to give me a headache just because I decided to use headphones. Looking at you, Interstellar Overdrive. Otherwise, has some good songs, and I do kind of like just how extremely weird early Pink Floyd is.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
7/10. I didn't care for "The Scream", so I wasn't looking forward to this. But I was pleasantly surprised by this album. Arabian Knights was pretty good.
Queen
4/5
7/10. Good, but Killer Queen is the only thing that really stood out to me, and largely because it is the only song on here I was already familiar with.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
8/10. Definitely feels aged, but still pretty fun. A little lengthy.
David Bowie
5/5
9/10. Quite good, but hard to justify putting another Bowie album on this list…
Janis Joplin
3/5
5/10. Bobby McGee is iconic, the rest is largely forgettable.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
4/5
8/10. This was really nice.
Blondie
4/5
8/10. I forgot how much I liked "Heart of Glass" which is definitely a standout in this otherwise pretty solid album. Stand-out among the tracks I hadn't heard was "Just Go Away"
The Young Gods
2/5
3/10. Their singing was just so grating. I feel like it's hard to make French sound that bad, but they did it.
Beatles
5/5
10/10. Really good album.
The Kinks
3/5
6/10. Really liked Waterloo Sunset, the rest of the album was pretty meh.
Billie Holiday
3/5
5/10. Okay, but didn't feel like it really held up
Nas
3/5
6/10. Alright
Ice T
3/5
5/10. Kinda better than I expected. Quite long, but very animated throughout, and sorta fun to listen to. Another 90's rap album where it's interesting to hear the artist give their take on reclaiming the n-word
Fela Kuti
4/5
7/10. Pretty good. Maybe worth an 8?
The Cure
3/5
5/10. Kinda boring
Fun Lovin' Criminals
4/5
7/10. Had this on in the background, but seemed pretty good based on that, and I liked how it mixed genres.
Supertramp
4/5
7/10. Pretty good.
Massive Attack
3/5
6/10. Pretty good, not especially my thing.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
10/10. Best Led Zeppelin album I've heard.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
7/10. Pretty good. Watermelon Man wasn't as annoying as I remembered.
Elvis Presley
4/5
7/10. Sounds like Elvis
Charles Mingus
4/5
8/10. Jazzy and good.
Beatles
5/5
10/10. The back half is weaker than the front, but still solid throughout. A lot of classicsongs I was familiar with, and it's nice to finally listen to the album.
4/5
8/10. Yes. Manageable length, and sounds good throughout.
Harry Nilsson
3/5
5/10. Had its moments, but nothing amazing.
Sepultura
2/5
4/10. Long and metal. Like a skewer, but without delicious grilled meat and vegetables. In any case, wasn't really a bad album, I just don't like listening to fast-paced metal like this, it just sound like stress.
Le Tigre
2/5
4/10. Good energy, but a little grating nonetheless.
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
7/10. Solid songs, a bit samey as an album for how long it is. Nothing revolutionary.
Missy Elliott
2/5
4/10. Some fun samples, but in general felt like it lacked energy, and parts got a bit annoying.
Prefab Sprout
4/5
7/10. Felt somewhere between Elvis Costello and the Police… Pretty good.
The Avalanches
3/5
5/10. Absolutely insane. Not to be confused with insanely good, but it was listenable, despite not really being my cup of tea. What it did, it did well.
Ray Charles
4/5
8/10. This was quite good, a relisten might even bump up my score by one.
Fiona Apple
4/5
7/10. Didn't like it nearly as much as Tidal. Had some strong songs, especially towards the end of the album, but other parts of it just kind of annoyed me, and the middle dragged on a bit.
Yes
4/5
8/10. Another Yes from me. Especially liked Roundabout, but everything was good.
Billy Bragg
3/5
6/10? Might have been worth a 7, but kinda long and only a couple songs stood out
Beyoncé
4/5
8/10. Had some rather slow sections/songs, but started and ended strong enough. I can see why people like Beyonce, but I don't see her becoming a personal favorite. The bits of "No Angel" that are super breathy and she halts after every word reminded me forcibly of Stevie from Malcolm in the Middle.
Bonnie Raitt
4/5
7/10. Bluesy and pleasant. Maybe a low 8.
Frank Black
4/5
7/10. Forgot to leave a review while this was fresh in my mind, but this was solid. Should return to it at some point.
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
8/10. Pretty good vocal jazz, great to be on in the background.
Aerosmith
4/5
7/10. This was so much more enjoyable than Pump.
DJ Shadow
4/5
7/10. This one was weird and I am not sure what to think about it.
The Stooges
2/5
4/10. Had some cool instrumentals, but the vocals did not sound great.
Queen
4/5
8/10. Pretty much what I expected. No songs especially stood out, but all were solid enough.
Radiohead
4/5
7/10. Had its moments but not especially memorable.
Buck Owens
3/5
6/10. Seemed like pretty solid old timey County. Not really my style, but well executed
Q-Tip
4/5
7/10. I liked how chilled out this was to listen to, while also having really interesting lyrics.
Merle Haggard
4/5
8/10. Some enjoyable old fashioned country music. I liked that that the songs never really dragged on too much, and thought this was a good length overall.
Black Sabbath
5/5
9/10. Maybe I am just feeling generous today, but I can't think of any good reason to dock this one points. I haven't been a big fan of a lot of the metal on this list, but this had a bluesier sound to it that I really enjoyed.
Miles Davis
4/5
8/10. Good, but so damn long. I don't think I'd listen to this in one sitting again, though it would be a nice background.
Nico
4/5
8/10. What if Leonard Cohen was a girl?
KISS
3/5
5/10. KISS has some nostalgic value for me, so this was fine, but didn't really have a lot of what I'd consider their memorable songs.
Brian Eno
4/5
8/10. Kinda low 8. Nothing really jumped out at me as spectacular, but it avoided sameyness and didn't overstay its welcome.
R.E.M.
4/5
8/10. As an album, I think I liked this a little more than Document even though there weren't as many stand-out favorites on here
Various Artists
3/5
6/10. Good Christmas music, but not a stand-out in my mind in any way.
Killing Joke
4/5
7/10. Enjoyable enough considering the length.
Steely Dan
5/5
9/10. Far from my favorite Steely Dan album, but one that I have grown to appreciate nonetheless. I'm still not the biggest fan of Rikki, but songs like Any Major Dude and Charlie Freak have really grown on me over time, as has the sound of the album as a whole, and while there are individual tracks that I don't love, they don't overstay their welcome either. I still resent that this was included at the expense of other Dan albums, but I may yet bump it to a 10/10 if the mood strikes me.
Orbital
2/5
4/10. Some of the songs are actually pretty enjoyable, but most of those still go on way too long.
The Temptations
4/5
8/10. Liked it
Ramones
4/5
7/10. I liked how fast paced and quick the songs all were. Really fits together nicely.
Fatboy Slim
1/5
2/10. Felt so long because very song was so damn repetitive.
The Notorious B.I.G.
2/5
3/10. Ugh, this was so long and so samey and had a ninety-second interlude that was just sex noises. I could sort of see the appeal of it at times, but also it just wasn't for me.
Al Green
4/5
8/10.
Missy Elliott
3/5
5/10. Does she have to tell us at the start of every song that this is a Missy Elliott exclusive? I liked the song with Beyonce, and the one with TLC because they are interesting takes on these other artists' music. I also liked that the album had some heartfelt themes and meaning, but at the end of the day, I am not a big fan of the bulk of Missy Elliott's music.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
4/10. I had the soundtrack for Shrek 2 on CD in my car for a while, and almost always skipped "People Ain't No Good" because it was so damn long and mopey. And this album was a good deal longer than that song. Lyrically I don't mind it, but it's just not fun to listen to.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
6/10. I like Leonard Cohen, but I don't really get what puts this album on the list. I still enjoyed the lyrics for the most part, but some of the songs just sounded kind of bad. Overall a positive listening experience, but a bit disappointing.
Queen Latifah
2/5
4/10. I thought some scattered songs were pretty good, but didn't really like the album overall, which is always rough on these relatively long ones.
Public Enemy
4/5
7/10. Sounded a bit like the Beastie Boys but taking themselves a bit more seriously. Which makes it sound like it was bad, but I quite liked it. May return to this for a more thorough listening/rating.
Def Leppard
5/5
9/10. This had a lot of nostalgic songs for me, and was overall a really fun album.
The B-52's
4/5
8/10. Just a really fun album. Gets a bit long, but stays exuberant
Stevie Wonder
5/5
10/10. This was really good.
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
6/10. Another cloudy day on the British Isles.
Incubus
3/5
5/10. It was an interesting mix of genres, but didn't really come together into anything too exciting except for Drive.
Bob Dylan
5/5
9/10. I think this might be my favorite Bob Dylan album so far. It's nice to not have any ridiculously songs, and a lot of the songwriting here felt less rambley than many of his songs, though that's hard to quantify.
MGMT
4/5
7/10. A lot of stuff I've heard on the radio growing up, but not really my style after the nostalgia wears off.
Japan
3/5
6/10. Bit better than I expected.
Can
2/5
4/10. What if Pink Floyd was really boring? Some of these longer songs could almost be video game music if you dropped the occasional lyrical sections, and if they were they'd be pretty cool. Even still, the length of this makes listening to it as an album pretty rough.
Paul Simon
5/5
9/10. Spectacular album. Graceland and You Can Call Me Al are the obvious stand-outs, and everything else seemed solid as well. Could easily go up to a 10 on a relisten, only reason I am holding off is because nothing really blew me away on the more filler-y songs, but I think that might have just been me multitasking homework and forgetting about it.
Don McLean
4/5
7/10. Obviously the title track is a classic. Vincent is almost too full of poetic devices to work as a song, but it ends up being quite pretty regardless. The rest was not too memorable. But overall, a good start to my second year of this project!
Christine and the Queens
4/5
8/10. Definitely better in French. Started out sounding like French Taylor Swift, but had some more diverse sounds to it later on.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
6/10. Nice and bluegrassy, but so goddamn long. I could see it being nice ambience.
4/10. On the low side of meh.
Simply Red
4/5
7/10. Maybe an 8 out of 10? Solidly enjoyable throughout, nothing grabbed my attention
Love
3/5
6/10. Bummer in the Summer? I 'ardly know 'er! But yeah, this album started off with a couple of pretty good songs, and then it started to get monotonous. Last song also good though.
Goldfrapp
4/5
7/10. Some really enjoyable stuff, but the vibe was a bit too mopey for my taste. I liked the other Goldfrapp music that Spotify started shuffling after I finished though.
Marilyn Manson
1/5
2/10. I don't know why I would want to listen to something that tries so hard to sound bad.
Underworld
2/5
4/10. Would've been better without any vocals I think, but overall fine.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
8/10. Pretty fun, pretty good
Amy Winehouse
3/5
5/10. I don't quite like this, but I can't pin down exactly why.
Elton John
4/5
7/10. Yeah, can't say there's much to this album besides Tiny Dancer. The singing feels really overdone, and clashes with lyrics that are typically a lot more sober. There wasn't anything that I thought was really bad, but a little disappointing.
Goldie
2/5
3/10. There isn't a lot of space in my life for a 90+ minute album of electronic music. There were enjoyable tracks here and there, including the 20 minute title track, but there were also some tracks that annoyed me or bored me, which is pretty rough when the average track is about 8 minutes. A high 3, but a 3 nonetheless.
Spiritualized
4/5
7/10. Honestly, pretty good, at least in the background.
The Black Crowes
4/5
8/10. Who'd've thunk it? Two days in a row of 90's albums I actually enjoyed. Though I don't think I've ever really taken that much issue with the Blues Rock of the 90's.
Lightning Bolt
1/5
2/10. Probably the least wonderful rainbow I've experienced. It was like someone took the noise of unplugging your earbuds in the middle of a song and made that into a whole damn album. There are definitely some bits where there is a bit of an interesting beat going, but not enough to redeem it in my eyes.
Mike Ladd
3/5
6/10.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
8/10. Good stuff, but not the most exciting
Mariah Carey
3/5
5/10. Sorry Mariah Carey, you are doomed to be remembered only for your Christmas music.
The Magnetic Fields
4/5
6.9/10. Nice.
The Youngbloods
4/5
7/10. Fun, folksy, but ultimately forgettable.
Gang Of Four
4/5
7/10. Enjoyed it a fair bit while I was walking around listening to the first half, kinda started to annoy me when I was listening and studying.
The Divine Comedy
3/5
5/10. Musical music without a plot line. Meh
Skunk Anansie
4/5
7/10. Kinda cool
Motörhead
2/5
4/10. Maybe it's just that I pre-judge any album with a song called "Jailbait" on it going in, but I didn't think this was that good.
Shivkumar Sharma
5/5
9/10. Really quite good, and very palatable to my Western tastes. Just like it says on the box.
2Pac
3/5
6/10. Maybe even a seven. I liked how it sounded, my main issue is that it sounded pretty darn similar for the entire run time.
Elliott Smith
3/5
5/10. Rather boring and forgettable, but pleasant enough.
Orange Juice
3/5
6/10. Eh, alright
Jazmine Sullivan
4/5
7/10. I really like the Canterbury Tales-esque concept album framework, but don't really enjoy the actual music that much.
Pink Floyd
5/5
10/10. One of my favorite albums of all time. When I was feeling like shit as a teenager, there was nothing like listening to The Wall in all of its angsty glory.
Elastica
3/5
5/10. Meh, could've been a lot worse
James Taylor
3/5
5/10. Got impressively boring for only being half an hour long.
Black Sabbath
4/5
7/10. Some good songs, but probably wouldn't relisten to the whole album
Neil Young
4/5
7/10. Pretty enjoyable stuff, I liked Revolution Blues.
Pavement
4/5
8/10. The morose singing was kinda just meh, but the lyrics and instrumentals were quite nice
Talking Heads
4/5
7/10. Once in a Lifetime is great, but the rest of the album is thoroughly middle of the road.
Richard Hawley
3/5
6/10. Pretty good, wouldn't listen to it again though.
Sade
4/5
7/10.
The Who
4/5
7/10. The Who get a lot better later on… Miles and Miles is good of course, and I liked most of the songs at least a bit. Silas Stingy is like the lame grandfather of the "Scrooge" from the Muppet Christmas carol. Also I hate that the Who refuse to just put normal versions of Albums on spotify. It has to be "super deluxe editions".
Minutemen
2/5
4/10. The song changes every 2 minutes yet the whole thing sounds the same, and like punk music. I was only awakened from my stupor when I realized I was listening to a cover of Doctor Wu. Maybe could justify giving it a 5, because I like some of these instrumentals, but the singing just drags.
Van Morrison
3/5
6/10. Why does this list need more than one Van Morrison Album?
Les Rythmes Digitales
4/5
7/10. Kinda fun, not really my thing
10cc
4/5
8/10. I liked this.
Neu!
4/5
7/10. Maybe even an 8 out of 10, because parts where it was just pretty sounding instrumentals were really nice, but then there'd be weird and somewhat offputting vocals from time to time.
Nirvana
5/5
9/10. I am usually pretty lukewarm on Nirvana, but this was excellent
Slint
3/5
5/10. Utterly forgettable. Fun cover art though.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
6/10. It's like disco, if disco sucked. Still kinda fun, but not really my thing, and certainly not something I want to hear a whole album of.
Duran Duran
4/5
7/10. Better than I expected. Really enjoyed the first half, the B side felt rather weaker though
John Grant
4/5
8/10. The music was pleasant if slightly dull sounding, but I enjoyed the humor.
Pink Floyd
5/5
10/10. I like to say that this is overrated as Pink Floyd albums, but it's still a 10
Cypress Hill
2/5
4/10. Not my thing
The Rolling Stones
4/5
8/10. Pretty good, would listen again. Paint it Black is a great way to start an album, and while it gets a bit weaker towards the B-side, it's still pretty pleasant.
Moby Grape
4/5
8/10. Short and sweet. Lots of fun old songs that didn't overstay their welcome
Blur
2/5
4/10. Despite the fact that I read the title of the first track, I thought the guy was saying "Pedo Bob" for the first few verses. Otherwise, the album was long, uneventful, and quite forgettable.
4/5
7/10. This is such terrible 80's music. Kinda fun though
The Adverts
4/5
7/10. Just the right amount of punk
The Pharcyde
3/5
5/10. Eh, not bad, not great.
Tracy Chapman
5/5
9/10. I really liked this.
The Byrds
4/5
7/10. Birb.
Johnny Cash
5/5
10/10. This was so heavy, even compared to at San Quentin.
David Bowie
4/5
8/10. Pretty good, but he can do better.
Taylor Swift
3/5
6/10. The last thing you want from Taylor Swift is an album that goes on for a whole goddamn hour, but as it turns out, that might be exactly what you get. On the upside, I kinda liked it besides that, her lyrics have gotten more interesting at least, even if the music is just kind of yawny sad-girl hours
Spiritualized
3/5
5/10. Pretty boring, but pleasant enough in the background.
U2
4/5
7/10. Pretty good.
Neil Young
5/5
9/10. Not the biggest Neil Young fan, but this is a very solid album.
David Bowie
4/5
7/10. Pleasant album, but a bit boring, at least for driving. So far, definitely a low for David Bowie albums on this list.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
5/10. Evil rappers be like: I'm not the kind of person who would want attention from multiple women. All in all a rather samey album that verges on contemporary christian music.
Silver Jews
4/5
7/10. Might even be worth an 8. The mood feels more consistent than monotonous, and is a great way to spend some time being sad.
Deep Purple
3/5
5/10. Definitely glad that I got a Little Richard earlier in the challenge, made hearing Speed King more interesting, and it's always fun to see albums in the list referencing each other. That said, this music is not interesting enough to have 7-10 minute tracks, and just feels frantic.
The Who
4/5
7/10. (Listened to the expanded edition because it is what's on Spotify). This is some of the most Bri'ish shit I have ever heard. The Amazing Journey and My Generation medleys were excellent, as was Magic Bus, but the rest of it was kinda meh.
Queens of the Stone Age
4/5
7/10. Pretty good, don't know why they have to end the album with an assault on my ears though.
Roxy Music
4/5
7/10. Quite good.
Jane Weaver
4/5
8/10. Chilled out and really pretty sounding.
The Mars Volta
3/5
6/10. Loud, but some bits were pretty interesting
The Birthday Party
1/5
2/10. This was painful to listen to, and it felt so long. Maybe even a 1.
The Hives
3/5
6/10. Pretty good for what it is.
Mike Oldfield
4/5
7/10. For the most part quite enjoyable, but the vocals always felt rather unwelcome and unnecessary.
Radiohead
4/5
8/10. Very pleasant, and good songs, I just don't love listening to Radiohead for the length of an entire album.
Sufjan Stevens
5/5
9/10. Likely even a 10/10 on a relisten. The song titles felt a little too shot though.
The Band
3/5
5/10. Bit boring
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
6/10. I guess this was pretty good.
The Who
5/5
10/10. Completely incomprehensible, worse by miles and miles than Quadrophenia, and "Fiddle About" ruins the entire listening experience every time, but still a very good album.
Adele
5/5
9/10. This had a lot of rather good songs on it, that all sound a lot better after a few years of not having listened to the radio.
Femi Kuti
4/5
8/10. Maybe even worth a 9, I was quite enjoying this
Green Day
3/5
6/10. Basket Case is great, but half the album just sounds like Basket Case but lamer.
Devendra Banhart
2/5
4/10. I don't understand what's supposed to make this good.
Nina Simone
3/5
5/10. Maybe worth a 6/10, but not very memorable.
The Teardrop Explodes
4/5
7/10. First album in a bit that I'd say I enjoyed, but still not all that inspired.
Brian Wilson
4/5
7/10. Like Pet Sounds, except this album actually has some pet sounds in it.
Talking Heads
4/5
8/10. Quite good, but how many Talking Heads Albums are on here?
Prince
5/5
10/10. Has a couple of my favorite Prince songs on it, and while a couple songs are only meh, I still enjoy it all the way through.
Iron Maiden
3/5
6/10. Better than expected, but not memorable
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
8/10.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
7/10. Not bad, but nothing crazy
Iron Maiden
4/5
6.66/10. I'm starting to like Iron Maiden a bit
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
6/10. Not memorable, but pleasant
Santana
4/5
8/10. Quite good
Paul Simon
4/5
7/10. I like Paul Simon plenty, but this album felt a little underwhelming.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
8/10. Henceforth, I shall remember the Queen of Soul.
Sebadoh
3/5
5/10. They did an excellent job of putting their most palatable song first.
Metallica
3/5
6/10. Enjoyable enough as metal goes.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
9/10. Rather nice
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
6/10. Isn't much of anything. Fades easily into the background which is nice in a way, but annoying to actually pay attention to.
The Specials
3/5
5/10. Kinda blah
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
8/10. Really picks up in the second half
B.B. King
5/5
9/10. Blues!
Pulp
3/5
6/10. Some okay songs, in a pervy British guy way
Lorde
5/5
9/10. Of course I'd heard the hits before, but the album as a whole is rock solid.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
7/10. Pretty good, a whole album of Joni Mitchell is a bit much for me though
Hole
4/5
8/10. I didn't care for the other Hole album I've had, and wasn't looking forward to this. But, I ended up quite liking it. 8/10 as a first impression, but I could see that moving around if I listened to this more.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
7/10. Some good stuff, but also a really long time to listen to Jimi Hendrix for.
Nick Drake
4/5
7/10. Chill stuff
The Stooges
2/5
4/10. I zoned out and didn't hear the lyrics of 'penetration' until like 30 seconds from the end, so I think that was a win.
Sleater-Kinney
3/5
6/10. Sleater, Kinney.
Manic Street Preachers
5/5
9/10. Wow, I gave this band's other album an 8/10 and forgot about it entirely. But I'm going to have to go back and listen to more of there stuff, because this was swell.
David Bowie
4/5
8/10. Two quite good songs, a few good ones, and some meh.
Alice Cooper
3/5
5/10. Not bad in general, but the last song is gross.
Röyksopp
4/5
7/10. Cool.
Joan Baez
3/5
6/10. Okay, in an old-timey country way
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
8/10. Quite enjoyable
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
6/10. I don't dislike it, but I don't get what makes it so great.
Fats Domino
5/5
9/10. This was delightful
Jane's Addiction
3/5
5/10. This was pretty meh
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
5/10. Unmemorable, but not bad by any means
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
7/10. Alright
Stan Getz
5/5
10/10. This was like the perfect chill studying music. Was not expecting to like this as much as I did.
The Beach Boys
4/5
8/10. This was a really fun little Beach Boys album
Tricky
4/5
7/10. This was kinda cool
Led Zeppelin
4/5
8/10. Good stuff
Kate Bush
4/5
7/10. Pretty good, with a touch of bizarreness
Blue Cheer
4/5
7/10. Enjoyable, but not a standout
The War On Drugs
5/5
9/10. This was really nice, I'd like to relisten when I have more time to listen to the lyrics
William Orbit
4/5
8/10. I liked this. Not the most exciting to get for my 500th album, but a solid inclusion.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
8/10. I feel like I liked this better than some Hendrix albums I've heard.
Manu Chao
3/5
5/10. Eh.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
7/10. Jigsaw Puzzle was fun
Frank Sinatra
4/5
8/10. 50 minutes is too long to listen to Sinatra for, but this is still pretty good
Elbow
3/5
6/10. Not bad.
Steely Dan
5/5
10/10. One of the best ones out there
Sonic Youth
3/5
6/10. Not bad, not memorable on a first listen.
Dr. Dre
2/5
3/10. Put off listening to this for over 2 months because it wasn't on Spotify. Can't say I regret putting it off, though there were bits that sounded kinda cool
Randy Newman
3/5
6/10. Interesting social commentary, but not great music.
Eagles
3/5
6/10. I fucking hate the Eagles, man. This is fine, but pretty boring. The two songs from it that got popular are nice to listen to, though.
System Of A Down
2/5
4/10. What's with that song where he yells about the Kombucha? This was like bland metal meets the Talking Heads, and that wasn't a combo I enjoyed, certainly not for an hour.
Foo Fighters
3/5
5/10. Failed to make an impression on me.
Gang Starr
3/5
6/10. More pleasant than I was expecting.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
8/10. Immigrant Song is always fun, rest of the album pretty good too
The Velvet Underground
3/5
6/10. I liked it all right
Megadeth
4/5
7/10. Actually pretty good
The Smiths
4/5
7/10. Decent, his singing gets wearing after a while though
Flamin' Groovies
4/5
7/10. Pretty good
Jeff Buckley
4/5
8/10. Nice mix of fast and slow songs.
Deep Purple
4/5
8/10. Really nice, jammy sort of live album
3/5
6/10. I was expecting much worse for one of the lowest rated albums on the list. I liked it overall, but it is definitely a bit too frantic to comfortably listen to in the background, and I am not really one for actively listening to stuff without lyrics, so there's not really a good niche for listening to this, but it wasn't bad.
Joan Armatrading
4/5
7/10. Pretty good stuff.
Gil Scott-Heron
4/5
7/10. Nice stuff, and always fun to hear a song commenting on what is now a historical event.
Steely Dan
5/5
9/10. I really like Steely Dan, but it was a long time before I liked this album, and even now it is not my favorite. Most of the songs on this album have grown on me, but few of them need to be nearly as long as they are, which can make the album feel rather boring. Still, My Old School and King of the World do a lot of work to carry this album.
Amy Winehouse
4/5
7/10. Solid album, but I still don't quite like her singing style.
Dwight Yoakam
3/5
6/10. Decent, old timey country
The Kinks
4/5
7/10. Pleasant, but bland
The Doors
4/5
7/10. Enjoyable in a moody way, but the last song was a bit much.
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
8/10. They say you can't imitate DMC the great, but the Beastie Boys definitely did.
The Specials
4/5
7/10. I liked that all the songs sounded different, but they were definitely better at some styles of music than others.
Guns N' Roses
4/5
7/10. Maybe even an 8, this had several solid inclusions, and none of the songs were unpleasant to listen to, excepting any sex noises in the background.
4/5
8/10. Maybe 9/10, love a good concept album
Sex Pistols
4/5
7/10. Solid album
Roxy Music
4/5
8/10. Roxy Music doesn't disappoint, though it never blows me entirely away either.
The Stranglers
3/5
5/10. Long and meh
Koffi Olomide
4/5
7/10. Pretty good
Lou Reed
3/5
6/10. I am fond of concept albums, but the songwriting, especially when it came to rhyming, could be so predictable that it just made the album feel a bit pointless. Like, say something original about your life being ruined by drug addiction in Berlin, I already know that shit's sad
Genesis
3/5
6/10. Good, but boring for bits. Could probably be a 7 on a good day
Aphex Twin
4/5
8/10. Enjoyable ambient music. Always feels weird that ambient albums are included on this list at all, but that aside my main complaint with this one was some tracks were a bit distracting for something to be in the background, especially Green Calx.
k.d. lang
4/5
7/10. Liked this a lot better than her other album, even considered an 8/10, but I think that's pushing it. Pleasant sad music.
Miles Davis
4/5
8/10. Pretty fun little listen
Ash
4/5
8/10. Girl From Mars is a classic that I heard a lot growing up, but after over 500 of these albums, I'd worried that this album would be one of those that's just on the list because it had one good song. As such, this album was a pleasant surprise. It was a bit long, but I enjoyed it throughout and will likely come back to it.
Beastie Boys
4/5
8/10. Good album for the Beastie Boys
Everything But The Girl
4/5
7/10. Good album, consistently enjoyable
Dire Straits
3/5
6/10. Had a couple good songs
Lenny Kravitz
4/5
8/10. This was pretty good. long album, of course, but pretty enjoyable every step of the way
Tito Puente
4/5
8/10. I liked it, though I wasn't paying close enough attention to notice when it ended and spotify radio based on it began.
The Doors
3/5
5/10. Kinda boring, but not bad
Michael Jackson
5/5
9/10. Definitely a pretty good album, and the Best Michael Jackson album I've heard, but not quite a 10 for me
Suzanne Vega
4/5
7/10. I liked it
The Incredible String Band
2/5
4/10. This is like alternate universe Bob Dylan where he kinda sucks
Pixies
4/5
7/10. Another solid Pixies album
4/5
8/10. Kinda weak as Beatles albums go in my opinion, but When I'm 64 and With a Little Help from my Friends are great.
Beatles
5/5
9/10. Most enjoyable
Marvin Gaye
4/5
8/10. Good stuff
Death In Vegas
3/5
6/10. Good album, maybe even a 7/10. Not my favorite genre, but it keeps it fairly interesting.
The Louvin Brothers
2/5
3/10. Absurdly boring. All the songs sounded the same, and I did not much care for the vocals either. It was short, but didn't feel that way
X-Ray Spex
4/5
8/10. When I first heard the singers voice, I thought it would ruin the album. But I ended up really liking it
Coldplay
3/5
5/10. I always kinda thought people were too hard on Coldplay fans, but now that I know how mediocre some of their songs are I've decided they deserve it.
Metallica
2/5
4/10. Started off well enough, but over the course of an hour it starts to feel samey and even rather boring
Morrissey
4/5
7/10. Pretty good.
Milton Nascimento
4/5
7/10. All kinda blended together after a while, but ultimately pleasant
The Beau Brummels
4/5
7/10. Good stuff, nothing life-changing.
The Blue Nile
3/5
5/10. Not bad, but not really for me.
Heaven 17
4/5
8/10. Cool album, it usually annoys me when Spotify only has the extended version of the album, but in this case I was left wanting more at the end of the album's run time so it was okay.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Wait, how did Harry and Hermione dance to this last song in 1997 if it didn't come out until 2004?
6/10. I was pleasantly surprised that this wasn't a mopey snoozefest like the other Nick Cave album I've heard, but I can't say I liked more than the occasional song, and most of the songs I liked still went on too long.
The Byrds
3/5
5/10. Another meh album from the birbs
Radiohead
2/5
4/10. I just don't really understand the appeal of Radiohead.
Wilco
3/5
6/10. It was nice, but nothing crazy
Linkin Park
3/5
6/10. Kinda fun to listen to, but I can't take it seriously after having seen it edited over club penguin game play.
Metallica
4/5
7/10. This was pretty enjoyable, and seeing as it was a live album I can forgive the length.
Genesis
4/5
8/10. All of the pretentiousness a growing boy needs
Eric Clapton
3/5
5/10. Not bad, not great.
Otis Redding
4/5
8/10. Good performances of good songs.
Pavement
4/5
7/10. Liked it, didn't love it.
David Bowie
4/5
8/10. I did quite like the album, very nice and chill, but damn this list has a lot of Bowie.
Ministry
2/5
3/10. Didn't really enjoy it much
Nanci Griffith
4/5
8/10. This was really nice
Sonic Youth
3/5
6/10. Liked this way better than goo or whatever it was called.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
7/10. Good album overall, but nothing really stood out from it
Eels
4/5
7/10. Ah, yes, the album with the song from Shrek on it.
Minor Threat
3/5
6/10. Nothing to write home about.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
4/5
7/10. Ever since I first looked at the 1001 albums list, I've wondered why *this* was the Tom Petty album that they decided to include on the list. I hadn't listened to it, but I hadn't really heard much about it either. Well, eventually I got an edition of the book, and took a look at the entry for this album. It's just some critic talking about how Britain was really the country that discovered Tom Petty, because he got popular there earlier. So, now I know that the reason this album was included in lieu of Full Moon Fever or any of the much better Tom Petty albums out there is because this is the one that got popular in Britain. Though of course if it hadn't, we probably wouldn't have gotten a Tom Petty album at all because the book needed space for more fucking Blur albums.
TV On The Radio
3/5
6/10. Some bits were pretty cool, some bits kinda put me to sleep, but maybe I just need to go to bed earlier.
The Roots
5/5
9/10. This was really good, I'll have to listen to it again.
Kacey Musgraves
3/5
6/10. Fine, I guess, the songwriting was sometimes rather charming, but idk why I had to listen to this before I died
Frank Sinatra
5/5
9/10. Really good
Def Leppard
4/5
7/10. Continually taken aback that I like Def Leppard. That said, this album had some issues, namely that two songs tried to have a runtime well over 4 minutes, which is way longer than I want to listen to a single Def Leppard song.
Robbie Williams
2/5
4/10. Not only was this album rather mediocre, it wasn't on Spotify so now YouTube will think I like this crap
New Order
4/5
7/10. Largely pleasant, some kinda cool bits too
Muddy Waters
3/5
6/10. Eh
George Michael
3/5
6/10. George mikes
Ravi Shankar
4/5
8/10. Kinda fun and educational that he explains how Indian music differs from Western music as he goes.
The Smiths
4/5
8/10. Not sure if this album is better than other Smiths albums, or if I am just getting Stockholm syndrome
Madonna
3/5
6/10. Like a Prayer is a fun song, but the album as a whole was a little underwhelming for me
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
6/10. Fairly enjoyable, not what I would have expected from the title, but about what I'd expect from the artist's name and the year.
David Bowie
4/5
8/10. Actually quite liked this, but it's still bullshit that there are multiple 2010's David Bowie albums on this list, because it is just not representative of the music of the 2010's.
Gotan Project
4/5
8/10. Was not expecting to like this since Wikipedia listed one of the genres as Electronica, but was pleasantly surprised. It is both pleasant to listen to, and interesting.
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
7/10. Pretty cool album, not sure how I feel about it guest starring The Watermelon Man from the third track onwards.
Carpenters
4/5
7/10. Quite old fashioned, but very pleasant
Wire
4/5
7/10. It's always refreshing listening to albums where all of the songs are short, good for variety. The music itself was pretty good, too, though I think it would've worn on me if it had gone on longer.
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
6/10. Liked it alright, didn't love it.
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
5/10. Kinda cool, kinda annoying, bit too long.
Paul Weller
3/5
5/10. Not unpleasant, but so very forgettable that I forgot I was listening to it half of the time
Can
4/5
7/10. Nice ambience, with moonshake randomly in the middle of it.
Guided By Voices
4/5
7/10. A couple pretty good songs, lot more pretty mediocre ones, but even a mediocre song can be interesting for a minute.
Sepultura
1/5
2/10. There'd be a lot of songs that sounded kinda cool, and then the vocals would kick in and it just sounded like shit. Was relieved that the really long song at the end didn't sound much like the rest of the album.
Radiohead
4/5
7/10. I've come to realize I don't really care much for Radiohead, but I did like this album. The subdued sound and cynicism work well together here.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
9/10. Some stand-out hits, but not quite a 10. Or maybe it is just barely a 10, and I just want to prove I'm not like the other girls, idk
Wilco
3/5
6/10. Some pretty nice songs, but a lot more that were just not very memorable. Probably higher quality songs than the other Wilco album I've had, but the runtime is really a lot.
The Yardbirds
4/5
7/10. Liked it slightly more than I expected to.
Dolly Parton
4/5
7/10. Good stuff, enjoyed the dialect-y rhymes in Traveling Man
Public Enemy
3/5
6/10. A little disappointing, I liked their other albums better. Still solid, but lacking some energy.
Afrika Bambaataa
4/5
7/10. Funky fun, with occasional annoying electronic distortion.
The Pogues
3/5
5/10. I sort of like this, but I can't listen to it for an hour, while sober, without losing my mind a little. Also it's weird there's just a Christmas song in the middle of the album, but I guess it's not that Christmassy so it's okay
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
1/5
2/10. Stagger Lee was probably the worst Nick Cave song I've ever listened to, and that's saying something. Swearing in his dumbass wannabee-Tom-Waits voice for a whole song, and he just sounds like an edgy 12 year old, and that last statement goes for much of the album.
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
7/10. Time After Time and Girls Just Wanna Have fun are about all I wanted from a Cyndi Lauper album, and some of the other stuff on here wasn't too bad either.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
4/5
7/10. Enjoyable to listen to, not all that memorable
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
5/10. Couple of good songs on here, but as an album, boy does it drag.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
4/5
7/10. Really good, stay tuned for my Minecraft parody of the first song "A Miner Place"
Bill Evans Trio
3/5
6/10. Chill jazz, it's nice but doesn't excite me
Elvis Presley
3/5
6/10. Yeah, if I lived in the 50's and had never heard of Rock 'n Roll, this would rock my world.
Rage Against The Machine
3/5
6/10. Not bad, not my genre
Paul Revere & The Raiders
4/5
7/10. Liked a few songs quite a bit, and the rest were generally pleasant
Massive Attack
4/5
8/10. Oi, wot if we 'ad an 'ip 'op owlbum wot we could lis'un to wif affanoon tea then?
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
3/5
5/10. Was hoping for a bit more Blues, a bit less Explosion.
Robert Wyatt
3/5
6/10. Not bad, but felt like it was just being weird for the hell of it.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
4/10. Has the texture of porridge. Would probably be excellent to listen to if I was trying to fall asleep
ABBA
4/5
7/10. I like ABBA. But why this album?
The 13th Floor Elevators
3/5
6/10. Pretty good, and I can definitely hear how this was influential
Bauhaus
3/5
5/10. Thoroughly blah
Adele
4/5
7/10. On one hand there are some great songs, on the other hand the style is just too consistent throughout the album to hold my attention all the way through.
Fairport Convention
3/5
6/10. I am not in love with British folk, but I do like the opportunity to hear more traditional songs, feels historical.
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
10/10. Was not expecting to like this as much as I did. It takes everything I like about gangsta rap, which are somewhat few and far between, and puts them together into a very cohesive whole.
Napalm Death
2/5
3/10. Not even that bad at its worst, a bit generic but generally okay at its best. Its worst of course referring to whenever the guy started singing.
Kraftwerk
3/5
5/10. I admire the robots' ability to roll their r's, but not much else about this album. Some of the songs sounded kinda cool, though
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
6/10. It's like an evolutionary step between Arctic Monkeys and Imagine Dragons, but also they are trying to write a musical. Bizarre, and ultimately enjoyable
The Sabres Of Paradise
2/5
4/10. I don't see why I have to listen to this before I die, I don't see why it was so long, and moreover I just didn't care for it much.
Isaac Hayes
5/5
9/10. This was really nice, an improvement on the other Isaac Hayes album by virtue of the fact he is singing a bit more sparsely
Magazine
3/5
5/10. This was, perhaps, the most typical album of this list on this list. Decent British rock music with mildly interesting lyrics, a self-indulgent length, and a whiff of circus music.
The Boo Radleys
4/5
7/10. Maybe even an 8. Not exactly sure what this album did right for me, but I liked it.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
5/10. Very blah. Might have been more forgiving if there hadn't been so much blah in my albums of late, but then again there was a spoken word poem on here, so maybe I am being too kind with a 5.
Ice Cube
3/5
6/10. Liked it more than I expected. Curious about those accusations of antisemitism he keeps bringing up though...
Jeff Beck
3/5
6/10. Good, but not especially exciting
John Martyn
3/5
5/10. I sleep.
Depeche Mode
4/5
7/10. I liked Music for the Masses better as an album, but Personal Jesus and Enjoy the Silence are always great
Lou Reed
4/5
8/10. Really rather nice, lyrically quite cool. And always fun to learn where a memorable sample comes from
The Prodigy
3/5
6/10. Musically, I definitely like this better than the crab album, but the crab album had a much more memorable album cover
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
10/10. Every other song or so is fantastic, the others hit sometimes, miss other times.
The Kinks
5/5
9/10. I do love a good concept album, though I do think the concept of this one started to wear a little thin, since you can only sing for so long about how you miss the good old days, especially if you're only going to present an idealized picture of said good old days. Still, I quite liked most of the songs, and pastoral poetry is perennially pleasant, so a high score all in all.
The Killers
4/5
7/10. There were the two songs I knew, and everything else was just okay.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
7/10. I listened to this one a bit early, because after getting 6 Elvis Costello albums in the first hundred or so albums, I got really annoyed when there was a crossword hint for an Elvis Costello album, and none of the names I knew fit. On a relisten, I think much the same as I did the first time: good album, but not his best work and the only real standouts are Beyond Belief and You Little Fool, and the former is starting to be ruined by Spotify playing it for me every time a playlist/album ends.
Thelonious Monk
3/5
5/10. Maybe a 6, but honestly I found this a little boring.
Gorillaz
4/5
7/10. I suppose I liked this. It was a bit long, though.
Muddy Waters
4/5
7/10. I spent a while trying to figure out what a "taggle" was, and why you'd put it in someone's tank before I saw the name of the song.
Green Day
5/5
10/10. I don't wanna be an American Idiot, and I don't wanna put each song on its own track
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
7/10. Maybe only a 6, but idk these guys are starting to grow on me a bit
Jimmy Smith
4/5
7/10. Good stuff, pleasant to listen to, and great for getting work done to
Pearl Jam
4/5
8/10. Pretty good, better than I was expecting even, but not a Ten
The La's
3/5
6/10. It has there she goes on it. I think a couple of the earlier songs were okay too, but I've forgotten which one(s), which is a bad sign considering I've only had half an hour to do so.
Haircut 100
3/5
5/10. At their best, they sound a bit like the Talking Heads but worse. Not all of these songs are up to that standard.
Mott The Hoople
2/5
4/10. Was Violence a pun on violins?
Fugazi
2/5
4/10. Yeah, didn't really care for this.
Jurassic 5
4/5
8/10. I liked this, had a sorta cool little sound
The Lemonheads
4/5
7/10. Nice little album, glad it wasn't longer though.
The Undertones
3/5
6/10. Maybe worth a 7, but I've been being too generous lately. There were a couple songs I kinda liked, and the general sound was nice enough, but nothing really stood out to me as worth remembering.
Nick Drake
3/5
6/10. I don't love how he sings, but some of the songs were fairly interesting
Supergrass
3/5
5/10. I'll probably forget this album by tomorrow. By the way, what the fuck was "We're Not Supposed To"?
The Divine Comedy
3/5
5/10. Why would a frog get me down? And why do these guys get multiple albums? At least it was short and had that creepy song about wishing a girl was a horse so he could ride her.
Dizzee Rascal
1/5
2/10. I won't say this has no musical value, and for a bit during "I Luv U" my Stockholm syndrome built up enough to convince me parts of it sounded cool, but otherwise I fucking hated this shit, it was so damn annoying and I just wanted it to end, which it thankfully has now done.
Tori Amos
5/5
9/10. This was excellent, enjoyed every song, maybe even worth a 10.
XTC
4/5
7/10. Some of the songs were really good, others rather annoying. Still, didn't know I knew and liked so many XTC songs
Björk
3/5
5/10. Eh. Bjorky
George Michael
3/5
5/10. In 1987, we didn't have "therapy" or "anti-depressants", we had a 10 minute recording of George Michael telling us he wanted to have sex with us.
Beatles
4/5
7/10. Okay, yeah, I see why this is their only double album. Feels like they stretched themselves a little thin, butter over too much bread and all that. Fortunately, the bread is still pretty good.
Ozomatli
5/5
9/10. A great, unique sounding album. A couple songs got on my nerves, but in general this was great.
Van Halen
4/5
8/10. Finally, an album named after a year that's actually the year the album was released in! Taylor Swift, Prince, Rush--take note.
Dire Straits
4/5
8/10. I wasn't expecting a ton from this, but I was pleasantly surprised. It isn't the most exciting album, but it's certainly very pretty to listen to throughout.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
8/10. I listened to this one before it came up on the list, and on a second listen I think I like it a bit more. I still think that it's a bit over-wrought, and would have been better without some of the backup vocals etc, but I still really like a couple of these songs, which manage to sound good despite the cheesiness of the affair. Everybody Knows and Take This Waltz are probably my favorites from this album, but Jazz Police fits the awkward style better.
Morrissey
4/5
7/10. I liked this, especially the first bit, but towards the end the sound of his voice started to wear on me.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
7/10. Very pleasant, didn't get the opportunity to pay close attention to the lyrics unfortunately, may be worth revisiting for that reason.
Fred Neil
3/5
6/10. This was nice, but not very memorable.
R.E.M.
4/5
8/10. But close to a 9. I think this was my favorite REM album so far
Scott Walker
2/5
4/10. Scott
Stevie Wonder
5/5
9/10. Good shit
Germs
2/5
3/10. Too punky for my taste.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
6/10. Pretty pleasant, got a bit samey, but Windmills of Your Mind was kinda cool
Aerosmith
3/5
6/10. I actually liked this album, but was disappointed it didn't have more to do with rocks. Also the first song was fucking miserable, why does he have to shriek like a Nazgûl every few seconds? Is the song about the black riders of Sauron getting back in the saddle? I doubt it, and I'm not going to relisten to find out.
Cheap Trick
4/5
8/10. This was pretty enjoyable right off the bat, got even better towards the end, and didn't go on too long.
Iggy Pop
3/5
6/10. Eh, definitely wasn't bad but nothing really caught my attention?
Red Snapper
3/5
5/10. I liked it pretty well when they weren't talking/singing
The Band
3/5
6/10. The Band was all together, and it was... alright.
Drive Like Jehu
2/5
4/10. Yeah, I just love being yelled at
Circle Jerks
3/5
5/10. Probably my favorite hardcore punk album I've heard so far. Because it understands that you can say everything a punk album has to say in 15 minutes, and 15 minutes is about the right amount of time for me to get over how jarring it sounds, start to kinda like it, and then end right as I'm getting tired of it again.
Nirvana
5/5
9/10. The back half definitely slowed down a bit, but I can't deny this is a solid album.
Kanye West
4/5
7/10. Maybe an 8, there were some poignant moments, but man has he got a big head at this point.
Jean-Michel Jarre
4/5
8/10. Cover art is pretty cool. Music was also a solid option for listening to while working.
Hawkwind
3/5
6/10. Got on my nerves after a while, but had some kinda cool bits.
OutKast
4/5
8/10. There were only a couple of real hits, but it stayed remarkably solid throughout a long-ass runtime.
Waylon Jennings
4/5
7/10. More honky tonk than heroic
Primal Scream
3/5
5/10. It was cool how different each song was from the others, it's just that I only really enjoyed like a third of them.
Suede
4/5
7/10. I'm not entirely sure what to make of this, but I think I liked it
Ryan Adams
3/5
6/10. Decent, but really long. Glad it didn't end up being a full double album.
Hanoi Rocks
4/5
7/10. I thought this was pretty cool. Only gets a 7, but it's like the 7 I gave Bat Out Of Hell where it's way more interesting than a 7, but that doesn't actually make me like it enough to be an 8.
Baaba Maal
4/5
7/10. Good stuff. I should listen to this sort of stuff more.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
9/10. Excellent stuff!
Janet Jackson
4/5
7/10. I enjoyed most every song, but I never want to sit down and listen to the whole album straight through again.
Digital Underground
3/5
5/10. Well, it gets points for being absolutely bizarre, and sometimes even sounding pretty good, but it loses points for having songs that go on for much too long, and also being kind of annoying.
New Order
4/5
7/10. This was pretty cool
Sparks
4/5
7/10. Reasonably interesting glam rock
The Electric Prunes
3/5
6/10. Pretty good, but I'm glad these 60's albums are always short.
Kate Bush
3/5
6/10. Not entirely sure what to think about it. I could see myself liking it more if I heard it again
King Crimson
5/5
10/10. Yeah, I really liked this. Very melodramatic and complex. Only downside is it makes me think of that "Prog Rock? More like Frog Cock" meme I had described to me once
The Human League
3/5
6/10. Don't you want me sounded like it always does, do or die was pretty good, the rest was pretty forgettable.
The Black Keys
4/5
7/10. Good stuff, nothing earth shattering.
Justice
2/5
3/10. Started out okay, and then I got to a track with vocals and it got worse, and then everything just started to go on too long and feel miserable to listen to.
ABBA
4/5
8/10. I like ABBA, but listening to a whole album of them at once is a bit much to ask, and their songs that aren't hits aren't swell. Still, this album has a good number of familiar songs, and I found I rather liked Tiger as well, and could probably like Happy Hawaii okay if they didn't pronounce Hawai'i "Hawai"
Anthrax
2/5
4/10. Not bad, but nothing about it really struck me as good either.
fIREHOSE
3/5
6/10. Kinda interesting. Why was every song marked explicit? Were they swearing quietly and I just didn't notice?
Joy Division
4/5
8/10. Solid as an album, didn't blow me away
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
7/10. Pretty good, maybe a little bare-bones for my taste, but still.
Portishead
3/5
6/10. I kinda like this music, but I don't love it, and don't really see why I needed to hear a second Portishead album before I died
The Flaming Lips
4/5
8/10. I never really know what to make of The Flaming Lips, but it's certainly lyrically interesting.
Richard Thompson
3/5
5/10. How much Fairport Convention does this list really need?
Violent Femmes
3/5
5/10. "Oh wow, Blister in the Sun is such a great song, that must mean the album it's on is good too, right?"
Johnny Cash
4/5
8/10. A pretty solid piece of work. Some of the covers weren't spectacular, but some were quite good, and I liked the original stuff.
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
10/10. I love this album. The way that Born in the USA and My Hometown bookend the album elevates the rest of the songs, bringing out their themes of loss of innocence in a changing, America. Musically, I think there's a lot to be said for Born to Run being Springsteen's best work, but this album is definitely my favorite.
Madonna
4/5
7/10. I liked all of this, but I wouldn't listen through the whole album again.
MC Solaar
3/5
6/10. One time in high school French class I got the opportunity to listen to a French-canadian-first-nations rapper rap about how cool he was paddling around in his canoe, and frankly I have been unable to take French-language rapping seriously ever since.
The Clash
4/5
7/10. I can hear why people say this is great, but it doesn't always land for me, and it's long, though that wouldn't be an issue if I was more into it. Still solid stuff
The Doors
4/5
8/10. I don't really know why I liked this, but I did. Maybe I was just in the right mood for it?
4/5
7/10. A classic put all the hits at the beginning album. Still pretty enjoyable, though.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
6/10. Kinda nice, not something I'd normally listen to.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
8/10. Similar complaint to the other LCD Soundsystem Album, where everything went on just a little too long. Still pretty good though.
The Go-Go's
4/5
7/10. I was surprised by how much I liked this, but I'm glad it's not super long
Sinead O'Connor
3/5
5/10. The Emperor's New Clothes was pretty good, but I wasn't that impressed with the Prince cover or anything else on the album, though.
Solomon Burke
3/5
6/10. Seems like the sort of thing I'd like, but also listening to this after lunch kinda put me to sleep, so the jury is still out.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
5/10. I'm glad they got most of their really grating sounds out of their system on this album
Gene Clark
4/5
8/10. I guess I'm a bit of a Gene Clark fan, this was really nice.
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
6/10. Yeah, this is a pretty good album, but also I remembered these songs sounding a bit less boring than they are.
Living Colour
4/5
8/10. Definitely a really solid album, nothing super crazy, though.
Little Simz
2/5
4/10. I didn't really care for this, but a few tracks were kinda nice, such as Selfish.
Coldplay
3/5
5/10. I was expecting this to be worse than the other Coldplay album, but it wasn't awful
The Cure
4/5
8/10. I was expecting this to drag over its long runtime, but it was great to just put on in the background and let wash over me.
Paul Simon
4/5
7/10. Great lyrics throughout, but musically I thought it was a bit dull, with the exception of Me and Julio, which is always a fun listen.
Dolly Parton
4/5
7/10. Lotta big names, didn't really come together as an album all that well for me though.
Air
4/5
7/10. Yo, it's got that song they play for like 20 seconds in 10 Things I Hate About You
The White Stripes
3/5
6/10. This was kinda a let down to me, didn't like much besides 7 Nation Army
Ella Fitzgerald
4/5
8/10. She really did just decide to sing every song. Very long to listen to in full, but great music.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
3/5
6/10. On the better side of blah.
Norah Jones
3/5
6/10. Could be a low 7. This was quite nice, but nothing from it really stood out to me, just faded into the background.
D'Angelo
4/5
7/10. This was good, but I didn't give it the attention it deserved so I can't say how good it was.
Rush
4/5
8/10. Very good Rush album, maybe a 9
Emmylou Harris
4/5
7/10. Good country album.
Beck
4/5
7/10. It was good for a while, then I kinda stopped enjoying it. Overstayed its welcome, I suppose
Super Furry Animals
3/5
6/10. Better than I expected, nothing earth-shattering
6/10. Why was 90's rock obsessed with Moles? "Elevation" from this album, "Holes" by Mercury Rev, and above all "Flagpole Sitta" all fit this label, which wouldn't be that significant except that I can't think of any songs with mole-related lyrics from other decades. What was it about life in the 1990s that made these weird little animals so briefly and triumphantly relatable?
Joy Division
3/5
6/10. Not bad, not great.
Lucinda Williams
3/5
6/10. I don't love her voice, but some of the songwriting is quite good. Don't love it as an album, but definitely a couple good songs.
The The
4/5
7/10. Didn't love it from the get go, but started to get more into it as I listened. Could end up liking this a lot after a while, I think
Peter Frampton
3/5
5/10. It was good, maybe even deserves a 6, but I don't see what made it great.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
6/10. This had some pretty good songs, but listening to it straight through is not that pleasant—it's just too long and samey.
Dr. Octagon
2/5
4/10. I can see why I haven't heard any of this but Earth People.
Todd Rundgren
4/5
8/10. Kinda cool, not what I expected from Todd Rundgren
Soundgarden
4/5
7/10. Yeah, I get why this is good, and Black Hole Sun is great and all, but I don't like Soundgarden enough to get excited by listening to them for 70 minutes straight.
Kraftwerk
2/5
4/10. Why do I always listen to the really boring albums right after lunch?
Miriam Makeba
2/5
4/10. A few of the songs in English on here were kind of torturous to listen to, and really dragged down the album as a whole.
King Crimson
4/5
7/10. Mr. Crimson, were those wet sounds at the start of easy money really needed? A couple pretty cool bits, but some sleepier parts too.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
9/10. I'm starting to really warm up to CCR.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
9/10. I put this off for a while because it's always annoying to have to leave Spotify, and I didn't like the last Neil young + Crazy Horse album I had. But now that I finally got around to it I really enjoyed this album.
John Prine
4/5
7/10. Love some good old-fashioned depressing country music
The Pogues
3/5
6/10. Listening to Celtic music is weird because it reminds me of both the Battlestar Galactica Soundtrack and sea shanties.
Pere Ubu
2/5
3/10. I don't really get it.
Stephen Stills
2/5
4/10. We don't need a spinoff album for every single member of Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young…
Solange
3/5
6/10. Chill music, interesting interludes, but didn't drive me wild.
Machito
4/5
7/10. Jazzy. A pretty fun time
The Stone Roses
4/5
8/10. This was pretty enjoyable, but nothing jumped out at me as being just incredible.
Mj Cole
3/5
6/10. xkcd.com/411
George Harrison
4/5
8/10. Good music. Was worried for a bit that I'd go 2 hours on a Bri'ish album without hearing any circus music, but then Johnny's birthday saved me. Annoying that the spotify tracks aren't in the original order, but whatever
Serge Gainsbourg
3/5
6/10. I like concept albums, but since I am not great at French, I didn't follow much of this except that she has natural red hair. Bigger issue was that the music just wasn't that interesting to me. I could probably grow to appreciate it
Tangerine Dream
3/5
5/10. Alright
Bob Dylan
5/5
9/10. Always glad to get a Bob Dylan album.
T. Rex
4/5
7/10. Pretty good. Reminded me of Ziggy Stardust in parts, but not nearly as good overall.
Django Django
4/5
7/10. Critical Reception: "The track "WOR" has been recently used in a Toyota Australia advertisement for the 2019 Toyota CH-R Next Gen Turbo."
Pretty good album, all in all
50 Cent
2/5
3/10. Bleh. A whole lot of the same shit. Not much for me to like
3/5
5/10. Anyways, here's Wonderwall
Hüsker Dü
4/5
7/10. Yeah, this sounded a lot like REM. I think I could like a lot of these songs, but as a 69 minute album, it's hard to enjoy
Boston
4/5
7/10. It's Boston, no surprises here
Turbonegro
3/5
6/10. One of those where the music was pretty good, but the vocals brought it down. Didn't totally ruin it, but I don't think I'd want to listen to more of this
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
9/10. I've been enjoying my Neil Young albums lately
Slade
4/5
7/10. I liked this, reminded me a bit of Rush?
Keith Jarrett
4/5
8/10. This was really pretty, may return to it in the future.
Thin Lizzy
4/5
7/10. When I see an artist's name, I make some assumptions about the album. From "Thin Lizzy" I figured this would probably be a female lead singer/solo act, and be pirate music. I'd say I was about 20% right, because the band was Irish
Christina Aguilera
3/5
5/10. Gosh, I mean there were some good parts, and it was even pretty good throughout, but my God, man, it's 77 minutes long.
Elliott Smith
3/5
6/10. Kinda zoned out while listening to it, but I'd give it the benefit of the doubt.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
5/5
9/10. Wow, these guys weren't screwing around.
Crowded House
5/5
9/10. I really liked this, nothing super crazy special, but there was something nice about it. Maybe I'm just a sucker for Aussies/Kiwis
Pentangle
3/5
5/10. This list is really starting to try my patience for British folk
The Police
4/5
7/10. Ah, yes, the reggae cops
The Rolling Stones
4/5
7/10. Ah, the Rolling Stones before they gathered any moss.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
4/5
7/10. Kinda jazzy, kinda rocky, kinda enjoyable. Played an obscure Donald Fagen song I hadn't heard on the Spotify mix afterwards, so that's a plus.
Madonna
2/5
3/10. Wow, I really didn't care for this, but I can certainly see how it influenced 2000s music.
Holger Czukay
2/5
4/10. The instrumental parts were pretty good sometimes, but much of the rest was actively irritating.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
7/10. This was pretty good
The Rolling Stones
4/5
7/10. Dead flowers is excellent, the rest is pretty good.
The Fall
2/5
4/10. Not much fun to listen to. I like that there was a song about going to Spain though
Stan Getz
4/5
7/10. A little let down, because I liked Getz's Jazz Samba a lot, but this didn't quite do it for me. Desafinado was still nice, though
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
4/10. Hot Rats has given me the false impression that I might one day find something else that Frank Zappa had a hand in that I actually like. Plus, I think Sgt. Pepper's is overrated, so I was looking forward to hearing it mocked. As such, I am disappointed, as well as annoyed by this album, because it didn't do much for me than get on my nerves.
Peter Tosh
3/5
5/10. This was pleasant enough, but it didn't leave much of an impression on me.
Tim Buckley
3/5
6/10. Another pleasant album that didn't really strike me as anything special.
The Cars
4/5
8/10. I kinda figured this would be one of those albums with a couple hits, and a lot of blah filler, but it worked out to be pretty solid all the way through. Could even consider bumping it up to a 9 if the mood caught me.
Alice In Chains
3/5
6/10. This was pretty good, and kind of nostalgic, but not exactly my thing either.
The United States Of America
4/5
8/10 In spite of the British invasion of circus music at the start of the album, I found myself quite liking this album. Felt a bit like Jefferson Airplane, but with good variety between the songs
Beatles
4/5
7/10. Pretty good. Nice to listen to the album with "Money" on it right after we have the Mothers of Invention album accusing the Beatles of only being in it for the money.
The Libertines
3/5
5/10. Not bad by any means, but I can see why it's considered overrated
Doves
2/5
4/10. This reminds me a bit of U2 or Travis, except I've actually kinda liked the albums we had by them. And this isn't one of those things where they aren't as good, but they did it first, nope, they did it last and worse. Oh, but wait, it was a *nominee* for the Mercury prize, so it must be secretly amazing?
Big Black
1/5
2/10. Atomizer? I 'ardly know 'er!
Frank Sinatra
4/5
8/10. Good shit
Slipknot
2/5
4/10. I don't know if this album was better than the other Slipknot album, if Slipknot has grown on me, or if I've just heard more music I like less now, but this was better than expected.
Steve Winwood
3/5
6/10. Enjoyable enough.
SAULT
3/5
6/10. Had its ups and downs. The songs seemed to be going for an understated but powerful aesthetic, which sometimes worked and sometimes felt a little sleepy. But overall a good album, if not an especially memorable one.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
6/10. This album went back and forth on whether it wanted to sound kinda like the Beach Boys or kinda like shit.
Elvis Presley
3/5
6/10. Yup, that was an Elvis album alright.
Gram Parsons
4/5
7/10. Solid country
Moby
3/5
6/10. Yeah, this was fine I guess, I don't think I'd want to sit around just listening to it because it's kinda long and boring, but it was nice in the background.
Marvin Gaye
5/5
9/10. Fellas, it is Gaye
Bill Callahan
2/5
3/10. I wish we were an eagle so we didn't have to listen to this boring-ass album and could go do something cool instead like catch a fish in our bare hands, but oh well I guess you can't have everything.
3/5
5/10. Didn't sound great, but the witchcraft themed concept album aspect of it did a lot to save it in my mind. I could listen to this in the background on Halloween.
The Streets
2/5
3/10. So, the sound of this is like a 1/10 for me, just felt like spoken word over beats that were usually pretty irritating to me. That said, I enjoyed the rambling, moralizing story of the lyrics, and I enjoyed the humorous tone. But goddamn I never want to hear this again.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
8/10. Pretty good, pretty long
George Jones
3/5
5/10. It reminds me of Marty Robbins, but the without the cowboy charm to lighten up the downtrodden lyrics. Jones' occasional sarcasm helps to offset this, but this only really shone through on "Our Private Life", which at least ended things on a positive note, and is what pushed this above a 4/10.
The Residents
2/5
3/10. It's hard to make a song about Constantinople that I won't like, but these guys did it. There were some kind of cool songs on there, and the sing-songy vocals did work with the weirdness of the sound, but at the end of the day it was just unpleasant to listen to much of the time.
Bad Brains
3/5
5/10. Not bad, I don't see myself returning to this, though.
Lauryn Hill
5/5
9/10. Real pretty, and I liked how the skits worked to make the album feel more homogeneous.
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
7/10. Kinda meh, but then Come on Eileen brings it up a bit.
U2
3/5
6/10. What is it good for?
Talvin Singh
4/5
8/10. In general I quite liked this, cool fusion of different sounds.
Arcade Fire
4/5
8/10. A bit on the edgy side, but I quite liked this.
Tim Buckley
3/5
6/10. I forgot that Tim Buckley and Jeff Buckley were seperate people, and this album reminded me of that. It didn't do much else for me, though.
N.E.R.D
4/5
7/10. This was pretty solid, didn't expect it to be so rocky. That said why the hell are there three hidden tracks? And is it even really a hidden track if it's not at the end of an album, or at least the end of a record-side?
Incredible Bongo Band
4/5
7/10. BONGO
Morrissey
3/5
6/10. Yeah, it's Morrisey, it's fine, but I've heard him sing before, and this sounds pretty similar.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
9/10. FFF
Alanis Morissette
3/5
6/10. Not what I'd use to teach someone about irony, but overall a nice piece of crazy ex girlfriend pop
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
2/10. Wasn't as aggressively bad as the site rating made me think, but it was like a whole album of the talk-y parts of The Wall, so it just ended up being rather boring, and didn't really feel like listening to music?
The Temptations
3/5
6/10. This was a little lower energy that I expected, which was a bit disappointing.
David Bowie
4/5
7/10. Another good, but not great Bowie album. I could see this album growing on me, or starting to irritate me on a relisten. Moss garden was very pleasant.
The Soft Boys
4/5
8/10. This was really rather nice, and I could even see it growing on me further
Kings of Leon
4/5
7/10. Quite enjoyable, but it all blended together
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
6/10. Okay, sure, whatever, this was something I had to hear before I died
The Associates
3/5
6/10. Post-punk and pop is an interesting mix here, and it works on a couple songs. But not all of them.
The Cramps
2/5
4/10. TV set was a good introduction to this album, the lyrical content matched the form of the music well. Made me think of the Telltale Heart. Sadly, that was not enough to make me actually enjoy the sound of the music.
The Replacements
3/5
5/10. I'll let this album be if it lets me be.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
5/10. Sound quality not spectacular, reminded me a lot of Zappa
Rod Stewart
3/5
6/10. PG, for pretty good
Venom
2/5
4/10. Wait, they ended the album with a preview of the first track of their next album? Is this a metal album, or a mass market serial YA novel?
Neil Young
2/5
4/10. There's been like one Neil Young album I've liked which made me think maybe I'd start liking his music more, but no, some of it just sounds bad.
4/5
7/10. It's a Friday, the sun is shining bright and beautifully, and I am glad that today's mediocre British album was a prog rock one.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
7/10. I could see myself coming to like this more in time, but on a first run-through there were a couple songs I quite liked, especially Atlantic City, but a lot more that didn't quite land.
The Charlatans
4/5
7/10. I'm still not confident on whether the album cover has four different guys, or one guy four times.
Todd Rundgren
5/5
9/10. I knew going in that there were some classics on this one, my question was if the songs in between would hold up. In general they did, but a double album is a long time to listen to Todd Rundgren.
Kelela
4/5
7/10. Pretty good, would've scored it a little higher but the back half started to wear on me a bit. Some of the songs felt just a bit too samey. Still, a very good, calm sounding album all in all.
Calexico
3/5
6/10. I liked the instrumental parts, and the vocals weren't bad.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
3/5
6/10. Good old-timey fun.
The Fall
3/5
5/10. Finally got to a song where I was like, "Yeah, this one is pretty good" and then realized that I'd gone past the original album and was listening to a more popular single that they'd tacked on the re-release.
Butthole Surfers
1/5
2/10. Sounds exactly how it sounds like it'd sound.
Snoop Dogg
4/5
8/10. The lyrics were held back by their utter inanity, and the fact that Snoop can only come up with like three dog-related sex jokes. That said, it sounded really fucking good most of the time. 8/10, great album to cook a massive pot of curry to.
Lana Del Rey
2/5
4/10. Mopey dopey
The Vines
3/5
5/10. The Vines is a pretty lame name for a band.
Abdullah Ibrahim
4/5
8/10. Good album, some really beautiful moments.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
2/5
4/10. Well, it was kinda boring, probably because I couldn't hear the mumbled lyrics very well. Supposedly these recordings were only meant to be demos, and it certainly feels that way. I'd be willing to give it a second chance at a time I could listen to the lyrics, though, since they're supposed to be good.
Boards of Canada
2/5
4/10. Could've been a pleasant, if dull little album, but noooo they had to add in sounds of seagulls and some guy saying "orange"
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
6/10. Nice, but didn't exactly drive me wild. Cover art's a solid 10 though.
Aimee Mann
4/5
7/10. You know this only made the list because Elvis Costello likes it, but I did rather enjoy it. Little long, though.
Happy Mondays
3/5
6/10. Blah, at least I listened on a Monday
Jack White
4/5
8/10. Always skeptical when this list throws me a 2010's album from an artist past their peak, but every once in a while they turn out to be pretty good.
FKA twigs
3/5
6/10. Pretty pleasant, didn't really strike my fancy.
Bee Gees
3/5
5/10. I didn't even know the Bee Gees made boring soft rock, but I guess they just shat out albums until something stuck
4/5
7/10. Short and sweet
Big Star
4/5
8/10. Pretty good, reminded me a bit of Todd Rundgren. Not sure these guys needed two whole albums on this list, but I've liked them both so I'm not too upset.
Goldfrapp
3/5
5/10. Eh, Seventh Tree was a lot more enjoyable
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
6/10. Whatever, dude
Kid Rock
2/5
4/10. I mean, I grew up in a household where this album was quoted like a holy text. And with that nostalgia in mind, the front half or so of this album was pretty enjoyable. The songs I wasn't so familiar with were definitely a slog though, and at the end of the day, I wouldn't want to listen through this album again. I guess I've just gotten too old to kid, and too soft to rock.
Joe Ely
4/5
8/10. Good lyrics, and had a great sound to it. There were definitely some weaker songs scattered in, but the album was short enough that it never dragged on
Rahul Dev Burman
2/5
3/10. I might be being a little hard on this, just because most of the Indian music that's been on this list has been pretty enjoyable. But this just got on my nerves a bit. There was also the fact that while this is far from the only album on here that is the soundtrack to a movie, this is the only one where it *feels* like you are listening to a soundtrack, and like this really is only intended to be listened to as part of a movie.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
5/10. Yeah you know an album is gonna be great when they open with a boring-ass song about how they aren't boring.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
6/10. Eh, I probably just wasn't in a pretentious enough mood for a genesis solo album today, and this started to wear on me after the first few songs.
Finley Quaye
3/5
6/10. Acceptable, sometimes pretty pleasant
The Darkness
3/5
5/10. Sounded a little bad at times, but never that bad. Lyrics were okay at times, but generally not spectacular
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
9/10. Good stuff, likely something I'll come to like even better as I listen to it more.
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
5/10. Eh, not in love with it. I can sort of see the appeal, though
Basement Jaxx
3/5
5/10. Didn't sound bad, but not very memorable.
N.W.A.
4/5
7/10. Pretty enjoyable, though only a few songs really felt like hits.
SZA
3/5
6/10. Most times an artist has mentioned shaving their legs in an album on this list.
Saint Etienne
3/5
6/10. Honestly maybe deserves a better score, I liked this way more they I expected to like a house album that was shortlisted for a mercury prize
Björk
3/5
5/10. Meh, maybe I could have enjoyed this more if I'd been in the mood for Bjork. It's certainly not bad, and it has a certain sweeping melodrama that I appreciated, but it wasn't a ton of fun to listen to for me.
Sonic Youth
4/5
7/10. This sounded a bit like Garbage, but not quite as immediately enjoyable. I could see myself coming to like this album after further listening though, and I definitely liked it better than some other Sonic Youth albums.
Erykah Badu
4/5
8/10. Great album, some really pretty songs on there. Slow at times, but never frustrating to listen to.
The Sugarcubes
3/5
6/10. Had a few songs where I realized I like Bjork's singing sometimes, when she isn't being so Bjorky
Dennis Wilson
3/5
6/10. I think that this album was "noted for outselling the Beach Boys' contemporary efforts" is more a reflection on the Beach Boys' contemporary efforts than on the quality of this album.
The Who
5/5
9/10. I like the Who. Never actually listened to this album, The Kids Are Alright actually confused me so much when it came on because I am more used to hearing the little snippet of it in Quadrophenia then I am just hearing it as a song.
David Holmes
3/5
6/10. I think I can see why this album is considered great, or whatever, but I just can't get that excited about electronic music with a bunch of samples of people talking.
Throwing Muses
4/5
7/10. I quite liked this, I wish it was on Spotify
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
8/10. Solid as hell, not a new favorite or anything, but I was pleased to discover there was still some Tribe Called Quest left on the list.
Skepta
3/5
5/10. Like, I don't want to shit talk this too much, because there was good flow to the lyrics and such, but it's going to take more than that for me to accept British rap into my heart
Peter Gabriel
4/5
7/10. If this guy was really cool, he would have named all of his songs Peter Gabriel too.
Britney Spears
2/5
4/10. Yeah, I didn't really care for this. Felt like she was trying to sound like Tina Turner, but just wasn't great at it. And I'm sure the music sounded revolutionary when this came out or something, but now…
Brian Eno
4/5
7/10. This was nice, I like Brian Eno more when he is trying to sound poppy instead of just weird or boring.
The Clash
3/5
6/10. Sounds like The Clash, who I generally find a little bland. They have some exciting energy, which works on this shorter, fast-burning album, but it's rare that I really like one of their songs much
Scissor Sisters
4/5
8/10. This was delightful. I complain a lot when I get albums that are really samey throughout, and I appreciated that this one had a pretty good range to it. I see myself returning to at least some of these songs, if not the album in the future.
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
6/10. Band on the Run is a delightful song, I hadn't heard Picasso's last words in a while, but the rest of the album was pretty forgettable. Maybe worth a 7/10.
Brian Eno
3/5
6/10. Pretty good album once you get past the super abrasive first song. Not quite my thing though
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
3/10. They paired an experimental and off-putting sound with equally experimental and off-putting lyrical style, with an awful singing voice and a 78 minute runtime. I will say that I did kind of like some of the instrumental segments, but not enough to put up with the rest of the album.
Fishbone
4/5
7/10. Fish
The Flaming Lips
4/5
8/10. Good album, I'm starting to quite like the Flaming Lips
Everything But The Girl
3/5
5/10. Booooooring
White Denim
2/5
4/10. Losing an extra point for being the second boring album I've listened to today, and because there are definitely cooler albums from the 2010s
Sisters Of Mercy
4/5
7/10. I kinda liked this one
AC/DC
4/5
7/10. Loud and straightforward. Well, mostly straightforward, not entirely sure if that one song was about fucking a dog.
Tom Tom Club
4/5
8/10. This kept me on my toes, and I liked that after a series of albums that were kinda what I expected after the first song. I don't know that I'd give it such a high rating on a repeat listen, but I did have a good time on this first one.
Syd Barrett
4/5
8/10. Huh, I didn't even know Syd Barrett made a solo album, but I guess he actually made two in one year and then stopped. Pretty good, though.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
4/5
7/10. Sounded good, but not especially memorable on a first listen, but also maybe I was just getting distracted by work.
The Only Ones
3/5
5/10. Was kinda meh, and then one of the songs that Spotify played after the album had run out had a sound in it a lot like a cell phone vibrating on a hard surface, which left a bad taste in my mouth at the end.
The Fall
3/5
5/10. Not bad, but not much for me to love either
Ms. Dynamite
3/5
6/10. Had some high points, always fun to hear albums that are critical of their genre, and the lows in between the high points didn't drag
Jacques Brel
5/5
9/10. I've never heard a French person get so excited.
3/5
6/10. This was decent
Gary Numan
3/5
6/10. This is exactly the album I expect to hear when the Wikipedia article puts the genres as Synth-Pop and New Wave
Dead Kennedys
3/5
6/10. Stealing People's Mail really made me think about that one scene in the Jim Carrey The Grinch movie. I liked the Viva Las Vegas rendition. Also not sure what beef these guys had with Jerry Brown
The Modern Lovers
3/5
5/10. Yeah, I just don't get it.
Tom Waits
3/5
6/10. I always like Tom Waits' stuff, but it's tough to love it.
The Psychedelic Furs
4/5
7/10. I liked this.
Julian Cope
4/5
7/10. I quite liked this album, not sure why. I was definitely dreading the length of it at the start.
Steve Earle
3/5
6/10. Or a low 7. Nice bit of country rock
Ice Cube
2/5
4/10. I get why this album is important, but I think it does rely a little bit on shock value to make it exciting, and 30 years later it isn't all that shocking anymore.
Fela Kuti
5/5
9/10. Really great album, especially if you just limit it to the original LP. Plus, I'd feel bad giving an album less than 5 stars when his mom was fatally defenestrated because of it.
JAY Z
4/5
7/10. Hell, maybe by the time I finish this list I'll think of myself as someone who likes hip hop
The Thrills
3/5
5/10. This sounds like someone kidnapped the Eels and tried to force them to make a country album, and this was as close as they could get. But I suppose if it's good enough for George Bush's iPod, it's good enough for this list
Dion
4/5
8/10. I liked this. Maybe liked the second album that was packaged with it on Spotify a little more, but maybe I was just paying better attention by that point.
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
6/10. Pleasant while I was paying attention to it, and inoffensive when I wasn't.
Dagmar Krause
3/5
6/10. Still a better war album than Let England Shake
Girls Against Boys
3/5
5/10. What's the point?
Slayer
3/5
5/10. Fine, but not really my thing
Tortoise
2/5
3/10. Could have just been a pleasant album to listen to in the background despite being a bit boring, but nooo, they had to go and add a whole bunch of unpleasant sounds at the end of the first track to make you pay attention and feel uncomfortable. Not for me.
Sister Sledge
3/5
6/10. Hard to judge, some days disco is what I want to listen to, other days it just reminds me that I'd rather be listening to funk.
Electric Light Orchestra
5/5
9/10. First album in a while where I really enjoyed it on my first time hearing it.
John Cale
3/5
6/10. Pretty good I suppose
The xx
4/5
8/10. Pleasantly surprised by a solid 2010s pick. I didn't realize "On Hold" had a good album to back it up, and in fact I liked some of the other songs a fair bit more.
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
5/10. I kinda expected to like this more, but it was just meh
Gillian Welch
2/5
4/10. Normally not a country hater, but this felt like the musical equivalent of eating gruel. Maybe it's just because work is boring today.
Hookworms
3/5
6/10. Not bad, but nothing memorable for me either.
Ray Price
3/5
5/10. So much country has sounded kind of like this over the years that this just feels flat and flavorless.
The Beta Band
3/5
6/10. Pretty good, nothing outstanding but glad I listened to it
Paul McCartney
3/5
5/10. This album would never have made this list had it not been made by Paul McCartney. Charming enough, though.
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
6/10. I liked the bits with horns
Neil Young
4/5
8/10. Love these Neil Young albums where he actually sounds good.
The Dandy Warhols
4/5
7/10. Quite good, but started to drag on the back half.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
7/10. Second album in a row that was better than I expected
Ride
3/5
6/10. Sometimes there's just not much to say. This was fine.
The Young Rascals
4/5
8/10. Credit where credit is due, Aretha Franklin couldn't have covered Groovin' if no one had written it.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
4/10. Blah, wish I had listened to the version on Spotify that was missing a couple songs
The xx
4/5
7/10. Pretty good, maybe even an 8/10. I guess these guys can have 2 albums on the list
Doves
4/5
7/10. Enjoyable. On the low end of a 7, slow but had some energy behind it.
Christina Aguilera
3/5
5/10. There were some nice old fashioned Soul/R&B sounds in there, and I respect her for taking those and doing something new with them, but I'll admit I would've probably liked the album more if she hadn't. And why was there a clown-music song on this album? She's not even British.
David Crosby
3/5
5/10. Just need a Graham Nash album for a full CSNY substandard solo album sweep
Rufus Wainwright
4/5
7/10. Yeah, I like this guy. Very consistent sound, but I don't get bored of it over the length of his albums.
Robert Wyatt
3/5
6/10. Kind of a weird little album. I suppose I liked it, though.
Cowboy Junkies
3/5
6/10. Eh, ethereal cowboy music, whatever
Eagles
4/5
7/10. The Eagles don't have much of a range of sound, but the sound they do have is good. Unless you get them stuck in the tape deck or something
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
5/10. Now *these* guys saw the Electric Prunes' ad for the Vox Wah Wah Pedal
Duke Ellington
4/5
8/10. Delightful, but got stuck in an ethical dilemma of whether I was supposed to listen to just the original LP, or the full live performance. To be safe, I decided to do both.
Black Flag
3/5
6/10. Yeah, this was a punk album, they yelled about stuff, attacked their instruments, and it was all over in about 30 minutes, what else is new?
M.I.A.
3/5
5/10. ok.
Nick Drake
3/5
5/10. Something of a snoozer, but not unpleasant. I could see myself enjoying this in an alternate timeline
CHVRCHES
3/5
5/10. Felt a bit like I was drowning in an endless sea of synthesizers. But, I liked the dreamy sounding lyrics.
John Martyn
3/5
5/10. I'd never heard of this album before, and I don't see myself telling anyone about it in the future.
The Undertones
3/5
5/10. I'd like to challenge these guys to write a song without the words "girl" or "boy" in it.
Billy Bragg
2/5
4/10. Love it when I finally hear a good song but it's a cover and wasn't even on the original album. Loses a point for being painfully Bri'ish, gains it back for being Pro-Union.
Justin Timberlake
2/5
3/10. Dude looks like Anakin Skywalker, but somehow his writing is even worse.
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
7/10. Yup, good shit
Willie Nelson
5/5
9/10. Love some Willie Nelson
4/5
8/10. Cool album, I liked its focus on having these long elaborate tracks
Kings of Leon
2/5
4/10. Not great
Antony and the Johnsons
3/5
6/10. When I saw that this album won the mercury prize and had guest appearances from artists with multiple albums on this list, I was ready for this to be absolute garbage... So, I was pleasantly surprised by a well written album exploring a consistent, heartfelt theme. I didn't love the sound of it all the time, but it had the right mood to it, and it didn't ramble on or overstay its welcome. I'd like to revisit this sometime when I have more freedom to listen closely.
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
8/10. These guys have grown on me
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
4/5
8/10. This was really cool, wasn't sure what this was gonna be like, but had a really good sound to it.
Grateful Dead
4/5
7/10. Yeah, the 8-minute track of feedback really cements this band as the greatest of all time... But really, the Grateful Dead are fine, and I liked this album in general because they didn't sing much, which is how I prefer them.
Sugar
3/5
6/10. Sure, this had some nice moments.
Barry Adamson
3/5
5/10. You know, this doesn't sound bad. It's actually kinda cool for what it is, which is apparently a soundtrack for a pretend movie because the guy couldn't get hired to make an actual movie sound track. Absolutely baffling why this is on the list, until you realize that he worked with Nick Cave at one point, which automatically makes all of his work so amazing and worthy of inclusion. Still, better this than another album where I actually have to listen to Nick Cave sing.
Cee Lo Green
2/5
4/10. Oh wow its morbius from the matrix hes my favorite character!
The Who
5/5
10/10. This is the best The Who have ever sounded, though I still like Quadrophenia better for its rock opera concept. I can only imagine what this would have been like if this had all been successfully folded into Life House.
Destiny's Child
3/5
5/10. I think I'd have liked this album more if it was a bit shorter. Definitely had some strong songs, though.
Grateful Dead
4/5
7/10. Yeah, this is a good example of the genre, and its a genre I still like okay despite having heard so much of it from this list.
Suicide
2/5
4/10. So, I didn't really like it, but it is pretty crazy that this is from the 70's, and it's fascinating how many successful artists were inspired by this album to make stuff that I actually do like
Jungle Brothers
4/5
7/10. Had high highs, but there were some bits that definitely dragged on towards the middle.
Sonic Youth
4/5
7/10. This sounds nicer than I remember the the other Sonic Youth albums I've had on this list being, not sure if that's just me getting used to them, though. And it felt liked it lacked some of the gritty energy that I was expecting. I dunno, I liked it.
American Music Club
3/5
5/10. If this list doesn't have enough Neil Young for you, don't worry, this is basically the same thing with a different singer.
Arcade Fire
5/5
9/10. I really liked this. Definitely sounds like it was made in 2010, but in a good way, I find.
Björk
3/5
5/10. You know, I really want to like Bjork. Because she's doing some cool sounding stuff on this album, and her lyrics are cool as well. But I just really can't stand listening to her singing for a whole album.
Giant Sand
3/5
6/10. Yeah, this wasn't bad, I even sort of liked it, but I am curious why it is on the list. It certainly sounds like some other stuff, but is that because it actually pioneered some of this sound? If so, it wasn't worth the mention on Wikipedia.
Joni Mitchell
5/5
9/10. Glad to get a great album for number 1001, and one that I hadn't listened to yet, despite hearing it was really good after listening to some of the other Joni Mitchell album on the list. Definitely something I want to return to.
The National
3/5
6/10. Not bad, the lyricism is nice in a say-somehting-that-doesn't-make-any-sense-but-sounds-good-and-maybe-makes-you-think sort of way, but it felt a bit forgettable, overall.
The Zutons
3/5
6/10. Started out strong, trailed off a little by the end
Hot Chip
4/5
7/10. All girls do is listen to hot chip and lie
The Bees
3/5
5/10. I feel like there was enough boring music out there already by 2001 that you wouldn't need to make this album, but I guess it's pretty good for what it is
Van Morrison
2/5
4/10. There should be a slightly higher standard for live albums on this list, because this album has none of the energy you need on a good live album. So it's 90 minutes of Van Morrison, and it sounds worse than his studio stuff.
Mekons
2/5
4/10. This was kind of interesting, and the first song was alright. If it were any longer I'd probably detest it, though
Fatboy Slim
2/5
4/10. I didn't really care for this, but it was so much more tolerable than his other album on here, so definitely a pleasant surprise.
The Shamen
3/5
6/10. Actually pretty good. I think my biggest problem with electronic music is just that it had its heyday in an era when everyone felt that just because cds had space for 70 minute albums, they should make their albums 70 minutes
Mylo
2/5
4/10. Blah. Not bad, but not my jam
Iggy Pop
4/5
7/10. Kinda cool, nothing mind-blowing
The Verve
2/5
4/10. These guys seriously have two albums on the list?
CHIC
4/5
8/10. Reminds me of what I like, and dislike about chic. Each song has a great sound, but is super repetitive and typically about 5 minutes long, so they can overstay their welcome. I'd like this album a lot less if it was longer
Beth Orton
4/5
7/10. I liked this, she has a nice voice and the writing was great too
De La Soul
4/5
8/10. This was a really good album. I was a bit worried when I saw it was an hour, because I had a couple long slogs to get through this week, but I was sad when this one ended.
Talk Talk
3/5
6/10. This was a good album, solid and listenable throughout, but nothing stood out to me as great
Faust
2/5
4/10. In one ear, and out the other
GZA
3/5
5/10. I think this was pretty good, and the movie sampling sounding stuff is always fun, but I didn't really feel like the music itself was much my style.
Baaba Maal
4/5
7/10. I liked it, didn't have a lot of specific thoughts on it, though.
Joanna Newsom
2/5
4/10. Yeah, another one where it's not really bad, but I don't like her singing much, especially for a full hour.
The Coral
4/5
7/10. Pirate music that doesn't sound like pirate music because it's actually 2000's rock? Sign me up!
Laura Nyro
3/5
5/10. I'm glad it inspired Todd Rundgren and Elton John to make music I enjoy more. And Stoned Soul Picnic is a good song.
Soft Machine
3/5
5/10. Not bad as naptime albums go, but can't say it made much of an impression on me.
The KLF
4/5
8/10. This album was actually a lot of fun! Usually predisposed to dislike the albums that make me leave spotify, but well worth it in this case.
Bee Gees
4/5
8/10. Disgusting Edison propaganda.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
7/10. Yeah, as something of a Nick Cave hater, this album was actually pretty good.
Scott Walker
3/5
6/10. This felt weird to listen to, but it was definitely had some interesting parts.
Method Man
2/5
4/10. bah, not saying he isn't talented, but I don't care much for Wu-Tang and friends
Culture Club
3/5
5/10. It had Karma Chameleon on it.
Meat Puppets
3/5
6/10. Had its moments
3/5
5/10. Yeah, I feel like they're taking themselves too seriously with this album, which is not a good look for XTC. It had some cool moments, the first song sounded pretty cool before he started singing over it.
TV On The Radio
3/5
6/10. The fact that they had the lyric "Final Fantasy" in an album that was definitely released after Final Fantasy existed is an unforgivable mistake, really distracted me from the song, and now that I've written this review it's all I'll ever remember about this album.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
4/10. There's a reason they aren't called the good seeds
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4/5
8/10. I like jazz
Traffic
3/5
6/10. Not too shabby
Barry Adamson
2/5
When I finished Murder Ballads, I asked myself "If Nick Cave took a shit on the floor, would it make the 1001 albums list?" Turns out, it didn't even have to be Nick Cave, his bandmate would do.
Jokes aside though, this guy clearly has musical talent that comes through on the tracks where he isn't trying to shock or weird out the listener. I can see why only David Lynch actually used his movie-soundtrack style music in an actual movie soundtrack. 3/10, not for me.
AC/DC
3/5
5/10. Highway to Hell is a classic, Touch Too Much was a nice throwback, but this album felt like listening to the same song for 40 minutes straight
1/5
2/10. Maybe if I had lived through the nineties I would need to listen to angry music too. But I still think I could find something better than this dog shit. Rollin' was actually pretty good though, and it was thoughtful of them to put it on the album twice.
Scritti Politti
3/5
5/10. Guy's trying to sound like Michael Jackson and doing an okay-ish job I guess?
David Ackles
3/5
5/10. Oooh, American Gothic, the famous… album? Hmm, yeah, I can see why no one listened to this when it came out, because it isn't that good.
The Jam
3/5
6/10. Pretty good, yet nothing really stuck out to me as memorable. Oh well
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
4/10. So, let's break this down:
Track 1: 10 minutes of music that intentionally sounds like a hangover
Track 2: Basically a spoken word Bo Burnham rap with less swearing
Track 3: the 2nd song again, but with gaps between the lyrics so that it's thrice as long
Track 4: finally something that sounds like a real song
Track 5: you know, normally if you only have one hit on the album, it should probably be on the A-side
Tracks 6&7: good news, the songs are starting to sound like songs more consistently on theB side. Bad news, they sound the same.
Track 8: sounds like 6 and 7, but really long and with some screaming muppets for color.
The Cult
3/5
6/10. I quite liked this one
Lupe Fiasco
4/5
7/10. I thought this was pretty good. The outro was quite excessive, but I can't blame the artist for that because it's not like anyone is forced to listen all the way through it
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
7/10. It's very calm, poor choice to listen to after lunch because it put me to sleep a bit, but it was fairly beautiful when I actually managed to focus on it.
Simple Minds
3/5
5/10. Not anything wrong with it, but like if this is your #1 favorite album I just have to imagine you're the most boring person ever.
The Icarus Line
2/5
4/10. Loud
R.E.M.
4/5
8/10. I think this was my favorite REM album so far, always like to think about Orange Crush
G. Love & Special Sauce
3/5
5/10. Ehhhhh. I had a cold beverage to drink when they had that song about cold beverages, so that gets it an extra point
Laibach
3/5
5/10. Kinda cool, had a really dark sound. Not really my thing, but I can see how someone might like this.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
6/10. So so
Bobby Womack
4/5
7/10. Not extremely memorable, but a very enjoyable listen nonetheless.
Beck
4/5
8/10. Really solid album throughout, no complaints here despite the length.
John Lennon
4/5
7/10. I like Working Class Hero, and the album sounds pretty nice throughout, but John Lennon waxing philosophical doesn't always quite hit.
Songhoy Blues
4/5
8/10. Really cool, I want to listen to this again.
Stephen Stills
4/5
7/10. Not bad at all, little over-dramatic. If this truly is my final album on this list from the CSNY extended universe, goodbye, it was an okay time.
Buzzcocks
3/5
6/10. Sounded cool sometimes, didn't like the singing much.
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
2/10. You know, I wasn't expecting to be able to recognize this as music after how everyone talked about it in their reviews. But this is definitely music, just really unpleasant to listen to and super fragmented. And the first 20 minutes or so is really pushing the boundaries of what can be considered music, though it does definitely mellow out in parts, especially because I didn't read the Wikipedia, and listened to the extra tracks on Spotify, some of which were a bit more chill. So I can see why this is an interesting album, and how it became an influential album.
So did I like this album? No. Will I listen to it again? Probably not. Am I glad I listened to this? Yes, and I can't say the same for a plenty of the other low-rated albums on this list.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
5/10. Oh hey, yet another album from those guys who had one hit and it went to their heads so badly that they decided to start writing 8 minute songs. Nothing strictly wrong with this album, but I didn't need to hear it before I died
Maxwell
4/5
8/10. This was a delightful little surprise, I don't know that I'd heard of this guy, but this was a really chill album
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
3/5
5/10. I appreciate the mystery of whether the album is called Next because it was their 2nd album, or if it's named for the cover of Next that is on the album. But, I didn't appreciate that much else about it
Stereo MC's
4/5
7/10. I liked this one. Had some smooth flow to it, and felt more soothing than boring. Lyrics were decently clever throughout which is always nice.
Pere Ubu
2/5
3/10. What if we took the all the abrasive sounds of Watermelon Man, but made them into something really boring?
The Strokes
5/5
9/10. Consistently high quality throughout, and ends before the sameyness of the songs becomes oppressive.
3/5
6/10. Glad they clarified it was the animal zoo, not just any old zoo.
Ryan Adams
4/5
7/10. This would have easily been an 8 if he'd cut it down to size a bit more. But, that's not how things worked in the year 2000.
Klaxons
2/5
4/10. Didn't seem like it was bad, but definitely wasn't my thing either
The White Stripes
4/5
8/10. I like the White Strippes, so I liked this album, even though it wasn't the best I've heard from them
Dirty Projectors
3/5
6/10. Unremarkable
Beck
4/5
8/10. Pleasant to listen to
Weather Report
4/5
8/10. Rainy
Dinosaur Jr.
5/5
9/10. I liked this a lot better than the other Dino Jr album we've had
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
6/10. Yeah, this is pretty nice I suppose. Doesn't drive me wild, though
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
9/10. I think Mellon Collie was a bit better, but it's a close call, and definitely both are solid.
Traffic
4/5
8/10. Best traffic I've ever sat through
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
4/5
7/10. I dunno, I suppose I liked it
Kings of Leon
3/5
5/10. Yup, Sex on Fire was part of an album alright
LTJ Bukem
2/5
3/10. In addition to being over 2 hours of the same shit, this is a compilation album. Not only are compilation albums not supposed to be on this list, because this one has been around for over a quarter of a century, there's been plenty of time for the copyright to get all fucked and make it impossible to find all of the songs on one platform. And like, the actual music is fine, it's drum and bass, not really my thing, but kinda cool if I don't have to listen to it for hours on end. And is it just me, or do a ton of these songs have the same basic drum beat? Is that the point? Ah well, at least I know that there can't be any drum and bass left on the list because it took me until after the final album on the list generated to track down all of the tracks for this.
Air
4/5
8/10. Wow, last song went and spoiled the whole movie, never would have expected people would die in this movie.
Morrissey
4/5
7/10. Liked this better as I got farther in. First couple songs just felt like him complaining about stuff
Coldcut
4/5
7/10. Quite enjoyed this one in general, though a couple tracks were rather annoying
Sheryl Crow
3/5
6/10. Before listening to this album, I wouldn't have thought Cheryl Crow could pull off these bleaker songs, or complex feminist lyricism. After listening to this album, I'd still say this style isn't her strong suit, but it's not bad either.
Emmylou Harris
3/5
5/10. Kinda too long, and I only got into a couple of the songs
Khaled
4/5
7/10. I think I'd have liked this if it wasn't such rough production quality and having to track it down on youtube
Drive-By Truckers
3/5
5/10. Interesting talky bits, and a few cool songs, but a lot of the music was rather meh
The Beta Band
3/5
5/10. Didn't give this a very thorough listen, but what I heard I didn't love
John Lee Hooker
4/5
7/10. Nothing truly caught my ear, but it was pleasant and bluesy
Supergrass
3/5
5/10. Clown-core tripe
Small Faces
4/5
8/10. This was some pretty charming psychedelia, I can definitely see why these guys never got popular in the US, though.