My User Albums Journey

Album	You	Global	Diff
The Feeding of the 5000 Crass	5	2.68	+2.32
Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides SOPHIE	5	2.78	+2.22
Atrocity Exhibition Danny Brown	5	2.91	+2.09
You'd Prefer an Astronaut Hum	5	3.03	+1.97
The Lonesome Crowded West Modest Mouse	5	3.19	+1.81
Jaco Pastorius Jaco Pastorius	5	3.19	+1.81
Imaginal Disk Magdalena Bay	5	3.19	+1.81
Rip It Off Times New Viking	4	2.26	+1.74
Mm..Food MF DOOM	5	3.28	+1.72
F♯ A♯ ∞ Godspeed You! Black Emperor	5	3.32	+1.68

Album	You	Global	Diff
I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning Bright Eyes	2	3.44	-1.44
WE ARE Jon Batiste	2	3.38	-1.38
Comfort To Me Amyl and The Sniffers	2	3.38	-1.38
The Universe Smiles Upon You Khruangbin	2	3.35	-1.35
Only God Was Above Us Vampire Weekend	2	3.33	-1.33
This Land Gary Clark Jr.	2	3.31	-1.31
Sublime Sublime	2	3.29	-1.29
Recipe for Hate Bad Religion	2	3.27	-1.27
Exile On Coldharbour Lane Alabama 3	2	3.23	-1.23
O Damien Rice	2	3.22	-1.22

Artist	Albums	Average
Godspeed You! Black Emperor	2	5

Godspeed You! Black Emperor

5/5

Canadian art collective Godspeed You! Black Emperor building on the backs of Talk Talk and Swans to create a new, apocalyptic form of post-rock. Using space and dissonance, the group evokes images of empty urban landscape and crumbling society. There are few albums feel more like an auditory experience rather than a collection of songs, and this is one of them. Stretches of somber atmosphere that eventually build to a swelling crescendo that pays off immensely. This is the album that directly inspired 28 Days Later, which isn't hard to believe when you find out that East Hastings made its way into the film. It's an album that feels bigger than you or I. It's a full, complete, honest-to-god work of art and it probably needs to be played at the end of the world or something. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Yes, without a doubt.

Come On Over

Shania Twain

3/5

Shania Twain has a few stellar achievements with this album: best-selling studio album of all time by a solo female artist, best-selling country in the United States, album of the year grammy nomination, and significant influence on other country stars like Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill, and uh...who am I forgetting....oh right, Taylor Swift. To say that this album has an important place in music history would be an understatement, so why is it so often overlooked by music enthusiasts? Well for one thing, it's a country pop album which is basically considered a death sentence. That's not to say country pop is a genre devoid of artistic merit (I love Patsy Cline and the Dixie Chicks), but in the minds of many "enlightened listeners" this is a combination of two genres that are just generally uninteresting. I will not be so dismissive, but that's my theory as to why this didn't make the list. Come On Over is Shania Twain at her most confident, fun, humorous, and straightforward. Giving Gen X women songs like If You Wanna Touch Her, Ask!, That Don't Impress Me Much, and Honey, I'm Home brings a sense of female empowerment with Twain playing around with gender roles. This is especially evident in the killer opening track Man! I Feel Like a Woman! which has every concert-goer with a bedazzled cowboy hat go crazy for the line "Let's go, girls." Are the songs any good? Yeah, most of them are, but they're also not innovating on anything that much. It's a fairly safe country pop album that had enough hits to cement Twain's legacy as THE woman in country. 12 singles over three years, to be exact. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Sure, why not.

Stories

Avicii

2/5

Avicii broke out as a producer during the early 2010's with his work on the Flo Rida song Good Feeling as well as his own song Levels, both of which were key part of the new wave of EDM-influenced pop music that borrowed heavily from house music and uplifting trance. Avicii would go on to work with several big names in pop such as Coldplay, Madonna, and David Guetta. This gave way for bigger and flashier collaborations that would allow a number of established singers to lend their vocals as features on Stories. Much of Stories is built off the presence of the varying guest features, with Avicii demonstrating his affinity for melodic supersaw hooks and euphoric beat drops. The main takeaway is that most of these songs sound the same with very few standouts, but it's decent for representing the style of pop music that was popular at the time. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Probably not.

Oncle Jazz

Men I Trust

4/5

A warm blanket of an album. Men I Trust takes a page out of Cocteau Twins book and melds it with the slick riffs of jazz guitar. Lush, dreamy songs with subdued vocals and rich production all around. This is a master class in taking a small sound and making the most of it. My god, what an album. Consistently pretty, locked in a groove, song after song. Does it run a little long? Sure, but I can easily forgive that for how sweet it sounds the entire time. We're lucky to have an album like this. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Maybe. Men I Trust are excellent in their niche of dreamy bedroom pop but it lacks a wider level of influence, so I hesitate to think they'd be a good for the list.

Come On Come On

Mary Chapin Carpenter

3/5

Mary Chapin Carpenter can be best understood as the "missing link" between Reba McEntire and Shanaia Twain. As country embraced a more pop-friendly sound into the '90s, artists were more inclined to write songs with more hooks. Mary Chapin Carpenter leans into this a little, but her focus is moreso on lyrical themes that reflect on gendered issues. Yes, women of country have always been rather observant about these things, but songs like He Thinks He'll Keep Her and I Feel Lucky show themes of female empowerment that would run through to Twain's success. Nearly as catchy? No, but still makes for some pretty good country all things considered. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Not quite. Maybe more of a footnote than anything else.

Nuyorican Soul

4/5

Garage house music legends Masters At Work flip their usual sound into more latin-influenced acid jazz. This gives the duo an excuse to play around with different jazz styles, including straight swing, scat, salsa-jazz, and a solo piano song. Some work better than others, but the album shines brightest when they just do acid jazz. This is likely due to the overlap with their DJ backgrounds which allows them to employ refined production techniques. To the extent of it's influences, Nuyorican Soul feels like a distinctly New York album. It's like a block party where a number of diverse backgrounds come together to celebrate their colorful styles. Overall, perhaps a bit too spotty to be truly excellent, but when it's good it's great. That's gotta be worth something. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: No, a bit too niche to be representative of Masters At Work's influence.

Dilate

Ani DiFranco

4/5

A raw breakup album that finds ground between the bitterness of Alanis Morissette and the weight of PJ Harvey. DiFranco takes the folk formula and molds it into her own cathartic source of processing her emotions. Also, what a wizard on the guitar! She makes a riff her bitch every time. A willingness to dabble in other genre influences and implement them into her songs makes Dilate an underrated gem of the '90s. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Not quite notable for the list, but comes close.

Discosis

Bran Van 3000

2/5

Carried primarily by the opening hit single assisted by Curtis Mayfield, Discosis is more of a Canadian oddity rather than a must-hear album that defined any particular sound of the 2000s. Most of Bran Van 3000's music feels like a proto-LCD Soundsystem that's less focused than it's American counterpart. Also not nearly as fun or interesting. And too long! Woof, lots of things going against this album. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Nope.

The Best of The Hot 5 & Hot 7 Recordings

Louis Armstrong

4/5

Perhaps the oldest recordings of both the users' list and the full 1001 list, The Best of The Hot 5 & Hot 7 Recordings bear the gold standard of dixieland jazz. Armstrong is, of course, a legend and absolutely deserving of his flowers, but the genre conventions of dixieland come across as a bit antiquated in comparison to the evergreen stylings of Big Band busters such as Ellington at Newport. These really, post-war jazz towers over even the greatest works of artists like Armstrong, but we have to pay our respects nonetheless. Not only a skilled trumpeter, but a charismatic voice who delivers each song with a certain "cool" factor. If you walk away with any song to appreciate from this album, it should be West End Blues and St. James Infirmary. There are many more bonafide classics in Armstrong's catalogue, but those two are here and they are fantastic displays of musicianship. Don't dawdle. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I'm of two minds. While archival compilations are invaluable for appreciating music recordings before the idea of a proper album solidified, it sort of goes against the spirit of the list (which is why In the Wee Small Hours, largely considered to be the first "concept" album, is first on the list). I think if we're to expand the scope of the list's purpose, then yes this should absolutely be on the list. However, as much as I would love to include the Hank Williams 40 Greatest Hits compilation, it also opens a can of worms for what other archival compilations should be considered. So, maybe not.

Don't Say No

Billy Squier

3/5

You've likely heard at least one of these songs on classic rock radio before, probably the Stroke. Squier's big rock sound can be partially attributed to the production of Reinhold Mack, who is also notable for this work with ELO, Queen, and Deep Purple. As far as this brand of '80s rock goes, Don't Say No is pretty safe and a bit bland. Much of the time he sounds like a watered down Led Zeppelin, but in all honesty it's not bad either. Very middle-of-the-road radio rock. And it wraps up before the 40-minute mark so that's a win. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: No!

Chet

Chet Baker

4/5

It's a damn shame that Chet Baker, the prince of cool, never ended up on the list. If he were, it should either be his first studio album Chet Baker Sings (if only for My Funny Valentine) or this one. Chet lacks his soulful melancholic vocals on this, but makes up for it with a masterclass in instrumental mood. I like to think that Chet was made for early mornings, just as the sun is rising and the streets start to come alive. I'm sold. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Absolutely.

1, 2, Kung Fu!

Boy Azooga

4/5

Some exceptionally slick indie rock from a band that seemingly failed to capitalize on their rising success. Resume includes opening for Neil Young, receiving praise from Liam Gallagher, and getting featured on BBC Radio 1. Despite being the next big thing in UK music, they never really did anything else. It seems like frontman Davey Newington went on to be a session musician for other Welsh artists, which is a shame because his follow-up record would've cemented Boy Azooga as a leader in indie rock. Oh well. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Afraid not.

Game of Fools

Koritni

2/5

This sort of AC/DC-clone aussie pub rock revival of the 2000's really only yielded two bands worth mentioning: Airbourne and this one. In truth, neither are worth appraisal because later acts like The Chats and Amyl and the Sniffers more successfully fused the sound with more garage punk energy. Are they a competent band? Sure. Lots of bands can write a few riffs and play a rock beat under it. Is it good? Not really! And 50 minutes on top of that, there's really no need. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: lol no.

Racine carrée

Stromae

3/5

Perhaps most notable for being the most prolific French-language artist of the 21st century, Stromae successfully blended electropop and hip hop in a way that was both stylish and distinctly European. While it only barely broke through to the anglosphere (having charted in Canada and specific US areas), Racine carrée demonstrates that there is a whole other world of popular music outside of the usual English-speaking artists. To that extent, I can easily see why Stromae attained so much success in Western Europe. While incredibly well-made, the music itself didn't quite strike me as anything special. Still worth a consideration for breaking out of the usual US/UK albums. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Maybe!

Young Team

Mogwai

4/5

A sibling post-rock album to GY!BE's F♯A♯∞, Mogwai Young Team is the urban before the decay. Massive buildings of light and activity, streets of moving masses, the life of a city that never sleeps. Bigger than any one of us, Young Team captures a tower of sound and delivers it like a sonic freight train. But deep within, there's a certain beauty to this album. Real human connection, amidst the buzzing and chaos, displaying raw emotion in the clearing. Perhaps out of a restless need for closure, Mogwai finishes on a insurmountable level of noise and feedback that proves to be one of the finest post-rock songs in the entire genre. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I would like to see other post-rock heavy hitters on the list before considering this one (Swans, GY!BE, Talk Talk's Laughing Stock), but otherwise my bias is too strong to not add it to the list.

Fuzz

Chucklehead

2/5

Chucklehead built their brand on impressive live shows, but that doesn't always translate very well to the studio. In this case, their brand of jazzy funk rock just sorta washed over me with no one song standing out. Also can't stand the RHCP-style rapping. Not notable in the slightest, but they were fine otherwise. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I can't think of a single reason why it should be.

King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown

King Tubby

4/5

First thing's first, this album was only mixed by King Tubby. The actual music is credited to Augustus Pablo, who had collaborated with Tubby on a number of projects. That said, Tubby's influence behind the board cannot be understated; the genre of dub and modern music as we know it today would sound radically different if it were not for King Tubby. His knowledge of electronics combined with a keen ear for innovative production techniques made him one of the most important figures in all of recorded music. It's so easy to overlook his work but I believe it deserves just as much representation compared to the roots reggae stuff on the list. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Yes, without a doubt.

Before These Crowded Streets

Dave Matthews Band

3/5

Of all the Dave Matthews Band picks, why the third album? Whatever, I'm sure the user has their reasons. Dave's approach to jazzy alt-rock includes mostly jamming the fuck out of an idea until it reaches a fine terminating point, and then going another 3 minutes to waste your time. They're all fairly talented musicians but I struggle to find much worthwhile in these winding, unfinishable songs. My god, wrap it up. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: If we're seriously considering DMB (which is debatable) then it should be one of the first two records, not this one.

Zuckerzeit

Cluster

4/5

Another group of movers and shakers within Germany's evolving krautrock scene, this time with more electronic influences. Cluster's first two albums would be produced by Conny Plank, who would also produce for Kraftwerk and Neu!. Clearly, Plank was cooking up some of best music from Germany. Zuckerzeit has no plank though, as Cluster homed in on the playful electronic music that Kraftwerk would eventually get all the credit for. Not so! These kosmische are worth a listen to at least broaden more horizons beyond the usual krautrock staples. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Sure!

Sailing The Seas Of Cheese

Primus

4/5

Primus sucks. With that out of the way, I can't help but feel Les Claypool's unique approach to funk metal was overlooked on the list. His quirky songwriting and exceptionally proficient bass skills makes Claypool and standout musician in the field of metal. Indeed, metal has come a long way since the progenitors of Black Sabbath and Judas Priest. Evolving to incorporate new influences and ideas, Primus seems content to play with the heavy genre like a cat batting at a cheap toy. It's all a game to them, and I think that's awesome. More artists should be motivated to stretch and redefine genre conventions to make weird, silly music. It's the simple joys of life. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Yes yes! God, yes!

Super Ape

The Upsetters

4/5

Yes, more dub! Another user was kind enough to submit King Tubbys Meets Rockers Uptown, but it would be remiss to not include some of Lee "Scratch" Perry's production work. On one side of the pond, Perry helped produce early Wailers records that would define the sound of roots reggae. On the other side of the pond, the Clash would take inspiration from Perry's work on their first album. So what's the big deal? Chilled out, maximum vibes dub. Production so thick it lives in a haze. Jamaica was the place to be if you wanted to step up your sound in the '70s. This is what it's all about. Catch the rhythm and let is take you away. I'm gone. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Oh yeah.

Blue Is The Colour

The Beautiful South

2/5

Lyrics that are sharp as a tack for songs that are dull as a dishwasher. At one point one of the vocalists does his best Tom Waits impression over a fairly uninteresting blues-piano number. I am perplexed as to why this band is popular at all. This album sold over a million copies. How! Why. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I don't think so.

Continuum

John Mayer

2/5

John Mater, soft rock terrorist, seems content to employ his admittedly impressive guitar skills to make middling music for the masses. He's like U2, except they're sex jams for straight white couples who only do missionary and finish after 5 pumps. I don't care how sweet his hooks are, he's a damn liability to the integrity of popular music. Somebody grab him before he makes another album, dammit! Quick!! CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: We can do without.

Millennium

Backstreet Boys

2/5

Squaring pop music in the 21st century means reconciling its roots with boy bands and girl groups of the '90s. The Spice Girls, N'Sync, and the Backstreet Boys took pop music to the furthest reaches of consumerism by emphasizing the presentation above the music. Hooks ruled everything even if they didn't make sense, choreography was a staple of every song, and a refocus on the teen market as a core demographic. Built on the back of two singles (one energetic dancepop song and one inescapable ballad), Millennium is the peak of this boy band mountain before everyone started going solo in the 2000s. It's loaded with ballads to pad out the runtime because no one gives a fuck about the rest of the album. It closes on a cheesy song about how much the boys love their mothers. "I love you mom" said with the earnestness of someone trying to sell the image of a mama's boy to teen girls so they have something else to swoon over. Are the singles good? Sure, but the rest of the album sure isn't. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Tough call! Much like Britney Spears on the actual list, it's difficult to talk about pop music without them. That said, it was never really about the album. So, maybe not.

Recipe for Hate

Bad Religion

2/5

Why this Bad Religion record instead of their '80s punk records? The band pretty well peaked with No Control so I would've gone with that. Still highly political in a vaguely anti-establishment sense, but slowed down compared to their previous works. I thought skate punk was supposed to be more energetic than this? By this point, Lagwagon and the Offspring were the new torchbearers for the genre as Bad Religion started to show their age a good decade into their career. At this point they would've benefited from some innovation and reimagining their sound rather than continuing to make songs like they did in the '80s but slower. I think there's some interesting stuff on All Good Soldiers with more angular guitars that's reminiscent of the '90s post-hardcore at the time, but they never fully lean into it. Seemingly only picks up in the back half, but by that point I'm not really sold on what they're doing. It's a bummer. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: No Control is a better pick. Even then, there's enough punk on the list as is.

People

The Burning Hell

3/5

Funny seeing the Burning Hell on here! I was lucky enough to take a university course that was taught by the band's founder Mathias Kom during his time as a PhD candidate. Very nice guy, gave me a good grade. Anyway, onto the album. Despite Kom's lyricism being a little corny and shaped around telling stories (both grand and small), his lines are sharp and the music backs it up nicely. It comes across as a bit quaint, but I also think it can be cute in a way. Simple, fun, riding a line between folksy and poppy. It's nice! CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Probably not, no.

Weighing Souls With Sand

The Angelic Process

3/5

Metal in it's largest, most crushing form. The Angelic Process takes long, winding roads that are dense in gloomy atmosphere and mesmerizing sound. In its weight, Weighing Souls With Sand evokes images of a slow death that comes with a large release of brain chemicals, swirling around as life flashes before your eyes. It's a lot! It's also fairly slow, and a bit samey around the edges. I think this droning sort of metal is better executed by the likes of Boris, though I appreciate what this album accomplishes in it's runtime. Perhaps the biggest drawback is the drums, which sound programmed to a point where it distracts from the more natural-sounding guitarwork. An interesting album for sure, but not quite good enough in my eyes. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: This subgenre of metal is too niche for the list imo, so no.

L'autre...

Mylène Farmer

3/5

A well-picked French pop artist to help bridge the gap between Jacques Brel and Christine & the Queens. Riding the synthpop wave of Depeche Mode and New Order, Farmer channels an artistic presentation that delivers an album not dissimilar to Kate Bush's work. Was it pretty good? Yeah! Was it for me? Not really... CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Only on the pretense that the list should expand on non-English language albums. Otherwise, no.

Romance

Fontaines D.C.

4/5

Romance got a lot of traction in indie music circles last year, so much traction that it found itself on several best-of year-end lists for 2024. And with good reason! Fontaines D.C. shifts away from their usual post-punk sound to channel a more melodic indie rock approach. The result is a lovely expression of complex emotions that's rich in tonal width. With rarely a drop in quality, Romance has proven itself to be a standout rock album for the 21st century. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I have a rule that there should be a 5-year wait period before albums are considered for the list, so get back to me in 2030.

Stranger In Town

Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band

3/5

A staple of classic rock radio, Bob Seger is sure to deliver a good time with his upbeat pop hooks, a grizzled voice, and some proto-fascist lyrical themes. Built on bluesy riffs, Seger evokes the image of a city that never sleeps, and a man who's just as restless. It's sleek, but not artificial. It's plain and simple rock music. Your dad might like it. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Possibly, but do we really need another plain rock album on the list?

Frosting On The Beater

The Posies

4/5

Excellent '90s power pop that I was not privy to until now. It's got the perfect blend of polish and grit, with many great hooks and harmonies to boot. This album is also notable for being produced by famed producer Don Fleming, who effectively shaped the alternative rock and power pop sound of the '90s (save for grunge). Much like the Replacements, the Posies show a lineage of Big Star's influence on power pop. Thoroughly enjoyable, well-produced and well-written. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Maybe. The influence of the Posies isn't all that palpable, but the quality of this sort of record and it's contextual bearing makes me wonder if it would be a good fit anyway. I enjoyed it regardless.

Poesía Básica

Extrechinato y Tu

4/5

A supergroup of the "rock urbano revival" scene in Spain, Extrechinato y Tu continues the trend of placing emphasis on poetic lyrics while maintaining a fairly standard rock sound. Whoever picked this album as a fine appreciation for Spanish popular music, which is completely lacking from the original 1001 list. While certainly straightforward rock music, you can hear hints of Spanish folk music creep into the songwriting. This is emphasized during moments of symphonic brilliance, where the dramatism is cranked up to embolden the poetic delivery. Is the language difference a bit of a barrier? Sure, but the pure passion that comes with an album like this transcends all language. Majestic. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: If we're expanding beyond primarily english-speaking albums, I don't see why not.

Boxer

The National

3/5

The National's following album High Violet was the one that made the actual 1001 list, but it seems we have a dissenting opinion! Hate to be a bummer, but this sounds a lot like High Violet in my mind. So, I'll just copy and paste what I wrote for that album: While the band is certainly competent and utilizes production techniques that compliment the songs, but something about the National comes across as dull, subdued, dispassionate. Nothing bad on this album, but nothing to rave about either. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: If only to replace High Violet. We don't need both albums though.

Live in San Francisco

Thee Oh Sees

4/5

Thee Oh Sees (also known as Orinoka Crash Suite, OCS, Orange County Sound, The Ohsees, Oh Sees, or simple Osees) is a project steered primarily by John Dwyer in his attempt to make wild, off the wall rock music that fuses the textures of psychadelic rock with the energy and simplicity of garage rock. The result is a fuzzed-out, raw rock jams that explore peaks and valleys of energy. As much as I would like to think this album is right up my alley (a more energetic take on King Gizzard from around the same time? Yes please!), the album tends to hold itself back from fully kicking it into high gear and often feels a bit aimless. Which is a shame because this sonic texture combined with precise, total-energy songs would kick immense ass. Oh well. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: A bit too niche I'm afraid!

Homogenic

Björk

4/5

While the 1001 list may seem overwhelmed with Bjork already (4 albums plus one from Sugarcubes days!), there are still some frankly outstanding albums that are omitted. For some time I thought it was the consensus that Homogenic was Bjork's album, though it seems to me that public opinion has shifted in favor of Vespertine. Regardless, it's hard not to deny Bjork's artistic vision are truly unique, forward-thinking, and unyielding. While I think I prefer Vespertine from this era of her work, Homogenic is not something to be overlooked. Man, there's just no one else like Bjork. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Would require restructuring of the current Bjork entries, but I am partial to having it included.

You'd Prefer an Astronaut

Hum

5/5

Cornerstone album for other sensitive white boy bands such as Deftones and Title Fight. In a word, this album is pretty. Every song is drenched in a melancholic longing for something to sooth the dull aches and pains of daily loneliness. Then it cranks some distortion, and the crack of the snare brings you to life. How'd they make something this good, this wonderful? I'm wide awake and dreaming. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Unfortunately, the post-2000s selections need some heavy reworking to justify this being on the list. Otherwise, it just doesn't make sense.

Englabörn

Jóhann Jóhannsson

4/5

Jóhann Jóhannsson, forward-thinking in his compositions, is perhaps best known for his film scores. While he had scored for impressive Hollywood films prior to 2016, he made the biggest splash with the monumental soundtrack to Denis Villeneuve's Arrival. But before all that, he was getting his footing composing for local Icelandic plays. Enter Englabörn: a soft, tender expression of melancholy that effectively utilizes space to emphasize atmosphere. This is Holy Minimalism. While Minimalism would find its spot amongst contemporary classical music in its incredible innovation amongst strict limitations, Holy Minimalism would find favor in Europe in order to make simpler and slower approaches that fostered a reflective quality. Jóhannsson goes a step further on Englabörn by occasionally experimenting with some electronic elements, giving the album a haunted feel like there's a ghost in the machine. An unreal experience that also serves as a nice gateway into more modern classical if one is so inclined (might I suggest Ryuichi Sakamoto 1996?), which is a nice way to also expand the ol' horizons. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: The original 1001 selectively omitted any classical music because it's sort of a separate beast altogether, although modern classical albums such as this sort of bridge the gap. For now I would say it's not really a good fit, but if the scope of the list ever changes then maybe.

Under The Pink

Tori Amos

4/5

Little Earthquakes, Tori Amos' previous album, made the original 1001 list so I figured that would be enough. That being said, I am not too familiar with Amos' work so maybe she deserves more recognition. First impressions are that this sticks the landing a bit more than Little Earthquakes, though both maintain a certain beauty. The closing track ends on a subtle-yet-weighty note that really encapsulates Amos' songwriting at it's core. I can see why it was recommended! CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Unsure if it should slot alongside Little Earthquakes or replace it, but for brevity I'll say yes!

La cagaste... Burt Lancaster

Hombres G

3/5

Part of la movida madrileña that followed the Francoist regime. In contrast to the socially-conscious approach to rock urbano, artists who were a part of la movida madrileña were more playful and melodic in their approach. La cagaste is no different, with its distinct '80s pop rock run rooted in post-punk production. Are David Summers' vocals much to write home about? No, but the rest of the band carries that weight. Nice bit of fun. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Depends on if we expand the scope of the list to include more non-english albums. Given Hombres G's massive popularity in Spain, I don't see why not.

Relatives in Descent

Protomartyr

4/5

Post-post-punk-revival? Following the decline of the post-punk revival in the early-mid 2000s, bands would dirty up their production a bit with distinct indie rock and noise rock influences. Women and Preoccupations from Canada, later IDLES and Fountains D.C. from across the pond, and Protomartyr from America. While not particularly popular, it would give rise to the more experimental and playful post-punk acts of the 2020s: Squid, Viagra Boys, Stuck, and of course Black Country, New Road. All good bands and artists, all owing some amount of their success to Protomartyr as they helped pave the way for a cool new rock sound. Relatives in Descent is a gritty, focused record that stands on the shoulders of the original post-punk progenitors and glides over the overly sleek sound of the post-punk revival. It relishes in dark, existential themes while reintroducing the "punk" back into "post-punk". Protomartyr maintains a consistent level of quality throughout and redefines the modern age of rock music for years to come. We should give thanks for this album. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Yes. Believe it or not, this is a landmark album and we're now far enough removed from its release date to recognize its impact. It should be in the list.

Wild Planet

The B-52's

4/5

Did the B-52's have a bad album? After the '80s, maybe they did, but in their heyday they seemed to be hitting home run after home run. While Wild Planet doesn't have any immediately identifiable singles like their debut album or Cosmic Thing, there's no denying that the band can pull together a damn fine collection of songs. This is especially true for Private Idaho which coincidentally found itself in the Minecraft movie so maybe that'll put the brainrotted zoomers/genAlphas on some real game. Song rules. Anyway. I think the real takeaway is that the B-52's just had a penchant for fun songs. Even the song about the dog is great. Great energy, vocal delivery, hooks, the whole nine yards. Have a good time. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Their self-titled debut already does everything that this album does so there isn't really a need, but I'm also not strictly against the idea.

We Like It Here

Snarky Puppy

3/5

Big band fusion that seemingly sweeps in instrumental categories at the grammys. My understanding is that this particularly resonated with band kids for its technical proficiency and ensemble cohesiveness. And indeed, it is incredibly impressive jazz work that showcases the finest musicianship and composition imaginable. By that metric alone, it should be a perfect album, right? Well it seems to me like Snarky Puppy exists in somewhat of a vacuum, making music that certainly owes a lot to the great Weather Report (which made the original list) but is effectively a terminating point. It's polished and a bit sterile despite its impressive execution, wherein it lacks a certain amount of personality or grit. Lacking a certain emotional weight or throughline that makes me think of this as a cohesive expression of a certain mood, We Like It Here comes across more as an exercise in music as a form rather than as an art. Hoping for more. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Afraid not.

Angel Dust

Faith No More

4/5

The Real Thing got picked for the original 1001 list but I suspect that was primarily for the single Epic (what is it? It's it). By my assessment, Angel Dust is the more cohesive and consistent album of the two. Compared to the middling rap and funk metal parts of The Real Thing, Angel Dust incorporates those elements more tastefully into an album that has a nice sheen of polish that really makes Faith No More shine. In essence, it is everything good about alternative metal and has very few weak parts. Those boys really cooked up something scrumptious, eh? CONTEDER FOR THE LIST: Yes. Replace The Real Thing with this.

The Black Parade

My Chemical Romance

5/5

The Black Parade? You mean My Chemical Romance's magnum opus? An album that defined an angst-riddled generation? The emo album of all time despite being pop punk at best? Yeah that's fine. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Yes, you dolt. Yes. Why the fuck would it not be.

Grace And Danger

John Martyn

4/5

Solid Air, I enjoyed. One World, not so much. This album is Martyn's divorce album, featuring Phil Collins on drums who also happens to be going through a divorce. Dudes love getting divorced, it's a known fact. Rich and detailed album of smooth sounds to sooth the soul. Massive really. Am I glad Martyn got divorced? Yes, actually. More men should get divorced and make the most melancholic/bittersweet albums of all time. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Replace One World with this, then yes.

Dogrel

Fontaines D.C.

4/5

Another Fontaines D.C. album from the user list, this time its the debut album from when they sounded more post-punk. Emphasis on punk! The Fall and early Killing Joke has their fingerprints on this album, but with a distinct Irish sound. This is one for the country to be proud of, full of energy and witty lyricism. Maybe some of the best post-punk of that year? Not sure about the rest of the decade though... CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: There is better modern post-punk to select for the list imo. Plus there's another Fontaines D.C. album that makes for a much better selection....

Rip It Off

Times New Viking

4/5

Behold: shitgaze. Following the lo-fi recording production of slacker rock in tandem with the laissez faire approach to performing their songs, shitgaze took these ideas to their logical conclusion. Lo-fi to the point of noise, slacker to the point of incomprehensibility, and a whole barrel of fun. Sometimes its barely comprehendible but in a good way. Sometimes it isn't comprehendible at all but still finds a way to be good. Noise being wielded to such an extreme degree while still being purposefully poppy is such a fascinating thing that I can't help but enjoy it. After a while it all starts to blur together but I think that's part of the appeal. Hulking mass of music that isn't trying to be inaccessible or fucked up. It's just a few musicians having a good time and blasting the volume on everything. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Nooo too niche I'm afraid.

Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven

Godspeed You! Black Emperor

5/5

The other GY!BE on the user-selected list (for now...). Seemingly builds on everything from their magnificent debut album and manages to hit harder, deeper, and more desolate moments than before. It's also much more monolithic, standing tall at 87 minutes compared to F♯A♯∞'s 63 minutes. Indeed, Lift Yr. Skinny Fists feels more imposing than it's older brother, but executes its intentions in a much more impactful manner. I can't help but think the band felt motivated to give their blood, sweat, and tears into this album after the success of their first. I think this albums makes a strong case for rock music as a proper artform. Dare to approach to obelisk? CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Either this or F♯A♯∞. Hard for me to pick. You decide!

Join Us

They Might Be Giants

2/5

They Might Be Giants, perhaps best known for the theme song to Malcolm in the Middle, eluded me by way of apathy. I had no real desire to check out these dorks and now they've landed on my front porch. Listened to all 47 minutes top to bottom and not once did it phase me. 18 songs of nothing. It's fine. This is an album for people who were already fans of TMBG. It's an album signalling that at this specific point the band's career, they were on cruise control. I've got nothing else. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: At least choose a noteworthy TMBG album. Flood has a song that I recognize.

Sing To God

Cardiacs

4/5

Vox gave it a 0/10 on initial release. If you do too, then you're a coward! Along the same lines as Primus and Mr. Bungle, Cardiacs take a fairly silly approach to rock music in a way that defies conventions in a way that can be slightly off-putting if you're not open to the idea. This album, however, is executed to such a degree that it ascends above every criticism you could meaningfully lob at it. Cracked album. Set your mind free and this is just a fun album top to bottom. No limits. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Hard to pin down the legacy of an album like this, especially in the context of progressive rock. While highly acclaimed in more niche music critique circles, I don't think this ever made its way into a broader public consciousness. So, perhaps not.

Les deux doigts dans la prise

Les sheriff

3/5

Both fingers in the socket...!! is a super-charged live punk double album that exemplifies the simple fun of an Oi! band at their best. Oi! being a subgenre of punk that doubled-down on the basics of punk rock with an emphasis on catchiness and singalong choruses. It wasn't shouty enough to be hardcore, fuzzy enough to be garage punk, or clean enough to be pop punk. It it's purest essence, Oi! is just standard punk rock for the new generation. Les sheriff executes this in spades. As much as I love punk music and live punk shows, Les deux doigts dans la prise doesn't quite capture the same feeling that I was hoping for. It's not bad, but it can get pretty samey after a while. Ends on a cracking cover of the Stooges though, which put me in a good mood. Can't knock this too much, I still enjoyed listening. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST. No, but you care to check out more french punk then I recommend Camera Silens, Béton Armé, and Tolbiac's Toads.

Act IV: Rebirth In Reprise

The Dear Hunter

3/5

Not sure why we're starting at Act IV but here we are. Prog rock in the 21st century sounded a lot different than it did in its golden years of the '70s. Songwriting became more focused on long, winding moments that emphasized theatrical execution rather than jazz-inspired jams. This can be partially attributed to the massive reupholstering of the rock opera thanks to Dream Theater, who leaned heavily into the narrative framing of fanciful stage plays. Combine this with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's success in wide orchestral arrangements incorporated into rock music, and you have something that resembles The Dear Hunter. Over the course of a decade, bandleader Casey Crescenzo would record a series of albums that told an over-arching story which he had mapped out after being kicked out of his previous band. If this sounds like an overwhelming undertaking, it's because it probably is. This sort of project is more than what can be reasonably accommodated by the scope of modern popular music, so we can only really absorb the thing in fragments. Which is why we're here listening to Act IV instead of the whole Dear Hunter story, because it was much more accessible to do so over the course of the 10 years as the albums were being released one-by-one. So, you just had to be there, I guess. If Act IV is meant to be the best of The Dear Hunter's works, then I'd say that they're pretty good! Lots of polish, well-constructed songs, very pretty overall. It's a very Big album in the sense that it's this sprawling rock opera that wants to tell an epic story with sweeping orchestral parts and a myriad of other rock influences (Beach Boys, ELO, the Decemberists). Which isn't a bad thing because it does all of that fairly well, but it falls short of being something I would be massively into because it's just not to my taste. And that's okay! Not everything is meant for me, and this is bound to resonate with those who enjoy this sort of theatrical romp through progressive rock. Perhaps if you have a Tumblr account, this is something you would enjoy. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Too far downstream from other prog rock bands that are not already on the list. Maybe if Dream Theater gets on there.

Alive Or Just Breathing

Killswitch Engage

3/5

Allow me to walk you through the history of American punk music for a moment. In the '80s, hardcore punk took over as the prevailing form of punk as it focuses on a faster and more aggressive approach to the genre. By the '90s, metallic hardcore (metalcore) gained traction with downtuned guitars, double-kick drumming, and the occasional half-time breakdowns. This culminates into melodic metalcore in the 2000s, which blended cleaner vocal parts and melodic guitar riffs with the pre-existing framework of metalcore. Punk sure has come a long way, eh? Killswitch Engage helped to popularize this genre in part thanks to full support from their label Roadrunner records. The band successfully balanced their heavy mosh-style riffs with tender melodic moments that contrasted nicely throughout the album. Based on interviews with the band, it's clear that they know their influences intimately well and pulled from each with a distinct ear for how it would mold their own sound. Very nice! Unfortunately, this would also be the band that launched a thousand mediocre clones. Melodic metalcore became the new standard for metal in the 2000s with bands like As I Lay Dying and Bullet For My Valentine helping to bring about the era of mall metal. Fucking sucks. I can't hate Killswitch too much because this album is actually pretty good, but everything that came after makes me wish this album never came to be. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Given it's popularity, maybe! I wouldn't scoff at the idea.

Silent Alarm

Bloc Party

4/5

Hard to talk about rock music of the 2000s without at least mentioning Silent Alarm. NME album of the year, nominated for a mercury music prize, and well-received by critics across the board. In the wave of post-punk revival, Bloc Party blended the rhythmic energy that was expected from the genre with a more reflective and wide soundscape. You never hit a low point with this album, which is a testament to the band's consistency. Unfortunately, this consistency would never carry over into future albums as they seemingly peaked with their debut. Oh well! CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Yes! Oh my god yes!

Rose Mountain

Screaming Females

4/5

Exactly what it says on the tin. Punk-informed indie rock from a powerhouse trio. Doesn't let up from start to finish, with fantastic vocal+guitar-work from frontwoman Marissa Paternoster, backed perfectly by the rhythm section. Every song feels fresh and exciting to listen to. This is what rock n roll is all about baybee. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Probably a bit too niche to slot in for 2010s rock, but still a great album.

Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit

Courtney Barnett

4/5

A bit of 2010s indie rock from Australia. Melbourne's underground scene seemingly embraced this sort of sound in reaction to the cock rock likes of Airbourne and Koritni. Although not initially a part of the scene, Courtney Barnett would become a pivotal artist in popularizing the sound. A good songwriter by all accounts, but nothing too special about the songs themselves. Still, a pleasant listen all-around. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Perhaps? Seems a bit niche but could help boost some Australian representation in the face of 7 different Nick Cave albums.

Out of the Blue

Debbie Gibson

2/5

Corny '80s synthpop. Foolish Beat was the number 1 hit single, but if you asked me to guess which song on the album was the big hit then I wouldn't have been able to tell you. They all sound so equally generic that I don't think I would ever come back to this album or it's songs. The polished production, the nothing hooks, the midtempo ballads and love songs, they're all conducive to a very safe pop album. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Please no.

Daisies Of The Galaxy

Eels

3/5

I wasn't too impressed with Beautiful Freak on the original list, so how does Daisies Of The Galaxy fare in comparison? It fairs okay. E is a somewhat compelling songwriter, but his compositions aren't really for me. I definitely enjoyed this more than Beautiful Freak, but not did more to grab my attention. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Beautiful Freak is the more relevant Eels album, by my measure. And I don't think we need more than one Eels album on the list.

Home Sweet Home

Kano

3/5

The original list only selected a couple albums to represent grime, so let's give it a another chance. Home Sweet Home was the reason for Kano's breakout success, and it's mostly alright. I don't know if it's just a cultural incompatibility issue or something but I don't fully feel UK rap like the American counterparts. Some songs better than others, but when the album is over an hour I tend to have less patience. Anyway it's fine. The Black Sabbath sample was pretty sweet though. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Maybe! I'd like to see some drill represented so maybe UK drill would be a better option than another grime album.

Savage Sinusoid

Igorrr

3/5

Experimental metal that occasionally wants nothing to do with metal and does Balkan folk music or classical or dubstep instead. There's a certain amount of appeal that this sort of eclectic approach to metal can bring, but it can end up translating to a less-focused, messy album. Savage Sinusoid seems intent on doing so much in it's fair runtime that it makes me wonder if something could be added to tie it all together and a nice neat bow. The closing track feels like a nice send-off, but just barely covers what I'm looking for in an album like this. Could do with some revisions. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: There's a few preceding experimental metal bands I would include before Igorrr, so probably not.

Blink-182

blink-182

4/5

Not a single Blink album on the original list, which is a damn shame. Pop punk legends who helped modernize the genre for the 21st century along side Green Day (not on the list) and the Offspring (on the list), Blink-182 began by borrowing heavily from skate punk conventions and eventually rounding out the corners with more unique songwriting approaches. Their 2003 self-titled is notable for having a more serious and alternative sound compared to their previous goofy albums. While still fairly pop-punk, this album doesn't shy away from moments that slow things down and play around with other styles. All Of This has clear goth rock influence, Stockholm Syndrome sees the band dipping their toes into modern post-hardcore, and the smash hit I Miss You (WHERE ARE YOUUUU) incorporates strings for a more resonate emotional climax. The end result is a band that sounds fully-realized, matured, and at their peak right before tensions led the band to break up. Too bad. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Without a doubt.

The Beautiful Letdown

Switchfoot

3/5

For as long as there has been popular culture, there have been motivated "progressive" Christians who joined the bandwagon to try and capitalize on the trends with proselytizing in mind. Despite rejecting the box that radio and labels have put them in, Switchfoot has the markings of a Christian rock band. Are they singing about Jesus? No, but their corny inspirational-style lyrics are certainly rooted in the "nondenominational" Christian framework. It was only with this album that the band pivoted from the then-popular power pop of the '90s to the then-popular post-grunge radio rock of the 2000s. This proved to be a rousing success because they had at least one radio hit that I'd heard prior (Meant to Live) and more album sales than they'd ever seen. Indeed, Switchfoot had broken outside of the usual CCM market into the mainstream and decidedly made it everyone else's issue. They would also become a staple for certain Christian groups across American who deemed them cool and popular enough to get the youth on board with Jesus. Christians can rock too! The album is fine. Nothing too groundbreaking here: the singles are good and the others not so much. Occasionally feels like I'm getting a lame lecture, but also occasionally has riffs so you take the good with the bad. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: It's either this, Flyleaf, or Skillet for the token CCM pick. I wouldn't allow any more than that.

Nightbirds

LaBelle

4/5

Some brilliant soul songs. Lady Marmalade is the big hit but I was never keen on that song. The others, however, are all wonderful displays of musicianship that reflect the best of '70s music. Powerful voices, deep grooves, tight ensembles. What more could you want? CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Given their success, legacy and influence, I would say yes absolutely throw this on the list.

10,000 Days

TOOL

3/5

Ænima and Lateralus have both already been suggested, so might as well round out the trio eh? Although they debuted with Opiate in 1992 and quickly followed up with Undertow in 1993, it wasn't until their 1996 record Ænima that Tool found their signature alt-prog metal sound. Then they really took off. 10,000 Days sees the band mellowing out their sound to something more rock than metal. Still heavy in many ways, this album creates many winding guitar and bass passages that are dense in technical proficiency but light in substance. By the end of the album you might recognize that Tool only has the one trick up their sleeve: noodle around with scales while trying to find a riff that sticks, and build around that with atmosphere and tight drumming. The most competent songs in this run seemed to be Rosetta Stoned and The Pot, while others managed to be little more than filler. To their credit, the scales they play do sound nice. Too bad it ends on a low note with a throwaway ambient instrumental that leaves us hanging for the last 5 minutes. Not much of a final impression. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I would only choose one Tool album, and it wouldn't be this one.

Enema Of The State

blink-182

3/5

Although a landmark album for both Blink and the pop punk genre at large, Enema of the State is primarily defined by it's singles. And they're good singles too! The catchiness of All the Small Things, the wit of What's My Age Again, the surprising depth of Adam's Song, all make this album the powerhouse that it is. The rest of the tracklist feels like it doesn't quite reach the same heights, lacking in either hooks or fresh ideas or anything else. Most egregious is Travis Barker's incessant need to do the most drum flourishes on any given song, which makes me think he's too preoccupied with his own talent to just play the damn song with a simple beat. Whatever. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: As important as this album is, I might prefer to go with their self-titled instead.

Whipped Cream & Other Delights

Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

3/5

Iconic, if only for the album cover. Seemingly a part of many record collections, Herb Alpert and his Tijuana Brass band had the sound of easy listening that everyone wanted to hear. From my position, these are some fine instrumental arrangements that are incredibly expressive. Even if its a bit corny at times, the band does a good job at swinging these tunes. What more could you want? CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Sure, throw it on there.

El Circo

Maldita Vecindad Y Los Hijos Del 5to. Patio

4/5

Ska from Mexico! While the original list certainly dabbles in the 2 Tone era of ska, I was surprised to find no trace of any third-wave ska. No Doubt, Operation Ivy, and Streetlight Manifesto would all make bespoke choices, but I'm equally as happy to check out something from somewhere outside the US or UK. Maldita Vecindad are a key band for the alternative latin rock sphere, and are perhaps the best to ever do it. Their unique approach to ska music by taking root in traditional Mexican songwriting makes them more than an excellent band, but a party band. These guys elevate the genre and make it their own in a tight 36-minute romp. Primo. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: 100% yes.

10,000 gecs

100 gecs

4/5

Assigned torchbearers of the microgenre hyperpop, 100 gecs carries on the stylistic niche of PB Music's production in overblown bass, pitch-shifted vocals, and a glossy finish that also relishes in glitchy moments. Combined with a pop-led songwriting approach and you get 100 gecs. Their debut LP, 1000 gecs, seemingly blew up the whole thing before flaming out quickly. In comparison, 10,000 gecs is a rock-infused last hurrah before the duo moves on to whatever else they think sounds cool. Nothing about this is really "pure" hyperpop, as it blends a lot of different genres of rock (nu metal, ska punk, power pop) without taking themselves too seriously. It's low-brow dadaist music for the new generation with relatively shorter attention spans, which tracks given the 26-minute runtime. You listen to this and get dazzled by the moving sounds and then move on to the next thing. But in that moment, it was marvelous. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: No, 1000 gecs is the better choice imo.

In Between Dreams

Jack Johnson

3/5

Jack Johnson, the guy that did the song from the Curious George movie, built his career on feel-good folksy tunes that is emphasized by fun acoustic guitar flourishes. Songs are sunny, lovely, and care-free. Why is that? Probably because he grew up in Hawaii and spent his college years in Santa Barbara, California. All this guy has known is good weather, good vibes, mellow tidings. That might be an unfair assessment of Johnson, but his music reflects a pretty simple life with rounded corners; no edge. That's not to say that all music should have "edge", but it does communicate a lot about where the music comes from. Doesn't do much for me, but a pleasant enough listen. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Doesn't quite stand out enough for me to seriously consider it.

Fully Completely

The Tragically Hip

4/5

The Hip can only be described as Canadian rock royalty, cemented by the unofficial canonization of Gord Downie after his death in 2017. Cancon laws made it so that classic rock radio loved these guys more than any station south of the border, but initial sales in Canada made it clear that we loved them too. Given their fantastic rock-oriented songwriting that would place the band as viable contemporaries next to the likes of the Smashing Pumpkins, Guided By Voices, and the Pixies, it stands to me as music's biggest "what if": What if the Tragically Hip achieved crossover success in the US? How would we be talking about them today? What would modern rock look like in the new millennium? While the American rock acts embraced slacker rock and grunge-influenced sounds, the Hip maintained a strong energy that borrowed more from the roots rock of John Fogerty and '70s Rolling Stones (see Exile on Main St.). Listening to this I can't help but get a little emotional. Fully Completely is an album that feels uniquely, wholly, beautifully Canadian. It's a celebration but also a frank display of sentimentality, earnest is every way. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I'm biased but yes, absolutely.

Take to the Skies

Enter Shikari

2/5

At the turn of the millennium, post-hardcore had seen a shift into the likes of emo stylings that would keep things fresh. Further, more progressive approaches to post-hardcore songwriting would come to define a new sound for the genre. Pieces of each culminate in the final ingredient of post-y2k post-hardcore: electronica. Enter Enter Shikari (lol), who helped to pioneer the relatively niche subgenre of electronicore by employing a liberal use of trance synthesizers in their other metalcore-style of post-hardcore. The result is inventive-yet-underwhelming. Lacks a lot of hard-hitting moments that would otherwise define a post-hc record. The only instance that comes to mind is the into to Sorry You're Not A Winner, which loses steam by the time it gets to the chorus. I will say the last three three tracks do a nice fake-out with the Adieu sounding like it would close the album before doing the ACTUAL final songs. Haha nice. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Electronicore is a bit too niche to deserve a spot on the list but if it were 2002 albums? Sure why not.

Choirs Of The Eye

Kayo Dot

4/5

Studying music composition in college, Toby Driver took what he learned and applied it with a metal style in mind. Kayo Dot, forming out of the dissolution of Driver's previous band, took chamber orchestration and fused it with stretches of atmospheric metal. The result is a thing of beauty, ascending beyond what is simply "metal" or even "rock" music, in a similar nature to Godspeed You! Black Emperor. With such a distinct dynamic range and forward-thinking approach to composing music, it seems like Kayo Dot is in a league of their own. That's not to say they're without criticism, as the 5 songs occasionally drag on a bit in their runtime, but I certainly enjoyed seeing how each movement progressed. Ascended music. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Perhaps, if the list was willing to dip into more avant-garde metal. Otherwise, probably not a good fit.

Pushin' Against a Stone

Valerie June

3/5

An unlikely pick, but a welcome one. Pulling from the old American folk traditions that predate the recording industry, Valerie June's Americana is soulful as it is true. Her appreciation for the classics gives this record a warm sound that runs deep in the beautiful history of American music. This is helped in part by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, whose production style carries over from his garage rock band to this folksy solo artist. The result is something that certainly carries a similar personality to the Black Keys' recordings, but is occasionally held back by choices that causes the songs here to sound to fuzzed out and sharp. It's especially apparent on You Can't Be Told, which is practically a Black Keys song with June's vocals. In my opinion, this detracts from the album as I much prefer the less rock-oriented sound in favor of a more traditional blues sound. Damn you, Auerbach! Not all bad of course. The last two tracks, Shotgun and On My Way, are perhaps June at her best. Simple, hauntingly beautiful songs. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Doesn't seem influential or noteworthy enough for inclusion, but a nice listen nontheless!

Come And Get It

Rachel Stevens

3/5

Rachel Stevens is an artist that only ever found success in the UK an Europe. Seemingly none of her hits crossed over to America, supported by the fact that I had never heard of her nor her hit singles. So, what's the fuss all about! Stevens was originally part of the teen pop group S Club, which I'm guessing was an attempt to do a mixed-gender girl group or boy band. They had a few number 1 hits in the UK. It was actually a different member, Paul Cattermole, who initially left the group for his old metal band, but S Club soon disbanded after. With solo prospects in view, Stevens signed a record deal and had modest success with her first album. Come And Get It is the follow-up. While it received near-widespread critical success, it neither sold nor charted particularly well. Which is a shame because it's a perfectly good pop album! Nice production (albeit dated), solid hooks, and Stevens is a....serviceable vehicle for these songs. I suppose that's the issue, isn't it? I have no doubt that Rachel Stevens is a competent singer, dancer, and all-around looker for this role. But she lacks a certain "it" factor, eh? Just something that makes her stand apart from all the other pop girls at the time. Looking back, there is something there that is worth considering in the larger genre of pop music. but maybe not for all of music. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Not quite as impactful as I would've assumed, so no.

The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess

Chappell Roan

3/5

A true-blue American success story about a small-town Missouri girl who persevered against the rocky waters of the music industry and rose to fame as the Next Big Thing in pop music. This can be attributed, in part, to being paired with producer Dan Nigro who had previously worked with the great Carly Rae Jepsen, Caroline Polachek, and Sky Ferreira. While working with both Roan and Olivia Rodrigo around the same time, the two women became acquainted as a result of their mutual work with Nigro. Fast forward to the successful launch of Rodrigo's career proceeding her stint as a Disney star and she ends up selecting Roan as the opening act for the first leg of her Guts tour. With a couple hundred thousand sets of eyes on Roan a few months after the release of The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, her legacy was solidified. Midwest Princess is a certified Pop album that runs the gambit: dancepop, pop rock, singer-songwriter light pop, maybe even a little Eilish-style alt-pop. Some upbeat energy tracks, some slower ballads, some radio tracks that you keep seem to escape (looking at you, Pink Pony Club). There's an undeniable star power radiating from the studio tracks alone, but Roan obviously shines brightest on stage with camp-led looks and attitude for days. She's a fireball personality with the songs to match so that's another huge plus. Basically a million words can be written about this pop princess who is clearly more than a flash in the pan. So here's the skinny: some great songs, some good, and some that painfully sound like filler. At a reasonable 49 minutes, you can still cut three of the less-notable tracks and land on an admirable 40-minute album that almost certainly flows better. Backside loses steam bad so it needs a revision imo. Overall still really good! I think this album and Roan in general will remain in the public pop consciousness for years to come and we'll be talking about how much of a splash she made. Lasting impact though? Remains to be seen...let's hope she sticks the landing on her sophomore album. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Barring the 5-year rule I would implement to reduce recency bias, I would probably add this one to the list yes.

Boys And Girls in America

The Hold Steady

2/5

Pitchfork gave this a 9.4/10. Critical reception across the board is seemingly positive as well. Kind of anthemic rock for millennials who just started drinking regularly and may or may not be developing a substance dependency. This is an album I, unfortunately, failed to connect with. In lieu of anything insightful, I pulled a quote from tumblr, who pulled a quote Jack Kerouac's 1957 novel On The Road: "Boys and girls in America have such a sad time together; sophistication demands that they submit to sex immediately without proper preliminary talk. Not courting talk--real straight talk about soulds, for life is holy and every moment is precious." CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I don't think so? Someone else make the decision for me.

Squeezing Out Sparks

Graham Parker

4/5

British pub rock for yer ears. Hard not to draw comparisons to the oft-cited Elvis Costello on the original list. This record aptly displays how punk stylings crept its way into power pop, with the energy and attitude giving Squeezing Out Sparks a nice kick in the ass. Such a straightforward and succinct rock landed itself a spot on the Rolling Stone's 500 greatest albums of all-time list, twice! Truth is that it's a stellar rock album with practically no filler. I could take or leave the one ballad that's there, but the rest is superb. Rarely do we get an album that doesn't waste a minute of runtime like this one. Well done! CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Y'know what, replace one of the Costello albums with this and you've got something going.

L'Heptade

Harmonium

4/5

Sprawling, beautiful, fantastical music. Truly, this is the elevated form of popular music. Drawing heavily from classical arrangements, this folk album dances in the sky like leaves being whisked away by the wind. Is it a little overlong? Perhaps, but the core of this album is too good to overlook. It can easily be enjoyed with a break in the middle, but I found the entire single sitting to be a treat. Magnificent sound. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Yes, easily.

Thunder And Consolation

New Model Army

3/5

Late '80s post-punk that feels somewhat far removed from the post-punk of the rest of the decade. The only comparison I can draw is U2 and even that feels superficial. Has some good moments but otherwise doesn't quite leave much of an impression on me. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: There are other UK post-punk records that I would select before this one.

Crystal Castles

4/5

Synthpop of the adolescent internet age. The rise of social networks and the ease at which the mp3 could be shared allowed for new underground artists to emerge. This is especially true for the electronica genre, which saw cracked versions of FL studio and circuit-bent electronics being used to craft the new sound of blogging millennials. To this end, Crystal Castles is haunted, tripped-out world of bloopy synths over crunchy beats that redefines what pop music can be. Do not be fooled, this is still pop music at it's core; defining moments on this album are riddled with danceable beats and sweet hooks. The caveat is that it's all drenched in unconventional production. Begone, overly polished and perfect production! Crystal Castles champions dissonance, grime, and *gasp* Noise!!!! What a treat. You never really know what this album will turn up next. It's bold and brash while still maintaining a root in rhythms that make you want to move. Unyielding in all the best ways, I found myself enamored for the entire runtime. I would be remiss not to mention the dark cloud that looms over this duo's legacy: singer-songwriter of the group Alice Glass came forward in 2017 to reveal the abuse that Ethan Kath had subject her to. This ultimately culminated in a Sex Crimes investigation carried out by the Toronto Police, though I couldn't find any sources that confirmed how that resolved. Either way, it's a case where one would need to mentally divorce the music from the musicians in order to fully enjoy the piece. I would still recommend giving it a full listen, but the circumstances surrounding this album are something that leaves a bitter taste. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: 100% yes. The broader landscape of underground music owes more than you know to this album.

Bon Iver

4/5

Known best for his gentle melancholic approach to folsky indie, Bon Iver is someone who I've been aware of for a while but never felt motivated to fully listen to. Perhaps a spotlight is deserved given his prolific resume as of 2025: credits with Kanye West, James Blake, Travis Scott, and most notable Taylor Swift. Obviously he has the attention of everyone else, so let's see what the big deal is. What a tender collection of songs. There's a certain stillness to much of this album that makes Justin Vernon's vocals feel like occasional breezes through the sustained instruments. Within sonic soundscapes of hazy memories represented through pastoral imagery (the album art), Bon Iver finds beauty in a lot of complicated feelings. The closing track finds a nice balance between the soothing padded synths of the '80s and the classic slide guitar of yesteryear country in order to get across his longing most effectively. Wonderful compositions all-around. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: No doubt in my mind it should be there.

Human Racing

Nik Kershaw

3/5

Perhaps best known from MTV, Nik Kershaw is a UK-based solo artist that found initial success in Europe before his music video for Wouldn't It Be Good got him some attention from Americans. Ultimately I don't think Kershaw ever became much of a household name on our end of the pond, but I can appreciate how he did well for himself over in the UK and Europe. I have to give Kershaw some props for this because this is an oddly inventive synthpop album? There are some interesting creative choices that kept me engaged throughout most of the runtime, and beyond that the hooks are pretty good too! He would go on to achieve moderate success but never quite joined the leagues. And that's okay! CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Not quite as influential or successful compared to his contemporaries, so probably not. A nice choice for the user's list though.

Spirit of Eden

Talk Talk

4/5

What is post-rock? Take a rock band. Let them keep their instruments and their style, but don't let them write rock songs. Let it zone out and put more of a focus on instrumental atmosphere. Borrow more deeply from other genres, more than indie or alt rock. Explore drone, psychedelia, classical, jazz, maybe even noise. Be loose with it, but still have a purpose. A good rule of thumb is to let the song crescendo and then see where it moves from there. The worlds at your fingertips. Be free. Talk Talk certainly didn't "invent" post-rock but they are instrumental in cultivating it's sound. Baffles me that they included Tortoise and Sigur Rós on the original list, but the one Talk Talk album that was there was The Colour of Spring. Either this or Laughing Stock would've been perfect additions. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Yes.

Vedergällningen

Garmarna

4/5

Swedish folk rock with electronic production? Sure, I'll try anything once. A haunting take on traditional Scandinavian folk songs, Garmarna brings a blend of rock and electronic music that evokes a brooding atmosphere. I think it works exceptionally well and keeps things fresh with a few twists and turns in the style of production. It starts strong by capturing the attention of listeners with drums and bass informed by the then-popular big beat of the UK, and ends with a more ambient industrial sound that gives the vocals a hazy mood. Unique and notable, I found this to be an excellent choice for the user's list and a reason to keep coming back. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: As for the original 1001 list, I think this is a bit too niche to fit the bill. Still a cool listen though.

Ultra Blue

Hikaru Utada

3/5

Daring to venture into a world that the original 1001 list neglected, one brave user boldly selected....a J-Pop album! Obviously, J-Pop is not a monolith, but it's worth considering the impact that the Japanese music industry has had as an outside influence. J-Pop as a whole rarely sees mainstream crossover appeal into the anglosphere, so it tends to get "trojan horse'd" in through to the west via anime and video games. You, dear listener, may already be familiar with Utada via their contributions to the Kingdom Hearts video game series. If not, that's okay too. There's a lot to unpack with J-pop so perhaps "the most influential artist of the decade" in Japan is a worthy place to start. Though some similarities can be drawn to Kate Bush or Bjork, Utada stays firmly in a lane of their own with tender melody-driven pop songs that find a unique sound each time. Ultra Blue has a few highlights, notably the first three tracks and the original closer Passion, but tends to dip around the middle with less interesting songs. I think there's potential to explore more J-pop in a setting like this, but I would hope for a stronger album. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: It would need to be a really groundbreaking J-pop album to warrant a spot, imo.

Korn

4/5

Foundational nu metal album and a rare case that shows such intense emotional vulnerability, particularly on the final track Daddy which reveals a frank processing of trauma mid-recording. I understand including Follow The Leader on the original list for being Korn's breakout success album with the track Freak on a Leash, but their debut self-titled is leaps and bounds better. You get better riffs, less polish, and songs that better reflect the group's strengths overall. I understand a good chunk of listeners will find this unpleasant and off-putting, but for an album that wears its heart on its sleeve I find it to be a better pick than most. It's not for everyone, and that's okay. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Honestly, yes. Replace Follow the Leader with this.

Maestro

Kaizers Orchestra

3/5

Norwegian alt rock band with quirky tendencies. Personally, not a big fan of what this band is trying to accomplish but I can't deny they do it well. Band kids will get more out of this I imagine. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: While they certainly did well in their home country, Kaizers Orchestra barely made a splash outside of Europe. I wouldn't consider them for the list. If we're to consider a Norwegian album for the list, I think black metal would be a good place to look instead.

Suzuki

Tosca

3/5

Chill Austrian downtempo. Join Tosca in a guided meditation that will take your mind through the deepest reaches of itself. Study the inner-self in a groove so infectious it changes your psyche. Feel the air being pushed from your hi-fi system speakers as a padded synth so deep and delicious penetrates your ears you start to feel the worries wash away. Become one with the sound. Do you feel it? It's nice. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Not particularly notable in the field of downtempo to earn a spot.

Spanish Train And Other Stories

Chris de Burgh

3/5

Chris de Burgh sings sweet nothings like campfire stories with a budget to haul around a small orchestra with him. Pleasant listens all-around but does not resonate as an album I would want to listen to again. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: While Spanish Train is certainly the better album, Into the Light has the more interesting story and contributed more to de Burgh's legacy as an artist.

Old No. 1

Guy Clark

4/5

Some of the best country artists started out as songwriters for bigger Nashville stars. Clark's credits can be found in the likes of Townes Van Zandt, David Allan Coe, and Everly Brothers records. While he never made the biggest splash as an artist himself, Guy Clark's contributions to other artists made him a cornerstone of the country music community. Comparable to the great Kristofferson (also not on the original list!), Clark is the epitome of great country with the soul of a genuine singer-songwriter. Songs like LA Freeway and Texas – 1947 whisk me away to a different place and time; a testament to Clark's penmanship and performance. The great thing about country music is that there's a whole hidden world of musicianship to be found, like bugs under a log. Dare to explore the finer things. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Yessiree add it!

Pop

GAS

4/5

Building on such ambient pioneers as Brian Eno and Aphex Twin, Wolfgang Voigt (under the pseudonym GAS) expertly manipulates orchestral loops and field recordings in order to transport listeners deep into the forest. Amongst the trees, the trickling of a stream and the wind rustling through the environment. Deeper still, a connection with the world around you, the spirit of the land and your own intertwined. Occasionally Voight will introduce the kick drum as a way of simulating a techno beat, but a significant portion of this album is tied up in pure ethereal ambiance. It feels kinda wrong to be listening to this in an office when I should be out getting lost in some pine grove, but the experience still resonates. What a wide wave of sonic pleasure. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Ambient is fairly niche genre of music and I would feel remiss including this before the likes of more modern examples like Grouper or Oneohtrix Point Never, but GAS is still a great point for the genre that I wouldn't mind seeing it on there.

The Universe Smiles Upon You

Khruangbin

2/5

By the 2010s it seemed as though psychedelic rock had come back around for another go, with the likes of Tame Impala, The Oh Sees, and a dozen King Gizzard albums to boot. While each band put emphasis on certain aspect of that psychedelic sound, Khruangbin opted for a more spaced-out vibe with distinct grooves that pulls from funk drumming. With some soothing musical influences from southeast Asia, The Universe Smiles Upon You is a relaxing cosmic exploration of atmospheric soundscapes that feels like a stones-throw away from Exotica easy listening. It's not much else. Mostly instrumental, this feels more like a glorified jam session than an actual collection of proper songs. While pleasant to listen to, it didn't strike me in any particular way other than being generally nice background music. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Not particularly notable, so no.

Latin Mass

Os Mundi

3/5

Hailing from the German prog/krautrock scene of the '60s and '70s, Os Mundi derive great inspiration from Catholic themes and imagery for their heavy psychedelic rock sound. Not afraid to get weird with it either, with the occasional dissonant organ sounds and freeform improvisational bits before shifting back into a groove. Like if the lads from King Crimson grew up as alter boys and were also German. And they sing in Latin! Very cool and unique record for this time period. The Electric Prunes (who you may remember from the original list) would go on to make something similar with regards to psychedelic rock and Christian themes. This album captures a cool niche that the Prunes helped pioneer, so I appreciate being exposed to something like this. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: A little too niche for the list maybe, though it would be cool if the original list shifted from the Electric Prunes s/t to their third album Mass in F Minor.

Toxicity

System Of A Down

5/5

If we're gonna talk about metal music in the 2000s, System of the Down effectively carved their own path. SoaD's razor-sharp lyricism and incredible riffs derived from crossover thrash made them stand out on their debut self-titled album, but it was refined to such a high degree that you'd be hard-pressed to find a bad song on this album. Literally every song hits the nail on the head and I would consider this album incomplete if a single track got cut. Poignant, thoughtful, and hard-hitting all-around. I have nothing but good things to say. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Yes without a doubt. Replace the self-titled with this.

Set Yourself On Fire

Stars

4/5

Hailing from the turn-of-the-millennium Montreal indie scene (same as Arcade Fire, The Dears, The Stills), Stars challenges what pop music can be without stepping too far into rock territory. Set Yourself On Fire traverses varied sonic territory, from soft tender moments to full-on noise jams, with swelling strings and horns in between. It's an album that's most often innovative in it's songwriting choices, and for that it's certainly memorable! But also dense. Wew, what a thing to digest! I found the outro to be a nice way to carry the album home, but there was so much in between that it felt overwhelming at times. Impressive, but perhaps needing a second listen. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: As far as 2000s indie albums go, I would want to see Broken Social Scene and Modest Mouse before considering Stars.

WE ARE

Jon Batiste

2/5

Winner of the 2022 Album of the Year grammy award. Jon Batiste didn't exactly come out of nowhere, but his spotlight from the grammy's certainly did. Having graduated from Juilliard with a bachelors AND masters degree in music, Batiste's work primarily centered around jazz. Here, in New York, he would eventually form the band Stay Human with his Juilliard peers. Stay Human maintained a focus on remaining socially conscious with its crowd interactions and impromptu "love riots" that ultimately come across with the lukewarm message of the importance of "human connection" or something. Either way, Batiste and his band would get noticed by Stephen Colbert of the Late Show, and eventually became the house band for the show. A pretty sweet gig, all things considered! This was probably the most eyes that Batise ever had on him, but he seemed content to coast on that easy network TV paycheck for a few years. It wasn't until 2019 when he started work on a soul album in between working with Nine Inch Nails (not under the duo's moniker of course) for the Pixar film "Soul". By 2020, Batiste has a new collection of songs that had become increasingly more relevant to the current political climate of America. WE ARE is a collection of mostly unremarkable songs. Technically good, creatively lacking, and generally feels more like an exercise in stylistic mimicry rather than a genuinely original project. Throughout WE ARE, Batiste dips his toes into jazz, R&B, rap, gospel, and funk, all while attempting to tie it back to his overarching pop soul sound. The most interesting moments are when his musical education is on full display, such as on Movement 11' where Batiste rips a magnificent piano solo. Otherwise, I am mostly underwhelmed by this sort of music with weak platitudes masquerading as something deeper. Despite being up against the likes of newcomer pop heavy hitters like Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Nas X, and Doja Cat, Batiste walked out of the 64th Annual Grammy Awards with one of the big 4 awards. This was mostly eclipsed by Silk Sonic winning two of the other big 4 awards and having easily the best performance of the night, but retrospect has me wondering why this album was even considered at all. I supposed being on syndicated television as supporting musical talent for the past 6 years helped elevate his status, but Batiste's nomination felt in line with other out-of-touch token picks for AotY nominations such as H.E.R. and Black Pumas. I think if the Academy is looking for fantastic black artists to elevate in the realm of the recording arts, then they ought to look no further than Genesis Owusu, Little Simz, or Yves Tumor. Excellence everywhere for those with the eyes to see it, just not on your television set. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I can see it being included considering that SAULT, in a somewhat similar vein, was also included. I would rather reserve that space for better-realized albums though.

Not Animal

Margot & The Nuclear So And So's

2/5

The story goes that this band dropped two similar-but-different albums on the same day: Animal! and Not Animal. This was due to a dispute between the band the label they were signed to, where the band preferred Animal but the label wanted to release Not Animal instead. I suppose the middle ground was the release both and let the public sort it out, so here we are listening to the label's preferred album. Perfectly middle-of-the-road mid-late-aughts indie. Nothing exceptional but nothing bad either. Occasional harmonies were nice, reminded me a bit of the Beach Boys if Brian Wilson was less ambitious. An impressively nothing sort-of album. Just kinda happens and then its over. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Nope.

Tales Of Mystery And Imagination

The Alan Parsons Project

4/5

Prog rock with a distinct influence from the poetry of Edgar Allen Poe. While extremely theatrical and chalk-full of genre staples, Tales Of Mystery And Imagination lacks much of the moody atmosphere that I would anticipate from an album centered around the works of Poe. Sure, the moody post-punk and it's notable spinoffs wouldn't hit it's peak for another few years, but the potential for weaving in influence from occult rock seems like a missed opportunity to me. The classical elements dominating much of The Fall of the House of Usher certainly stuck with me though, despite being a bit of a left turn from the usual prog rock shtick on side A. Definitely an interesting and evocative album, fairly well-executed too. Might be worth a relisten in the future. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Hard to say. I feel like the field of prog rock is pretty well-covered by the original list. Would it benefit from replacing a Yes or ELP album with this? Perhaps, though I would also want to reserve a spot for Caravan or Camel.

Once

Nightwish

3/5

Symphonic metal is a genre that didn't get any appreciation in the original list (perhaps with the exception of Metallica's S&M), so I'm curious to see how this albums works as a representation. From what I can glean, a lot of symphonic metal goes hand-in-hand with power metal which is likely due to the naturally theatrical approach to power metal. I don't personally mind this but I tend to prefer more abrasive approaches to metal music. Let's see how Nightwish tackles it. Not bad! The band shines best when it's just doing standard metal riffing, because my god can they riff. I tend to lose interest most during the singing and the strings, but no doubt Ghost Love Score was a high point for the album. It really ought to have ended there, where it's their longest and most powerful song. Something like that really leaves the listener with something to walk away from, but the last two tracks ended up underwhelming me at a point where the album ought to have wrapped up. Oh well. Really not a bad album at all but one that just isn't for me. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Yeah, if we're adding symphonic metal then it oughta be either this or a Rhapsody album. Oh, the person who suggested this made a comment about how they didn't think there was an album from Finland on the original list, but they were mistaken! Hanoi Rocks is from Helsinki, so, there you go.

Kick

INXS

3/5

Australia's new wave champions (aside from Men At Work, of course). Kick is a bombastic, enthusiastic, fantastic collection of songs for an all-around good time. Never overstaying it's welcome, and certainly not dull, but lacking a certain je ne sais quois. The only song that really had the sauce was Need You Tonight, and it was thanks to that iconic riff. Every other song felt like it was mostly going through the motions. Good motions, but still. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Yeah this one can't be ignored.

Loss

Mull Historical Society

3/5

I've got no big insights on this one unfortunately. It was pretty good if a bit overly long. Another post-britpop album that takes key influence from OK Computer. Good melodies, fun compositions, but nothing that stood out all that much. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I don't see it standing out all that much from the rest of the late 90s/early 2000s post-britpop wave of bands. I'd like to see Porcupine Tree get on there first.

Puzzle

Biffy Clyro

4/5

Beloved Scottish alt rock band from the 2000s that takes distinct influence from emo. There's some Jimmy Eat World and Sunny Day Real Estate in here, but Biffy Clyro manages to put their own spin on it so it sounds fresh. Some clear highlights that it makes me think that there's a clear reason why this was such a huge step for the band's success. Great album all in all, very enjoyable. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: The list desperately needs other landmark emo/alt rock albums before it gets to this band, but I wouldn't say no.

From The Lions Mouth

The Sound

4/5

Some quality '80s post-punk from Scotland. A lot of big names get thrown around whenever discussions surrounding post-punk classics come up: Siouxsie and The Banshees, Killing Joke, the Cure, Bauhaus, the list goes on. But even among the less-notable acts, there's high-quality stuff to be found. Enter the Sound: critics loved them but they never did find great commercial success. Even on the same label as Echo and the Bunnymen, it seemed as though nobody cared about them despite being just as good as Joy Division in many respects. From The Lions Mouth feels like a masterclass at times in expertly-crafted post-punk. Perhaps not as flashy as others, but still fantastic songs. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Is post-punk a little over-represented? Perhaps. Could one of the Cure albums be replaced with this? Certainly.

Souvlaki

Slowdive

4/5

You have one of the most beautiful and true albums in the world, drenched in a melancholic mood that gives you every reason to continue listening to music forever, and you give it a mixed review on release. Maybe critics didn't realize how much shoegaze would ascend beyond a mere fad in the subsequent decades, but even in a vacuum it's difficult to find another album so pretty and moving. Combine the soundscape of Loveless with the tenderness of Heaven or Las Vegas. Experience emotional climaxes like no other. Listen to this after heartbreak for maximum feeling. This is everything. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Yes yes a thousand times yes. It's a goddamn travesty this wasn't already on the original list.

How to Operate With a Blown Mind

Lo Fidelity Allstars

3/5

In the world of Big Beat, there was the big 3: Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, and Fatboy Slim. Of course there were others, but it was difficult to surpass the big 3 in name recognition alone. Lo Fidelity Allstars dropped this album at the peak of the Big Beat craze and never seemee to fully distinguish themselves from the crowd. Despite vocals being reminiscent of the madchester dance scene that preceded, Lo Fidelity Allstars has a fairly standard and unremarkable sound for the time. It ain't bad though! I enjoyed the Battle Flag remix particularly, which makes me think this group is better suited for remixing others rather than making their own stuff. Either way, they're a decent listen that wouldn't go out of place on a good big beat playlist. I just wouldn't go out of my way to listen to one of their albums again. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Afraid not. Just a little to middle-of-the-road for genre that has enough representation already.

The Lioness

Songs: Ohia

4/5

A good time to reckon with the fact that Jason Molina was one of the greatest songwriters of his generation. While I am partial to his more country-oriented Magnolia Electric Co., the Lioness is such a strikingly tender album with incredible songs throughout. Back On Top, Tigress, the title track, all bringing a beautiful study of emotions to listeners. Few songwriters capture the genuine spirit and sound of Molina's slow folk rock. A modern Neil Young? No, a man in a league of his own. Thank you and rest well, Jason. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Either this or Magnolia Electric Co....maybe both? I wouldn't complain.

Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino

Arctic Monkeys

3/5

A far cry from the early days of Arctic Monkeys, this album sounds like it's trapped in another dimension of space and time (not unlike the album cover). As fascinating as the production is, it gets a little tired after a while as I was waiting for something to pick up the slack. It certainly isn't vocalist Alex Turner, who's poetic waxing actually detracts from much of the vibe. This is an album with heaps of potential but needs a bit more work to be fully realized. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Not really a highlight for the genre or even the band. AM might be a better pick.

Silence Yourself

Savages

4/5

An apt example of gothic rock in the 21st century: clearly pulling from the dark theatrics of the old masters (Siouxsie and The Banshees, Bauhaus) while keeping things fresh with the more modern production styles of current post-punk bands (Preoccupations, Protomartyr). Expertly deploys feedback and atmosphere in order to deliver it's moody darkness. Occasionally comes across as by-the-numbers but certainly isn't bad by any means. Cool album pick for the user's list. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Not quite as notable in the grand scheme of modern post-punk, which already has a lot of representation, so perhaps not.

Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones)

Jai Paul

4/5

6 years ago, this was released. 6 years before that, this was released. What happened? In the early 2010s, Jai Paul was an up-and-coming R&B songwriter and producer who gained traction with his first two singles: BTSTU and Jasmine. Paul's approach to R&B was reminiscent of masters that came before him like D'Angelo (on the original 1001 list) and J Dilla (also on the list, technically). While there clear interest from critics and audiences alike for a full album, Paul would be fairly quiet as he worked away at the final product. In 2013, however, bandcamp would play host to a leaked version of his upcoming album, simply self-titled. There was a lot of confusion over whether this was an official release or not despite both Paul and the label denying it, though this didn't stop outlets from reviewing it as an official album. Praise across the board made it clear that this was an internet-made classic for years to come, but Paul would spend much of the 2010s in recluse from the music industry as a result of the leaks. 2019 rolls around, and the album gets an official release with the title Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones) which clearly references the April 2013 leak. Eagle-eared listeners will notice very few changes between the leak and the official release, corroborated by the fact that most of the tracks are listed as either "unfinished" or "demo". Clearly, Paul had little motivation to alter the tracks any further following the leak, but the final product remains an incredible display of forward-thinking songs for the modern era of music. Despite the fact that nearly no one sounds like Jai Paul, his unfinished songs remain leaps and bounds better than many current popstars' finished songs. All in all, a timeless album. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: You know what, yeah. It would fit right next to Crystal Castles s/t and Merriweather Post Pavilion.

Ungodly Hour

Chloe x Halle

3/5

Pleasant enough R&B with some great vocals. The lyrical content gets tiring after a while considering the amount of infidelity that gets talked about. Otherwise, it's nice to showcase some more modern R&B here. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I think there are some better modern R&B picks that could be considered, notably The Weeknd and PinkPantheress.

Pop Art

Transvision Vamp

3/5

Sleek '80s pop rock with a little edge to keep things interesting. First two tracks are the big standouts, but vocalist Wendy James has a solid delivery on most every track that made this album more memorable than their contemporaries. Admittedly, I did find the B-side more boring than the A-side, but the album wasn't too bad overall. Notably, they reformed back in July of this year so hopefully they have a good run. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Not all that notable outside of the single I Want Your Love. Maybe if they had more of an impact.

The Hazards of Love

The Decemberists

4/5

Following the band's signing with Capitol Records and the wide acclaim for their indie folk rock magnum opus The Crane Wife, noted hipster band the Decemberists pivoted to a more strictly indie rock sound for an ambitious rock opera. Having an album that flows so seamlessly can be impressive from the outset, but actually executing it well requires careful consideration for pacing, variation, and lyricism. Thankfully, the excellent songwriting of Colin Meloy keeps this album sharp throughout it's nearly full hour runtime. Impressive and engaging! Enjoyable by all means, and perhaps a rock opera to rival the canon. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Decemberists certainly deserve a spot on the list, but perhaps the Crane Wife would be a better choice.

A Deeper Understanding

The War On Drugs

4/5

Their 2014 which made the original list, Lost In The Dream, was a dreamy take on heartland rock that charmed me more than bored me. A Deeper Understanding is more of the same. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I think Lost In The Dream is enough. No need for a second album.

Blizzard Of Ozz

Ozzy Osbourne

3/5

The man died recently. A lot of his legacy can be defined by his work in Black Sabbath, which was notable for pioneering heavy metal as a whole. Osbourne's stage antics and signature vocal style made him a staple of '70s rock music, but heavy drug and alcohol use made him difficult to work with as tensions rose between him and guitarist Tony Iommi. Kicked out by 1979, Osbourne was a wounded dog before his manager convinced him to go solo with an album deal on Jet records. Pull a few strings, get a few session musicians (who are incidentally also writing the songs with Osbourne) and you've got Blizzard of Ozz. It sounds a bit like Sabbath if they didn't have Iommi's moments of brilliance. His theatrics shine brightest on the more odd numbers like Mr. Crowley, but Steal Away The Night is a welcome change of pace for an album that is basically over after that. Not necessarily a great album but not a bad one either. I can see why this made Ozzy a household name. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: In the light of Ozzy's death and the public reaction to it, I truly feel like we don't have the mythos surrounding him without this album. Sure, he was better with Sabbath, but this album is an instrumental part in making him a legend. Without it we wouldn't have Ozzfest or Keeping Up with the Kardashians (believe it or not). I remember being an impressionable young teenager and seeing his likeness in video games like Guitar Hero and Brutal Legend, which cemented him as the "prince of darkness" in my mind. Yes, it should be on the list.

Cleopatra

The Lumineers

2/5

With the rise of indie folk in the 2000s/2010s, some groups opted for more radio-friendly approaches to their music with simpler songwriting and stripped-down rhythms. All of this polished with a nice, inoffensive production style and you've got stomp-and-holler. Mumford & Sons, Of Monsters and Men, and of course the Lumineers would be labelled as "boring" by the more negative music critics, but there's obviously more to it than that. Otherwise, we wouldn't have Kyle Gordon's recent lampoon of the genre with his song We Will Never Die or the viral internet discussion of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros' early hit Home being considered the "worst song ever made". Clearly this sort of music does strike a chord with people, even if that chord is sour. You probably know the Lumineers from their hit Ho Hey, which is perhaps the definitive stomp and holler song with literal stomps and shouts in the song's intro. If you were paying much attention in the early 2010s then you likely heard it on the radio or in a commercial somewhere. It was a song that was moreso forced upon you than one you actively pursued. The group's songwriter Wesley Schultz said it was meant to grab people's attention because audiences kept getting bored and distracted at their shows. Incredible. This song single-handedly earned the Lumineers a best new artist and best americana album nomination at the 2013 Grammy's (losing to Fun and Bonnie Raitt, respectively) along with a boatload of album sales. Cleopatra is their follow-up. Despite charting well, this is a nothing album. It had no lasting impact, it has no memorable songs, it has nothing noteworthy about it. It's a perfectly inoffensive listen that just passes you by. It's not annoying or abrasive or disturbing, but it isn't good either. The nicest thing I can say about it is that it occasionally has some pleasant melodic runs, but even those parts never seemed to have anything to lift them up. This feels like it barely qualifies as music at all. I will not remember a thing about it. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Could 2010s indie folk/pop use a little more representation on the list? Sure, but probably not this album.

The Impossible Kid

Aesop Rock

4/5

Story time! In 2014, visual journalist Matt Daniels did a graph for his website The Pudding that sorted rappers by the number of unique words used in their first 35,000 lyrics. Lots of Wu-Tang members ranked high for their diverse vocabulary, with Kanye and Snoop somewhere in the middle and DMX at the lower end. This made the rounds on reddit and users pointed to Aesop Rock's impressively vast verbiage in his raps, which led to Daniels updating his graph in 2017 to place Rock wayyyyy ahead of every other rapper. At this point I'm a junior in college and I'm invested in checking out his albums based on the graph alone. Turns out I had already heard his song Labor on one of the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater soundtracks but that only gave me more reason to dig into his earlier stuff. In the meantime, I planned on checking out his latest album at the time, which was The Impossible Kid. From the opening lines of this album, Rock is keen on breaking out the most cryptic bars known to man: "Tech support, feral army/In a cave on a failed bit of terraforming." I'd given up long ago on trying to decipher whatever oddball shit he throws at the listener, because the real amusement is in the lyrical gymnastics he pulls to match the energy of the seemingly alien production (also by Aesop Rock). Some of his best stuff shines in his storytelling, particularly in the song Blood Sandwich in which he recounts childhood stories of his brothers that brings his family dynamics to life on the dance of another memorable beat. When Rock reels me into another one of his stories, I have a tendency of getting lost in his world. Speaks highly to his captivating vocal delivery, makes me feel like I'm getting schooled left and right despite how hokey it can be. I wouldn't consider Aes to be the best rapper of all time, but he certainly made himself stand out in a number of ways. Impossible Kid is a great album to just get lost in, swim around in Aes' funny songs and come out the other end a new person. I think this album is great for fully getting a feel for his personality and style so I'm glad someone suggested it for the user's list. Massive props. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: As a Def Jux fan, I am compelled to put Labor Days or None Shall Pass before this album, but then should we include EL-P's Fantastic Damage too? What about Company Flow? Argghhh so difficult. Put it on the list, whatever.

Look Sharp!

Joe Jackson

4/5

Another Costello-style new wave album that easily could've replaced one of the many Costello albums on the list. The album's title reflects Jackson's sharp songwriting skills as he wields power pop and punk rock with ease. Each song in here is such a fun and easy listen that Jackson makes it look effortless. Doesn't need much more than that. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Sure, throw it on there.

Oil of Every Pearl's Un-Insides

SOPHIE

5/5

Perhaps the most important producer of the last 20 years? Cutting her teeth on indietronica tracks with Berlin group Motherland, SOPHIE would begin producing her own house music and, notably, pioneered a new exaggerated form of EDM known as bubblegum bass. During this time she was working closely with AG Cook of PC Music to develop the sound of the future: massive artificial-sounding synths, blown-out synths, and glitchy production that emphasized surreal sounds. So much can be attributed to the fairly similar Deconstructed Club sound that arose around the same time, but most would simply consider it to be "experimental". Regardless, SOPHIE's innovative work throughout the 2010's would culminate in her debut album PRODUCT. This release would put her on the map and inspire other artists to enlist her production for their own works, such as Charli XCX's Vroom Vroom EP and Vince Staples' highly acclaimed sophomore album Big Fish Theory. SOPHIE allowed these artists to stand out from the pack and paved the way for her own work to gain wider exposure. It wouldn't be until 2017 that listeners got a chance to hear new solo SOPHIE music in over two years, with It's Okay to Cry being the first single of her then-upcoming album OIL OF EVERY PEARL'S UN-INSIDES. While distinctly more pop than her other work, she would continue to work on more forward-thinking EDM material up to the album's official release in 2018. OIL OF EVERY PEARL'S UN-INSIDES is such a unique album that my words fail to capture just how fucking good this is. It ascends being a pure music album and becomes more of an artistic experience as the runtime continues. There's nothing else like this. It's magical and transcendent and such a true reflection of SOPHIE'S soul that I find myself feeling more like a voyeur than a listener. Masterful in every sense of the word, I often think about SOPHIE as the landmark for musical innovation in the 21st century. What a legend. We lost SOPHIE in 2021. The loss is immeasurable but what was left behind is invaluable. I can only hope that more music artists look to her work as a blueprint for the future. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Yes.

Live At Madison Square Garden

Vulfpeck

3/5

Vulfpeck made a nice name for themselves on youtube with their '70s style warm production on both the audio and visual components of their music videos. Given that all four core members are graduates of the music program at the University of Michigan, it seems sort of unsurprising that the band was skilled at their craft. Their work in the early 2010s consisted primarily of instrumental funk EPs with a distinct jazz fusion influence. The other half of the 2010s was marked by full albums with less jams and more actual songs with lyrics and such. Recurring guest musicians would give Vulfpeck a more consistent cast of rotating characters in songs that I can only describe as light and fun. To this end, Vulfpeck is akin to a sitcom. Live At Madison Square Garden is a nice culmination of Vulfpeck's entire discography to that point, digging out of a number of fan favorites (Animal Spirits, Back Pocket, 1612, Birds of a Feather) as well as impressive instrumental jams (Cory Wong, Smile Meditation, Dean Town, surprisingly not Fugue State i love that one) that wraps up the concert with arguably the Vulf thesis statement It Gets Funkier. Truly, Vulfpeck songs do get funkier the more you listen. It's a fun time. Not necessarily the best or most impressive live album, but delivers a non-stop musical train with smiles all around. There's much that holds Vulfpeck back from being taken seriously but I don't think that's been much of a problem if they're playing to a well-attended crowd at MSG. There are much more important and skilled jazz-funk groups with better live albums but this one serves it's own purposes as being a decent showcase of Vulfpeck's work on the whole. If you enjoyed it, great! If not, no big deal. It's only an hour and change of your time. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: No, a spot for Vulfpeck would be better filled by Weather Report, which is already on the list so there you go.

Telefone

Noname

4/5

I first heard of Noname when she had her unforgettable guest verse on Chance's Acid Rap mixtape. A few years later, we got her highly-anticipated first mixtape Telefone. How does it stack up? So so good. Smooth jazz rap beats with thought-provoking lyrics and tight flow to boot. Incredibly rich production makes this album particularly memorable amongst a wave of trap and cloud rap mixtapes at the time (save for Injury Reserve, also deserving of a spot on the list). Distinct, refreshing, just damn high-quality. What a tape. In the following years, Noname would grow increasingly disillusioned with her music career. A mix of burnout from repeatedly playing the same songs on tour, growing resentment for her non-black fans, and radicalizing political conditions in the US made her subsequent music feel more like obligations rather than any actual love for the craft. It became increasingly clear to me that Noname was a lot more invested in her book club rather than her music career which, y'know, good for her. But this does make feel think that Noname's music career is one of the more notable "what-ifs" of rap: what if she wasn't so burnt out and irritable? Would her music sound different? Would she be less polarizing? Would she be a bigger name? Who knows. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Unfortunately with the way her career veered after this mixtape, it's not quite the strong contender that I would've thought back in 2016. So, maybe not.

Nurture

Porter Robinson

4/5

Porter Robinson rose to fame in the mid-2010s with his debut album Worlds, a fantasy dream-like blend of EDM and pop music that highlighted his attention to detail for production. It's hard to understate just how much impact this album had on the world of EDM as a whole but we're not gonna get into that right now. Aside from a trance EP in 2017 under the pseudonym Virtual Self, Robinson had little to offer until the turn of the decade with snippets of Nurture in early 2020. Rollout for this album was slow and staggered, almost certainly because of COVID, but it would eventually release in 2021. In a lot of ways Nurture is similar to Worlds in the sense that Robinson continues to effectively bridge EDM and pop music, but stylistic changes give this album a fresh sound in comparison to his debut. More acoustic instruments, less EDM cliches, and a more optimistic outlook makes Nurture stand out particularly in it's more tender-sounding songs. Even the simplest moments like the outro of Something Comforting showcases just how beautiful Robinson's songwriting can be. In the time following Worlds, Robinson experienced a mix of burnout and depression that made it difficult to write new material. Given then themes on this album, it's inspiring how much of a life-affirming piece of work Robinson was able to pull together. In a word, I enjoyed Nurture. There are some parts that maybe held the album back but man when it hits does it hit hard. Fantastic. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Worlds definitely should, not sure about Nurture yet. Give it another year and we'll see.

Bloody Kisses

Type O Negative

4/5

The original list did a fair job covering metal albums (original heavy metal, thrash, glam, alternative and nu metal, etc.) but never went too far into the more niche or extreme subgenres such as doom, death, power, or black metal. One of these unrepresented subgenres includes gothic metal, a genre that blended the moody atmosphere of gothic rock (the Cure, Dead Can Dance) with the heavy riffs and rhythms of metal (Black Sabbath, Judas Priest). Early pioneers of the genre, and extremely influential pioneers at that, were Type O Negative. Frontman Peter Steele was in another band that went kaput so in the fallout was Repulsion, renamed to Sub-Zero, renamed to Type O Negative. While there were some elements of thrash (a relic from his last band), Steele was content to slow things down with a more doom-focused sound on the first two albums. It wasn't until the third, Bloody Kisses, that Type O Negative was all-in on the gothic theatrics. Steele's silky baritone vocal style combined with occasional flair from Josh Silver on keys makes the band's metal sound stand out. This is especially potent in the band's longest songs, where they become epic ballads of dark, sarcastic comedy. This stems from Steele's lyrical wit and penchant for sweeping movements of sonic passion. To this end, Bloody Kisses effectively carves out it's own memorable metal sound in a time when the genre was undergoing some heavy changes. Excellent listen from top-to-bottom. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: How deep do we go down the metal rabbithole? Gothic metal isn't exactly a notable subgenre, but I'd reckon Type O Negative is a notable band. Fuck it, add it to the list.

The Lonesome Crowded West

Modest Mouse

5/5

The other album featuring the Marina City Complex in Chicago. Much like America's expansion into the west, The Lonesome Crowded West is a sprawling, exciting experience that carves out a new sound for the future. While Pavement was beginning to chill out and wind down after their lollapalooza incident in the mid-90's, Modest Mouse was seemingly just getting started. Their 1996 debut This Is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About had a lot of the signature '90s indie rock staples mixed with the burgeoning midwest emo genre and some ambitious post-hardcore songwriting moments. Much of this sound would carry over into this album, but with a more honed approach to the songwriting. The band's songwriting is so pointed, in fact, that it surprises me just how little filler The Lonesome Crowded West seem to have. You're telling me they packed over 70 minutes of rock jams into this sucker and it doesn't feel bloated? By god, how do they do it? Feels like every rock band has been trying to catch up to this record since and few have been able to conquer it. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Well, it's gotta have something from Modest Mouse. Either this one or Good News for People Who Love Bad News.

Portishead

4/5

Might as well listen to the one Portishead album that didn't make the cut. In essence much like Dummy in terms of both quality and sound, but significantly darker while also invoking a sort of retro grainy sound. It's quite striking, though still pleasant to listen to. Great autumn album. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I think just the first Portishead album is fine. Appreciators can explore the rest of their discography at their leisure.

Animals

Pink Floyd

4/5

No one doubts that Pink Floyd had a career-defining run in the '70s, but you don't need to listen to EVERY album of theirs to get that picture. Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, and the Wall tell that story just fine, so what about Animals? A sort of awkward middle child where the band was still doing their usual prog rock sound, just condensed down into three long songs and two short ones that bookend the album. For all it's faults (wandering, unfocused, not quite as striking or memorable), Animals is still a damn good rock album. It doesn't quite reach the same heights as Dark Side of Wish You Were Here, but on it's own it still manages to impress me. A testament to Pink Floyd's talent as a band. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: No, the Pink Floyd albums already selected are enough.

Version 2.0

Garbage

3/5

The version 2.0 is an upgrade from pure rock to something more electronic-influenced. Yes, there are electric guitars with rock riffs, but the beats are noticeably more dancey with pop hooks to boot. While not great, I found it to be a lot more refreshing compared to their debut album which sounded a lot staler. By the late '90s, bands needed something more to differentiate themselves from the pack. I think Garbage took a pretty good route here. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Despite their popularity and legacy, I don't think I'd have Garbage on the list at all. Doesn't quite stand out enough in the wave of '90s alt rock.

Argus

Wishbone Ash

4/5

Some fun, winding prog rock that seemed to be overshadowed by their contemporaries. The highlight of this album was easily the twin guitars from Andy Powell and Ted Turner who trade rhythm and lead duties as the songs require it. Sometimes a damn good pair of performances is all you need. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Nahhhh there's too much prog rock on the list already.

Yeti

Amon Düül II

4/5

A welcome addition to the krautrock canon. While Can and Neu! were the more popular bands, Amon Düül II gets credit for pioneering the german psych rock subgenre in the late '60s. Technically it was the art commune Amon Düül (the first) that can claim that achievement, but we'll allow Amon Düül II points for being a direct outgrowth while also massively improving on the original's admittedly primitive attempts. While their debut Phallus Dei is a great example of early krautrock, the monolithic follow-up Yeti is what really deserves more than a mere footnote. Conquering this double album is best done by examining the tracklist in two parts: the first disc (which is the only one currently on streaming) is a more structured, albeit winding, collection of songs that highlights the more heavy rock influences on the band; The second disc (easily found on youtube) is a collection of three incredible jams that really gives the likes of the Grateful Dead a run for their money. It's dazzling and complete, though a total wash for those lacking the attention span for it's runtime. In my opinion it's earned, but I reckon not everyone will get down with the visionary Amon Düül II. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I think so. You could easily replace the Holger Czukay album with this.

Hadestown

Anaïs Mitchell

4/5

Before the hit musical in the mid-late 2010's, Hadestown was a masterpiece album that can only be described as a folk opera. Actually, uh, wait a second. I'm just now learning that it was originally written as a sung-through musical in the 2000s before Anaïs Mitchell adapted it into the studio version in 2010. Well, cool! Calling it an Anaïs Mitchell album is a little misleading because she only plays one part in this expansive cast of guest vocalists that bring the concept album to life. Folk singer-songwriter Greg Brown, Ani DiFranco (who pops up on the users list), and fucking Bon Iver all lend support with incredible performances across the board. Also, wow, Mitchell's songwriting is undeniably good. Admittedly I much prefer the first half to the second, but where the strongest songs are on display is a monument to Mitchell's ability to wrangle up some damn fine tunes. Ambitious folk album that does so well in some respects that I can easily forgive the shortcomings. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Potentially! Given the popularity of the musical and the excellence on display, I can find myself in favor of having it on the album. However, as a standalone folk product of the 2010s I wonder if other artists are more deserving of a spot (Bon Iver, Mount Eerie, eventually Phoebe Bridgers).

A Live One

Phish

3/5

Okay if we're doing essential Jam Band then it should probably be Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers Band, Phish, maybe Dave Matthews Band, and King Gizzard. I think that tells an alright arc of the progression of Jam but Phish is an interesting point to note on. Despite pulling a few well-known tracks from their studio albums on A Live One (Stash, Chalkdust Torture, the 30-minute epic Tweezer), a number of songs on here were regular setlist songs that hadn't yet found their way onto official Phish releases. Much like the nomadic Deadheads of the '70s, Phish fans would form a tight community surrounding the live shows and were already deeply familiar with these unreleased songs. Further, they would begin to analyze Phish jams to such an extent that they could be categorizes as Type 1 or Type 2 jams. Enough live bootlegs getting passed around in the '90s prompted Phish to finally release A Live One with sound directly from the soundboard. You need to take breaks, or at least one break, before getting to Tweezer. It's sort of a thing in and of itself and (successfully, imo) stretches the possibility of live jams through dynamic runs that somehow don't wear me out. Then you take another break. Then you finish the album. Too much of a marathon to be enjoyed in any reasonable way. They're obviously really good at what they do but it lacks the proper pacing for it to be digestible. Even at the last track with the nice piano outro, I'm left thinking "FINALLY". Only so much Phish a man can stomach. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: God, not really? No.

TEKKNO

Electric Callboy

2/5

Melding electronic pop with metalcore, Electric Callboy tends to toe the line between fairly competent poppy metal songs and extremely lame hooks that aims to go viral on tiktok. I can get behind the general concept, but it ends up sounding so overproduced and same-y that I wonder if they could make an interesting song for once. They really are a one-trick pony that I have little patience for. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Not at all. This sort of metalcore is a flash-in-the-pan and will likely be viewed poorly in retrospect.

John Dawson Winter III

Johnny Winter

3/5

A great blues rock guitarist in his own right, Johnny Winter's greatest accomplishments might actually be producing grammy award-winning albums for blues legend Muddy Waters. Despite this, he was distinctly a guitarist's guitarist with his mindful approach to playstyle that emphasized both blues and rock sounds in a way that was easily appreciate by fans of both sounds. While certainly not the first to meld the genres, his contributions certainly garnered wide appeal such that he would be recognized for his legacy appropriately in Rolling Stone after his death. While the songs aren't much to write home about on John Dawson Winter III, there is an undeniable presence in his ability to wield the guitar and craft fun songs. It's light, it's playful, and most importantly it rocks. Hats off to you, Mr. Winter. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Not this one, but maybe The Progressive Blues Experiment. He deserves a spot in general.

Deltron 3030

4/5

The original list only briefly touched on weirdo underground rap with Dr. Octagon so I'm glad some contributions to the user's list cover that ground. Of course, Dan the Automator produced beats on Dr. Octagon and you may have heard Del the Funky Homosapien do a guest verse on a Gorrilaz song, but this is both of these guys at their fucking best. Futuristic dystopian beats give Del ample material to deliver his signature flow, and it effectively feels like a spiritual sequel to Dr. Octagon but better in every way. Between this and Company Flow, underground hip-hop was in a great spot for guys looking for an alternative to the usual east/west/southern scenes. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Damn straight. Throw it on there.

AmarElo

Emicida

2/5

Perhaps the most popular Brazilian rapper in the past decade or so, Emicida grew his reputation on the internet before breaking out and finding himself in several video game soundtracks. This effectively put him on the radar for American audiences despite clearly being meant for a Brazilian audience (he exclusively raps in Portuguese and lyrically focuses on social issues pertaining to his home-country). To that end, I can still appreciate and respect what he's doing with his platform as an artist, but I simply don't resonate with it all that much. Musically, this is rap with extremely rounded edges. Though I appreciate the various Brazilian music influences that are infused into the beats, production is squeaky clean to the point that I rarely found myself fully engaged with this album. Which is a shame because it seems as though this guy is fairly popular and well-enjoyed, though has not quite eclipsed the legacy of Racionais MC. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I'd add Racionais MC before considering Emicida for a spot, but Brazilian hip-hop ought to get some recognition.

Jaco Pastorius

5/5

You've heard Jaco before on Weather Report's jazz fusion heavy-hitter Heavy Weather and Joni Mitchell masterpiece Hejira, but you ought to hear Jaco on his own terms. Strikingly brilliant and sonically rich in so many ways, Jaco Pastorius reenvisions the electric bass as more than just a supporting rhythm instrument. I am often left in awe at each piece of this album, allowing other instrumentation to move in and out of the frame while the bass cycles from spotlight to support and then back to spotlight. Sometimes Jaco shares the spotlight with other incredible musicians, and other times it's just him. This is one of those albums that truly pushes the boundaries of jazz music in a way that fucks me up. Beautiful from top to bottom. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Too good not to add? Despite being so great on his own, his best-known work primarily resides in his supporting roles. To that end, I think Jaco's self-titled is better suited as a lesser-known gem to discover for those with the gusto to dive deeper. Either way, you've already heard how great he is! Just might not have known it the first time around.

Blade Runner

Vangelis

4/5

A pioneer of the electronic music genre, Vangelis is perhaps best known for his vibrant soundtracks. Between Chariots of Fire and Blade Runner, the man left his mark with atmospheric soundscapes the fit each mood he was required to evoke. Blade Running (fantastic movie btw) is such a stylistically-charged production that Vangelis' score folds neatly into the (now) retro-futuristic cyberpunk Los Angeles dystopia. There is a certain dissonance that runs through the soundtrack, emphasized by haunting chords and the hum and whir of computer machinery. This works especially well as the blending of electronic and acoustic instrumentation plays into the themes of humanity's struggle to define itself against the machine. I'm seeing some parallels with a certain rise of Machines that have been Learning.... This soundtrack was so popular that bootleg version were produced by fans in order to supplement the delay of the official OST that came out a decade later (save for an orchestrated version that was greenlit by the studio, much to the chagrin of both Vangelis and Ridley Scott). Even then, the version you probably heard on streaming (57 minutes long) omits much of the original material that can be found in the 149 minute-long 25th anniversary release. But for brevity, this is still great. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: "I've seen things you people wouldn't believe...attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time....like tears in rain." Yes.

Because the Internet

Childish Gambino

4/5

Donald Glover got is his start in a number of different ways so I'll just quickly list them now: Writing and occasional guest spots on 30 Rock, early youtube sketch comedy group Derrick Comedy and their subsequent movie Mystery Team, Troy Barnes on hit TV show Community, comedy central stand-up special Weirdo, the first Childish Gambino album Camp featuring breakout hit Bonfire. If you've heard of any of those, great! If not, hopefully it gives you some idea how prolific the guy on the cover art is. Yes, that's him. As far as alternative hip hop goes, this is perhaps the most poppy (I remember 3005 and Sweatpants being particularly well-received singles). Even then, Because the Internet has distinctly dark and spaced-out moments that highlights how Gambino sets himself apart from his contemporaries. There's also a short movie that is meant accompany the album, but I never paid it any mind. With such a successful execution of the "deep web" theme and more than a few memorable songs, I can excuse how overly long this gets. Believe it or not this is not Gambino's shining moment. After this he had the megahit Redbone on the magnificent modern soul album "Awaken, My Love!", which was later followed up by This Is America which seemingly set the world on fire with it's provocative music video. Everything else since then has been a fumble because I assume Glover has been too busy doing other stuff (where's the Bando Stone movie???). So many intersecting paths here, it's hard to accurately pinpoint this album's place in modern music history. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Big maybe. Either this one or "Awaken, My Love!", which is what I'm leaning toward due to being both the better album and the bigger hit. Save the alternative hip-hop spaces for Earl Sweatshirt and Death Grips.

Foxes in the Snow

Jason Isbell

3/5

Jason Isbell was a member of the Drive-By Truckers for a moment there, but he wasn't on the album that made the 1001 list so we won't dwell on that too much. Foxes in the Snow is a lot like the album cover, evoking a hallow and lonely atmosphere of a once-domestic life. No doubt about it: this is a breakup album. Through pained lyrics is the bronze attack and soft ringing of the acoustic guitar, with no other accompaniment. This is as bare as a singer-songwriter album gets, with the particular twang of Isbell's usual vocal stylings. Not much else to it. It's nice but not particularly noteworthy. Someone who was Going Through It near the start of this year (2025) probably needed this album more than I did, which is why we're seeing it on the user's list. I can think of plenty better solo acoustic singer-songwriter albums, but this one does a single thing fairly well and thats all it need to be. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Too soon to tell, but probably not.

Black Devil Disco Club

4/5

Synth and electro music had allowed artists to innovate on disco music in the lat '70s, especially thanks to the likes of Giorgio Moroder (not on the 1001 list). This is especially true in Europe but no so much in America, which is why the "death of disco" is really just a slight exaggeration. Regardless, this innovation on disco allowed for some more unique and unconventional explorations within the genre. Black Devil Disco Club is a weridly hypnotic, satanic disco album that invokes a strange ambiance over it's dance beat. As such, there really isn't any dance album like Black Devil Disco Club, and the fact that it was the only release under this name makes it all the more strange. Certainly a record to pique the curiosity of any collector. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Cool as a novelty, but not all that notable otherwise. Giorgio Moroder would make more sense to represent the euro-disco sound.

Spilt Milk

Jellyfish

4/5

The catchiness of Teenage Fanclub combined with the stylistic flair and songwriting of Supertramp, and also they're American. Massive sprawling songs of maximalist production that often come close to Bohemian Rhapsody levels of anthemic eclecticism without going completely overboard. Several songs on here dazzle and wow me with their impressive melodic moments backed by unstoppable momentum like All Is Forgiven and Joining a Fan Club. Further, the album ends on a climax that brings a lot of sound together for a finish that leaves you hanging....woah what? It's no surprise that this album was overbudget and behind schedule. It's almost as if they had to end it that way just to get it out the door. Easy to forgive though considering how much this feels like an honest-to-god love letter to pop music in many senses of the word: Sgt. Peppers, Pet Sounds, Out of the Blue, Ziggy Stardust, English Settlement, So all rolled up in a mess of influences that comes out kinda messy but in a fun way. Hard not to enjoy. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Jellyfish burned bright but short. Their legacy was left lingering as a cult classic for ambitious pop songwriters to pull from rather than for wider public appreciation. Could see a connection to Fun. followed by the explosion of Jack Antonoff in 2020s pop, but that might be too much of a stretch so, no.

Phantom Power

The Tragically Hip

4/5

A much more vulnerable and emotionally complex album compared to their other most well-known effort Fully Completely, Phantom Power retains much of the same signature alternative rock sound with a new angle: they sound more like R.E.M. now. Whatever. R.E.M. is good so I can't knock this. Plus the Hip will be a Canadian national treasure forever and you can write that down. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I'd only throw one hip album on the list, and it'd be Fully Completely for being a little more iconic.

Gordon

Barenaked Ladies

2/5

I called the Tragically Hip a Canadian national treasure in one of my prior reviews. Well, the Barenaked Ladies are more akin to the treasure that some restaurants have for kids to take home some cheap plastic toy. That's a little mean. There are some genuinely great songs on here like Enid and Brian Wilson. But for every one of those you get a song like I Love You or Grade 9. And don't get me started on If I Had $1,000,000, god what a stupid song. It's so odd to get such fantastic songwriting being dragged down by quirky half-witted afterthoughts. Some real stupid Canadian bullshit in here, I can't get over it. Incredible basslines though. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Barenaked Ladies have certainly secured their legacy here in Canada, but I can hardly recommend them when their catalogue is half great and half bullshit. No

Bleed American

Jimmy Eat World

4/5

Perhaps the greatest oversight of the original list was emo. Like it or not, emo played a significant role in the cultivation of rock music into the 21st century. Even if we're to ignore the more niche subgenres like midwest emo or screamo, we have to reckon with the fact that bands like Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, and Jimmy Eat World all contributed to the sound of disconnected millennials in a post-9/11 America. All you have to do is listen to the opening self-titled barn-burner of Bleed American to get a feel for the passion and killer sound that emo can encompass. Even the incredibly overplayed The Middle finds some charm in its catchy pop hooks. I do find the album tends to fall off in the second half, but so much of the tracklist is incredibly well-executed that I find it hard to fault. This is especially true for the beautifully tender closing song My Sundown, which breaks from the more high-energy songs on Bleed American. Too good to ignore. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Oh yeah, definitely. Maybe Clarity too. A huge thank you to the users that suggested those two.

Stop Making Sense

Talking Heads

4/5

I had the absolute pleasure of seeing Stop Making Sense in theaters when it was rereleased back in 2023. Getting to experience such a wonderful concert with a crowd of folks who were also excitedly attending this Once In A Lifetime event felt all the more special as we got to witness perhaps the greatest musics performances ever committed to film. From top to bottom you're getting the absolute best of the Talking Heads with some songs arguably eclipsing their studio versions: Life During Wartime, Burning Down the House, Take Me To The River, and even the new Big Business / I Zimbra inclusion on the 2023 rerelease all find little ways to enhance their originals. There's a lot to love about this live album but there's no substitution for the actual concert movie. Something gets lost without the visual element which is so integral to what makes Stop Making Sense iconic in the first place. Frankly this experience isn't the same without the stage aerobics, large suits, and lamp-dancing. Ask anyone and those are what they'll remember most fondly, as they work in conjunction with the music to elevate the concert. Without them, all your left with is either a bunch of great live tracks divorced from the actual context that they were performed in, or memories of said performances from those who have seen the film. Either way, something integral is missing. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Would you believe me if I said no? Stop Making Sense has always been a film first and an album second to me. It's honestly better that people who have completed the 1001 list are already familiar with most songs on this soundtrack from the studio albums, and then they can pursue the visual experience on their own terms instead of getting the less-than-ideal version in the live album.

California

Mr. Bungle

4/5

Mike Patton's other project. Technically Bungle predates Patton's time with Faith No More by virtue of him landing the vocalist job thanks to a Bungle demo, but the first Bungle album was released in part thanks to Patton's success with Faith No More. So, there you have it. Bungle makes weird rock music for weirdos by slamming a lot of contrasting music styles into any given song and having fun with it. This works best when there's contrasting tonality in said styles that creates a sort of dissonance. Doo-wop with progressive metal? Surf rock with an avant-garde edge? Why not! This album certainly evokes the reality of California by twisting the Beach Boys sound to reveal the untamed underbelly of it's denizens. Actual California is dirty and filled with all kinds of unruly characters, which Mr. Bungles aims to capture here. Does a pretty good job on that front. Every song is distinct and stands out in different ways but it also feels a little overwhelming on first listen. In truth I'm not 100% sure what to make of this but the final product is intriguing. Worth your time just for the beeps on Pink Cigarette alone. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Nah. Too out there for 1001 I think. Save it for the more dedicated Mike Patton fans to appreciate on their own.

City Of Evil

Avenged Sevenfold

2/5

If you were growing up in the mid-late 2000s and played enough video games, then you probably came across opening track Beast and the Harlot one way or another. Avenged Sevenfold (A7X if you're cool) effectively took the burgeoning melodic metalcore sound of the 2000s and watered it down to sounds more like generic metal with melodic hardcore elements. Notably, vocalist M. Shadows eschewed the fried metalcore shouting style for a more melodic approach akin to '80s hard rock or power metal. Gives the impression of being cool and badass while also remaining accessible by avoiding the more intimidating death metal influences that would make an album like this a bit better. It's pop metal (no, not the '80s glam metal) that pervaded so much of the post-millennium world: Five Finger Death Punch, Evanescence, and more recently I Prevail and Sleep Token. This album in particularly is overly long and brings very few interesting things to the table. Anything with promise is swamped out by the rest of the song effectively winding from one section to the next with little reason. The product is every song at 5 minutes or longer over 11 songs, do the math, it's over 70 minutes. That's too much man! Equally underwhelming and exhausting, I cannot fathom why Avenged Sevenfold was the band to carry metal's torch into the 2010s as opposed to the much better Mastodon. Oh well. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Spare the people, no!

Lemonade

Beyoncé

3/5

Lemonade was an event when it dropped, complete with an album-long music video. A surprise release like her prior self-titled album, Beyonce made waves and cemented her legacy as the greatest pop artist of her generation as Lemonade spanned a wide range of genres while also touching on some heavy topics. Straight from the wikipedia page: "The album topped Rolling Stone's Greatest Albums of the 21st Century list, and was placed at number 10 on the Apple Music 100 Best Albums list and number 32 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list. One of the most Grammy-nominated albums in history, Lemonade won Best Urban Contemporary Album and Best Music Video at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. It also won a Peabody Award in Entertainment at the 2017 Peabody Awards and received four nominations at the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards." So, it did well. And it's a perfectly fine album. It's not bad. It's pretty good. Idk there are maybe three songs on here that stood out to me. Formation was the big leading single (as it should be) and was a big statement piece while also being the closer on the album so, strong finish there. That was preceded by the hard-hitting Freedom which comes packaged with a quality guest verse from Kendrick Lamar. Closer to the top of the album we have the rocker Don't Hurt Yourself which is more of a Jack White song than anything, but we'll take it. Other than that, there's not much to write home about this album. Sure the concept and topics in here are worthy of praise, but the execution lacks impact. A bonus is the country-leaning Daddy Lessons, which acts as a glimpse into Cowboy Carter a mere 8 years later, but otherwise everything is just fine. It is a serviceable pop album. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Actually yes. I believe Beyonce only had one entry on the original list if we're not counting Destiney's Child, but Lemonade actually set the tone for so much of pop music going forward that we ought not to neglect it's importance.

Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?

of Montreal

4/5

For fans of the Animal Collective album on the original list. A weirdo pop concept album that invokes glam rock aesthetics and themes, of Montral seemingly perfects the psychedelic indietronica wave of the 2000s. Honestly, there's not a bad song on this album. Never a dull moment while finding ways to stand out with each new song. This is good music. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Sure!

O

Damien Rice

2/5

Fragile folk album, are you well? Did you drink enough water? What tragic event befell you? Much of this album is Damien Rice singing like a wounded dog while Lisa Hannigan actually carries the weight of a proper vocal performance. It feels like O really only kicks it into gear with I Remember, easily the most memorable and hard-hitting song while also succeeding 35 minutes of low-energy songs. Coupled with two (count 'em, 2) hidden songs after the "final" track Eskimo, I find my patience for this album wears pretty thin. The making of this album is a fairly impressive indie story, but I didn't care much beyond that. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I don't see why it should be.

Pinkerton

Weezer

4/5

Weezer's second album. While their first album is more popular, Pinkerton holds a similar amount of weight for being an impressive evolution for the band. The band's still making hard-hitting loser rock with pop hooks, but now the songs are a lot more anxious and grappling with more college-age topics. It's like the boys graduated high school after the debut album and got sucked into the whirlwind rite of passage that is Post-Secondary Education. Yeesh! What a tight album. Starts great, ends great, got no filler in the middle, just pure tunes. I think it's great to see a band evolve their sound while retaining the best parts of their previous works. Real fans of Weezer will often cite this as their favorite alongside the first album, and I can easily see why. Hard to not appreciate the influence that these two albums have had as well. All-around compliments too chefs. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Well, I'm not so sure. I think the debut has more of a reason to be listed, but Pinkerton didn't do many favors for the band's career. It's not a "deep cut" but it's not the shining star of their catalogue either. I might not include it.

Only God Was Above Us

Vampire Weekend

2/5

Vampire Weekend made a name for themselves in the late 2000s as indie darlings of the millennial generation, particularly with the hit A-Punk. The one-two punch of their self-titled debut in 2008 and Contra in 2010 proved that they could wield both rock and electronic influences (respectively) as core parts of their sound. This would cement their legacy and earn them subsequent grammies for best alternative album on the next two LPs. So, what was in store for their first album of the 2020s? Only God Was Above Us is incredibly melodic with an a nice flow to it. That's all the nice things I can must up because I found it to be incredibly monotonous. Every track lacks a distinct punch that keeps anything from being memorable. I found it just dragged out with some generally pleasant music but not much else. I think I need a relisten or something. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I wouldn't say so. Not only is it their worst-performing album, but it doesn't stack up to the much more memorable and historic heights of their first two. Oh well!

Imaginal Disk

Magdalena Bay

5/5

I remember seeing a lot of excitement within online music circles surrounding Magdalena Bay and their debut back in 2021. The sounds of '80s synthpop with a brand-new shiny coat of paint, wasn't too boring or commercial, and had its own personality drawing on retrotech themes and imagery. Very cool stuff, made a decent splash, but it was clear that the duo needed to stick the landing on the second album to prove they weren't a total fluke and capitalize on all the good faith they built up. Imaginal Disk cemented a legacy. I fully believe Magdalena Bay are going to be remembered for years and years by record store nerds for being the pinnacle of 2020s pop. Insatiable hooks, masterful production, the best tracklist with zero skips. I can't imagine how difficult it can be to craft an album where every song is seemingly the best song, but here we are. So many times I was blown away by the sheer auditor experience of this album, it was as if an immense amount of love and care went into every second and waveform. I think all of pop music should sound like this forever. More please! CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I would love to know how this gets looked back on in 5 years time. Until then, no.

Repetition

Unwound

4/5

Post-hardcore and all it's great bands have a history that leaves room for many innovators to fall to the wayside for one reason or another. The 1001 list covers heavyweights like Minutemen, Fugazi, Big Black, Drive Like Jehu, and Slint. Despite covering a lot of ground, it manages to miss At The Drive-In, the Jesus Lizard, Scratch Acid, Helmet, Shellac, Refused, the Fall of Troy, anything emo, and, of course, Unwound. It would be foolish to try to include at least one album from all the bands I listed, but if I were to make a minor change it would probably be replacing the Girls Against Boys album with one of Unwound's. Repetition is a pretty good place to start. A fantastic mix of influences that merges the weight of noise rock, the dynamics of indie rock, the passion and twinkly parts of emo, and the meditative elements of post-punk. One need not look any further than Corpse Pose to see how effective the band can wield it's influences to make a song so poignant and memorable that sounds exactly like a stiff, grey cadaver in all its creeping decay. Wew. For an album that lands smack-dab in the middle of an unbeatable discography, Repetition manages to hold its own in a lot of great ways. A good entry point for anyone looking to explore more '90s post-hardcore with finer points for songwriting. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I would think so, just as long as post-hardcore doesn't get too overrepresented.

Psychic

DARKSIDE

3/5

An album that defies genre convention. Is it a rock album? Psychedelic? Ambient or electronic? Either way, DARKSIDE manages to captivate in ways not often explored. Sound tumbles around like a pair of shoes in a clothes dryer, only to follow the wind up through the exhaust vent and out into the vast world, following threads that never seem to fully resolve. I have a theory that some albums exist moreso as auditory experiences rather than a collection of songs. Rumors by Fleetwood Mac? Those are a bunch of songs. Really good songs, but they're distinct and they have structure and they start and end quite cleanly. They do all the things you would expect from a music album. Psychic? This is an auditory experience. It mediates on certain ideas of sound and flow from one to the next with barely any specific points to be touched on. Sure, this album is divided into tracks which you might consider to be songs, but I found Psychic to be a lot more loose and hypnotic than that. Neat stuff. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: DARKSIDE has yet to really make a name for themselves outside of more niche circles, so I don't think so.

Brand New Eyes

Paramore

3/5

Paramore built a name for themselves in the wave of Warped Tour pop punk bands during the 2000s, particularly with their album Riot!. However, much like their fanbase, Paramore was growing and changing in different ways. Troubles between the founding members would lead to this being the last album with guitarist Josh Farro and drummer Zac Farro. Emotionally, you can tell a lot of that turbulence is in the songwriting of Brand New Eyes along with the shift in sound. While still rooted in some pop punk conventions, Paramore slows down many of their songs on this album to gear it towards a more general rock sound. No doubt, this is a maturing moment for the band. If we're being honest, this album is frontloaded. Tracks get a lot less memorable after The Only Exception, with the only exception (haha!) being the emotional mammoth that is All I Wanted. That makes for an album that's half great and half alright, putting it somewhere in the middle. I think a more fleshed-out album could've made this the easy standout in Paramore's discography, but instead it serves as an album with just some standout songs. Not a bad consolation. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Hard to say. What about Riot? I don't think Paramore were particularly strong at making albums, but they definitely had some hits worth mentioning.

Discovery

Daft Punk

5/5

While I'm glad Daft Punk made the original list, having Homework over Discovery feels like a particularly egregious fumble. Not only is it better as an album, but it also effectively reached an audience that was otherwise not privy to EDM. It can be argued that Daft Punk is the most well-known name in EDM thanks to this album. They put so much heart and soul into each track and they wear their influences on their sleeve while maintaining their own signature sound. Discovery is a perfect, timeless album that brings so much to the table that it overwhelms me to no end. You know you need it, it's good for you. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Yes, without a doubt.

METAL FORTH

BABYMETAL

2/5

While BABYMETAL dabbled with western crossover appeal in the past (two of the guys from Polyphia can be found on their 2019 album Metal Galaxy), METAL FORTH marks the first serious effort to make BABYMETAL more visible to english-speaking audiences. Wait, I might be getting ahead of myself. Let's back up. Who is BABYMETAL? Initially based in the idol group Sakura Gakuin, BABYMETAL was conceptualized as a way to capture alternative demographics using the J-Pop idol model. While they were certainly not the first "alternative idols", they were the first to do so in the metal genre. None of the core member of BABYMETAL are writing the songs; that happens behind the scenes just like in J-Pop. Instead, members Su-metal, Moametal, and newest member Momometal do vocals and dancing and are effectively the center of attention. This is by no means the first popular metal group from Japan (see: Boris, GISM, basically all of Visual kei), but this was the first to reinvent modern metal with Japanese pop-minded melodies and structures. The result is a fairly successful group within Japan with potential to expand to western audiences. Some call this Kawaii Metal. I guess that's an apt name. This brings us back to METAL FORTH, which features the likes of Polyphia, Poppy, Spiritbox, and our dearest Tom Morello formerly of RatM fame. No doubt, this was the group's attempt to gain some credibility in the anglosphere. And it was successful in that regard, as it "peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200, becoming the first Japanese act to chart in the top ten in the United States." Thanks Wikipedia. Musically, this is a lot of popular modern metal that I don't really care for. I like metal music, don't get me wrong, but there's a lot of production polish and uninspired metalcore breakdowns that bore me to death. In a way I find this appalling. In the year of our Lord 2025, being a "metalhead" can mean a lot of things, from entry-level heavy metal to the br00talest death metal to the cleanest metalcore. It's pretty clear what BABYMETAL tries to do here and I could not recommend it in good faith. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: No, I don't see this style of metal being notable enough to warrant mention.

The Monitor

Titus Andronicus

3/5

"Because tramps like us, baby, we were born to die" Titus Andronicus wears their influences on their opening track: Bruce Springsteen with a gritty Replacements-style punk. They'd fit in right next to a Jeff Rosenstock band or Arcade Fire in an Obama-era, millennial-fueled music festival. A grand sweeping neoliberal piece of American pie dolloped with nihilistic impulses. It definitely looks like a landmark album of post-2008 housing market crash with it's long anthemic songs and passion for the historical parallels, but it doesn't always feel like it. It even comes across as masturbatory at times, and I didn't necessarily like writing that down but that's the word that came to mind. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Doesn't stand out amongst the other indie rock heavyweights of its time, so no.

I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning

Bright Eyes

2/5

Millennial indie folk bullshit. Sandwiched between early 2000s millennial indie folk bullshit (the Mountain Goats, the Microphones) and late 2000s millennial indie folk bullshit (Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes) is mid 2000s millennial indie folk bullshit (this, Iron + Wine, Kimya Dawson). The trajectory is as follows: distinct rock influence, stripped down post-twee, fleshed-out arrangements with chamber folk leanings. I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning is firmly in the "stripped down" category with very occasional moments of backsliding into rock influences. In truth I cannot find it in myself to enjoy this sort of folk music, but they did an admirable job on the songs. Oh well! CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: There are much better and more notable millennial indie folk bullshit albums to have on the list, so no.

Polygondwanaland

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard

4/5

Ah, the Gizz. These Australian boys found themselves on my radar back in 2017 with their prolific release schedule. For the uninitiated, King Gizzard had amassed a large stockpile of songs by the end of 2016 that would eventually be split up over multiple albums released over the course of 2017. Such a frequent showing is one thing, but for every album to actually be good is another thing. King Gizzard had initially cut their teeth on fuzzed-out pysch rock, effectively reviving the genre in the 2010s alongside Tame Impala and Thee Oh Sees. However, Polygondwanaland would mark their first foray into a more prog rock sound that invokes the old masters: Yes, Tool, Pink Floyd, what have you. Great old album. The band clearly wanted to get in the pocket with this one and let the vibes take over. From one end to the other, Polygondwanaland is in a fantastic lane of the auditory highway. I thoroughly enjoyed this album, and I can safely say I enjoyed it more knowing that it was under the Creative Commons. Yes, King Gizzard released the master tracks and allowed anyone around the world to make and sell copies of this album at their leisure. At time of writing, discogs currently has 412 versions of the album on their site thanks to all the various labels and individuals making their own copies at minimal cost. Thanks, Gizz! CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I think King Gizzard deserves a spot, but I hesitate to make it this album. While very good, it is neither their best nor is it representative of their overall sound (which, while varied still carries a few hallmarks throughout their discography). Either Nonagon Infinity (a landmark concept album imo) or Microtonal Flying Banana (an innovative rock release) would be better fits.

A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships

The 1975

3/5

Fluctuates between genuinely interesting stuff and the most boring pop music of it's time. Love It If We Made It is a banger synth-led track that is preceded by a captivating mostly-instrumental IDM song. The Man Who Married a Robot is a spoken word interlude akin to Radiohead's Fitter Happier, albeit not as poignant. Mine is a lovely jazzy number. The rest fall between forgettable and less than. I think the 1975 has interesting influences but they struggle to make them all fit eloquently. Despite this, A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships feels like a landmark album for millennials. Or at least, it's trying to be. It certainly feels like the most ambitious alt-pop album of it's initial wave, but falls short half the time that it makes me wish they went back to the drawing board a few more times. To be clear, I like a lot of the ideas in here, I just feel like it needs to be punched up a little more so that it makes for a more cohesive, consistent album. Good effort though. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Despite a lot of hubbub surrounding this album and doing fairly well on a number of year-end album lists, I don't quite feel it's maintained a legacy 7 years later. So, no.

Diary

Sunny Day Real Estate

4/5

Due to the Emo blindspot of the original list, a number of significant albums within the genre have been neglected from Dimery's canonization: the emo pop of My Chemical Romance, the alternative rock-styled emo of Jimmy Eat World, and the original hardcore roots of Rites Of Spring. Of course, we would also be remiss to not include the megalithic midwest emo that has seen a rise in retrospective popularity over the years. Cap'n Jazz and American Football both have a clear claim to representing that sound, Sunny Day Real Estate is perhaps most deserving. A tour de force in masterful songwriting, Diary delivers a ruthless stream of dynamic, passionate sound that easily captures the full extent of midwest emo's intricacies. At a time when emo was still mere offshoot of hardcore punk, Sunny Day Real Estate managed to smooth it's edges and bring a new complexity to the genre that otherwise would've been stuck in hardcore trappings. Along with a few other early pioneers, this album would effectively change the trajectory of emo for decades to come. This is history. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Yes, it's too important not to include.

Fashion Nugget

CAKE

3/5

CAKE can be best characterized by their dry wit and funk-driven rock grooves. If you're familiar with anything from Fashion Nugget, good chance it's either their rap-infused hit The Distance or their quirky cover of I Will Survive by the fabulous Gloria Gaynor. The rest of the songs are fine, not much for my own personal tastes but CAKE seems comfortable with their unique approach to rock in the '90s. A choice closer too, with a country-crooner classic from the great Willie Nelson. Nice listen. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Maybe. CAKE is definitely a notable name from the '90s but they seem to take too much from Beck without the eclectic approach. Someone else can make that decision.

Give Up

The Postal Service

4/5

Takes notes from Radiohead's Kid A and blending it with a more soft pop-oriented approach a la the Flaming Lips, the Postal Service helped bridge electronic and pop music in a way that would influence a whole new host of indie artists in the 21st century. Additionally, the duo (Ben Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello) would develop these songs long-distance by mailing tapes back and forth, effectively predating the bloghouse trend of emailing mp3s as a way of making music over the internet. To that end, the Postal Service deserves more than a meek recommendation. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Yes, I think their influence and innovation deserves recognition for that much alone. The songs are pretty good to boot.

Wet Leg

3/5

In the wave of post-punk revival-informed indie rock of the 2020s (starting with the Strokes, and most recently with the newest bar italia), Wet Leg seemed to make reasonably-sized splash that would land them grammys in the alternative music category. Worth noting that those grammys were for the somewhat polarizing song Chaise Lounge, which featured a deadpan talk-singing style that came across as more annoying than charming. Regardless, that song was moreso the exception than the rule because Wet Leg's eponymous debut is full of regular singin' over subdued indie rock songs. There's an air of effortless upper-middle class chic that comes with being a band from the Isle of Wight. Not a bad collection of songs but nothing that really impressed me either. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: There are more impressive bands from recent years that are more deserving of a spot tbh.

Odyssey Number Five

Powderfinger

3/5

Australian alt rock darlings that never quite broke through to the Americans. The songs are pretty good but it never felt quite special enough to warrant to acclaim that it received. Were Australians just too burnt out on pub rock from the 20th century that they needed something, anything, to bring a fresh take to guitar music? Was Nick Cave too artsy for them? Either way, it warrants some recognition despite the high likelihood that I will never return to this band again. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I think Australia has had better success stories than Powderfinger.

The Great Outdoors Jam

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong

3/5

Taking a page out of Phish's playbook with a bit more of a psych-funk edge, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong (terrible name btw) do drawn-out quirky jams which results in a 70-minute live album over the course of only 7 tracks. Long-time listeners of the users list will have perhaps already heard Phish's 2-hour monolith A Live One, which makes The Great Outdoors Jam feel more like a walk in the park. It's perfectly fine jam band. Doesn't overstay its welcome for too long, gives us some fun riffs and solos, and their sense of humor doesn't put me off from enjoying it (except for the album art). There are much worse jam bands out there, but there are also better. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: No more jam bands, please.

Thank Christ for the Bomb

The Groundhogs

4/5

British blues rock that did fairly well stateside but never really broke through to the US, nor did they leave much of a legacy compared to others at the time (Cream, Deep Purple, early Fleetwood Mac). Well, except for one notable exception in the '90s US slacker rock band Pavement. Malkmus praised Thank Christ for the Bomb as one of his favorite albums of all time, specifically citing its "progressive ideas without being ostentatious." No better example than the album's title track, which opens with a simple protest-folk ballad before fading into a jazz-rock. This groove gradually crescendos into a frantic jam before cutting to a silence before the bomb drops....almost ten years before Crass did the same on They've Got a Bomb. Brilliant in many ways, enjoyable in others. The Groundhogs made something greater than the sum of its parts, and for that they deserve recognition. Perhaps more deserving of a legacy than the one they got. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: You know what? Removed that Yardbirds album and throw this on there instead.

I And Love And You

The Avett Brothers

3/5

The Avett Brothers made a name for themselves in the early-to-mid 2000s with their traditional americana-style instrumentation fused with modern folk songwriting. There was a charming rustic feel to the band that remained accessible to audiences. It was classic without being quaint, and the first 8 years of the new millennium saw the drumming up attention that eventually led to their signing to major label American Recordings. This also came with the famed Rick Rubin taking on the role of producer for this album, so how'd that turn out? Pretty good! It helps that the band brings a nice collection of songs to the table, and I think Rubin makes them sound about as good as they need to be without doing more than what's expected. I And Love And You isn't afraid to dip toes into rock territory, especially later into the album. My biggest complaint is that it runs a little longer than I would've liked, but it's still an otherwise good showing from a band that helped bring americana to the Grammys. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Unfortunately, no. The Avett Brothers haven't quite reached the same heights as Bill Callahan or late-career Jonny Cash during this time of americana history.

Melt My Eyez See Your Future

Denzel Curry

4/5

If you look at the original 1001 list, you might notice how sorely lacking it is with hip-hop albums beyond the 2000s. Aside from Kanye, Kendrick, Skepta, and Little Simz, there doesn't seem to be much interest in exploring key developments in the genre that has continued to innovate. So, allow me to help with filling in the gaps: Death Grips pushed the genre in bold new directions with their experimental approach to production, particularly with the Money Store. Meanwhile, Odd Future members Tyler, the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt brought a young and fresh perspective to the genre with their off-kilter humor and lyricism. A$AP Rocky helped inspire a wave of soundcloud rap with LiveLoveA$AP, and drill rose to mainstream prominence thanks to Chief Keef's Finally Rich. Rappers like Young Thug, Future, and Travis Scott popularized trap by the mid-2010s with their unique energies. XXXTENTACION easily defined the emo rap wave, punctuated by his death in 2018. Lastly, I would be remiss not to mention alternative hip hop from JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown, who successfully established themselves both as solo artists (see LP! and Atrocity Exhibition) and as a duo on Scaring the Hoes. Okay, I think that covers things. Robert Dimery, if you're reading this: contact me. I will write for the next edition for free despite my lack of credentials. Where does Denzel Curry fit into all this? He got his start on soundcloud like most rappers in the 2010s. Hailing from Florida, Curry was initially influenced by the southern hip hop of yesteryear. It wasn't until his breakout hit Ultimate (prod. by Ronny J) that Curry started shifting gears to fit the then-current trap sound. His sophomore album Imperial cemented his position in the current rap canon, legitimized by his inclusion in the XXL freshman class of 2016. Curry continued to gain praise from his 2018 album TA13OO and 2020 EP Unlocked (the latter of which was produced by Kenny Beats, real ones know The Cave episode), which brings us to Melt My Eyez. By this point in his rap career, Curry has seemingly moved on from his usual trap and hardcore approach in order to better synthesize his newest influences. His Wikipedia cites "traditional hip-hop, drum and bass, trap, poetry, and jazz," which all seem to signal a new sound for Curry. How did it all play out? Really well! Hard not to recognize Curry's distinct delivery to rap while also successfully bringing together a confluence of influences for a more distinct production style. It's good! You can take that home to the bank too, it's top-to-bottom quality with no skips. All gas no breaks. Winner winner chicken dinner. Buy me lunch. I neglected to mention earlier that Denzel Curry hit a homerun on Triple J's internet series Like A Version with his cover of Bulls On Parade. This catapulted his status beyond the usual hiphopheads to garner respect for the average music fan who is only somewhat familiar with hip hop. I would classify this as more of a footnote than anything because it doesn't actually reflect his artistry on the whole. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Too early to say but my gut instinct is no. Despite the high level of quality, there are much more deserving hip hop albums that need recognition (see above) and, if we really wanted to, TA13OO would be a better pick for Curry and hip hop as a whole.

Metallic K.O.

The Stooges

4/5

The Stooges were on their way out by the beginning of 1974: problems including a lack of record sales, trouble maintaining steady band members, and Iggy Pop's deteriorating heroin addiction made it difficult to keep the band going. However, one show at Michigan Palace in October of 1973 gained widespread notoriety when a gang of bikers became agitated by Iggy's provocative on-stage antics. This show was recorded, but in an attempt to recreate the lawless vibe, the band ran the show back in February of 1974 for their last show, with Iggy appearing on the local radio show to goad the bikers once more. Well it turns out that lightning can strike twice, as the Iggy would be pelted with ice, eggs, and jellybeans on stage by an array of pissed-off motorcyclists. The result is Metallic K.O. If you're listening to the original 1976 album, then you get the first half of the 1973 show on side A (Row Power to Gimmie Danger), and the second half of the 1974 show on side B (Rich Bitch to Louie Louie). However, the 1998 re-release contains all of the 1974 show on disc 1 and all of the 1973 show on disc 2 (available on Spotify under simply Metallic K.O.) I listened to the 1976 release which certainly gets the point across just fine while also serving as a sort of swan song for the Stooges right at the arrival of punk rock. Out of curiosity, I also checked out the second half of the 1973 show to see how rowdy it was. While the audio quality isn't as good, the crowd is a lot engaged while Iggy is seemingly more out of it. It's a nice historical document, but the original tracklist on the 1976 version of Metallic K.O. is the one that deserves your full undivided attention. In the history of punk rock, where bands like Fear openly provoke audience members or GG Allen self-mutilates on stage, we have the Stooges and Metallic K.O. to thank for their impact. It's the rock, shock, and horror of such a raw live performance that gets the point across so well. Punk rock is nothing without Iggy and the Stooges. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: There's enough Stooges on the list already but dammit if this isn't a compelling pick. I would have to say no, but I could also be persuaded otherwise.

Mm..Food

MF DOOM

5/5

Praised as perhaps THE greatest rapper amongst online music circles, MF DOOM writes dizzyingly impressive bars that puts Shakespear to shame. Combined with his unique production style that elevates his persona with old superhero cartoon samples, the mythos surrounding MF DOOM becomes undeniably enticing. Who is/was DOOM? I was going to type up a whole history lesson, but bigger fans of his work have written better tributes to MF DOOM following his untimely death in 2020. In lieu of my own take, I will share the lyrics to Ask Anyone by Aesop Rock & Homeboy Sandman, who were both undeniably inspired by DOOM, both as a rapper and a producer. Read these lines with purpose! (Aesop Rock) Roses for the OG MF, where were you when Bob dropped the OG Deadbent? I was over Tony's on some "Whoa is that? No, is that? Yes it's Zev Love X, sounding reckless." I took it to the head and heart, you were back as Metal Face and threatening my pearl white Acura from the 2nd bar barfing up a master class in charismatic disrespect and trash talk. Mask on. Mac and cheese, Timberlands. Sold the first Apple Seed CDs at your Brownies show while you were saying "something to remember like the Alamo." I was yelling every word and never late and when you finally played "Hey!" I felt the venue levitate. Ask anyone, L.I. to upstate. Come to learn it's only phase 1 of the flood gates. DOOM stay gluing true grit to the bass line and made himself a hero and a villain at the same time. Back in '94 you had that line about the Nikes on the wire. I'd always see these Nikes on the wire when I was driving through a neighborhood somebody said you stayed in, convinced I'd found the actual inspiration (for the record I was not even close to the right neighborhood.) Even when the heart is pure, the brain is mush. Thank you for the stories, and the fuck you to the normies. Brewin said we lost our Jordan, I would sprinkle in some Vorhees and agree. Breeze, I have this memory of me and you rapping Meat Grinder to each other at a BBQ in BK. Got the same memory with a couple other people too. Trading DOOM lines, that's what people do. You were always kind to me in person. I tried to play it cool but I was always kinda nervous. 30 summers a guide in the muddy waters to the man with many names: I hope you're somewhere with your brother, yea. (Homeboy Sandman) Supervillain tho. Illin tho. Chopping records that my parents listened to, DOOM was on a mission to remind you that the magic is what matters. But where'd he find that banter, where'd he find them patterns? He ain't had no manners. My favorite villain is The Drop off Viktor Vaughn, but every time I hear the Great Day intro I'ma sing along. And cats be sleeping on the GMO's, them lessons on point. We share a brother in Kuri from the Question Mark joint. Supervillain in the function then his people's never far. Thanks for introducing us to John Robinson and Stahhr and a era full of rarified jewels and making use of airtime for making bad hairlines cool. Being crazy takes guts. Monsta Island Czars had a rep for being nuts. Extra special words, scent of special herbs still lingers. My pantheon is Bird and Mingus, Prince and Metal Fingers. Larger than life, he had his own Nikes. I'm a Clearweather brand dude, but dag DOOM. MM FOOD was the anagram; Fresh put me on I proceed to put on anyone that was famalam, and every particle genuine article. Okay, you stiffed a few promoters who thought they booked the man under the mask, but they could never tell for certain. Walking the walk while talking in third person, he wore a mask so the charge won't grab. On a rooftop with a large stone slab, seen where the industry was going and had the gonads to go "nah." Thanks. A bar is not a measure of music DOOM was doing, it's a unit a buried treasure. No one ever done it better. So I'ma keep my computer on caps lock forever. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Either this or Madvillainy or both. You need DOOM on this list.

GUTS

Olivia Rodrigo

3/5

From the Disney child-star mill comes Olivia Rodrigo, formerly of Bizaardvark and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. If you didn't know these shows, you're probably not gen Z or parents of gen Z children, and that's okay! My first exposure to Rodrigo (like many outside of the previously mentioned age demographic) was her breakout hit Drivers License which took all the best parts of her Disney upbringing and synthesized it into a pop star. Well done! At merely 18, she was writing a crop of catchy pop songs with producer Daniel Nigro (whose resume included Carly Rae Jepsen and Sky Ferreira production credits), so her debut album was a great start for this young up-and-comer! Confident, pretty, talented to boot, she was the whole package. Of course, anyone over the age of 23 could see that these were songs written by a teenager about teenager stuff that appealed to mostly teenagers. That's fine, but my initial impression was that Rodrigo had potential for a more mature and interesting sophomore album. Well, here we are! GUTS reflects Rodrigo's growth into young adulthood while keeping a firm foot in teenage relatability. Pretty Isn't Pretty tackles issues of beauty standards that results in a plethora of insecurities for young women and girls, while Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl is simply about being awkward. Meanwhile, her more personal songs like Vampire, Get Him Back, and Logical gives listeners a glimpse into her prior relationship with someone who was perhaps a bit too old! Oh dear! It seems as though there is still some maturing to do, but the quality of the songs does not betray anyone here. The one-two punch openers of All-American Bitch and Bad Idea Right? rightly enticed me into what the album had in store, but the slower songs seemed to bore me more often than not. I think Rodrigo was The Moment for a little bit there, but she hasn't fully come into her own yet. In truth, I'm still waiting for that fully matured and realized piece of work that will define her career from here on out, because I don't think SOUR nor GUTS carry the full weight of her talent. I believe it will come about eventually, but it will take time. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Once again invoking my 5-year recency bias clause to say no, but even then I would reckon that Rodrigo's most defining album is yet to come.

Sublime

2/5

When it comes to ska, the original list only covers the 2 tone era such as Madness and the Specials. Third wave ska really only took off in America, so it's a bit of a misfire not to include the likes of early Smash Mouth, No Doubt, and of course Sublime. Sublime took more than just ska into consideration for their sound though, fusing reggae rock and occasionally straightforward punk to create a multi-faceted album. Even today, they still play Santeria on the radio. So. They obviously did something right. My opinion? I only like the punk parts. So much of Sublime's self-titled appeals to college-aged white guys who are getting really into weed, which is not me. There are some interesting parts (Under My Voodoo kinda goes crazy), but I personally do not get much out of white guys doing reggae. It's not terrible, but it's just not my thing either. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Maybe? There's no denying the band was immensely popular during their time (especially with this album) and are a core pillar of third wave ska, I just can't help but feel like they are overrated to some degree. I could lean towards their inclusion on the list, but that doesn't mean I'll like it.

10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads

Kenny Wayne Shepherd

2/5

Kenny Wayne Shepherd, modern blues bigtimer, saw the writing on the wall back in the mid-2000s and realized that many pioneering blues legends would likely not be around for much longer. Leveraging his clout at the time, he organized a series of jams with a number of these blues oldtimers (most notably B.B. King) a recorded them over the course of 10 days. Shepherd also interviewed these legends for a DVD of the same name, but I'll only be listening to the album. 10 Days Out is a long, true-blues album. I recognize the desire to immortalize these great musicians on a single album, but the fact of the matter is that blues doesn't really have the same power that it did in the early-to-mid 20th century. So while listening to a blues album from 2007 is nice and all, I would much prefer to hear the classics in their original recordings. I do not think a blues revival will ever catch on as long as rock music still prevails, unfortunately. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: The list could use some more blues but I don't think this album would be a good fit.

Music For People In Trouble

Susanne Sundfør

3/5

Quite interesting somber songs that put a new spin on sing-songwriter conventions. Songs like Undercover and The Sound of War highlight Sundfør's creative vision with deeply intricate instrumentation that flows naturally along her soothing voice. So much of Music For People In Trouble sounds like a surreal fairy tale (or perhaps a Bedtime Story? haha), capturing the imagination of anyone who dares to step inside that world. Not to get all Scandinavian about this but it does remind me of Bjork at times, although Sundfør successfully establishes herself from her creative peers. I don't think this music is really for me, but I can't deny how impressive this album is from an artistic standpoint. Great for zoning out and getting lost in the sounds. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I am not opposed to Susanne Sundfør's inclusion on the list given her success in both Norway and abroad, though perhaps Ten Love Songs would be a more fitting choice given that it was her breakout album.

Things We Lost In The Fire

Low

3/5

Things We Lost In The Fire paces itself with a lingering purpose, led by feeling rather than methodology. Notes ring out in a wide landscape of sound, sourced narrowly from a duet of voices and a small, scrappy collection of instruments. It feels hollow, but not barren. Distant, but not reserved. Low revels in their soothing saunter, tinged in a complicated sadness. It's sometimes a little too slow, but I understand that it's a part of the sound. They do a good job of harnessing that. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: How deep in the weeds do we wanna get with slowcore? We've already got American Music Club....might as well add an essential.

TRON: Legacy

Daft Punk

3/5

Someone added the TRON Legacy soundtrack to the user list before Random Access Memories. Well, it's a soundtrack. The duo certainly did a fine job scoring the film, but a lot of it feels contextual to what should be happening on-screen. Noticeably lacking is Daft Punk's distinct personality on any of these tracks, save for Derezzed which was used as a sort of lead single for the OST. I like Derezzed! It's the one track on here that sounds like an actual song I would listen to divorced of any movie. It's got a dirty electrohouse hook, great dance beat, and it's only 1:44. Oh what the fuck, the best song on here is less than two minutes long? That somehow makes everything worse. I don't think this is necessarily a bad soundtrack, but it doesn't make for an interesting album. Also, does anyone even remember what happens in this film? Jeff Bridges was there, I remember that. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I can think of ten other soundtracks that I would include before this one. In no particular order: Blade Runner, Koyaanisqatsi, O Brother Where Art Thou?, The Blues Brothers, Minecraft Volume Alpha (who said video game OSTs didn't count?), Saturday Night Fever, This Is Spinal Tap, Repo Man, The Shining, and the Muppet Movie. I can also think of one other Daft Punk album that I would include before this one.

Circles

Mac Miller

4/5

Mac Miller came up as a Pittsburgh frat-rapper on Rostrum Records alongside Wiz Khalifa during the early 2010s. During this time, Miller was able to grow his profile without a radio hit: a true grassroots phenomenon. He did find himself on an Ariana Grande single in 2013 and later dropped a mixtape with Vince Staples, eventually signing with REMember Music under Warner Bros. for the latter half of the 2010s. During this time, Miller would round out his rap style for wider audiences while still maintaining his jazzy and cloud rap production. This coalesced into his most realized record at the time, Swimming, which saw Miller rapping over a soulful blend of R&B and funk beats. Clearly, no was doing it like him. Behind the scenes, things weren't going so great. A high-profile relationship with Ariana Grande came to an end after two years, likely due to his struggles with substance use. Despite trying to get clean, Miller would fall back into old habits and later found himself in trouble due to a DUI in 2018. Even if Swimming was his most successful release at that point, Miller likely felt like he was at rock bottom. During this time, the music he was recording was increasingly introspective and mellow. This is what would eventually become Circles. Listening to the album reveals a lot less rap than you would normally expect on a Mac Miller release. Circles takes the most soulful R&B parts of Swimming and puts them front-and-center in a vulnerable, moody state of mind. This is seemingly Miller at his lowest, emphasized by the ever-tired portrait on the cover. It seems as though Miller was coming into his own on this one, marking a more mature transition in his life. At this point he was 26, an adult but still fairly young. His mistakes would make him who he was, and he intended to put that on display as a way of saying "I'm only human, but I can still work on myself." It's deeply true and honest, maybe even a little sad. Mac Miller died before he saw this album come to fruition. A mix of alcohol, cocaine, and fentanyl was found in his system. It would be Jon Brion, producer of Miller's prior album Swimming, who helped finished Circles with the permission of Miller's estate. With such a heavy responsibility, Brio did his best to fulfill Miller's creative vision in his absence. If you want my two cents, he did a phenomenal job. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Perhaps, yes. Miller was never a uniquely impressive rapper, but I always got the impression that we were only just starting to see the best of his work by the time he passed. If his NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert was eligible, I would've went with that. But I think this is a good way to remember an artist that was just starting to find himself.

BABYMETAL

2/5

I talked extensively about BABYMETAL on the other album that's on the user's list so I'll dilute my thoughts to just the album: There's a clear desire to experiment more with the metal/alternative idol approach. While still firmly in the "kawaii" metal category with primarily trance metal songs, there are bits of reggae, trap, jungle, dubstep, and death metal across the tracklist. Despite this, BABYMETAL's self-titled feels more novel than impressive. Like, they're Japanese popstars but they do heavy metal, woooaaahhh! If you don't mind the sugary-sweet hooks then Gimmie Chocolate is probably the standout for fusing j-pop with metal, but the more metal-informed aspects feel watered down. There might be something here to be said about how this album sparked kawaii metal as a subgenre, but it feels too niche for the average metal listener, like pirate metal or something. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I don't think so, no.

After Hours

The Weeknd

3/5

Toronto-native Abel Tesfaye (better known as the Weeknd) made a splash in 2011 with a trilogy of mixtapes that immediately helped him stand out from the crowd. His brand of alternative R&B was distinctly dark and tortured, revealing a complicated relationship with his hedonistic lifestyle. While he was a rising star throughout the early 2010s, it was the two hit singles from his 2015 album Beauty Behind the Madness that landed the Weeknd at number 1 on the billboard charts. With songs like the Hills and Can't Feel My Face defining his newfound fame, people would begin associating the Weeknd with a beautiful tenor singing voice that reveals a drug-abusing bad boy. Wow! After a slightly poppy detour with Starboy in 2016, the Weeknd started working towards a new chapter in his music career. After Hours would be inspired by psychedelic nightmare films like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Joker, Casino, and Uncut Gems, emphasizing a certain sleepless psychosis that plays exceptionally well into his already-established brand. With a host of '80s inspired synth sounds in tow, After Hours is perhaps the Weeknd's most successful execution of his complicated relationship with a hedonistic lifestyle. It's also in first gear for most of the album until Heartless and then Blinding Lights, which really cements this as a singles album for me. I mean, it's not a bad album! It intrigues me more than most, but listening from top to bottom made me think that a lot of these songs are wading in the shallow end of the pool while the lead singles swim laps around them. I was hoping for a sort of bipolar experience where it wraps from depressive to manic to depressive again, but the manic episode barely sticks around long enough to feel it's weight. So I guess that wasn't the intention, or maybe I missed a song. Disappointment aside, the production is stellar. Incredibly rich album in this regard, particularly on the penultimate title track that has long-time production collaborator Illangelo elevating the Weeknd to new heights. Times like these, amongst others, keeps me fascinated with the artistic vision of an album like this despite its shortcomings. And no Grammy noms! CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Perhaps! It certainly feels like the most striking mainstream album of 2020, but the Weeknd's cultural impact feels rather self-contained like he's paved a road for himself and no one else. Either way, it's a worthy of serious consideration.

Control

Pedro The Lion

4/5

A millennial indie rock record that exists in the backwash of '90s midwest emo (if the depressing lyrical content or guitar style didn't give that away, then the song title Indian Summer certainly should). This album is dark in a way that subverts my expectations, tackling infidelity and capitalism in the ways it makes us feel lonely without actually being alone. Despite this dry and depressed vocal delivery, the rest of the album rocks and rolls in ways that keep the songs engaging. A concept album through-and-through, Control discusses exactly that (or a lack thereof) in modern life and modern romance. Pedro the Lion's David Bazan, who is effectively the creative powerhouse of the group, takes a nihilistic lens to his heavily Christian upbringing to reckon with the interpersonal realities of the 21st century. It's no wonder the man had a crisis of faith! The album climaxes on a raging high note that sees the jilted wife taking her unfaithful husband's life. Talk about crazy! Despite being a concept album, Control is a bit loose and unfocused in it's central premise. That can easily be forgiven when the album is paced so well, with heavy fuzzed-out moments and somber slowcore sections that complement one another. After the craziness of Second Best, you get a comedown with Priests and Paramedics before finally ending on the meditative Rejoice. Honestly a perfect ending to an album like this. This sets a watermark for millennial indie rock. Underappreciated is the word I'm looking for! CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Outside of being a launchpad for some of the guys in Fleet Foxes, I don't see much of a legacy in this band over 20 years later. I would be more inclined to include it if it had a lasting impact on modern indie rock or surrounding genres, but I don't see it.

The Mantle

Agalloch

3/5

Delving into the weirdly conceptual side of metal with a folksy/black metal twist. Unlike the second-wave Scandinavian black metal that most are familiar with, many millennial black metal bands in the US exist in the wake of Burzum's influence. This led to a number of successful approaches to the genre that can be traced back to Varg Vikernes' work in some way, but his most evident mark can be seen on Cascadian black metal with their distinctly atmospheric sound. Despite being an apt descriptor for other Agalloch albums, confining the Mantle the merely atmospheric black metal would be a disservice. Much of the Mantle revels in a wide, slow metal sound that wanders into folk territory more often than not. That being said, many of its metal characteristics are still firmly in black metal rather than slipping into doom or drone metal, particularly in the tremolo guitar riffing and relentless drumming. While not necessarily "trve", it manages to innovate on the metal genre by borrowing more from post-rock and eccentric singer-songwriters (Wikipedia lists Nick Cave and Tom Waits; cool!) I do think the Mantle has a lot of merit for its grandiose presentation and ability to play outside of established genre conventions. Even those who aren't fans of black metal can find something to appreciate in an album like this, although it can run overly long. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: While legendary amongst dedicated metal enthusiasts, the Mantle doesn't quite stand on its own in the larger popular music landscape. It also requires a foundational understanding of black metal (likely not happening on the list) and neofolk (only slightly more likely) that just hasn't been established yet.

Forced Witness

Alex Cameron

3/5

Alex Cameron is part-performance artist and part-music artist. In delivering his music, he embodies the persona of a failed performer who cannot write a good line to save his life. The result is a hilariously out-of-touch lyricist writing for dated '80s music with modern production. Even the album art, with Cameron's slicked back hair and unstylish Oaklys, cements this idea of a washed-up has-been who never was. The funny thing is that Cameron is actually a fairly talented songwriter, with unique spin on synth-led new wave genre conventions that shows how much he really knows his source material. The real subversion is in his utterly farcical lyricism that gives us such verses as "And I'm filled with a dirty white guilt/She's a brown on her doily frills" and "With you, girl, ain't no point in looking at the liquor store/With you, girl, I find you looking for the cash in my top drawer" when singing about mixed-race love and jailbait. Yeah, Forced Witness is often inappropriate, but that's often the point of Cameron's pathetic character: a satirical take on the sleezier aspects of '80s pop guys. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: In the wash of all the albums on the list that Forced Witness seemingly harps, it would be a funny addition! But if we're being serious, probably not.

Pulse

Pink Floyd

3/5

Pink Floyd plays the hits, including all of Dark Side of the Moon. Massively entertaining as someone who is a fan of the band's works, but also clocks in at 2 hours-thirty, so. My understanding is that the physical release for this was spectacular, which is shame considering the streaming era has diluted that experience. I like many of the songs here, but I definitely don't get much more out of the live version compared to the already-fantastic studio recordings. The exception to this would be the songs off the Division Bell, which sees songs like High Hopes in a brand-new light. It's fairly well-known that Pink Floyd concerts are renowned for being a spectacular show, so only getting to hear it makes me feel like I'm missing more than I would like from a release like this. Regardless, it's hard not to enjoy Pink Floyd's best in one neat package. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Not worthy as a Pink Floyd album nor as a live album. The studio albums are much better representations of the band's work, and there are also much better live albums for the list.

Is Ellipsis

Psyche Origami

3/5

Underrated oddball rap from the 2000s. It's easy to get overshadowed during this time by the likes of MF DOOM, Busdriver, and anyone from Def Jux. Psyche Origami hails from Atlanta, a city that was primarily repping crunk instead of whatever Psyche Origami was doing. As a result, it's no surprised that the trio of DJ Dainja, DJ Synthesis, and MC Wyzsztyk struggled to gain any sort of notoriety in their local rap scene. Regardless, Is Ellipsis dropped as their first full-length LP as an uncompromising statement of intellectual hip hop. It's pretty good! Some fun production and flow reminiscent of ATCQ. The turntablism bits keep things fresh and creates a vibe where the MC is in conversation with the two DJs. Unfortunately, doesn't quite get interesting or memorable enough to warrant any more praise from me. As good as Psyche Origami is, there are better groups doing much of the same thing. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: No, but the list could use some MF DOOM and Cannibal Ox if we're looking for rap that's in the same vein.

Moffou

Salif Keita

3/5

Traditional music from Mali with pop production and occasional sensibilities. It's nice to showcase music from other parts of the world like this, but I found the ceiling for my enjoyment to be pretty low. Don't feel qualified to speak on Salif Keita's music career, but I will say that his 1987 album Soro or the 1979 album Mandjou he did with Ambassadeur International would have been better representations of his work. Clearly a musical icon of African, Keita's life work has helped bring traditional African music to more western ears, which is certainly worth celebrating. Just not sure if this is the album for it. CONTEDER FOR THE LIST: While I don't mind seeing more non-English albums on the list, I would hope that they are particularly important to warrant their inclusion. Moffou does not seem to fit that criteria.

Fine Line

Harry Styles

3/5

One Direction, perhaps the last boyband in the west, fell in 2016. Since then, pop has had their eyes on each member's solo careers, but only one has had albums worth talking about: Harry Styles. Perhaps he was always the prettiest or most talented? Don't ask me because I don't know, but album sales and chart positions reflect the reality that Styles was always the one. After the success of his self-titled debut, he was expected to stick the landing on a follow-up that would cement him as a central man in pop music. By all accounts, Fine Line is a straightforward pop record. Some psychedelic influences, some rock, some soul, but if anyone asked you to but it in a box then that box is probably labelled "pop". Nothing wrong with that. What kind of pop songs? Styles says they're "all about having sex and feeling sad" which sounds accurate. A few slows jams for the bedroom, a few upbeat flirty songs, a few mellow ballads to get in your feels. The big hit single here is Watermelon Sugar, which feels like it was genetically engineered in a lab to be the song of the summer despite coming out in November of 2019. It's an earworm and very explicitly warm and sunny and sexy. Doesn't quite hit where I'm listening from my cold home office on a December morning in 2025. The rest of the songs are competent, albeit forgettable. There's not a bad song on here, but there isn't a great song either. They're all fine! I guess you could say this album toes the "fine line" ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhhhaaaaaaaa CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: In retrospect, this is not nearly the defining pop album of the late 2000s or even the early 2020s. In many ways, Fine Line feels too "safe" to stand out in any meaningful way. If the list ought to have something like that, perhaps Billie Eilish's debut is worthy of consideration.

Alopecia

WHY?

3/5

WHY indeed? Such a strange album, characterized by the unique melodic indie pop instrumentation contrasted with the dizzying stream-of-consciousness lyricism influenced by the likes of De La Soul and Pavement. Yes, most people listening to this album for the first time might point to Yoni Wolf's unique rapping on an otherwise standard millennial indie pop album that sits somewhere between proto-bedroom pop production and the more established jangle pop approach to hooks. Not a lot of albums like Alopecia that I feel the need to reach for different points of reference: the playfulness of DEVO, the casual rap-rock delivery of the Bloodhound Gang, the raw mixing of Beat Happening, the stylistic flair of Beck. It's fascinating! But is it good? It's pretty good. I think the concept is more interesting than the songs, but I still think it's pretty cool that an album like this exists. Fatalist Palmistry was the standout song for me, seemed like they nailed the confluence of ideas best on that one. Wish more of the tracks were that effective. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: A little too hipster-underground to warrant a spot imo, but I am welcome to dissenting opinions.

Fantasies

Metric

4/5

Canadian millennial indie royalty alongside the likes of Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene. Back when Torontonians would crowd around the windows at 299 Queen Street West to get a glimpse of the hottest new bands and music artists across Canada, Metric was riding the post-punk revival wave launched by their American contemporaries over in New York City. While they could barely make an impact across the border, Metric found plenty of love in their home country as they gained steam with each new album release (shades of the Tragically Hip). Following a first showing at Coachella and a Juno nomination (but no award!), Metric came back hard in 2009 with their fourth album Fantasies. Huge hit for the band. Refined indie rock sound, great songs throughout, and well-charted singles to boot. Their efforts were rewarded with a couple of Junos--Group of the Year and Alternative Album of the Year--making this perhaps the band's landmark record. With how consistently good Fantasies is, it makes sense to me that it was so well-received. Dare I say, Metric deserved better? This was a band that was remarkable in all the right ways, they just happened to be overshadowed by whatever else was more popular at the time. Drake, probably? CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Honestly, I can think of a few other Canadian albums more deserving on a spot before Metric. Namely Broken Social Scene, but we gotta be mindful of which Canadians get a spot!

Night Drive

Chromatics

3/5

The 2010s would see a rise in false nostalgia for the '80s, with synth-heavy music being the soundtrack. Chromatics effectively predates this by a few years with their pop-oriented approach to the genre now known as synthwave: steady programmed drums, padded synth textures, and notable arpeggios that lay the foundation for each song. This creates a perfect atmosphere for neon-lit nocturnal adventures, or literally just night drives. It's a fairly meditative album with lots of subdued moments, and the Kate Bush cover isn't all that noteworthy, but the lasting feeling of an album like this is memorable for the way it captures a mood. Solid. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: A bit too niche for the list, but still a cool listen.

Contra

Vampire Weekend

3/5

Contra is such a unique album for millennial indie and it's exemplary of what Vampire Weekend does so well: chamber melody lines, unpredictable drums, bright dancey guitar, and Ezra Koenig. Not sure if this one fully clicked with me, but I plan on revisiting sometime in the future. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Mostly likely, yes. You don't have millennial indie without Vampire Weekend.

Sunbather

Deafheaven

4/5

A fascinating approach to black metal that takes on the dreamier soundscapes of shoegaze and the prettier melodies of emo/screamo while still retaining the visceral tremolo picking and blast beats of black metal. I remember this album permeated alternative music circles back when it dropped, and today it's still considered a genre-defying classic. Top to bottom, this album still makes me think it's in its own league. How do you make a black metal album sound so bright and sunny? Deafheaven figured it out, somehow. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: A little too extreme for the list maybe, but still a really cool pick.

Out Of Time

R.E.M.

3/5

Despite the original list including much of R.E.M.'s legendary run in the late '80s and early '90s, I supposed someone felt it was needed to include Out Of Time as well. The long and short of it is that the band is made up of strong songwriters with a fair few good ideas without getting too experimental. Features some hits that I enjoy like Losing My Religion and Shiny Happy People (I like the latter more). However, I'm not so sure that this quite stacks up to the albums that it's sandwiched between. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Is there not enough R.E.M. already?

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Vince Guaraldi Trio

5/5

A masterpiece in Christmas cheer. Vince Guaraldi and his band perfectly capture the warm nostalgia of holidays, making this a delightful listen each year. His subdued cool jazz compositions makes the music feel like it's not trying to take center stage while also avoiding relegating itself to background music, unlike many carols and modern pop attempts at Christmas music. Listen to the radio long enough over December and you begin to get tired of the in-your-face selections of Christmas songs, either attempting to rehash the classics (Santa Clause Is Coming to Town) or trying to be the next big hit (summiting the likes of Last Christmas or All I Want For Christmas). Guaraldi is satisfied with putting a jazzy spin on a few old favorites while throwing his own originals in for good measure. And man are his originals stellar: Skating twinkles and prances about like a flurry of energetic children on the ice, Christmas Is Coming has the joyous excitement of the nearing holidays, and Christmas Time Is Here takes a step back to appreciate the simpler ways of the season. You don't get Christmas albums like this anymore. Or maybe you do and they just don't have a platform like Vince Guaraldi had. Either way, A Charlie Brown Christmas is seemingly immortal to me: Christmas music for all time. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: 100%

Nearer My God

Foxing

3/5

Some solid indie rock but nothing that really perked my ears. There were a couple of songs where the energy picked up with some exciting moments, but for the most part it felt pretty samey as it moved from one idea to the next. In a post-Radiohead world of rock music, it takes more to stand out than simply flexing the dynamics and eschewing the verse-chorus-verse structure. Not bad, just needs something fresh. Lambert was a phenomenal closing track though; I'll never get enough of closers like that. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: There are better contenders in the field of late 2010s indie rock. Mitski comes to mind.

I Am

Earth, Wind & Fire

4/5

EWF firing on all cylinders. This is perhaps the peak of disco-funk as we know it. Supported by the immutable Phenix Horns, EWF delivers a bonafide party in 37 minutes. Hard to find a bad thing about an album that's so awe-inspiring and hopeful, it's just so full of life. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Absolutely. What a jam!

No Balance Palace

Kashmir

3/5

Alt rock from a bunch of Danes who probably listened to a lot of Radiohead and couldn't think to make any other kind of music. That being said, their Radiohead is pretty good. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Too niche, too derivative.

Spinvis

4/5

Quaint indie pop album from the Netherlands with plenty of electronic influence. This certainly has its own personality and provides lots of interesting moments to keep me engaged. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: If it were to expand more outside of the Anglo albums, then this would make for a great candidate.

Katamari Damacy

Various Artists

4/5

Not only is Katamari Damacy a charming game all about rolling things up into a big ball, but it also serves as a showcase for fantastic Japanese indie pop during the early 2000s. In the same breath, this soundtrack covers a wide range of unique styles: rap, electronic, jazz, there's even a fugue on here. It is somewhat unusual for a video game soundtrack to be so eclectic while also maintaining a certain consistency (particularly in quality!), but the fine folks who worked on Katamari Damacy can pat themselves on the back for a job well-done here. And while it doesn't always feel like a single cohesive album like you would expect from an artist or band, it does make for an hour of great songs. They're great in the game and they're great in other contexts too. They're great songs! CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Not sure if this is the video game soundtrack that really ascends to "suitable for average music listeners" status but it comes pretty close. Put it down as a maybe.

RENAISSANCE

Beyoncé

4/5

Beyoncé was the life of the party in 2022. Pulling from the baddest gay nightclubs and the respective music history, RENAISSANCE maintains a steady pulse with dance beats that permeate the 1-hour runtime. I like it! It's fun and filthy and free. I commend Beyoncé for eschewing the standard pop/R&B sound that she was riding out the past few years to actually innovate and bring something new to the table (even if it is largely a tribute to what has already been done). I remember listening to this when it first came out and thinking it was pretty good, but not worth much hubbub. Now, in the retrospect of Charli XCX's Brat Summer, I have to wonder if RENAISSANCE was sort of the pre-party to the Brat party? I also enjoyed it more this time around. Great music for when it starts to warm up again. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Not really. Beyoncé's career-defining albums are her self-titled and Lemonade, imo. This one is fun but not all that notable.

Script Of The Bridge

The Chameleons

4/5

Worthy contemporaries of the Cure, who made similarly moody, dreamy post-punk around the same time. Pacing is fit, the production is fine-tuned, the songs are well-written (albeit a bit samey). All-around, good post-punk! Can feel a little front-loaded at times but doesn't necessarily suffer from a considerable drop in quality. Definitely worth a listen if you enjoy this style of post-punk. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: While excellent, I don't think Script Of The Bridge does anything better that wasn't already done by other around this time.

Young, Loud And Snotty

Dead Boys

4/5

The first-wave American punk rock scene was primarily credited to the Ramones. Don't get me wrong, I dig the Ramones, but it feels a little unfair to not acknowledge the likes of Heartbreakers, Richard Hell & The Voidoids, and of course Dead Boys. While they were originally from Ohio, their move to New York City and subsequent role in the CBGB scene established them as significant punk rock progenerates along with the dozen or so other bands that dropped a punk record in '77. I'd be remiss not to mention that Ohio's own DEVO were somewhat inspired by the Dead Boys' move to New York City and subsequent embracing of CBGB punk rock, leading to DEVO adopting a similar punk rock speed on Uncontrollable Urge. But this isn't really about DEVO, so we'll leave it at that. From the opening guitar on the classic Sonic Reducer, you know you're in for a ride. The great part of early punk albums like this is that they cut the bullshit. It's still a fairly primitive sound in retrospect of punk's evolution, but here you get straightforward rockin' riffs and raw snotty attitude. The original closer Down in Flames literally burns the house down in spectacular fashion, showing just how in-touch these guys were with their destructive audience. It's a delight, and all in under 30 minutes. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: How many punk albums do we really want? The list does a fine job covering it already imo, but I could easily do 1001 Punk Albums You Must Hear Before You Die and this would make the list, no questions asked.

Once Upon a Rhyme

David Allan Coe

4/5

David Allan Coe's album before his famous Longhaired Redneck image became legacy. He has always been inline with the outlaw country sound consistent with the likes of Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, but Coe's penchant for Nashville-style songwriting still shines here. Obviously there's lots of great songs on here, but none hit as hard as the closer You Never Even Call Me by My Name which intentionally fuses as many country/western cliches as possible. Inspired! CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Can I be mean for a moment? I think the list can survive without the likes of David Allan Coe. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate his take on outlaw country, but there's a number of other classic country artists (Patsy Cline, Kris Kristofferson, Hank Williams) that are perhaps more deserving than Coe.

Triage

David Baerwald

3/5

Anti-Bush rock. No, not that Bush, the first one. Yes, W's dad. The one from the '90s. Well, it's not all rock. It's a sort of conceptual blend of rock and pop in a way that feels like it's just a guy bearing his soul. There's a lot of thoughts on here about America and the state of the union but I also can't help but feel it's dated in that way. It's certainly passion-filled and full of ideas. Maybe Baerwald should've written a manifesto instead? CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: While critically acclaimed, this one flew under the radar and perhaps for good reason. It just doesn't do enough to warrant people's attention. Nice enough, though.

Artpop

Lady Gaga

3/5

The album that defined what it meant to be a "flop" in the 21st century. Pop music culture is a fascinating thing under a microscope because it has the tendency to value artists by both their creative output and their commercial performance. That is, "stans" who obsess over streaming numbers, chart positions, and review scores. So, when Lady Gaga was riding high off her continued success from The Fame/Fame Monster and Born This Way, ARTPOP was expected to deliver a career-defining conceptual work that came from a deep study of high art and it's potential in pop art. Hence, ARTPOP. Unfortunately, this would prove to be a polarizing idea for mainstream audiences. Too high brow? Too challenging? Too weird? Whatever you call it, Gaga's most ambitious album to date was one that couldn't strike a chord: fewer album sales, middling critical reception, and just one charting single made this the first real "flop" of her career. A devastating blow and occasionally considered to be a blight on Gaga's track record. How will we ever recover from a record like ARTPOP? The truth is that's not all that bad. Certainly, a product of its time with the electro-informed dance pop and occasional dubstep production, but not something that would make me turn up my nose. The opening three tracks, especially G.U.Y., are a strong start. There is a bit of a fall-off after that and only slowly gains back steam until the proper hit Applause closes the album. Is it a bit of a letdown from her previous stuff? Sure, but it's also not nearly as bad as some people may claim. For how ambitious it wants to be, ARTPOP falters there. Otherwise, a perfectly good pop album for the early 2010s. Quick elephant in the room: if you look up the track listing on wikipedia and compare it to streaming, you'll notice one is missing! Gaga or her label (rightfully!) removed the track Do What U Want due to the R. Kelly feature, for obvious reasons. I don't see it as much of a loss and honestly the album clocks in at just short of an hour already. I can live without the R. Kelly feature. Flops since ARTPOP only gotten floppier: Justin Timberlake's Man of the Woods, Lorde's Solar Power, Katy Perry's Witness-Smile-143. There's something about a once-great music artist being fallible and failed that attracts the curiosity of pop music discussions. If we're to thank ARTPOP for anything, it's for giving us a valley to help us appreciate the peaks a little more. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Hell no! It should be The Fame on the list.

Misplaced Childhood

Marillion

4/5

Prog that borrows heavily from the likes of Genesis. Actually, to be more specific, it's leading man Fish who borrows heavily from Peter Gabriel's stint in Genesis. This is largely due to Fish sounding and presenting a lot like Gabriel, such as in his theatrics, but Marillion innovates on the '70s style of prog rock by using synth-led melodies and more meaningful composition to steer away from wandering jams. They were the only band to break through to the mainstream with this "neo-prog" sound, but it's certainly a successful execution on all accounts. Sweeping, grand movements that carry the prog rock flag long after all the prog rock legends went pop in one way or another. This sort of ambitious songwriting is proof that there was still some gas left in that tank. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Sure, it was successful enough and it carried a new prog rock sound into the '80s.

I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One

Yo La Tengo

5/5

'90s indie rock that stands heads and shoulders above its contemporaries. So much comfort to be found in many little corners of this album, I reckon it has more replayability than people realize. Yo La Tengo exercise their ability to expand into any sound and style that they choose without coming across as inconsistent or jarring. From the shoegazey barn-burners to the mellowed-out post-rock jams and the little bossa nova breaks in between, I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One envelops me like a warm hug. I wish this album was a town I could wander around in. I need to listen again when I'm feeling the dead heat of summer. For an hour and change, Yo La Tengo manages to justify running a little long by having more than enough interesting songs throughout the tracklist. A masterclass in simply good album construction. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: You can easily cull a few other '90s indie rock albums to make room for this. Yo La Tengo is too good to not include.

Atrocity Exhibition

Danny Brown

5/5

A genuine drug-fueled nightmare of an album. Not only is Atrocity Exhibition a disturbing, psychedelic reflection of Danny Brown's psyche at the time, but it's also a standout work in the field of hip-hop as a whole. For 46 minutes, Brown is in his own lane and unapologetically locked into the off-kilter production; it's what makes this album so memorable from top to bottom. We could dissect this album further but it would be a pointless task. Listen instead. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Oh yeah. You need this album.

Shack-man

Medeski, Martin & Wood

3/5

Fun and funky instrumental jazz fusion. Medeski, Martin & Wood aren't reinventing the wheel here, just having a good time jamming out some rad tunes as a trio. I feel Medeski in particular understands when he needs to be in a supporting role and when he needs to get Herbie Hancock with it. Great musicianship but not much beyond that. Wikipedia says it was recorded in a shack in Hawaii? That's pretty cool. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Not really. While talented in their own rite, Medeski, Martin & Wood hardly cemented a legacy worth praising.

News at 11

Cat System Corp.

2/5

A vaporwave concept album that poses the question "what if 9/11 never happened?" through the exploration of early 2000s television broadcasts and the accompanying smooth jazz muzak associated with those regional feel-good news channels and morning shows. Vaporwave, as a novel genre of the internet, has always had a certain fascination for nostalgia and atmosphere. The dreamy atmosphere allows for a sort of self-aware rose-tinted glasses of an unremembered cultural landscape that has mostly been preserved through its most visible aspects (i.e., advertising and mainstream media). As such, most of vaporwave's cultural markers are rooted in the most corporate, sanitized source material possible while drenching it in ambience. That's most of News at 11. The other part is snippets of television broadcasts from around the time (or on the day) that 9/11 occurred. Obviously, the gravity of such an event calls into question how such a national psyche-breaking tragedy can permanently shift the cultural landscape. Every few years the USA hits a new bend that indicates a significant change in the culture (2001, 2008-9, 2016, 2020, now perhaps 2025), so vaporwave serves as a nice little time machine to take us back to before these turning points. What was like before 9/11? News at 11 leads us to believe that it was just peachy. Easy listening, carefree morning show hosts, and recurring weather updates lets us know that everything is fine, usual, as it should be, etc. There is the looming sense of "when will the ball drop?" with the anticipation of that terrible terrorist attack that caused all of this to stop on a dime, and the album comes close to that point without ever pulling the trigger. I suppose that's the point. The back half of the album is all weather. Feels like Cat System Corp. ran out of the steam for the concept by this point. The album was initially developed as a Weather Channel vaporwave project, but shifted gears after Cat System Corp. began exploring the pre-9/11 concept. And while the Weather Channel portion of News at 11 is meant to a sort of "time loop" for us to be trapped in, I feel like the idea falls just short of being actually interesting. Don't get me wrong, I think the themes of this album are neat and it has potential, but I wanted a little more out of this than what I got. Ultimately, News at 11 serves as little more than background music for my Friday morning at the office, which feels almost counter to what this album is meant to reflect. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I would only allot one vaporwave album for the list and it wouldn't be this one (you might be able to guess what one I'm thinking of).

All Hail West Texas

The Mountain Goats

4/5

John Darnielle's songwriting in its most raw, unfiltered form. Recorded entirely on a Panasonic RX-FT500 boombox by himself, Darnielle delivers his little vignettes about west Texas citizens akin to the episode 22 Short Films About Springfield from the Simpsons. The lo-fi whir of the Panasonic is ever-present on the album and is practically and instrument in its own little way, accompanying Darnielle through his highs and lows. It also serves as full proof that sometimes great albums can be as simple as a good songwriter singing along to their well-written songs and strumming an acoustic guitar at the same time. An artist with less confidence would call these "demos," but I don't think Darnielle cared all that much; he was still working a healthcare at the job and was hardly a career musician to begin with. That being said, All Hail West Texas marked the end of the Mountain Goats' humble beginnings, as Darnielle would expand his songs for full folk rock band arrangements and proper studio recordings. So, take in the simplicity now while you still can. Naturally, the legacy of this album is primarily held in Darnielle's excellent songwriting. The man has a knack for fantastic lyricism that invokes pure imagery. Further, Darnielle's delivery is what cements West Texas in its emotional weight. It's something that might grow on you or it might click instantly. I don't know you. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I think so, yeah. Something about the simplicity of this album and its cult following makes West Texas a classic.

Apostrophe(')

Frank Zappa

4/5

The original list was happy to indulge in some Mothers of Invention and Hot Rats, but didn't dare to explore much of Zappa's work beyond the '60s. So, here's a great pick from his work in the mid-70s. Apostrophe(') is perhaps the best representation of Zappa's work as a whole. He's groovy, psychedelic, wordsmithing, witty, and technically impressive. A little crass? Sure, but his dazzling songwriting easily makes up for anything that might offend. And in just over 30 minutes too? Consider me a fan. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Yea, maybe replace one of the Mothers of Invention albums with this one for variety's sake.

Erratic Cinematic

Gerry Cinnamon

2/5

Distinctly Glaswegian, what with Gerry Cinnamon's thick accent and cultural pickups in his lyrics. It's a shame the songs are boring as sin and seemingly lacks any real uniqueness aside from the Glasgow thing. I guess he was supposed to be the next big singer-songwriter from there but he just ain't worth a second thought. Too bad! CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Nope. Not at all.

Pony Express Record

Shudder To Think

4/5

An underrated sliver of the '90s post-hardcore wave. Taking notes from Nation of Ulysses and perhaps a little from Unwound, Shudder to Think brings in the usual angular guitar riffs with a flamboyant twist. And yet, the band can't help but write honest-to-god pop rock moments into Pony Express Record. Just when I thought I heard most of the played-out style of '90s post-hardcore, I'm in for a surprise. This is an album that tends to oscillate and lack a centrifugal constant, making this a wild ride for anyone who wants their expectations subverted nearly every other song. Not too eclectic though, just has some fascinating songwriting. CONTNDER FOR THE LIST: Nay, lest we get bogged down with too many excellent post-hardcore albums from the '90s. Sometimes you just gotta take the creme of the creme.

Dimanche à Bamako

Amadou & Mariam

3/5

Star-crossed lovers Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia from Mali provide us with funk-infused west-African music. They're also blind. Pleasant listen! Dimanche à Bamako has a certain production style that rounds the edges of this non-Western sound, leading to the overall record sounding a little blander than I would've liked. That's often the problem I have with these albums that try to placate to a more Western audience; it ends up losing some personality in the process. Otherwise, fun grooves all around. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Wikipedia quotes them as being "one of Africa's most successful musical exports" so there might be some merit to including them. Maybe someone else more well-versed on the subject can make that decision.

Separation Sunday

The Hold Steady

3/5

If you check the user albums list, you'll see the Hold Steady's "Boys and Girls in America" TWICE (70 and 150). Obviously, user submission #410 said "no no, you've got it wrong. It should be Separation Sunday instead!" So, here we are. This one is a lot like "Boys and Girls in America," which I described as "anthemic rock for millennials who just started drinking regularly and may or may not be developing a substance dependency." This album has a bit more grit to it though, following a story about greasy characters crashing parties and making bad decisions. The only people who still listen to the Hold Steady are people who remember where they were when the first iPod was unveiled. It's got some memorable moments and sharp lines, but nothing to make it timeless or frankly enjoyable. It's fine. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Pales in comparison to it's contemporaries in the world of millennial indie rock. Let's move on.

August And Everything After

Counting Crows

4/5

Sha-la-la-la-la-la-la. My mom liked Counting Crows! They have a slightly disarming rock sound that doesn't quite fall into soft rock or AOR. In truth, Adam Duritz knows how to write for pop better than anything else. His progressions are especially satisfying on songs like Rain King and Omaha, which makes me wonder if he has some sort of jazz background? Some people may be quick to handwave Counting Crows away as boring. I am not one of those people! I enjoyed the whole thing thoroughly, though not every song stuck for me. Could use a trim, maybe. Otherwise, a nice collection of songs! Isn't that what makes a good album, after all? CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Hmmm not sure. I don't think Counting Crows was all that impactful within the music landscape aside from being fairly popular. I will put them down as a "no" but I'm open to opposing arguments.

Stage Four

Touché Amoré

4/5

Following the decline of pop punk-styled emo in the 2000s, the emo genre would begin to embrace the '90s style of post-hardcore. Chief among them was Title Fight, but Touché Amoré were key pioneers for this emo pivot. With their self-titled EP in 2008, Touché Amoré would return to the raw hardcore aspects of emo and center it as a driving force parallel to the power pop-focused emo revival from around the same time. 8 years later, Touché Amoré seeming still has it. As with any good emo record, the content of the songs comes from a particularly vulnerable place for earnest expressions of pain, grief, and sorrow. Following the death of vocalist Jeremy Bolm's mother, who succumbed to cancer, Stage Four was released as a heart-wrenching work of art. At times, this album feels like it should be the benchmark for all great emo records, with Bolm's soul-bearing lyrics and screams of anguish telling the story with incredible emotional resonance. I can only imagine how hard it is to lose a loved one, but to process that pain at a concert miles away from your mom's deathbed has to be a uniquely hollow feeling. What comes of it is an testament to memories, which acts as a beautiful eulogy for all to bear witness. There is a famous quote with many attributions that goes "Every man has two deaths: when he is buried in the ground, and the last time someone says his name." Stage Four, for as long as it is remembered, will keep Bolm's mother alive. What a wonderful thing. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Should be strongly considered, despite my hesitancy to overcorrect for the list's lack of emo in the first place. At least have a Title Fight album on there.

Canciones 1989-2013

Extremoduro

2/5

A 3-hour near-comprehensive compilation of Extremoduro's Spanish rock music career. Similar to Extrechinato y Tú (also on the user's list!), Extremoduro existed within the Rock urbano español revival of the '90s. As you can tell by the compilation's title, this expanded far into the 2000s with their studio output effectively concluding by 2013. Wikipedia tells me that Extremoduro planned for a farewell tour, but COVID effectively botched those plans, so the band called it quits without much of a hurrah. Too bad! While I will agree that Extremoduro is a pretty good and regionally important rock band, I don't think an overly long compilation gets the point across all that succinctly. Other reviews have belabored this issue so I won't dwell on it too much, but there are certainly better choices to communicate the musical legacy of a band so revered within Spain's borders. Extremoduro's 1996 album Agila, for example, is a clear highlight of the band's career: it's their best-selling album, praised by Rolling Stone on multiple occasions, and is a clear breakout success amongst Extremoduro's discography. The first five songs from Agila run from tracks 21-25 on the compilation, and I feel they're an excellent example of the band's unique and innovative songwriting. Regardless, over 210 minutes of material can be difficult to digest all in one sitting, and I believe it requires a fairly strong justification for its inclusion on the user's list. Future users that are equally enterprising and malicious could find reason to submit one of Bull of Heaven's particularly notorious albums, unless we start implementing more rules for submission or, at the very least, request the site admin's professional judgement be exercised on a case-by-case basis. I think he's a reasonable man, but I've also never met him! Are these good songs? Yes, certainly. Is this a good album? Not particularly. I appreciate that the songs are organized chronologically, at the very least. Of course, it's still far longer than it needs to be and doesn't really execute a cohesive singular artistic vision like a standard album might. This compilation is best-suited for those who are already dedicated fans of Extremoduro who wish to celebrate the band's career, rather than for newcomers who are largely unfamiliar with their work. Regardless, I can say I've had plenty of exposure to Extremoduro's music now! CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: No, and I think I've made that clear.

Somewhere In The Between

Streetlight Manifesto

4/5

Amongst the third-wave ska bands, Streetlight Manifesto stood out for their unconventionally progressive songwriting. You'll rarely find a standard verse-chorus format among Somewhere in the Between, but will you find is plenty of melodic lines reminiscent of Eastern European folk genres. Fun songs to belt out if you know the words! I like em. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I would put a hard limit on the amount of third wave ska in here. No Doubt would be a better choice.

The art of Amalia Rodrigues

Amália Rodrigues

4/5

Amália Rodrigues, the Queen of Fado, is the woman who brought the intricate Portuguese music of tradition worldwide. Her passionate-yet-gentle singing style conveyed such pure emotion that expressed love and loss, or simply longing. Stunningly beautiful, this compilation is a highlight for anyone wishing to explore more regional-specific music. Muito bem, Amália Rodrigues! CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Depends on how granular the list should be with different music genres, especially those outside the anglosphere. Perhaps not.

Speak & Spell

Depeche Mode

3/5

Depeche Mode's debut album. It wouldn't be until the late 80s that the band would embrace darkwave influences for their synth-led pop sound, so for now they sound more akin to the Human League or Pet Shop Boys. If you recognize any song from this album, it's Just Can't Get Enough and, if you asked me before today, I would not be able to tell you that it was a Depeche Mode song. This sort of bright poppy stuff sounds so unnatural for Dave Gahan and the boys. This is likely because the majority of the songs here were written by Vince Clarke who split up from the band shortly after. Once Martin Gore started writing the songs, you could really tell the band had found it's center. Otherwise, Speak & Spell isn't all that bad; it's just not truly representative of the band's work or level of quality. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Music for the Masses and Violator are perfect picks on their own. No need for another Depeche Mode album.

The Lion's Roar

First Aid Kit

3/5

Swedish folk pop duo with a country twang. Their country influences are unmistakable (the second track honoring the great Emmylou Harris and her partner Gram Parsons), but the more contemporary styles of indie folk bordering on Stomp Clap Hey (Mumford and Sons comes to mine) are equally present. In truth, these two don't sound like they're from Sweden at all. I suppose they were spending extensive time in America, studying the acoustic folk-country singer-songwriters of yore. Good for them. It's alright. Admittedly a bit boring in the songwriting, but the duet harmonies are lovely. This seems more like a product of it's time than a strictly poor showing. If this was made in the '70s it might've been a classic. Who knows! CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: No, this is more of a footnote than anything. A passing reference in the grander scheme of 2010s indie-folk-pop blah.

The Feeding of the 5000

Crass

5/5

Critically important band and album that shaped so much of punk music and culture. Following the corporate mainstream co-option of punk rock during the first wave, a few blokes squatting at a commune house in Essex jammed out their own version of punk rock with a more explicitly political message. This would form into the band Crass and, subsequently, anarcho-punk at large. Sloppier, noisier, and slightly more conceptual in its artistic vision (see: the John Cage influence on They've Got a Bomb), Crass formulated a version of punk that was on their terms and reflected their anarchist views. Now, more than ever, the lyrics of punk rock were the focal point. Throughout the Feeding of the 5000, you'll find clear opposition to Christian religious institutions, nuclear armament, war, government spending, commodification of punk, and everything else in between. Steve Ignorant spares no words and delivers each line with a distinct snarl that makes you feel his disgust for the system. It rocks from top to bottom. Crass never thought they could sell 5000 records, but that was the minimum order required to press the LP so they bit the bullet. Now, nearly 50 years later, this album's influence cannot be understated. Avid fans of punk music can recognize the marks of Crass amongst hardcore punk with Propaghandi, crust punk with Amebix, powerviolence with Dropdead, post-hardcore with Fugazi, and even rap rock with Rage Against the Machine. We owe more than we think to these weirdo artsy anarchists who took a stand against commercial interests and did things their own way. FIGHT WAR, NOT WARS. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Perhaps one of the most deserving semi-obscure picks for the list. While you may not have heard Crass, you have heard their influence elsewhere on the original list. I'd reckon we can replace The Adverts in doing so.

This Is the Day...This Is the Hour...This Is This!

Pop Will Eat Itself

3/5

What do you know about Grebo? In the wave of UK alternative dance music during the late '80s and early '90s (see: Baggy and Madchester), the midlands' own Stourbridge would innovate their own edgy style known as Grebo. A distinct blend of electronic, rap, rock, and post-industrial sounds would inform the music of Pop Will Eat Itself, arguably the defining band of this short-lived music subculture. Two songs off this album, Can U Dig It? and Wise Up! Sucker, found some mainstream success and are likely the reason this album landed on the user's list at all. This Is the Day is an incredibly distinct album and seemingly the basis for the similar-sounding Atari Teenage Riot and much of the digital hardcore genre. That is to say, it's fairly niche. It doesn't do rock, rap, or dance music particularly well, but it conveys a clear aesthetic which I would consider to be a success. I'd say this album explores most of what Grebo could have been, primarily due to its unfocused and somewhat limited nature. I like it in theory, but it often comes across as both dated and tacky. A classic, this is not. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: If we're giving grebo any room on the list, it can be this album and only this album. But if you want my opinion, the short-lived subculture is not worth breaching.

When It Falls

Zero 7

4/5

Did you like Moon Safari? Then chances are you'll enjoy When It Falls too. Extremely pleasant and mellowed-out tunes that's perfect for any early morning meditation. Fantastic sonic textures, particularly on the Rhodes, Wurlitzer, and Clavinet. This album isn't doing anything particularly revolutionary or magnificent, but sometimes all you need is an album that sounds nice. Well done, Zero 7. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Nahhhh. AIR covers this sound pretty well and I don't think Zero 7 adds much to the downtempo genre.

Get To Heaven

Everything Everything

3/5

First of all: crazy album cover. The color pallet and action are immediately eye-catching. I worry that it might be more interesting than the music. It's certainly interesting! Quirky pop rock with a lot of unconventional songwriting. Grounded in a groove or a danceable beat, but content to swerve at any given opportunity. Don't like the creative choices on the vocals all that much, and it often feels like certain ideas aren't as fully realized as they could be. More than anything, this album needs better hooks! I think these boys were bound for pop songwriting but got lost along the way in 2010s indie stylings. It would benefit them to take a page out of Jellyfish's book and start getting more ambitious with the weirder parts. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I'm not sure. I'm leaning no, despite being critically praised. It just feels like another artsy rock record that was hot at the time but had little impact on the rock field at large.

Z

My Morning Jacket

3/5

The usual millennial indie rock bullshit. I usually refer to notably millennial music as "bullshit" but I promise it's not in a derogatory way, there's just a lot of it. Anyway. Z rarely stays in one gear for so long. Jim James' vocals are seemingly the focal point for much of the album though, even when he doesn't have much to say. Solid dynamics and exploration of styles, but ultimately feels like My Morning Jacket doesn't have a "wow" factor to them. Except for the closing track, which crescendos into a nice explosion. Otherwise though, I wish I had more to grab onto with Z. Like a slightly less-interesting Radiohead. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I think there's enough millennial indie rock bullshit on the list between The Zutons, Arcade Fire, TV on the Radio, Elbow, The National, and a few others.

I Had a Dream That You Were Mine

Hamilton Leithauser

2/5

Former frontman of The Walkmen and former producer of Vampire Weekend team up to make more indie rock. If you've seen the series 13 Reasons Why, then you might recognize the opener A 1000 Times. I didn't! This sounds a lot like all the other 2010s indie rock releases. The War On Drugs, Titus Andronicus, Arcade Fire, The National, and Vampire Weekend (if you can believe it!). It'd be a lot more interesting if they infused some other influences into it, but they seemingly chose doo-whop which I think made it worse somehow. What an unfortunate album. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: No, this hasn't got much going for it at all.

Real Life

Joan As Police Woman

3/5

Pleasant singer-songwriter stuff. Joan has a knack for writing interesting and varied tunes to keep the album fresh. Great voice, competent supporting band, warm production. Worth noting that Joan Wasser was engaged to Jeff Buckley prior to his tragic death, so a fair bit of this album's emotional resonance can be traced back to that loss. Joan is quite the talented violinist and has played on a number of fantastic albums (including ones you have already heard on the list!), but this album is her first official release as a songwriter. There is a shelved album she wrote along with the members of Buckley's band titled Black Beetle, which I would reckon to be a fascinating "what if" of music lore. Regardless, Real Life stands as a nice listen and makes a case for Wasser's talent as a songwriter. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I'm hesitant to include it. Joan As Police Woman doesn't quite seem to be a band that had much impact, but was certainly raised up by the artistry surrounding them. I don't think they'd quite make the cut.

God Shuffled His Feet

Crash Test Dummies

4/5

A worthy band to parallel the Tragically Hip. Production that makes each song seem larger than life. Songwriting that feels like R.E.M. was uninhibited. Are the vocals holding it back? Almost certainly, but it's a notable feature nontheless. Pure Canadian rock with some fun twists and turns to keep things interesting. It sucks that they don't play this on the radio here. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Don't know if this quite hits the same heights as the Hip. I'll leave a space open for more impressive Canadian acts.

Fear of a Blank Planet

Porcupine Tree

4/5

Progressive rock on the original list takes a winding road through the '70s up until Rush in 1981, then skips over to Robert Wyatt in 1997 and the Mars Volta in 2003 before promptly dropping the genre. Between the lack of Black Midi, Dream Theater, and Steven Wilson (of Porcupine Tree), this seems like a bit of an oversight! Initially blending the '90s sounds of the space rock revival with Pink Floyd-inspired prog rock, Porcupine Tree would go on to be one of the defining prog rock bands of the 2000s in a post-britpop landscape. You could start with one of their earliest successful albums like Stupid Dream or Lightbulb Sun, but most people have a penchant for the more metal-infused albums like In Absentia and Deadwing. Which brings us to the following album Fear of a Blank Planet, more of the same. Not a bad thing though, since Porcupine Tree does this one thing exceptionally well. Songs that are explored to their full potential with superb riffs to boot. This...is excellent. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: It's gotta have at least one of the Porcupine Tree's albums, right? This one is a good nominee.

Exile On Coldharbour Lane

Alabama 3

2/5

The Sopranos is the greatest television series of all time. Doesn't mean we oughta hear the entire album that has the theme song on it. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: No?

Quebec

Ween

5/5

Regardless of what you might think about oddballs Dean Ween and Gene Ween, you shouldn't deny that they were great songwriters. Beneath layers of goofy humor and bizarre production choices, you'll find exactly 15 original songs on Quebec that all stand on their own. You could say this album is inconsistent or scatterbrained for their lack of a cohesive sound, but they execute so well on all fronts that I can't imagine like Quebec going any other way. It's got the Fucked Jam. What more could you want? There's a tonal depth to something like this too, from the frightening vulnerability of Happy Colored Marbles to the depressing resignation of I Don't Want It. Quebec is a drug-divorce album, and for a funny jokey band they don't seem to write a lot of funny joke songs on here. Listen to the closing three-track run and you can easily infer the kind of headspace Gene and Dean were in during the making of this album. In truth they sort of define the album as a whole with their rich details and engulfing mood. Songs like Hey There Fancypants and the opener It's Gonna Be A Long Night almost betray the true emotional depth of Ween's work. Or, perhaps, they tell a larger story in the context of the entire album? Something to think about. Quebec came as the result of Ween's conclusion with major label Elektra and a return to releasing through independent label. That isn't to say their major label albums aren't any good (one only need to appreciate the Mollusk for that), but to have something so magnificent come out following their departure from "the big leagues" is bold-faced evidence for Ween's fine craftsmanship. Well done, boys. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: At least one Ween album oughta be on there, I'd reckon. This, the Mollusk, or Chocolate and Cheese. I'll let a more versed Ween fan choose.

Get Rich Or Die Ryan

Spose

2/5

Spose's lame claim to fame is that he released a song that did well on YouTube in 2010 and it got picked up as the theme song for a CBC sitcom. Since then, he has been releasing albums to little critical acclaim or fanfare. Including this one. Fairly uninteresting rap rock on disc 1 and fairly uninteresting pop rap on disc 2. White rappers like Spose are a dime-a-dozen if you look hard enough; every hometown north of the Mason–Dixon line has one. Their style is stuck in 2010 and they all rap like Mac Miller and Little Dicky. At least Mac branched out to neo-soul stuff before dying, but unfortunately these guys cannot tap into good (or even relevant) hip-hop. It's sad, really. One of the album's notable songs is Dudes, which is Spose's apology on behalf of all men for their deplorable actions. His heart's in the right place, but it lacks any real recognition of how the patriarchy functions to enable the poor behavior that Spose highlights in his lyrics. The chorus, which I would argue is his slam dunk, talks about how women have never carried out public shootings and posted racist manifestos prior to carrying out said crimes. I guess he didn't have the foresight to anticipate the 2024 Abundant Life Christian School shooting. Grim! And of course it's a completely unnecessary double album. If it were trimmed down then I wouldn't mind this as much (it's competently produced and his rapping isn't that bad), but subjecting me to over 90 minutes of unremarkable rap leads me to believe this should've been split into two separate releases. Everyone wants to make their magnum opus so bad that they forget to make good art. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: No, not even a little bit. They could make a 1001 Rap Albums list and this still wouldn't be a contender. Get real!

Sunset Mission

Bohren & Der Club Of Gore

4/5

Jazz fit for a moody, hardboiled film noir. A sleazy saxophone, a drifting piano, and a subdued-yet-steady rhythm from the drums makes up much of this iconic sound. Sunset Mission feels like a benchmark for this kind of jazz, but can find itself relegated to background music more often than not. Ambient music can have that effect on me, so I won't hold it against the spirit of the album. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: This feels more like a specialty/niche kind of a jazz rather than a particularly important part of the genre so, I don't think it would be a good fit for the list.

"Awaken, My Love!"

Childish Gambino

4/5

In the summer of 2017 it was impossible to escape the grasp of Childish Gambino's Redbone. You wouldn't even know that it was by the same guy who made Bonfire or played Troy Baker in that one show Community. You can read my notes on Because The Internet if you want the full rundown. This is the new Gambino. Since exploring his affinity for rap, Donald Glover seemed interested in tapping into his soul and funk influences. It's not hard to hear bits of Funkadelic, Sly & the Family Stone, Bootsy Collins, and even a bit of Prince. "Awaken, My Love!" was a side of Glover we had never really seen before, and it was instantly captivating to me. From the opening keys of Me and Your Mama to the closing out of Stand Tall, this album is a lush experience for those lucky enough to enjoy it. Granted, it can feel rather frontloaded (cutting off at California) but I still find moments to enjoy on the back half. The rich atmosphere of Terrified will captivate me every time, and The Night Me and Your Mama Met carries a certain comfort to its instrumental. Who knew that becoming a father could unlock something in Glover? CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Either this one or Because the Internet, I'd reckon. Depending on my mood I might even say both.

The Decline of British Sea Power

Sea Power

4/5

I, like many others, were first exposed to British Sea Power from their fantastic work on the Disco Elysium soundtrack. They provided the perfect ambient atmosphere for a down-and-out eccentric detective who desperately needed to get a body out of a tree. This is something completely different. The Decline of British Sea Power (great name for a debut album btw) are concentrated bursts of indie rock noise, commanding attention with high-energy riffs and somewhat pop-oriented songwriting. This carried on until the meditative 13-minute track Lately, where British Sea Power builds something that I can only describe as a monument to sound. It's a great big track and should've ended the album. Lots of fun to be had with this one! Not as clever or endearing as some of their rock contemporaries like Bloc Party or the Strokes, but still a nice listen. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Probably not. They come close to breaking through but I feel this album stands in the shadow of it's similar rock peers.

II

Espers

4/5

It's time to get weird with it. Going into the new millennium, certain artists across the psychedelic and folk spectrum would seemingly embrace the old free-flowing approach to songwriting inspired by hippie culture of the '60s and '70s. This marked the revival of interest in the wyrd folk genre, which brought a hypnotic mysticism to the sound of psychedelic folk. Espers, here, represents the modern approach to that genre in the context of the New Weird America movement. Espers' third album (yes, this is their third) invokes sounds of an anxious colonial America, blending the atmosphere of Godspeed You! Black Emperor with the pastoral psychedelia of The Incredible String Band (remember them?). It is darkly enchanting and unsettling at times, but well-rounded instrumentally to make me want more of whatever they have on tap. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I could see them finding a spot, given their lineage.

For Emma, Forever Ago

Bon Iver

3/5

Bon Iver you tortured, vulnerable mountain man. You wrote all those little songs on your acoustic guitar and gave it your best falsetto in order to bear your soul and then you sold one million units of it. And it was nice and mellow and it probably does something for someone but it isn't me. I thought it was fine. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: This or the follow-up, but not both.

Save Rock And Roll

Fall Out Boy

2/5

Of all the Fall Out Boy albums, this one? Despite being practically synonymous with 2000s pop punk, they had effectively shed that sound for more rounded pop rock corners by the end of the decade. Save Rock And Roll marks their first album that distinctly experiments with electronic elements, something that would be further embraced on future releases. For now, you get Patrick Stump's signature tenor over toothless pop hooks that are just fine. It's a particularly middling album that thankfully doesn't overstay its welcome, but also doesn't do anything that makes me want to listen to it ever again. This album is especially egregious on Young Volcanos, which sees the band dip into the indie folk Stomp Clap Hey territory that was in vogue at the time. Horrible! This immediately dates the album for me and drops the score by a whole point for me. Doesn't really recover from that. The thing you need to know about this album is that it exists in the shadow of Imagine Dragons' explosive debut album from just a year earlier. If I was a betting man, I'd say Fall Out Boy or their label saw the success of that bland-ass pop rock and decided this was the pivot that the band needed to make to stay relevant. Well, here we are over a decade later and I guess we're still talking about Fall Out Boy. The title defies all meaning as it sounds more like a pop album first and foremost. The "rock and roll" is almost certainly more of an afterthought here so is this how they think they're "saving" it? By allowing it to be cannibalized by radio-friendly unit shifters? You've gotta be fucking kidding me. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: There's an argument to be made for earlier FOB albums to be on the list but not this one.

Ram

Paul McCartney

4/5

Before I begin, I want to recognize that while this is an album credited under both Paul and Linda McCartney, Paul is the only one who has a songwriter credit on every song. Additionally, much of the context surrounding this album is about Paul's split from the Beatles and how his animosity is infused into Ram. As a result, I'll be referring to Paul as simply McCartney from here on out. After all, he's sort of the main character here. Sorry, Linda. Ram is pure, distilled McCartney songwriting in every way. It's playful, fun, and free. Emphasis on that last adjective: free. While this is technically his second album since leaving the Beatles, Ram was the first album following McCarney initiating the legal process of dissolving the band as a business partnership. This happened in the middle of recording Ram, so you can imagine how much emotional weight went into these songs. Too Many People and 3 Legs are both targeted jabs at Lennon, while the back of the album art has a picture of one beetle fucking another. Yeesh! Looking past these bitter feelings, Ram reveals some of McCartney's best songs as a result of him being truly uninhibited. Monkberry Moon Delight and The Back Seat of My Car are as fun to listen to as they are complex. You can tell that McCartney loves to write music, evidenced by his captivating melodies and sprawling songs. Obviously he was able to work his magic as a core songwriter for the Beatles, but having his abilities on full display here makes it seem like he might have been holding back (or held back?) prior to his departure. There're probably some parallels to All Things Must Pass but I can't be bothered to write all that out. Despite garnering a number 1 hit single in the US off this album, McCartney's work with the Wings on Band On The Run is almost certainly more popular. That being said, it feels wrong to overlook such an incredible piece of work from McCartney's discography. Glad someone threw it on the user's list. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Yes. Replace McCartney's first solo album with this one.

Currents

Tame Impala

4/5

You know Tame Impala just one guy? Following the success of psychedelic-infused pop during the late 2000s with bands like MGMT and Animal Collective, Australia's own Kevin Parker would begin marking similarly-psychedelic music under the name Tame Impala. Parker's songwriting style can be linked back to a history of producer-songwriters who exercise immense creative freedom by virtue of extensive recording and production sessions. Brian Wilson, Todd Rundgren, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Richard David James, Kevin Shields, and any number of hip-hop producers became masters of the studio in crafting some of the finest songs known to music history. Parker would be one of those great producer-artists in his own rite, as Tame Impala became a defining name for indie music in the 2010s. Currents, being a deeply introspective album, has some of Parker's best work. This is accomplished through incredibly lush production that makes the album feel like you're swimming around in his brain. The biggest hitters come at equal intervals, with the opener, closer, and middle song slapping you with Parker's juicy basslines over heavenly pads. My man has it locked in. Despite the album's simplicity, everything about it seems so fine-tuned that it's difficult to deny the level of quality on display. It's no wonder that it was these songs that launched Tame Impala from an indie darling into a pop producer hero. His following work would include working with the likes of Lady Gaga, The Weeknd, and even Kanye West. No doubt, this was a career-defining album for Parker. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Oh 100%. Hard to quantify how impressive this album is in straddling the line between indie and pop scenes, in addition to how it would lead Parker to become embedded in popular music from here on out.

Transmissions

STARSET

2/5

Modern alt rock grounded in Breaking Benjamin songwriting conventions, except they're weirdly obsessed with space. Symphonic and electronic moments try to make this album more epic than it actually deserves. In reality, much of the songs themselves are exhaustingly monotonous modern rock that gives too much in the way of theatrical vocal delivery and pseudo-inspirational interludes. Everything about this album feels unearned, unsatisfying, and unending. My god, did it need to be stretched out to be 60 minutes on the dot? This does not leave me with good feelings. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I hope not!

Carrie & Lowell

Sufjan Stevens

4/5

Wasn't expecting to feel so sorrowful this morning. Sufjan Stevens landed a spot on the original list with his incredible Illinois, but fans of his discography will know Carrie & Lowell as a devastatingly beautiful standout amongst his albums. Following the death of his mother, Stevens reached deep into his pain to produce 11 masterful songs that (hopefully) helped him process some of that grief. There's a lot of complicated feelings on display and the death of a loved one is never an easy pill to swallow. Stripping away all the supplementary instruments to put Steven's voice and guitar on full display is about as vulnerable as it gets. Much like the photograph on the cover, many of these songs are memories. Perhaps by recording them, Stevens was able to immortalize those very memories. That's the beauty of the artform. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Potentially, yes. Few albums can stand as a truly moving tribute to a lost loved one as this, save for maybe Skeleton Tree or A Crow Looked at Me.

For All Happy Endings

David & The Citizens

3/5

Swedish folksy indie rock that reminds me of the Mountain Goats. Seems like this band never got much traction outside of Europe or even their home country, but I think they deserve more of a fair shake! This album isn't extraordinarily good or anything groundbreaking, but it was fun enough. I think sometimes you need slightly obscure things like this to keep the mind sharp. It's nice to see the user's list get a little exploratory, if a bit average. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Too niche, I'm afraid.

A Beginner's Mind

Sufjan Stevens

4/5

Every song is a movie. The opener is Wings of Desire, Back to Oz is Return to Oz, the title track is Point Break. You already know who Sufjan Stevens is, so let's talk about Angelo De Augustine. De Augustine had been releasing music since the mid-2010s, but his 2019 breakout album Tomb showcases much of his own songwriting finesse. Much like Stevens, he's a tender and sensitive singer with a knack for introspection. So much so that Stevens took a shine to De Augustine and released Tomb under his own label. And then they isolated in a cabin out in upstate New York and watched a bunch of movies as inspiration for a collaborative album. There's a sense of wonder and whimsy that comes with an album like this. I suppose films are bound to do that, capturing larger-than-life stories that spike the imagination. Those familiar with Stevens' work will be right at home with many of these songs, which rest comfortably in a warm and cozy indie folk pocket. A Beginner's Mind is airy, elegant, and lovely. There is a good chance you will enjoy this if that folksy kinda stuff doesn't bore you too much. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Not Sufjan Stevens' best work and Angelo De Augustine doesn't strike me as someone who needs to be represented on the list. Illinois and Carrie & Lowell would be enough I think.

Hello Rockview

Less Than Jake

4/5

For my money, the best album to represent ska punk. While Fishbone may be an early pioneer and Operation Ivy effectively popularized the genre, ska punk peaked with Less Than Jake and their expert splitting of pop punk with tougher skate punk riffs. I reject the notion that ska punk is a west-coast genre only to be championed by the likes of No Doubt, Sublime, and Rancid. Anyone who has ever played Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 or watched the Digimon movie will recognize the power of All My Best Friends Are Metalheads. Hello Rockview hits the ground running and barely slows down. It's a pace fit for a proper ska punk album; no one wants slow songs or fucking ballads. To that end, it feels like everything that an album representing youth culture was meant to be. It's fun, energetic, and full of choruses that make you feel like you could be part of the band. Fantastic. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Nope, this one needs to be kept off the list for the real skaheads who can appreciate what the genre has to offer. The list can have the more popular bands instead.

American Football

4/5

If you asked people in the early 2000s, the second wave of emo belonged to bands like Cap'n Jazz and Sunny Day Real Estate. These were the bands that harnessed the potential of the fully-realized post-hardcore sound from bands like Fugazi and Jawbox. While occasionally dipping into more technical songwriting reminiscent of math rock, this style of emo, which was later dubbed Midwest Emo, had rounded the edges of the first wave's hardcore roots in favor of something that more so resembled indie rock. Of course, the emo of the 2000s would diverge into either a pop sound (such as My Chemical Romance and Jimmy Eat World) or Scene's own brand of screamo (such as Pierce the Veil and The Used), and the dorky midwest emo would fall to the wayside. Until the 2010s, when an emo revival (making this the fourth wave) revisited its midwest emo roots to bring back those elements of post-hardcore and indie rock that was sorely missed (or misused) during the 2000s. However, this time the movement would revisit an album that was sorely overlooked when it first debuted: American Football's first self-titled album. Unlike many of their contemporaries, American Football leaned heavily into a "twinkly" guitar sound that lent itself well to the intricate math rock-infused riffs that characterized much of the band's sound. Combined with slower introspective moments that would employ a lonely trumpet for added emphasis, American Football stood out in ways that would not be appreciated until a good decade after the album's release. It's a nice album for those looking to bath in the melancholy. It's not a crushing, depressive kind of melancholy, but a mellow one that might leave you yearning for better days. It is no wonder, then that this album has emotionally resonated with so many young people working through transitory phases of their lives. It's tender production and carefully-crafted songs are bound to connect with anyone who might be Going Through It, even just a little. This record has a trio in perfect lockstep with one another, playing songs as though they were destined to be played one way or another. Perhaps gen x wasn't ready for this, but the millennials were. While the band parted ways in 2000, the renewed interest in this album would play a key factor in American Football reforming in 2014. The time seemed right to bring it all back around for a crowd that was eager and willing to hear what the old guard had in store. Emo, for better or worse, was here to stay. The house on the cover has since become an icon to emo fans everywhere, with some dedicated enough to make pilgrimage to it's address at 704 W. High St in Urbana, Illinois. Creatively dubbed the "American Football House," it was originally host to college parties and DIY house shows. It has since been purchased in part by Polyvinyl Records (original distributors of the album) and is apparently available as a short-term rental on airBNB. Weird. Regardless, American Football's legacy has been cemented in these little ways. Internet denizens, in particular, have taken a real shine to it. Memes, tribute albums, and meme tribute albums have also garnered American Football a certain amount of cultural currency in the years since it's reappraisal. To that end, the band has become something of legends for music nerds. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: You betcha.

Take It From The Man

The Brian Jonestown Massacre

3/5

As the cover art suggests, this is basically a love-letter to the bands that defined the British Invasion. The Rolling Stones, the Beatles, the Who, and the Kinks. David Bowie even gets a name-drop on one of the songs. By all accounts, the band's frontman Anton Newcombe has affectionately held the sounds of '60s garage rock and psychedelic rock close to his heart. Consistent quality, but struggles a bit from being overly long and sounding rather same-y. Still makes for an enjoyable rock album though! CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I think it makes sense have this included. There's a clear point of influence for the emerging garage rock revival and it clearly demonstrates how its sound was derived from '60s rock acts. And also the band is fairly popular.

The Simple Plan

August is Falling

2/5

Okay, so some context is in order: Pat Finnerty, bald as shit, has a video series on YouTube called What Makes This Song Stink. In a video covering the song Emo Girl by Machine Gun Kelly, Finnerty took it upon himself to produce a satire song of 2000s-era emo-pop-punk, complete with a music video and an outfit sourced from Hot Topic. He released the song, Mad This Summer, under the pseudonym August is Falling. It's pretty good, despite the low ceiling of quality for satire songs. This song was part of a larger gag that Finnerty dubbed The Simple Plan (no doubt named after the pop punk band Simple Plan), which consisted of "write bullshit pop punk song" and would eventually lead to him owning a hot tub. I don't think Finnerty ever meant for August is Falling to be more than a one-song project, but it was eventually revealed at the end of the video that he had an EP locked and loaded. A follow-up video explained that he had the EP mixed and ready to drop, but that he would release it on the condition that he reached 1,000 members on Patreon. Look, I get it. YouTube is a viable source of income now and he wants to secure that bag, but I don't think The Simple Plan EP was going to be more than a few joke songs that lampoon blink-182 or Fall Out Boy. It's not exactly a key motivator for me to sign up for a monthly membership just to give Pat Finnerty money, as much as I may like his videos. Anyway, I suppose he reached 1,000 patrons because we're here now with The Simple Plan EP. Inside jokes from Finnerty's videos are littered in the lyrics, with one song dedicated to the Blinds To Go Guy. Anyone who hasn't seen Finnerty's videos are not going to appreciate that reference, and that's okay. If anything, it's really a show of this EP's limitations. The only songs I found enjoyable were Mad This Summer and the closer August is Falling, which coincidentally feature the least amount of references to Finnerty's videos. It's not a bad pastiche, but it's also not nearly as good as the sources of inspiration. If I'm gonna draw any inferences from this, it's that this EP is a show of Finnerty's preference for rock over pop songwriting, and pop punk is really best when it puts the pop at the forefront. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: lol no. Also this is not an album.

Beautiful Midnight

Matthew Good Band

3/5

Another Canadian band that did fairly well for themselves stateside while failing to garner any sort of reputation in the US. It would stand to reason, then, that my Canadian roots would not help me in trying to recall any useful information about this band. I don't even know if I've heard them on the classic rock radios stations, who love to play other Canadian darlings like the Hip and Sam Roberts Band. No, I haven't a clue who these guys are. Apparently they won a couple of Juno awards for this album! Good for them! It's turn-of-the-millennium alt rock that's pretty good. Just pretty good. There are a few standout songs on here, but nothing that makes me think this album is exceptional or even memorable. It's long! That much is certainly true. I think if we're going to sit down with '90s Canadian Rock, then it should be the likes of Sloan and Plumtree. Maybe that shows a little too much of my eastern Canadian bias, but I'm willing to give credit to Vancouver's own Heart (they count!) for trailblazing women in rock. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Probably not. Past a certain point, Canadian darlings run the risk of overrepresentation. Let's leave that space for the Hip and perhaps Heart.

Promises

Floating Points

5/5

A collaboration of beautiful artistry representing three worlds that merge in eloquent beauty. Let's break it down: 1. Floating Points is a British DJ and producer known for various explorations within the electronic music genre. While not tied down to any one specific style of electronic music, Floating Points' work can be characterized by his long-form atmospheric compositions that occasional blend live instrumentation from the jazz and classical worlds. Keep that in mind. 2. Pharoah Sanders is an American jazz saxophonist known for contributions to the spiritual jazz and free jazz genres. Having worked with the likes of Alice and John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, and Don Cherry, Sanders is an especially distinguished figure to represent jazz's more forward-thinking elements. 3. The London Symphony Orchestra needs no introduction, but conductor Sally Herbert has a track record worth remark. You've already heard her lead strings on albums such as In Rainbows, the Last Broadcast, and Everything Must Go. Her work on contemporary pop works makes her uniquely qualified to bring the classical world into other styles of music that is otherwise unfamiliar. Thus, brings us to Promises. While the Third Stream is not a new concept by any means (you've heard it on The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady), blending it with an electronic approach is a lesser-explored territory. Initially conceptualized as an ambient progressive electronic-jazz album in collaboration with Floating Points and Sanders, the project eventually added on the London Symphony Orchestra as a way to execute arrangements prepared by Floating Points. The final product is a continuous piece of music that meditates on a motif of seven notes. Movements 1 through 5 slowly build the momentum, incorporating moments of Sanders' saxophone and the LSO's strings over time. This crescendos into the much larger movements 6 and 7 before bringing things back down for movement 8 through 9. It's an incredibly reflective album that takes listeners on a journey, if they are ready and willing that is. I recognize that it can come across as monotonous or repetitive, but the fun is seeing how these ideas are explored throughout the runtime. Curious listeners will be rewarded for their time and effort. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Hard to say...it's a bold pick for certain and a clear standout for the 2020s, but how will it age in time? Will more albums point to it as a distinct influence? I will say no for now, but never say never....

Ruin

The Amazing Devil

2/5

Unremarkable folk from an unremarkable duo. They don't even have a wikipedia page for the group, it just redirects to the fella who's most notable credit is for The Witcher series. He's a fine singer, but these songs come across as trying to be more impressive than they actually are. The performances are far too overpronounced for me to enjoy, the songs are often aimless, and the lyrics suffer from a lack of subtlety or gracefulness. Everything about this album is seemingly trying to grate me down into a fine powder so I can never enjoy folk music ever again. It feels like a crime. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: No, not even close.

One Time for All Time

65daysofstatic

4/5

Post-rock with a distinct focus on integrating various electronic influences, with moments of distinct drum loops, audio glitches, and the odd sonic textures provided by varying synths. Despite these quirks, One Time for All Time is still rooted in many of the hallmark post-rock tropes: atmospheric instrumentals built by wide-sounding guitars, over-active drums, and dense bass. The key difference here is that the more mindfully-constructed melancholic atmosphere of your average post-rock album is traded in for something more distinctly caffeinated and complex. This makes for a refreshing and welcome approach to post-rock that I enjoyed! CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Amongst the monolithic post-rock bands, 65 feels a little too small to be included. A fun listen regardless.

Goat

The Jesus Lizard

3/5

Big Black-styled post-hardcore rooted in distinct bass grooves. And quelle surprise, Albini recorded it! It's hard not to remark on David Yow's madman ramblings that characterizes much of the band's sound, with counterpoints from angular guitar riffs that punctuate any given phrase. It's direct and memorable and occasionally brilliant, but more often than not it falls short of reaching the same heights as other post-hardcore bands at the time. This manic energy is probably better-experienced live than on the confines of a studio recording. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: No doubt a hugely-influencial post-hardcore album, but where do we draw the line? At The Drive-In, Unwound, and the actually-deserving Husker Du albums are not represented either, so it's hard to make cuts in a genre so innovative and far-reaching. Perhaps this is one that won't make the cut.

Witness

Modern Life Is War

4/5

This one is for the hardcore kids. Anyone who spent their days watching Have Heart's last show on youtube and waiting for the next local show to throw down. The energy, the passion, the relatable confessions, each line of a song that gets burned into your mind. Start a band with you friends, go edge, break edge, try it again, get into scene beef, jump a guy with allegations, play a show, record a shitty demo and pass around tapes or CDs, open for a sick touring band. It's our life, we do what we choose. Black jeans, black shirt, black shoes. Mom and Dad still don't approve. We're all Dead Ramones. The spirit of punk rock distilled in it's newest youth. We'll be okay. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I wouldn't include any modern hardcore on the list, unfortunately. But! It's going on 1001 Punk Albums You Must Hear Before You Die :)

Blonde

Frank Ocean

4/5

It's difficult to talk about such a generational album, one that has been embedded in the hearts and minds of so many young people. Blonde is real, honest, vulnerable, and unconventional in every way. Frank Ocean successfully built on the legacy of his previous album by delivering something even greater. And no one else even came close to touching what this album has done in the decade since it's release. Unreal. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Arguably more than Channel Orange. It's too important not to have on the list.

Djarimirri

Gurrumul

4/5

A beautifully moving piece of art that blends traditional Australian-Indigenous music with classical music. Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu is a man who worked hard to have native Australian languages heard in his music from his beginnings in the group Yothu Yindi up until his death shortly before this very album was released. By all accounts, he was true to his cultural roots and was uncompromising in bringing those musical traditions to the mainstream. Despite not getting much attention outside of Australia, Djarimirri and the life of Gurrumul was celebrated following his death. Well-deserved, might I add. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: There's a good argument to be made for its inclusion. It would certainly contribute to a more diverse representation of Australian music than another Nick Cave album.

Ocean Avenue

Yellowcard

3/5

A 2000s pop punk album if I've ever heard one. Surprised by the folksy elements on here, particularly the five (5!) songs with cello features. It's unabashedly sentimental and filled with pop punk tropes, but they're good fucking tropes okay? Yellowcard has hooks and energy and punchy drums so what more could you ask for, really? It's not reinventing the wheel, but it's a damn reliable model of the wheel. It just works, okay? CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: No. The list still needs Blink-182 and Fall Out Boy and Jimmy Eat World, which all easily overshadow Yellowcard as unfortunate as that is.

Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera

3/5

A short-lived group that managed to rub shoulders with some truly great acts during its time. Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, a real who's who of the British rock during the late '60s. Velvet Opera's self-titled debut album is bound to draw comparisons to Sgt. Pepper's, if only for the theatrical framing and the one song with the sitar on it. Is it good? Yeah, it is! Does eclipse any of the other releases around this time? No, not really. Still, though, it was a nice listen. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Probably not.

Nonagon Infinity

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard

4/5

Rock music is alive and well within the spirit of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. Fusing the fuzzed-out energy of the Stooges, the psychedelic textures of early Pink Floyd, and the conceptual approach of later Pink Floyd, King Gizz delivers like a train with no brakes. With each track flowing seamlessly from one to the next, Nonagon Infinity becomes a cohesive experience that fully respects the holistic nature of the music album. This extends to the final track Road Train, which loops back up to the opening track Robot Stop if you are inclined to put the album on repeat. Eagle-eared listeners will remember that trick from The Wall, though this serves the listener more than the narrative. Regardless, it is nothing short of mesmerizing in its execution. Is it a little frontloaded? Sure, but it helps to slow things down in the second half before picking right back up with Road Train. I think for all that you can fault the record for, there's at least five things to its benefit. Just such an accomplishment of modern rock music. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Fuucckkkkk yeah boys.

Rainbow Brain

GRiZ

2/5

Profoundly middle-of-the-road American-style dubstep that was somehow made in 2021. Even though the trend died on the vine with Skrillex's peak in the mid-2010s, GRiZ seems content to try innovating on the genre with moments of saxophone. In all honesty, this felt more like a chore than an enjoyable listening experience. Imo dubstep is a genre that has already reached its creative limits. At this point, it seems like music that only a certain subset of gamers listen to. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: No, but I'd reckon the list could use some big names from dubstep. Skrillex, Burial, and Skream all deserve a spot.

Cor-Crane Secret

Polvo

4/5

Almost certainly taking notes from Dinosaur Jr., Polvo brings the noisy slacker rock sound into the '90s with a certain math rock influence. Those more complicated songwriting moments would become more frequent in their critically-acclaimed sophomore album Today's Active Lifestyles, but for now you get their lo-fi debut. Vocals will occasionally evoke the too-cool attitude of Sonic Youth, but the guitar does most of the talking if we're being frank. Cor-Crane Secret represents a time in rock music where guitarists were pushing their instruments in unconventional ways, creating foreign sounds and wide soundscapes for the eager listener who craved something different. Overall, engaging stuff, CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Maybe a little too underground for the list, but you can certainly see the lineage of influences both before and after this band.

Power Corruption and Lies

New Order

4/5

Shocked that this New Order album didn't make the list. Power Corruption and Lies represents the stage of New Order when they had one foot still firmly in the post-punk days of Joy Division and the other foot advancing into '80s synthpop. You can tell they really found their groove with this album. Some truly untenable songs on here. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Yes! Replace Low-Life with this.

LUX

ROSALÍA

4/5

Rosalía got a lot of eyes on her with her Latin pop reggaetón hits like Saoko and Despechá off her album Motomami. While not quite breaking through to the mainstream anglosphere like Bad Bunny, she was turning a lot of heads regardless. For her follow-up, Rosalía would take a more conceptually spiritual approach and dedicated four different movements of the album to different female saints. Given this weight of such a topic, it makes sense that the music of Lux would invoke the grandiose sound of classical music. Yes, Rosalía is backed by an entire orchestra as the album strikes a balance between her pop background and the striking strings of the London Symphony Orchestra. This makes for a fairly dramatic album that swings between delicate wistful contemplation to massive compositions that encompasses the full range of Rosalía's ambition for this project. It's nothing short of exceptional! And yet, something holds it back. The pacing of this album is frankly disorienting, occasionally jerking itself from one track to the next with barely a transition. Certain songs are clear centerpieces for each given moment (La yugular, Berghain) and other times the movements move fairly seamlessly. It certainly captures the subject matter of the album, but I would find myself almost puzzled by the flow of the middle two movements. I will give it this though, it was rarely a bore. And my god, what a beautiful elegance. I can't not give it credit, you know? CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Too soon to tell! Maybe in five years time we'll still be talking about what a magnificent album this was, but for now I have to count it out for recency bias.

A.M.

Wilco

4/5

Wilco's first album. If you enjoyed the three Wilco albums on the original list (assuming we're counting the one with Billy Bragg), then you'll enjoy this one too. Unabashedly rock-infused alternative country for the discerning indie hipster. If anything, this proves that Wilco had the sauce from day 1, they just had to refine it over time into the perfect sound that is Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. That said, it wouldn't be until their sophomore album Being There when Wilco would fully embrace the rock sound. As such, you'll get more "pure" country on A.M. such as the bluegrassy That's Not the Issue or the Americana of Dash 7. Regardless, I enjoyed what the band brings to the table on this debut, even if it doesn't quite reach the same heights as their later albums. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Nope. All the right Wilco albums are already on the list, no need for any more.

Cold Fact

Rodríguez

3/5

A Bob Dylan-type folk singer-songwriter that unexpectedly gained a significant following in South Africa and Australia despite being from Michigan. It's pretty good but doesn't do anything particularly compelling with its runtime. Or maybe I'm just not much for folk music idk. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Despite the intrigue around this album, I'm not sure if it's notable enough for List Status.

Geography

Tom Misch

3/5

Jazzy, inoffensive modern soul music with occasional rap verses. It's a smooth and pleasant listen, but rarely piques my interest. Made for nothing more than background music. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I don't see any reason why it should.

GLOW ON

Turnstile

4/5

The record that drew a line in the sand and forced people to choose between hardcore and hipster indie bullshit. This is tied up in the face that Turnstile started as a fairly by-the-numbers modern hardcore band that grew to incorporate more alternative elements over time. This brings us to their third studio album, GLOW ON, which subverts hardcore more than strictly adhering to it. Real hardcore lovers will draw comparisons to Title Fight's own subversive approach that brought a more melodic edge to hardcore and strayed from the usual melodic hardcore bands from before. Regardless, GLOW ON has proven to be a little divisive. Is this a pop album? Sure, it sounds like hardcore on first listen, but the structures and hooks and rounded edges all point toward something more accessible for outside audiences. This would help explain why it landed on so many Best Albums of the Year lists for 2021 as opposed to Scowl's debut album or Cerce's comeback album. If anything, the mainstream is what drew the line in the sand and deemed Turnstile to be worthy of praise over the other bands that did not compromise any part of the hardcore sound. I know that sounds like I'm throwing Turnstile under the bus for not being "pure" hardcore and I might be a little bit, but it's worth mentioning that these subversions make for a pretty good album! I like quite a few of these songs! Blackout and Don't Play are guaranteed heaters, Holiday is a bop, Underwater Boi is a genuinely wonderful song to hear during the summertime. A lot of this album is a fun dreamscape that just happens to have some fucking riffs. And Fang is a great drummer to boot. I refuse to admit that they made a bad album with this because I don't like telling lies! It's not a perfect album by any means (it just sorta ends and a few of the songs are only okay) but it's one that I can still enjoy 5 years out. So quick epilogue notes: they kicked out one of the guitarists for undisclosed reasons and went on to get nominated for a few of grammys (lost to Brandi Carlile and Ozzy Osbourn!). Their hotly anticipated follow-up, NEVER ENOUGH, covered the mix of emotions that come with making a follow-up to such a successful record. It ended up sounding a lot like this record and, wait, did that guitarist from earlier just try to kill the singer's dad? What the fuck is going on? CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Biiiiig maybe. I think this album has become a landmark album for punk rock history for sure, but what about in the broader scope? I would hold off.

Time's Up

Living Colour

3/5

A pretty unambiguous sequel to Vivid. Title track and Type are clear standouts. Fairly accessible for funk metal, which ends up being a double-edged sword as the band doesn't do much to challenge the listener. Still, great messages and some great riffs in here. Not better or worse than Vivid, but a welcome addition regardless. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I think Vivid represents Living Colour's legacy just fine.

A Day At The Races

Queen

3/5

The companion album to A Night At The Opera, released just a year earlier. Unlike that companion album, however, A Day At The Races lacks the consistent quality across songs in exchange for the crown jewel that is Somebody To Love. By god, what a marvelous song. A pure highlight of Queen's vocal harmonies and tender emotional songwriting. Nothing else on the album comes close to that level of brilliance, but Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy makes for a fun romp akin to You're My Best Friend on the prior album. But, if I had to pick between the two, I would take Opera over Races. Sorry! CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: No, the Queen albums on the list are fine as-is.

The Colour And The Shape

Foo Fighters

4/5

The self-titled debut was practice; this is the real deal. Not only did The Colour And The Shape draw a clear line in the '90s that separated grunge from post-grunge, but it also went on to define radio rock for the following decade before it was subsequently watered down to a more rounded pop-friendly sound from the likes of Imagine Dragons. Three clear hits and some more great songs to boot. By and large, this album consistently delivers on rock music and sets a high watermark for the rock bands that would follow. Perhaps a little too high? While Grohl and co. took notes from Weezer by incorporating their alternative approach to power pop, most post-grunge bands were content to make their songs sound more like generic hard rock. This would be the genre's detriment, as we were left with frankly bland and uninspired music that was deemed fit for radioplay regardless. In contrast, the songs on The Colour And The Shape were fun and punchy and had a clear ear for melodic riffs. My only complaint about this album is that it should've ended on the masterpiece that is Everlong, which leaves such an incredible impression that the following songs wind up merely existing in Everlong's shadow. Otherwise, wow, what a record. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Replace the self-titled debut with this one. This should've been obvious.

HEY WHAT

Low

4/5

A much noisier entry in Low's catalogue, at least compared to the other Low album on the user's list. The duo of Mimi Parker and Alan Sparhawk trade somber folksy rock for a more experimental approach that is somehow both maximalist and minimalist at the same time. Most notable, however, is the pop-oriented songwriting that prioritizes a leading vocal melody over occasionally-harsh industrial soundscapes. To this end, HEY WHAT manages to stand out wonderfully with truly unique approach to songwriting. I am captivated. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Too weird and not impactful enough! Sorry.

Reconstruction Site

The Weakerthans

3/5

Canadian indie rock that refuses to give up its edge, unlike Arcade Fire whose indie rock is more frilly and wistful. Good songwriting, but nothing here that really stood out to me. Will likely forget that I ever listened to it. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Not likely, no.

Harbor Lights

Bruce Hornsby

4/5

A fresh and sunny summer album that leverages jazzy piano for a distinctly older audience. I imagine this CD is kicking around in more than a few beach houses. Truthfully, Harbor Lights is at its best when its most jazzy, which makes me wish they would ease up on the pop/rock songwriting. The title track is a particular treat, but the rest wound up being more hit-or-miss for better songwriting. The production is another point of pain for me, as it often makes the songs sound distinctly dated and slightly neutered of their better elements. Regardless, Bruce Hornsby is a magnificent pianist and is backed by equally incredible musicians. Hard not to appreciate such a sophisticated album. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Probably not, but I wouldn't write off Hornsby wholesale. I think his debut album with The Range is a better pick, given the hit song The Way IT Is.

Wildflowers

Tom Petty

4/5

A bit of a turning point for Tom Petty's career. While his prior albums were all distinctly rock (with or without the Heartbreakers), Wildflowers shows more of Tom Petty as a singer-songwriter. In doing so, Petty conjures up rustic imagery of reflective isolation and transition. There are some rockers on here, including the insatiable You Wreck Me, but the gentler moments are where Petty's songwriting really shines. Hard On Me, You Don't Know How It Feels, and the closer Wake Up Time all highlight the album's most vulnerable themes and Petty's strengths as a solo artist. For an ageing Tom Petty, this seems like a pivotal album in understanding his life's work. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I don't know how much Petty we need on the list, but I think the one album that's there could be replaced with either this or Full Moon Fever.

St. Jude

Courteeners

2/5

Millennial indie rock bullshit. The Courteeners seem like one of those bands that flourished in the wake of Franz Ferdinand and Arctic Monkeys, but lacked any real substance or impact to warrant a second thought. 50 minutes passed and I felt unmoved by what I heard. Unfortunate. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: A band that lacks anything to make it noteworthy. In a word, no.

Funky Kingston

Toots & The Maytals

4/5

More reggae than funk. Toots & The Maytals were instrumental in bringing reggae to audiences outside of Jamaica, alongside the Wailers of course. Unlike the Wailers, the Maytals had more of a distinctly soulful sound. A maybe a little....country? Yes, a John Denver cover makes the tracklist with a true reggae spin on it. That is, if you're listening to the 1975 version of Funky Kingston. The spotify link on this site auto-directs to the 1975 version that was released in the US, but it only contains three of the original tracks from the 1973 release of Funky Kingston. It's effectively a compilation of the Maytals' best songs from previous albums, but it can be forgiven given that it provides us with the incredible Pressure Drop. And really, what is there to complain about for the compilation version? It's highly praised and rightfully so, with many great reggae songs to chill out to. Lovely listen. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Yes, replace one of the Wailers albums with this.

Prelude to Ecstasy

The Last Dinner Party

3/5

Fun! Despite coming from the Windmill Scene in London, The Last Dinner Party breaks from their post-punk peers by delivering a catchy pop rock record. Prelude to Ecstasy certainly captures the decadence of old-money hedonism that the band seems to be going for, but with distinct feminist twist! Is it empowering? I'm probably not the best person to assess that, but it seems like everyone is having a good time. I think other people will find a deeper appreciation for the album's themes than me. Regardless, the band has shown a consistent level of quality across the tracklist. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Too soon to tell, but probably not.

Only Death is Real

Stray From The Path

2/5

Bland modern metalcore with 0-0-0-0 chug breakdowns and white-boy raps. Incredibly dated to the first Donald Trump administration, particularly when it came to the song Goodnight Alt-Right and the culture it attempts to tackle. That being said, I am willing to concede that the band works some tight phrases into these songs and has some rhythmically intense grooves. I also appreciate guest features from vocalists of Every Time I Die and Knocked Loose, though I wish they were spread out a bit more in the tracklist. There's also rapper Vinnie Paz here from Jedi Mind Tricks? Whatever. There much better metalcore albums out there, and there's also much worse. The highs and the lows middle out so I can't hate too much. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I don't think there needs to be a single metalcore album on the list, but if there was then it should be Hatebreed's debut or Converge's Jane Doe.

Vs.

Pearl Jam

4/5

A fascinating follow-up to Pearl Jam's Ten for a few reasons. First, it was forced to compete with Nirvana's In Utero, released just a month prior, which has left a far more long-lasting legacy. The recording of Vs. also represented a tortuous process for frontman Eddie Vedder, who reportedly hated the small Californian town where the studio was located. Then, in total defiance of the music press, they eschewed many promotional efforts in favor of letting the album speak for itself. The result was nearly a million units sold in the first week, which allowed it to attain platinum certification in no time. Clearly, the band felt that Vs. was an acceptable followup to Ten. And what a followup it is! While there's only one clear hit single this time around with Daughter, Vs. is loaded with way more energy, piss, and vinegar compared to Ten. It certainly still sounds like a Pearl Jam (complete with Vedder's yarling), but this grunge noise is seemingly more focused and captivating. I also appreciate how the closing track Indifference provides a quiet meditation that gives the album space for meaningful reflection. Consider me impressed. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Despite Vs. selling well and topping the charts, it's legacy still lives in the shadow of the more fondly-remembered Ten. It's hard to justify this album's inclusion then the one that came before it is the one everybody knows the band for.

Feed The Animals

Girl Talk

4/5

Unfortunately removed from Spotify! Girl Talk holds a special place in the online music world of the 2000s for his party-friendly mashups. Girl Talk (pseudonym of Gregg Gillis) blends then-modern pop and rap vocals/beats with instrumentals ranging from the Band's The Weight to Radiohead's Paranoid Android. Regardless of the sample choices, Gillis maintains an upbeat mix that seamlessly flows from one section to the next. Do some mashups work better than others? Almost certainly, but there aren't many DJs who are willing to dedicate so much time to making an album's worth of mis-matching pop songs. Depending on how focused you are on the songs then it eventually turns into a game of "guess the sampled songs before it runs into the next section" and that can a fun time itself. Otherwise, you can let the jams wash over and have a good time. There is another important point of discussion that this album prompts: copyright. Clearing each and every sample used on Feed the Animals would be a logistical nightmare, and to be frank I'm not 100% sure how it landed on streaming services to begin with, but the impressive transformative nature of an album like this compels us to confront the function of copyright in the current American legal system. Are they truly serving the best interests of the original artists by keeping Feed the Animals off streaming services? What about all the new artists that young people are exposed to through a mashup album like this? I remember being in high school listening to the follow-up mashup album All Day, hearing Possum Kingdom for the first time and wanting to know more about the band behind it. Maybe that's not the greatest argument, but when you have an album that is able to stand on its own like this, it makes a lot of the copyright rules surrounding it pretty unnecessary. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: How would an album of mashups land on a list of the greatest albums of all time? Has it breached the mainstream enough to warrant inclusion next to Portishead and MGMT? Probably not, but still a fun pick.

Mekanik destruktiw kommandoh

Magma

3/5

What do you know about Zeuhl? Christian Vander, founder of the band Magma, conceptualized Zeuhl as an avant-garde style of jazz fusion that embraced fantastical, mystical elements of science fiction. Depending on what weirdness you find in Zeuhl, you might encounter the hypnotic rhythms of krautrock, the technicality of prog rock, or the epicness of western classical music. Regardless, many stylistic origins can be traced back to the french band Magma, who has become largely synonyms with the genre of Zeuhl. Outside of a few other French bands who got sucked into Magma's orbit throughout the '70s and '80s, Zeuhl would find itself to be quite popular in Japan starting in the '90s. Outside of those two countries, you'd be hard-pressed to find much zeal for Zeuhl. Huzzah! Mekanik destruktiw kommandoh (MDK for short) is about as grandiose as they come: big sweeping movements with operatic singers and a lot of instrumentation. Credited musicians on this album reaches a crisp dozen, with a half-dozen more credited for engineering this thing. Despite sounding so massive, it clocks in at just short of 40 minutes, making it a fairly digestible experience. And thank god too, because I don't think this album needed to be any longer than it already was. Past a certain point, bands that attempt to sound this epic can come across as self-aggrandizing. This is not helped by all the made-up lore surrounding Zeuhl which, if we're being frank, isn't really necessary for listening to an album like this. Ideally, it should be able to stand on its own two feet, and it does, kinda. It's certainly interesting enough to warrant a decent rating, but I don't think I was mesmerized by it in any capacity. MDK just has a lot of unearned moments that try to impress the majesty of its sound. To me, it was mostly fluff, but at least it was competent fluff. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Too niche, too weird!

The Ideal Crash

dEUS

3/5

'90s Belgian alternative rock that didn't see much success outside of Europe. Some moments of brilliance, but mostly wades around in "pretty good" which is still admirable! Radiohead fans will appreciate what dEUS has to offer on here. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Probably not, no. If they were more successful, perhaps.

The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking

Roger Waters

2/5

By the 1980s, Pink Floyd had effectively become Roger Waters And Co., with Waters writing all the material for The Final Cut in the wake of the Wall's gigantic success. Despite Gilmour feeling slighted by the whole ordeal, it would actually be Waters leaving the band in 1985, though not before Waters released The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking. This album was conceptualized alongside the Wall back in 1977, with the band deciding which one would be a Pink Floyd release and which would be Waters' solo record. Clearly the band chose wisely, because the Wall would arguably become Pink Floyd's greatest achievement. Due to the extensive time commitment that came with the Wall, Waters was forced to shelve Hitch Hiking until after the Final Cut, at which point he seemed pretty fed up with having to work with Gilmore. So, here we get Waters totally on his own for the first time. Hitch Hiking explores themes of monogamy, sexual freedom, and the internal conflict of the modern man as he attempts to reconcile the two. The result is Waters quietly musing on the subject of cheating on his wife before realizing it was all a dream. Oh, good! I imagine this is something that comes up quite often as a frequently-travelling rock star with lots of opportunities for sexual encounters, so it makes sense that Hitch Hiking would primarily be about: 1. cheating on your wife, 2. while on the road, and 3. all of that being completely hypothetical, of course. This is delivered in a completely underwhelming package where the concept is more compelling than the musical product. Take all the most boring parts of the Wall and make that more-or-less then entire album. Massively underwhelming experience. My theory is that Waters got too high off his own farts following the Wall and initial praise for the Final Cut and just decided he could do whatever he wanted forever. Well, I guess he forgot to put the "rock" in "progressive rock" while all that was going down. Hitch Hiking sounds more like a stream-of-consciousness journal about Waters wanting the best of both worlds: the comfort and authority of the family unit, and the sexual liberation of getting your dick wet with whoever you want. Don't bother calling me if or when you figure out the answer. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: No, certainly not. The Wall has enough Waters for the list.

This Land

Gary Clark Jr.

2/5

Gary Clark Jr. is a modern blues guitarists who blends the genre with hip hop as a way to drag blues into the 21st century. I say "drag" because, if I'm being frank, blues is one of those genres that has struggled to adapt to the times and maintain any semblance of relevancy. While certainly foundational and full of great artistry during it's heyday, the blues was seemingly outdated by the time r&b and soul music had taken hold of the culture. So, despite it's legacy, the blues remained an antiquated form of music for anyone attempting to keep it going in the Current Year. Gary Clark Jr. is no different. Despite being a fairly competent artist and songwriter, I don't think anything about his brand of the blues piqued my interest. The mix of blues and hip hop is novel, but there is far better in both blues and hip hop. The title track would end up winning Clark Jr. two Grammys in the "rock" category so, maybe that says something about his take on the blues. Regardless, I found myself getting tired of This Land pretty quick, which made the 70-minute runtime feel like an unnecessary nuisance. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Despite his popularity, I don't think Gary Clark Jr. is doing any favors for the blues or any other form of music. So, no.

The Empyrean

John Frusciante

4/5

John Frusciante, of Red Hot Chili Peppers fame, has had something of a troubled solo career. You could look at his first two solo albums following his departure from RHCP, where he was strung out on heroin and regularly engaging in self-harm, or his endurance run of five albums that were all recorded in 2004. In this case, the Empyrean follows Frusciante's second departure from RHCP and the burnout that came from constant writing and recording during the 2000s (I wonder how that happened?). The Empyrean is an album of contrasts: heaven and earth, death and (re)birth, external and internal meaning. It's an exceptionally high-concept and existential album that likely explores a lot of the philosophical quandaries that Frusciante was kicking around in his mind at the time. As such, much of the Empyrean sounds like a meditation more than a traditional rock album. The way Frusciante builds meaning into his songwriting makes this album come across as a slow revelation, a journey if you will, where there exists an immense struggle and loss before learning something pivotal to the human experience. In conveying that message, Frusciante finds pure beauty in auditory form. An underrated achievement of musical sensibilities. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Despite his great artistry, John Frusciante's solo work will seemingly always be overshadowed by his RHCP albums. This one is best left off the list for the ones who are willing to dig deeper for gold.

Emotion

Carly Rae Jepsen

4/5

🎷🎷🎷 From the opening saxophone notes on Run Away With Me, this album indicates that it's something special. Carly Rae Jepsen was a Canadian breakout star with her smash hit Call Me Maybe, but it would be her followup work on Emotion that would captivate unexpected audiences. By sales and chart metrics, Emotion and it's lead single I Really Like You failed to outperform Jepsen's prior work that initially launched her into stardom. However, Emotion would find a cult following in specific online circles (largely the gay ones) and be revered as a much more mature pop album compared to Jepsen's contemporaries. Funnily enough, it would also perform quite well in Japan! So, here's your Canadian queer underdog idol who's also big in Japan. Make of that what you will. As evidence by the album's title, Emotion deals with a lot of feelings. Usually, they are the mushy and lovey type of feelings, all conveyed with songs that aptly capture the mood. Jepsen pulls a similar stylistic choice as Taylor Swift's 1989, released just a year earlier, by tapping into the dance-friendly synthpop sounds of the '80s. The difference between the two albums is the finesse of Jepsen's songwriting that makes every track on Emotion so powerfully captivating, which makes for a stronger album overall. I've never been so charmed by consistently great hooks like this before, but Emotion manages to do with this ease. Before I knew it, the album was over and I was reinvigorated with the life and love of Jepsen's incredible songs. Miraculous. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Despite falling short in terms of commercial success, it's legacy as a cult classic pop album makes this an album to remember. Definitely worthy of a spot.

Temple of Thought

Poets of the Fall

2/5

Poets of the Fall are a rock band that never saw much success outside of Finland, let alone the rest of Europe. The notable exception to this is their partnership with the video game development studio Remedy Entertainment, whom they lent original music for games like Max Payne 2, Alan Wake, and Control. One of the songs from Temple of Thought, the Happy Song, appears in the game Alan Wake's American Nightmare, so there's that. Fairly pedestrian rock music that bears the stylistic hallmarks of post-grunge without actually being post-grunge. Poets of the Fall aren't particularly strong songwriters, but they aren't bad either. So, most of the songs here come across as unremarkable or underwhelming. This gets especially tiring when the back half of the album is loaded with all the slow songs, making the runtime drag like there's no tomorrow. Ends on a sour note as the Happy Song has some of the inanest lyrics I've heard on the user's list. Woof, what a chore to get through. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: It's not acclaimed, popular, or even good. What reason would it have for making the list?

Comfort To Me

Amyl and The Sniffers

2/5

Following the release of the band's self-titled debut album in 2019, Amyl and The Sniffers started getting picked up by major publications who saw them as the next big thing in punk music. This sound was strictly rooted in the Australian pub rock sound of early AC/DC and Rose Tattoo, but the energy of the band combined with vocalist Amy Taylor's shouted lyrics made them garage punk darlings. With this newfound success in tow, there would be even greater expectations for this burgeoning band. Comfort To Me is more of the same, if a little bland. I have noticed a trend of these kinds of punk bands that appeal more to indie hipsters rather people who are actually into punk. This includes the likes of IDLES, FIDLAR, the Chats, and so on. It's an interesting dichotomy from a personal perspective, because while I initially enjoyed this album on release, I have found myself getting less fond of these songs over time as I have gotten more into other areas of punk music. The fact that Amyl and the Sniffer's cultural touchpoints are first-wave punk rock from the '70s and hard rock instead of the later iterations of punk music that pushed boundaries like UK82, crust punk, or even the emerging egg punk styles in the late 2010s communicate a certain disinterest in exploring all that punk music has to offer. So the result is fairly tired and unengaging indie rock that's pretending to be punk rock. Listen to Science Man instead. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: If there should be any punk albums included from the past 10 years, it should probably be Turnstile. Amyl and The Sniffers just haven't left enough of an impact to warrant their inclusion.

Donuts

J Dilla

4/5

J Dilla was a hip hop producer who, prior to his death in 2006, crafted a number of beats for some of the greatest artists and albums at the time. In fact, you have already heard his work on a number of albums on the original 1001 list, including Voodoo by D'Angelo, Like Water for Chocolate and Be by Common, Mama's Gun by Erykah Badu, and Fishscale by Ghostface Killah. A master of his craft, Dilla was dedicated to honing his beat-making skills and seeking out fresh samples. While he would rap on his debut album Welcome 2 Detroit, most people appreciate him for his beat tapes. The funny thing about beat tapes is that they are moreso meant for other artists who are looking for a producer rather than general audiences. However, Dilla's work on Donuts is so vibrant and lovingly made that it doesn't need an MC to shine. An album like this is a testament to the hardworking beatmakers who are, more or less, half of what makes hip hop so great. More than just a bouncing rhythm, it's a synthesis of other great genres in order to make something more than the sum of its parts. Dilla arguably understood this better than anyone. Three days following the release of Donuts, J Dilla passed away due to cardiac arrest. It was likely brought on by his already-troubling medical problems at the time, which forced him to slow down his incredible output. By this point, he had cemented a legacy amongst hip hop artists and fans alike as one of the greatest producers to ever live. He was 32. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Yes.

Espaloian

Itoiz

3/5

Basque prog folk rock band that turned pop rock midway through the '80s. It's pretty good, if a bit unremarkable. I think their earlier stuff would have been a better pick, specifically the first album for the popularity of the song Lau teilatu in Basque culture. Otherwise, Espaloian was pleasant enough. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: If we need a Basque album on the list, it probably won't be this one.

Revolution

Q65

3/5

While the Dutch were already familiar with beat music prior to the Beatles visiting the Netherlands in 1964, it would be those concerts that sparked a fire and led to an explosion of beat music in the Netherlands. Compared to the more pop-oriented sound of merseybeat in the UK, nederbiet (the name for the Dutch variant) would often fuse psychedelic aspects or the raw American-style garage rock to give it a unique edge. Q65 was one such group to emerge from the nederbiet scene, hailing from the unofficial beat capital of the Netherlands: Den Haag. While not the first or most popular nederbiet band, Q65 was well-established and landed a few charting hits within their home country. Revolution, the debut album of Q65, successfully leverages the garage rock sound to make perhaps the heaviest beat album at the time. In the shadow of Black Sabbath and even the Beatles' Helter Skelter, this doesn't exactly scream "metal" or even hard rock, but you have to remember the frail souls of 1966 just barely approved of the distortion used by the Kinks on You Really Got Me just two years ago. Compared to that, Q65 could have been death metal. Regardless, the band makes a good effort to cover some r&b and mix in their own original work in a flurry of '60s rock and roll. Pretty good! CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: The Outsiders might be a better pick for representing nederbiet, but I don't think this brief moment in Dutch music history necessarily needs an album on the original 1001 list.

Neon Golden

The Notwist

4/5

German indietronica band that started out doing noisy post-hardcore in the '90s. Neon Golden comes just a year after Radiohead's Kid A, though the Notwist's approach to indietroinca is more in line with the pop-oriented Postal Service across the pond. The subdued elements of Neon Golden allow the band to explore greater dynamics in a time when the loudness war had all but ruined such possibilities. It's a soft and endearing album filled with tender moments that you wouldn't expect from a band that did noise rock just a few years prior. In their least poppy moments, the band explores captivating soundscapes over trippy electronic beats. Hard to find an album that nails an atmosphere this captivating. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Just slightly too niche for indietronica. Stereolab still deserves a spot on the list before this.

McDonald and Giles

Ian McDonald

4/5

Ian McDonald and Michael Giles, both members of the original King Crimson lineup, decided to team up to make a record on their own terms (notably away from Robert Fripp's artistic direction). The resulting product is another great piece of British prog rock history, fusing elements of jazz and psychedelic music to make a captivating, fun, and trippy experience. While side A has its own highlights, the centerpiece of this album is arguably the Birdman suite on side B as it takes listeners for a ride. So much about this album floats along beautifully, flowing from one section to the next with a certain gracefulness. While not particularly well-known to many outside of the dedicated King Crimson fans, McDonald and Giles displays the wonderful strengths of these men's songwriting abilities. In a word: majestic. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: A little too obscure for a list that's already full of notable '70s prog rock albums. Perhaps this one can stay a hidden gem for the King Crimson superfans.

A Complicated Woman

Self Esteem

2/5

While an artsy feminist album on the surface, A Complicated Woman doesn't do much to earn its artsy status beyond a few choral moments that convey the idea of heightened musical importance. What betrays these moments are the lyrics, which lacks any emotional depth or greater analysis of gender inequality than the Barbie film from 2023. As a feminine rage album, it lacks anything ugly or cathartic aside from a few swears thrown around. It lacks any oomf to warrant the supposed intensity of Self Esteem's "fuck you." So much lacking and yet it still finds 45 minutes worth of nothing that is supposedly a pop album. No decent hooks, no earned big moments, just a lot of radio-friendly nothing. Feels bad. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: Too recent anyway. Even then, I don't think this album has much of a legacy that's worth remembering.

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