990
Albums Rated
3.31
Average Rating
91%
Complete
99 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1970
Favorite Decade
Punk
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
148
5-Star Albums
38
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
Top Styles
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Suicide
Suicide
|
5 | 2.46 | +2.54 |
|
Gold
Ryan Adams
|
5 | 2.84 | +2.16 |
|
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
Raekwon
|
5 | 2.85 | +2.15 |
|
Damaged
Black Flag
|
5 | 2.86 | +2.14 |
|
Blood And Chocolate
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
|
5 | 2.92 | +2.08 |
|
Swordfishtrombones
Tom Waits
|
5 | 2.95 | +2.05 |
|
Aha Shake Heartbreak
Kings of Leon
|
5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
|
Vulgar Display Of Power
Pantera
|
5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
|
Spiderland
Slint
|
5 | 2.98 | +2.02 |
|
Imperial Bedroom
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
|
5 | 3 | +2 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Exodus
Bob Marley & The Wailers
|
1 | 3.94 | -2.94 |
|
21
Adele
|
1 | 3.69 | -2.69 |
|
A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Coldplay
|
1 | 3.44 | -2.44 |
|
25
Adele
|
1 | 3.37 | -2.37 |
|
Channel Orange
Frank Ocean
|
1 | 3.32 | -2.32 |
|
S&M
Metallica
|
1 | 3.26 | -2.26 |
|
Mama's Gun
Erykah Badu
|
1 | 3.25 | -2.25 |
|
Vivid
Living Colour
|
1 | 3.2 | -2.2 |
|
Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
George Michael
|
1 | 3.17 | -2.17 |
|
Golden Hour
Kacey Musgraves
|
1 | 3.09 | -2.09 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Dylan | 7 | 5 |
| Beatles | 7 | 5 |
| Elvis Costello & The Attractions | 4 | 5 |
| Radiohead | 6 | 4.5 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 5 | 4.6 |
| Led Zeppelin | 5 | 4.6 |
| Joni Mitchell | 4 | 4.75 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 5 |
| Pink Floyd | 3 | 5 |
| Black Sabbath | 3 | 5 |
| David Bowie | 9 | 4.11 |
| Neil Young | 3 | 4.67 |
| Paul Simon | 3 | 4.67 |
| Prince | 3 | 4.67 |
| The Smiths | 3 | 4.67 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 3 | 4.67 |
| Fleetwood Mac | 2 | 5 |
| The Clash | 2 | 5 |
| Beastie Boys | 2 | 5 |
| Oasis | 2 | 5 |
| The Smashing Pumpkins | 2 | 5 |
| Eminem | 2 | 5 |
| Ryan Adams | 2 | 5 |
| The Rolling Stones | 5 | 4.2 |
| Miles Davis | 4 | 4.25 |
| Steely Dan | 4 | 4.25 |
| Tom Waits | 4 | 4.25 |
| R.E.M. | 4 | 4.25 |
| Kanye West | 3 | 4.33 |
| Simon & Garfunkel | 3 | 4.33 |
| Pixies | 3 | 4.33 |
| The White Stripes | 3 | 4.33 |
| Nick Drake | 3 | 4.33 |
| The Stooges | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Adele | 2 | 1 |
| k.d. lang | 2 | 1.5 |
| George Michael | 2 | 1.5 |
| Barry Adamson | 2 | 1.5 |
| Coldplay | 2 | 1.5 |
| Bee Gees | 2 | 1.5 |
| Christina Aguilera | 2 | 1.5 |
| Björk | 4 | 2.25 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Bob Marley & The Wailers | 1, 4 |
| Metallica | 4, 4, 1 |
| The Beach Boys | 2, 5, 3 |
| The Rolling Stones | 5, 5, 4, 2, 5 |
5-Star Albums (148)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Gang Of Four · 32 likes
5/5
Like being hit across the back of the head with a frying pan wrapped in barbed wire. Spiky, cold and indifferent to your feelings; a lot like my first girlfriend. Except this album didn't give me a hand job round the back of a youth club. Best Tracks: Natural's Not In It; Damaged Goods; I Found That Essence Rare
Elton John · 27 likes
5/5
How much coke do you have to be doing to decide to open your double album with an 11 minute long prog rock song? This much. A huge mix of styles are across this album from Prog, to ballads, to rock n roll and he nails every one. Even the over played songs still sound good. Just great. Best Tracks: Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding; Bennie and the Jets; Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)
Oasis · 24 likes
5/5
Stop being a snob. This album fucking rocks. One of the best debuts of all time. BT: Rock n Roll Star, Live Forever, Cigarettes and Alcohol
Tom Waits · 20 likes
5/5
You're walking through the fairground with your date. They're miserable as you couldn't even win them a prize goldfish at 'Toss the Ring'. You tried to tell them it's all a fix and the rings aren't big enough to fit over the bowls, but they wouldn't listen. They looked at you like this date was as poor as your excuse. It begins to drizzle and your candy floss droops. Who cares? The idea of candy floss was better than the actual thing anyway. Over the sounds of others laughing, talking and screaming, you glance over the top of your date's head and see a man made of right angles standing next to the waltzers. You catch his one good eye and realise it's too late; he's seen you. He starts barking at you and your date and beckoning with a twig like finger. His one milky eye seems to be like some hazy frayed rope that's been knotted around your neck and he draws you in. Over your date's protestations, he somehow convinces you both to sit inside a waltzer. No one else is here. The lights are flickering and the smell of sawdust and vomit become oppressive. He laughs like man gargling kitty litter and slams the safety bar down and spins the cab round as the ride starts up. You're stuck here with this awful date spinning round and round and round and round. You have the fear that you'll be here forever in some kind of carny limbo. This is the music that is playing over the speakers. The louder you scream the faster the ride. Remember: fun is the key but keep seated at all times or you may die. Best Tracks: 16 Shells from a 30.6; In The Neighbourhood; Down, Down Down
Metallica · 16 likes
4/5
Thrash metal hits its peak. Growling ginger walrus gargles hate and anger while gurning midget smashes the drums. Solid album. Best Tracks: Battery; Master of Puppets; Orion
1-Star Albums (38)
All Ratings
Eagles
3/5
Bog standard 70's rock album.
Kanye West
4/5
Great album, but needs some editing.
5/5
Classic. No fat whatsoever.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Not bad. Some songs stand out.
Al Green
4/5
Title song is a classic. Good soul album. Best songs: Let's Stay Together, I've Never Found a Girl & It Ain't No Fun To Me.
Thin Lizzy
3/5
One of the greatest live albums?
Stereolab
4/5
European electronic burbling. Best tracks: Metronomic Underground, Emperor Tomato Ketchup and Motoroller Scalatron.
Sade
2/5
80's slick. Patrick Bateman would murder hookers to this music. Not for me. Best tracks: Smooth Operator, Frankie's First Affair, Cherry Pie
Elton John
4/5
Jumps from the sublime to the absurd, but even Bernie Taupin's well meaning (but essentially racist) lyrics about native Americans can't stop this album being fantastic. Best tracks: Tiny Dancer, Levon, All The Nasties
The Monkees
2/5
Released 1 week before Sgt. Pepper's - it sounds decades behind. Mid 60's pop. It's not bad; it's just not good either. Best tracks: You Told Me, You Just May Be The One, For Pete's Sake (Closing Theme)
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
How to follow up 'Rumours'? With a double album of course! A real mixed back of lush songs and lo-fi ones next to each other. Still great tunes all throughout the album though. Not a duff track in sight. Best tracks: (Disc 1) The Ledge, What Makes You Think You're The One, Sisters of the Moon (Disc 2) That's Enough For Me, I Know I'm Not Wrong, Walk a Thin Line
The Soft Boys
4/5
Brand new band for me! Great psyc/power/indie pop. Dark lyrics underneath jangly tracks. Great find. Best tracks: I Wanna Destroy You, Kingdom of Love, Queen of Eyes
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Classic. Best Tracks: Gimme Shelter, Monkey Man, You Can't Always Get What You Want.
Bob Dylan
5/5
Classic. I know this album as well as I know any. Genius. Any song on here could pretty much be the best track. The best "fuck you" to folk and rock. And he had two more to follow...and then the other genius albums. One of the most important albums ever made. No wonder he's His Bobness. Best Tracks: Subterranean Homesick Blues, Mr Tambourine Man, It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding).
Depeche Mode
3/5
Gloomy stadium naval gazing. Best Tracks: Never Let Me Down Again, Strangelove, Behind The Wheel
Yes
4/5
PROGPROGPROGPROGPROGPROG. Best Tracks: Roundabout, South Side of the Sky, Heart of the Sunrise
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Amazing lyrics. Great rock. Hard to pick just three tracks. An exceptional first half, but the second just slows the pace and the songs aren't quite as strong. Best Tracks: Get Ready For Love, Hiding All The Way, There She Goes My Beautiful World
The Band
3/5
Rustic beards. Best Tracks: Rag Mama Rag, The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, King Harvest (Has Surely Come)
David Bowie
4/5
Blue eyed soul and plastic funk. Best Tracks, Young Americans, Somebody Up There Likes Me , Fame.
Mott The Hoople
3/5
Bowie has his glittery, glam rock fingers all over this. Best Tracks: Sweet Jane, All The Young Dudes, Sucker
Le Tigre
3/5
Electro punk. Best Tracks: Deceptacon, Hot Topic, Let's Run
Fatboy Slim
4/5
Big beats are the best beats. Get high all the time. Best Tracks: Right Here Right Now, Rockafeller Skank, Praise You
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
Jazzy Hip Hop classic. So long though... Best Tracks: Wesley's Theory, King Kunta, The Blacker The Berry
Beatles
5/5
The greatest album ever made by the greatest band. Simple. I could pick any three tracks from this album - even Revolution 9.Best Tracks: Back In The USSR, Happiness Is A Warm Gun, Helter Skelter
Dennis Wilson
3/5
The 'cool' Beach Boy's cult solo album. Cheesy 70's rock. Best Tracks: River Song, Pacific Ocean Blues, Rainbows
The Triffids
3/5
New band for me! Massively produced late 80's Aussie rock. Best Tracks: Bury Me Deep In Love, A Trick of the Light, Save What You Can
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Laughing Len's debut. Classic. Best Tracks: Suzanne, So Long Marianne, One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong
Duran Duran
4/5
Pure new romance yacht. Surprisingly good! Best Tracks: Rio, Hungry Like the Wolf, Hold Back the Rain
Finley Quaye
2/5
This album looks like it smells bad.Thank god I only have to listen to it once. Best Tracks: Ultra Stimulations, Sunday Shining, Your Love Gets Sweeter
3/5
YEEHAW! Classic country. Drinkin', fuckin' and fightin' in any order or even at the same time. Best Tracks: Don't Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind), The Devil Gets His Due, I Got Caught
New Order
3/5
Pilled up New Order. They finally started to smile. Best Tracks: All the Way, Round & Round, Run
Kate Bush
2/5
Breathy, dreamy and slightly odd. Just what would be expected from a Kate Bush album. Best Tracks: The Sensual World, Love and Anger, Heads We're Dancing
Judas Priest
3/5
Classic metal album. If you know the NWOBHM then you know what this sounds like. Best Tracks: Metal Gods, Breaking The Law, You Don't Have To Be Old To Be Wise
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
Uber 60's harmonious pop. Best Tracks: Straight Shooter, California Dreamin', The "In" Crowd
Traffic
3/5
Prog-folk? Best Tracks: Empty Pages, Stranger To Himself, Every Mother's Son
John Cale
3/5
NEW! Orchestral rock/pop. Best Tracks: A Child's Christmas In Wales, Macbeth, Graham Greene
Earth, Wind & Fire
2/5
A mix of funk, soul, R&B. Very front heavy. Best Tracks: Shining Star, Happy Feelin', Yearnin' and Learnin'
Joy Division
5/5
Manc misery never sounded so good. Best Tracks: Disorder, She's Lost Control, Interzone
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Pure distilled Southern Swamp Rock. Best Tracks: Green River, Wrote a Song for Everyone, Bad Moon Rising,
The Go-Go's
2/5
Girl group New Wave. Best Tracks: How Much More, Tonite, We Got The Beat
Pearl Jam
4/5
Classic grunge. Best Tracks: Even Flow, Alive, Porch
Grizzly Bear
3/5
Mid/Late Noughties indie. Reverb over everything. Best Tracks: Two Weeks, Fine For Now, While You Wait For The Others
Shack
3/5
Scouse britpop arriving at the fag end of the movement. Best Tracks: Natalie's Party, Comedy, Streets of Kenny
The Clash
5/5
Key punk debut album. Best Tracks: I'm So Bored With the U.S.A., White Riot, Career Opportunities,
Talking Heads
3/5
Classic debut again! New Wave is born in a massive suit. Best Tracks: Uh-Oh Love Comes To Town, Psycho Killer, Pulled Up
Robert Wyatt
1/5
Slow, glacial paced art rock. Best Tracks: Sea Song, A Last Straw, Alifib
Burning Spear
3/5
Reggae. Roots reggae. Reggae. Best Tracks: Marcus Garvey, The Invasion, Tradition
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
Latin grooves by old boys. Best Tracks: Chan Chan, Pueblo Nuevo, Buena Vista Social Club
Beastie Boys
5/5
One of the greatest hip hop albums of all time? Yep. Best Tracks: Shake Your Rump, Egg Man, Hey Ladies
David Bowie
4/5
Ziggy Glam fall out. Best Tracks: Watch That Man, Drive-In Saturday, Jean Genie
Bill Evans Trio
3/5
Late night, smokey Jazz. Best Tracks: My Man's Gone Now, Solar, Alice in Wonderland
The Byrds
3/5
Jangling Dylan wannabe pop/rock. Best Tracks: I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better, All I Really Want to Do, Don't Doubt Yourself, Babe
Janis Joplin
5/5
What a voice! Blues rock genius released after she died. What a waste...: Best Tracks: Move Over, Half Moon, Me and Bobby McGee
The Stone Roses
5/5
Classic British indie rock. Best Tracks: I Wanna Be Adored, She Bangs The Drum, I am the Resurrection
The Undertones
2/5
Original class of pop punk. Best Tracks: More Songs About Chocolate and Girls, There Goes Norman, My Perfect Cousin
James Taylor
4/5
Silky throated singer songwriter - with a dark underbelly. Best Tracks: Sweet Baby James, Steamroller Blues, Fire and Rain
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
2/5
Political hip hop - seriously needs some editing. Best Tracks: Television the Drug of the Nation, Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury, California Uber Alles
The Yardbirds
2/5
60's blues/psych rock. Best Tracks: Over Under Sideways Down, The Nazz Are Blue, What Do You Want
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
The Boss does stadium rock. Best Tracks: Born In The U.S.A., I'm On Fire, Dancing In The Dark
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
Blues rock. Best Tracks: Summertime, Piece of My Heart, Ball and Chain,
The Dictators
2/5
Proto-proto-punk? Best Tracks: Back To Africa, Teengenerate, (I Live For) Cars and Girls
Brian Eno
3/5
Synth, electro bubbles. Best Tracks: St. Elmo's Fire, I'll Come Running, Everything Merges With the Night
Joni Mitchell
5/5
Folk, guitar moving into some jazzy flourishes. She knocks it out the park again. Best Tracks: Court and Spark, Raised on Robbery, Twisted
The Charlatans
4/5
Britpop hangover. Best Tracks: North Country Boy, One To Another, How Can You Leave Us
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Nick Cave gets dumped by PJ Harvey and moans about it. Best Tracks: Into Your Arms, People Ain't No Good, (Are You) The One I've Been Waiting For?
Beatles
5/5
Possibly their first album of pure genius. Best Tracks: Eleanor Rigby, Got to Get You into My Life, Tomorrow Never Knows
Little Richard
3/5
Rock and roll. That's it. Best Tracks: Tutti Frutti, Long Tall Sally, Rip it Up
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Funk rock cross over. Best Tracks: Around the World, Parallel Universe, Scar Tissue.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Classic folk rock. Paul Simon steps up as a song writer. Best Tracks: America, Mrs. Robinson, A Hazy Shade of Winter
Devendra Banhart
3/5
Neo-hippy folk. Best Tracks: The Body Breaks, This Beard is for Siobhan, Rejoicing in the Hands
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
Wicked indie distortion. Best Tracks: Freak Scene, They Always Come, Budge
The Roots
3/5
Real mix of styles in this hip hop. Best Tracks: Rock On, Thought @ Work, Rhymes and Ammo
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Pre-post-punk. Best Tracks: Jigsaw Feeling, Carcass, Suburban Relapse
Neil Young
5/5
Dark as fuck. Love it. Best Tracks: Tonight's The Night, Albuquerque, Tired Eyes
Miles Davis
5/5
Pushing the boundaries of Jazz but still accessible. Mind blowing. There's only two tracks so for this one I only chose one. Best Tracks: Shhh/Peaceful
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
Over-rated post punk purveyor. Probably had to be there. Best Tracks: Annalisa, Public Image, Low Life
Lenny Kravitz
1/5
Cheesy soft soul r&b/funk. It's just so dull. "Best" Tracks: Let Love Rule, Fear, Mr Cab Driver
The Sonics
3/5
Pure garage rock. BT: The Witch, Boss Hoss, Have Love Will Travel
The Lemonheads
5/5
Classic indie. Love it. BT: Rudderless, My Drug Buddy, Alison's Starting To Happen
Koffi Olomide
3/5
When I think of African music this is what I imagine. The music Paul Simon and Vampire Weekend obviously ripped off. BT: Papa Bonheur, Qui Cherche Trouve, Port-Monnaie
The La's
3/5
Scouse indie. BT: Son of a Gun, There She Goes, Failure
Harry Nilsson
3/5
70's AOR. BT: Gotta Get Up, Coconut, Jump Into the Fire
Orbital
2/5
Mid-nineties dance. Important, but I guess you had to be there in the field. BT: Forever, Sad But True, Crash and Carry
Van Halen
4/5
Face melters and screaming spandex. BT: Running With The Devil, Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, Jamie's Cryin'
Steely Dan
4/5
Sarcastic, slick AOR. BT: Do It Again, Dirty Work, Reelin' In The Years
Super Furry Animals
4/5
Weird welsh indie. BT: Something 4 The Weekend, If You Don't Want Me To Destroy You, Bad Behaviour
UB40
1/5
My Mum likes this band. I'm not a fan of reggae at the best of times but Brummie reggae? Ugh. BT: King, I Think It's Going To Rain Today, Food For Thought
Radiohead
5/5
Love it. The album where Radiohead showed truly how great they are. BT: The Bends, Just, Street Spirit.
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
Moody alt-rock. BT: Gentlemen, Debonair, When We Two Parted
Astrud Gilberto
2/5
Brazilian easy listening. BT: Stay, Beach Samba, My Foolish Heart
Erykah Badu
1/5
Goddamn this is dull. All the songs are bland and blend into one mass of yawn. BT: Penitentiary Philosophy, Didn't Cha Know, Bag Lady
Derek & The Dominos
4/5
Classic 70's rock. BT: Bell Bottom Blues, Have You Ever Loved a Woman?, Layla
Leonard Cohen
3/5
More crackin' wise from Laughin' Len. Sounds like there's someone pinging a plastic ruler on a tabletop in the background of each song. Weird production choice. BT: Bird on a Wire, Seems So Long Ago Nancy, Lady Midnight
Cat Stevens
3/5
Classic 70s folk. BT: Where Do the Children Play?, Wild World, Tea for the Tillerman
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
Nice, mellow African music. There's only 4 tracks on this album so I'm going to pick 2 tracks for best ones. BT: Immigres/Bitim Rew, Pitche Mi
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
The Boss gets miserable. BT: Adam Raised a Cain, Racing in the Streets, Darkness on the Edge of Town
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
Prog-slog. BT: Jeremy Bender, Bitches Crystal, A Time and a Place
Paul Simon
4/5
This was going to be a Simon and Garfunkel reunion album until they fell out and Simon got rid of Garfunkel's parts and re-recorded sections. Panned at the time it is a bit of a hidden gem. BT: Hearts and Bones, Song About the Moon, Train in the Distance
Love
3/5
Classic 60's acid casualty psych-folk. BT: Alone Again Or, A House is not a Motel, The Red Telephone
Leftfield
2/5
90's UK dance/electronic. The back end of the record is so much stronger than the front. BT: Space Shanty, Inspection (Check One), Open Up
It's U2. You've heard the singles from this album. Just trad stadium rock. Meh. BT: Beautiful Day, Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of, Elevation
Roxy Music
3/5
Art rock at its artiest. BT: Re-make/Re-model, If There is Something, Would You Believe?
Bob Dylan
5/5
Just one of the most perfect albums ever made. Heartbreak and bitterness with a dash of love thrown in. BT: Tangled Up In Blue, Idiot Wind, Shelter From The Storm
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
Another album suited to the big beat manifesto. BT: Block Rockin' Beats, Elektrobank, Setting Sun
X-Ray Spex
3/5
Punk with sax. BT: Art-I-Ficial, Warrior in Woolworth, Identity
The Jam
3/5
Punk/Soul?BT: Start, That's Entertainment, Boy About Town
The Fall
2/5
Want the sound of a drunk playing a bass shouting in a dustbin? You've got it. Not as bad as it sounds. BT: Ladybird (Green Grass), Paranoia Man in Cheap Shit Room, The League of Bald-Headed Men
Can
3/5
Kraut/prog/rock/jazz. BT: Future Days, Moonshake
PJ Harvey
3/5
Polly Jane rocking out. She's great. BT: Dress, Sheela Na Gig, Hair
Nine Inch Nails
3/5
Angry noise.BT: March of the Pigs, Closer, Hurt
Johnny Cash
5/5
One of the greatest live albums of all time. Fact. BT: Folsom Prison Blues, I Still Miss Someone, Flushed From the Bathroom of Your Heart
Miles Davis
4/5
Miles changing the face of be-bop and jazz. As you do. BT: Move, Jeru, Rouge
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Zep's slightly more folky album. BT: Immigrant Song, Celebration Day, Gallows Pole
Michael Jackson
4/5
This tunes might be overplayed but it is pretty much perfect pop. BT: Wanna Be Startin' Something, Beat It, Billie Jean
Deep Purple
3/5
Rockprog. BT: Speed King, Bloodsucker, Flight of the Rat
Ash
3/5
Great little power pop/punk album. BT: Goldfinger, Girl From Mars, Kung Fu
Mekons
2/5
Alt-country/post punk. Occasionally weird, occasionally good. BT: Chivalry, Hard To Be Human Again, Last Dance
AC/DC
4/5
It's AC/DC. You know what it sounds like. BT: Highway To Hell, Walk All Over You, If You Want Blood (You've Got It)
Neil Young
4/5
MOR country. Strong set if occasionally ruined by the over produced string sections. But we wouldn't have the genius "ditch trilogy" if it wasn't for this album, so I can't really complain. BT: Heart of Gold, Old Man, The Needle and the Damage Done
Public Enemy
3/5
Important Hip Hop, the production sounds slightly dated, unfortunately some of the issues discussed aren't. Some good tunes are sprinkled throughout. BT: 911 Is A Joke, Welcome to the Terrordome, Fight The Power
Air
2/5
Overrated soundtrack for an overrated movie. BT: Playground Love, Highschool Lover, Dead Bodies
Tim Buckley
3/5
A little bit of jazz, some R&B and a heap of funk. BT: Move With Me, Get on Top, Nighthawkin'
Drive-By Truckers
4/5
Does exactly what it says on the tin. Also offers up a glimpse to the duality of the Southern states of the US. BT: Ronnie and Neil, Guitar Man Upstairs, Women Without Whiskey
Joni Mitchell
4/5
Mitchell does some of her jazz/folk. BT: In France They Kiss On Main Street, Don't Interrupt the Sorrow, Harry's House / Centerpiece
5/5
One of the most important live performances of the 20th Century. BT: Just Like a Woman, Tell Me Momma, Like a Rolling Stone
Fela Kuti
2/5
Afrobeat. Extended jams that are funky and soulful. BT: Let's Start, Black Man's Cry
George Jones
2/5
The Possum belts out some pure home distilled country. BT: The Grand Tour, Pass Me By (If You're Only Passing Through), Once You've Had the Best
Blue Cheer
2/5
Proto-metal? BT: Summertime Blues, Out of Focus, Parchment Farm
Steve Earle
3/5
Country rock. You can almost see Whiskeytown and Ryan Adams in the distance. BT: Goodbye's All We've Got Left, Good Ol' Boy (Gettin' Tough), Someday
DJ Shadow
5/5
Just an immense album. Instrumental hip-hop but more than that. Just listen to it. BT: Building Steam With a Grain of Salt, The Number Song, What Does Your Soul Look Like - Pt.4
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
2/5
Boring, boring dub/"ethnic fusion". I can't say it's terrible but I'm certain if I live the rest of my life without hearing it again I won't be bothered. You shouldn't either. BT: Visions of You, Rising Above Bedlam, Wonderful World
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
FUZZ raincoat rock. BT: Just Like Honey, Taste The Floor, In a Hole,
Nina Simone
4/5
One of the greats. If you don't like her, you don't like music. Mix of blues, soul and jazz. BT: I Love Your Lovin' Ways, Lilac Wine, Wild Is The Wind
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Art-rock at it's artiest - but scratch the surface and there are still pop melodies hidden away. BT: White Light/White Heat, Lady Godiva's Operation, Here She Comes Now
Crowded House
3/5
Kiwi pop/rock. I didn't realise I recognised as many melodies here as I did. Much better than I thought it would be. BT: It's Only Natural, Fall At Your Feet, Weather With You
Paul Revere & The Raiders
2/5
Mid-sixties pop. How were groups like this meant to keep up with The Beatles and Bob Dylan at this point? They couldn't so the produced bog standard stuff like this. BT: Kicks, (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone, Louie Go Home
Steely Dan
5/5
Smooth Yacht Rock. BT: Black Cow, Deacon Blues, Peg
The Who
5/5
Classic album just. a bit of a dip in the middle. BT: Baba O'Riley, Behind Blue Eyes, Won't Get Fooled Again
Jamiroquai
2/5
It's impressive how bland this album is. Sixth form political lyrics and the inclusion of a didgeridoo. If magnolia paint was an album. BT: When You Gonna Learn?, Too Young To Die, Emergency on Planet Earth
Ice Cube
4/5
Classic hip-hop. Cube takes on all comers. Just fucking brilliant. BT: When Will They Shoot?, It Was A Good Day, Check Yo Self
Oasis
5/5
Stop being a snob. This album fucking rocks. One of the best debuts of all time. BT: Rock n Roll Star, Live Forever, Cigarettes and Alcohol
2Pac
2/5
I know he's important but I just can't seem to really get into this album. There's so many more great hip-hop albums out there. Too many slow jams, it just kind of plods along. This isn't one for me. BT: Young Niggaz, It Ain't Easy, Death Around The Corner
Frank Sinatra
4/5
One of the key voices of the 20th Century. A real singer of the "Great American Songbook." Swing/Jazz. BT: You Make Me Feel So Young, I've Got You Under My Skin, Anything Goes
John Lennon
4/5
Yes, the title song may be completely over played, but you can't fault the sentiment. Lennon's more polished second solo album shows him at his typical contrary self, love, peace, jealousy, anger. BT: Jealous Guy, Gimme Some Truth, How Do You Sleep?
Elvis Costello
5/5
What a debut! Costello came out of the gate running. Pure anger, spitting power pop. BT: Welcome To The Working Week, Alison, (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes
Bob Dylan
5/5
One of the greatest albums ever made. Dylan has shaken off the folkies and is now busy redefining pop/rock. Songs stretch way over the traditional 3 minute mark and Dylan spits his lyrics knowing that we were all trying to keep up and failing. Not a duff track on it. BT: Like A Rolling Stone, Tombstone Blues, Desolation Row
The Magnetic Fields
4/5
A triple album that does exactly what it says on the tin. There's a range of styles here and though there is obviously going to be filler with a triple album there are some truly great songs on each disc. This is an album to dip in and out of. BT: I Don't Want To Get Over You, Papa Was a Rodeo, Busby Berkeley Dreams
Venom
3/5
Sounds like part of the NWOBHM, just not quite a polished. They sound like they're having a great time, and occasionally on this album I do too. BH: Black Metal, Teacher's Pet, Leave Me In Hell
Gene Clark
3/5
A hidden gem. This is real 70s singer/songwriter though it was a commercial flop. Country/folk melancholy. Best Tracks: The Virgin, With Tomorrow, Tears of Rage
The Allman Brothers Band
2/5
Southern rock/blues played live at the classic venue. If you're not into side long jams then this isn't for you. Best Tracks: Statesboro Blues, Stormy Monday, Hot 'Lanta,
Massive Attack
4/5
90's Trip-Hop. Some absolute classics on here - if a tad coffee table. Go round to someone of a certain age's dinner party and this will probably get busted out as the night goes on. Not necessarily as bad as it sounds. Best Tracks: Safe From Harm, One Love, Unfinished Sympathy
Thundercat
3/5
Not what I was expecting. Space jazz mixed with Yacht Rock mixed with novelty songs... kind of. Best tracks: Uh Uh, Show You the Way, Them Changes
Kid Rock
1/5
If Poochie with tourettes made an album. If you have ears you shouldn't waste your time. The inclusion of this album in the list must've been a joke. Best tracks: Batwitdaba, Cowboy, Devil Without a Cause
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
Classic album. The Pumpkins arrive as grunge/alt-rock lords. Sludgy guitars, huge riffs, feline vocals and gigantic drums. Great stuff. Best Tracks: Cherub Rock, Geek U.S.A., Mayonaise
Stephen Stills
3/5
First time hearing this double album. Real mix of rock, blues, folk, folk rock etc. Pretty much anything you'd expect from an early 70's rocker. Pretty good discovery. Best Tracks: Song of Love, Johnny's Garden, Blues Man
Paul Simon
5/5
Paul Simon's solo debut is a fantastic mix of styles and songs. We have reggae, folk, jazz, gypsy folk, blues, folk rock and latin to name a few of the styles here. The man is a genius. Best Tracks: Everything Put Together Falls Apart, Run That Body Down, Papa Hobo
Dr. John
2/5
Swampy chanting, occasional jazz and blues, and bits of nonsense and noise. Best Tracks: Mama Roux, Jump Sturdy, I Walk On Guilded Splinters
4/5
A concept album about a man losing his son whois moving to Australia at the fag end of the sixties?Typically great Ray Davies lyrics looking at the minutiae of life and pretty simply it also rocks. Best Tracks: Victoria, Brainwashed, Shangri-La
Manu Chao
3/5
World music fella does a mix of musical styes in different languages. Dinner party music. Best Tracks: Bongo Bong, Mentira, Welcome to Tijuana
Jeff Buckley
4/5
Taken too soon. Voice like an angel one minute, howling blues man the next. Don't blame him for making "Hallelujah" ubiquitous with singing competitions. Everyone should listen to this album. Best Tracks: Grace; Last Goodbye; Lover, You Should've Come Over
5/5
Sometimes we forget about the tunes on this album as its cultural standing can overshadow them. The tunes are great. It's The Beatles trying to stop being themselves. Truly mind blowing with possibly the greatest ending track to any album ever. Best Tracks: Getting Better, Lovely Rita, A Day In The Life
Merle Haggard
2/5
A proper outlaw performing outlaw country. You know what country sounds like. This is no different, in fact most of the tracks don't sound any different to each other. Best Tracks: I'm a Lonesome Fugitive, House of Memories, Drink Up and Be Somebody
5/5
The last great album by Oasis. Again, one for the snobs to pretend they don't like it but you can't fault the melodies. Just a great, great record. Best Tracks: Don't Look Back In Anger, Some Might Say, Champagne Supernova
Jacques Brel
2/5
Scott Walker loved this guy. Unfortunately I'm not really a big fan of Scott Walker and I don't speak French. It sounds like a stereotype - or did the stereotype come from this? Best Tracks: Amsterdam, Les toros, Mathilde
The Shamen
3/5
I had a sister who was a couple of years older than me (still is in fact) and so I used to hear some of these tunes blasting from her bedroom. Pure 90's dance. Best Tracks: Move Any Mountain, Omega Amigo, 666 Edit
Parliament
4/5
P-Funk. It's funk but with some weird back story linked to space. I think. Dropping acid would probably help. Best Tracks: P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up); Unfunky UFO; Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker);
Pretenders
3/5
New Wave, Punk pop. Jagged guitars which often have almost sing/speak vocals over them. Best Tracks: Precious, Kid, Brass In Pocket
LCD Soundsystem
5/5
Once again they demonstrate their absolute mastery of different musical genres. This is so much more than just a "dance/electronic" album. You can party to it and also relax. Just a great, great album. Best Tracks: North American Scum; Someone Great; All My Friends
New York Dolls
3/5
Glam trash proto punk trans rolling stones. Don't let them being Morrissey's favouritie band put you off. Just great rock and roll. Best Tracks: Personality Crisis; Looking For A Kiss; Jet Boy
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
I know there's a big love for CCR in this list but they're just not an album band for me. The singles are brilliant but they can't keep the quality up over an album. Best Tracks: Born on the Bayou; Proud Mary; Keep On Chooglin'
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
3/5
The sound of one man losing his mind. This is definitely an album you need to listen to even though it may not be that easy. Sort of lo-fi country rock. Best Tracks: Little Hands; Cripple Creek, War In Peace
The Waterboys
4/5
Folky, Irish music. You can hear the joy of these sessions in the music. Best Tracks: Fisherman's Blues, Sweet Thing, When Ye Go Away
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
Acid fried psychedelic blues rock. This has some stone cold classic songs of the era on it and is surprisingly brief considering the penchant for acid jams. It still has that obviously the sixties production though. Best Tracks: Someone To Love, Today, White Rabbit
The Byrds
2/5
Jangly west coast pop group change into a solid country rock group. Best Tracks: You Ain't Going Nowhere; Hickory Wind; Nothing Was Delivered
Scott Walker
2/5
He has great voice and lyrics - it's just the sound of this chamber pop stuff doesn't sit with me. I know critics cream themselves over him but I just don't get it. Best Tracks: The Old Man's Back Again (Dedicated to the Neo-Stalinist Regime); Duchess; Get Behind Me
The Jam
4/5
Classic British punk/new wave/mod. Arguably their best album. Best Tracks: All Mod Cons, Billy Hunt, Down In A Tube Station (At Midnight)
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
It's Tom Petty. New wave punk rock with swagger and attitude. Of course, he never forgot to include tunes too. Best Tracks: Breakdown; Fooled Again (I Don't Like It); American Girl
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Dark, dark tracks - in case the title doesn't give it away. Songs focused of death and murder and the vocals and music fits all of these songs perfectly. Best Tracks: Stagger Lee; The Curse of Millhaven; O'Malley's Bar
Public Enemy
2/5
Old school hip-hop. Important album but it does sound dated. Best Tracks: Nighttrain; I Don't Wanna Be Yo Niga; Bring Tha Noize
Richard Thompson
4/5
Classic folk with an amazing guitarist. What's the best thing to do when breaking up with the missus? Make an album about the break up obviously. Best Tracks: When I Get To The Border; I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight; Down Where The Drunkards Roll
Pixies
3/5
Shouty, screamy, quiet, loud, aliens, love, hate, rock music. Pixies. Best Tracks: Velouria; Is She Weird; Dig For Fire
Elliott Smith
3/5
Poor old Elliot. Here he has moved away from the quiet acoustic numbers he had been previously known for to a full band approach. He still has a quiet voice that sounds like he's scared to be singing. Best Tracks: Son of Sam; Somebody That I Used to Know; In The Lost and Found (Honky Bach)/The Roost
Kraftwerk
4/5
I, for one, welcome our robotic overlords. Best Tracks: The Robots; Metropolis; The Model
Thelonious Monk
3/5
Not exactly easy listening Jazz. It's difficult to listen to and was apparently difficult for the musicians too. You'll get occasional slabs of "standard jazz" but then dissonant notes, weird time signatures will make an appearance. Not for everyone: Best Tracks: Brilliant Corners; Ba-Lue Boliver Ba-Lues-Are; Bemsha Swing
David Crosby
2/5
Hippy drug addled music. 70's folk rock though some of it sounds like jams or they're half finished sketches. Best Tracks: Music Is Love; Cowboy Movie; Laughing
Queen Latifah
3/5
Fair play to her breaking into the male dominated hip-hop world. Some good production and flow - surprisingly sounds less dated than some of her contemporaries. Best Track: Dance For Me; Mama Gave Birth To The Soul Children; Wrath of My Madness
SZA
1/5
Why is this here? I can easily go through life without hearing this album. Generic r&b/pop. Auto-tune, triplet beats etc. No different or exciting as anything else that's been released on the pop market for years now. Don't waste your time. Best Tracks: Supermodel; Doves (feat. Kendrick Lamar); Drew Barrymore
Caetano Veloso
2/5
Psychedelic tropicalia. Not bad, just not particularly interesting. Best Tracks: Tropicalia; Clarice; Soy Loco Por Ti America
Joan Baez
3/5
Queen of the folkies. Acoustic finger picking and powerful vibrato vocals deliver a bunch of traditional folk songs. Best Tracks: Silver Dagger; The House of the Rising Sun; Rake and Rambling Boy
The Louvin Brothers
2/5
A couple of country boys and at least one of them walked it like they talked it. A study in old murder ballads - not your typical country album. Best Tracks: In The Pines; Katie Dear; Knoxville Girl
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
4/5
Classic country rock album by some real heavy-weights. Beautiful harmonies and searing guitar solos - shame they could never keep it together for very long. Best Tracks: Carry On; Helpless; Country Girl
The Temptations
3/5
Moving away from standard Motown fare, they begin making more jammed out funk and soul tracks. Great fun. Best Tracks: Cloud Nine; Runaway Child, Running Wild; Why Did She Have To Leave Me (Why Did She Have To Go)
Dizzee Rascal
3/5
His debut album comes out the blocks fighting. Harsh electronic production, London rhymes. Solid debut. Best Tracks: I Luv U; Fix Up, Look Sharp; Jus' A Rascal;
Rod Stewart
4/5
When Rod was nearing his peak. His love of folk shines through here and his obviously good taste. Backing band is Faces. Just a great 70's folk/rock album. Best Tracks: Gasoline Alley; Country Comfort; Cut Across Shorty
David Holmes
3/5
Kind of like a soundtrack to a movie. Background music really. Best Tracks: My Mate Paul; Radio 7; Don't Die Just Yet
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Great album. Cohen begins to branch out from his normal finger picking style. Possibly my favourite album of his. Best Tracks: Avalanche; Diamonds in the Mine; Famous Blue Raincoat
Belle & Sebastian
5/5
Their second album is where the group hit their stride. Great lyrics and perfect instrumentation. Indie rock at it's best. Best Tracks: Seeing Other People; Me and the Major; Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying;
The Gun Club
2/5
Post punk whiskey preachin'. Best Tracks: Preaching the Blues; She's Like Heroin to Me; Ghost on the Highway.
Yes
3/5
Prog. Best Tracks: Yours Is No Disgrace; I've Seen All Good People; Perpetual Change
KISS
3/5
It's Kiss. Schlock, cock rock with terrible painted faces. It's terrible but kind of great at the same time. Best Tracks: Shout It Out Loud; Beth; Do You Love Me?
The White Stripes
4/5
Pretty much an album of garage rock perfection the only issue is the sequencing. It's a top heavy album. Best Tracks: Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground; Hotel Yorba; Fell In Love With a Girl;
U2
4/5
I can't stand U2 normally. Stadium rock posturing. However... this album definitely has something about it that I kind of like. Best Tracks: Zoo Station; Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses; The Fly
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Cohen's farewell album. It's his later work so there's more electronic bubbling than acoustic folk. All that's left to say is thanks Leonard; you made us all want it darker throughout your career. Best Tracks: You Want It Darker; On The Level; Traveling Light
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
2/5
Goddamn this album is LOOOOONNNNNGGGGGGG. I don't mind bluegrass/country but a double album that's over two hours long is overkill. If you listen to this album regularly, I've a sneaking suspicion you find members of your family attractive. Best Tracks: Tennessee Stud; I Saw The Light; Will The Circle Be Unbroken
Alanis Morissette
4/5
Mid 90's production abound but you can't fault the strength of these songs or the influence this album had on other female singer songwriters mining that angst. Best Tracks: All I Really Want; You Oughta Know; Ironic
Metallica
4/5
Here the lads begin to straddle thrash, rock and prog. They also turned down the bass so it's really lacking a bottom end. Production/ego issues aside, the songs are strong. I mean it's Metallica; all of their early albums are solid. Best Tracks: Blackened; One; The Shortest Straw
Iggy Pop
4/5
Iggy and Bowie hang out in Berlin and record a "James Brown meet Krafwerk" album. Pop's sober, Bowie is out of his mind on coke, milk, sausages and red peppers. That's a good combo. Best Tracks: Sister Midnight; Nightclubbing; China Girl
Tom Waits
4/5
The sounds of a nightmare. The songs here have been stripped down to their bare bones leaving only gristle left. You'll either love or hate this. I personally love it. Best Tracks: Goin' Out West; Murder in the Red Barn; I Don't Want to Grow Up
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3/5
This was an album I'd always seen in my local record shop when I was at uni - it seemed odd just from the cover and the music is definitely skewed towards the odd even though it's using traditional instruments. Mostly instrumental, slightly odd and it's ok for that - still, I'm glad I didn't buy it. Best Tracks: Penguin Cafe Single; Zopf: From the Colonies; The Sound of Someone You Love Going Away and it Doesn't Really Matter
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Great modern post-punk. Tinny buzz saw guitars, messy drums and a singer who can go from screeching like a tom cat to breathy Debbie Harry style vocals. Best Tracks: Date With The Night; Pin; Maps
Arcade Fire
3/5
A debut album that made the band huge straight away. Whiny emoish vocals, huge noise - orchestral rock? Best Tracks: Neighborhood #3 (Power Out); Wake Up; Rebellion (Lies)
David Bowie
3/5
I love the first half of the album with all of it's spiky post punk attitude but the soundscape instrumentals though should be applauded by someone of Bowie's level to try new avant garde ideas, they are just lacking something. Maybe I need to do loads of blow and listen to them again... Best Tracks: Breaking Glass; Sound and Vision; Always Crashing In The Same Car
Cocteau Twins
3/5
Sounds like the soundtrack to a John Hughes' movie - but one that went straight to VHS. Soft focus, Thanksgiving turkey/Christmas lights and a couple of lessons learned on the way. I can't decide if that's a good or bad thing. Best Tracks: Iceblink Luck; Heaven or Las Vegas; Fotzepolitic
Frank Ocean
1/5
This album is a white, middle aged, music critic's wet dream as it gives them a chance to pretend they're still down with "tha kidz" as they obviously love this album so they can play it for their daughter's friends to show they're still cool. "He's black and gay! I'm so open minded." I bet they tell people that they're often mistaken for sisters! Not mother and daughter! For me, it's dull modern R&B, decent neo-soul vocals but with nothing interesting to say, dull plodding drum machines, melodies that don't go anywhere. Awful. Best Tracks: Thinking Bout You; Super Rich Kids; Lost
fIREHOSE
3/5
Short jagged country funk post punk? Whatever it is - I like it. Best Tracks: What Gets Heard; Time With You; Some Things
Portishead
3/5
Trip-hop's peak? Brooding synths, breathy vocals, bug atmospherics. Even the dinner party patchouli oil crowd couldn't ruin this album. Best Tracks: Mysterons; Sour Times; Glory Box
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Now this is a classic album. Heroin/coked up tax exiles record a double album of swampy rock and blues with a splash of country in an old chateau. What's not to love? Best Tracks: Rocks Off; Tumbling Dice; Sweet Virginia
Randy Newman
4/5
Certainly a controversial album. If you know Newman then you know what this album is going to sound like - the difficulty for some is recognising that he sings as a different characters in each song. Best Tracks: Rednecks; Guilty; Back On My Feet Again
Lorde
3/5
More modern pop - at least this one has some songs of better quality and isn't relying on auto tune and drum machines all the time. I mean, the tunes still sound like the type of songs teenagers put over a photo compilation of their summer but I've heard worse. Came in dreading this after the choices of previous pop albums but was actually pleasantly surprised. I Best Tracks: Green Light; The Louvre; Liability
Kraftwerk
3/5
It's Kraftwerk. Music by robots for us. Or is it music by humans for robots? Or are we all robots? I don't know. It's electronic bubbling with efficient and stern German vocals. Best Tracks: Europe Endless; Trans-Europe Express; Metal on Metal
Elvis Presley
4/5
It's the fucking King and he's feeling funky. A mix of soul, R&B and country. Elvis owns it. Best Tracks: Wearin' the Loved On Look; Only The Strong Survive; In The Ghetto
Prince
4/5
Making sleazy and creepy cool - the Purple One just fucking fucks. That one two three punch of the first three tracks is kissing your neck, whispering in your ear and tickling your arsehole... and he smuggled a dick on the cover. Best Tracks: 1999; Little Red Corvette; Delirious
The Who
3/5
Not the strongest effort. The loose concept of including adverts and idents of pirate radio have dated and you get the feeling that the band may have known this and were hoping the gimmick may cover up for some of the weaker aspects of it. Best Tracks: Tattoo; Our Love Was; I Can See For Miles
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Undoubtedly a genius, sometimes his tracks are just too cheesy. However, when he wants to get funky then his squelching synths and cry baby bass is amazing. Best Tracks: Maybe Your Baby; Tuesday Heartbreak; Superstition
Boards of Canada
4/5
Atmospheric electronica. Sometimes it sounds like the stuff of dreams, other times it sounds like the stuff of nightmares. It's a soundtrack to a sci-fi-horror-coming of age movie you didn't know you wanted to see. Best Tracks: Sixtyten; Roygbiv; Aquarius
Metallica
4/5
Thrash metal hits its peak. Growling ginger walrus gargles hate and anger while gurning midget smashes the drums. Solid album. Best Tracks: Battery; Master of Puppets; Orion
Van Morrison
4/5
Van the man's more poppy effort. Songs have soul and finesse with his amazing vocals. Ignore the fact he's a fucking terrible old man with regressive views that would make Trump blush - or at least high five him. Best Tracks: And It Stoned Me; Moondance; Into The Mystic
Red Snapper
2/5
Trip-hop makes an appearance again. This album is lacking what some of the other albums have though - tunes. There was an attempt but if I was a teacher the advice would be must try harder. Best Tracks: Some Kind of Kink; The Rake; Bussing
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Not as immediate as their other releases however, if you like LCD Soundsystem then you'll love this album. A mix of new wave, post punk, dance, sarcasm and irony. Part of the brilliance is you can play spot the influence and feel just as smug as they are. Unless it's Bowie's "Heroes". That's just a given. Best Tracks: Oh Baby; Tonite; Call The Police
Solange
1/5
More modern R&B. This album at least is trying to use more interesting instrumentation than some of the others on this list - it's just like other albums on the list similar to this - THERE'S NO TUNES. More interesting / random instrumentation can't make up for the fact that this music is dull. Either I'm getting too old or this music really is as shit as I think it is. And it can't be me. It's the children who are wrong. Best Tracks: Rise; Weary; F.U.B.U.
Moby
4/5
I remember when this album came out - it was everywhere. Literally. Each song has been licenced to be used in adverts, movies etc. Fair play on Moby for the cash in. It's a mix of electronic synths and beats with old school blues tunes. Best Tracks: Honey; Porcelain; Run On
James Brown
3/5
The hardest working man in show business shows exactly why he is that. Old school soul and R&B doing it right. The crowd is as much as an instrument in this as well. Best Tracks: I'll Go Crazy; Medley; Night Train
Peter Tosh
2/5
It's reggae. Not much else to say about it. Best Tracks: Legalize It; Whatcha Gonna Do; No Sympathy
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5/5
Revenge of the Nerd. Costello comes out swinging on his second album. Spiky punk/new wave with bitter nasty lyrics. It's probably not healthy if you recognise elements of your self within. Best Tracks: No Action; Pump It Up; (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea
The Beau Brummels
2/5
Wanna be Bob Dylans try their hands at folk/psychedelic rock with fairly bland results. 60's reverb abound. Best Tracks: Are You Happy?; It Won't Get Better; Magic Hollow
Nirvana
5/5
Someone should've told him he was brilliant. Best Tracks: Serve The Servants; Heart-Shaped Box; Radio Friendly Unit Shifter
Lynyrd Skynyrd
5/5
A stone cold classic of Southern Rock. You don't have to have a redneck to be able to rock out to these songs. There's a mix of FM classics, blues, riffs and honky tonk. Get tuning that air guitar. Best Tracks: Simple Man; Things Goin' On; Free Bird
Elton John
5/5
How much coke do you have to be doing to decide to open your double album with an 11 minute long prog rock song? This much. A huge mix of styles are across this album from Prog, to ballads, to rock n roll and he nails every one. Even the over played songs still sound good. Just great. Best Tracks: Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding; Bennie and the Jets; Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
2/5
Colon and Blades sounds like the name of a bitchin' death metal act. But they're not. It's salsa. I'm sure it's pleasant enough if you're on some beach but I'm not. And I don't like the beach much anyway. Best Tracks: Plastico; Buscando Guayaba; Pedro Navaja
Bob Marley & The Wailers
1/5
How does Bob Marley like his donuts? With jam in. That's the best thing I know about reggae. I can't stand this genre. I'm sure someone finds this album important, slow dirges over the same rhythm, but I don't want to meet them. Let's face it they're either 13 year old vicar's kid or some twat on a gap year. Best Tracks: Jamming; Three Little Birds; One Love/People Get Ready
k.d. lang
2/5
There's only three songs on Spotify for this album, so I can't really give it a fair shake. From the three songs there are, it sounds like a mix of country lounge. If you like the image of someone singing a mix of this in a diner then this is for you. The music's as bland and watered down as the coffee in those places. Probably. I've never been, but that's what I imagine and this album has made me imagine it. Bland, watered down coffee. Best Tracks: Western Stars; Black Coffee; Honky Tonk Angels' Medley: In the Evening (When the Sun Goes Down)/You Nearly Lose Your Mind/Blues Stay Away from Me
David Bowie
4/5
Bowie's epitaph. He bowed out on a strong album. Death hangs over this album and it can be hard work. Best Tracks: 'Tis a Pity She's a Whore; Lazarus; Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)
Foo Fighters
5/5
Who let Ringo loose in the studio? Best Tracks: This is a Call; Big Me; Alone + Easy Target
Patti Smith
3/5
An album loved by first year sixth form college lit students. I'm sure they think if they quote this or get a bad lyric tattoo that it would be something they cherish for ever. Bang on average. Best Tracks: Gloria: In Exclesis Dio; Free Money; Kimberly
Happy Mondays
4/5
Madferrit. How a bunch of junkies can knock out a British classic should be seen as the quality of British drugs and our drug addicts. The music's as baggy as their jaws were gurning. Best Tracks: Kinky Afro; God's Cop; Step On
4/5
I hate to admit it, but each of these Yes albums I've actually enjoyed. Maybe I should just embrace my secret inner Yes fan and start dressing up as a wizard, writing in Elvish and talking about how Tolkien is the greatest writer of all time. To Prog and beyond! Best Tracks: Close To The Edge; Siberian Khatru
Pere Ubu
2/5
Occasionally like listening to a cheese grater and a broken keyboard being played by a drunk. Post-punk mash potato. Best Tracks: Navvy; Drinking Wine Spodyody; (Pa) Ubu Dance Party
Bob Dylan
5/5
Bob turns up proper on his second album. Finger pointing protesting love/hate songs. This album sounds like it's going to be friendly with the finger picking acoustic and down home folky couple on the front, but it picks you up by the ear and kicks you in the balls. After that, if you still don't like it it means you haven't been paying attention. Best Tracks: Girl From The North Country; Don't Think Twice It's All Right; Talkin' World War 3 Blues
Jethro Tull
3/5
If music could smell, the tunes included here would; probably of cheap ditch weed and sweat. Hippy prog made by crusties with flutes. Best Tracks: Aqualung; Cross-Eyed Mary; Locomotive Breath
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
A lazy bloke has been breathing helium and seems to be deciding whether or not he can be bothered to say the lyrics while his mate plays about with a synth. Best Tracks: Can You Forgive Her?; I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing; Go West
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
Power pop perfection with Iron-Bru coursing through the tunes. See? Glasgow can't be all that bad. Best Tracks: The Concept; What You Do To Me; Is This Music?
Country Joe & The Fish
2/5
Psychedelic nonsense. They should've just stuck to ingesting brown acid and avoided making albums. Best Tracks: Flying High; Super Bird; Bass Strings
Queen
2/5
Fancy some cliché 70s rock? Want songs about annoying girls and orges? Then this is the album for you. This does nothing to sway me from the idea that Queen are massively overrated. Probably great of you were at Doncaster in the 70s while drinking shit cider, however doing the same thing now just doesn't work. Best Tracks: Father and Son; The White Queen (As it Began) ; Seven Seas of Rhye
Sonic Youth
3/5
Want of mix of a migraine, snarky pop culture commentary and intertwined guitars? Then this is the album for you. You can see the behemoth of 90's alt-rock coming over the hill with this one. Best Tracks: Dirty Boots; Mary-Christ; Titanium Expose
Anita Baker
2/5
80's soft soul and R&B. The type of music that gets played when Tom Selleck is looking deep into the eyes of Steve Guttenberg. Best Tracks: Sweet Love; Caught Up in the Rapture; No One in the World
Eminem
5/5
I like dirty jokes and horror movies. Perfect. Best Tracks: My Name Is; If I Had; Just Don't Give a Fuck
The White Stripes
4/5
Musical dustbins getting thrown downstairs. Great. Best Tracks: Seven Nation Army; Ball and Biscuit; The Hardest Button To Button
Gang Of Four
5/5
Like being hit across the back of the head with a frying pan wrapped in barbed wire. Spiky, cold and indifferent to your feelings; a lot like my first girlfriend. Except this album didn't give me a hand job round the back of a youth club. Best Tracks: Natural's Not In It; Damaged Goods; I Found That Essence Rare
Tom Waits
5/5
You're walking through the fairground with your date. They're miserable as you couldn't even win them a prize goldfish at 'Toss the Ring'. You tried to tell them it's all a fix and the rings aren't big enough to fit over the bowls, but they wouldn't listen. They looked at you like this date was as poor as your excuse. It begins to drizzle and your candy floss droops. Who cares? The idea of candy floss was better than the actual thing anyway. Over the sounds of others laughing, talking and screaming, you glance over the top of your date's head and see a man made of right angles standing next to the waltzers. You catch his one good eye and realise it's too late; he's seen you. He starts barking at you and your date and beckoning with a twig like finger. His one milky eye seems to be like some hazy frayed rope that's been knotted around your neck and he draws you in. Over your date's protestations, he somehow convinces you both to sit inside a waltzer. No one else is here. The lights are flickering and the smell of sawdust and vomit become oppressive. He laughs like man gargling kitty litter and slams the safety bar down and spins the cab round as the ride starts up. You're stuck here with this awful date spinning round and round and round and round. You have the fear that you'll be here forever in some kind of carny limbo. This is the music that is playing over the speakers. The louder you scream the faster the ride. Remember: fun is the key but keep seated at all times or you may die. Best Tracks: 16 Shells from a 30.6; In The Neighbourhood; Down, Down Down
The Pogues
4/5
You don't have to be an alcoholic with no teeth to understand and like this album; but it couldn't hurt. Best Tracks: The Old Main Drag; A Pair of Brown Eyes; Sally MacLennane
T. Rex
2/5
Repetitive dross from Bolan. Too much hairspray and glitter fumes must have affected everyone in the seventies for this to be considered anything but music for 8 year olds. What someone thinks good rock sounds like when they have never actually listened to rock. Best Tracks: Metal Guru; Baby Boomerang; Telegram Sam
Hole
2/5
Late 90s moaning. Music to listen to on a wet weekend with a girl who wears bowling shoes and a ballerina dress. Best Tracks: Celebrity Skin; Awful; Malibu
Prancing wigs with gravel in their throats, coke up their noses and a pocketful of fucking great rock songs. Best Tracks: Miss Judy's Farm; Stay With Me; Too Bad
Megadeth
4/5
Another angry man with ginger hair thrashes about religion, politics, warfare, fights against drug and alcohol addiction, UFO conspiracy theories and even the Marvel Comics character Punisher. You can practically smell the BO and Lynx Africa from here. Best Tracks: Holy Wars... The Punishment Due; Hangar 18; Tornado of Souls
Circle Jerks
4/5
It's over in about 15 minutes so stop moaning. Best Tracks: Deny Everything!; Operation; Behind The Door
Jane Weaver
4/5
Sour Krautrock. Someone's been listening to Stereolab. Never judge a book by its cover? Well, you can judge this album by its name. Avant garde but not avant harde to listen to. Best Tracks: H>A>K; Did You See Butterflies?; Loops in the Secret Society
Peter Frampton
3/5
The blond bombshell dropped this massive album and lost all of his guitar god chops in the process. Everyone's parents will have owned this at one point - whether that's a good or bad thing will be argued forever. Best Tracks: Show Me The Way; Baby I Love Your Way; Do You Feel Like We Do
AC/DC
5/5
It's AC/DC. What were you expecting? Best Tracks: Shoot To Thrill; Back In Black; You Shook Me All Night Long
Blur
4/5
Sulky from losing the Britpop wars but making tons of cash in the process, they embraced American alt-rock. And heroin. But mostly alt-rock and came up smelling of roses. The uni-browed Mancs looked on. Best Tracks: Beetlebum; Song 2; You're So Great
The Smiths
4/5
Let's face it, 'Strangeways' is their greatest album. Moz and Marr still come out swinging with this album though (even if it is only a bunch of gladioli). Though Moz may have turned into an insufferable boor and the title track is the worst song on here, it's still a solid album but (I'm saying it again) it's not their best. No matter what anyone may tell you. Best Tracks: I Want The One I Can't Have; That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore
Tina Turner
2/5
It's like none more 80's. She's got a hell of a voice but it's dated badly. Just don't ask to see her nutbush city limits. Best Tracks: What's Love Got To Do With It?; I Can't Stand The Rain; Private Dancer
Miles Davis
5/5
The soundtrack to a movie that doesn't exist. Monster of an album. Everyone should own a copy. Best Tracks: So What; Blue In Green; Flamenco Sketches
Janet Jackson
1/5
What's not to like when a giant pop star gains a conscience and then decides to tell you all about it? Everything. It sounds like a hot mess. Parts of it are like people have got the button on their sampler stuck. Best Tracks: Rhythm Nation; Miss You Much; Escapade
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Strange scientologist releases the perfectly titled album. This is smooth and hot. Long strung out soul jams that make you want to bathe in coco butter. Just forget about the aliens. Best Tracks: Walk On By; Hyperbolicsyllablecsesquedalymistic
Cornershop
4/5
Late 90's indie rock - jangly guitars, muddy hip hop style beats. Maybe a few too many instrumentals slow the album down however, like everyone's local cornershop, it's well worth checking out. Best Tracks: Sleep on the Left Side; Brimful of Asha; Funky Days are Back Again
Beck
3/5
Beck gets dumped and all mopey. The songs are fairly similar in tempo throughout and kind of blend in to one. Maybe he got dumped because he was already mopey and this album was the final straw. I don't blame her. Best Tracks: The Golden Age; Paper Tiger; Lost Cause
Beatles
5/5
Though they were falling apart they still managed to produce one of the greatest albums ever. Everything has been written about it and just to reiterate - the end medley is worth the price of admission alone. If you don't like this album you've got no soul. Best Tracks: Oh Darling; I Want You (She's So Heavy); You Never Give Me Your Money
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Fake gypsy wannabe dabble with blue-eyed soul. Makes me hate dungarees and polka dot handkerchiefs to an irrational degree. Best Tracks: Geno; Seven Days Is Too Long; Thankfully Not Living In Yorkshire It Doesn't Apply
George Michael
1/5
I tried to George, I really did but it sounds like music for middle aged women to gurn over and pout about how good looking you were and how they would only need a couple of minutes with you. Frankly, it feels a bit like a pub singer plying his tunes down the local. Best Tracks: Freedom! '90; Something To Save; Heal the Pain
Eels
3/5
Misery loves company and 90's alt-rock. It has a strange feeling of almost childlike nursery music with dark lyrics. Like a creche run by Jimmy Saville. Best Tracks: Novocaine For The Soul; Susan's House; Mental
Madonna
2/5
My sister used to listen to this album when I was seven. It wasn't for me then and it isn't for me now. Best Tracks: Like a Prayer; Express Yourself; Cherish
Radiohead
5/5
I for one welcome our computer overlords. Best Tracks: Airbag; Paranoid Android; Karma Police
Deee-Lite
2/5
Hipster in 1990. The three members look like the worst kind of douches you'd want to meet. Bad retro funk dance. Best Tracks: Try Me On ... I'm Very You; Smile On; Groove Is In The Heart
Motörhead
4/5
The music you want playing when you have violent diarrhea. In the best way. Best Tracks: Ace of Spades; Love Me Like a Reptile; (We Are) The Roadcrew
Butthole Surfers
2/5
I mean, it's a bad acid trip set to music. It is entertaining, granted, but the only time you would really listen to it is when you're in your first year at uni and you put it on to show how cool and unique you are when actually you're just a cunt and no one likes you. Best Tracks: Sweat Loaf; Pittsburgh to Lebanon; Human Cannonball
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Junkies band to together and make an album that no one buys. Cut to a few years later and it's now one of the most important albums ever. Nowhere near as out there as people claim. Solid tunes. They almost make heroin sound worth it. Best Tracks: I'm Waiting For My Man; Venus In Furs; Heroin
Beyoncé
2/5
I mean it's the queen of pop for the 21st century. I get that this was an event when it was dropped but again, it's just more bland R&B - at least the production is interesting that's what saves it. Just. Best Tracks: Pretty Hurts; Drunk In Love (feat. Jay-Z); Partition
Sam Cooke
4/5
I always forget just how good his voice was. Pure sex, pain, romance, lust all condensed into one voice. Great live album. Best Tracks: Cupid; Medley: It's All Right / For Sentimental Reasons; Twistin' The Night Away
Brian Eno
3/5
It does exactly what it says on the tin. Music to be ignored and listened to. Ketamine probably helps. Best Tracks: 1/1; 1/2
Madness
3/5
Always a singles band. If other greatest hits have been included on this list, their greatest hits should have just been included instead. As English as a fish and chips in newspaper wrapping. Best Tracks: Tomorrow's (Just Another Day); Blue Skinned Beast; Our House
Tricky
2/5
A record that was always in the bargin bins or on BOGOF - and it shows why. It appears and then disappears. Kind of like Tricky's career. Best Tracks: Black Steel; Hell Is Round The Corner; Aftermath
Led Zeppelin
4/5
It's LZ II. If you haven't heard this yet you're either deaf or living somewhere with no music. It's a classic for a reason BUT it's not their best. I think it's lauded so much on the strength of a couple of songs. You know what they are. Best Tracks: Whole Lotta Love; Heartbreaker; Ramble On
Cheap Trick
2/5
Another live album for the list. Generally with live albums it's a case of "You had to be there" and this one is no exception. Fairly weak power pop and teen screams. It sounds like a weeb's dream. Best Tracks: Come On, Come On; I Want You To Want Me; Surrender
Wilco
5/5
Sometimes the whole thing sounds like it's about to fall apart but then the spit and sawdust keeps it together. Wilco begin to stretch their alt-country legs by flexing out in to classic rock stax, folk, blues and alt-rock and snap a few tendons in the process. Best Tracks: Misunderstood; Monday; Kingpin
Jeff Beck
3/5
Stodgy late 60's British blues. Toad in the soul. Best Tracks: Shapes of Things; You Shook Me; Blues Deluxe
The Who
3/5
It is a fairly bloated album. Fair play for trying to pull this off but they have better albums - the subject matter of pinball, pop-culture messiah and paedos is probably not for everyone. Where's the book Pete? Best Tracks: 1921; Pinball Wizard; We're Not Gonna Take It
Sugar
4/5
If you're of a certain age - either a teenager going through heartbreak, or an *cough* older person just being nostalgic for early alt rock - then this album is great. It has the heaviness of Husker Du but also great lyrics and melodies. If you like guitar and heartbreak, you'll love this album. If you don't probably not so much. Best Tracks: The Act We Act; Good Idea; If I Can't Change Your Mind
Brian Wilson
4/5
The sound of one acid casualty revisiting losing his mind. It's curious to wonder what would've happened to music if he'd managed to complete it during the first attempt. Best Tracks: Heroes and Villains; Surf's Up; Good Vibrations
The Sabres Of Paradise
2/5
90's dance. Being on drugs and in a dimly lit field on a cold night in March with the smell of cow shit in the air would probably help with the enjoyment. Best Tracks: Duke of Earlsfield; Wilmot; Theme
Tim Buckley
2/5
A voice like a fraying rubber band across pseudo-psychedelic folk rock. I'm sure it all means something, I'm just not sure what. Best Tracks: Pleasant Street; I Never Asked To Be Your Mountain; Once I Was
Garbage
2/5
Mid-nineties uber producers form their own band and stick a singer on. You just know all the music videos had scratches all across them and cigarette burns. Gnarly. Best Tracks: I'm Only Happy When It Rains; Vow; Stupid Girl
Supertramp
3/5
Prog goes pop. Beach Boys style vocals with new wave synths. Not as bad as it sounds honest! Best Tracks: School; Bloody Well Right; Dreamer
Leonard Cohen
3/5
None more 80's production of synths, sax and sexy backing vocals over some of Laughing Len's most hardcore songs. Best Songs: First We Take Manhattan; Everybody Knows; Tower of Song
Fats Domino
3/5
Second biggest selling rock n roll act after Elvis. You can imagine John Candy serving giant pancakes with this album playing in the background. McCartney was listening - that's a good enough stamp of approval for me. Best Tracks: Blueberry Hill; Honey Chile; Blue Monday
Gil Scott-Heron
3/5
First thing to admit is that you will never be as cool as GSH. Now that's out the way, this album is a mix of poetry, jazz and soul. Ron Burgundy jazz flute abound with late night piano and warm tones of an electric piano hugging you. Ham and eggs coming at you. The depressing (and predictable) thing is lots of the issues that he raps/sings about here still exist. Best Tracks: Rivers of my Fathers; Back Home; Daddy Loves You
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
The group come out peeking from behind their dole cheques for their debut. The template for what they were is here. Stuart Murdoch comes across as the Morrissey who would be ok to hang out with. Possibly too twee for some, you can't fault the lyrics and melodies. Put on your horn rimmed specs and sit back a listen to the misery and neuroticism hiding underneath those pretty melodies. Ignore that electronic track though - it's shit. Best Tracks: The State I Am In; Expectations; I Don't Love Anyone
Brian Eno
3/5
A real mix of styles here: electronic beats, new wave and pub piano. You can hear LCD Soundsystem taking notes. Best Tracks: No One Receiving; King's Lead Hat; By This River
The Specials
4/5
Ska. Come on rude boy - get skankin'. The sounds of fighting in dance halls and looking down the barrel of Thatcher's Britain. The depressing thing is that like many of these albums, the politicians have changed but the general culture hasn't. Best Tracks: Message To Rudy; Too Much Too Young; Little Bitch
Meat Loaf
3/5
Big, fat covid denying, anti-vaxx idiot makes big fat, over the top idiotic album. Even Springsteen thinks this album is a tad OTT. Aspects of it are cringe and the kind of stuff neckbeards probably think are romantic but I've got to admit, you can get swept up in it. Ignore the man and listen to the music - it's the least we could do. Best Tracks: Bat Out of Hell; You Took The Words Right Out of My Mouth; Paradise By The Dashboard Light
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
You know that feeling in your dreams when you're stuck in mud and you can't seem to get anywhere? That's this. Best Tracks: Only Tomorrow; In Another Way; Nothing Is
ZZ Top
3/5
Two guys with big beards and the drummer who's called Beard but doesn't have a beard play a mix of southern rock and blues. Pretty good if you like this sort of thing but it's nothing very special. Best Tracks: Waitin' For The Bus; Jesus Just Left Chicago; La Grange
Missy Elliott
3/5
The slow jams fail this album. Classic beats, great rhymes and flow. It just can't be kept up through the whole album. Best Tracks: Work It; Back In The Day (feat. Jay-Z); Funky Fresh Dressed (feat. Ms. Jade)
Funkadelic
3/5
Much less funky than their previous efforts (though the funk is still present) this album is more focused on bringing a more rock sound to the funkiest people on the planet. They do indeed rock as well as funk. Not their best. Best Tracks: One Nation Under a Groove; Who Says a Funk Band Can't Play Rock Music?! Cholly (Funk Getting Ready To Roll!)
Bert Jansch
3/5
Folking hell. Superb guitar playing singing classic folk songs. Distinctly British. Best Tracks: Needle of Death; Running From Home; Angie
The Boo Radleys
2/5
The stench of early 90's Britpop is all over this album. Cooing vocals, guitars that either jangle or buzzsaw and the need of a couple of tracks to be dumped. Best Tracks: Wish I Was Skinny; Barney (...and Me); Lazarus
Femi Kuti
2/5
The songs here are not made for those with short attention spans. Afrobeat goes on and on and on. There are flashes of excellent parts but then it just seems to fall apart and move into blandness again. It wouldn't be so bad if the tunes were good but it all just blends into one jumble of noise. It feels like something hipsters would put on at a dinner party. I just hope I'm not at it. Best Tracks: Wonder Wonder; Nawa; Plenty Nonsense
Amy Winehouse
5/5
Just a great album mix of jazz, neo-soul and pop melodies. The lyrics showed that there were bigger issues behind these songs. You can only imagine what she could've achieved. Best Tracks: Rehab; You Know I'm Know Good; Tears Dry On Their Own
Arcade Fire
4/5
More of a rock leaning to this album than their usual orchestral swells; though these are still there - like walking into a cathedral in a pair of crocs. I lived in the suburbs. It didn't sound anything like this. Best Tracks: The Suburbs; Ready To Start; Modern Man
The Pharcyde
4/5
Classic soul and funk samples over a weird variety of topics such as fisting, shooting someone in the ass, forgetting your driving licence, being discombobulated, trying to be a stereotypical hip-hop artist and failing for a music video... If you want to get weird to hip-hop this is the album for you. Best Tracks: Oh Shit; Officer; Passin' Me By
Spacemen 3
2/5
Pseudo-cosmic utterances under spacey guitars. If this band didn't have reverb / flange who knows what they would have done. I'm sure being on smack probably makes this album more interesting; however if you're not, all this album seems to be demonstrating how far up its own arse psychedelia is willing to crawl. Best Tracks: Honey; Revolution; Lord Can You Hear Me
Brian Eno
3/5
Brian Eno raises his bald auteur head again in this list and this time with a man in an oversized suit who occasionally wears a stiletto as a hat. That should give you a clue about the music herein. It's a mix of samples and rhythms. More of a party album than Eno's previous ones (though the kind of party where you'd listen to music, stroke beards and nod your head to the progressiveness of such an album) and that is probably David Byrne's influence. Definitely ahead of the game when it came out. I can agree it's an "important" album - I just don't know if it's an enjoyable one. Best Tracks: Mea Culpa; Regiment; The Jezebel Spirit;
Incubus
3/5
Late 90's nu-metallers make clean, crunchy record. Distorted guitars that your mum would find acceptable, scratching, smooth vocals. It's almost Yacht Rawk. Lots of teenagers sitting in their bedrooms feeling hard done by listened to this. Best Tracks: Privilege; When It Comes; Drive
Wire
3/5
Spiky guitars, spiky vocals, spiky drums. Music so angular you could cut yourself on it. Best Tracks: Three Girl Rhumba; Ex Lion Tamer; Mannequin
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
Miserable Glaswegians sing about depressing things in a public toilet. It's an album smothered in rain clouds but occasionally poppy melodies break through like a bit of warm sunshine. Best Tracks: Darklands; Happy When It Rains; April Skies
Spiritualized
2/5
The songs are mixes of psychedelia, gospel and space rock. The songs are long and can drag on. Usually break up albums are exciting - this one is like the pub bore droning on at you about nothing. Best Tracks: Come Together; I Think I'm In Love; Electricity
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Smooth vocals and light funk and soul underscore these tunes to show that there's something lurking in the depths of the US. Best Tracks: Billy Jack; When Seasons Change; So in Love
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
2/5
Talk about schizophrenic. This album has a mix of classic early hip-hop tracks and terrible "smooth" R&B vocals that sound like something a 15 year old would think is romantic. The ballads are so bad they border on parody. Best Tracks: It's Nasty (Genius of Love); Scorpio; The Message
2/5
John Zorn can fuck right off, but not in a hateful way. You hear the first track, you've heard them all. Best Tracks: Chronology; Good Old Days; Blues Connotation
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
3/5
White men's blues with notable nobhead and wife pincher Eric Clapton. Does what it says on the tin. Best Tracks: Key To Love; Have You Heard Steppin' Out
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
Yeah, they may be capitalist phonies but when your riffs are as good as anything Black Sabbath came up with, I can look the other way. Best Tracks: Killing In The Name; Take The Power Back; Know Your Enemy
Massive Attack
2/5
Muddy beats, smooth vocals, easy listening for the mid 90s. Best Tracks: Protection, Karmacoma; Heat Miser
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5/5
The angry nerd returns, spitting lyrics as sharp as the twanging chords on his guitar. He originally wanted to call this album 'Emotional Fascism". If that doesn't let you know the theme of this album then nothing will. Best Tracks: Accident Will Happen; Oliver's Army; Green Shirt
Kate Bush
3/5
A real mix. When the tunes hit, they really hit but sometimes it's a bit to whispy and twee. Best Tracks: Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God); Hounds of Love; Cloudbursting
Bauhaus
2/5
The typical goth kids trying to ape Bowie and smoking clove cigarettes sing about nasty things. Just listen to Bowie or The Cure instead. They still remembered the tunes. Best Tracks: The Passion of Lovers; Kick In The Eye; The Man With X-Ray Eyes
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
Re-imagining of a Russian composer's works in glorious prog. Best Tracks: The Sage; Blues Variation; Nutrocker
Prince
5/5
This man fucked. Best Tracks: Let's Go Crazy; When Doves Cry' Purple Rain
Billy Joel
4/5
Perfectly produced 70's radio pop/rock. More tunes knocking around than a pack of lozenges. Best Tracks: Movin' Out (Anthony's Song); Vienna; Only The Good Die Young
Billy Bragg
3/5
Unused lyrics from Woody Guthrie give Billy Bragg a chance to hang on the coattails of Wilco and Woody - two artists much better than him. Bragg struggles to keep up. An album of two halves. Best Tracks: California Stars; Ingrid Bergman; One By One
The Flaming Lips
3/5
Ex-junkies start to learn their instruments and enlist the help of an orchestra. Less about UFOs or Vaseline and more about human relationships, though the helium vocals are still here. They seem to start to realise coming out of the fug of alt-rock and smack that they have more ideas they can explore. Best Tracks: Race for the Prize; A Spoonful Weighs a Ton; Waiting for a Superman
Pixies
5/5
An angry fat man (and his band) who is chewing on hornets spits his words about UFO's, superheroes, broken bones, psychotic meltdowns, love that can smother you, the Gaza Strip, the Dead Sea...and thank god he does because it's fucking brilliant. Best Tracks: Gigantic; Where Is My Mind?; Tony's Theme
Booker T. & The MG's
2/5
Like the funkiest end of the pier band you've ever heard. You can decide if that's a good or bad thing. Best Tracks: Green Onions; Rinky Dink; Mo' Onions
Hüsker Dü
3/5
Buzzsaw guitars with a mix of melancholic melodies. Best Tracks: These Important Years; Ice Cold Ice; Could You Be The One?
Sigur Rós
4/5
Fancy listening to a man sing in a made up language? Then this is the album for you. Typical adjectives for this album seem to be "ethereal" and "deep". The instrumentals are great but unfortunately the yelping of the singer can get a bit grating. Best Tracks: Svefn-g-englar; Staralfur;
Pink Floyd
5/5
...where we came in? One man's self imposed breakdown pushed upon us. It must be terrible being a multimillionaire rockstar. At least there are great tunes accompanying this double album moan. Isn't this... Best Tracks: Another Brick in the Wall pt. 2; Mother; Comfortably Numb
The Verve
3/5
Sickly leopard Richard Ashcroft is still in his "mad" phase. Mix of plodding indie with shoegaze/MBV guitars. This is probably a seminal album if you come from Wigan and hadn't heard anything else. Best Tracks: This Is Music; On Your Own; History
Adele
1/5
I've tried my best to avoid this Brit-School music for mums but it seems this list has forced it on me much like every fucking piece of media that exists tried to as well. It's bland and inoffensive; it's like the aural equivalent of a digestive biscuit. It's the best argument for the need for music snobbery I've heard in a long time. There. Done. Best Tracks: Rolling In The Deep; Rumour Has It; Someone Like You
Muddy Waters
3/5
Pure blues. I mean, you're not expecting electropop from Muddy are you? Best Tracks: Mannish Boy; I Can't Be Satisfied; The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock and Roll
Supergrass
4/5
The hangover/come down from Britpop begins in earnest. Mix of perfect power pop / indie rock with a darker sensibility. Things weren't alright anymore. Best Tracks: Richard III; Sun Hits The Sky; Going Out
Tim Buckley
4/5
A bit less caterwauling on this jazz/folk album than normal. The songs are like hippy jams and meanderings. Great if you like that sort of thing. Best Tracks: Strange Feelin'; Buzzin' Fly; Dream Letter
George Michael
2/5
80's pop. Can't fault the title track but again, light funk, blue eyed soul just doesn't hit the mark. The fact that some critics say this is one of the best albums of the 80's says volumes either about that decade or those critics. I can't decide which. Best Tracks: Faith; Father Figure; I Want Your Sex - Pt.s 1 & 2
Mylo
2/5
If this was the opening attacking then rock & roll has nothing to worry about. Sub-standard EDM that thinks it's more intelligent than it is. Just listen to Daft Punk and LCD Soundsystem. Best Tracks: Drop the Pressure; In My Arms; Otto's Journey
N.W.A.
5/5
Gangsta rap never sounded as good or as thrilling as this. Angry in all the right ways and with crate digging samples used, this is the perfect album to get people riled up on any side of the political spectrum. Still sounds fresh today as it did when it came out. Unfortunately the topics rapped about here are still as fresh as those wounds that first appeared - this seems to be a running problem. People are dicks. Best Tracks: Straight Outta Compton; Fuck Tha Police; Express Yourself
Silver Jews
3/5
This is an album you need to sit down and take your time with. When David Berman sings, you need to listen to his lyrics. It has a country/indie rock charm, but there is always the feeling that there are storm clouds on the horizon. It's an album that needs a hug and a pat on the shoulder. Best Tracks: Slow Education; I Remember Me; Tennessee
Tom Waits
5/5
The sound of a truck load of instruments getting shoved down the stairs and the aborted fetus of Wait's songs spilling out on the floor while some dogs lick up the afterbirth as the stranger in the basement bangs about with a broomstick on pots and pans and the heat pipes cough. Best Tracks: Jockey Full of Bourbon; Gun Street Girl; Anywhere I Lay My Head
Neneh Cherry
2/5
What could generously be called an eclectic mix of styles or truthfully: throw enough shit at a wall and see if it sticks. 80's R&B/pop with lame attempts at rapping. Once again, more proof that the 80's was fairly dire for mainstream music. Best Tracks: Buffalo Stance; Manchild; Kisses on the Wind
The Byrds
2/5
Overrated sixties coat tail riding musicians continue on with their bland melody free store brand psychedelic rock. Probably far out if you were about 8 when this released. It just sounds dated now. It says a lot when their best song is written by someone who isn't in the group and they have the cheek to edit out verses. Lame. Best Tracks: So You Want to Be a Rock 'N' Roll Star; Have You Seen Her Face; My Back Pages
Led Zeppelin
5/5
It's Led Zeppelin IV. What more do you fucking want? Best Tracks: Black Dog; Stairway to Heaven; When The Levee Breaks
Dire Straits
3/5
Knopfler's Dylanesque singing won't be for everyone, but his guitar chops are enough to win people over. Though you may drive a Ford Mondeo, this is a much better album to be listening to than anything by Chris Rea. Turn it up loud as you drive into your parking space outside the office. Impress the temps. Best Tracks: Down To The Waterline; Water of Love; Sultans of Swing
Gary Numan
3/5
He might be a robot. This is probably what it sounds like if KORG Synths or a ZX Spectrum was trying to flirt with you. Best Tracks: Metal; M.E.; Cars
10cc
2/5
Weird mid 70's art pop. There seem to be about a million ideas here for songs and they all seem to be crammed into one song after the other. It's a bit of a mess. Melodies trapped under pretentiousness. Best Tracks: The Wall Street Shuffle; The Worst Band in the World; Silly Love
Songhoy Blues
3/5
Malinese blues. Lots of guitars. Lots. Best Tracks: Soubour; Sekou Oumarou; Nick
Aerosmith
3/5
The blueprint for Aerosmith's career is set here. Sleazy rock mixed with overblown pomp with a dash of FM blues. Not bad at all. Best Tracks: Walk This Way; Sweet Emotion; You See Me Crying
Louis Prima
4/5
If you can't enjoy this album, there must be something wrong with you. A mix of jazz, swing, Jive and Blues. You can just hear these songs being played in a Tim Burton or John Hughes film when everyone is just enjoying life. And why shouldn't you once in a while? Best Tracks: Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody; Jump, Jive an' Wail; Buona Sera
Tears For Fears
3/5
More like 'Songs From the Big Hair'. Best Tracks: Shout; Everybody Wants To Rule The World; Head Over Heels/Broken.
Eurythmics
2/5
This is the music that gets played in a club while a Terminator that looks suspiciously like Annie Lennox is chasing after you. Best Tracks: I Could Give You (A Mirror); Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This); This Is The House
Emmylou Harris
3/5
She's like a character actor but for country music. Great support but just not good enough for her own time in the spotlight. Best Tracks: Bluebird Wine; Boulder to Birmingham; For No One
Lauryn Hill
2/5
Much better Neo-Soul/R&B than some of the other albums on here. Hill can perform a range of styles successfully. She doesn't overly rely on gimmicks and warbling over the top vocals (though they are present natch) she remembers to include some choruses you can actually recognise a melody in. The god-bothering can be grating but the real issue here are the fucking pointless skits. There's a good album here getting buried by these naval gazing excerpts from a "classroom". Best Tracks: Doo Wop (That Thing); Every Ghetto, Every City; Everything Is Everything
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Neil the rocker returns with this grungy set of tunes. Fuzz peddle is in overdrive - it's a shame that it's a real mixed bag of tunes. Probably top draw for most other artists but for Old Shakey here it's mediocre at best. Best Tracks: Country Home; F!#*in' Up; Mansion on the Hill
The Byrds
3/5
More mediocrity by The Byrds. This is the third album this list has tried to convince me that this band is worth listening to - they just aren't. The boggiest of bog standard. I suppose the tracks are short. So that's a bonus? Best Tracks: Draft Morning; Wasn't Born To Follow; Tribal Gathering
Muddy Waters
3/5
The variety of this album is staggering. The leaps of one song being psy-trance to the next being Death Metal to a smooth synthwave number do an electroclash ditty. Muddy Waters does it all here. Not really. Just a great live blues set. I mean, what else would it be? Best Tracks: I Got My Brand On You; Baby, Please Don't Go; I've Got My Mojo Working
John Martyn
4/5
An album to listen to after an all night party, you're having a night cap and the sun is just beginning to come up. Just great. Best Tracks: Solid Air; Over the Hill; May You Never
The The
2/5
80's sneering. The cover is more interesting than the music. Best Tracks: Infected; Out of the Blue (Into the Fire); Heartland;
Frank Sinatra
3/5
The coolest man ever to be named 'Francis' roles out another collection of smooth swing with Latin rhythms. Pretend you're in the 50s with this (even though it was released in the mid sixties these two refused to change it seems). It's better than catching polio. Best Tracks: The Girl From Ipanema; Change Partners; Baubles, Bangles and Beads
Minor Threat
4/5
Hardcore punk comes to spit in your face again, but this one cares while it's pushing you over in the pit. It recognises that we've all been kicked down - it's time to help each other up. Best Tracks: Betray; Look Back and Laugh; Little Friend
Elbow
4/5
Indie/Prog? An album that will never jump out at you. It's one you'll have to sit down with, maybe with a pint and some crisps, and interrogate it. It can be a slog, but it's worth it. Best Tracks: Starlings; Grounds For Divorce; One Day Like This
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
Blusey, funky African, Brazilian roots rock. Play this and embarrass yourself when you're dancing and everyone thinks you're appropriating two different cultures when you're not - this just has fucking tunes! Best Tracks: Ponta De Lanca Africano; Taj Mahal; Xica Da Silva
k.d. lang
1/5
What's the most boring thing you can think of? You're wrong. It's this. Best Tracks: Save Me; Miss Chatelaine; Constant Craving
Beastie Boys
5/5
Snotty dickheads grab hip-hop and stuff it in the locker. Though some of the rhymes may sound dated now and would even be disowned by the boys we should never forget - this was meant to be satirical. It still sounds fucking great. Best Tracks: The New Style; Fight For Your Right; Hold It, Now Hit It
The Cure
4/5
The masters of misery appear with their goth love songs. However miserable they are though they never forget a melody. Cry in to your tea while listening to this band. Best Tracks: Pictures of You; Lovesong; Fascination Street
Baaba Maal
3/5
Whenever this list has picked a world music album, you can generally guess what it sounds like. Chorus pedal guitars, horn synths, funky bass lines etc. It's all good but... well... y'know. Best Tracks: Toro; Hamady Boiro; Ndelorel
The Sugarcubes
3/5
Post punk/Indie Pop Icelandic warbling brings the world Bjork. The type of songs you would put on a C-45 mixtape for that goth girl who you were trying to impress - you wouldn't really listen to them out of choice. Best Tracks: Motorcrash; Birthday; Deus
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Raincoat rock from Echo. They have the tunes but do occasionally sound like a Cure cover band (not that is necessarily a bad thing). Best Tracks: Silver; The Killing Moon; My Kingdom
Jane's Addiction
4/5
Mid-nineties alt-rock that thinks it's cleverer than it really is - and that's a shame because when it forgets about trying to be something it isn't the songs are great. Best Tracks: Stop; No One Leaving; Been Caught Stealing
Sparks
3/5
Knowingly quirky and not half as weird as it thinks it is - like the kid who wears bowling shoes or reads a book at a party. Best Tracks: This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us; Amateur Hour; Thank God It's Not Christmas
Japan
3/5
Bog standard new wave/new romantic gumpf. Someone had been listening to Roxy Music but the tunes juts aren't as good. Best Tracks: Quiet Life; Fall In Love With Me; In Vogue
Funkadelic
5/5
Possibly the best funk album of all time by the best funk band of all time. Blow you mind. Best Tracks: Maggot Brain; Can You Get To That; Hit It and Quit It
Elvis Presley
5/5
It's the King's first album. Pretty much all of the music in this list wouldn't be there without this. It's five stars just for it's importance. The tunes are great as well. Let's face it, he was an alien wasn't he? Best Tracks: Blue Suede Shoes; Tutti Frutti; Blue Moon
Jeru The Damaja
4/5
Straight out of '94 east coast hip-hop. Great stuff, hazy samples and vicious flow. It's a couple of steps behind the classics of that era (Illmatice, 36 Chambers etc.) but it's well worth an inclusion. Best Tracks: D. Original; You Can't Stop the Prophet; Come Clean - E New Y Radio
Ray Charles
2/5
Sometimes you need a little vinegar with the honey. A tad too schmalzty for my liking - veers into Disney soundtrack territory. Best Tracks: You Don't Know Me; Just a Little Loving (Will Go a Long Way); You Win Again
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
This is the real GOD of guitar. This album came beaming down to fuck up your noise holes and blow your tiny mind. We weren't experienced until after we listened to this album. Best Tracks: Purple Haze; Fire; Red House
MGMT
4/5
Great modern indie pop. Tunes galore with bubbling synths and more hooks than a bait shop. Best Tracks: Time To Pretend; Electric Feel; Kids
Jean-Michel Jarre
2/5
It sounds like someone has left a synth plugged in and left the room. Best Tracks: Oxygene Part 2; Oxygene Part 4; Oxygene Part 6
Johnny Cash
4/5
A real mixed bag. When The Man in Black picks the right tunes he's untouchable, however, some of the standards on here are a little cloying - even in the stripped back state. Best Tracks: When The Man Comes Around; Hurt; I Hung My Head
Queens of the Stone Age
4/5
Great stoner rock - riffs, solos, weird subject matter and some amazing song titles. Best Tracks: Regular John; If Only; Mexicola
Grateful Dead
2/5
Soft rock/country. It has a country feel but is lacking any real soul or tunes. Like a guitar with no strings. Best Tracks: Box of Rain; Friend of the Devil; Truckin'
Daft Punk
5/5
A mix of French house, techno and house but with tunes catchier than the clap from a Parisian lady of the night. Sounds just as good listening to this by yourself as it does in a club. Fucking great. Best Tracks: Da Funk; Around The World; Alive
Liz Phair
4/5
Finger pointin' relationship songs, played in a stripped back indie rock way. Just great. Best Tracks: 6'1; Fuck and Run; Divorce Song
The Doors
4/5
Arch lizard king thinks he's a poet when really he's just a bit of a nob; however even that prancing tit can't undermine the strength of most of the tunes. Best Tracks: Break on Through (To The Other Side); Soul Kitchen; Light My Fire
Sleater-Kinney
4/5
Great punk rock with the occasional bubblegum pop nod thrown in. The warbling vocals can get a little bit much across the whole album, but you can't fault its passion. Best Tracks: Dig Me Out; Words and Guitar; Little Babies
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
Well this one was a surprise - great, great 80's pop - of course the difficulty is keeping up the quality throughout the whole album, which it can't. It's fist four songs are top notch, the others not so much. Best Tracks: Girls Just Want To Have Fun; When You Were Mine; Time After Time
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4/5
Jazz that has weird time signatures and goes all over the place yet it is accessible - and some of the tunes are smooth. Best Tracks: Blue Rondo A La Turk; Strange Meadow Lark; Take Five
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
A stone cold classic. Genius here as Paul Simon get fed up with Art Garfunkel and makes a beautiful album. Simmering annoyances between people can produce great art. Best Tracks: The Boxer; Baby Driver; The Only Living Boy In New York
The Doors
3/5
The lizard king gets fat and grows a beard and decides he likes the blues again. Best Tracks: Roadhouse Blues, Waiting For The Sun; Peace Frog
Willie Nelson
3/5
There are flashes of this tightly made and bare bones album being like a pulp western novel set to music. Barren landscapes and barren relationships. Best Tracks: Time of the Preacher; Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain; Remember Me (When The Candle Lights Are Burning)
Nick Drake
4/5
Poor old Nick. Named after how many Rizlas he had left (the album that is), this is quietly sung folk for rainy mornings or sunny afternoons in a field feeling wistful while your dog goes mental. FENTON! Best Tracks: Time Has Told Me; River Man; Cello Song
Khaled
2/5
Compared to the other offerings that are 'World Music' on this list - this is pretty bad. Probably great if you're Algerian. I'm not. Best Tracks: El Harba Wine; Trigue Lycee; Melha
The Avalanches
3/5
A plunderporn of a crate digger's wet dream and sample clearance lawyer's nightmare. This patchwork of samples could have either become a terrible gimmick a la Jive Bunny or a stroke of genius - luckily it was the latter. Best Tracks: Since I Left You; Flight Tonight; Frontier Psychiatrist
Slipknot
3/5
Metal mask wearers stretch their wings and try to build in a mix of thrash, sludge, psychedelia, pop/rock and a ballad. Not bad at all. Best Tracks: Gematria (The Killing Name); Psychosocial; Butcher's Hook;
Moby Grape
3/5
Just another bog-standard 60's album. I don't what all the fuss is about to be honest. Best Tracks: Fall On You; 8:05; Changes
The War On Drugs
3/5
The Dire Straits it's cool to like. Reverb, motorik beats and synths. There are some good tunes here but they can start to blend together. Best Tracks: Under The Pressure; Red Eyes; Burning
Fairport Convention
4/5
English folk revivalists (don't let that put you off) lean heavily on Dylan's songs and deliver a solid set of well sung and played tunes. Best Tracks: Su Tu Dois Partir; Who Knows Where The Time Goes?; Million Dollar Bash
Morrissey
3/5
Here comes trouble - a solid case for separating the art from the artist. Manchester's most miserable son doesn't do anything different here; indie rock. You either love him or hate him - the music that is; I'm not sure anyone likes the man (including himself). Best Tracks: Now My Heart Is Full; The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get; Speedway
Haircut 100
2/5
Never judge a record by its cover? You can with this one. Woollen cream sweaters and autumn leaves? This cover is as bland as the music therein. Bland New Wave. Weak tunes, weak vocals and weak ideas. You don't need to hear this before you die. If beige was a sound this is it. Best Tracks: Love Plus One; Marine Boy; Fantastic Day
Donovan
2/5
Dylan wannabe and the man who seems to have written all The Beatles music - according to himself. It's a pot luck of folk rock, folk and basic sixties cod-psychedelia. It's a pot luck of tunes as well. Best Tracks: Sunshine Superman, Season of the Witch; The Trip
Lightning Bolt
3/5
An intense migraine for 41 minutes and 44 seconds. Not as bad as it sounds; well it's better than being bland. Best Tracks: Assassins; Dracula Mountain; Crown of Storms
Pavement
4/5
The kings of all slackers make their debut appearance. Songs rattle and nearly fall apart but somehow they manage to keep going. Not their best album, but a fucking great start. Best Tracks: Summer Babe (Winter Version); In The Mouth a Desert; Here*
Alice In Chains
3/5
Pure, unadulterated grunge. It tends to start to fall into all the same tempo, but I suppose for smackheads it feels like it's blasting along. Best Tracks: Them Bones; Junkhead God Smack;
SAULT
2/5
Does the fact that the band doesn't do press etc make the music more interesting or does it just help it get past hipsters? It's fairly minimal album musically and has a mix of detached vocals. It's desperate for you to know that it's MAKING A COMMENT. This is an IMPORTANT ALBUM. Fair enough for trying, but the music lacks soul. From the themes that it addresses, I'm sure there's meant to be emotional involvement but it feels more like a cynical grab to hang on to BLM and hope no one notices. There are many other albums out there that do it better than this. Best Tracks: Wildfires; Bow; Monsters
Miriam Makeba
2/5
A mix of folk music, do wop ballads and South African folk music. It's a pretty eclectic mix. Best Tracks: Mbube; Where Does It Lead; House of the Rising Sun
The Young Gods
1/5
French industrial carny music. Sleazy vocals, and cold emotionless music, big hands and the smell of cabbage. Best Tracks: Rue des Tempetes; Charlotte; Longue Route
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Instant classic - my only issue is the same with all of his albums, they could use a bit of trimming. Best Tracks: Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe; Poetic Justice; Swimming Pool (Dank)
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
An album as big as Billy Corgan's ego. A mix of ballads, metal, indie rock, goth and everything in between. Even the terrible pun of the title can't detract from its vastness. Best Tracks: Tonight, Tonight; Bullet With Butterfly Wings; 1979
Barry Adamson
2/5
A soundtrack to a film that doesn't exist. Not sure I'd want to watch it - you just know it would be all arty farty, just like this album. Best Tracks: Something Wicked This Way Comes; The Vibes Ain't Nothing But Vibes; The Big Bamboozle
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Flashes of brilliance in her debut album. Jazz/Pop, great vocals, some genuinely great lyrics. Her first steps towards greatness and sadness. Best Tracks: Fuck Me Pumps; I Heard Love Is Blind; What Is It About Men
Marvin Gaye
4/5
SEX and GOD - two ideas for Marvin that weren't mutually exclusive and they're explored on this soul/funk album. You're guaranteed to be interested in at least one of these things right? Best Tracks: Let's Get It On; Keep Gettin' It On; Come Get To This
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
Baroque, over the top, camp pop rock. It's just dull. The cover has more going on than the music. Best Tracks: The One You Love; The Art Teacher; Gay Messiah
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
Epic in every sense of the word - the premise, the song titles, the playing of a huge array of instruments, the history, the listening experience. Fancy a song about UFO's? You've got it. Want a song about a narrator finding they have things in common with a serial killer? Knock yourself out. Terrified of wasps as well? There's a tune for you. Best Tracks: John Wayne Gacy, Jr.; Chicago; Casimir Pulaski Day
Fiona Apple
4/5
Like picking at a scab on the roof of your mouth - you know it's not good for you but you want to do it anyway. There's anger here and a lot of scabs being picked at. Brilliant. Best Tracks: Sleep To Dream; Shadowboxer; Criminal
The Blue Nile
2/5
Bland music that you know the artist would call "Art Rock". It isn't - it's fairly plodding bog standard 80's pop/rock. It thinks it's more interesting than it actually is. Best Tracks: Tinseltown in the Rain; Stay; Heatwave
Elvis Presley
3/5
The King returns from his stint in the army. The album leans more on his ballad side but there are still some classic rock numbers here. Best Tracks: Fever; Dirty, Dirty Feeling; Reconsider Baby
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
English folk soul. Can't deny the tunes here - for a bunch of people who looked like homeless art students they can put a song together. Best Tracks: Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile); Liars A to E; Come On Eileen
The Flying Burrito Brothers
4/5
Loving those Nudie suits almost as much as this middle finger to the country establishment by combining country and rock. Way ahead of its time. Best Tracks: Christine's Tune; The Dark End of the Street; Hot Burrito #1
Jimmy Smith
2/5
Early sixties'funky soul jazz. You can picture yourself in the smoky bar watching this group late in to the night. Best Tracks: Back at the Chicken Shack; Messy Bessie
Slayer
4/5
The best way to clear a drum circle. Best Tracks: Angel of Death; Postmortem; Raining Blood
Little Simz
4/5
Sweet production that sounds like it could come from a Tarantino kung fu movie and tough sounding vocal and lyrics. UK Hip Hop is sounding pretty healthy with this. Best Tracks: Offence; Boss; Venom
The xx
3/5
Glacial Gen Z whispering. Post-punk vibes abound here and miserable teenagers with funny haircuts. Best Tracks: VCR; Crystalised; Islands
Miles Davis
3/5
Uh oh - I know that this is an "important album" what with it kick starting an entire new genre of music but for the love of Christ it's difficult to listen to. It's an album a muso owns and has it just laying around when people come over, but I doubt it's listened to that often. Best Tracks: Spanish Key; John McLaughlin; Miles Runs The Voodoo Down
John Prine
4/5
John Prine is a fucking dude. His lyrics are simple, funny, heartbreaking and seemingly taking the piss. This man could write. Country tinged songs with a knowing smile. He's the pub philosopher who wouldn't be a bore; the Bob Dylan you can be mates with. Best Tracks: Illegal Smile; Sam Stone; Angel From Montgomery
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
Mid-sixties country rock with a dash of pyschedelia. No wonder Neil Young left - he's head and shoulders above all the others in the band. Best Tracks: Mr. Soul; Bluebird; Broken Arrow
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
3/5
Punk Elvis plays jagged guitars and slashed amps; wearing skin tight jeans and mutton chops while a bear with an Afro plays skins. Best Tracks: Wail; 2Kindsa Love; Get Over Here
TV On The Radio
3/5
Don't let the name put you off. A mix of funk, electronic, indie rock tunes. Honestly, that knowingly quirky name is the worst thing about this album. Best Tracks: Halfway Home; Crying; DLZ
Cypress Hill
4/5
Classic hip hop; political, funny, great beats and great rhymes. Love it. Best Tracks: Pigs; How I Could Just Kill a Man; Hand on the Pump;
Dead Kennedys
5/5
A pure classic hardcore punk album with intelligent and deeply sarcastic lyrics mixed with surf guitar and elastic band vocals. Lots of punks weren't expecting that. Best Tracks: Kill The Poor; Holiday In Cambodia; Viva Las Vegas
3/5
New Wave that recognises that human beings are devolving. Stick a flower pot on your head and join in. Best Tracks: Uncontrollable Urge; (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction; Gut Feeling / (Slap Your Mammy)
Deep Purple
4/5
Hairy space/prog/metal. Put on your best sleeveless denim jacket and start air guitaring away. Also, best not wash for a week to get the full experience. Best Tracks: Highway Star; Smoke on Water; Space Truckin'
The Pretty Things
1/5
Bland, late sixties "concept" album in which a myriad of excuses seem to be made about why it didn't sell well. I'll tell you why it didn't sell - it's shit; it's boring; it's like being stuck in the corner of a party with some numpty who wants to tell you about the fucking awful quasi-philosophical novel they're writing as they've glanced at Pynchon and Foster-Wallace. Best Tracks: She Says Good Morning; Baron Saturday; Trust
Marilyn Manson
2/5
The Christian Right's idea of danger, a Daily Mail reader's idea of a worst nightmare, a thirteen year old's idea of rebellion, a drugged out rockstar's idea of a coherent concept album and my idea of bog standard mid-nineties metal. About as dangerous as your wank sock. Best Tracks: Beautiful People; Wormboy; 1996
The Damned
3/5
Like some bass in your punk songs? Well too bad as this band's third album comes back with tinny production, muffled vocals and longer songs. They want to stretch their horrible wings to try and take in other genres other than punk. Could this be prog-punk? Best Tracks: Anti-Pope; Looking At You; Samsh It Up, Pt. 1 & 2
The Strokes
5/5
Rich boys pretend to be a scuzzy garage band and pull it off with aplomb. Yeah, you can barely understand the lyrics but that adds to the charm. Wailing guitar solos, motorik drums and tunes that bury themselves in your ear as if you're wearing the helmet for Wrath of Khan. All that and a possible reference to Spinal Tap on the cover? What a debut! Best Tracks: Someday; Last Nite; Hard To Explain
Roni Size
3/5
The Drum and Bass album it's ok to like. Phat (yep, phat) beats, use of double bass and and faceless waif vocals. It's bloated as a double album, and could be the argument needed when saying some doubles should be trimmed down to one disc. Best Tracks: Brown Paper Bag; Heroes; Hi-Potent
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Prime slice of 60's soul. If you don't like this then you can fuck right off. Best Tracks: Respect; I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You; A Change Is Gonna Come
The Band
3/5
Men with beards run away from LSD and camp out in the backwoods drinking moonshine, hanging out with His Bobness, playing some of his tunes, writing some of their own and reminiscing about a folk Appalachian America that probably never existed. Best Tracks: The Weight; This Wheel's On Fire; I Shall Be Released
Talvin Singh
2/5
If a stinking trustifarian's "What I did on my gap year" could be summed up in music form - this is it. The album title is your answer to them before you turn your back and walk away. Best Tracks: Butterfly; OK; Light
Maxwell
1/5
As smooth as diarrhea and about as welcome. What the fuck is it doing on this list? Best Tracks: The Urban Theme; Welcome; Sumthin' Sumthin'
Bonnie Raitt
2/5
Baby Boomer F(ucking)M(iddle of the road) rock. Best Tracks: Nick of Time; Nobody's Girl; The Road's My Middle Name
Green Day
4/5
The last good Green Day album. Stadium punk rock opera - doesn't come across as pretentions as it sounds. Best Tracks: American Idiot; Jesus of Suburbia; St. Jimmy
Tortoise
3/5
Post rock at its finest. Long drawn out sections blast into strange time signatures and then quiet again. A classic of the genre. Best Tracks: Djed; Glass Museum; Taut and Tame;
Tito Puente
2/5
I guess you need to include one mambo album on the list. It all sounds the same to me if I'm honest, but at least he was in The Simpsons so fair play. Best Tracks: El Cayuco; Hong Kong Mambo; Mambo Gozon
Dolly Parton
3/5
The Queen of Country shows off her songwriting chops. It's Dolly, right? She's worth respect even if you don't like her music. And just like her, she keeps the tracks short and sweet. Best Tracks: Coat of Many Colors; Early Morning Breeze; Here I Am
Arcade Fire
3/5
The sound of a million fey indie kids running up a hill in to battle with their emotions. Best Tracks: Keep The Car Running; No Cars Go; My Body Is A Cage
Big Star
3/5
A peek into the brain of Alex Chilton shows that he probably wasn't in a healthy state of mind. The viral melodies of the early albums have gone and though he can't quite shake off the power pop he wore it's not as catchy as it could be. Best Tracks: Thank You Friends; Holocaust; Blue Moon
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
Flashes of genius here but they haven't quite got it yet. You'll either love this or hate it. Sludgy guitars, vocals pushed into the background. It sounds like it's about to collapse or everyone's batteries are about to run out. Best Tracks: Soft As Snow (But Warm Inside); (When You Wake) You're Still In A Dream; Feed Me With Your Kiss
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
Alex Turner and coat tail hanger on Miles Kane dabble with Walker Brothers esque 60's rock. That's it. Best Tracks: The Age of the Understatement; Standing Next To Me; My Mistakes Were Made For You
The Rolling Stones
4/5
The beginning of the Stones' classic run of albums. They've ditched the psychedelic posturing to focus on what they do best - playing blues/rock with a dash of country/folk on the side. Devils, doctors, sickness, jilted lovers, returning sons, revolution and everything in between is covered. Best Tracks: Sympathy for the Devil; Street Fighting Man; Factory Girl
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
The sound of not being able to run in a dream. Best Tracks: Only Shallow; When You Sleep; Soon
3/5
Early 90's rejection of American cultural imperialism produced this album when they were essentially Kinks 2.0. The sound of beans on toast, football, tea and copious amounts of booze and drugs. The good songs are really good, the bad just kind of dirft off into the background. Best Tracks: Star Shaped; Chemical World; Turn It Up
Ride
2/5
It's like someone is talking to you when your mind is on something else. You know that something is being said, but it's just not interesting enough to really pay attention to. It's there but it doesn't really make an impression. But maybe that's the point? Best Tracks: Seagull; Polar Bear; Vapour Trail
The Human League
3/5
Solid synthpop - and unashamedly so. Melodies as solid as the synth cutting through your earholes. It dips a little in the middle but picks up the slack at the end. Best Tracks: The Sound of the Crowd; Love Action (I Believe in Love) Don't You Want Me
Mike Oldfield
3/5
Weirdo wunderkind Mike Oldfield creates two long mostly instrument tracks but the smart part is though they are jam packed with different sections, none of them last longer than a minute or two so before you can get bored, it moves and keeps on moving. Best Track: Tubular Bells - Pt. I
Don McLean
2/5
Bog standard late 60's / early 70's folk. Soft finger picking, warbling vocals. If tiktok existed when this came out, I'm sure it would have been music used in terrible feel good videos. Best Tracks: American Pie; Vincent; Empty Chairs
Randy Newman
4/5
Great 70's piano led rock but with dark fucking lyrics which can tend to get over looked as the melodies are sometimes so great. For example, the title track is sungfrom the point of view of a slaver singing about how great life is in America to slaves from Africa who are bound there. Another about how the US shoudl just drop nuclear bombs on everyone that way no one could criticise them for dropping bombs on everyone. Like I said - dark. Best Tracks: Sail Away; Last Night I Had A Dream; God's Song (That's Why I Love Mankind)
ABBA
3/5
So much pop you'd think it's composed with bubbles. The dancier pop tunes you can't fault, but the ballads... best left alone. There's a reason you know the hits. Best Tracks: Dancing Queen; Knowing Me Knowing You; Money Money Money
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Poor old Frank is feeling love lorn and miserable with these songs. Arguably the first ever concept album, Frank isn't swingin' here. He's "bluer than blue can be" - some of the arrangements though feel quite upbeat. The only issue here is that none of the songs really stand out. They all start to blend in to one another. Pour yourself a whiskey, turn down the lights and siiiiiiiiiiiigggggggggghhhhhhhhh. Best Tracks: In The Wee Small Hours of the Morning; Can't We Be Friends?; This Love of Mine
Sheryl Crow
2/5
Put on your denim and slip in to a horse trough with a nice glass of chablis. Not real country, not real rock. Stonewashed roots rock. Best Tracks: Strong Enough; Can't Cry Any More; All I Wanna Do;
Supergrass
3/5
Three hairy boys come stumbling out of the mid 90's with some classic Britpop. Think Mexican wolf boys on speed, but they're from Oxford. Best Tracks: Caught By The Fuzz; Mansize Rooster; Alright
Janelle Monáe
2/5
Afrofuturism meets Metropolis meets chart friendly funk/hip-hop/electronic/R&B/Pop. Lots of ideas here and though it's meant to be a suite songs sound a lot like one another. Bonus points though because it's at least trying to be different unlike other R&B/pop acts of the time - and be aware, no matter how much it may try and pretend it isn't a R&B/pop album, it is. It lacks soul, just like an android. Music that's been bleached and steam cleaned. Best Tracks: Faster; Tightrope (feat. Big Boi); Come Alive (War of the Roses)
Björk
3/5
The Icelandic pixie appears with her (shock!) debut album. It is a mix of pop, early 90s house and trip-hop beats along with her honking vocals. Alright if you like this sort of thing. Best Tracks: Human Behaviour; Venus as a Boy; Big Time Sensuality
Mudhoney
3/5
Sludgy guitars and shouty vocals. It's like you have stuffed your ears with fudge - which you deserve obviously. Best Tracks: Let It Slide; Good Enough; Who You Drivin' Now?
Michael Jackson
4/5
The world's favourite pedo. He may have been an awful human being but damn the man was the King of Pop - and he probably always will be. Though you have heard all of these songs about a million times, you still can't help singing along and maybe even trying to moonwalk when you're by yourself in front of the mirror. I didn't. I'm just saying that's what YOU might do. Best Tracks: The Way You Make Me Feel; Man In The Mirror; Smooth Criminal
Animal Collective
3/5
The band you'd name drop to try and impress that hipster at that house party in the hope of getting in their pants. This is the album when the band stopped being quite so up their own arses and actually began including some tunes and choruses in their songs. Still fairly odd with constant electronic burbling and reverb drenched vocals, but not annoyingly so. Best Tracks: My Girls; Summertime Clothes; Taste
Faith No More
3/5
Mike Patton's elastic vocals are obviously all over this - well there's no other way to put it - precursor to nu-metal. The obvious problem was, no nu-metal acts were as talented as this bunch of weirdos. Best Tracks: Epic; Falling To Pieces; The Real Thing
Korn
1/5
I once saw Korn at a music festival when I was fifteen. My mate threw a bottle of piss and it hit the drummer right on the head. That's the best thing about them. Best Tracks: Freak On a Leash; Got the Life; Children of the Korn (feat. Ice Cube)
Fleet Foxes
3/5
Beardy, flannel wearing lumberjacks with a Beach Boys obsession roll up and chop up some tunes. Best Tracks: White Winter Hymnal; Ragged Wood; Blue Ridge Mountains
The Go-Betweens
2/5
Bland pop that wouldn't stand out if it was flourescent. Bland acoustic guitars, reverb vocals and terrible lyrics desperate to be deep. Just more prove that the 80's was a decade of extremes. Best Tracks: Love Goes On!; Quiet Heart; Streets of Your Town
Metallica
1/5
Shit album name pun; utterly pointless album. Best Tracks: Master of Puppets; Enter Sandman; Battery
Bob Dylan
5/5
Dylan has a brush with death again and decamps to the woods to write this album. He comes back pissed off. The sound of an angry aging man finding his muse again. Love it. Even Adele couldn't ruin his songs. Best Tracks: Love Sick; Not Dark Yet; Cold Irons Bound
Charles Mingus
3/5
This is not an easy listen and Mingus has much more accessible albums than this. Essentially it's a 40 minute long track made up of a number of movements within and you can hear a mix of styles as you make your way through from blues, Spanish classical guitar and straight up noir-ish jazz. Not just a story, but apparently a form of psychoanalysis for MIngus himself. Once again, this is not an easy listen - but it might just be worth sticking with. Best Tracks: Track B – Duet Solo Dancers [Hearts' Beat and Shades in Physical Embraces]; Track C – Group Dancers [(Soul Fusion) Freewoman and Oh, This Freedom's Slave Cries]
Barry Adamson
1/5
This guy again? My first thought is how the fuck did this guy get two albums in this list when there are thousands of other artists who deserved at least one! Anyway, another soundtrack to film that doesn't exist? So postmodern. If the music was actually interesting then it wouldn't be half bad. The music isn't however. I bet he sniffs his own farts. Best Tracks: Under Wraps; Everything Happens to Me; The Most Beautiful Girl In The World
The Cure
4/5
Misery loves company, hair spray and lipstick. It must have taken a lot of effort to be this miserable. Best Tracks: One Hundred Years; Siamese Twins; A Strange Day
The Smiths
5/5
I was given this on the day HRH died - kismet or someone has a nasty sense of humour. I love this album much more than any of the royal family; at least this contributed something to my life. Anyway, superb lyrics, amazing guitar and beautiful songs. Even the more plummy music hall inspired ones can't take the shine off it. Best Tracks: The Queen Is Dead; Bigmouth Strikes Again; There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
Slint
5/5
The proper definition of a cult band. The songs tell strange tales of isolation, fairgrounds and other things that don't seem to have any link to each other. Quiet loud dynamics, odd rhythms and hushed apoejn word vocals. Best Tracks: Breadcrumb Trail; Nosferatu Man; Good Morning, Captain
Soft Cell
4/5
The sound of sleaze synth pop - rejects from the cabaret of northern clubland. Also has a song called 'Sex Dwarf' which is cool. Best Tracks: Tainted Love; Bedsitter; Say Hello, Wave Goodbye
Led Zeppelin
5/5
LZ come out of the blocks running. Stealing poor old bluesmens' songs for yourself has never sounded so good. Best Tracks: Good Times Bad Times; Dazed and Confused; Communication Breakdown
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
All the things the band is known for make an appearance on their second effort - basically slacker vocals, sweet guitar solos and walls of sound. One of the records pointing the way to the Alt-Rock boom of the 90s. Best Tracks: Little Fury Things; Sludgefest; Raisans
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Spiky raincoat rock by maudlin sullen scousers. It's earnest for you to feel how miserable it is and it will go and sulk its room until you do understand. Which you probably never will. Best Tracks: Do It Clean; Rescue; Villiers Terrace
Drive Like Jehu
3/5
Like getting your ears shafted with a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire; not bad if you like that sort of thing. Probably was a really important album to some floppy haired teenager back in the day. Best Tracks: Here Come The Rome Plows; Luau; Super Unison
The Kinks
4/5
You don't have to be British to like this album but it certainly helps. Best Tracks: The Village Green Preservation Society; Picture Book; Starstruck
John Coltrane
4/5
Classed as one of THE most important Jazz albums ever - this is what it sounds like when a smack head is in cold turkey and finding the love of religion. If you're into atonal / modal jazz then this is for you, if you're more of a dip the toe in the jazz ocean then this probably isn't the best album to try. Yes, it is important, but be prepared for some hard work. Best Tracks: Acknowledgement; Resolution
The Fall
3/5
Typical lo-fi trash can alcoholic mumblings from The Fall. If you know this band then this album isn't doing anything different from their other albums. It does, however, sound only like itself. Best Tracks: Spoilt Victorian Child; Paintwork; Cruiser's Creek
The Black Keys
3/5
A front loaded album. Distored vocals and bluesy grooves. You'll know all the singles and that's probably all you really need to know. The White Stripes are much, much better. There. I said what everyone was thinking. Best Tracks: Everlasting Light; Tighten' Up; Howlin' For You
The Modern Lovers
4/5
Jonathan Richmond gives us a glimpse in to his perpetually adolescent brain. Essentially the invention of geek rock. The fact some of these songs were from 1971 shows how ahead of his time he was. Though I'm pretty sure Picasso was called an arsehole at least once in his life. Best Tracks: Roadrunner; Astral Plane; She Cracked
The Stooges
5/5
Does exactly what it says on the tin. Best Tracks: Search and Destroy; Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell; Raw Power
Radiohead
4/5
Kid A's ugly little ginger brother. You like him a lot, you just don't love him. Best Tracks: Pyramid Song; You & Whose Army?; I Might Be Wrong
The Kinks
3/5
Though the production firmly plants in the mid sixties you can't fault the song writing. Ray Davies is beginning to flash his genius at picking apart the lives of the average person as well as the sixties rock star. Really, like lots of sixties albums, it's the production style that lets them down: Best Tracks: Dandy; Too Much On My Mind; Sunny Afternoon
Os Mutantes
4/5
Now this is some Brazilian music I can get behind. It's political, it's weird and it's cool. Well worth a listen. Best Tracks: A Minha Menina; Baby; Bat Macumba
Kanye West
4/5
His last great album. Industrial and cold beats fit perfectly with his obsession about rapping about how many people he's shagging - like that guy at school how definitely had a girlfriend, she's just at another school and you definitely wouldn't know who she is. Best Tracks: On Sight; Black Skinhead; New Slaves
Curtis Mayfield
5/5
One of the best soundtracks of all time. Funky, smooth, socially concious and funky. Yep. I said it twice. Best Tracks: Pusherman; Freddie's Dead (Theme from Superfly); Superfly
Pixies
5/5
Pixies + Dolittle = 5 Stars. Best Tracks: Debaser; Tame; Monkey Gone To Heaven
Gene Clark
3/5
Solid mid 70's folk rock - not sure why this was panned on its release. CSNY vocal harmonies, folky songs, solid production - it doesn't sound dated at all. Some people apparently claim it's the best album ever made - they're wrong. Butdon't let that put you off as it's pretty good. Best Tracks: Life's Greatest Fool; No Other; From A Silver Phial
De La Soul
3/5
Daisy age hip-hop. Gone is the macho posturing and in comes a more hippy/happy vibe - don't let that put you off though. Great samples, great flow exist herein. Though big on skits (I'll never get skits) that sound like a game show, they doesn't detract from the overall quality of the album. Best Tracks: The Magic Number; Eye Know; Me Myself and I
The Beach Boys
2/5
By this point in their career, it was no longer sunny days and nights and driving about in you car. It's all gone a bit strange and dark. Issues, family fall outs, tons and tons of drugs all work together to make an odd album. Best Tracks: Long Promised Road; Feel Flows; Surf's Up
The National
3/5
Maudlin, moribund, mumbling American indie rock darlings sing depressing songs made for indie movies or teenage TV where someone is walking in the rain or looking out of a window while it's raining or sitting on a park bench in the rain... pretty much anything to do with rain. Best Tracks: Terrible Love; Sorrow; Bloodbuzz Ohio
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Bog standard mid-nineties' trip-hop-pop. Music for dinner parties. A tin of white emulsion has more soul than this. Best Tracks: Before Today; Wrong; Walking Wounded
Tracy Chapman
4/5
Solid singer/songwriter album. The lyrics are focused not only on the personal but on the political too. There's a lot going on here if your willing to scratch the surface. Don't let that that Boyzone cover fool you into thinking this is just a soppy album. It isn't. Best Tracks: Talkin' Bout a Revolution; Fast Car; For My Lover
The Police
4/5
For some reason I've never met anyone who is a die hard fan of this band. Loads of people who like them and their singles but never a die hard for their albums. Maybe it's the smug aura of Sting that's puts people off, but when you've got songs as strong as this you're reminded why they were one of the biggest bands in the world. Best Tracks: Synchronicity II; Every Breath You Take; King of Pain
Air
4/5
A couple of French lads like what Daft Punk are doing but decide to make an album for the after party. Slinky basslines, bubbling synths - everything you'd expect. Best Tracks: La femme d'argent; Sexy Boy; Kelly Watch The Stars
Kraftwerk
5/5
A genuine album you should hear before you die. Efficient German electronic tunes and efficient German lyrics. The fact that this album has pretty much influenced every major genre of music should be reason enough to listen to it. The fact that it's actually brilliant is another reason. Best Tracks: Autobahn; Kometenmelodie 1; Kometenmelodie 2
Fugees
3/5
I can remember when this album came out. It was fucking everywhere. Solid hip hop. It's good, it just doesn't blow me away. Best Tracks: Ready of Not; Fu-Gee-La; Killing Me Softly
Bon Jovi
4/5
I'd always thought that these hair pop metal poodles were a bit of a joke. And they are, it's just I'm glad I'm in on it. Best Tracks: You GIve Love a Bad Name; Living on a Prayer; Raise Your Hands
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Dark political funk which is leaning heavily into PCP and if that's not a great combination I don't know what is. Best Tracks: Just Like A Baby; Family Affair; (You Caught Me) Smilin'
3/5
Not a U2 fan, but fair play to the boys, this is not a bad stadium rock album. It's focus on Americana seems to make it think it's more important than it actually is. It's also heavily front loaded. Best Tracks: Where the Streets Have No Name; I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For; With or Without You
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
Classic old school hip-hop. These boys were pointing the way to the future even though it may sound a tad dated now production wise, the tracks are just as strong as they were originally. Best Tracks: It's Tricky; My Adidas; Walk This Way (feat. Aerosmith)
Mj Cole
2/5
Supermarket friendly UK Garage. The beats are desperate to be good, glitchy & bass heavy but the cheesy R&B vocals ruin it - and I mean really ruin it. It's like a kid who wants to be daring but then runs back to his mum. Not bad, just really really really dull. Best Tracks: Introduction; Bandelero Desperado; Strung Out
The Verve
4/5
Classic Britpop album which suffers from the excesses of the time. Some absolute bangers on here but by Christ it needs some editing. That late 90's coke must've been fucking great. Best Tracks: Bittersweet Symphony; The Drugs Don't Work; Lucky Man
New Order
4/5
Mid-80's synthpop by the masters of it - still makes me end up missing Ian Curtis though. Best Tracks: Love Vigilantes; The Perfect Kiss; Elegia
Simply Red
1/5
Cheesy mid 80's soft rock sung by a beef tomato. Sold shitloads of copies and probably got played to death in middle managers' Ford focuses and shitty dinner parties with canapes and cocaine. Best Tracks: Come To My Aid; Money's Too Tight (To Mention); Holding Back The Years
Fever Ray
3/5
Icy electro burblings with dashes of pop on the side. Best Tracks: If I Had A Heart; Dry and Dusty; Keep The Streets Empty for Me
MC Solaar
2/5
Probably great if you're French. I'm not - kind of misses the point with hip hop what with it having a key focus on lyrics. Best Tracks: Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo; Caroline; Bouge de là (part. 1)
Fairport Convention
3/5
English flex their version of folk rock. Sandy Denny's vocals are as pure as a mountain stream and Richard Thompson's guitar is as sinewy and strong as the branches of an oak tree. Best Tracks: Come All Ye; Matty Groves; Farewell Farewell
Aretha Franklin
5/5
This lady got soul. Best Tracks: Chain of Fools; (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman; (Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone
The Who
4/5
One of my old man's favourite albums. The Who flex their live chops and show why this is one of the best live albums ever recorded. Good between song banter, a mix of classics and deep cuts and just fucking LOUD musicians. Just makes me jealous of the crowd. If only every gig was like this. Best Tracks: I Can't Explain; A Quick One, While He's Away; Summertime Blues
T. Rex
2/5
People who think this is party music must go to pretty shit parties. Primary school nonsense lyrics and bland "grooves". I'll never get the love for T-Rex. Best Tracks: Mambo Sun; Jeepster; Get It On
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
Mid-nineties hip hop beats, lazy slacker rhymes and the stink of desperation to be cool. Just a bit bland and safe - perfect Radio 2 music for Dad's who feel their dangerous driving to their local BBQ. Best Tracks: The Fun Lovin' Criminals; Scooby Snacks; I Can't Get With That
Cee Lo Green
2/5
Bland neo-soul. You'd probably hear this when trying clothes on in Gap. Best Tracks: The Art of Noise (feat. Pharrell); I'll Be Around (feat. Timbaland); My Kind of People (feat. Jazze Pha & Menta Malone)
Prince
5/5
The Purple One flexes his genius. Funky, slinky and sexy. Best Tracks: Sign O' the Times; Starfish and Coffee; I Could Never Take The Place of Your Man
Sinead O'Connor
3/5
Yes, she may be a bit try hard to be different and kooky but what a voice. And to be fair, she IS different, though this album is pretty straight forward late 80s/early90s pop. Best Tracks: The Emporer's New Clothes; Nothing Compares 2 U; Last Day of Our Aquaintance
Goldfrapp
3/5
Music for car adverts. Pure listening wall paper. Best Tracks: Clowns; Happiness; A&E
Coldplay
1/5
Bland music that makes millions of people who don't like music fall into some soma version of "happiness" I guess? Best Tracks: God Put a Smile on Your Face; The Scientist; Clocks;
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Hendrix smashes another great album out merely months after his debut. Psychedelic rock looking at aliens, magic castles, mermaids and probably looking at how we could go about fucking all of them. The only thing keeping it from a 5 is the most stupid decision in production history to fade out on the Little Wing end solo. Best Tracks: Little Wing; Castles Made of Sand; Bold as Love
Dire Straits
4/5
I recognise this album as my old man used to play this all the time in the car when I was younger - so I may have a soft spot for it as sections of songs come flooding back in memory just as others are like strangers whose faces I recognise but can't quite remember their names. I just can't give this one a fair shake. Smooth guitars and lazy vocals with a smattering of synths. Best Tracks: So Far Away; Money For Nothing; Walk Of Life
Joan Armatrading
4/5
Mid-70's singer songwriter but a cut above all the rest. Some called her a British Joni Mitchell. She's not at that level but she's not far off. Best Tracks: Down To Zero; Water With The Wine; Love and Affection
Def Leppard
3/5
Sheffield Hair Metallers show the Americans that the Brits can do it just as well as them. Well nearly. Best Tracks: Pour Some Sugar on Me; Armageddon It; Run Riot
ABBA
2/5
This album lacks the immedicacy of their others. It's miserable and could techically be a divorce album. You don't listen to ABBA for misery; they're here for fun. I'm sure fans will love this album but I want my sugary pop hits! Best Tracks: The Visitors; One Of Us; Slipping Through My Fingers
The Hives
5/5
Collection of Swedish garage punk that's pretty one note, but what a fucking note! Best Tracks: I Hate To Say I Told You So; Main Offender; Untutored Youth
David Bowie
4/5
Who knew a diet of milk, red peppers, sausage and cocaine psychosis could sound so good? Best Tracks: Station to Station; Golden Years; TVC15
Sonic Youth
3/5
An acquired taste to be sure. If you're in the mood for the occasionally great melody smothered in feedback and no wave burbling then this is for year. Difficult music for men with glasses to obsess over, take over the stereo and clear a dance floor with and to name drop archly at parties... if they get invited to parties that is. Best Tracks: 100%; Wish Fulfilment; Sugar Kane
John Grant
3/5
Quirky lyrics given with a knowing wink to the audience aren't enough to cover up that really the tunes just aren't that strong. The fact that he was previously in indie darlings The Czars seems to be doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Best Tracks: Sigourney Weaver; Chicken Bones; Outer Space
Ravi Shankar
2/5
What George Harrison listened to before having a wank. Academically interesting but not for me. Best Tracks: Dadra; Bhimpalasi
Soul II Soul
1/5
I just can't stand bland R&B. It's just dull. I remember my sister listening to this when I was a teenager. I hated it then and I hate it now. Best Tracks: Keep On Movin'; Back To Life; Jazzie's Groove
The Beach Boys
5/5
Yep, spoken about in hushed terms by just about everybody, contrary me decided I didn't want to listen to it for years. However, when I finally did relent I realised all the plaudits and awards given to it are justified. It's just fucking great, sad, whistful and mental. Best Tracks: Wouldn't It Be Nice; I'm Waiting For The Day; God Only Knows
Machito
3/5
Afro-Cuban-Latin-Jazz. You know what it sounds like. Perfect for a BBQ or montages of arriving and driving around the streets of Cuba. Best Tracks: Congo Mulence; Kenya; Holiday
Kacey Musgraves
1/5
Bland modern country pop with terrible teenage diary lyrics. GIve me old dirty outlaw country over this saccarhine shit anytime. Probably great if you're 13 years old and fancy Cletus. Best Tracks: Slow Burn; Butterflies; Velvet Elvis
Stereo MC's
3/5
Stinks of early 90's madchester fall out and inoffensive indie rubble. Best Tracks: Connected; Fade Away; Step It Up
Beach House
4/5
This is a pretty perfect encapsualtion of indie/dream pop. Hushed vocals, some reverb BUT the big thing here is that they didn't forget the tunes. Great album. Best Tracks: Zebra; Walk In The Park; Take Care
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
Imagine a wistfully smiling face at the end of a 1980's buddy comedy and then the black screen with white text comes up. These are the songs that get played over that. Best Tracks: If You Let Me Stay; Wishing Well; Sign Your Name
Blur
4/5
I remember when this came out the first time round/Everyone thinking there was a battle between Oasis and Blur/This was the beginning of the battle between the 'posh' and 'working class'/The Sun verses The Guardian/Mockney accents, Britpop, Loaded, Denise Van Outen, TGI Friday, Cocaine, Stella, Football/PARKLIFE! Best Tracks: Girls and Boys; Parklife; This Is a Low
Queen
3/5
Pomp and circumstance pop/rock. For me they were always a singles band and this album doesn't do anything to change my opinion. Best Tracks: You're My Best Tracks; The Propeht's Song; Bohemian Rhapsody
Living Colour
1/5
Weak limp wristed corporate rock/pop. They probably have this album as sanctioned party music in sweatshops. Awful. Best Tracks: Cult of Personality; Open Letter (To a Landlord); Glamour Boys
Pulp
4/5
Classic, literate and quintessentially British. There is a sarcastic cynicism that runs through this album but when you scratch the surface, there's also a lot of heart. Best Tracks: Common People; Disco 2000; Sorted for E's and Wizz
CHIC
3/5
It's Chic. It's Disco. That's it. Best Tracks: Good Times; My Forbidden Lover; Can't Stand to Love You;
Van Halen
4/5
Face melting guitars, wailing synths, the human penis screaming and hollering lyrics at you while all wrapped in spandex. What's not to like? Best Tracks: Jump; Panama; Hot For Teacher
The Velvet Underground
4/5
The Velvets begin to invent indie pop. Sweet little melodies with some still murky production; this can't stop the melodies of Reed peeking out light sun beams from a dark cloud. Best Tracks: Candy Says; Pale Blue Eyes; Beginning To See The Light
Lou Reed
3/5
Slightly pretentious and depressing rock opera about two drug addicts in Berlin. Best Tracks: How Do You Think It Feels; Caroline Says II; Sad Song
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Swampy rock by the band that are better than the Byrds but I still have no idea why so many of their albums are in this list. Purely Best Of band if I've ever heard one as when the songs are great, they're really great and when they're not... Best Tracks: Lookin' Out My Back Door; Run Through The Jungle; Up Around The Bend
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
The Big Beat manifesto goes 'Big beats are the best, get high all the time'. Best Tracks: Leave Home; In Dust We Trust; Three Little Birdies Down Beats;
The Zombies
3/5
It sounds like a bunch of vicars took acid and made this album. Best Tracks: Care of Cell 44; This Will Be Our Year; Time of the Season
Green Day
5/5
One of the great Pop-Punk albums ever made. Songs that seem juvenile on the surface but after a few listens you'll see there's more going on here than just wanking and getting stoned - but that's here too so at least it never takes itself too seriously. Best Tracks: Longview; Basket Case; When I Come Around
Radiohead
4/5
This album is lauded but for me it feels like Radiohead light. It's held up to be as good as OK Computer and Kid A but it isn't. It's more Amnesiac level. It's just a tad too subdued for me and it's following the Radiohead formula at this point - Dadist style lyrics, occasional glitchy electronics but nothing too scary and some guitar drizzled over the tracks. Great if it was someone else but only really good for this band. Best Tracks: Bodysnatchers; Weird Fishes/Arpeggi; Jigsaw Falling Into Place
Nitin Sawhney
1/5
Heavy subject matter about nuclear war made fairly bland from that mid-late 90's trip hop production and breathy vocals. Once you've heard the first track, you've heard all the tracks. The model on the front of the album probably wanted the connotation of screaming - instead after listening to this it just looks like someone yawning. Best Tracks: Broken Skin; Pilgrim; Tides
Radiohead
4/5
Radiohead being Radiohead. More of a political slant apparently, but the lyrics are still still in that Dadistic approach that Thom Yorke seems to like. Not as immediate as their other albums but stick with it and you'll get a keeper. Best Tracks: 2+2=5; Go To Sleep; There There
3/5
Nerds think this lot from Devon are possibly aliens - in fact they possibly do as well but really it's just Queen in Space. No bad thing I suppose and the singles were great to be fair. Best Tracks: Starlight; Super Massive Blackhole; Knights of Cydonia
Nick Drake
5/5
A light night/early morning album if there ever was one. Sparse and understated, Drake would kill himself after recording this masterpiece. Beautiful and terribly sad at the same time. Best Tracks: Pink Moon; Which Will; From The Morning
Todd Rundgren
4/5
Have you ever wondered what it would sound like when a nerd with a studio tan takes copius amounts of acid and continues to camp out in his studio? No? Well, though shit, here's your answer. Best Tracks: International Feel; Sometimes I Don't Know What To Feel; Is It My Name?
Queen
4/5
Queen start to become more glam rock than prog, but there are still elements here. This is what I think Queen sound like when people discuss them - it's the epitome of their sound. I've got to say, I'm not the biggest Queen fan as I feel they were more a singles band, but this album is pretty, pretty, pretty good. Fair play lads. Best Tracks: Killer Queen; Now I'm Here; Stone Cold Crazy
Fela Kuti
4/5
Afrobeat for everyone. It's like jazz but funky. Just great music. The context behind it is hardcore too - people dying and property getting destroyed all because of the title track. Fela pissed of the authorities. If only more musicians did that. Best Track: Zombie
Talking Heads
3/5
Jerky post punk, muso stylings. Good, but not as great as everyone makes out. Best Tracks: Thank You for Sending Me an Angel; Found a Job; Take Me To The River
Love
2/5
Dull, mid-sixties gumpf. And that last track just goes on forever... Best Tracks: Orrange Skies; Que Vida!; Seven and Seven Is
Herbie Hancock
5/5
Funk and Jazz arrives to blow your head off. The tunes are slick and you can just imagine them soundtracking a life you wish you were cool enough to be living. Fucking ace. Best Tracks: Chameleon; Watermelon Man
Talk Talk
3/5
A mix of art rock and pure pop. Though it's 80's the sound isn't. This could pretty much have been made now - who would've thought they'd become smack addicts and then produce even more brilliant records? Best Tracks: Life's What You Make It; Living In Another World; Give It Up
Carpenters
3/5
So much sugar you can go into a diabetic coma just listening to this. However, you can't fault the soft pop stylings of the Carpenters and their interpetations of Bacharach and David tunes - maybe the masters of it. They know what they're doing and they do it very very well. Best Tracks: We've Only Just Begun; (They Long To Be) Close To You; I'll Never Fall In Love Again
Magazine
3/5
Arty post punk from the man who ditched the pop-punkiness of the Buzzcocks, though a couple of the tracks are still co-writes with Shelley. Occasionally fun, quite often arch. Best Tracks: Definitive Gaze; Shot By Both Sides; Recoil
Arctic Monkeys
5/5
Stupid name, great album. Best Tracks: I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor; Fake Tales of San Francisco; Still Take You Home
Scott Walker
2/5
A belting, deep wavering voice, odd lyrics, chamber pop - it's Scott Walker of course. I know people love this man with a passion but it's just not my thing. I get it, but I just don't like it that much. Or maybe I don't; they all sound like off cuts from a dated musical. Best Tracks: Jackie; Black Sheep Boy; Next
Dr. Octagon
3/5
An odd and occasionally perverted alt-hip hop album. Strange beats, non-sequiter rhymes and all to do with Kool Keith's alter-ego of an alien gynacologist. Sometimes great, sometimes terrible - a bit like being a gynacologist I suppose. Best Tracks: Earth People; Blue Flowers; I'm Destructive
Bob Dylan
5/5
Rock's first double album fuelled by ego, amphetamines, cheap red win and speedballs. Dylan's final album in the first of his many trilogy of albums. What a way to bow out of his electric trilogy. This album is fucking epic, Salvation Army songs winking about drugs, torch songs, epic poems, T.S. Eliot style imagery, blues, rock and of course that thin, wild mercury sound. This is as close as we're going to get to try and understand what was going through his Bobness's head at this point in time. After this he took some time off by breaking his neck in a motorcycle accident. If you don't like it or at least appreciate it then why are you even listening to music in the first place? Best Tracks: Visions of Johanna; One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later); I Want You
Keith Jarrett
5/5
A pretty mind-blowing piano jazz album. The fact that he is improvising every track while playing on an old, barely in tune piano makes it even more so. You can hear Jarrett himself singing along with his improvisations and it just adds more to this live concert. Beautiful music really. Best Tracks: Pt. 1; Part 2 A
Hole
3/5
Mid nineties power pop punk grunge. There is typical teenage imagery running through the album of death - pretty standard for the time. The tunes are pretty good - I'd be annoyed as well if people claimed I didn't write the songs. Best Tracks: Violet; Plump; Doll Parts
Black Sabbath
5/5
So much for a sopohmore slump! This album should come with a warning that you may end up with a fucked up neck from all the headbanging. The first track just blows the doors off and even manages to rhyme "masses" with "masses" and then the album continues to bludgeon you from then on. Riffs for days, weird lyrics and Ozzy's awesome vocal. I love this album. Best Tracks: War Pigs; Iron Man; Fairies Wear Boots
Ute Lemper
1/5
It's not on Spotify but no bother, I can't stand this type of music. Best Tracks: No idea
Gorillaz
4/5
Great music covered up with the gimmick of the group being 'cartoons'. Mix of hip-hop, punk, latin beats with Gen X slacker vocals. They're like the Chimpmunks but there's no Dave to drag down their style. Best Tracks: Re-Hash; Clint Eastwood; 19-2000
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
I can't stand reggae but this album has genuinely come as a shock - I quite like it. Though the normal repetitive rhythms are being used the influence of blues and soul seem to be making an appearance here. This could be the start of a beautiful friendship... Best Tracks: Lively Up Yourself; No Woman No Cry; Am-A-Do
OutKast
2/5
An argument for those who feel that double albums would really be better as a single album. It's good but there's so much fluff that is masquerading as songs. So much editing needed. Best Tracks: I Like The Way You Move (feat. Sleepy Brown); Hey Ya!; Roses
Guided By Voices
4/5
Lo-Fi pop perfection that crams 28 songs in just over 40 minutes. Sure, the production needs some work but that's the charm of lo-fi. There's pop hooks, rock mini-masterpieces mashed together with experiments; also, if you don't like a song there's no need to worry as another will be along in literally a minute. Best Tracks: A Salty Salute; A Good Flying Bird; My Vaulable Hunting Knife
Marianne Faithfull
2/5
She sounds like someone who desperately needs a throat lozenge. Bland folk/pop that people who think salt is spicy probably think is dangerous and deep owing to her terrible life choices. The Mars bar incident made her interesting for a brief spell - this doesn't. If this is her self considered "masterpiece" that I can safely say I didn't need to hear, I definitely don't need to listen to any of her other stuff. Best Tracks: Brain Drain; The Ballad of Lucy Jordan; Why'd Ya Do It
Nirvana
5/5
A Rock/Pop album from a tortured genius who claimed to hate pop - the melodies and arrangements here disagree. Brilliant album, though their best was yet to come. Best Tracks: Breed; Lithium; On a Plain
Black Sabbath
5/5
The album the religious types who look like Ned and Maude Flanders would warn you about. Sabbath stretch their leathery wings and start looking at a wider type of musical pallette - they even have a ballad! Luckily though they still keep the riffs coming and that's all we really want isn't it? Best Tracks: Wheel's of Confusion/The Straightener; Supernaut; Snowblind
The Mothers Of Invention
1/5
I'm sure this was hilarious when it came out and you were off your tits on cheap acid or terrible pot but fuck me this is interminable. Parody is fine and all but it helps if you sound like you actually like the genre you're parodying other wise it's just mean spirited. You feel like their excuse for you not "getting it" is just you're not cool enough when really it's just groan inducing. Best Tracks: Hungry Freaks, Daddy; Anyway The Wind Blows; Trouble Every Day
Travis
3/5
Some easy listening indie rock from the band that always nearly was massive. The songs have catchy enough melodies, they just couldn't compete the the bland behemoths Coldplay coming up from behind. Great for a love lorn teen. Best Tracks: Writing To Reach You; Driftwood; Why Does It Always Rain On Me?
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
If you had to pick one musician's response to the 9/11 terror attacks, who better than The Boss? He's never been one for patriotic sloganeering (no matter what Republicans hear) and so his songs have emotion and depth for the tragedy and more besides. Solid rock album though some songs definitely aren't as strong as others. Best Tracks: Lonesome Day; Into The Fire; The Rising
Skunk Anansie
2/5
Really bland compressed alt-metal. Trying so hard but they seem scared about actually being heavy with the music - it doesn't match the pissed off, challenging lyrics that occasionally appear. About as edgy as Skin's head. Best Tracks: Charlie Big Potato; On My Hotel TV; The Skank Heads
Dion
3/5
An out of fashion doo-wop singer dabbling in smack and a mental alcoholic Phil Spector team up to create this album. Songs are slow, plodding and dirges - but that shouldn't put you off. There's a certain something about this album - underdog spirit maybe - that keeps you rooting for it. You can see why it's a cult classic. Best Tracks: Born To Be With You; Your Own Back Yard; Only You Know
The Cardigans
3/5
Swedish pop with dabblings of alt-rock. Not bad at all - though the vocals do get a bit cloying after a while. Though top marks for the cover of 'Iron Man'. Best Tracks: Your New Cuckoo; Step On Me; Love Fool
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
Pasty faced and massive of hair, the band enlist a drum machine and the occasional hand of Jim Steinman to add some more pomp to their misery. Epic in parts, not quite in others - there are better goth albums out there but this one is definitely worth listening to. Best Tracks: Dominion/Mother Russia; Lucretia My Reflection; The Corrosion
The United States Of America
3/5
The album that the Mother's of Invention wished they could make. It's weird and very sixties but it hasn't got the try hard "Look at me, I'm weird" that the Mothers had. Best Tracks: Hard Coming Love; I Won't Leave My Wooden Wife For You, Sugar, Coming Down
Lou Reed
4/5
Lou takes a break from shagging Iggy and gets an album produced by Bowie. His pop smarts are here in spades. Classic tracks abound and even those that have been overplayed don't sound tired in this album setting. There are occasional dips with some of the off-Broadway brass section tunes but this is a confirmed classic album. Best Tracks: Vicious; Walk on the Wild Side; Satellite of Love
Mariah Carey
1/5
Bland, R&B/pop. We all know that she can sing, it's just... well, do we really need to hear this before we die? I'm going to say NO. Best Tracks: Honey; My All; Breakdown (feat. Krayzie Bone & Wish Bone)
Elis Regina
4/5
A mix of samba, jazz, funk, yacht rock and city pop.This album is great. The mix of styles all blend together for a great album. This is the type of stuff we're doing this list for! Best Tracks: Sai Dessa; Tiro Ao Alvaro; O Medo De Amar E O Medo De Ser Livre
The Who
4/5
For their debut album you can clearly hear the Soul and "Maximum R&B" influences. The production suffers slightly from that typical British 60's sound that everyone, apart from The Beatles seemed to have. The tunes are solid and of course it has a couple of instant classics on here. Obligatory "Where's the book though Pete?" comment on a Who post. Best Tracks: My Generation; The Kids Are Alright; Legal Matter
R.E.M.
5/5
An alt-rock classic. Yes, it's been overplayed but you can't fault the quality or the tunes, production, playing, singing and even the obtuse lyrics. Maybe their last great album? Best Tracks: Drive; The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite; Nightswimming
Paul McCartney and Wings
5/5
Many consider this to be Macca's greatest solo work - (they're wrong as it's RAM that's not even in this list) and it's easy to see why. Once again, he stretches his melodic muscles and has a mixture of pop, rock, folk, multipart suites and great playing. Just a bona fide classic album - and maybe he second best solo album. Best Tracks: Band on the Run; Jet; Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
Orginal rock n roll. You can't underestimate the importance of Buddy Holly on 20th Century music culture. Four piece band, writing and singing your own songs and then a career tragically cut short. Any number of these tunes are classics. Deserves to be on this list just through it's cultural standing alone - luckily the tunes are good too. Best Tracks: Oh Boy; Not Fade Away; That'll Be The Day
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Fucking hell this album is depressing. I mean, that's to be expected as Nick Cave's teenage son had died and then he made this album. Bleak. Best Tracks: Spinning Song; Bright Horses; Waiting For You
Hugh Masekela
4/5
Wicked, funky and smooth jazz/afrobeat album. Lovely bit of business. Best Tracks: Part of a Whole; Nomali; Maesha
Scritti Politti
1/5
Awful 80's pop. That's it. Best Tracks: The Word Girl; Absolute; Perfect Way
Rush
4/5
Prog rock, classic rock and a dash of pop hooks mix to make a pure "rush" (sorry) of classic rock. This album can never fail to put a smile on my face. How did Geddy's voice get so high? Best Tracks: Tom Sawyer; Red Barchetta; Limelight
Common
4/5
Classic hip-hop. Great flow, intelligent lyrics, fantastic production. Best Tracks: Be (Intro); The Corner; The Food
Sepultura
3/5
Like being in a hardcore Brazilian dentist. I hope his throat clears up!
The Police
4/5
A strange band. A run of classic singles and solid albums, yet I've never heard anyone say that they are their favourite band. Is it the pretentiousness? Maybe. You can't fault this album though - solid tunes, superb musicians and a range of styles. I think this is a back catalogue worth exploring - I bet there's loads of hidden gems.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
Shakey shows he's not scared of the punks and puts out one of the greatest albums of his career. Recorded live with the audience turned down, both sides of this record show his dual personalities - miserable folky or pissed off rocker. Both are superb. Best Tracks: My My Hey Hey (Out of the Blue); Pochahontas; Powderfinger
Slade
3/5
Tired glam rock from some of the ugliest men from the black country - and that's saying something. The songs are meant to be fun and rock at the same time - it just sounds dated. Nostalgic purely for the singles that were played while I was growing up but more of a curio than anything. Best Tracks: Gudbye T'Jane; Mama Weer All Crazee Now; I Don't Mind
Buzzcocks
3/5
The beginnings of one of the bands who invented pop-punk. Short blasts of feelings through poppy melodies though still enough oddity in here to keep the punks happy. Best Tracks: No Reply; I Don't Mind; I Need
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
2/5
Good on them for cashing in on Paul Simon's Graceland success, but if I'm honest, there's was always the song I skipped on that album. Talented? Without a doubt. It's just I wouldn't listen to acappella music in English so I wouldn't here either. Best Tracks: Unomathemba; Hello My Baby; How Long?
Django Django
3/5
The fallout of Radiohead continues with this indie group. Electronic beeping, the occasional catch melody, evidence of guitars and sometimes a polyrhythm. Radiohead make it seem so easy! Best Tracks: Default; Firewater; Wor
Traffic
3/5
A mix of psychedelic English whimsy and blues added on the side. They all look more smug than they should be. This is definitely nothing ground breaking. Probably great for posing with cream (if you'll pardon the pun) tea and pims on a village green while thinking you're scaring the "norms" - though it's definitely watered down cream. Best Tracks: Pearly Queen; Feelin' Alright; Medicated Goo
Primal Scream
4/5
A certified classic from the rave era. It reeks of ecstacy hugs. Songs have that pure coming up feeling and as the album winds down you'll find you do too. Best Tracks: Movin' On Up; Loaded; Damaged
Genesis
3/5
Prog opus that starts off strong but then becomes a bit to twee and whimsical for its own good. I've got to be honest - I prefer the Phil Collins lead Genesis over this one. Best Tracks: Dancing With the Moonlit Knight; I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe); Firth of Fifth
White Denim
4/5
The sounds of 1000 ideas colliding in one song. This may be a bit much for some as there is barely any respite from these jigsaw puzzle songs, but if you're in the rightframe of mind there are some soft vocals and beautiful guitar interplay. Best Tracks: It's Him!; Street Joy; Keys
Todd Rundgren
4/5
A double album of 70's soft rock from the king studio geekwizard of the 70's. Songs are smooth, lushly produced and have great tunes. It's a double but there are no duff tracks on here.
Tangerine Dream
4/5
A pioneering work of Electronic music. Soundscapes abound, some sweet sweet bass rearing its head and synths and moogs aplenty. Something to take mushrooms with, lay back and let it wash over you. Best Tracks: Phaedra; Mysterious Semblance at the Strand of Nightmares
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
2/5
A mix of blues, hard rock and glam. It sounds like it's trying so hard to be having a good time while actually it's about as exciting as a fish paste sandwich. Best Tracks: The Faith Healer; Giddy Up A Ding Dong; Vambo Marble Eye
The Replacements
4/5
Like your drunken mates have managed to scrape enough money together to record an album veering from punk rock medical procedures, embarrassing boners, gender studies and the relationship between technology and loneliness. Great songs, great melodies and even though it's from the 80's, the feelings deisplayed here haven't aged at all. Plus bonus points for naming it the same as a Beatles' album. Best Tracks: I Will Dare; Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out; Answering Machine
The Divine Comedy
3/5
Music for smartarses made by a smartarse, but don't let that put you off. Many of the songs feel like they're being sung with a wry smile and eyebrow arched towards the sky and this can get a bit grating. It leans heavily of Scott Walker before he went weird with all the orchestral swells and backing. If you like baroque rock or chamber pop which feels like it's not taking itself too seriously this could be for you. My only issue is that I get the feeling he's not taking the listener too seriously either.... Best Tracks: Something For The Weekend; Becoming More Like Alfie; Songs of Love
John Lee Hooker
3/5
Hooker's "comeback" album; though the two beginning tracks that helped make it a grammy winning album are actually the weaker ones on here. When guesting with others, the production becomes almost a parody of 80's production with Santana and Bonnie Raitt. Give me the rest of tunes with the straight blues everytime. Best Tracks: Cuttin Out; Think Twice Before You Go; Sally Mae
Bill Callahan
3/5
Bill Callahan has dropped his 'Smog'moniker and has been flexing his musical muscles with more refined and less lo-fi music under his own name. The music still has the main Smog signifiers though: his baritone voice, lack of choruses, repetative phrases and guitar motifs. The music is understated and acoustic with the odd synth or bubble or electronic surfacing and then disappearing again. Sometimes it's more of an atmosphere piece than a folk album. Best Tracks: Jim Cain; Eid Ma Clack Shaw; Too Many Birds
Suicide
5/5
Intense; terrifying; puslating; wounded; insane; baby murdering; sexual; animalistic; haunted; progressive; political; toxic; amazing. Best Tracks: Ghost Rider; Rocket USA; Frankie Teardrop
Justin Timberlake
3/5
I'm of a certain age when these singles were fucking everywhere - probably like the man himself (fnar). The production of Neptunes and Timbaland make these pop songs have that extra something. He may never be the King of Pop but with this album he was definitely the prince for a while. The only tracks that drag are the slow jams/ballads. I may feel like an old man shouting at a cloud, but if only pop nowadays was a varied as this is. The album cover is atrocious though. Best Tracks: Senorita; Cry Me A River; Rock Your Body
The Divine Comedy
2/5
More songs which lean heaviliy into arching eyebrows, cheeky winks and knowing nods. That Scott Walker vibe hangs over this album like his suits do over his skinny frame. Rather than a Casanova, he's more likely to be the person hiding in the cupboard having a wank - I'm guessing that's the point? Best Songs: In Pursuit of Happiness; Everybody Knows (except you); If...
Primal Scream
2/5
A mess of ideas and styles - some songs are meant to be a soundtrack to a film, some songs are meant to be some dubby/ambient noise, some songs are indie rock and some are just bland Motorhead covers. Too much speed, too much incoherence. Best Tracks: Kowalski; If They Move, Kill 'Em; Trainspotting
Hawkwind
2/5
A joke: What did the Hawkwind fan say when the drugs wore off? This band are shit. Best Tracks: Space is Deep; Orgone Accumulator, Master of the Universe
Ray Price
2/5
A loose country-concept album of the people who live in the "night life". Country crooning with occasional flashes of blues and jazz throughout which threaten to make it interesting but it soon falls back into standard honky tonkin'. Best Tracks: Night Life; Sittin' and Thinkin'; Bright Lights and Blonde Haired Women
Ananda Shankar
3/5
A blend of rock, sitar, moogs and go-go backing vocals. Probably the kind of record DJs and crate diggers would cream themselves over. It's ok in small doses - a whole album is a bit much. Best Tracks: Jumpin' Jack Flash; Light My Fire; Mamata (Affection)
Talking Heads
4/5
The result of a quirky, eclectic band meeting a quirky, eclectic producer and bringing out the best of themselves. Odd rhythms, a range of subjects and characters in the songs and yet you can't help wanting to dance. Even if you may look like you're having a seizure, it's the coolest seizure you'll ever have. Best Tracks: I Zimbra; Cities; Life During Wartime.
Ice T
4/5
When not busy being confused by repeating exposition of Law & Order and being the subject of a terrible Rick and Morty episode, it's hard to forget Ice T was an O.G. This is one of THE classic early hip-hop albums. Yeah, there are some of the usual pointless skits but the tracks themselves a fucking ace. Flow, production, beats are all top drawer. Don't sleep on this album. Best Tracks: Mic Contract; Mind Over Matter; New Jack Hustler (Nino's Theme)
Method Man
4/5
Wu-Tang is for the kids. Nothing is wasted here - no pointless skits just awesome production and awesome rhymes. Method on fire and RZA supplies everything you need production wise. Best Tracks: Bring The Pain; Meth Vs. Chef; Release Yo' Delf
Germs
4/5
A blast of L.A. hardcore from the band whose existance may have bee shorter than their songs. It's an absolute car crash of music and growling being recorded through tine cans - and that's just how we like it. Best Tracks: Land of Treason; Lexicon Devil; We Must Bleed
Björk
2/5
I just can't get along with Bjork. I know everyone claims she's a genius and I can see that she is crazy talented - it's just that all her music makes no emotional connecton and seeing as this is a break up album, that's probably the last thing it was trying to attempt. The songs have a mixture of strings and electronic bubbling all while she does her weird elastic voice thing all over it. It comes across as an album that people feel like they should say they like at parties but would never actually play it when by themself. And goddamn these tracks are long. Maybe one day it'll click, but today is not that day. Best Tracks: Stonemilker; Lionsong; History of Touches
Def Leppard
4/5
Sheffield Hair Metal that was world conquering. You can taste the hair spray in your mouth, you can hear the shredding on guitars, you can hear terrible lyrics that you can help but sing along to, you can smell the sweat of a one armed drummer. What's not to like?
David Bowie
5/5
A pre-fame Bowie has long hair, wears a dress and writes an album that should've by rights made him the superstar he was going to become. A true classic album with not a duff track in sight. Rick Wakeman classical pub piano, Mick Ronson's sweet fat guitar and Bowie's asexual vocals are just *chef's kiss*. Shame on everyone at the time for not all rushing out and buying this album when it was orginally released. Best Tracks: Changes; Life on Mars?; Queen Bitch
The Birthday Party
3/5
Well, this is post-punk at its rawest. The whole thing was probably recorded from microphones and instruments that were salvaged from a junkyard. I'm sure the copius amount of drugs the band was taking probably helped make it sound better. It's abrasive, and I like that kind of thing - but I like tunes as well. Best Tracks: The Dim Locator; Hamlet (Pow Pow Pow); Big-Jesus-Trash-Can
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
4/5
80's indie pop/rock of the highest calibre. It's made by a smartass (and doesn't he know it) what with all the literary references dotted throughout the album. However, when you sound this good, it doesn't matter if you're a smartass - in fact it probably helps. Best Tracks: Perfect Skin; Rattlesnakes; Are You ready To Be Heartbroken?
Portishead
3/5
Though there are elements for that dated genre 'Trip-Hop' here (well they were one of the first) this album has a much more electronic focus. The mood is still like raindrops on park railings, Beth Gibbons' vocals are still like a broken waif on a moor and there are no real surprises. We only need one of their albums in this list - if it's this one or 'Dummy' it doesn't really matter. Best Tracks: Silence; Plastic; Machine Gun
Crosby, Stills & Nash
3/5
Three douches who won't stop playing their songs around the campfire. The hippy dream hadn't quite died yet and these 3 blokes were keen purveyors of it. True, the blend of their voices is amazing but the songs just kind of meander around. They must have had some dynamite "purple berries". Best Tracks: Suite: Judy Blue Eyes; Marrekesh Express; Helplessly Hoping
Pink Floyd
5/5
Everything you have heard about this album is true. Stick on 'The Wizard of Oz' turn up the stero and blast off into an album about the existential crisis of what happens after we die. Best Tracks: Breathe; Time; Money
Jurassic 5
4/5
Classic 90's hip-hop. Sweet soul, blues and jazz samples with superb flow, rhymes and humour all having the clear undercurrent of political messaging. If you haven't lisetned to this lot yet, you're missing out. Best Tracks: If You Only Knew; A Day at the Races; What's Golden
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
If the sounds of angry Germans working on a building site whilst listening to 'Stomp' B-Sides is your idea of fun, then have at it! Best Tracks: Tanz Debil; Draussen ist Feindlich; Vorm Krieg
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3/5
Flashes of genius synthpop mixed with what occasionally sounds like terrible cruise muzak. I generally think that double albums should be left as they are warts and all, this one however is a perfect example on one that would have been so much better as a single album. Best Tracks: Relax; Two Tribes; Wish The Lads Were Here
Elliott Smith
4/5
A lo-fi master piece delivered in hushed tones by a tragic figure. Spider thin melodies belie the darkness within. Be careful as all is not as it seems. Best Tracks: Between The Bars; Pictures of Me; Say Yes
Taylor Swift
2/5
Better modern pop than others in the list (and having The National hanging around certainly aides its mood) but I'm not the right demographic for this - and that in itself is disappointing. If music is worth listening to before you die then surely it exists outside of its typical demographic. And it speaks volumes that all the best tracks have featured artists. Sorry Swifties, it's music to make a regretable social media post to. Best Tracks: No Body, No Crime (feat. HAIM); Coney Island (feat. The National); Evermore (feat. Bon Iver)
The Kinks
3/5
Ray Davies' muscial hall sensibilities begin to make themselves more obvious on this album, but his rock/pop bona fides can't quite be covered yet. Like most Kinks' albums a real mix of classics and throwaways. However, the classics are CLASSICS. Best Tracks: David Watts; Death of a Clown; Waterloo Sunset
Syd Barrett
2/5
A glimpse into an acid casualty's mind that has been romanticised by numerous music critics. The lyrics could be called whimsical if one was being generous - nonsense if one wasn't. I'm sure teenagers with white dreads probably love this album. It's fine - but fucking hell this list loves these 60's psychedelic albums. Give it a rest. If anyone ever tells you this is their favourite album - don't bother listening to anything they have to say as they are a try hard. Best Tracks: Terrapin; No Good Trying; Octopus
Bee Gees
2/5
Still years away from their helium vocaled disco hits. Here they are boring folk/pop with nasal voices whinying away. Fuck me, this album is drab. Though you may have risked death at the battle of Trafalger, at least it would have been more exciting than this dross. Best Tracks: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?; Trafalger; Don't Wanna Live Inside Myself
The Cramps
3/5
Sleazy, scuzzy B-Movie songs abound and how trashy they are - exactly what a touchstone of the psychobilly genre should be. Slap back echo, movie monsters and Elvis goes Goth vocals. Best Tracks: I Was a Teenage Werewolf; Strychnine; Fever
The Stranglers
4/5
Ratty, scuzzy, trashy punk/post punk debut album; and it's strong. The Stranglers come out the gate swinging - they're not your average punk band. The vocals growl while the fat bass lines have a distinct groove to them and the organ adds just a dash of new wave feeling to it. Great album. Best Tracks: Sometimes; Hanging Around; Peaches
Aimee Mann
3/5
This album couldn't sound more early 90's pop/rock if it tried. Lo-fi drums in the background, jangly guitars and earnestness. The album is a tad overlong and soon the tunes begni to blend into one another. Some catchy melodies, some good lyrics but there are better albums around in 1993 than this. At least my twelve year old self would have argued and I suppose my current self would now. Best Tracks: I Should've Known; Could've Been Anyone; Stupid Thing
Kate Bush
3/5
Kate Bush is typcially mental on this album and for me she swings wildly from absolute banger to complete whimsy while tripping on bad acid. She is a sure fire genius though so maybe when the tracks that don't hit that's actually my fault? I mean, the donkey braying at the end of the album proves that right? Right? Best Tracks: Sat In Your Lap; Pull Out the Pin; Suspended in Gaffa;
Paul Simon
5/5
Seen as Simon's comeback album (though his previous album was still very good - it has no chance against this one) this was pretty much just handed out to parents in the 80s. I mean EVERYONE had this album. Still he steal a couple of melodies? Probably. Did he piss a load of people off by going to work in South Africa? Almost certainly. However, this album's greatness can't be understated. The music is joyous and when it wants to be melachoic. The genres jump all over the place and yet all fit together. The lyrics are genius and as you get older, they will hit even harder. This is one of those albums that fits "you must hear this before you die." Best Tracks: Graceland; Gumboots; You Can Call Me Al
Goldie
3/5
Jungle is massive. Goldie mixes things up with an epic double album of drumnbass. I prefer the instrumental tracks generally as I always find the vocals to dnb a tad cheesy. It's a long listen, and probably could've done with some editing. Best Tracks: Timeless; This is a Bad; Sea of Tears
Jazmine Sullivan
2/5
Modern Pop and R&B that follows a concept. Usual tricks abound. It's not particularly exciting to listen to and there aren't any melodies that hang around. Bland and inoffensive. At least it's short - so it has that going for it. I'd like to know how the list can decide on these modern albums when there hasn't really been any time to see how well they last... Best Tracks: Bodies - intro; Pick Up Your Feelings; Girl Like Me (feat. H.E.R.)
Rahul Dev Burman
2/5
A soundtrack to a Bollywood film that I've never heard of. No problems for sticking a Bollywood soundtrack in here, it's just if this is the best to offer, then I'm fine if I don't bother hearing another one. Probably helps if you know the film? Best Tracks: Title Music (Shalimar); One Two Cha-Cha-Cha; Hum BewafaHargiz Na Thay
Coldplay
2/5
Coldplay before they became stadium fillers. It's too not bad - it's exactly what you'd expect early noughties' indie rock/pop jumping into the place that Travis (remember them?) left when their drummer broke his neck diving into a swimming pool - in fact, that story is more interesting than this album. It's all a bit mopey and wet cheese and onion crisps. Having said that, I think I still prefer it compared to their behemoths. Best Tracks: Shiver; Sparks; Everything's Not Lost
The Vines
4/5
Look, I'll be honest here... this album hit me at the precise time I was looking for it. Spaced out, stoned and just enough screaming and rock energy to want to jump around in an indie disco. I loved this album for a brief while and listening to it 20 years later - I still really like it. It's pretty much impossible for me to be unbiased for my rating and I make no apologies. It's a classic debut that the band never managed to better so it has that element of romanticism about it as well. Best Tracks: Outtathaway; Get Free; In The Jungle
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
The master of death and destruction makes another appearance on this list. There's no surprises here - with this era of Nick Cave you know exactly what you're going to get. Luckily, it's always songcraft of the highest quality. Best Tracks: Papa Won't Leave You, Henry; Straight To You; Brother, My Cup Is Empty
Buck Owens
3/5
Honky Tonkin' country music. It's what you would expect from mid 60's country - pedal steel, acoustic guitars, heartbreak and fear of commitment all line dance together. Best Tracks: I've Got a Tiger by the Tail; Wham Bam; Cryin' Time
TV On The Radio
3/5
A band that consistently has too many ideas that often take away from the songs than add to them. They try so hard to be clever but in this process the mix of rock, acapella, multiple vocal melodies, farting bass and stabs of electronic music they forget the hooks. And there in lies the rub... Best Tracks: The Wrong Way; Staring at the Sun; Wear You Out
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Hendrix really lets rip here. There's a mix of psychedelic mind fuckery, purist blues, and proto-metal. Greatest guitarist ever? Most definitely - but never forget this cat could write a great tune too. Best Tracks: Crosstown Traffic; All Along the Watchtower; Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)
2/5
A supposed concept album based on some German witch trials that I can't be bothered to look up. More heavily focused on tribal beats than anything and it's all a bit meh - but it's trying so hard not to be. The song titles are all ace though so fair play. Best Tracks: There's Always Room on the Broom; We Fenced Other Gardens with the Bones of Our Own; Flow My Tears the Spider Said
The The
4/5
This has all the trappings of a typical 80's sound, and I love it. The songs are strong but still have that element of cynicism and weirdness that makes them all feel slightly uncanny to listen to. Can't fault the hooks though! Best Tracks: This is the Day; Uncertain Smile; Soul Mining
2/5
An album where they were no longer a band but a "brand". Orchestral whimsical songs that seem to make no real impact whatsoever. I know this album got a huge critical lovefest but I can't see it myself. Don't bother. Best Tracks: Frivolous Tonight; Greenman; Your Dictionary
Ozomatli
2/5
Latin pop/rock that is on this list for reasons I can't figure out. Even critics didn't have much to say about it and only two tracks are on Spotify. Probably not essential then? Only Tracks: Believe; Love and Hope
Iron Maiden
4/5
Eddie comes crawling out of the metal goo to introduce the world to the NWOBHM. Fast, multiple parts and never forgetting fun, this debut album has flashes of excellence that would appear later. I bloody love it. Best Tracks: Prowler; Phantom of the Opera; Iron Maiden
Public Enemy
4/5
A classic in hip-hop. More focused and better beats than some of their other albums, the music hits you like a punch in the face, while ou're dizzy from the amount of samples that fly around your heads like tweeting birds. Best Tracks: Don't Believe the Hype; Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos; Rebel Without a Pause
Nirvana
5/5
Unplugged was huge in the 90's - started by Paul McCartney and ended here - I mean, who was going to be able to top this? Nirvana's raw power is still felt even during this funereal like renditions of their own tunes and their personal favourites. I still get chills from that last sigh that Cobain gives before the last line of the last song that he ever sang on record. He sounds like he's finally made some decision and the weight of being who he was is something that will soon be in the past. Best Tracks: About a Girl; The Man Who Sold The World; Where Did You Sleep Last night?
M.I.A.
4/5
Gobby, fat beats. MIA sets her stall out on her debut and it's wicked. A mash of electonic crashes, steel drums percussion, fat bass lines and mouthy raps delivered in a sarf-landaan accent. She's that mouthy girl on the swings swigging from a bottle of white-lightnening. And she's much fucking cooler than you. Best Tracks: Bucky Done Gun; Bingo; U.R.A.Q.T.
Arrested Development
3/5
Early 90's "conscious" hip-hop where they look at love and social connections rather than the gangster rap that was smashing records out of the west coast. This is one the the first big albums from the south. Does it sound similar to De La Soul? Yep. Is that a bad thing? No. Is it as good? No. Best Tracks: People Everyday; Mr Wendel; Tennessee
Aphex Twin
5/5
Nowhere near as terrifying as some of his other work, this collection of ambient tracks are the perfect entry point for the genius that is Aphex Twin. The glitch is still here, it's just not a worm burrowing into your skull, it's a butterfly landing on your ear. Best Tracks: Xtal; Ageispolis; Ptolemy
The Clash
5/5
One of the great double albums. The Clash stretch their wings and do punk, ska, and classic rock all while taking on a varity of topics such as nuclear war, Hollywood Dead Celebrities, the Spanish Civil War and gambling to name a few. There's not an ounce of fat on this album - this is a group at the top of theirs, and everyone else's game. Best Tracks: London Calling; Death and Glory; Train In Vain (Stand By Me)
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
2/5
The first thing I know about this guy is Jeff Buckley said "He's my Elvis." I can tell you this for nothing - Elvis is my Elvis. I'm glad to have been introduced to qawwali music (that's why I'm doing this list - to be exposed to new stuff) but it's not for me. I'm going to come across as a philistine here I'm sure, but all the songs are so loooooonnnnnnnngggggg, and I find it hard to connect with some music if I can't understand the lyrics. I wouldn't listen to devtional music in English, so this definitely gets thrown in the bin. Sometimes it borders on parody "Team America" as Gary dicusses his goats getting burned alive. Sorry. Best Tracks: Yeh Jo Halka Saroor Hae; Sanson Ki Mala Pey; Mast Nazroon Se Allah Bachhae
Small Faces
2/5
Fucking hell, more psychedelia, though it's of the British kind it doesn't make it any more interesting. God it's interminable. It's like you're stuck in a cockney pub where everyone has taken acid previously and is now telling you about their previous trips while having a good ol' singalong round the ol' Joanna. You're then shoved into a terrible story which is like a mini-rocj opera. Want to listen to Stanley Unwin talk nonsense at you? Thought not. It's the kind of stuff that people who think Carry On movies are funny would like. All this is proof of is that they must've had some top drawer drugs in the sixties if it could make this interesting. Best Tracks: Ogden's Nut Gone Flake; Afterglow (Of Your Love); Lazy Sunday
3/5
A debut album recorded live the capture the band's full proto-punk ferocity. Pretty out-there as a band for 1969 - having "motherfucker" eventually rerecorded. It's loud, it's messy, it's got mountains of raw energy. The dead end of the hippy ideal is trying to be resurrected purely through raw passion - but it wasn't enough. Best Tracks: Ramblin' Rose; Kick Out the Jams; Rocket Reducer No. 62
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
"Vibes" is the best way to describe this album. Moody, dark and damp. Paint your bedroom walls black, dye your hair black and wear some cheap jewellery in the shape of skulls and tear holes in your clothes while sit in a basement smoking clove cigarettes. Post-Punk that just hits you in the gut. Mope about - and enjoy it. Best Tracks: Spellbound; Into The Light; Halloween
David Bowie
4/5
The second part of Bowie's "Berlin Trilogy" finds him still experimenting with soundscapes while combining them with krautrock and pop. The title track is still brilliant as mostly everything else here - the only issue is one could argue that the instrumental tracks aren't quite as good as those on his previous album 'Low'. Best Tracks: Beauty and the Beast; Heroes; V2-Schneider
Steely Dan
4/5
Smooth, snarky songs aplenty here. The genius about this band are the little dashes of genius sprinkled all throughout. Listen with headphones. Like eating a hot pretzel with a razor blade smuggled inside. Best Tracks: Rikki Don't Lose That Number; Any Major Dude Will Tell You; Barrytown
Eric Clapton
3/5
This album is so laid back that it's horizontal - though what would you expect from someone in the depths of heroin addiction? It's a tad cheesey at times and what with it being so laid back, the tempo doesn't really change throughout the entire album. It's pretty inoffensive - unlike Clapton; he's a dog of a bloke. Best Tracks: Motherless Children; Please Be With Me; Mainline Florida
Sepultura
4/5
More of a standard thrash metal album than their other on this list and frankly, I much prefer it. Pummeling drums, shredded guitars, growling vocals - and it all has just a dash of experimentalism going on behind the scenes. Best Tracks: Arise; Dead Embryonic Cells; Desperate Cry
Alice Cooper
3/5
The kings of 70's schlock rock. Perfect B Movie horror music. Politcians, dead babies, running from Mexicans in the desert, being mean, invisible cocaine shields, possible necrophilia - what more do you want? Best Tracks: Raped and Freezin'; Unfinished Sweet; No More Mr Nice Guy
3/5
A Sheffieldian's idea of disco. There are fat funk bass lines throughout this smooth album. A combination of disco and new romanticism with gold suits and gold hooks. Best Tracks: Poison Arrow; The Look of Love - Pt. 1; All of my Heart
Radiohead
5/5
Radiohead's attempt to escape themselves and become a more "cult" band after the success of OK Computer just made them even bigger. More glitchy rock and icy fjords of hooks just show how truly great this band are. No matter how much they try to isolate themselves and become just as cold as the digital mountains on the cover, the humanity is always there. And always will be. Best Tracks: Everything in its Right Place; The National Anthem; Motion Picture Soundtrack
Turbonegro
3/5
A blast of Scandianavian rock. This band were signalling the soon to be explosion of garage rock that was about to happen with the arrival of The Strokes and The White Stripes. They're not doing anything special (though the song titles are great), but you can't knock the fun factor. Grab a pint of snakebite and get moshing. Best Tracks: The Age of Pamparius; Get It On; Prince of the Rodeo
M.I.A.
3/5
She's back. That gobby girl who you want to talk to, but you know she's smarter and tougher than you. The mix of hip-hop beats, electronic blasts, random sound effects, samples from around the world and bratty rapping are all present and correct as they always are on her albums. She's not doing anything different on this album as she does to other albums and I'm glad. Best Tracks: Bird Flu; World Town; Paper Planes
Antony and the Johnsons
3/5
One word - vibrato. Lots and lots of vibrato. The music is like a mix of torch songs and haunting jazz/pop. The lyrics are all about struggle - with your own identity, society, other people and teh deconstructing of gender. That album title has to be a knowing wink to that last point too. Though the voice is one that is full of emotion, the vibrato does get a tad grating after awhile. Best Tracks: Hope There's Someone; You Are My Sister; Fistful of Love
The Temptations
3/5
This album should be on this list just for the epic 'Papa was a Rollin' Stone'. The only issue is the album starts off with 3 absolute bangers but then falls into too much cheesy soul/r&b and all the power and funk just gets ditched at the side of the road. Talk about a disappointing back end. Best Tracks: Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On; Run Charlie Run; Papa was a Rollin' Stone
Iron Maiden
5/5
Everyone knows the devil has all the best tunes and he's channelled through galloping guitar attacks, face melting solos, insane lyrics and wailing vocal acrobatics. The fact that it could be so easy to laugh at Maiden makes them all the more awesome. This is a masterpiece of metal. Headbang along until your head falls off. Best Tracks: The Number of the Beast; Run to the Hills; Hallowed Be Thy Name
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
Did I have to listen to what may be the entire songbook? Fiztgerald's voice is stunning and the arrangements of the songs are tasteful but did it need to be *this* long? Also, can I blame her for all of the awful "Classic American Song Book" albums that artists who are over 70 or faded boy band members constantly pump out? This album has raised far too many questions. Best Tracks: Best Tracks: But Not For Me; Someone To Watch Over Me; Love Is Here To Stay
Laura Nyro
4/5
A mix of soul, pop, jazz - it's like a weirder Carol King Tapestry. Sounds like a 70's album but made in the late 60's. It's just great! Best Tracks: Luckie; Lu; Stoned Soul Picnic
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Kevin Rowland ditches the ragamuffin chic and half the band members with it. Though the music keeps that Northen Soul thing the constant interruptions of people having conversations throughout multiple songs gets simply annoying. There's a good album in here somewhere... Best Tracks: The Occasional Flicker; One of Those Things; Listen To This
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
It's the RHCP. Funky pop rock frat boy songs. Songs that conjour images of socks on cocks, shotgunning beer, high fiving your bro and date rape. You know the drill. Their formula hasn't changed here. It makes you feel sleazy just listening to it - and that's not a good thing. Fruscianti rules though. Best Tracks: Give it Away; Under the Bridge; Sir Psycho Sexy
PJ Harvey
4/5
Polly Jean makes another great album. The songs have rhythm and groove while having strange mystical Albion images scattered through lyrically and musically, with teh spectre of war and self destruction hanging over it like a gas attack. Best Tracks: Let England Shake; The Glorious Land; Written on the Forehead
Billie Holiday
4/5
The last album recorded and released during her turbulent life. The voice was apparently shot, but it sounds perfect to me for these sad, sad songs. An auditory version of sleeping pills and cheap red wine. Best Tracks: I'm a Fool to Want You; You Don't Know What Love Is; You've Changed
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5/5
Costello goes full on baroque pop. The album is just a staggering showcase of Costello's talents. He still focuses on what makes us fall in and out of love and looks under the duvet of relationships. Words battle with intricate melodies - this is Costello indulging and allowing us to indluge with him. Best Tracks: Beyond Belief; Man Out of Time; Human Hands
Gillian Welch
4/5
A mellow, laid back alt-country album. Bare bones, strings squeaking, right up the mic songs. Through a log on the fire, watch the embers rise, have a drink of whiskey and listen to the album. Best Tracks: Revelator; Elvis Presley Blues; Everything Is Free
2/5
Coffee table music for dinner parties in the mid-nineties. There's thousands of albums that sound similar to this one - and they're all bland background music. Wallpaper for your ears. I have no idea why I had to hear this album. Best Tracks: Tantos Desejos; Felicidade; Um Dia Comum (Em Sp)
ZZ Top
4/5
Sleazy southern rock. The boys try their best at dipping their beards into some pop/rock to help them continue to have the spare time to cultivate their follicals. Some rightly classic tunes on here, though they struggle to keep it going for a whole album: Best Tracks: Gimme Some Lovin'; Sharp Dressed Man; If I Could Only Flag Her Down
The Everly Brothers
4/5
Many of teh musicians I grew up with and still love today always gave props to these two boys. It's of its time (the lyrics have that late 50's early 60's creepiness occasionally) but you can't fault the importance or the tunes. Best Tracks: Baby What You Want Me To Do; Lucille; Cathy's Clown
Bad Company
2/5
Plodding 70's "super-group" treacle blues rock. This album is weighted down by its own sense of importance and earnestness. What a drag. Ignore this album and just put any Faces record on instead. Best Tracks: Can't Get Enough of Your Love; Ready For Love; Bad Company
Laibach
2/5
Industrial covers of Queen? Weird-psuedo facist arena rock? Why not - it's these albums on the outer edges of my listening that I'm here for. Some of it sounds like Arnie singing to you - which is always good. You can't help but think the band are performing with a smile and wink while performing it and hoping we are in on the joke too. Best Track: Geburt Einher Nation; Opus Dei; How The West Was Won
Marvin Gaye
4/5
A true classic album - other worldly vocals, important political messages that are still relevant today, soul, funk, splashes of jazz and don't forget strong tunes, melodies and groove. Best Tracks: What's Going On; Right On; Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)
Beck
4/5
Beck delves into all of his old tricks with previous producers The Dust Brothers from his albums before. Fried vocals, swampy blues, dadist word play, off-kilter samples, electronic beeps and some killer melodies. Is it a retread of the better album Odelay? Yes. But I don't care - this is the Beck I like. Best Tracks: E-Pro; Girl; Go It Alone
Morrissey
4/5
Ah, Morrissey when he was only flirting with racism. The man is a fool, but this album is great. There was a chance he may struggle without Marr's genius but this is a strong album. Best Tracks: Alsatian Cousin; Everyday is Like Sunday; I Don't Mind if You Forget Me
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Though the twee feeling of a English Lit major is rampant through this album, Paul Simon's guitar playing and melodies help do a lot of heavy lifting. The vocals are sweet but all have an air of melancholy seeping through them. The problem is Simon loses his way when he tries to be Dylan and fails. The best bits are always when he is just being Paul and Art is backing him up. Best Tracks: Homeward Bound; The 59th Bridge Street Song; Flowers Never Bend With The Rainfall
B.B. King
5/5
B.B. King shows why he's king of the blues. The crowd love it, he has soul, he struts and faces get melted. How can you not enjoy this album? Love it. Best Tracks: Sweet Little Angel; How Blue Can You Get?; Please Love Me
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Sondtrack from the classic Blaxploitation movie. It's hit and miss. Some tracks are superb others do their job of just playing in the background while action is going on whereas one 19 minute long track will either leave you astounded or bored. Best Tracks: Theme from 'Shaft'; Soulsville; No Name Bar
Cocteau Twins
2/5
Dream Pop from the twins is as expected. Ethereal vocals, dreamy synths like a Labyrinth backing track for Jennifer Connolly to run away from the goblin king - sorry I lost my train of thought. The band think it's their worst album and I much prefer Heaven or Las Vegas. Again, did we need multiple albums from this band when so many others have been left out? Best Tracks: Lorelei; Pesephone; Aloysius
Sonic Youth
3/5
Music for teenage white boys to cream themselves over with squalls of guitar historonics and cooler-than-thou vocals. I once was a teenaged white boy and am now a middle aged white man. Still great. Sonic Youth doing what they do. Best Tracks: Schizophrenia; (I Got A) Catholic Block; Tuff Gnarl
Roxy Music
3/5
Snobby art rock with a leaning more towards the rock. Yes, Bryan Ferry's vocal affectation can seem a tad O.T.T. it fits the music perfectly – I could do without the ironic polka though. Imagine yourself on a bigger yacht with cooler people than you would be if hanging out with other 70's rock stars - this album would be playing. Best Tracks: The Thrill Of It All; All I Want Is You; Casanova
Astor Piazzolla
2/5
Jazz meets the tango to rapturous applause on this live album. It felt like I was listening to the soundtrack to an old screwball comedy movie. This kind of jazz is not unpleasant but it did ten to fade into the background. Best Tracks: Milonga is Coming; Little Italy; Nuevo Tango
Röyksopp
3/5
Late 90's/Early 2000's electronic dance-pop. The kind of music you'll be sitting on the beach with far too many 18-30s surrounding you - either drunk, high or both. Not always a bad thing of course, but not for a Sunday night. It's inoffensive. Best Tracks: So Easy; Elpe; Poor Leno
Joni Mitchell
5/5
Pure, unadulterated occasionally over sharing songs about love, lust, absences, adoption and all human emotions. This was where Mitchell went as clear as cellophane and allowed us to experience what she was experiencing, whether for good or ill. You'll jump between sadness and exhultation from song to song, all anchored by her amazing voice and supporting instrumentation. Some may feel it's an emotional car wreck, but even sunlight can look beautiful glinting off shattered glass. Best Tracks: All I Want; Carey; California
The Associates
2/5
This is like a shit pick and mix of Bowie, The Cure and Depeche Mode wannabes that forgot to include tunes. Wonky electonics and half hearted post punk. Best Tracks: Gloomy Sunday; Skipping; Party Fears Two
Beatles
5/5
The first album where Lennon and McCartney write all the tunes and prove beyond anyone's doubt that they really were leagues ahead of anyone else out there. On the surface they songs seem to be fairly straighforward pop but dig a little deeper and all the misery, frustration, lust, love and raw sexual innuendo is surpringsly there - how did no one spot this? I'll answer: the tunes are just too fucking good. Also, the film is great too. Best Tracks: A Hard Day's Night; Can't Buy Me Love; Things We Said Today
Stephen Stills
3/5
A man who must have a golden horseshoe up his arse. Middling songwriter who is a pretty good guitarist somehow manages to keep going and even has two albums in this list. If we have to have one it may as well be this bog standard 70s rock album -even his addition of a bunch of heavy hitting musicians friend (Hendrix, Clapton, Starr) can't stop this from being mediocre at best.. Best Tracks: Love The One You're With; Go Back Home; Black Queen
Wild Beasts
2/5
Bad Kate Bush vocal hysterics for this indie/dream pop band that were big for about 2 minutes in the late 2000s. It’s trying too hard to be arty that it ends up sound like a generic indie landfill victim that was destined to be found in bargain bins and 3 for 6.99 sales. Best Tracks: The Funpowder Plot; Hooting & Howling; All the King’s Men
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
3/5
A sort of concept album about London in some vague time - the concept itself is fairly vague. It has flashes of brilliance seeing as Damon Albarn is writing it but again, it feels like an album that I didn't have to hear before I died - there isn't anything particularly interesting or spectacular about it. Best Tracks: History Song; Herculean; The Good, The Bad and The Queen
Soft Machine
2/5
Jazz, prog, fusion, 20 minute long songs. Bits of the songs are fantastic, other parts blend into one another. Put on your wizard's hat and cape and get stoned while imagining you're going on a quest. Best Tracks: Slightly All the Time; Moon In June
The Cult
3/5
The Cult decide they want more money and so move on from their goth roots to more standard 80s hard rock - and it works. This album is great, stoopid, dumb, fun. Does it need to be on this list? Probably not, but I'm glad it is. Best Tracks: Wild Flower; Lil' Devil; Love Removal Machine
Boston
4/5
Power-pop as slick as a greased up seal on a water slide following a pig rolled in butter jumping into a pool of KY. A record sells 17 million copies for a reason - catchy tunes, radio friendly choruses and perfect production. This album definitely started the swing from metal/blues acts to power-pop domination of the charts; for a short while anyway. Best Tracks: More Than A Feeling; Peace of Mind; Foreplay/Long Time
The Mars Volta
4/5
At the Drive-In's prog leanings are given full reign here. I'm sure it's a concept album about something but I have no idea what - I guess what every good prog album should be like. Shrieking vocals, dissonant guitar and some heavy breakdowns. I get it. Now over to wikipedia to see what it's about... Best Tracks: Inertiatic ESP; Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of); Eriatarka
Aerosmith
4/5
I shouldn't live this album - but as a man of a certain age I just remember hearing so many of these songs when I was younger. To be perfectly honest, it does exactly what is meant to do - sleazy pop/rock of the highest order. I mean, it's Aerosmith. No one is expecting a 10 minute Jazz Odyssey. Best Tracks: Young Lust; Love in an Elevator; What it Takes
The Undertones
4/5
Classic pop-punk in the purest form. So fizzy and full of chocolate you couldn't help but run around and pogo about. At 16 tracks long though you can't avoid a couple of sugar crashes. Best Tracks: Teenage Kicks; Here Comes the Summer; Get Over You
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Talk about airing your dirty laundry in public. Gaye decides to let us all in to his divorce proceedings with the sister of the owner of his label. This is sometimes an uncomfortable listen, as I'm sure he intended it. Is this another album of oversharing ala Joni Mitchell? Whatever, this album's a grower if you can get past the ugliness to the beauty of the tunes. Best Tracks: When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You?; Is That Enough; You Can Leave But It's Going To Cost You
Robbie Williams
1/5
Why the fuck is this on here? A fat washed up ex-boyband member produces a sad attempt at indie rock. He has a couple of huge hits that managed ti get played still on Saturday night terrestial TV and that's about it. The music is meat and potatoes that has gone rotten and the lyrics are so concerned with being cheeky they just don't really say anything. The attempt at a poem at the end to tell the teacher who said he was a twat as a kid is just shit. Sounds like he never really got over it - kind of taking away the point of the "poem." Utter dross. Best Tracks? Lazy Days; Angels; Let Me Entertain You
Grateful Dead
3/5
I guess you had to be there? Best Tracks: St. Stephen; The Eleven; Turn On Your Love Light
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
Relaxing, jazz album. It's nice to listen to, but I'm not sure why this one is in here whereas loads of important jazz albums have been skipped? Another one to puzzle over. Best Tracks: Manenberg Revisted; Tunag Guru;The Mountain
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
3/5
You can hear where early Dylan stole all his moves from. Pure, in your face, lo fi recording on folk songs with little spoken intros each. The songs are like little peeks behind the curtain of the old America. Life sure was tough. Best Tracks: San Francisco Baby Blues; The Boll Weevil; Cocaine
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
Bland early noughties one hit wonder R&B masquerading as hip-hop. Another album I have no idea why this album is in here. The one hit she did have was a banger though. Best Tracks: Dy-Na-Mi-Tee; It Takes More; Seed Willl Grow
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
Acid-fried Delta Blues. This is probably the easiest album of the Captain's to get into. There are the soon to be typical grizzled vocals and Dadist lyrics but it's weirdness is still approachable. It's like that odd fellow at the bar, not the screaming crack head at the traffic lights. Best Tracks: Sure 'Nuff 'n' Yes I Do; I'm Glad; Electricty
Nanci Griffith
3/5
Sweet, soulful country pop - the song from the prosittute's point of view was unexpected too. Best Tracks: Love at the Five & Dime; Lookin' For The Time (Working Girl); Goin' Gone
Cowboy Junkies
4/5
Haunting, sparse arrangements of modern country and classic country tunes. Best Tracks: Blue Moon Revisited (Song for Elvis); I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry; Walking After Midnight
Genesis
4/5
A prog masterpiece - is it bloated? Yep. It is barely understandable as a concept album? Yep. Does it rock? Yep. Is it weird enough to enjoy? Yep. Just dive in to this strange world and enjoy. Best Tracks: Cuckoo Cocoon; Counting Out Time; Lilywhite Lilith
3/5
Bog standard 70's rock with flashes of prog in there. Big moustaches and double necked guitars abound. To be honest, there's probably a million albums like this that just never made it. Best Tracks: Animal Zoo; Mr. Skin; Street Worm
The xx
3/5
Including the third album by arch-millienial-miserabalists seems a bit much. The first album deserves inclusion for it's laidback jumpstart to the British indie scene in 2007, however this album is more of the same. Disinterested vocals, synths and haircuts. I can't help but think this band is *very* lucky to have Jamie xx behind the boards as without him, I'm not sure they'd be quite as big as they are. Best Tracks: Dangerous; Performance; On Hold
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
More synthpop. Some tunes are great, some not so. There's nothing any different here from their other albums. Again, another group only needed one album on the list. Best Tracks: Being Boring; This Must Be The Place I Waited Years To Leave; So Hard
Christine and the Queens
2/5
Modern pop that is at first listen leaning heavily on 80's Michael Jackson. Well, why not? Unfortunately it's nowhere near as good. Pop should be immediate and fun. This is bland. More like a flavour of the month inclusion than an album you should hear before you die. YAWN. Best Tracks: Comme Si; Girlfriend; 5 Dollars
Kings of Leon
5/5
Absolute banger of an album. They move away from their NME indie darling status and make a more grungy, smelly, brewer's droopy, coke fuelled road album. They'd never hit this peak again. Best Tracks: The Bucket; Soft; Four Kicks
Ray Charles
3/5
This is the Ray Charles I like. He's soulful, funky and cool. The songs have that pure R&B horn blasts that you want just inserted into your veins. It side steps that Disney-Lit that "Modern Sounds" has. Just find someone you love and dance round the living room with them. Best Tracks: Let The Good Times Roll; It Had to be You; Come Rain or Come Shine
Morrissey
2/5
Ah, the inevitable problem of the British Indie Fan's issue with listening to Morrissey. Is he a daft racist? YES. Is he hanging on by the skin of his teeth because of past glories? YES. Does this album deserve to be in this list because it was his "comeback" album? NO. Listen to The Smiths or Viva Hate; Your Arsenal or Vauxhall & I if you want solo Morrissey. Don't give him anymore time. Pointless addition. Best Tracks: Irish Blood English Heart; The World is Full of Crashing Bores; The First of the Gand to Die
4/5
Though X come from the hardcore scene this album feels more like post punk before post punk really began. Flashes of country, straight up rock and R&B make appearances too. The guitar licks and hooks are just that little bit special. Best Tracks: We're Desperate; It's You Who Know; In This House That I Call Home
The Darkness
4/5
This is purile, stupid and occasionally tasteless; and it's fantastic. With tongue firmly wedged in cheek, this band pulled off teh unthinkable and made solid 1970's rock/pop/metal for the masses in the middle of the Strokes/White Stripes garage rock boom. If you can't enjoy this album then you are definitely no fun at parties. Best Tracks: Get Your Hands Off My Woman; Growing On Me; I Believe in a Thing Called Love
Suede
2/5
The folly of Brit-Pop. Suede collaspse in on themselves by believing their own hype and writing a concept record of such bloated pomposity, I suppose it really is a marvel. It's just a drag. Best Tracks: We Are The Pigs; The Wild Ones; New Generation
Sebadoh
3/5
I always prefer Lou when he's in Dinosaur Jr. Not as low-fi as some of their albums, there is some production here and Lou stretches himself here by actually writing a range of songs and he remembers melodies. Early 90's post Nirvana rock; not at its best, but definitely not at its worst either. It's somewhere in the middle. Best Tracks: Soul and Fire; Cliche; Flood
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
A key funk album - if only for the lyric "There's a midget standing tall." The feeling of the end of the 60's struggling under the weight of expectation and racial tensions are always simmering here; even under the songs of love and understanding - and that's what makes it true. Best Tracks: Stand! I Want To Take You Higher; Sing a Simple Song
John Lennon
5/5
From the tolling of the distored church bell at the start to the frankly harrowing nursery rhyme at the end this is a full on, let everything out for his sanity half finshed primal scream therapy session. Lennon strikes out on his own and decries everything from his past life - including his little know band previous to going solo. Lennon's supposed "me against the world" schtick seems weakend though when he has to crowbar Yoko into everything. The man was a mass of contradictions and this album at least gives us a little (if bleak) peak into how the sausage was made. Sometimes though, you may not want to know that. Best Tracks: Mother; Working Class Hero; God
Pink Floyd
5/5
How do you follow up one of the biggest albums of all time and your possible creative and artistic peak? By doing it again obviously. Feelings of guilt by ditching the acid casualty and becoming obscenely rich forced the band to stretch out and get back to doing their more lengthy prog numbers. Some may feel that this album isn't as accessible as the previous number but that's part of its charm. This used to be my favourite Pink Floyd album. It still is, but it used to be too. Best Tracks: Shine On You Crazy Diamond (parts 1-5); Shine On You Crazy Diamond (parts 6-9); Wish You Were Here
The B-52's
3/5
Quirky is too much of an understatement. The kind of band people who love to think they're a bit different from others probably love - you know the type: they wear bowling shoes and carry a biscuit tin purely for affectation. Come on, you know - they'll laugh way too loudly to make sure everyone knows they're laughing and they'll hate everything you like. They'll dance wildly at parties and stand way too close to you while talking. That's this in album form. Best Tracks: Planet Claire; Dance This Mess Around; Rock Lobster
Holger Czukay
3/5
Though you may not like this album, you can't deny it's forward looking M.O. The use of samples is way ahead of it's time and though it's strange some of the beats and guiatr floruishes are great. Best Tracks: Oh Lord, Give Us More Money; Persian Love
Björk
2/5
I get it. She's extremely talented. She made an \"acapella\" album which is impressive - but is this in here because it's simply her? Is this the best acapella album to hear before I die? I don't know what is - maybe some Gregorian Monk Chanting or Mongolian Throat Singing or that Lady Smith Black Mambazo album I've already had or Random Sea Shanties (they were popular during COVID weren't they?) but is it this one? Probably not. One listen is enough for me. Best Tracks: Pleasure Is All Mine; Who Is It (Carry My Joy on the Left, Carry My Pain on the Right); Triumph of a Heart
Aerosmith
3/5
Classic sleazy 70's FM Rock. It's Aerosmith. They're not changing the world with this album but it is exactly as you would want it. It would be better to have this or Pump on the list (ditch 'Toys in the Attic' - there's no need for 3 Aerosmith albums on this list. Best Tracks: Back in the Saddle; Last Child; Sick as a Dog
Frank Black
3/5
I mean, I like this album, but I wouldn't *ever* tell someone that you need to hear his before you die. Just give anyone Pixies' first three albums and you're sorted with Frank Black. Best Tracks: Whatever Happened to Pong?; Headache; Two Reelers
Christina Aguilera
2/5
Christina returned as X-Tina and basically embraced her sluttyness - good for her. Couple of pure pop bangers on here the rest is just too many ballads. Best Tracks: Fighter; Beautiful; Dirrty (feat. Redman)
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Bruce gets depressed from earning unimaginable amounts of money and fame and records a bunch of demos on a four-track in his garage. It's more depressing than usual and it's ace. The production just makes these stories even more harrowing. Quite possibly his best album if you're able to stomach these bleak stories from people in the middle of Nowhere, Shitsville U.S.A. Best Tracks: Nebraska; Atlantic City; Highway Patrolman
Waylon Jennings
3/5
Toe tappin', beer swillin', wife beatin' honky tonkin'. Does what it says on the tin. Best Tracks: Honky Tonk Heroes; You Ask Me To; Ain't no God in Mexico
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Bruce becomes 'The Boss' and starts to put on the straitjacket to stadium fame that he eventually tried to escape. You don't have to be from a shitty town in the US to understand the songs here - this is everybody. The overblown production is perfect here - just a little more and it could've been parody. A true classic album in every sense of the word. Best Tracks: Thunder Road; Backstreets; Born To Run
Lupe Fiasco
3/5
Pretty straight-forward early 00's hip-pop. The producers tend to overshadow the artist. It's ok. Again, it's not really a life changing album. Best Tracks: Kick, Push; I Gotcha; Daydreamin' (feat. Jill Scott)
Lana Del Rey
1/5
I'm not sure what this is and what it's trying to be? It's all one note. To me it sounds like the kind of music made for short ten second sound bites for Tik Tok videos. All style over substance that people have fully bought into. It's about as real and deep and artistic as a filter. Boring, bland, fake and so so try hard to have some sort of edge. Best Tracks: Chemtrails Over the Country Club; Let Me Love You Like a Woman; Dark But Just a Game
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
Smooth jazz that really captures the live atmosphere of a club. There are mistakes included and that just adds to the charm. You feel like you're there. Best Tracks: September in the Rain; Just One of Those Things; Honeysuckle Rose
Richard Hawley
3/5
Soft focus chamber pop from one of Sheffield's top songwriters. Pretty much a classic example of a "songwriter's songwriter". It's all fairly evenly paced and tonally similar. It's not offensive but songs rarely stand out. This is definitely an album to looks cooler to have in your collection than actually listen to. Best Tracks: The Ocean; I Sleep Alone; (Wading Through) The Waters of My Time
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
A chillaxing classic. Lo-fi hip-hop beats, melodica warblings and some dubby bass add up to something you can listen to if you're: (a) stoned (b) at an afterparty watching the sun come up after chewing your face off (c) doing some work. Or all 3 if you fancy. It kind of all morphs into one blob of sound but I guess that's kind of the point. Best Tracks: Nights Introlude; Wait a Minute/Praying for a Jeepbeat; Mission Venice
R.E.M.
4/5
Who needs any Byrds' albums on this list when we have this master piece of jangly indie pop. Opaque lyrics and transluscent music add up to make a fuzzy little gem of of an album. Best Tracks: Radio Free Europe; Talk About the Passion; Catapult
Bebel Gilberto
2/5
My western imperialist music taste is showing. Samba all just sounds the same to me. This album has a mellow, chilling by the beach feel - perfect for an after party or having a mojito while on holiday. Is it good? Probably. Did I need to hear it? Maybe. Will I listen to it again? Nope. Best Tracks: Samba de Bencao; August Day Song; So Nice (Summer Samba)
Tom Waits
3/5
Waits hasn't become weird yet. He's slowly emerging from his drunken ballader phase and becoming more bluesy and jazzy. The bar flies are still hanging around him - he hasn't climbed completely out of the gutter yet and headed underground but the clues about his next steps are scattered here. Best Tracks: Heartattack and Vine; Jersey Girl; Mr. Siegal
Girls Against Boys
3/5
I first heard this band on the Mallrats soundtrack - first impressions were they're like Archers of Loaf just not as good. The songs are occasionally a tad meat and potatoes. I love early 90's alt-rock but again, another album on this list that you *need* to hear? Best Tracks: In Like Flynn; Rockets are Red; Bullet Proof Cupid
Donald Fagen
4/5
Typically smooth music - Yacht Rock if you will (Fagen definitely won't). The juxtaposition of the sneering lyrics and the music is quite a highlight. You're either going to love this or hate it. I love it. Best Tracks: I.G.Y.; Ruby Baby; New Frontier
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
David Bowie aping new wave act that isn't just coasting on their big hit; there are some solid tracks here .Best Tracks: Pretty In Pink; I Want To Sleep With You; Into You Like a Train
The Slits
4/5
Classic post punk/dub mix. The album cover may be more famous than the music inside but that is unfair. Interesting, groovy and slightly weird - like all great albums should. Genuinely an album that should be listened to. Best Tracks: Shoplifting; Typical Girls, I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Britney Spears
2/5
Is this music for me? Not really. I didn't listen to it at the time and the only reason I know some of these songs are that you couldn't escape them (honest). However, seeing as this is a debut album of one of the biggest pop acts of a generation you probably should listen to it. Also, now I'm older, I can openly admit "...Baby One More Time" is a banger - even the late Darius couldn't wreck this tune. Best Tunes: ...Baby One More Time; (You Drive Me) Crazy; Sometimes
Flamin' Groovies
3/5
Classic blues/garage rock. Showing the Stones that there were any number of bands who were knocking on their door as purveyors of gritty American music. Good for a Saturday night in a dive bar. Best Tracks: High Flying Baby; Yesterday's Numbers; Whiskey Woman
The Notorious B.I.G.
4/5
Obviously on of the greats - great beats, great rhymes, great flow - unfortunately it suffers from the same thing that so many hip-hop albums from the time did - too many skits/action scenes. Best Tracks: Things Done Changed; One More Change; Juicy;
Missy Elliott
2/5
Obviously a key album in the realms of hip-hop what with Missy Elliott breaking down the doors for female rappers and the introduction of Timbaland as a hot shit producer for the 90s-2000s pop/R&B/hip-hop. It's rather bland from 2025 to be honest BUT it is important. Pop and hip-hop had the fingerprints of this all over it for a while. Best Tracks: The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly); Izzy Izzy Ahh; I'm Talkin'
Gram Parsons
4/5
This is a genuinely important album. The mix of rock and country that Parsons made here influenced countless numbers of groups - crazy how influential this album is. It's a great album and Emmy Lou Harris' backing vocals are sublime. Best Tracks: Brass Buttons; $1000 Wedding; Ooh Las Vegas
Happy Mondays
3/5
There's no need for two Happy Mondays' albums. Pills and Thrills... is enough. This is just a poorer version of that. Slurred vocals, tinny production and messy songs. The sounds of minds that haven't been skullfucked from too many drugs yet. Best Tracks: Country Song; Wrote For Luck; Lazyitis
Elvis Costello
4/5
Costello breaks everything down and makes a bare boned album that allows his songs to breathe. As a Costello fan I really like the "closeness" of this album. Does it need to be on this list though? Probably not. Best Tracks: 13 Steps Lead Down; Clown Strike; Sulky Girl
Beth Orton
3/5
Now, I don't mean this in a negative way... this album is pleasant. Mellow to listen to, sweet voice and nice instrumentals. It's an album you could put on and no one would be offended - but the reverse of that is no one would be interested enough to say "Oh, who's this?" and that's what gets me thinking again, did I need to hear this? I'm glad I did. I like it. But did I *need* to? Best Tracks: Stolen Car; Love Like Laughter; Blood Red River
Ian Dury
4/5
None more English. It's like, you can't get more English than this. The musicianship is off the charts and teh cheeky chappy lyricism of Dury belies the intelligence within. It's all good fun and a definite inclusion. Best Tracks: Wake Up and Make Love To Me; Blockheads; Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
I'm not really a fan of Rufus to be honest. Baroque/OTT Pop is never really my bag, he never really sounds like he's enunciating his words properly and has influence a bunch of girls and ukuleles thinking they can sing with no effort and the elements of stage musicals always grates. I know all critics creamed themselves over this album and its sister album but its not really for me. Best Tracks: I Don't Know What It Is; Movies of Myself;14th Street
Pavement
5/5
An alt-rock indie classic. Angular, odd, white noise splashes, melodies, pop pretentions, funny and strange. Pavement were an important band in the 90s. I can see why people may not like them, but they're wrong. This is definitely an album to hear before you die. Best Tracks: Silence Kit; Cut Your Hair; Gold Soundz
Carole King
5/5
I'm always going to have some bias towards this album as my mum loves this album and I remember her playing it and singing along when I was a kid. So, it's a great album from one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th Century. It's rough around the edges and that's what makes it great - not just the strength of the songs. It's a classic for a reason. Best Tracks: I Feel the Earth Move; It's Too Late; (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5/5
A raw and bloody steak thrown at your face and then expecting you to say "thank you" afterwards. Costello's divorce album is every bit as angry, bitter, love lorn, sleazy and harrowing as you'd expect it to be. It's a work of genius as the instruments and vocals are as in your face as an ex lover in a slanging match. Plenty of blood and as cloying as chocolate. I could pick any track of this album as the best. Not an ounce of fat. Best Tracks: Uncomplicated; I Hope You're Happy Now; I Want You
50 Cent
4/5
This is top drawer Hip-Pop. Beats are great, flow is great and the lyrics are genuinely funny "I love you like a fat kid loves cake" still amuses me. Just sit back and enjoy! Best Tracks: In Da Club; P.I.M.P.; 21 Questions
Pantera
5/5
Superb metal album - though it is difficult to separate the art from the artist (the singer has what might generously be called "questionable" political opinions) the music is strong enough to stand on its own. Fat, powerful riffs, growling vocals and hooks a plenty. Create your own mosh pit and have a blast (beat). Best Tracks: Mouth For War; A New Level; Walk
Deep Purple
3/5
Proggy, hard rock wizards take over Japan and wail in the faces of a well behaved Japanese crowd. It's completely over the top - face melting guitar solos, far too long drum solos, high pitched warbling vocals and time changes aplenty. Best Tracks: Highway Star; Smoke on Water; Strange Kind of Woman
Dirty Projectors
4/5
Odd, disjointed, occasionally beautiful, avant gardesque indie rock. It's all over the place; it's like someone's musical stream of consciousness... and that's a good thing. Best Tracks: Cannibal Resource; Stillness Is The Move; Two Doves
Stevie Wonder
5/5
One of the album's from Stevie's insane five album run. My issue with Stevie is his cheesy songs are too cheesy, but I can put up with those as when he avoids the cheese he almost always hits pure genius. This album is low on cheese and high on genius. Classic for a reason. Best Tracks: Living For The City; Higher Ground; He's Misstra Know-It-All
Depeche Mode
4/5
Classic synth-pop-rock-goth album for a band who no one expected to become as massive as they did. People obviously weren't hearing the massive hooks and tunes - but they caught up on this album. Rightfully on the list. Best Tracks: Personal Jesus; Enjoy the Silence; Blue Dress
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
Ironically a pretty formulaic psychedelic scouse album. each song has a statement, then the singer doesn't understand the statement just made and then some music witters on in the background. You've heard one song, you've heard them all. They should've stayed away from the sketchy acid. Best Songs: Ha Ha I'm Drowning; Sleeping Gas; Treason
Talking Heads
5/5
Strange, off beat, quirky, melodic and brilliant. Probably the quintessential Talking Heads' record and a stone cold classic; every track's a banger. Best Tracks: Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On); Once In A Lifetime; Houses in Motion
Morrissey
3/5
Yes, the man is an arse but this glam-lite album has some banging tunes on it, and some of his best lyrics - ignore the man's hatefulness if possible and you've got one solid album, if you can't however, that's completely understandable. Best Tracks: You're Gonna Need Someone On Your Side; We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful; You're The One For Me, Fatty
D'Angelo
2/5
Smooth, funky and sexy. It's like a more pastel version of Prince. That's not a bad thing as it's the most palatable modern RnB on this list, but I won't be coming back to it as it suffers from what all RnB does - a lack of any strong melody or hook (to my ears anyway). Why would I when Prince is around? Best Tracks: Brown Sugar; Shit, Damn, Motherfucker; Cruisin'
The Byrds
2/5
Just what this list needed - another fucking Byrds' album. One of the most overrated bands in history. Never has a band coasted so much on shitty jangling covers of Dylan or try hard wannabe jangling originals of Dylan knock offs. I've never met a Byrds fan in the wild and on the basis of this no balls, Ned Flanders idea of psychdelia album and their other dross I have no want to. Best Tracks: 5D (Fifth Dimension); Mr Spaceman; Eight Miles High
Beck
5/5
An absolute mess of an album in the best possible way. Folk, Lo-Fi, Hip-Hop, Dadist Poetry, Blues, Pop, Southern Drawled vocals - there's something for everybody here. Beck and the Dust Brothers at arguably the peak of their powers. Best Tracks: Devils Haircut; Lord Only Knows; Where It's At
Nas
5/5
One of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time and one of the greatest debut albums of all time. That's it. Best Tracks: NY State of Mind; The World Is Yours; It Ain't Hard To Tell
Roxy Music
4/5
Strange, funky and slightly sinister. Those oddballs who hand around the art room smoking clove cigarettes reading Camus make an album. And it's great. Best Tracks: Do The Strand; Beauty Queen; In Every Dream Home a Heartache;
Fishbone
2/5
This is something that could only be described as muzak. It's something that would get played over a montage scene of people trying on clothes in a dressing room, having their friend shake their head, try another ensemble on and then the friend gives them a thumbs up. I am genuinely puzzled why this is in here. Best Tracks: Deep Inside; Mighty Long Way; Bonin' in the Boneyard
The White Stripes
5/5
The White Stripes go weird. Another chapter in the making of Jack White as a top tier musician and arguably their strongest album. The mix of odd instrumentation and yet being still steeped in thie history of Americana and blues just adds another layer to this album's greatness. Best Tracks: Blue Orchid; My Doorbell; I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet)
Death In Vegas
4/5
Goth electro? This is dark and forboding music - any of these songs could be used for a soundtrack to a gritty movie. Guitars buzz, Iggy Pop mumbles about serial killers, basses rumble and I get to feel all uneasy. A really great listen. Best Tracks: Dirge; Soul Auctioneer; Aisha
The Icarus Line
3/5
An album that thinks it's heavier and rockier than it actually comes across. It feels like it's got all the ingredients to be a great headbanger but something is missing that makes it kind of bland. Again, another album on the list that I can't really fathom why it's on here - there's so many other great albums that could've been picked. Best Tracks: On The Lash; Virgin Velcro; Party The Baby Off
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
Is it their best album? No. However, this is an important album - this albm was pointing the way forward for hip-hop when it was still a fledgling genre. Though it has dated there are still a couple of bangers on here. 100% this should be included. Best Tracks: Rock Box; Sucker M.C.'s (Krush-Groove 1); It's Like That
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Debut from what became one of the biggest bands ever. At this point, they are just copying the orginal artists and have a bunch of covers. It's ok but you're better listening to the orginals. This just made it palatable for white people. There's no hint of the greatness that was to come. Yet again, another pointless album in this list. This shouldn't be included as it's the Stones' debut. It's not important. Best Tracks: Route 66; I'm a King Bee; Carol
George Harrison
5/5
Yeah yeah yeah, people claim it's a triple album to try and add more greatness to it but it's not really. It's a double with some jams added as bonus tracks. However, this is a great album. Easily George's best and one of the best solo Beatles' albums overall. He needed to escape and show that he was an equal to John and Paul - with this album it appeared he could be but we all know he couldn't keep it up. The Phil Spector production however was huge misstep - especially as George was more than capable of producing it himself. Anyway, great songs, great album - even all the God bothering and pompous holier-than-thou stuff can't put me off. Best Tracks: What Is Life; Apple Scruffs; All Things Must Pass
Jungle Brothers
3/5
An clear classic from hip-hop's golden age - more Afrocentric and focused on soul samples and beats the influence of this album can still be heard. However, and it's a big however, there are better albums out there. Should it be included? Yes. Is it as replayable as 3 Feet High and Rising that came out a few months before? No. Best Tracks: Feelin' Alright; What "U" Waitin' "4"?; Doin' Our Own Dang
Neil Young
5/5
An album that is one of the peaks of Young's career. It was so emotionally painful for him he didn't even allow its release on CD for decades after its initial run. It was worth the wait for those of us who weren't around to get the original run. The hippy dream is dead in a fug of murders and drug abuse. Young laments this with a collection of dark, maudlin songs with an occasional country lilt. I love this album and it's one of the best from one of the 20th century's greats. Best Tracks: Walk On; Revolution Blues; Ambulance Blues
Mudhoney
4/5
Sludgy, grungey fat songs. You can pratically smell the weed and damp. Poor selling when originally released, this pretty much the blueprint for all the grunge bands that were about to explode - changing music forever. Best Tracks: Need; If I Think; In 'N' Out of Grace
Big Black
3/5
Three shut ins find each other and a drum machine and create a key album to underground rock and industrial music. What with songs about child abuse and alcoholism, the only way to describe the album is: fucking harsh, tinny and constantly bleak. Best Tracks: Jordan, Minnesota; Kerosene; Stinking Drunk
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
Cousin fucker extraodinaire, fires out a high energy live set at the (in)famous Star Club. Energetice, sleazy and sounds like great fun. Best Tracks: Great Balls of Fire; Good Golly Miss Molly; Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
The Isley Brothers
4/5
The funk songs are funky, the soul songs have soul and the R&B ballads are sickly sweet. Beautiful vocals and excellent musicianship. An album so smooth you could spread it on toast. Best Tracks: That Lady, Pts. 1&2; Listen To The Music; Summer Breeze, Pts. 1&2
Duke Ellington
3/5
Big band jazz - not my favourite type but you can't help but toe tap to it. Probably more famous for the reception Ellington got that makes this a historic piece of art, listen to the whole set to get a real feel of the electricity in the crowd. Spread out a picnic blanket, have some nice food, smoke a joint and just enjoy it. Best Tracks: Blues To Be There; Jeep's Blues; Diminuendo in Blue
The Libertines
3/5
A band that was falling apart records music that was falling apart. The most important band in Britain for about 10 minutes and then they got swallowed up by drugs, models, tabloid nonsense, robbery, fist fights and any number of other cliches. Messy indie music for messy indie types. The singles were always great, the albums could never really stand up. Best Tracks: Can't Stand Me Now; Music When the Lights Go Out; Arbeit Mach Frei
Eagles
2/5
I'm not The Dude. I don't fuckin' hate the Eagles man. I don't fuckin' love them either. Songs range from some pretty sweet country rock to what would be bog standard 70's rock but lacking any wit or bite. It's like eggshell white paint. It's there and it does its job, but you'll never really love it. Best Tracks: Take It Easy; Witchy Woman; Peaceful Easy Feeling
The Monks
4/5
Proto-punk/krautrock. A bunch of American GIs make a warped rock n roll album. Crunchy guitars, distorted hammond organ that descends into carny mode, pounding drums and relentless rhythm. Great considering they knew no one would listen. Best Tracks: Monk Time; Boys Are Boys and Girls Are Choice; I Hate You
Van Morrison
5/5
Van has always been a twat - however he may have become a mumbling ballsack as he got older, here he shows how brilliant he was. Songs get stretched out like a pair of old trousers. Soulful vocals, brilliant musicians and a crowd that's ready for a great show. One of the greatest live albums of all time. Best Tracks: Into The Mystic; Bring It On Home To Me; St Dominic's Preview
The Thrills
3/5
Inoffensive Irish indie pop masquerading as some sort of country-lite beer music. It's kinda embarrassing to be honest - it's like being stuck next to the pub bore who won't shut up about 'Merica. It's fine - but it doesn't qualify as an album you need to hear. Best Tracks: Santa Cruz (You're Not That Far); Big Sur; One Horse Town.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Scouse raincoat rock. Reverb vocals, spiky guitars and miserable drum beats. It is relentlessly mopey - like that goth kid standing in the corner of the house party. I'm not sure we need 3 albums from this lot on here. One is enough. Best Tracks: The Cutter; Back of Love; Gods Will Be Gods
The Residents
2/5
Typical album loved by critics, edgelords and people who are so different from you and so much cooler that you couldn't possibly understand. and a band who's backstory and history is more interesting than the music they produced. It's a mess, and it's meant to be. A collection of alzhiemer's nursury rhymes and cheap 70's synths and reconisible foggy guitar notes. However, the Residents are a key art rock band and so whether you like it or not, it is an album that should be experienced. Best Tracks: Laughing Song; Elvis and his Boss; Krafty Cheese
Calexico
3/5
Indie rock/alt-country. There's mellow vocals, an occassional Latino flavour to the music and waltzes abound. I get the feeling people who wear braces and checkered shirts would love this band. I saw them live and they were boring - this album does tend to drag as all the tracks are of a similar pace and tempo. Plus it could use some editing. Best Tracks: Sunken Waltz; Quattro - World Drifts In; Black Heart
The Specials
3/5
A sharp left turn away from their brilliant ska debut, this one has a distinct feel of electicism all under the banner of muzak. Political and unexpected - sometimes the ideas just don't feel as smart or ironic as they may have felt they were. Best Tracks: Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think); Hey Little Rich Girl; Do Nothing
Megadeth
4/5
Face melters abound! Sneering vocals, pounding drums, break neck speed and guitar acrobatics. There's a reason this is a thrash metal classic. It fucking rips! Best Tracks: The Conjuring; Peace Sells; Good Mourning/Black Friday
Ryan Adams
5/5
I've got to be honest - this album hit me at a particular time when I was 20, heart broken and drinking away my blues. It was perfect for that time and it's still great now. I've a weakness for alt-country and there was a short time where Ryan Adams could do no wrong. This album is for late night ruminating, maybe drinking too much whiskey and wallowing in regrets - enjoy while it lasts and once it's over, give yourself a kick up the arse and start enjoying life again. Misery loves company, but you have to move on - that's what this album is really about. Best Tracks: To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High); Oh My Sweet Caroline, Come Pick Me Up
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
Tinny and toothless post-punk. I'm sure it thinks it's being counter culturally dangerous but it's generally fairly boring. The production is awful too. Keep it in the metal box.Best Tracks: Albatross; Swan Lake; Poptones
Bobby Womack
2/5
Smooth 80's soul. Some nice yachty florishes but it's not really hitting any hooks. Bland and inoffensive. Surely there's better soul albums out there than this? Best Tracks: So Many Sides of You; Just My Imagination; If You Think You're Lonely Now
Lambchop
3/5
Lushly orchestrated and mellow (small r) rock. This album doesn't really jump out at you with hooks or catchy melodies - it's more like a warm breeze or a cool stream that's continuously flowing. Ease yourself into it and relax. Best Tracks: Grumpus; Up With People; What Else Could It Be
Simple Minds
3/5
Fairly traditional 80's synthpop/new wave. You know the drill: gated reverb on the drums, synth washes, more reverb on the vocals. There's no surprises here - just some solid song writing. Best Tracks: Someone Somewhere (In Summertime); Promised You a Miracle; New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)
Anthrax
4/5
As one of the big 4, this is really the album that cemented them as a top thrash metal band. Fast, pummeling riffs that don't forget to groove and hilarious lyrics - it's what I want from my metal bands. Also, there's a song about Judge Dredd - what's not to like? Best Tracks: Caught in a Mosh; I Am The Law; Indians
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
Late 90's indie/psychdelic pop/rock. A few tracks stand out with catchy melodies, witty lyrics or interesting production choices, whereas others just kind of meader along and never really make much of an impact. Too much of this falls into the indie landfill folder. Best Tracks: Boys Better; Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth; Every Day Should Be A Holiday
Killing Joke
3/5
A key industrial album that (and here's the important bit) doesn't forget tunes and/or groove. Throbbing bass, electronic beats and burbles and existential vocals and themes. It isn't for everyone, but does it deserve to be here? Yes. Best Tracks: Requiem; Wardance; The Wait
Motörhead
4/5
Lemmy et al, blow the roof off various venues across the UK and deliver a key live album. If you know Motorhead, then you know what to expect. Yeah, they're a one trick pony - but what a trick! Best Tracks: Ace of Spades; Overkill; (We Are) The Roadcrew
Afrika Bambaataa
2/5
A selection of singles from the beginning of Hip-Hop. This is important in the history of music, and is worth listening to by those who are passionate devotees of the genre or of music in general - however, if you're not I wouldn't say you need to listen to it. You don't need to have read Ovid to enjoy modern literature. Best Tracks: Planet Rock; Looking For The Perfect Beat; Renegades of Funk
Dagmar Krause
1/5
Tanks but no tanks.
U2
3/5
The problem with U2 is that they're U2 - it's hard to come to their albums without all the baggage of Bono and his nobbishness. So I pretended that this wasn't U2 and just stuck strictly to the tunes - as is the key part of being in a band. It's earnest to say the least. The music is good - the vocals can get a bit much. Is this only in here as it's U2? I'd think their two key albums are enough. Best Tracks: Sunday Bloody Sunday; New Year's Day; Two Hearts Beat As One
Milton Nascimento
3/5
A mix of different genres and I am pleasantly surprised that this isn't just another samba album - I had a distinct feeling that this book was claiming Brazil made no other types of music worth listening to. I'm told heavy themes are explored in this album with a recurring motif of a road. I'd like to be able to understand Portuguese as I'm sure it would add another dimension to an already interesting album. Did it need to be a double album? Probably not - however it is classed by some as the greatest Brazilian album ever made so what do I know? Best Tracks: Tudo O Que Voce Podia Ser; O Trem Azul; Um Girassol Da Cor Do Seu Cabelo
David Ackles
2/5
There's a reason this never found its audience. Half-arsed show tunes that think they're smarter and funnier and deeper than they really are - they even wouldn't make it to a muppet musical. Drab. Best Tunes: Love's Enough; Another Friday Night; Waiting For The Moving Van
Coldcut
3/5
Starts off sounding like a none-more-eighties dance album - but don't hold that against it as it begins to get weirder as it goes on. When it's good, it's really good and looking to the future with its house beats and squelchy, almost IDM noises with great use of samples. Can start to veer into novelty but you can hear its influence on acts like DJ Yoda and The Avalanches. Well worth a punt. Best Tracks: Fat (Party & Bullshit); (I'm) In Deep; Not Paid Enough
Suede
3/5
Britpop and Glam cocktail with a dash of smack on the rim. This is a band that personify the phrase 'elegantly wasted' - of course the issue is that it is not always a good thing. Much like this album. Some great tracks rub shoulders with the not so great. Brett Anderson's vocals can get a bit much. Mind you, this album is better than Dog Man Star and that's on the list so why not this one as well. Best Tracks: So Young; Animal Nitrate; Metal Mickey
The Beach Boys
3/5
RIP Brian. I got this on the day the great man died. Feels wrong to say anything bad about him, however it's still fine to slag Mike Love off so that's good. Pop melodies are becoming more complex and hints at the staggering works of genius Brian was to write are beginning to appear. We also have the elements of misery and darkness juxtaposing with the catchy ear-worms, again hints that there was something deeper going with Brian than what others may have noticed at the time. But really, that's what this album is. Hints. I'm not sure it should be here as they were really a singles band at this point. Best Tracks: Do You Want To Dance?; Help Me, Rhonda; Please Let Me Wonder
Steely Dan
4/5
Am I a white, middle aged muso? I mean, I'm doing this so yes. Ergo of course I love Steely Dan. Is this album needed? Nope. They have 3 maybe 4 that belong on this list, but this one isn't one of them. It is , however, still great. Sit back, pour yourself a drink and enjoy. In fact, fuck it. The more Dan the better - keep it in. I suppose you coudl technically have all their albums from their first up to and including Gaucho. So do yourself a favour and listen to all of them anyway even if they're not on the list. Best Tracks: Bodhisattava; Show Biz Kids; My Old School
LTJ Bukem
3/5
It always feels like a bit of a cheat when they allow compilation albums on this list. Some mellow break beats, some funky break beats and some other break beats that fall somewhere between the two. It's a nice, chill drum'n'bass album. It all blends into one - but I think maybe that's part of the point? Best Tracks: Solar System; Above & Beyond; Music
Fiona Apple
4/5
When this came out it got so much attention as Pitchfork gave it one of their rare 10 ratings. Heavy burden. Honestly, it's good - but it's not this mind blowing masterpiece it was made out to be. It's interesting, it's Tom Waits lite - as in it has some odd percussion and beats, good lyrics and a palatable voice. Is it a 10 out of 10 album? Nope. Is it an interesting album and worth a listen? Yes. Best Tracks: Shameika; Under The Table; Ladies
The Prodigy
3/5
Important British techno that opened the door for those out the loop to start joining in. There are some absolute bangers on here that anyone who was around at the time would know - this crossed over BIG. Aggressive, funky and sweaty - enjoyable, but you wouldn't want to hug it on the dancefloor. Get high and enjoy. Best Tracks: Their Law; Voodoo People; No Good (Start The Dance)
Baaba Maal
2/5
There's so many great "world music" albums out there missed off this list while another, mid tempo boring album gets added. Perfect for eating in a restaurant background music. Don't listen to this - go and listen to the Japanese band Number Girl and their album 'Suppekei' instead - key figures of the Japanese alt-rock movement. Best Tracks: Lam Tooro; Muudo Hormo; Maacina Tooro
Scissor Sisters
3/5
You don't have to be fabulously gay to enjoy this album but it probably helps. Camp pop that has a couple of bangers but it can't keep up the pace. It has nods to 70's Elton natch, but they probably should've avoided that as how are you going to live up to those standards? Plus that cover of Comfortably Numb is one of the worst I've ever heard. Also, I could've sworn glitter came out of my speakers... Best Tracks: Laura; Take Your Mama; Filthy/Gorgeous
Julian Cope
3/5
A perfect example of a bloated double album that could've been a really good single album. At times poppy, psychedelic, naval gazing, dull, monotonous, catchy, groovy - and sometimes all at once. I've never really understood the love for "cosmic shaman" Julilan Cope; he was always just a boring acid head as far as I'm concerned. This album has done a little to really dispell that. Supposedly a concept album about Mother Nature and Earth, but being vague enough to not be, shows the courage of Cope's convictions. This album is as long as getting stuck with someone having a boring acid epiphany and you've nowhere to go - entertaining in places, but you end up just wishing it was over. Best Tracks: East Easy Rider; Hanging Out and Hung Up On The Line; Beautiful Love
Alice Cooper
2/5
Obviously the title track is an absolute banger, so it kicks the doors off the album with intent. There's a theory that this is a concept album about "youth lost when leaving school; I can't see it. I wasn't expecting the musical theatre aspect of the album but I suppose that's my fault - it is Alice Cooper after all. This album should not be on this list because of the strength of one track. Best Tracks: School's Out; Luney Tune; Public Animal #9
Sex Pistols
5/5
Fuck yeah! One of the best debuts and important albums of all time. It's better to burn out than fade away and that's best represented by this album. The thing that always surprised me is that the production is so good, and the playing fantastic. Snotty, gobby, leary and full of piss and vinegar. Amazing. Best Tracks: Holidays In The Sun; Bodies; God Save The Queen
Dusty Springfield
5/5
What an album. That voice! That playing! Those songs! Misery has never sounded so good. Best Tracks: Son of a Preacher Man; Don't Forget About Me; Breakfast In Bed
The Prodigy
4/5
This is an album that comes out all guns blazing. It's the mix where techno and pop meet up for a dirty weekend - both enjoying it at the time and ignoring the grime while always secretly looking back with a fond memory of the tryst but never to be repeated. Best Tracks: Smack My Bitch Up; Breathe; Firestarter
Can
3/5
Superlative Krautrock. Strange but instantly recognisible vocals by Damo Suzuki, weird rhythm changes, elongated jams and occasional melodies. I can understand why people don't like this album, especially tracks 5 & 6, but again, I dig it and also it *is* important. Post Rock wouldn't exist without this band. Best Tracks: Paperhouse; Oh Yeah; Halleluhwah
Paul McCartney
5/5
Macca puts his middle finger up to the band he tried keeping together but had essentially pissed off with trying to keep them together. He decamps to Scotland for a bit, drinks too much and writes some songs. He comes back home to London and starts recording these songs or bits of ideas on to a four track. He spruces some up in Abbey Road but some are left as is. It’s a rough album inventing Lo-Fi and gives us a glimpse into a private man’s psyche. Tunes are here but some will probably be put off by the instrumentals or snatches of tunes – I was at first, but the more years I’ve lived with it, the more I’ve come to love its charms. Best Tracks: That Would Be Something; Every Night; Maybe I’m Amazed
Super Furry Animals
3/5
It's the Furries. You know what you're getting with them. Quirky, indie pop with dashes of electronic bubbles and Bacarach style strings. I am of a certain age however, and think that you really only need their first album and Radiator. Once you've listened to these two peak albums you don't really need the rest. Best Tracks: Sidewalk Serfer Girl; (Drawing) Rings Around The World; Juxtaposed With U
Black Flag
5/5
Redefining the parameters of hardcore. The songs are harsh, aggressive and ready to smash your face in. Most people will probably hate the hostility and I can understand those feelings - but they're wrong, as underlying all the spit and snarl is some pinpoint satirical humour. You just have to stop the ringing in your ears to hear it. This album is essential. Best Tracks: Six Pack; TV Party; Police Story
Electric Light Orchestra
5/5
Jeff Lyne is so obsessed with wanting to be in The Beatles, he seems to have forgotten he was in the 70s pop/rock masterclass of an outfit in ELO. Here he shows off a range of styles but never forgetting the hooks. If you want a lesson in classic 70's pop/rock, you need not look any further. A double album that's worth the time - half of these tracks are easily certified bangers. Best Tracks: Turn To Stone; Sweet Talkin' Woman; Mr Blue Sky
David Gray
2/5
This is music for:
a) Richard Curtis movies
b) Turn of the millenium dinner parties
c) Heartbroken, drunken chavs to sing loudly in the early morning hours while walking in an alley between terraced houses and a railway
d) All of the above.
Best Tracks: Please Forgive Me; Babylon; This Year's Love
Q-Tip
3/5
Tribe are one of the greats and Q-Tip is up there in GOAT terms for me. If you know Q-Tip then you know what to expect: great flow, rhymes, hooks and superb production. It's very good, but for me it's lacking something that Tribe have. Best Tracks: Won't Trade; Gettin Up; Move
Sonic Youth
2/5
More of an exploration of noise and atmosphere rather than a collection of songs, though they do peek through the fug as the band realise that songs can have hooks and melody. This album is important from a "how did Sonic Youth develop" stand point but their better albums are already covered. Do we need this one on the list? Probably not. Best Tracks: Tom Violence; Star Power; Madonna, Sean and Me
LL Cool J
2/5
This is LOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNG. The ladies may have loved him, but for me he wears out his welcome. Best Tracks: The Boomin' System; Mr Goodbar; Mama Said Knock You Out
Frank Zappa
4/5
A great place to start with Zappa. Here he curbs his more juvenile tendancies (well, mostly) and gives us a jazzy, proggy, rock amalgamation. Best Tracks: Peaches En Regalia; Willie The Pimp; The Gumbo Variations
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Raekwon
5/5
One of the great hip-hop albums, no matter what coast. It's pure storytelling with superb productions (as expected from RZA). Everyone brings their A game and it's one of the only hip-hop albums where the skits add to the overall story. Sit back and get involved! Best Tracks: Criminology (feat. Ghostface Killah); Guillotine (Swordz) (feat. Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck and GZA); Wu-Gambinos (feat. Ghostface Killah, Method Man, RZA and Masta Killa)
Rocket From The Crypt
4/5
Fucking ace rawk. Get in the pit, scream your lungs out, ravage your throat and start pummelling everyone. If you don't like this, then I have no interest in ever meeting you. Best Tracks: On a Rope; Young Livers; Fat Lip
Sonic Youth
5/5
*THE* Sonic Youth album for anyone with even a passing interest in alt-rock. A mammoth album that reeks of importance to anyone who has picked up a guitar in the last 40 years - even those who may not have heard this album will have come across its acolytes and imitators. Here Sonic Youth have their noise, but they fully embrace tunes and melody and make something utterly glorious. Best Tracks: Teen Age Riot; 'Cross The Breeze; Candle
The 13th Floor Elevators
2/5
Uuuuuurrrrrggggghhhhh - more US psychedelica. Do we need this much? Seemingly, the most important thing about this album is it is the first use of the word "psychedlic" in print. Other than that, this would be just a footnote in musical history. I'm sure when mashed on that Haigh-Ashbury brown acid the "Electric Jug" seemed like a great idea at the time - instead it just becomes annoying. Much like so much of this genre. The saving grace for this band is the garage rock tendancies seem to shine through - only just. Best Tracks: You're Gonna Miss Me; Fire Engine; Monkey Island
Doves
3/5
One of the pensive bands to come out of the north of England in the early 2000s; Elbow being another - only one of them really made it big though and it's not this one. Unfortunately nowhere near as much fun as the pill they're named after was. It's all a bit of a wash really, songs come and go with elements of colour and interest but nothing else really. Best Tracks: Here It Comes; Catch the Sun; The Cedar Room
Napalm Death
2/5
I get it. I get why it's here and I get why people hate it. Do I like it? Not really. Do I hate it? Not really. And how am I ever going to beat *that* review. Best Tracks: Multinational Corporations; Instinct of Survival; Scum
Pentangle
3/5
None more folk album. The vocals almost border on affectation and parody but the talent of all the members is too strong to deny. Though you have to be open minded enough to want to put on a knitted sweater and drink some scrumpy, it's worth it for when Bert Jansch or John Renbourn rip on guitar. Best Tracks: Springtime Promises; Hunting Song; Sally Go Round The Roses
The Only Ones
3/5
New wave one hit wonders. One stone cold banger, the rest of the album tries (and fails) to keep up. This one being on here is a genuine head scratcher. Best Songs: Another Girl, Another Planet; The Beast; Language Problem
Violent Femmes
5/5
One of the great indie albums of all time. Whiny, nasal vocals, mariachi bass, high snare drums. Songs about sexual frustration, masturbation, kissing people off, unrequited love, gun violence, absent parents and occasionally getting laid. Teenage feelings have never been so well documented. Best Tracks: Blister In The Sun; Kiss Off; Prove My Love
The Incredible String Band
1/5
This is the best anti-drugs advert I've ever heard. Awful, neo-folk with utter bilge for lyrics. The 60s has a lot to answer for. I've never once thought "You know what this song needs, more mouth harp." The sub-surreal lyrics sound like some twat wannabe Might Boosh fan trying to make you laugh in the pub but ruining your night. As this album has. Hopefully the hangman didn't let any of these reprobates anywhere near his daughter. A hot piece of ass like that deserves so much better. Best Tracks (I only picked these ones as they're the shortest): Witches Hat; Mercy I Cry City; Nightfall
CHIC
4/5
I have to admit, I'm not the biggest fan of disco but this album does a pretty fucking great job in trying to win me round. The genius of Nile Rodgers can't be understated - that man can play. Sod it, cast off your misery and just enjoy the groove. Now where's the blow? Best Tracks: Le Freak; Happy Man; I Want Your Love
Stevie Wonder
4/5
It's Stevie. It has the juxtaposition of all of his great albums for me. He gets so cheesy you get constipation and then he gets so funky it shakes all your shit out. There's rarely anything in between. He often hides pretty heavy messages behind his insanely catchy melodies - the man is a beast. This is an *important* album in every sense of the word. Yes everyone should listen to it - but the cheese!!!! Best Tracks: Sir Duke; I Wish; As
Madonna
2/5
I get it. The reinvention of Madonna for the 00s. Fair play, Madge kept herself relevant and she hasn't turned into the Cronenburgian body horror avatar yet. To me it's just more bland pop with hip-hop/electro lite beats. Aspects of this are like diet-Bjork. Best Tracks: Ray of Light; Frozen; The Power of Goodbye
Eminem
5/5
One of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. He continued to piss people off by dumping his own insecurities, fear, anger and hatred into our ears. The fact that 'Stan' was a UK Christmas number one and is now shorthand for an overzealous fan, shows how he had pretty much conquered the world at this point. He'd never be as good again. Best Tracks: Kill You; The Real Slim Shady; Criminal
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
With Tribe you know you've always got a good album; in fact did they ever release a truly bad album? Great flow, intelligent samples and hooks for days. What more do you want? Best Tracks: Luck of Lucien; I Left My Wallet in El Segundo; Can I Kick It?
Joni Mitchell
5/5
A cold, on the road album of motel rooms, broken relationships, sadness, and occasional happiness peeking through the snow clouds. Though Mitchell continues to plumb the depths of her own and essentially humanity's psyches, the music is more jazz influenced and unexpected. Odd tunings, winding melodies and (of course) the game changing fretless bass playing of Jaco Pastorious. Best Tracks: Coyote; Hejira; Refuge of the Roads
Mott The Hoople
3/5
Supermarket's own brand of David Bowie. Good fun but it always feels like your missing out on something better. Best Tracks: All the Way From Memphis; Honaloochie Boogie; I Wish I Was Your Mother
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Proof that sometimes mountains of cocaine, messy affairs and grudge fucking are actually beneficial. Best Tracks: Second Hand News; Go Your Own Way; You Make Loving Fun
William Orbit
3/5
Early 90's electronica post club come down music. There's many, many, many albums similar to this it all just depends if you're coming down to this one or the others like it. Best Tracks: Water From a Vine Leaf; Time To Get Wize; The Story of Light
Beatles
5/5
The Fabs' second album shows that they weren't slowing down songwriting wise. They have a mix of pure adrenaline pop mixed with their more esoteric tastes (for that time) with their choice of covers (musical, girl groups, soul) and they pull it off barely breaking a sweat. Goddamn these boys are good - they're going places. Best Tracks: It Won't Be Long; All My Loving; You Really Got a Hold On Me
Manic Street Preachers
5/5
"Fucking bleak" is the only way to describe this album. It's like picking at a scab that you won't allow to heal. However, it's still absolutely immense. Not for the faint hearted. Best Tracks: Yes; Faster; P.C.P.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
An album that's so good it's like a greatest hits. Sleazy, bluesy, jazzy, druggy and an absolute blast from beginning to end. There's a reason it's often said it's their greatest album. Best Tracks: Brown Sugar; Wild Horses; Can't You Hear Me Knocking
Skepta
3/5
Leading British Grime star releases his album that obviously had an eye on breaking the US but it's just too British and that's how I like it. Electronic booms and baps, bass rattling, speaker shredding beats and great flow and rhymes. Best Tracks: Lyrics; Man; Shutdown
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Debut album by Dusty. Seemingly sunny on the surface but in these songs there's heartbreak and darkness (and maybe the first feminist anthem?). The sun is covered by clouds as you listen to this album. Great 60's pop - even Harry and Lloyd couldn't ruin this album. Best Tracks: Mama Said; You Don't Own Me; Will You Love Me Tomorrow
Marty Robbins
2/5
Who knew the wild west was so sanitised? The songs are great but the whole enterprise feels like it's all be Disneyfied. I want some hard-fightin', flea-bitten bastard to be singing these songs; not some dude. Best Tracks: Big Iron; Billy The Kid; El Paso
The Stooges
4/5
They look like they stink and don't give a shit about it. This music kicks you in the balls and spits in your mouth then tries to make out with you. Don't pretend you don't like it you dirty bitch. Best Tracks: 1969; I Wanna Be Your Dog; No Fun
King Crimson
4/5
King Crimson moves away from the prog rock and becomes more free form jazz and experimental. It's certainly odd at times and trying to find a hook or melody becomes a bit of challenge. However, when it hits it really hits - you just have to go wading through the mists to find what you want. Best Tracks: Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part 1); Exiles; Easy Money
Digital Underground
2/5
I mean, it's loooooonnnnnnngggggg. A concept album about genetics and sex and whatever - I'm sure it was hilarious when they came up with it. Considering they sample so much P-Funk you could argue this is a George Clinton off shoot, it's amazing how much I don't want to dance. Well done. I never need to word "humpty" ever again. It's doing a lot of heavy lifting. Best Tracks: The Humpty Dance; Rhymin' on the Funk; Packet Man
Big Star
4/5
A classic in power pop and indie pop. Heavy on the pop melodies and crunching guitar - should've been massive at the time but wasn't and has only grown in stature since its release, not that that will do much good for its band members. Best Tracks: The Ballad of El Goodo; Thirteen; Don't Lie To Me
R.E.M.
4/5
This is one of those albums that I know exists, forget about it and all the songs within, then see it again, think "Do I know any of these tunes?" and then realise I know every single one. It's a weird juxtaposition of incredible indie rock/pop tunes and then forgetting them - that's my problem though, not the tunes. These are immense - R.E.M. decided they wanted to be bigger and this record helped them take another step to the stadium monsters they would become - even though it is not your typical play for greatness. It's odd and eclectic, but that just adds to its charm. Best Tracks: Pop Song 89; World Leader Pretend; Turn You Inside-Out
The Offspring
4/5
A smash of teenage memories and nostalgia come flooding back with this album. I was just turning 13 when this album came out and it sounded great then and it still does now. Production is on point for a punk rock band and it allowed them to cross over into the mainstream. This album and Green Day's Dookie were my introduction to my life long love of punk. Yeah I'm biased with this rating but who doesn't like screaming "YOU STUPID DUMBSHIT GODDAMN MOTHERFUCKER"? Best Tracks: Bad Habit; Come Out and Play; Self Esteem
Kings of Leon
4/5
I orginally dismissed this band as Indie boys who wear scarves indoors - I mean, they did but they were actually a bit better than I gave them credit for. As a debut this isn't too bad, fairly decent Southern blend rock - though the vocals feel too much of an affectation. It's CCR but with a wink to the skinny tie indie rock boys of the early 2000s. Slightly marred by the fact that me and my mates were partying in Stockholm and these guys walked in (they were on the tour for this album) and were strutting around in their skinny jeans and too small t-shirts like their shit didn't stink. We threw our drinks over them and stole their scarves then went and hid in the dark. Youth and Young Manhood indeed. Best Tracks: Red Morning Light; Spiral Staircase; Molly's Chambers
John Martyn
4/5
Let's be honest, he sounds absolutely smashed here (and he probably was). Elements of folk blend with what feels like smattering of fusion but his own quality and the backing musician's quality shine through. Best Tracks: Dealer; Couldn't Love You More; Dancing
Dr. Dre
5/5
Have elements of the album dated? Yes. Is it still absolutely banging? YES. Fucking crawling with classics - Dre's production is insane and creating G-Funk while Snoop makes his debut is next level. Insane album (just ignore the skits). Best Tracks: Fuck Wit Dre Day (And Everybody's Celebratin'); Nuthin' But A "G" Thang; Bitches Ain't Shit
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
More interesting to create than listen to. You call sniff your own farts, why bother with someone else's? Best Tracks: Hit by a Rock; AB/7A; Blood on the Floor
Mike Ladd
2/5
I listened to this album twice through... at least I think I did. It's quite amazing how bland this is. It's so bland I have no idea what to give it. I didn't hate it, or find it annoying, nor did I like it or notice any stand out tracks. I've gained absolutely nothing from listening to this and lost nothing. Best Tracks? 5000 Miles West of the Future (it's the opening song); Planet 10 (maybe?); Bladerunners (I guess)
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
For an album that's a piss take of the hippie culture in 1967 and poking fun of both the left and the right it's pretty good. The biggest issue is the smugness that just pours out of this records grooves. Will I listen to it again? Nope. Best Tracks: Mom & Dad; What's The Ugliest Part of Your Body? Flower Punk
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
Fey indie boys actually make quite a banger of an album. Cod-disco beats with hooks a plenty. Good fun and probably still gets played to death in indie discos. I remember the first time round when it did. Best Tracks: Take Me Out; The Dark of the Matinee; 40'
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Tribe's best album and one of the best hip-hop albums of all time. Jazz samples, funky drums, (as expected) great flow and intelligent rhymes - also, the tracks get better the further you get into the album. Best Tracks: Excursions; Check the Rhime; Everything is Fair
The Saints
3/5
Snotty garage punk from the first wave. Is it ground breaking? No. It's just straight up good fun. Best Tracks: Know Your Product; No, Your Product; Run Down
Culture Club
3/5
80's pop. Not as New Wave as I was expecting it to be! Lots of gospel influence throughout and interesting choices. This is what pop should be. Some good tunes to dance at weddings to. Best Tracks: Karma Chameleon; That's The Way (I'm Only Trying To Help You); Church of the Poisoned Mind
Weather Report
4/5
Essentially a jazz fusion supergroup. They're all shit hot players and you've just got to sit back and enjoy it. It's not as far out or complex as some fusion can be and that's probably what made it so popular. You can clean your glasses while nodding your head (on or off beat). Best Tracks: Birdland; Teen Town; Palladium
Steve Winwood
3/5
Straightforward 80's pop. Synth, slap bass and cheesy vocals abound. It's impressive as Winwood plays every instrument and produces the record himself. What's less impressive are the tunes. Fairly bland and uninteresting with occassional parts that try to be better. Best Tracks: While You See a Chance; Arc of a Diver; Night Train
Kanye West
5/5
Kanye's magnum opus - it was all so good before he became a mental nazi. He was still in his imperial phase at this point and hadn't lost it yet (though in hindsight maybe some cracks were beginning to show). The production is next level, the rhymes are by turns funny, paranoid and pissed off and the colloborators and featured artists all bring their A-game. Just an immense statement from the biggest artist of the time. Is it my favourite Kanye album? Maybe. Best Tracks: POWER; Monster; Runaway
Björk
2/5
Another Bjork album. I feel she's over represented on this list. Is she a musical genius? Almost certainly. Do I like her music? Sometimes. She's an aquired taste. Occasionally I'll "get it". But most of the time I don't. It's probably my fault though. Music wise, this feels the same as the others. Pixie vocals, electronic beats. In fact, I'd rather just listen to the instrumentals - they sound so much more interesting. That's Bjork. Best Tracks: Hidden Place; Cocoon; Pagan Poetry
Ghostface Killah
5/5
Ghostface is arguably the best story teller in the whole of the Wu. It's not doing anything particularly new or shocking (rapping about dealing coke) but it's all just great. It's another amazing album when it seemed that anyone from the Wu was just putting out bangers. The fact that there's multiple prodcuers doesn't stop the whole being linked together. Best Tracks: Kilo; 9 Milli Bros; Dogs of War
Television
5/5
Forward looking post-punk before it was even a thing. Guitar heroics and acrobatics abound - this album is a grower. Best Tracks: See No Evil; Friction; Marquee Moon
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
If this is the replica, imagine the real thing. Best Tracks: Moonlight In Vermont; China Pig; Hobo Chang Ba
Underworld
2/5
The best thing about this album is the title. It's sixth form poetry mumbled above boring beats. Occaisonally it becomes more interesting, but that's probably because some of the tracks have multiple parts so if you throw enough shit at the wall, some of it will stick. Best Tracks: Juanita/Kiteless/To Dream of Love; Banstyle/Sappy's Curry; Pearl's Girl
Led Zeppelin
5/5
LZ's white album. Range of psychedelic blues, extended jams, folk rock, groovy pop, proggy flashes - everything is here and it's a mess. A brilliant mess. Best Tracks: The Rover; Trampled Under Foot; Night Flight
Spiritualized
3/5
Walls and washes of guitar noise and whispered vocals that blend into a mix of shoegaze and dream pop with occasional dashes of glam. I couldn't whistle any of the tunes though so the album title is a tad misleading. Best Tracks: I Want You; Run; Shine a Light
Les Rythmes Digitales
2/5
Bog standard euro leaning electro-pop. I've got the feeling that he gave himself a French moniker here so he could get swept up with some of the love for Daft Punk et al. The songs have bits that are interesting and fun but it's never for a whole song. Best Tracks: (Hey You) What's That Sound?; Jacques You Body (Make Me Sweat); Sometimes
The Young Rascals
3/5
Terrible album cover, good little blue-eyed soul album. It again suffers from that sixties' production as so many of these albums do, but I feel that it adds that modern neo-soul sound that was being chased after by so many produces in the early 00's. Best Tracks: A Girl Like You; Groovin'; You Better Run
Joy Division
4/5
Is it "Closer" or "Closer"? Who knows. Joy Division's last album as Ian Curtis joins the tragic list of musicians who killed themselves and joined"that stupid club" as one person put it. His death hangs over this record seeing as it was released 2 months after his suicide - but it was always going to be dark anyway. Musically, it's all cold wet socks in a grotty bedsit with no heating and no carpet on the floor. It's bleak, but I think it has more to do with being from Manchester than anything else. Best Tracks: Isolation; Heart and Soul; Twenty Four Hours
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Their second album on this list, though I never really needed to hear the other album. Bland sophisti-pop. I genuinely don't understand the love for this group; I must be missing something, but for the life of me I don't know what. There were so many great bands going on in the 80's this lot should never have made it yet critics seem to love them - I guess fuck the critics... It's rather telling that the track that has the most listens on Spotify for this album (over 10 million more that it's nearest rival) is a cover. And I'm always put off by the singer looking like Nicholas Lyndhurst. I know it's not her fault but it always bothered me. In fact, it looks like they've used a face swap app. That's probably the most interesting thing about this muzak. Best Tracks: I Always Was Your Girl; Shadow on a Harvest Moon; Apron Strings
R.E.M.
4/5
Another reminder of how good R.E.M. were as a four piece. Great, indie rock from a band who were seemingly at the peak of their powers, if not their fame. Jangly guitars fight with distortion and the distortion wins this round to great effect. Stipe's typically obtuse lyrics are here, but the hooks and melodies are so strong who cares what he's actually singing about? Best Tracks: Finest Work Song; It's the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine); The One I Love
Ryan Adams
5/5
A case in point in removing the art from the artist. Adams begins to move away from alt-country with his second solo album (though that's here) and starts to flesh out his style a bit more including, bluegrass, gospel, pop and rock. This was a man who had his whole future ahead of him with this album, and though he often was able to write good albums, and some with tunes that could have gone on this album, he was never a great as this again. Is he a cunt? More than likely. Is this a great album? Definitely. Best Tracks: Firecracker; Goodnight, Hollywood Blvd.; Cannonball Days
Klaxons
2/5
This is a strange album to have in the book - an album from a fairly niche genre that existed for about 1 summer when nothing really interesting was happening. It's a mix of post-punk and some disco beats - dubbed New-Rave. Really it's just warmed over early noughties disco punk that bands form NYC had done so much better. Like the genre that the band named themselves, it's just not very good. Best Tracks: Golden Skans; Gravity's Rainbow; Magick
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Gabriel seems to have ditched more of his stranger ideas and comes out with a great mid-80's pop album. It still has the weirder elements here for his fans, but you have to peek into the darker corners. Best Tracks: Red Rain; Sledgehammer; Big Time
Tom Tom Club
3/5
If being in Talking Heads wasn't quite quirky enough for you, why not create an even quirkier side project? Well, here it is. It's party music for people who try too hard by carrying a biscuit tin and wearing bowling shoes. Best Tracks: Wordy Rappinghood; Genius of Love; As Above So Below;
Hanoi Rocks
2/5
Hanoi Rocks? No. No they don't. Best Tracks: Mental Beat; Sailing Down The Tears; Back To Mystery City
David Bowie
4/5
It's a good album (I mean it's Bowie so it's got a very good chance of being good to great) but do we need another Bowie on this list? I get the feeling that this is only on here as it was his "comeback album" and it was good rather than... well, shit, but was this one really needed to be heard before you die? Nope. Best Tracks: The Stars (Are Out Tonight); Where Are We Now?; Dancing Out In Space
Dwight Yoakam
2/5
Honky-tonkin' country that is just a bit too cleanly produced for my, and its own, tastes. The songs are dark and are pretty good! This production just ruins it for me though - I want songs about fightin', fuckin' and murder sound like they've been through the ringer; here it makes it all sounds too much like posing... and no one likes posers. Best Tracks: One More Name; What I Don't Know; Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room (She Wore Red Shoes)
Nick Drake
4/5
Hushed vocals, beautiful melodies, finger picked guitar, misty eyed atmosphere of an England that never was... Best Tracks: Hazy Jane II; One of These Things First; Northern Sky
Otis Redding
4/5
Does exactly what it says on the tin. One of the greats blasts through a bunch of soul, rock and ballads. It's a collection of songs, rather than an album (the title even seems a nod to this) but what a collection. Best Tracks: Respect; A Change Is Gonna Come; You Don't Miss Your Water
Basement Jaxx
3/5
Big beats are the best beats. Get high all the time. Best Tracks: U Can't Stop Me; Red Alert; Bingo Bango
The Adverts
3/5
Punk's first wave album. It's not bad, but there were other albums from this era that we better. Best Tracks: One Chord Wonders; Bored Teenagers; No Time To Be 21
Shivkumar Sharma
3/5
Spotify has the tracks all mixed up which is annoying as according to wikipedia, the whole thing is a concept album about a Kashmiri shephard's typical day and tracks represent different times of the day. Anyway, it's relaxing to listen to and captures what I would guess to be a lovely sunny day. Lay back and enjoy. Best Tracks: Nat Bhairav (Ektaal); Raga (Pilu) (Teentaal); Raga (Bhoop)
The Smiths
5/5
Arguably The Smith's greatest work (it is) was also their last. It's all here, present and correct: a mix of insane tunes, melodies, a range of unexpected instruments and Moz's miserable lyrics. A band this great could only last for so long and what an album to crash out on. It's stuff like this that makes people say they were the most important British band since The Beatles. Best Tracks: I Started Something I Couldn't Finish; Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before; I Won't Share You
Norah Jones
2/5
Like listening to a 45 minute and 8 second yawn. Best Tracks: Don't Know Why; Come Away With Me; Turn Me On
Ministry
2/5
Dark, industrial metal (though I get the distinct feeling it's got its tongue firmly in its cheek). It's heavy in all the right ways but I always feel industrial music is lacking any real soul - I guess that's probably the point, but if something is so cold and emotionless constantly, how are we meant to connect with it? Best Tracks: N.W.O.; Just One Fix; Jesus Built My Hotrod
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Gabriel leaves Genesis but not his oddness. A mix of pop-prog-rock makes it a bit of a hodge podge of ideas but with the backing band he's got here, the quality is always pretty high. The rockier songs fare better than the ballads to be honest. Best Tracks: Solsbury Hill; Modern Love; Slowburn
Saint Etienne
2/5
I always had a bit of a schoolboy crush on Sarah Cracknell. She looked like your mate's mum who was attractive and would come and chat to you about music and say things like "It's got a good beat." Anyway, she wasn't a proper member yet, BUT that is what this music is. Music a hot mum would make and tell you it's got a good beat. And sometimes it does. Best Tracks: Only Love Can Break Your Heart; Spring; Nothing Can Stop Us
Dolly Parton
2/5
Three giants of country come together to sing bittersweet songs for you to cry into your beer to. As is often the problem with some of these country albums, the production is too clean. I want some dirt with my misery. Also, Parton is easily the best - her tracks are just so much better. Best Tracks: Making Plans; Wildflowers; Those Memories of You
Throwing Muses
2/5
Someone's read The Bell Jar. Post-punk which was probably loved by students in the 80s. Best Tracks: Call Me; Hate My Way; Vicky's Box
Malcolm McLaren
3/5
Cultural appropriation in music form. It's a good mash up of an album - it's a shame that McLaren didn't credit any of the musicians he sampled and used. If we're being kind, it's a musical curio - important in the development of sampling and introducing hip-hop to a larger audience, but that's about it. Best Tracks: Obatala; Double Dutch; Punk It Up
N.E.R.D
3/5
As good as this pop/hip-hop album is, it's hardly essential. Their debut album is 100% important as an example of the eclectisim of this production group, this is not - it's got some tunes as these three were pretty much unbeatable at this point in time, but... Best Tracks: Don't Worry About It; She Wants To Move; Maybe
The Coral
2/5
A bunch of scouse scallies take acid and record an album. They stole the airwaves for a bit in the early '00s - lucky they didn't steal your bike. I didn't fall for the hype then and I'm not falling for it now. Thinks it's weird and quirky, when actually it is just a bit of a bore. Best Tracks: Dreaming of You; Goodbye;
Pere Ubu
2/5
Another Pere Ubu album? This is overkill. It's much the same as the other, i.e. someone who needs to blow their nose is singing, beginners on the instruments and songs that are held together by sticky tape. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's not so good. I always thought they were a band people said they liked for kudos. This hasn't changed my view. Best Tracks: Non Alignment Pact; Modern Dance; Street Waves
The Stooges
4/5
A chaotic scream of proto-punk. It's dark, messy, heavy and kinda sexy.; the kind of band that would put it in its own arse. Best Tracks: Down on the Street; T.V. Eye; Dirt
The Auteurs
3/5
You can blame this/bow down to this for essentially providing the template for Brit-Pop apparently. Self-knowingly, ironically wry lyrics, breathy Iain Broudie esque vocals and poppy melodies - that start to blend in It's of its time. Best Tracks: Show Girl; Junk Shop Clothes; How Could I Be Wrong
FKA twigs
2/5
R&B tries to make itself more interesting by including electronic burbling and glitches. Fails. Best Tracks: Two Weeks; Pendulum; Video Girl
Meat Puppets
4/5
I, like many other, discovered this band after Nirvana covered three of their songs on the unplugged album. A mix of genres (hardcore, cowpunk, psychdelia, Americana) all add to the lo-fi messiness of the album. It's got character. Best Tracks: Plateau; Aurora Borealis; We're Here
The KLF
2/5
Acid house art project? Piss take? Dated? Yes. Best Tracks: What Time is Love?; 3 A.M. Eternal; Last Train to Trancentral
Fatboy Slim
4/5
Listening to this on a Thursday morning makes me wish it was a Friday night and I was about 20 years younger and I could get my hands on the naughties I used to... and my body wouldn't take 3 days to recover if I decided to imbibe in a little bit of vice-like partaking. Anyway, big beats and best; get high all the time. Best Tracks: Song for Lindy; Going Out of my Head; Everybody Needs a 303;
Soundgarden
4/5
Lumped in with grunge, but this band were like the smart kid in class who just keeps quiet. Songs that twist and turn, sludgy stoner rock riffs, face-melter solos, insane vocal acrobatics and yet they don't forget the big choruses that will hook you in. Could it have done with a bit of editing? Yes, but this was in the era of lading as much as you could on a CD. So many bands and groups fell into this trap. Best Tracks: Fell on Black Days; Black Hole Sun; Spoonman
Faust
3/5
Pretty, catchy, and disturbing. A real mix of styles here - flashes of brilliance and absurdity in equal measure. Songs shift right where you're standing and everytime you think you have an idea of where a song is going it changes. However, they never forget the hooks. Best Tracks: Krautrock; Jennifer; Giggy Smile
Adele
1/5
Fuck me. Another Adele album? There is absolutely no need for this corporate tested family friendly Asda special price muzak to be here. I;m sure it's big on tik tok with pictures of dog charities or kids looking miserable, but come on. This is just shit. Best Tracks: Hello; Send My Love (To Your New Lover); When We Were Young
PJ Harvey
5/5
Now this is the palette cleanser I needed after that fucking dross that was Adele. THIS is actual talent. Polly Jean shrieks and wails and growls and sings about a range of emotions. In a just world, this would be a multi-million selling album. Fuck. I'm still ranting about Adele's shit. Sorry Peej. Best Tracks: Rub It Till It Bleeds; 50ft Queenie; Man-Size
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
4/5
A modern classic in American-Gothic-Indie-Folk-Whatever. Oldham's voice and seemingly 18th century lyrics may be a bit of a barrier for some, but for me that is the selling point. We hear the human. We hear the emotional cracks. Yes, we can all see the darkness, but some of us are lucky enough to see some occasional light as well. Best Tracks: A Minor Place; I See A Darkness; Death To Everyone
The Fall
3/5
Another album by the band it's cool to name drop to show your music cred but how many people who claim to love this band actually listen to them reguarly? Another issue with this list is the inclusion of debut albums just because the band is seen as "important"(cf. The Rolling Stones debut). This is another album just like that. The Fall have made better albums than this one. The blueprint of all the rest of their career is here - if you listen to this you're not getting anything you wouldn't get from other albums, it's just not as good.Best Tracks: Frightened; Rebellious Jukebox; Industrial Estate
Tori Amos
3/5
Always heard of this album, but never got around to listening to it. Kate Bush esque is the first thing that springs to mind, and as such that's always a positive. However, it gets intense in places. Best Tracks: Silent All These Years; Happy Phantom; Me and a Gun
The Beta Band
3/5
A perfect example of a great band who never really made it. Mix of folk, hip-hop, sampling and indie rock - and that's only scratching the surface. Though there's a mash up of so many genres, the vocal melodies tend to fall back on chanting and aren't as strong . A good album, not great. Should it be in here seeing as they made no real impact other than being a critics' favourite? Best Tracks: Squares; Human Being; Dragon
The Killers
4/5
As master class in early 00's indie rock/pop. I haven't listened this album for years and the one two punch of those opening tracks is something else. The album continues to be great, but it struggles occasionally to keep up the quality for the whole thing - but then again, most bands would. Best Tracks: Jenny Was A Friend of Mine; Mr Brightside; Somebody Told Me
Lucinda Williams
4/5
Arguably the queen of Alt-Country (it's a toss up between her and Gillian Welch), gritty vocals that can switch to angelic while singing songs about loving, drinking, fighting and other country tropes. Dashes of accordian broaden the sound from what is typically expected. It sounds great though. Best Tracks: Car Wheels on a Gravel Road; Drunken Angel; Can't Let Go
CHVRCHES
3/5
Modern synth-pop with hooks for days. Crisp, clean with synth washes and pin point precise vocals. It could verge on lacking any emotion it's so well put together but it stays just on the right side of humanity. Best Tracks: The Mother We Share; Gun; Recover
a-ha
3/5
Let's face it, they were never going to have any songs as good as Take On Me, so no real surprises. Passable 80's pop, no real need for this to be on here. Best Tracks: Take On Me; Hunting High and Low; The Sun Always Shines on TV;
Sabu
2/5
I hope you like congos. Best Tracks: El Cumbanchero; Choferito-Plena; Rhapsodia Del Maravillsos
Justice
4/5
Like a more dirty, pissed up, pissed off Daft Punk. Bone rattling bass, crisp pop hooks, squelchy glitchy beats and a side eye to anyone who doesn't want to D.A.N.C.E. Best Tracks: Genesis, D.A.N.C.E.; Waters of Nazareth
The Electric Prunes
2/5
I thought I'd finished with the late 60's US psychedelia as I'm nearly at the end of the list but obviously not. You know what it sounds like before you've even heard the album. Poorly produced sound effects, reverb, cod-philosophical high school poetry lyrics, no real hooks and awful stereo panning production. At least it's mercifully short. There seems to be a trend to this list where the band produced one famous song and so their album gets included (see also: a-ha). Best Tracks: I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night); Onie; Try Me On For Size
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Album number 4 in the five album run of quality that Wonder produced in the 70's. It is as expected. Flashes of pure unadulterated genius interspersed with cloying cheese. Is it the strongest one out of the 5? Nope. Is it still good? Yes. Best Tracks: Boogie on Reggae Woman; You Haven't Done Nothin'; Please Don't Go
Michael Jackson
4/5
The album that made MJ take his first steps proper to becoming the king of pop. If you're of a certain age (as I am) you had no choice but to know all the songs off of this album. It's hard to get through the mists of the past and actually try and listen to this album with fresh ears. Whatever, even to the most jaded pair of ears this is obviously a disco/pop masterclass. Would MJ have been as big if he hadn't have hooked up with Quincy Jones? Probably not. Ignore the fact that MJ may have diddled little boys and Quincy Jones gave us the nepo-baby Rashida Jones and just try and enjoy the music. Best Tracks: Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough; Rock With You; Off The Wall
Christina Aguilera
1/5
First thought: Fucking hell, a double album from Christina Aguilera? Why is this on the list?
Final thought: Fucking hell, a double album from Christina Aguilera? Why is this on the list?
Best Tracks: Makes Me Wanna Pray (feat. Steve Winwood); Ain't No Other Man; Candyman
Nico
3/5
It's the sound of Wes Anderson's wet dreams: the lady with the dark brown voice and a hell of a backing band. She sounds bored by the songs she's singing but that's kind of the selling point. The songs are pretty great, as is this album. Nico apparently hated the production and that is the thing that is fairly offputting and makes it seem a tad cheesy. I'd love to hear the album without all the Mantovani strings and with just guitar and drums as she wanted it. Anyway... Best Tracks: The Fairest of the Seasons; These Days; I'll Keep It With Mine
Prefab Sprout
3/5
An love note from a British indie-pop band that obviously has a love of Americana. It occasionally starts to veer into 'none more eighties' production but melodies are catchy generally, but there is a danger of blandness coming through. Best Tracks: Bonny; Appetite; When Love Breaks Down;
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
Big band jazz that can be great if you're in the right frame of mind, not so great if you associate tea room orchestras with it. This album is about trimness, not excess, every note is counted for and every note matters. Best Tracks: Flight of the Foo Birds; Splanky; Lil' Darlin'
Doves
3/5
Again, I have no idea why Doves have two albums on this list, let alone one. It's fairly generic indie from the early 00s. Some occasional half decent tunes, but it is infuriating seeing this group who made no real cultural impact on the UK music scene have two entries here. As I said before, nowhere near as much fun as the drugs they're named after. Best Tracks: There Goes The Fear; Pounding; Caught By The River
Ice Cube
4/5
Fuck yes. The perfect antidote to the blandness that is Doves. Pissed off Ice Cube before he became a parody of himself. Angry, funny and yes fairly dated rhymes, but it's SO extreme in places it becomes funny! It's easy to forget how good Ice Cube was, do yourself a favour and listen to this album again and remind yourself. Best Tracks: The Nigga Ya Love To Hate; Once Upon a Time in the Projects; Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside) (feat. Chuck D)
JAY Z
5/5
A masterclass in hip-hop; flow, production, beats, rhymes, you name it. He was hated at this time and he came out swinging - his dis tracks are next level. One of the greatest hip-hop albums ever. Best Tracks: The Ruler's Back; The Takeover; Renegade (feat. Eminem)
King Crimson
4/5
Jazzy-prog came moving in to odd time signitures at the tail-end of the 60s. It's by turns, mellow, angry, rifftastic, OTT and everything in between This album is a classic for a reason - and not just the album cover. Best Tracks: 21st Century Schizoid Man; I Talk to the Wind; The Court of the Crimson King
Hookworms
3/5
It all feels a bit more mainstream indie rock compared to their debut that was more psychdelic freak out kraut rock. It's good, for what it is (generic indie), and when the songs start to veer more towards the ones on their debut it gets better, but I have no idea why it's on the list. Best Tracks: Ullswater; Opener; Boxing Day
Badly Drawn Boy
4/5
A cheeky mix of mellow folk, indie rock, instrumentals and singer-songwriter like confessionals - but there are always plenty of hooks to hang your beany on. It's tweeness does occasionally risk becoming a tad cloying, but this was an album that promised Badly Drawn Boy was going to become massive, and he did... for a bit. Best Tracks: The Shining; Once Around The Block; Pissing In The Wind
Emmylou Harris
3/5
Harris is obviously a country legend and her voice is distinct, however, did we need this 3rd album? It wasn't a huge cultural rebirth (like Johnny Cash), it was just an album that critics liked - there's plenty of albums that aren't on this list that fit that description. Anyway, it's not as strong on country as her other albums and is a tad more atmospheric with some unexpected production choices (e.g. drum loops) and leans into that. The production is like Temu Lanois. It's fine. Best Tracks: Michelangelo; I Don't Want To Talk About It; Red Dirt Girl
Bee Gees
1/5
Let's face it, 60's Bee Gees is overwrought miserable dirge pop and this double (fucking hell, double) album is no different. They need more cocaine and tight trousers and luckily the 70s would give it to them. God this album is awful. Why would anyone think we need to listen to a failed concept album about the loss of a fictional ship in 1899? Best Tracks: Marley Purt Drive; Melody Fair; First of May
Black Sabbath
5/5
I thought trying not to listen to this after Ozzy's recent death and not let it influence my decision would be difficult but seeing as this album is absolutely fucking immense the band make it easy. The first ever metal album opens with bash your head in riffs, some wailing bloke singing incantations, pummeling drums and surprisingly jazzy bass lines. Goddamn this album rocks and it opens with a song title the same as the album title the same name of the band; how many have done that? If you don't like this album you can just fuck right off and give your ears a clean and try again. Best Tracks: Black Sabbath; The Wizard; N.I.B.
Beatles
5/5
The Fab Four cast off the shackles of the mop-tops completely and release a darker, weirder, rockier and better folk/rock hybrid - or their version of it anyway. Songs about shagging, fame, arson, infidelity, promise of murder, failing relationships, more shagging, existential crisis, rejection of comformity, trying to pull someone, more shagging, breaking up, making up, strength in the self, nostaligia and, of course, a little bit of love as well. The fact that this was made in two weeks in crazy enough in itself what with them reinventing popular music and all. It's just pure genius packaged in easily digestible songs so us mere mortals could keep up with them. Best Songs: Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown); I'm Looking Through You; In My Life
Kings of Leon
3/5
Here the band wanted to get out of the clubs and head for the arenas and as an example of mid-noughties arena rock, it's better than Coldplay. Damned with faint praise I suppose but some of the tunes are immense. It's good for what it does and it did what it was intended to do, so fair play. Best Tracks: Crawl; Sex on Fire; Use Somebody
American Music Club
3/5
Evan Dando was certainly taking notes before he decided to make the Lemonheads more country/punk/pop. Anyway, this is a great album; little sadsack teenage freshly dumped me would have probably loved this album if I'd heard it then AND it sounds like it was leading the way with the alt-rock/alt-country/Americana genres AND I was wrong to just pick on Dando; to be honest it sounds like many bands that became big from the alternative community were listening and taking this lead and running with it. Though many probably haven't heard this album before (me included), and it doesn't really keep up the quality as there is a bit of a dip in the middle, I can definitely say you should listen to this as it's obviously a touchstone for many, many albums and artists that followed. Best Tracks: Firefly; Somewhere; Last Harbor