Though I think that albums less that 10 years old shouldn't be on the list, Gorrilaz are a band that should be. This is more of their typical fare, but a bit less cluttered than some previous albums. It's just great pop. Is it their best? Nope. But it is still damn good, and a lot better than many modern pop albums on this list. Best Tracks: Cracker Island (feat. Thundercat); New Gold (feat. Tame Impala & Bootie Brown); Skinny Ape
This is too cheesy, too compressed and too bland. It feels like corporate rock. It feels like YouTube rock. It feels like Tik Tok rock. It sounds like SUNO. It's the music record company execs think people who like rock want to listen to. It's got all the right moves and tropes and even some flashy production tricks but it's just not very good. It's like all the bad bits of Muse have been distilled and put on here. It's rock to people who now view Linkin Park as a classic on their Spotify playlist. Apologies to whoever picked this, but it's not any rock I recognise or like. I don't think anyone needs to hear this before they die. Best Tracks: Carnivore; It Has Begun; My Demons
I remember this album (specifically the cover) from my uni days. I never listened to it then and througout the years I've seen it appear now and again but again, I never listened to it. Now is the time to change that. It's a weird mix of prog rock/post rock with a concept of Jesus returning to Texas and saying it is actually the centre of Jerusalem. It was not what I was expecting. It scratches my weird music itch. Also, the guy on the left always reminded me of Vic Reeves. Still does. Best Tracks: Falling from Cloud 9; With Crippled Wings; These Are They Days
How the fuck was this not on the original list???? One of the most important punk albums of all time; up their with Ramones' debut and Never Mind The Bollocks. Whether you like it or not, without this album no NOFX, no Green Day, no Blink-182, no Sum-41, in fact no pop-punk/melodic hardcore bands. So, even if you don't like this genre you can't deny the impact this album made. Best Songs: Myage; I'm Not a Loser; Suburban Home
It's like a less frenetic version of Polysics. We're in an age where computer game soundtracks are fully realised from the original 8 bit beeps and squeaks. This keeps you guessing the whole time and you can't help but feel like you could take on the world with a smile on your face! Brilliant, glitchy, jazzy fun. Another great choice by the people and not the book. Best Tracks: Katamari on the Rocks; You Are Smart; WANDA WANDA
Like a very efficient Black Sabbath at the beginning then becoming a bit more sixth form experimental stoner rock. But really it just kept me thinking about how great Sabbath are. Best Tracks: Burning Sister; Cerberus; Eye Shaking King
I've never been angsty/angry enough for NIN. It's cool that it brought industrial to the mainstream but it's still "woe is me I'm rich and famous" just in slightly different clothes. It's good,(though the second disc is much stronger) and the longer instrumental passages are often much more interesting, but if you've heard The Downward Spiral, you don't need to hear this double album of navel gazing. Best Tracks: The Day The World Went Away; Into The Void; Starfuckers Inc.
Reggae was never my favourite genre (it all gets a bit too plodding for me), and the original list didn't exactly change my mind, but it made me at least grow a wider knowledge of the genre. I'm glad to have this album here as I do like a couple of Toots' tunes and it turns out they're from this album. Here there's some branching out from the confines of reggae to include some funk and soul. This is the kind of reggae album I need to start changing my mind. Best Tracks: Funky Kingston; Country Road; Pressure Drop
Such a great debut. It's indie rock with that punk edge. It skirts a thin line between spoken word and singing, but that just adds to the feeling of ennui with the state of the world for Barnett/characters in her songs. So Aussie it should come with a jar of vegemite. Best Tracks: Elevator Operator; Pedestrian at Best; No One Cares if You Don't Come to the Party
Annoyingly talented preppy boys deliver another annoyingly good album. They're smarter, better looking, richer and more talented than you and they know it. Best Tracks: Unbelievers; Step; Diane Young
This is what I am here for, and once again, the users are providing a wider range of albums to listen to than the book. I never would have heard this album so thank you user! This Basque group remind me of The Police (and that's a good thing) with the rhythms and production. Great 80's production but not marred by that gated reverb. Best Tracks: Berandu Da; Tximeleata Reggae; Telefonoan
Again, an interesting choice from a user and again, another album I hadn't heard of. This mix of post rock, art rock, metal, and classical instrumentation is something completely different. The tracks are so varied that there must be something here for anyone with a passing interest in music -so perfect for people here! Best Tracks: The Manifold Curiosity; Wayfarer
An artist that got a lot more recognition after the documentary that was fake anyway wasn't it? It's fine. There's probably thousands of albums like this where it's not bad, but it's not the genius album that it was made out to be in the documentary. An album that needs the mystery to help it. Best Tracks: Sugar Man; This is not a Song, it's an Outburst...; I Wonder
Just bland end of the sixties blues rock. I listened to it. Nothing realy stood out. I've listend twice now and can't remember a thing about it. I'd like to know why the user chose this album as I can't for the life of me see why they did. Best Tracks: Thanks Christ For The Bomb; Garden; Eccentric Man
This album should've been on the original list to make up Pulp's great trilogy (the two latter albums are on the list). It's a perfect piece of British, arty, snarky pop. Great tunes, great lyrics. What more do you want? Best Tracks: Lipgloss; Babies; Do You Remember The First Time?
How, in the ever loving *fuck*, was this not on the list? It's just banger after banger after banger. Person who picked this, good work. Best Tracks: One More Time; Digital Love; Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
This is the kind of shit I want to hear before I die! A folk opera about the Greek myth Orpheus and Eurydice is something I was not expecting to hear. The arrangements and tunes are great. My only beef would be when coming across such projects as this, it's hard to pick separate songs as they are important as a whole. Prententious? Probably. But when it sounds as good as this, who cares? Best Tracks: Wedding Song; Way Down Hadestown; If It's True
You don't need Elvis Costello. We've got Elvis Costello at home. This is trying to be Costello so much it hurts. However, they forget that Costello has tunes and exceptional lyrics. This... not so much. Best Tracks: Local Girls; You Can't Be Too Strong; Protection
More Indie Landfill. I remember when this came out everyone was hailing them to be the next "saviours of rock". They weren't. Posh lads with guitars make passable music, but I suppose they understood the hype and named the album suitably. It's not bad, and it has some catchy hooks, when you're listening to it, but it's all pretty forgettable in the end. Best Tracks: Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra); If You Wanna; Norgaard
Sorry whoever picked his. This is just bland, R&B, hip-pop. Nothing stands out. It just follows all the tropes and blandness as all other R&B. No melodies that have hooks. This is just a genre that lacks soul while claiming it has it by the load. Best Tracks: Forgive Me; Do It; Ungodly Hour
The name threw me off, I was expecting some post-hardcore mid 00's dross. Glad I was wrong! Some good glitchy post rock daubings here. Atmospheric and creepy in places, with a nice bit of math rock thrown in. Great stuff! Best Tracks: Mean Low Water; 65 Doesn't Understand You;
This is a joke right? I hate the fact that some twat is fucking up my algorithm with this dross. The impressive part is the fact that people actually bought this bargin bin, Esso garage special deal of an album. Fucking awful. I'm breaking my rule and not putting any song as a best track as they're all an affront to any music lover. Pure, unadulterated gash juice. Well played, user. Well played. Is this the worst album ever made? No. Is it the lamest? Most definitely yes. If only I could give zero.
I love Propagandhi and so this off-shoot was one I'm already familiar with. Smart lyrics, pop-punk production and hooks a plenty. Is it a bit prententious and navel gazing? Yes. It's prefect for those teenagers reading Camus. I feel a tad too old for it now though - what with being mid 40s, but well worth it for teens. Best Tracks: Reconstruction Site; A Plea From a Cat Named Virtue; One Great City!
Opening an album with the word "SHIT" shouted twice is about as explicit foreshadowing as you can have from a band. As Garth Marenghi says, any writers who use subtext are cowards. At least this band aren't cowards I suppose. I'm guessing the user picked this for nostalgia reasons rather than thinking anyone *really* needs to hear this before they die. Well, I hope so anyway. Fucking awful, half arsed, drum and bass, trance, metal guitars and post hardcore screaming paint a picture of a mess of an album. Best Tracks: Mothership; Anything Can Happen in the Next Half Hour; Sorry You're Not a Winner
More post-hardcore nonsense. I knew it had been too long since I heard any of this guff. Now two on the trot. This one is slightly better than the last one I heard but it all is the same. Bit of screaming, bit of more melodic singing, keep the guitars distorted etc etc. Nostalgia plays a big role for some people I guess. It does for me too, but I wouldn't recommend an album for people based on my own nostalgia. Best Tracks: Accidents; Control; No Transitory
The album where the Monkeys forgot hooks and memorable melodies. It's really bland. Old Monkeys are fantastic, newer Monkeys not so much. BUT at least they're trying to mix things up a bit it just doesn't work for me. Best Tracks: Star Treatment; Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino; Four Out of Five
Brings up my issue with albums that haven't really been around for long enough to warrant the tag of hearing it before you die. It's fine. I've always thought they're an overhyped band and this has done nothing to change my mind. I guess when you're young and living in a fairly bland time for guitar music, you have to latch on to anything you can get. Best Tracks: Hurrican Laughter; Liberty Belle; Boys in the Better Land
This is just a great, early 90's electronic album. Scratchy beats, occasional glitchyness, samples, jazzy floruishes. Perfect background music while working. Best Tracks: All The Glitters; Opium Shuffle; Dirt
I was a typical teenager during Britpop. Loved Oasis. Liked Blur and Pulp. Completely indifferent to Mansun. They were a bit too fey for me. After listening to this album, probably for the first time since it came out, I am still completely indifferent to Mansun. Best Tracks: Wide Open Space; Take It Easy Chicken; Egg Shaped Fred
Strange choice to pick a live album. Live albums have to be pretty spectacular and/or historically important to warrant being on any list, let alone one to hear before you die. And at 2 and a half hours long I'm expecting a lot. It's polished, clean and was probably great if you saw them on tour. I'm torn on what to do. I like the songs, but I'll stick with the studio versions. Do you need to hear this? Nope. Best Tracks: Shine On You Crazy Diamond (pts. 1-5,7); Another Brick In The Wall (pt.2); Comfortably Numb
