Journey Complete!
Finisher # to complete the list
1084
Albums Rated
2.37
Average Rating
100%
Complete
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950s
Favorite Decade
Samba
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Perfectionist
Rater Style ?
35
5-Star Albums
205
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The Nightfly
Donald Fagen
|
5 | 3.01 | +1.99 |
|
Hearts And Bones
Paul Simon
|
5 | 3.02 | +1.98 |
|
Dig Your Own Hole
The Chemical Brothers
|
5 | 3.11 | +1.89 |
|
Soul Mining
The The
|
5 | 3.17 | +1.83 |
|
Debut
Björk
|
5 | 3.37 | +1.63 |
|
Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea
PJ Harvey
|
5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
|
Synchronicity
The Police
|
5 | 3.42 | +1.58 |
|
Reggatta De Blanc
The Police
|
5 | 3.45 | +1.55 |
|
Blackstar
David Bowie
|
5 | 3.48 | +1.52 |
|
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Red Hot Chili Peppers
|
5 | 3.5 | +1.5 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
|
1 | 3.63 | -2.63 |
|
To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar
|
1 | 3.61 | -2.61 |
|
Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Clan
|
1 | 3.61 | -2.61 |
|
good kid, m.A.A.d city
Kendrick Lamar
|
1 | 3.61 | -2.61 |
|
Illmatic
Nas
|
1 | 3.61 | -2.61 |
|
The Number Of The Beast
Iron Maiden
|
1 | 3.59 | -2.59 |
|
Ramones
Ramones
|
1 | 3.58 | -2.58 |
|
Stankonia
OutKast
|
1 | 3.55 | -2.55 |
|
Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A.
|
1 | 3.51 | -2.51 |
|
3 Feet High and Rising
De La Soul
|
1 | 3.45 | -2.45 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Led Zeppelin | 5 | 4.8 |
| Beatles | 7 | 4.29 |
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 4.5 |
| The Police | 2 | 5 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| The Byrds | 5 | 1.4 |
| Morrissey | 4 | 1.25 |
| My Bloody Valentine | 3 | 1.33 |
| Kanye West | 3 | 1.33 |
| New Order | 2 | 1 |
| Dinosaur Jr. | 2 | 1 |
| The Band | 2 | 1 |
| Kendrick Lamar | 2 | 1 |
| M.I.A. | 2 | 1 |
| Taylor Swift | 2 | 1 |
| Ice Cube | 2 | 1 |
| Sepultura | 2 | 1 |
| Slipknot | 2 | 1 |
| Motörhead | 2 | 1 |
| Def Leppard | 2 | 1 |
| Megadeth | 2 | 1 |
| Ryan Adams | 2 | 1 |
| The Mothers Of Invention | 2 | 1 |
| Common | 2 | 1 |
| Iron Maiden | 2 | 1 |
| Christina Aguilera | 2 | 1 |
| Elvis Costello & The Attractions | 4 | 1.75 |
| Public Enemy | 3 | 1.67 |
| The Stooges | 3 | 1.67 |
| The Beach Boys | 3 | 1.67 |
| Van Morrison | 3 | 1.67 |
| The Smiths | 3 | 1.67 |
| Echo And The Bunnymen | 3 | 1.67 |
| Rod Stewart | 2 | 1.5 |
| Siouxsie And The Banshees | 2 | 1.5 |
| The Pogues | 2 | 1.5 |
| OutKast | 2 | 1.5 |
| Elvis Costello | 2 | 1.5 |
| Cocteau Twins | 2 | 1.5 |
| Emmylou Harris | 2 | 1.5 |
| Public Image Ltd. | 2 | 1.5 |
| Belle & Sebastian | 2 | 1.5 |
| Jane's Addiction | 2 | 1.5 |
| Everything But The Girl | 2 | 1.5 |
| Missy Elliott | 2 | 1.5 |
| Gene Clark | 2 | 1.5 |
| Bee Gees | 2 | 1.5 |
| Pavement | 2 | 1.5 |
| Love | 2 | 1.5 |
| Dolly Parton | 2 | 1.5 |
| Mudhoney | 2 | 1.5 |
| The Divine Comedy | 2 | 1.5 |
| Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band | 2 | 1.5 |
| The Kinks | 4 | 2 |
| Joni Mitchell | 4 | 2 |
| The Rolling Stones | 6 | 2.17 |
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 5 | 2.2 |
| The Fall | 3 | 2 |
| Aerosmith | 3 | 2 |
| Marvin Gaye | 3 | 2 |
| Kings of Leon | 3 | 2 |
| Talking Heads | 4 | 2.25 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Fleetwood Mac | 5, 2 |
| King Crimson | 4, 1 |
| David Bowie | 5, 3, 5, 3, 2, 2, 2, 4, 4 |
| Metallica | 2, 1, 4, 3 |
5-Star Albums (35)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
1/5
Is it me or is it the case that anything ever farted by Elvis Costello has made it into this list?
So this is a protest vote. Yes, I can see how this music would feel the peak of musicness to many, but I find it boring and repetitive. Especially the fifth time around.
43 likes
Rufus Wainwright
1/5
Sounds like the marketing department opted to keep me out of the target audience for this one.
22 likes
Taylor Swift
1/5
I don't know what it is about the sound of contemporary pop, but I just can't stand it. I fully realise I'm at the extreme minority corner, but that does not change my perceptions.
20 likes
Aerosmith
2/5
A record breaking album when it comes to blandness and lack of inspiration
20 likes
1-Star Albums (205)
All Ratings
AC/DC
2/5
Nice, but the songs are too similar to one another. Not my kind of thing.
The National
3/5
Not bad, mildly boring.
Thin Lizzy
2/5
Not even a small album
Bad Company
4/5
Classic with a favourite song
Tito Puente
3/5
Interesting salsa music, but an entire album is too juch
Le Tigre
4/5
Still original, 20 years later
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
A classic, but they have better albums
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Great voice, some good songs, but not my kind of music...
Dennis Wilson
2/5
What is this album doing on this list?
Ian Dury
2/5
One good song, but - outdated
Lou Reed
2/5
Never liked this album.
Lauryn Hill
2/5
Way worse than I remembered it to be
The Kinks
2/5
Kinks have some great songs, but this album is boring.
Steely Dan
4/5
A proper classic with some really good songs that still kick inside
Coldplay
3/5
Not a bad album, but everything Coldplay sounds the same.
The Louvin Brothers
2/5
Oh Brother music, without the laughs
The Strokes
2/5
I used to like this album, but now it sounds so mundane.
Moby Grape
3/5
I was surprised. This album wasn’t bad at all
The Pharcyde
2/5
Was never able to connect to the genre
Supergrass
3/5
Their follow up album is way better
Alanis Morissette
3/5
I never liked this album, but I acknowledge some songs are of landmark state.
Genesis
4/5
A proper classic!
First 3 songs are incredible, but the album is sort of let down by the subsequent songs.
Steve Earle
2/5
Country
Paul Weller
3/5
Nice sound, but it's actually boring.
The Who
3/5
Boring/meh
Nick Drake
3/5
Not mesmerising, but nice
The Temptations
3/5
Surprisingly good
Rush
3/5
Not bad, but not a Rush fan
Hugh Masekela
3/5
Pretty good jazz!
The Cure
2/5
Too indistinguishable from noise.
Never liked that phase of Cure.
The The
4/5
Bettered by several other The The albums, this is still a masterpiece. What lyrics!
Beth Orton
2/5
While I like Orton, I find the album too ordinary.
The Rolling Stones
2/5
One great song, the rest - meh.
The Verve
3/5
Not bad, but eclipsed by the band's next release.
Since this phenomenon of picking a meh album instead of an artist's piece de resistance seems to be a trend here, I can only conclude this is a deliberate fart-like attempt to make the curator here appear cooler.
Minutemen
1/5
Really?!
Marty Robbins
2/5
Amazed that some of the songs weren't too bad (a couple were actually good). But still, not my kind of thing.
Spiritualized
3/5
Guess it's OK for background music?
Otherwise, nothing special.
Alice Cooper
2/5
Mundane, but that’s Alice Cooper
Rod Stewart
1/5
With 1 exception: boringly boring
The Cardigans
2/5
Problem with Cardigans is, while they have truly great songs, the majority are fluff.
Also: they have a better album than this.
New Order
1/5
I really have a problem with New Order's sound.
The Boo Radleys
3/5
I might have liked them if I knew about them at the time.
Beatles
5/5
A masterpiece, the best Beatles album, and - by my reckoning - the third best album ever recorded.
Jimi Hendrix
2/5
With the notable exception of a couple of songs, I don't really care for a double album of someone taking psychedelics.
Milton Nascimento
3/5
Quite refreshing!
Q-Tip
1/5
Not the worst thing ever, but rap and hip-hop aren’t my thing. Sorry
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
Probably Hendrix’ best. Many very good songs, surrounded by too much fluff.
Dinosaur Jr.
1/5
Not worth listening to
Lucinda Williams
2/5
I acknowledge the quality, but this is not my thing.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
One excellent song (Rent) surrounded by a couple of good songs and much fluff. PSB's compilation album is the better choice.
The Modern Lovers
1/5
Really?
FKA twigs
2/5
I liked it when it came out, now all the tracks sound the same.
New Order
1/5
I already told you I don’t like New Order
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Few good songs, much fluff
Dusty Springfield
4/5
This is good stuff!
Serge Gainsbourg
3/5
Not bad but too short on tunes
The Stone Roses
3/5
Nice, but far from extraordinary.
Eminem
3/5
Surprisingly good, given my general dislike for the genre. Too much repetition, though: it could have been shorter/better.
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
Another album that didn't withstand the test of time. I awesome song, another good one, but the rest - meh.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
1/5
Noise
The Band
1/5
Meh
Eagles
3/5
Some nice songs interrupted by too many boring ones.
Beach House
3/5
Guess it's nice background music?
The Pogues
1/5
What the
OutKast
2/5
That didn’t age well, did it?
Shivkumar Sharma
3/5
Nice, if repetitive
Neu!
3/5
Quite good. Probably ahead of its time.
Public Enemy
1/5
Talking Heads
2/5
Of all the Talking Heads albums they could have picked...
Miles Davis
3/5
A good album, but far from what I consider the best of Miles Davis (which really is "best").
Kendrick Lamar
1/5
Don’t get this genre, sorry
Death In Vegas
4/5
Good stuffs!
Paul McCartney and Wings
4/5
Very, very, close to 5 stars
The Slits
1/5
One ok cover, the rest is indistinguishable from noise
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
Not my kind of music in general, but so many songs here have transcended time
AC/DC
2/5
Other than the title song, the music’s rather mundane
The Stooges
1/5
Noise
Wu-Tang Clan
1/5
Liked it at the time, now I can’t listen to it
Donovan
3/5
Old, but not too bad
Red Snapper
3/5
Part really nice, part meh - quality varies as it goes
a-ha
4/5
A childhood landmark.
The Sun Always Shines on TV is grossly under appreciated.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
Ok music made by people taking lots of drugs?
Bob Dylan
1/5
I never connected with this album's style, even though I do like some of Dylan's work. This album does feel outdated, though.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Dated; presentations like that don't cut it anymore.
Cohen's later albums are way better, IMO, even if they didn't achieve the same cult status.
Ghostface Killah
1/5
Awful?
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Mature excellence
Travis
2/5
Apart from one catchy song, rather too mundane
Led Zeppelin
5/5
A masterpiece from the peak of one of the most talented bands ever. Also, probably the best double album ever.
John Coltrane
5/5
One of my favourite jazz albums!
Bruce Springsteen
1/5
I like Bruce's music, some of it quite a lot, but this one is just boring.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
Of all the Neil Young albums to pick…
Fela Kuti
4/5
Great pick!
We love Ginger Baker!
The Byrds
2/5
Boring!
Al Green
2/5
One good song (because it was in Pulp Fiction), the rest - boring
The Byrds
1/5
Second boring Byrds recommendation in a week, clearly the algorithm hates us
Green Day
2/5
I find this music quite uninspiring.
Digital Underground
1/5
Aged badly, and it wasn’t even that great to begin with
Syd Barrett
2/5
Pink Floyd is my favorite band, yet I never really liked Barrett's music.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Some great, original sounds + music.
Encumbered by it being a film soundtrack rather than an independent work of music.
2/5
Far from Yes' best, but certainly reflective of its general output.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Nice music, but fails to soar. This is Pet Shop Boys past its prime.
Rufus Wainwright
3/5
Original, but turns into the tedious the longer it goes.
Nine Inch Nails
2/5
Too indistinguishable from noise, but Closer
Joan Armatrading
3/5
Most of the songs are dull, but when she shines, she shines
Paul Simon
5/5
My favourite Paul Simon album, which says something given the company it has.
Lenny Kravitz
3/5
Nice, but fails to rise to the inspirational level.
Elvis Costello
2/5
Meh, except for the last song.
Also, what's with the awful sound?
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
Neil Young has way better stuff than this.
The Incredible String Band
1/5
File under "what the"
Sonic Youth
3/5
Just, but just, crosses that threshold into “nice music”
Nightmares On Wax
2/5
OK background music, but despite its length it fails to rise beyond that.
Dirty Projectors
2/5
Too eccentric for my taste.
Tom Waits
2/5
Never got into Waits' brand of music.
Tears For Fears
5/5
I love the variety of music, I love how songs are interconnected, and I love the music. Especially the lesser known songs (eg Broken).
Machito
2/5
I like the genre, but this one failed to impress.
D'Angelo
2/5
Not my kind of music
The Monks
2/5
Found the music quite irritating, actually
Kate Bush
2/5
I love Kate Bush, but this album is just boring!
Parliament
3/5
Interesting, yet failed to inspire me
Deerhunter
3/5
Ok, I guess? Nothing special
Pantera
1/5
Awful
The Crusaders
3/5
Great singing on the title song, the rest errs way too much towards schmaltz
Dire Straits
5/5
One of the best debut albums, the best guitar solo ever (though I prefer the live Alchemy version), and a great album that's always been there for me
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Good music, lyrics way beyond your average, but failed to truly captivate me.
John Grant
3/5
OK for background music. I'd pick other albums by John Grant over this one.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
2/5
Can't see anything special there
The Magnetic Fields
2/5
Gimmick idea (69 songs in 3 CDs of 23 songs each), but I found the results rather meh
Roxy Music
3/5
Generally nice, but at the same time a bit too indistinguishable from noise (probably due to its rather offensive sound).
Sarah Vaughan
4/5
What a voice! And what a performance!
Randy Newman
2/5
I like his wits, but bar few exceptions I don’t like Randy Newman’s music.
CHIC
2/5
Not my kind of music
The Streets
1/5
Not my kind of music
Jane Weaver
3/5
Not bad, though not mesmerizing either.
Liz Phair
3/5
Just, but just, an OK background music piece. But too close to boredom.
Green Day
2/5
Quite uninspiring.
Radiohead
3/5
Not the best of Radiohead’s, but nice.
Muddy Waters
3/5
Nice classic blues, but I gravitate towards electric guitar blues.
Billy Joel
4/5
One of Joel’s best. A personal favourite.
Side A is pure excellence, but side B lets it down a bit.
Cocteau Twins
2/5
The wailing turned me off.
Faith No More
3/5
Angel Dust is way better
M.I.A.
1/5
I really can’t stand this music
Talking Heads
2/5
With the exception of Psycho Killer, Talking Heads' albums fail to uplift me. Their "best of" is another story.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Nice, but I'd say there are better representatives of this genre.
Basement Jaxx
3/5
I used to love this album, mostly because of Red Alert, but I don't think it aged well.
Lorde
3/5
This is one of those cases where I don't really like the music, but I can appreciate that it's good music.
Nick Drake
3/5
Guess it’s good enough to serve as quiet background music. But you can’t call me a fan of Drake.
Manu Chao
3/5
Probably gave the album more than it deserves, on account of not listening to this genre enough. That said, it's hard for me to see how an album like this made this list.
The Allman Brothers Band
4/5
Thumbs up! Good blusey rock!
2/5
Ordinary is an understatement
The Fall
2/5
The music isn't that bad, but there's too much of it to the point I got way past fed up.
ZZ Top
3/5
Mostly dull, but 2 very catchy songs. Never really got in tune with ZZ.
Simply Red
4/5
What a voice!
Simply Red's best album, by far. It aged, yes, but not too badly.
Cypress Hill
1/5
Sorry, I still can’t stand this genre
Cee Lo Green
2/5
Nah
Aerosmith
2/5
I find it amazing how uninspiring this music is.
Pere Ubu
3/5
Not my kind of thing, but one of those things I can accept as good despite that.
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
An instant classic when it came out, and an album I still regularly listen to.
Massive Attack
4/5
Not my vote for best Massive Attack album, but an excellent album nevertheless.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
Surprisingly nice
TV On The Radio
2/5
Very nothing special
Donald Fagen
5/5
The Nightfly and I go a long way together!
I remember it from when it was first introduced in Ad Pop by Ehud Manor as a new album. Love it, and regularly listen to it.
Frank Black
3/5
Quite nice, yet just a tad below excellence.
Sinead O'Connor
3/5
It's good, I can't deny that, but I never aligned with O'Connor. Other than that one truly excellent song, of course.
The B-52's
3/5
Nice to be educated in the fact there's more to the B-52's than Love Shack!
Orbital
3/5
Nice for the background, but not much more.
Bad Brains
2/5
Articulated noise?
Emmylou Harris
2/5
While country music isn't my thing, this is obviously far from Harris' best
Frank Zappa
3/5
Ranges from sheer brilliance to the annoying, probably too much. I'm being rather harsh on this album with my rating, but then again my stars never aligned with Zappa.
Judas Priest
2/5
I have a bit of an allergy to metal, even if Breaking the Law was a Beavis & Butthead hit.
Fairport Convention
2/5
Seriously?
Queen
2/5
While I generally think that, theatrics aside, Queen's music is overrated, I do acknowledge they have some pretty good material (though rarely pretty good albums).
This one, though, is all theatrics.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
3/5
Barely makes it to the "OK enough for background music". Generally speaking, I only appreciate Enola Gay, and it's not even from this album of theirs...
The Sonics
3/5
Nice!
Fela Kuti
3/5
Alright, but not half as good as the collaboration with Ginger Baker.
Eels
4/5
Seems to me like Eels' trademark is on an album with one incredibly good song followed by other good but not good enough songs. This album is a bit of an exception: everything is better than average.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
A couple of nice songs mired by a collection of what might have once been nice. But most of all, mired by awful sound.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Best Springsteen album by far, and worth 5 stars for its place in personal history. I find it funny how, over the years, the songs I least liked from the album have become my album favourites. But that's just an aside...
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
A class act, no more words needed
Joni Mitchell
2/5
Never got on the Joni Mitchell wavelength, though I can see its appeal (to others)
Beatles
3/5
As much as I think the later Beatles albums are some of the best of humanity's creations, that will still be some of the best potentially in a millennia, I also think their earlier albums are too simple (stylistically speaking) and contain too much fluff amongst the truly good songs.
Adam & The Ants
1/5
Proof that not all songs are Stand and Deliver.
Truly boring and shrill sounding.
Screaming Trees
2/5
Nothing special. Not bad, but I wouldn't put it in any albums to die for list.
The Cure
3/5
Look, it's nice, and I enjoyed listening to this album, but: is it special?
No.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Some nice music there, including some that were stuck in my head for years
Robert Wyatt
3/5
Nice, but despite my sensitivity to the genre it failed to rock my foundations.
Grateful Dead
2/5
Never got on the Grateful Dead wavelength. Suspect that requires green stuff.
System Of A Down
1/5
Noise by any other name. Funny that, though, because I can think of 2 nice System of a Down songs, it's just that they weren't here.
The Human League
1/5
No, I don’t want you. Never did
Joy Division
2/5
It's the third time I have to endure Joy Division's drone here. On the positive side, I don't think they any had more albums
Dire Straits
4/5
My least favourite Dire Straits albums, certainly when compared to its 4 predecessors. Over the years I grew warm to its more mellow, jazzy (?), sound; yet I cannot forgive its original sin.
Prince
4/5
Funny story, I won this record in a draw but didn't really like it. As the years passed, I learned to appreciate its finer qualities, and - more importantly - learned to recognise Prince for the talent he [sadly] was.
Mercury Rev
3/5
Nice, but with the exception of one song - not that special (hope the band members won't read this)
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
Definitely not my kind of music, but on the other hand it's not bad at all! I enjoyed this venture into the unknown.
Also, the rumours are true: this really is Oh Brother, 20-30 years earlier.
Sam Cooke
3/5
Not the kind of music I'd probably ever ask for, but nice enough to listen to.
Tom Waits
2/5
We've been through that already: Tom Waits works at a different wavelength to mine.
The Beach Boys
2/5
I like me the occasional Beach Boys song, but frankly, this album is boring
Bert Jansch
2/5
As Homer Simpson said, boring!
Madonna
3/5
I never really liked Madonna’s music, but this one does sound more mature. Still, the album never transcends the level I’d refer to as decent background music.
Television
3/5
Some nice stuff in there
Carpenters
2/5
Yes, there are a couple of nice songs in there, but overall I don't think this album withstood the test of time.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Nice music, but I got the point of the specific organ jazz sound long before the album was done.
Miles Davis
4/5
What great music! And what a nice surprise, to find a Miles Davis album I never heard before!
Dwight Yoakam
1/5
I would have accepted Guitars Cadillacs on account of Terminator 2, but this one?
The Waterboys
2/5
Some ok music in there, but as is often the case they’re all too similar; as the album went on and on, I was getting sick of it.
David Bowie
5/5
I still remember first being introduced to this album by a friend, who left me a very badly produced cassette copy. I listened to it for years.
I also remember being reintroduced to the album over another friend's hi-fi. I haven't left Hunky Dory since.
As to the album itself, I often argue with myself as to whether it is Bowie's best. And my answer is that this deliberation is pointless; all I should be doing is enjoy the album. And enjoy it I do: while many of the albums featured here are full of fillers, or contain songs that all sound the same, Hunky Dory is an exercise in the exact opposite: a collection of unique songs that coalesce into an album. A great album that's been with me for years and years.
Spiritualized
2/5
Despite the claim of spiritualisation, I found myself rather bored. The album is good enough as background music while concentrating on other things, but it never gets anywhere.
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
On one hand, it's the dictionary definition of "classic"; on the other, it fails to deliver as an album.
Not that this takes anything away from the awesomeness of the title track.
Radiohead
3/5
Some undeniably good music there, but I fail to see a grand vision for an album (as opposed to, say, Ok Computer). Either that or I simply outgrew this album.
Paul Simon
4/5
An top artist in top form demonstrates what innovation and exploration means. Yet, at the same time, I find I’m unable to connect with the music as much as I can with other Paul Simon stuff.
The Byrds
1/5
Are you having a laugh?!
David Bowie
3/5
This is not the Bowie album I was looking for (as in: not bad, but Bowie did release some utterly brilliant albums - just not this one)
Gary Numan
3/5
It's the Gary Numan sound that this album has in its favour (and Cars), but that can only go so far. Which is fine.
Tracy Chapman
3/5
There are definitely some excellent songs in this album, but at the same time there are too many fillers.
What is undeniable, though, are the qualities of Chapman's voice and singing.
The Black Crowes
2/5
Like a lot of American rock music, I find this a rather uninteresting take on bland noise
Elton John
3/5
Good, but not yellow brick good
The Beach Boys
2/5
Yes, there are some famous songs there, but now I know why you don’t get to hear the other songs
X-Ray Spex
2/5
The songs aren't too bad, and I credit the punk, but as an album - too many of the songs sound the same.
Jeff Buckley
2/5
Good voice - tick
Some good songs - tick
But overall, and perhaps (probably!) through my own deficiencies, the album fails to lift me up. Tragedies aside, it needs more noise
The Fall
2/5
While there were some tunes in there, I did find the sound and the vocals rather unpleasing. Sorry
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
I fail to see why this album made it into this list
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
I really do like several of MSP’s albums, just not this one; too bland for my taste. Hope that doesn’t mean I lack taste
Beck
3/5
Far from Beck's best, yet a nice and very melodic (and relaxing) album despite the obvious personal crisis that triggered it.
Bit too un-exciting for me, but definitely great for certain moods.
Kid Rock
2/5
At first I sort of got along with the music, but eventually all the profanities and the demeaning language put me off
Led Zeppelin
5/5
I feel there's a lot of promise to this band, and I'm looking forward to seeing what's next for this young lot.
More seriously, this is probably the best debut album ever; musicians do not come more accomplished than this to begin with. Hard to believe this is only Zep's 4th best album (by my reckoning, which is widely regarded as the absolute truth by no one).
Taylor Swift
1/5
I don't know what it is about the sound of contemporary pop, but I just can't stand it. I fully realise I'm at the extreme minority corner, but that does not change my perceptions.
Metallica
2/5
There’s only one Metallica album that’s more than just a collection of songs, and it isn’t this one.
Also, I don’t get the shrill sound
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Nice surprise!
Neil Young
3/5
Nice, yes, but extraordinary? No
Elastica
3/5
Nice, I guess, and not particularly special
Elvis Presley
4/5
Surprisingly good!
And quite unlike most of the Elvis music I’m familiar with - less poppy, more serious.
Tom Waits
4/5
By now it’s obvious this endeavour has listed pretty much anything Tom Waits had ever published. However, this one is a actually good!
Pulp
3/5
Some good songs in there, some good lyrics, but as an album the result is a bit too monotonous. Either that or I just don't dig the sound that much.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
It’s obvious they like their distortions and feedbacks much more than I do. Couldn’t stand it by the fourth song
Aerosmith
2/5
A record breaking album when it comes to blandness and lack of inspiration
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3/5
Eccentric, but in a nice way
Boring as hell
Drive Like Jehu
2/5
Noise for noise's sake
The Clash
3/5
I've been very generous with my rating, simply because I love The Clash: while much of the music here is monotonous noise, I cannot deny the allure of some of the lyrics ("Career opportunity, the one that never knocks") and the scattered gems of songs here and there.
But yes, The Clash is one of them bands that sounds way better when listened to through a Best Of album rather than its run of the mill albums.
Pretenders
3/5
Significantly aged, but despite better songs coming in later albums this is still something special.
Chrissie Hynde forever
Van Morrison
2/5
Boredom incarnate
Yes
3/5
We like progressive music, but this one is both aged and surpassed. Also, it's not Yes' best.
The Blue Nile
2/5
I do often wonder what passed through the curator's mind when they picked the albums comprising this collection.
Primal Scream
3/5
Some very good rhythms in there, surrounded by a bit too much fluff to make this a truly great album.
Sugar
2/5
Indistinct generic “alternative” music
Femi Kuti
3/5
Nice music of a genre I don't listen enough to
Harry Nilsson
3/5
A bit of a gem that went forgotten over the years. Aged, yes, but there is some good stuff in there - including 2 outright excellent songs.
Ice Cube
1/5
Instead of joking on this actually being most unwanted, I will say this genre isn't one I normally listen to and point out the excessively profane lyrics as a big turn off.
Nina Simone
3/5
I like Nina Simone, I like her voice a lot. But at the same time, none of the songs in this particular album truly move me.
Sepultura
1/5
Sadly there is no option for 0 stars
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
Oozes with class
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Other than the gimmick of comprising an album full of songs about murder and death, this is a pretty boring album
Black Sabbath
2/5
Yes, there's tons of nostalgia in there, but then again re-listening reminded me why I haven't been listening this whole time
George Michael
3/5
Not too badly aged; some of the tunes, especially the first tracks, are still very catchy. Still, George Michael (RIP way too early!) is better in a "best of" compilation than an individual album; it's not like there's a unifying thread across the tracks here.
The Young Rascals
2/5
Might have been great at the time, but listening to this today I find absolutely nothing of interest in the album.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
Guess it's OK background music?
Giving it a bit of a credit on account it's not my usual music diet.
R.E.M.
5/5
Probably REM's best album (and that's saying a lot, given the "competition"). Made even better through John Paul Jones' arrangements on some of the songs, which renders them pure magic.
Chicago
3/5
A bit of a mixed bag:
On one hand, excellent tracks that are the very definition of classic rock (see I'm a Man); on the other, what seem to be live recording of wanking with guitars sessions (see Free Form Guitar).
Portishead
3/5
Ok album, but a far cry from the pure excellence of Portishead’s first 2 albums.
Talk Talk
3/5
I was never a big fan of Talk Talk's, even though I didn't mind its music. This one's not bad at all, yet I can see why, generally speaking, Talk Talk has faded away from public awareness more than some of its eighties compatriots that seem to be back on the public's agenda (for some odd reason or another).
The Police
5/5
Where do I start?
I still remember hunching over the record at the shop, wondering if I should spend all my money on it or not. I chose not to. [Several years later, I bought all The Police on CD.]
I still think Synchronicity is the lesser of the better Police albums, with Reggatta de Blanc being significantly superior. But that doesn't mean Synchronicity is a bad album, not in any way; it is clearly the work of mature musicians delivering the goods while also experimenting, which is what stands it apart from the previous Police albums.
It's also a story of 2 sides: side 1 is the more experimental affair (Mother stands out in everything, but the two Synchronicity songs as well as Walking in Your Footsteps also stand out for their social statement). Side 2, on the other hand/side, is where magic happens, with songs that are deeply personal and creative.
Every Breath You Take was a moment in history, when the whole world listened to the same song for weeks on weeks; such phenomenon doesn't happen anymore, in a world where everyone carries their own personal radio station on them. And can you imagine a song such as Wrapped Around Your Finger charting as well as it did, with all the creativity (here's looking at you, Stewart Copeland) it's bursting with?
For side 2, for the history it made, and for the maturity it displays, Synchronicity deserves the perfect score.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
Some nice grooves here and there, but they're too camouflaged by noise
The Charlatans
2/5
I was unable to detect anything particularly special about this album to merit its inclusion to this list
David Bowie
5/5
Where do I start with this wonderful parting gift Bowie left us with?
What a wonderful fusion of modern electronic, rock, and jazz. How wonderful to hear wind instruments in contemporary pop. How great to listen to lyrics that aren’t afraid of non political correctness yet are also meaningful.
Truly original and creative, and probably the best album of its decade. Blackstar the song is easily the best of its decade.
Thank you, Bowie. I miss you
ZZ Top
4/5
I was surprised to find this album to be genuinely good, down to earth, rock music.
Metallica
1/5
It really does sound like a bunch of teenagers masturbating to their guitars and drums. The shrill sound that penetrates the head doesn’t do this album any favours, either.
Metallica has released one good studio album, and this one ain’t it.
Japan
2/5
Other than the name David Sylvian, it doesn’t sound like this album has much to offer. Yes, it’s ok background music, but it never takes off and all the songs sound the same.
Madonna
2/5
Thanks for reminding me why I started detesting what passed for pop music as of the eighties' end. On the other hand, I detest contemporary pop music even more.
Lou Reed
2/5
Awfully boring
Belle & Sebastian
2/5
While the music is acceptable for background duties, I found the affair a bit too eccentric for me to seek repeat listening.
Air
5/5
So I was thinking, I've been handing out too many 5 stars lately, therefore Moon Safari needs to get 4 stars. But then I started listening to the album again after, admittedly, way too long a break.
The bass lines on the first track (La femme d'argent) were all it took to make me shiver and recall taking the chance and buying the CD based on an old friend's recommendation.
And then Sexy Boy, and then Beth Hirsch's voice, and on and on - each and every song on this album is something special.
I'm sorry to say it, but this is "another" 5 stars album. How I loved Air! But I still need a lot of Air.
Pixies
4/5
TBH, I was probably the last to recognise this album’s greatness. At the time I used to think it paled in comparison with Guns N Roses.
But it grew on me, eventually. And while not all of Doolittle is sweet, there are multiple tracks whose place in history has been cemented.
The Triffids
2/5
Remarkably boring
Jungle Brothers
2/5
Not the worst hip-hop album ever, but also not even close to converting me into the genre
Incredible Bongo Band
3/5
Not the most original of albums, but there’s nothing wrong with adding bongos to familiar tracks!
Air
3/5
Not the album that Air should be remembered for (I'd argue there are 3 far better ones). I guess the core difference lies with this one being a movie soundtrack rather than an independent piece of music, but regardless: this is a rather peculiar choice for this list.
A Tribe Called Quest
2/5
They keep sending me stuff I don't like
The Soft Boys
2/5
Sometimes listenable, sometimes just to noisy. Regardless, 40+ years later, it's hard to find it special
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4/5
A member of the internal core of the very classic of jazz recordings, even if not every track is as good as Take 5
Oasis
2/5
Whiney, all the songs sound the same, redundant
Sabu
3/5
Interesting, because it's so different.
I'm old enough to remember when they used to play El Cumbanchero on the radio.
Santana
4/5
One of those never aging classic albums I can always go back and listen to (which I often do).
Pink Floyd
5/5
I could just give this the 5 stars it deserves and move on, but before I do so I will note there are 3 other Pink Floyd albums I consider superior to this one. Yet Wish You fully deserves 5 stars:
For the performances,
For successfully doing this themed album (even if I don't necessarily sympathize with the suffering created by the music industry),
But most of all for the great music. The title song is, easily, one of the most beautiful songs ever written.
Now it's time to sit back, have a cigar, and listen to this great album once more.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
2/5
I admit I didn't hear of this album before. When it started playing, I thought "great, here's an authentic take on Graceland's themes". However, as songs came and song went, I grew tired of the theme; by the end, I couldn't tell one song from the other.
Sigur Rós
3/5
The cynic is me says this album, that so many folks grovelled over, is more than a bit too eccentric for me
Solomon Burke
2/5
Too repetitive (how many times can a singer use “love” in sentences, line after line) to compensate for the limitations of its recording technology.
In other words, this album didn’t age well.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Too close to noise to make this a truly wonderful album, but it has its moments.
Queens of the Stone Age
3/5
Queens of the Stone Age had better albums than this, and while I don't mind it I attribute its inclusion in this list to the "look at me, I knew Queens of the Stone Age would be great way before anybody else noticed its existence" hubris factor.
Belle & Sebastian
1/5
Try as I may, I couldn't find anything going for this album other than its cover
Beastie Boys
2/5
I recognise the Beastie Boys' originality. I'm well aware of them breaking new grounds in so many areas.
But I just don't like their music
Red Hot Chili Peppers
5/5
For a while, and because of this album, and around the years following its release, the Peppers were probably the "biggest band in the world".
I recall recording the album to a cassette. Several months later, when I realised I'm listening to that cassette every day (and despite investing in quality TDK cassettes, these things don't last) I gave up and bought the CD.
Thelonious Monk
3/5
Don’t know why, but I was never able to get in sync with Monk’s music, not to the same level I dig many of his compatriots.
Electric Light Orchestra
3/5
Some brilliant songs in there, and I love the orchestral elements of the performance (where did those disappear to over time)?
But... ELO is still a band best experienced through "best of" collection albums, on account of the overabundance of fluff between the really good stuff.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Look, I love this pair’s music, but this album errs to much towards folk music for my precious taste. I wonder when I’ll get the opportunity to rate the real thing, Bridge Over Troubled Water.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
By now I'm resigned to each and every piece of music having anything to do with Elvis Costello receiving nomination here.
However, just like its Elvis Costello predecessors that I've encountered here thus far, Blood and Chocolate offers one good song (though I'd argue The Beatles' I Want You is vastly superior) that sinking in what is otherwise the mediocrity of every other song sounding the same that is the rest of the album.
In other words, I'm not sure the person who put so much Elvis Costello in this list would have done so were they to redo this list today.
2/5
I get Dylan is/was a genius, that in his time he was some sort of a prophet, and he does have the occasional hit, but generally speaking: I find his music quite boring.
Deep Purple
3/5
I used to love Deep Purple much more than I do now, a fact I attribute to their simple brand of rock music that got replaced by better stuff since. Still, Child in Time is a great song.
Seriously, out of all the U2 albums, this is what we get? A bland, unoriginal, and uninspiring attempt to recreate former glories that should have been left to rest?
Where did the baldness and experimentation of Achtung Baby and Zooropa disappear to, in this failed attempt to rewind time with an inferior Joshua Tree?
John Martyn
3/5
Nothing special / not bad
I'll probably forget all about this album in a day. Oops, I already did
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
Define "mixed feelings".
On one hand, this really isn't my music. Yes, Girls just want to have fun is catchy is all sorts of ways, but I think I can safely say generic pop music hasn't been my thing back then and certainly isn't my thing today.
However, there is a lot of versatility in this album, as well as some undeniable historical impact. So I will err to towards the positive with my rating, if only for the sake of She Bop.
LL Cool J
2/5
Far from the worst of its kind, but still: I’m not the most suitable person to push hiphop music on
Anita Baker
2/5
As has been the case before, I fail to see what's so special about this album. At least with this one, it's not from a genre I'm familiar with.
The Smiths
2/5
There's a certain quality to Morrissey's voice that I could never stand; it would hit a particular nerve that was just painful. So while there are a couple of OK songs in this album, I cannot rate it favourably.
Arrested Development
2/5
Dear Mr Wendel, I still don't understand why this list keeps serving me hip hop, I can't stand the genre
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
Oy Vey, I got 2 hip hop albums in a row. What's next for me, Covid?
Country Joe & The Fish
2/5
By now this is long forgotten music, and as sad as that may be, I can understand why.
Ray Charles
4/5
Even though this isn’t the kind of music I normally listen to, I loved it!
Especially the interesting arrangements for songs that I knew from elsewhere (I guess these are the country and western music songs the title refers to?).
I’ll add that It’s gems such as this, about which existence I formerly wasn’t aware of, that brought me here. Pity these are so rare.
Michael Jackson
4/5
I'll start with the usual proviso, "this is not my kind of music, but..."
The first but goes out to: I'm calling this purely on the music and the impact that music has had, and not on whether I'd like Jackson to come and babysit.
The second one is the main event. There can be no denying of the cultural impact Thriller has had on the world it was released in. First it was Billie Jean, then Beat It with its video, and then the whole world (even those that, at the time, despised Jackson's music) holding its breath and watching the half hour long music video (?) of thriller in a kind of a world premier. These things don't happen anymore, and while the world enjoyed many an improvement over the course of the years I don't know if we're not missing a lot by not having universally shared experiences anymore.
So: not my kind of music, but also the music of everyone who lived back then.
Barry Adamson
3/5
A breath of fresh air, as far as versatility is concerned. However, despite some brilliance throughout, a lot of the stuff is also way too much "out there" for me to conclude this is a truly excellent piece of art. No doubt manny would disagree with me in that.
Stevie Wonder
2/5
I don’t mine Stevie Wonder at all, but this album is just boring from start to finish
Sex Pistols
2/5
I understand where the anger came from, and I understand the historical importance of this album, but... It's just too close to noise for me. Sorry
Moby
4/5
For a long while, this won my coveted personal recommendation for "best background music". Not much more than that, but still - being the perfect background for almost everything means a lot.
It aged, since, and it has also been overused in too many soundtracks. But it's still good!
Astrud Gilberto
3/5
Such a soothing voice!
Alas, this album doesn't reach half the heights I'm sort of expecting from Gilberto after listening to Girl from Ipanema so many times...
10cc
3/5
Not the greatest of albums (10cc is yet another band who, these days, is best experienced through a “best of” collection). But I like 10cc and I like their humour enough.
Goldie
1/5
Repetitive, boring, and outright annoying.
This may have been clubbers' delight, especially during its decade, but it also helps us understand why said clubbers were always high on drugs - they had to deal with this music.
Aphex Twin
3/5
A bit of a monoculture, and pretty quickly I couldn’t stand the artificial drums, but overall - not too bad, even if Aphex Twin has better stuff out there.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
An archeological relic of a genre long gone, and frankly, I'm not in tears.
Germs
1/5
I'd rather listen to a drill having a go at a concrete wall
King Crimson
4/5
First of all, I will mention this album cover is the recipient of my "Best Album Cover Ever" award. I always find it depicts exactly how I feel at any given moment.
As for the music... Well, this is as close to 5 stars (but not 5 stars) as an album could get. History wise, this album was with me, then gone from my life, then (through the unforgettable cover) back in my life, rinse and repeat.
Music wise, and atmosphere wise, there's a lot of sheer genius in this album. With just a tad of "what drugs were they on".
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
It’s ok, but not half as special as Born in the USA.
Miles Davis
4/5
What a fusion of fresh jazz music this album is! I don’t think I need to point out Miles Davis’ genius in creating a new genre of music out of the blue, but I will.
One of my all time favourite jazz albums. Thanks for arranging this on Christmas Eve!
Various Artists
2/5
As the world’s most famous celebrant of Festivus, the holiday for the rest of us, I’d like to say I’ve been tired of Christmas songs forcibly drilled into my head long before the cheap trick of being pushed on with this album on Christmas Day.
Radiohead
4/5
Hooray to my second favourite Radiohead album!
I recall a time, during the later nineties, when this album was what you’d play in order to impress others by your sheer coolness.
Kraftwerk
4/5
Not only groundbreaking sound, at the time, but also music that's still very good today.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
1/5
Is it me or is it the case that anything ever farted by Elvis Costello has made it into this list?
So this is a protest vote. Yes, I can see how this music would feel the peak of musicness to many, but I find it boring and repetitive. Especially the fifth time around.
B.B. King
3/5
I like BB (not to be confused with a certain ex Israeli prime minister!), but I think that over the years we have received better blues than this.
Funkadelic
3/5
Nice music, feels like Hendrix took part. Pity they don't do this anymore.
Foo Fighters
3/5
Nice, yes, definitely, but not [half] as good as some of the albums that followed it.
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
It occurred to me that, while I really like some of Hendrix’ songs, I don’t think they combine into particularly good albums.
Depeche Mode
3/5
Rather boring, other than the 2 hit songs. It was only when Songs of Faith and Devotion came out that I started genuinely gravitating towards Depeche Mode.
Queen
3/5
Not bad! While there are no standout songs, it's quite a cohesive album.
Still, as far as Queen is concerned, call me when you get to News off the World. The stuff before that was just the warmup act.
Earth, Wind & Fire
2/5
While I like some of their songs, I found this album failed to set me on fire. It was rather boring…
Joy Division
2/5
We’ve been through that already: whether you’re pushing New Order or Joy Division (this is the 4th of those I’m getting here), the music is still annoying.
P.S. The awful sound doesn’t improve the experience, either.
Ute Lemper
3/5
Too theatrical to my liking, but there's no denying the singer's presence.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Anything by Creedence is nice, but as far as their albums are concerned, this is one of those that move me less.
Björk
5/5
I didn't really like the Sugarcubes' music, and therefore wasn't expecting much of this solo debut. Which simply meant the surprise was even more pleasant, with such a variety of music and styles (proving that we should even allow for songs recorded in toilets, while the next song uses harps, and the following song is heavy on the electronics).
What an excellent, cohesive, album!
And what a voice!
Massive Attack
3/5
Nice album, no doubt about it, but Massive Attack has done way better since.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
A relic of times long gone. Yet, as much as I’m inclined towards much more complex tunes, I will admit it is refreshing to get the occasional dose of some classic Cohen.
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
Exploding with energy, nice songs (especially the covers...). Ultimately, though, it's hard for "piano driven music" to really get to me.
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
Nice music, no doubt about it, but ultimately, and especially over the years, this is a forgettable album.
Aimee Mann
1/5
I fail to see much that’s unique about this album.
The Roots
2/5
I wish this list would stop serving me hip hop, because it’s really not my thing. I guess this is a better sample of the genre, but see above.
The Monkees
1/5
Way past its expiration date
The Adverts
2/5
They sure were angry back then. By today’s standards, they’re mostly noisy.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
When they say "they don't make them like they used to", this is what they have in mind.
In my humble opinion, Led Zeppelin IV is the second best album of all time. Apart of containing groundbreaking music (which, later, provided some "rejects" to Physical Graffiti) , with songs like Stairway to Heaven, there are plenty of spectacular individual performances here: John Paul Jones on mandolin in Going to California, John Bonham's solo at the start of Rock and Roll, and (of course) his so creatively recorded performance in When the Levee Breaks.
Created by four individuals at the top of their craft, this is a masterpiece from start to finish.
The Pogues
2/5
Whimsical spirit may improve it a tad, but I still fail to detect any worthy reason for me to listen to this.
Cat Stevens
4/5
While folk music is not my usual cup of coffee, I find one cannot help but be touched by the poignant material in this album.
I think we can all agree this is a classic.
Gang Starr
2/5
Sorry, but no.
Marvin Gaye
2/5
I now know what music I'll use for the soundtrack of my next Buck Naked porno. Till then, I know what soundtrack I should use if I want to quickly fall asleep of sheer boredom.
Drive-By Truckers
3/5
While I never heard of them before, I will admit their music is quite nice. Yet not exceptional enough for me to remember it come tomorrow.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
Getting past one’s expiration date is one thing, but this stuff is bland all over. Whiny borefest with tons of feedback.
Cheap Trick
2/5
OK, it's a piece of history, but is it good music with lasting effect?
Thundercat
2/5
On one hand, a cutely bizarre and endearing album. An album that's actually original!
On the other, I cannot avoid the fact I don't really like the music. Eventually, I found it overstayed its welcome.
Goldfrapp
4/5
Goldfrapp has a way of bypassing my “defences” and getting right through me. And I love it
P.S. It’s a pity women are so underrepresented here.
Adele
2/5
The voice is there, the emotions are there, but… I require more than this from my music. This album might please the masses, but musically it is far too bland and basic for yours truly.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
At first I thought “Come On Eileen” is good, but come on...
But then I noticed I’m humming the tunes.
Dr. Octagon
2/5
A very effective demonstration of why hiphop music doesn’t speak to me.
R.E.M.
3/5
REM is right up there as one of my favourite bands, but as far as I'm concerned everything they did prior to Green was just a dress rehearsal for the greatness that followed.
David Gray
3/5
I wouldn’t call this anything special, but I will concede it makes for a pleasant afternoon’s soundtrack.
Aretha Franklin
3/5
Tons of respect, even if Franklin’s not my preferred flavour of the blues.
Nick Drake
2/5
One gets the feeling the curators of this list really, but really, love Nick Drake's music. This is the third album of his I'm getting, and as far as I know he had 3 albums released prior to his premature death.
Anyway, as far as I'm concerned it's more or less the same as before: music that's OK for a quiet afternoon's background, but nothing that actually "lifts". If anything, I found this album more boring than its siblings.
New York Dolls
1/5
Listening to the album from the perspective of almost 50 years later, it's hard to find much in the way of special there. There’s not even a single redeeming song.
Jane's Addiction
1/5
Not even Been Caught Stealing redeems this album
The Velvet Underground
2/5
Passé
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
Nice, classic, jazz
Patti Smith
3/5
A classy classic. And I really like the album cover
Wilco
3/5
Nice & melancholy Radiohead recreation that I can listen to in the background for forever while, at the same time, complain it fails to take me places.
Heaven 17
1/5
Not the most puzzling pick in this list, but surely one of the worst?
Little Richard
3/5
Obviously a classic, overflowing with energy, but 65 years later we have to admit it sounds rather basic.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Can't say I'm in love with the album, but it passes - mostly because it doesn't sound like everything else.
ABBA
2/5
A mix of several stupidly famous songs (very deservingly so) mixed with numerous WTF tracks. There has never been a better case for a Best Of album than Abba.
Kraftwerk
3/5
Kraftwerk deserves its place in the history books, but this isn’t its best album. Not that it matters: fine music is made of these.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
2/5
Always regarded Crosby, Stills & Nash's music rather boring and uninspiring, and guess what? Relistening to this album only made me more confident in my opinions.
The Isley Brothers
2/5
Clearly not my kind of music (unless I seek to quickly fall asleep)
The Doors
3/5
This would have definitely not been my pick for a Doors album to include in this list, but I won't go over this list eccentricities again.
It's not like this one is a bad album in any shape or form, it's just that, you know, LA woman, you're my woman
Roxy Music
3/5
Frankly, every other Roxy Music album sounds to me like a rehearsal for Avalon.
That said, The Bogus Man is a really good track: I'm a sucker for those repetitive, extra unnecessarily long, tunes.
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
I know this album comes with credentials as long as eternity, but to these ears this album is on the wrong side of the noise to music continuum. And you can’t accuse me of disliking the genre.
Shack
2/5
It's not that the music is bad as much as it is so unremarkable!
Ray Price
3/5
Growing up, a local radio station used to have an hour of music such as this, but a bit less country, every evening. They called that hour Twilight Time, and I used to hate it but my mother would always have it on.
Nostalgia may be dreadful, but one cannot deny the yearning for simpler days, days that now seem free of worries (but, in actuality, were anything but).
Hole
2/5
It's got that typical American hard rock sound to it, that:
I don't like, and
Makes too many of these albums sound the same to me.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
I quite like Count Basie's big band music, but I noticed that I like contemporary renditions much more than the "real thing".
I put that to recording quality: my favourite takes on Basie are audiophile recordings. A well made recording turns the visceral impact of the big band is something else.
The originals are, of course, still very good, even if their recording quality cannot compare.
Everything But The Girl
2/5
The Rod Stewart cover is nice, the rest pretty ordinary. I know it wasn’t ordinary back then, but what can one do, time renders us all old & ordinary
Leftfield
2/5
Classic nineties' electronic music, so identifiable by its decade that it's also quite dated by now.
Which brings me to ask: In this day and age, would I choose to listen to this album? And the immediate answer is "probably no".
The Avalanches
3/5
Cheerful, refreshing background music that probably goes really well with a poolside or beach pub setting.
But, other than "that famous track", it's not something that shakes the very foundations of music. Indeed, the entire affair sounds like it's just one song that's about an hour long (and clearly, that had been a deliberate creative choice).
Not that there's anything wrong with cheery music for the background.
Arctic Monkeys
2/5
The thing that stands Arctic Monkeys aside is their unique sound, which - generally speaking - I dislike as too noisy. That said, I prefer and even like the added sophistication of AM so much more, but AM is the exception rather than the rule.
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
Music's that's not too good, not too bad, and generally feels like it's going nowhere
Nirvana
4/5
In many ways, I used to regard this as the perfect album: a sophisticated wrapper around Nirvana's music that allowed me to access said music much more often and in a much more relaxed manner than The Real Thing®. And in many ways, I still do.
...Yet I have to reserve a tiny bit of a star, because it just seems as if this music, which I would listen to over and over again and again during its first decade upon this earth, just doesn't "do it" to me anymore. At least not to the extent it used to. I do miss that feeling of being lifted by The Man Who Sold the World...
Coldplay
3/5
Brings back memories of being fed up with all the music on the radio sounding like Coldplay. And it's not like that period lasted a day or two: it took years till we got rid of that Coldplay sound.
Anthropologists are even suggesting those times never ended, it's just that we don't listen to the radio anymore.
Killing Joke
2/5
Music that sounds way too simple to these ears. Maybe I could have grown to appreciate it if I grew up with it, but that is not the case (and, I’d argue, for very audible reasons).
Pink Floyd
5/5
Is it enough to simply point out this is, by far, the reference when it comes to thematic, story conveying, music?
Or should I point out that, in the field of personal achievement, this is probably the album most responsible for the shaping of my political views? Lyrics don't come more packed than The Wall's.
"Probably" worth mentioning The Wall is filled with excellent music from a band at the peak of its maturity (as its implosion, while recording the album, suggests). From Another Brick in the Wall to Comfortably Numb, The Wall has its share of signature pieces; and tracks such as The Trial indicate there are no limits to the band's creativity.
I would argue that, in more ways than one, The Wall was THE album that defined the generation that grew during the eighties.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Most definitely the lesser of the better albums from Led Zeppelin (a distinguished list that includes 1 to 4 + Physical Graffiti). But lesser does not mean that it’s anything less than excellent, brimming as it is with classics (Immigrant Song) and signature blues tracks (Since I’ve Been Loving You).
Elbow
3/5
Nice music that's often even better than its Coldplay template, but is never excellent.
Billy Bragg
2/5
A bit into the opening tracks, I was thinking “mmm… this could be interesting”.
50 minutes later, I’m thinking "this is boring".
Don McLean
3/5
An accountant would write this down for having 2 exquisite songs, with the rest ranging from nice down to boring.
Probably worth mentioning is the fact they don't do music this plain anymore. Things got way more complicated, and while I prefer this evolution I'm still wondering if we're not missing out on something big.
2/5
I think they're angry
Slipknot
1/5
Really, but really, far from anything I can tolerate
T. Rex
2/5
Always found T. Rex' music uninspiring.
I suspect one needs to have lived through the period in order to absorb the alleged "glamour effect" the band's famous for.
5/5
What an album! Right from the opening track, PJ Harvey hits off firing on all 12 cylinders.
Between this album and To Bring You My Love, I argue Harvey brings forth a damn excellent case for best female vocal performance ever in terms of the emotions it triggers in me (which, in my mind, implies best vocal performance ever, period). The fact this performance is closely tied to recording technique does not hinder, but rather further supports to prowess of this multi talented musician.
John Lennon
3/5
I have a problem with John Lennon's solo albums: on one hand, they include hugely potent material (say, Imagine - what a culture bomb!, Jealous Guy, or Watching the Wheels if we're allowed to increase the scope from this particular album). But on the other hand, these albums are also full of very forgettable material, too.
Given we're looking at the albums rather than the individual songs here, I will therefore go with the harsher interpretation.
The Icarus Line
1/5
Noisy, boring
The Stooges
2/5
Some of the music isn't too bad, but given that I'm judging the album as a whole:
There is a significant issue with the shouty-shouty factor ending up on the wrong side of what delicately yours accepts.
John Lee Hooker
3/5
A nice blues mix, with some songs definitely rising above the rest (e.g., the Santana collaboration).
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
I miss Tom Petty.
And, I will add, I tend to prefer the extra sophistication that came with later albums (most notably Into the Great Wide Open).
The Zombies
2/5
Pretty boring, with the exception of the [famous] final track
The Smashing Pumpkins
2/5
The odd nice song is not enough to lift the rest of this album enough for me.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
I love Hancock’s music in general, and I was always intrigued by his genre breakthroughs. This one is one of those unique ones, and, more importantly, is still a pleasure to listen to today.
I just love it!
Christine and the Queens
1/5
I struggled with eighties pop throughout, and this [albeit more sophisticated] reincarnation of the genre is no exception. Only that it lacks the romantic perspective we can now afford eighties pop.
Also, this album is way too long.
Buffalo Springfield
2/5
Suffering from an overdose of that sixties spirit
Todd Rundgren
2/5
Turns out there's a good reason why I haven't listened to this album before.
Not that it's the worst I've listened to from this list (not by a wide margin), but it does reopen the question of "what are so many of the albums on this list doing on this list?"
In other words, I find it hard to see what so special about this album.
Billy Bragg
2/5
The type of music that can pass right under my nose and I wouldn't notice.
Motörhead
1/5
Uninspiring noise, all the songs sound the same, pathetic lyrics. A conclusive fail
Living Colour
2/5
Aged badly
Caetano Veloso
3/5
Breath of fresh air. I should really listen to Brazilian music more.
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
Nice sort of a recreation, albeit in a thick British accent, of the Pulp Fiction soundtrack
Gorillaz
4/5
I find it doesn't achieve the same effect on me that this album used to have in its day, but it's still a great and innovative album nevertheless.
It literally took me years to be able to get the klezmer inspired Clint Eastwood tune out of my head, and it's not like there is a shortage of breakthroughs in this album otherwise: M1 A1 is an all time favourite I'd gladly point a finger at.
The Gun Club
2/5
Yet another album in this list that I can only shrug at and move on with my life.
The Offspring
2/5
Self Esteem offers much to identify with, yes, but the rest of the album?
A collection of bland noise tracks, all uncannily similar to one another.
The Yardbirds
2/5
A bit too sixties spirit infused for my taste, outlives its welcome, but some lovely guitar work (no wonder, given it's Jeff Beck).
Also, probably the winner of the ugliest album cover ever competition.
Fats Domino
2/5
Too archaic (sound quality included) for me to appreciate in any other manner than the historical one.
Willie Nelson
2/5
Sometimes melodic, usually boring, and generally not my kind of music.
Otis Redding
2/5
A singer that fails to move me performs music of a genre that fails to move me.
The Undertones
2/5
Uninspiring (and eclipsed by better performers in the genre)
Keith Jarrett
3/5
A bit of an atypical ECM album, yet very typical ECM album: none mainstream jazz packing a punch that makes one wonder why, exactly, it isn't mainstream.
Not my typical kind of music, yet made of stuff that could warm a soul on a dark cold night (with the help of capable hi-fi).
T. Rex
3/5
While I generally consider T Rex way overhyped, I will admit this album contains some decent music.
Kendrick Lamar
1/5
No matter how hard this list tries, hip-hop and rap are still not types of music I can tune in to. Sorry (I keep trying, every time)
Orange Juice
2/5
Some interesting variations on the eighties pop sound, but let's be realistic: it's yet another obscure participant in this curated list.
The Smashing Pumpkins
2/5
A generic representative of the kind of generic rock music that flows out of the USA, a kind that is so generic I fail to be able to latch myself to it.
Eurythmics
4/5
I used to dislike Eurythmics’ cold metallic sound. These days I’m much older and perhaps a tad wiser, and I appreciate the band for its innovative sound and for Lennox’ voice.
It’s a pity there’s a bit too much fluff in this album, but overall: noice, if not very much so.
Supergrass
3/5
I love Supergrass and I believe the band's grossly underappreciated. However, I also believe the band has peaked and perfected its sound with its self titled album from 1999; I find this one a bit too rough around the edges, despite some great tunes (and I love Sofa of my lethargy!).
Paul Simon
3/5
A very relaxed and relaxing album to listen to, brimming with Simon's trademark brilliance in its lyrics and influences. That said, I argue it's a bit too relaxed in comparison with Simon's best albums.
PJ Harvey
3/5
I bought this album for that explosive title track, and frankly I hardly ever listen beyond that track: the rest of the album isn't on par. Not that it's bad, just not as good.
I will also add that:
1. I prefer 4-Track Demos album over this (they share many of the songs).
2. For an alternative treat, try listening to Juliette Lewis' version of Rid of Me (from the 1995 movie Strange Days). Or, for that matter, Lewis' version of Hardly Wait (another PJ Harvey song, which you can find in 4-Track Demos).
The Specials
2/5
In my opinion, Madness took the ska sound too much better places. Not that this album is bad, but other than Rudy the tracks are not that special (ha!) to contemporary ears.
Morrissey
1/5
I could never stand Morrissey’s whiny voice, and this album is no exception. If anything, it has that extra “oh it’s so boring” factor to it.
The Pretty Things
2/5
While I have been known to like bands coming of similar backgrounds during that same era, I find this album rather uninspiring.
Beatles
5/5
So much richness in one [double] album!
There's literally every genre of contemporary western (and a bit of non western) music in the mix here, as well as stuff from each individual Beatle. And, for one reason or another, it is all packaged in what I consider a very cohesive album. So much so that even the much maligned Revolution 9 feels like a logical conclusion.
For these reasons, while I don't consider The White Album to be the Beatles' best (there's very tough competition there), it does happen to be the Beatles album I listen to the most.
Frank Ocean
1/5
I'll apologise again, but I can't connect with contemporary pop music, especially of the type that's so closely related to hip-hop.
Sufjan Stevens
2/5
2 points for the ambitious endeavor, but I can't say the music lit my fire.
PJ Harvey
4/5
I don't like this album as much as the more gritty albums PJ Harvey delivered prior to this one (I miss her guitar sound); but that's called being picky, as those are some of my all time favourite albums.
Nevertheless, this is a huge album. The narrative driven songs with their ever so relevant anti war message add on top of the great (and very original) music to deliver an album that's much more than the sum of its parts.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Usually, Dylan's music passes right by me. I think this album is the main exception: it's musical enough for me, and it includes several tracks that really penetrate.
Missy Elliott
1/5
Every time this list offers a hip hop album, it’s wasting both our time. Sorry.
Buzzcocks
2/5
I like my punk more musical
The Go-Go's
3/5
Punk served lite (and I like it like that).
Besides, I always liked the sealed lips song. Now I can add a wonderful album cover to the list.
Scott Walker
2/5
Going retro is a legitimate move (especially if, as in this particular case, it means going back to the recent past). However, as an album, it’s a bit of an overdose (overkill?).
UB40
3/5
A nice representation of UB40's music during their serious One in Ten era, before they went commercial. However, as far as reggae music from that era is concerned, I much prefer The Police's interpretation from Reggatta de Blanc.
The The
5/5
I could say I've been waiting for this album all of my life, but that would be lying. But only because I've had it for so long! (What a song, though!)
I love The The: for the lyrics that seem to have been written by me (the version of me that can write) and about me, as well as for the creative music (those solos in Uncertain Smile or Giant). Most of all, it's probably the insight gained from someone (Matt Johnson) whose view of the world seems so similar to mine. It's hard for me to convey, but it really does feel like songs written about my most intimate thoughts and experiences.
You could argue I grew up with this album. I'd argue it's a hell of an album to grow up with.
Fiona Apple
2/5
Objectively speaking, this is very musical music (you know what I mean).
Subjectively, it passes right past me. You know what I mean.
Nirvana
5/5
I fell for this album long before it became the hip thing to do. I watched the Smells Like Teen Spirit video a couple of times, noted how I couldn’t get it out of my head, bought the album, and then realised that this most famous of songs is actually eclipsed by the likes of Drain You (my favourite, by far) and, say, Lithium. Personal preferences aside, there are no duds in this album.
And then the album broke out to become the phenomenon it still is and mark a bit of a crossroad in the evolution of rock music. There simply is no denying the historical importance of this album.
Does it stand the test of time? I’m the first to admit it doesn’t trigger me the way it used to. I will also admit to have grown much mellower and refined. But some landmarks are still worth recognising as the landmarks they are.
Roni Size
3/5
Oh, that nineties sound!
Generally speaking, I like that type of music, but I do think there are better choices when it comes to the genre and the period (say, Fat Boy Slim?). Regardless, I could do with worse background music, I guess.
The Youngbloods
2/5
There really is no reason I can see for this album to be included in this list.
Guns N' Roses
4/5
Oh, how I used to love this album! So many old favourites! So many classics!
But that's the catch, though. That past tense.
I still think it's an excellent album, but I cannot deny I don't turn to it like I used to. Or as frequently as I used to.
Pixies
3/5
Some nice stuff in there, but - it's no Doolittle.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Not the hottest of Neil Young's albums, but it definitely has that particular Neil Young sound that I like so much.
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
While the classic Springsteen themes are definitely there, I would argue that as far as his portfolio is concerned, this does not stand out as a particularly special album.
The La's
2/5
One better song does not a good album make
Fleetwood Mac
2/5
I find Fleetwood Mac to be a story of two bands (Fleetwood and Mac?). The hit song one, represented best with Rumours, may not align with my tastes, but I totally get its success. The other, which we see more of in this album, can be outright boring some of the time and ordinary at best.
Gene Clark
2/5
Yet another in a long list of boring albums this list has pushed on me to rate lately.
Kanye West
2/5
Some very nice and creative sounds in there, but then the singing starts and I just can't stand hip-hop (sorry).
Nico
2/5
I got the point of this album by its second track. From then on, it was smooth boring.
Tina Turner
3/5
Some great songs in there, and there's an undoubtedly great voice in there.
But: the entire album is so deeply anchored in that “classic” eighties sound I found it hard to tolerate in its entirety. Way too much of an eighties overdose!
Bobby Womack
2/5
Might have been lovely if I took to the genre, but I don’t.
Röyksopp
4/5
I tend to find Röyksopp‘a music a bit of a hit or miss affair (including their very latest 2022 release). However, this one is definitely a hit, and Eple is one of those hits that transcend time.
Butthole Surfers
2/5
Once the image layer fades, and it fades rather quickly, the music left behind turns out to be blatantly uninspiring, predictable, and shabby.
Blur
4/5
It doesn’t pack as much of a punch as it did in the nineties, it is eclipsed but Blur’s self titled album, but I’ll still give credit to this album for representing that certain time and place it came from [probably] better than any other album.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
2/5
Neither then nor now am I able to connect to this music. I don’t know exactly why, but it always made my think of saws.
Brian Eno
2/5
A lot can be said about this album's artistic merits, but at the end of the day (hold on, I'm developing a pan here) this is an Eno albums of a style I will only listen to when going to bed.
Bee Gees
1/5
As I have done here before, I will question the wisdom of picking this album for this list.
It's pretty obvious this will not be the first album one thinks of when when one thinks Bee Gees. I might be wrong, but none of the hits that gave the band the reputation it rightly acquired can be found here (cough Saturday Night Fever cough).
Which leads me to conclude, yet again, that this album was picked as yet another "look at me, I'm so smart, I picked the album you'd least expect" captain's call.
Disappointing.
Kraftwerk
4/5
Fun fun fun on the autobahn!
I know these are not the lyrics, I know exactly what they're saying, but that's not the point. The point is that this is a creative, relaxing, album of electronic music that I can always go back to (and I do).
Now, let us drive, drive, drive, on the Autobahn.
Madness
3/5
Around the time this album came out, Madness was my favourite band in the whole world. Some of it was to do with its brand of reggae, some to do with their brilliant (and ground breaking, for the time) music videos.
Looking back, I can now tell that The Rise & Fall, as good an album as it is, represented the point when Madness was clearly past its peak. Perhaps the best indicator is the fact that there is only one truly brilliant track in the entire album (Our House)...
Nowadays, I find Madness is best experience through compilations.
R.E.M.
3/5
Definitely rough around the edges (which are made of most of the album with the exception of the couple of excellent songs in the middle). But in hindsight, you can see where the greatness of later albums came from.
Wire
2/5
While I definitely heard worse, I fail to see the special in this album.
Os Mutantes
3/5
Rather too off center for me, but not enough to annoy; instead, I took pleasure on stumbling upon this eccentric (Brazilians might disagree) and enchanting album. It's because of albums like this that I'm still here, despite all those daily doses of mediocrity that this list has imposed on me.
And I even recognised a couple of the songs! (As well as the heavy Sergeant Pepper aroma)
David Bowie
3/5
As much as I like Bowie (he already got a couple of 5 starts from me over here), I was never able to gravitate towards Aladdin Sane.
I wouldn't say it's a bad album, but I will claim it's not a particularly good album, in the sense that it leaves me with nothing to cling to in the uplifting department that makes an album great. Hope I'm making sense...
Bring back Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust, I say!
Echo And The Bunnymen
1/5
Incredibly unremarkable half an hour of music that's pretty much one long and fairly boring song.
Clearly, this list's curator likes their bunnies
Grizzly Bear
2/5
Never rises over mere pleasantness. Which, half way through the album, manifests with boredom.
The Young Gods
2/5
The only good thing about this album is that it's not yet another English speaking artists. There's actually tons of music created outside of the Western music scene, despite what this list is trying to tell us; even this album doesn't go far enough in that department.
Other than that one good note, this particular album is just plain weird. It failed to click on any front.
Can
4/5
Frankly, I was expecting yet another shitshow given this list's track record with albums I've never heard of before, but...
Instead I got a very pleasant surprise of atmospheric, semi psychedelic, dose of music that can best be described as "right down my street". This is the type of music I like to have in the background when I concentrate, but also music I can concentrate on in its own rights.
Thank you, dear album generator list, for the nice surprise!
John Martyn
2/5
On paper, given the genres, I should have liked this album. But I didn't.
Could it be the result of the mumbling for singing? Or is it the overall boring presentation? I don't know, but it's yet another album I'd rather pass.
Tim Buckley
2/5
The first track really captured my attention, being more or less a remake of a Miles Davis' Kind of Blue track.
The rest of the album lost me, though. Fine singing qualities aside, I was bored out.
The Cure
4/5
Moody, inquisitive, gets right to me. Probably my favourite Cure album.
Also, between Lovesong and Lullaby, it packs some hit heat in addition to its epics (and I'm a sucker for good long pieces).
3/5
Muse is one of those bands that ticks the checkboxes but rarely, if ever, achieves true excellence.
As to this particular album, I find it OK, but... It offers such an intense presentation that it crosses over to the annoying side of things with almost every track.
SAULT
3/5
Putting the dominant message aside for a moment: I like this album's music, especially some of the bass riffs; on the other hand, I find it inconsistent, quality wise, with some great tracks (Wildfires, Monsters) mixed in with a lot of -alsos.
Then there is the matter of the artists' remaining anonymous. On one hand, it feels pretentious; on the other hand, given that message again, I can see why they'd want that extra layer of personal protection.
Overall, I like this album, not as much as for its music (I prefer Sault's later albums for a start) as for the artists standing up for a good cause.
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
On one hand, this is blues that often sounds and feels like John Lee Hooker and at other times sound exotic in that "wow, who could have imagined they make music in non Western and non English speaking countries [hint-hint-nudge-nudge to the curators of this list, who seem to think such music is some sort of an exotic exception]".
On the other hand, over the course of an hour, I got the point and frankly got bored, too.
Traffic
3/5
There can be no denying Steve Winwood's talents, and this album's style is right up my street, but... that's all on paper.
While I didn't suffer listening to this album, it failed to produce that famous uplifting effect music is so famous for 😜
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
I always had a bit of a soft spot for Fun Lovin' Criminals, despite my inability to stand rap music. They're just musical enough to pass under my radar and allow me to enjoy their rhythms.
Not the world's best album by any measure, but OK to listen to from time to time.
Steely Dan
3/5
Rikki Don't Lose That Number is a great song, and it's joined by some other original songs (my favourite being East St. Louis Toodle-Oo, with its original and very creative sound).
But the passage of time is hard to ignore, and generally speaking Steely Dan is best experienced these days through albums such as "The Very Best of Steely Dan".
James Brown
3/5
Obviously quite a performance from a Brown oozing with passion. But the music is no match to the singer, and the songs themselves are not that special.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
One of my favourite Cohen albums (but not his best by any measure).
I find the more sophisticated production far superior to his earlier kumbaya albums, even if it’s overtly eighties sounding and the world has moved on since (and we’re better for that).
Several really good tracks here!
Jeff Beck
4/5
A very good album by any measure, but: given the similarity with the Led Zeppelin that followed, I can't help but draw a comparison. Namely, I can't help but note that as good as this album is, it's no Led Zeppelin during its prime.
Why is that?
One obvious answer is that Rod Stewart is no Robert Plant.
But there's more to it. I think it comes down to Jeff Beck's ensemble being a collection of talented individuals, whereas Led Zeppelin was a group of talented individuals that functioned as a group.
Marvin Gaye
1/5
I find it rather unjust for me to have to pass judgement on an album that’s so far away from my playing field. But given that’s what we’re here for today, I’ll just say the sound is exactly what, I’m led to believe, provided for many an old porn soundtrack.
Rush
2/5
Wank fest
(Or, to put it in more conventional terms, I never understood Rush's charm, nor was I ever able to connect with it.)
Metallica
4/5
Pretty much the only Metallica album that's a genuinely good album (and I'm leaving the definition of "good" ambiguous on purpose, on account of this not exactly representing the bread and butter of my music consumption).
Enter Sandman is a truly awesome track, and Nothing Else Matters isn't a slouch either. A bit of a pity about the fillers, but at least they don't overcrowd the affair.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
I like Leonard Cohen, but I like him because of the more sophisticated productions that came later on in his illustrious career. As for the rather minimalist folk music of this particular album, it might have been nice at the time and it might have represented the period it came from well, but it's not my kind of thing. To put it another way, I'm not surprised by the genre's disappearance.
P.S. Is it me, or does it sound like Cohen plagiarised his own So Long, Maryanne with A Bunch of Lonesome Heroes?
I will note this is the 5th Cohen album served to me by this list. I'll use the opportunity to point out the existence of other artists out there (but I will also point out my favourite Cohen album is missing from this list of 5).
Black Sabbath
4/5
File under "a classic that brings back memories".
Everyone classifies this as a metal album, but I don't know. It certainly doesn't sound like contemporary metal albums do. As far as I am concerned, this is heavily rocked blues, and I'm quite fine with that.
Warning has to be the favourite track here.
Buck Owens
3/5
This is such a left field album for me that I didn’t know how to digest it. But it grew on me as I was listening: sure, country music isn’t my thing, but there’s good music to be experienced through this album.
Call it an interesting surprise, but let’s agree to keep it a one off.
P.S. “First thing is matrimony next thing is alimony” (from Wham Bam) surely qualifies for a top cynicism award.
George Jones
2/5
I can’t believe I’ve been handed country albums 2 days in a row, but for now:
- Country is definitely not my thing,
- This album started well, musically speaking, despite it not being my thing,
- But it quickly (3 tracks through) overstayed its welcome, turned boring and unoriginal, thus emphasising my animosity to the genre.
James Taylor
2/5
This album can give you diabetes with a single track
Fatboy Slim
4/5
What an album this was! One of the hottest to come out that era, packing the energy of a few atom bombs.
I still remember the sheer joy of playing FIFA 99 just so I could listen to Rockafeller Skank again and again (the game was great, too; it was the era before loot boxes took over). Add Right Here Right Now and Praise You into the mix, and you have an armada of smash hits with great videos to match.
There are too many fillers in the album, and it has dated by now, but it's still good.
The Teardrop Explodes
1/5
Overstylized & boring
Fugazi
2/5
The grunge album I never knew existed. Turns out, for a good reason.
It's a bit of a shouty-shouty album and, more importantly, through that "all songs sound the same" factor, I found it rather boring.
Pixies
3/5
First, what a great album cover. Bold and beautiful.
Second, this album represents the Pixies getting towards their prime time (i.e., Doolittle). Alas, to Doolittle go the spoils: it's way better an album with many more a song that stayed etched in social memory. Surfer Rosa, in comparison, can only claim to achieve that with Where Is My Mind?
Michael Jackson
2/5
This ain't no Thriller; the tracks aren't half as catchy. The whole album is outdated, from the "Bad" inscription on the cover to the music that didn't stand the test of time.
P.S. Whenever I hear the track Bad, I can't help but reminisce on the vastly superior Fat by Weird Al Yankovic.
Tricky
3/5
Dark stained music that I actually quite like for running in the background. However, it doesn't manage to grab enough of a hold on me to light the foreground fire.
Lana Del Rey
2/5
I really liked Lana Del Rey's first album (2012), and I like her second album (2014) even more. However, since then her music regressed to focus more and more on that retro/nostalgic image Del Rey has, by then, established. The problem is that this regression comes at the expense of the music. It's like she fell for her own marketing; the brilliance and originality of Born to Die is gone, and all we have instead is a fake facade.
P.S. I totally approve of a 2021 album making it into this list (even if I don't particularly like this particular choice).
The Undertones
2/5
Pretty bland, innit?
Morrissey
2/5
It's because of days like this that my streaming service thinks I actually like Morrissey's whiny voice.
Elis Regina
3/5
Nice, calming music. Nothing more, nothing less, but that's a hell of an achievement on its own.
P.S. Is it me, or are the only exceptions to English this list will allow (while pretending the rest of the world doesn't exist) come from Brazil?
Violent Femmes
2/5
I'm not the first to comment on this album being a decade ahead of its time, sound wise.
As for my own 2c, I don't care it was ahead of its time; I'm judging by current standards. I'll settle with Blister in the Sun being rather brilliant, and the rest of the album being rather ordinary.
Happy Mondays
2/5
What is mediocrity?
Silver Jews
2/5
Another boring questionable choice for this list
Def Leppard
1/5
I never understand what reason anyone might have to pick this over music such as, say, Led Zeppelin’s. To me, Def Leppard always sounded like a vastly inferior wannabe.
Anthrax
1/5
Music that doesn’t speak to me at all
Fishbone
1/5
A very convincing case for why the mishmash of genres demonstrated by this album doesn't work.
The United States Of America
2/5
On one hand, it's too experimental (or just -mental, in that good old fashioned drugs infused way). On the other, it is somewhat interesting to listen to, given it's rather extraordinary (not in the good sense of the word, but simply in not being your ordinary run of the mill).
Also, as befits the land of freedom and copyrights, I wasn't able to access many of the tracks.
The Smiths
1/5
So much good music in this world, yet:
How many more times is this list going to force me through the mire of enduring Morrissey's annoyingly whiny voice? Not to mention its bland and boring wrapper.
I expect much better than this, 1001 Album Generator.
Funkadelic
3/5
While I do not object to funk (not in the least), I will raise a complaint at this album's tracks overstaying their welcome, length wise.
At the same time, the album can pass for good background music. I'd say it's a force for good.
Favourite track: Maggot Brain, because I'm a sucker for lengthy guitar solos (and I know I'm self contradicting here).
Raekwon
1/5
Nope, I still can’t stand hip hop. And while I don’t mind swearing, and practice the practice a lot, it does feel like a kitten dies each time this singer utters another salvo of unnecessary swears.
Iggy Pop
3/5
In general, I find Iggy Pop's music OK. Nothing special, not the type of music I actively seek to listen to, but definitely OK.
This album has the potential to offer me more, given it was produced by David Bowie. But I don't think it delivers on this promise. China Girl more or less proves the point: while Iggy Pop's music can be nice to listen to, if it's excellence that I seek, I should turn to Bowie, his music, and his version.
Soundgarden
5/5
Not only is this Soundgarden’s best album, I would say it would have the genre’s tour de force if it wasn’t for Nevermind that simply got there first.
Regardless, the album is loaded with original and creative tracks that have become the signature music of the era (and still do very well today, thank you very much). When I fall on black days, this album knows how to pick me up.
I will also note my favourite tracks are not your Black Hole Suns, but rather the songs at the album's end (4th of July, Half, Like Suicide). It is as if, by that stage of the album, Soundgarden stopped caring about the hit factor and was just producing groovy (if melancholy) music.
P.S. Chris Cornell: what a voice! Probably one of the best modern male singers of recent times.
Sepultura
1/5
Indigenous factors do not render ugly music nice
The Shamen
2/5
Most, but not all, dance music is shallow. Sadly, this one aligns with the majority.
Nothing terribly wrong here, just the definition of "nothing special".
Charles Mingus
3/5
Nice jazz music, no doubt about it, but in comparison to the true big albums of the genre this one feels like a group of very talented musicians sprayed their talent all over the place. The result is nice, yes, but lacking the cohesion of the true greats.
Terence Trent D'Arby
2/5
There's no doubt about the voice, but let's be honest: this was a diabetes inducing affair even when it came out, let alone now in old age (and it hasn't aged well).
Ash
2/5
Not the worst album this list forced me to endure (sadly, there’s an ever growing list of such abominations), but:
Despite my undeniable affection to the sound of distorted guitars, I have to file this one under “nothing special”.
Beastie Boys
4/5
It's not that I dislike hip-hop music, I find I detest it. This one, though, isn't hip-hop as much as it is music. And good music at that: very jazzy, sometimes rocky, and yes, occasionally annoying to one extent or another (mostly the so called singing). But always creative and original.
I just love it. I wish there were more like it.
Favourite track: Sabotage probably gets all the credit, but Futterman's Rule is pretty much my definition of an ultimate track.
The Fall
2/5
This list's maker obviously loves The Fall much more than the general public does, given this is 3rd album from The Fall that I'm getting here.
My verdict is similar to the previous two occasions: The Fall's music is very far from being able to hold me interested for an album's entire duration. And as before, I fail to see what's so special about it.
The Who
2/5
Of the numerous British rock bands coming to age during the same era, I always found The Who rather bland and boring. This album is no exception.
Guided By Voices
1/5
By now I stopped trying to decipher the logic behind the criteria for including albums in this list; there's just too much noise, from the mediocre through to the nothing special, making it impossible to pick up the signal.
Which is my way of saying that this is yet another WTF pick for this list, as in - I fail to see what raises this album above the rest. If anything, I can see the opposite.
Richard Hawley
2/5
While this old style country jazz period piece of an album may suit romantic entertainment by the fireside on a cold winter night, I found its initial charm fading away rather quickly. Half way through, I was rather bored.
Baaba Maal
2/5
This could have an interesting deviation from the generally bland and uninspiring albums brought forth by this list. Alas, I couldn’t find much of interest in this particular album. I’m sure worthier representatives of world music are out there in greater numbers.
The Style Council
4/5
It was my sister that first introduced me to the charms of The Style Council. As with most of her recommendations, I tended to dismiss her. As with most of her recommendations, I tended to change my mind and appreciate where she came from as I matured (case in point: this band called The Beatles).
Anyway, I'm a bit torn about how I should rate this particular album. On one hand, I really like the more jazzy instrumental tracks. I also like the superb vocals on The Paris Match, and I always had a soft spot for My Ever Changing Moods' lyrics. The rest is, how shall I put it, mediocre? Tracks that haven't aged gracefully?
On the positive side, the bulk of this album is included in that first group. Thankfully.
DJ Shadow
3/5
The technical achievement of this album's construction aside, I quite like the end result! There's good music to be had here.
However, at the same time I find there's a slight but definitive lack of traits to make me go back and re-listen to this album (or, for that matter, DJ Shadow's library in general). It's probably the result of building the entire album out of samples without a spine of its own, but it means the album is more of a curiosity than a pillar in the field of music.
Sister Sledge
3/5
I can clearly see why some [many] of the tracks here have become classics, even if this type of music isn't my regular cup of coffee. Nice detour from the usual!
Elton John
4/5
In my humble opinion, what we have over here are:
1. Elton John's best album, and
2. Elton John's best song (the title track).
Both of these say a lot, given Elton John is not exactly a slouch when it comes to producing classics.
That said, I do think a shorter version of this album would have packed a bigger punch (and easily deserve the full 5 stars accolade).
Frank Sinatra
2/5
First of all, what a voice!
But. While I do like Sinatra (and, in previous incarnations, bought a couple of his albums), I cannot claim the same about this particular album. It simply bores me to the point of not being able to distinguish between the different songs.
I think this album is as outdated as the cigarette Sinatra is holding in the cover.
Neil Young
3/5
A great album, no doubt about it, with a couple of big time classics.
Yet, personally, it's a bit too tame for my taste.
1/5
Now I know exactly why this album didn’t ring any bells.
P.S. I’m very curious as to the justification for including this album in this list. Maybe someone got confused with the Albums to Die From list.
Muddy Waters
4/5
Chicago blues is the best blues*
* Not that I have any problems with other forms of blues.
Louis Prima
4/5
Not my favourite flavour of jazz by quite a margin, but -
This is very good jazz, delivered sublimely by an excellent voice.
A bit of a heretical anecdote: I much prefer David Lee Roth's Just a Jigolo. Not that there's anything wrong with Prima's.
The Who
2/5
Pretty much a case of "you can tell an album by its cover":
3rd Who album I'm getting here, and I still find their music uninspiring and bland.
P.S. Also, they talk too much.
Ice T
1/5
This is why I have an aversion to hop hop and rap music
The Rolling Stones
2/5
First, I'll point out I listened to the USA version, which offers a significantly different selection of songs from the UK version, most notably Paint it Black (my pick for best Stones song ever).
With that advantage in mind, I will still say I tend to find Stones music rather uninspiring - with the notable exception of some of their classics (e.g., Satisfaction). This album is no exception.
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
I like LCD Soundsystem, and I was happy to hear they're back, but:
I don't think this album merits inclusion in a list of "records to die for". At the time I listened to it, got the point, and moved on. Now, several years later, it sounds fairly unremarkable.
I prefer their older albums.
Tom Waits
2/5
First, let the record show this is the 4th Waits album served to me by this list. Obviously, its authors hold Waits in very high regard.
As for me, this was my usual Waits experience: a left of centre album that works at a different wavelength to mine. Sometimes this is the recipe for a hit, but not this time.
Kanye West
1/5
The opposite of music I get along with.
Kanye West
1/5
For some reason, I was served with 2 Kanye West albums in a row. Clearly, this list hates me!
Lambchop
2/5
Far from the worst albums this list made me endure, but still - I fail to see the alleged specialness this album holds over thousands of others that is supposed to be the trait that sent it into this list.
This is the definition of "nothing special".
Hüsker Dü
1/5
Really? We're down to the level of "stuff indistinguishable from noise" here?
Blur
4/5
Simple, really: This is Blur's best album.
And, by extension, I'd argue this is the all time winner of the Britpop battle.
P.S. The joy that Song 2 used to bring me back when I played FIFA 98 - Road to World Cup!
JAY Z
1/5
This shit ain't my gig
Culture Club
2/5
Boy George, long hair and makeup included, was a huge cultural phenomenon. No doubt about it.
The music, however, was always mediocre.
Pink Floyd
5/5
You’d be giving me a hard time if you were to ask me what’s my vote for best book or best film ever. The torment would come from not being able to compare apples with oranges: there are lots of very good books, but can you really put one book on top of another, significantly different yet undeniably good, book? I can’t.
But I can definitely give you my answer for “what is the best album ever”. Not because the same conundrum does not apply when it comes to music, but rather because there is one album that is so exceptionally good that all other albums pale in comparison. An album for which 5 stars fail to suffice.
And, for me, that album is Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon.
Musically speaking, Dark Side holds some other personal records. I cite The Great Gig in the Sky as “probably the most beautiful song ever” (a bit ironic, given its theme of dying). I consider Money to be one of the ultimate manifestations of musical creativity, starting with the trademark cash till sound, then the distinct 7/4 rhythm, which transitions to the more common 4/4, only to go back to 7/4. And I won't mention the lyrics, which are still too relevant to this day (with dodgy countries and oligarchs sport-washing their vile reputation by buying football teams, or billionaires destroying the climate with their private jets, to cite just a couple of examples). Indeed, side B probably qualifies as my favourite medley of songs ever, rivaled only by Abbey Road's side B.
As an audiophile, Dark Side always stood out for me as an album that I both enjoy as sheer entertainment as well as an audio experience. Few rock or pop albums can match it in the sound department: just consider the way it provides a "surround" experience even through a conventional stereo system (let alone the real thing). There's a reason I still go back to Dark Side first whenever I try to assess a stereo, hi fi system, or headphones: They don't mix them like that anymore!
Whichever way I look at it, Dark Side is the complete album. It takes me from birth through death and back. It's the album I had listened to the most ever, nothing else even comes close. It's my favourite album, it's my best album.
Guess we can shut up shop over here now. Nothing else will come close.
Peter Gabriel
2/5
A rather incohesive collection of overly eccentric songs.
Lucky for us, Peter Gabriel's solo music improved vastly as his career progressed. Let's just say I wouldn't have picked this particular album of his into this list.
Megadeth
1/5
I'll pass
Destiny's Child
2/5
There's definitely music in there (not something to be taken for granted, given some of the atrocities sent my way by this list).
At the same time, it's clear I'm not this album's target audience.
Dead Kennedys
1/5
Too close to noise for my liking.
Wilco
2/5
A vast collection of songs that manage the impressive feat of leaving me utterly indifferent throughout.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
I think there's a severe case of under-delivering with this album.
On one hand, we have:
1. One of the greatest voices in Karen O (she's utterly sensational),
2. One of the songs of its decade in Heads Will Roll, and
3. A band that, generally speaking, does rock and does it well.
But the result just doesn't do it to me. Other than the aforementioned hit, the songs fail to rise above the level of "OK", and the album fails to inspire overall.
Alice In Chains
3/5
I consider this album too edgy for its own good. In my opinion, Alice in Chains peaked in the more toned down and far more melodic Jar of Flies a couple of years later.
The Prodigy
3/5
A sensational hit in Firestarter - check!
Influential legacy - check!
Excellent crab on the album cover - check!
Yet there is something about this album that fails to lift it, IMHO, to the level of similar albums from the same era (say, Chemical Brothers). It sounds too much as if they use the same synth program throughout the album.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
This website should be renamed to "1001 Elvis Costello albums (and also a few other albums)", given this is the 5th album of his I'm served with here. And frankly, I don't think Costello is so good as to merit such recognition.
As for the particular album at hand (aka, #5):
It's yet another uninspiring, rather mundane, and badly aged album. Just like the previous 4!
I'm sure there's a reason for Costello being so highly regarded, here and elsewhere, but I still fail to detect it even in this 5th attempt.
Deee-Lite
3/5
Nice album, yes, but not an album I'd call special in any way. The only thing that stands for it is Groove Is in the Heart being a hit back then, and therefore the entire album's inclusion here can be excused as a sort of "marking the moment in time that was".
But should peeing on the post to mark a territory make for a reason that's good enough?
I'd argue Deee-Lite is your classic one hit wonder of a band. And there's nothing wrong with that (it's certainly eclipses my personal achievements in the field of music!).
Amy Winehouse
2/5
The first question that came to my mind was "would this album be here if it wasn't for Winehouse way too premature a departure?"
Curious thoughts aside, there is no denying the qualities of Winehouse's voice. What I will deny, though, is her music: I just don't get along with what passes for pop these past couple of decades (nor am I in the contemporary R&B market).
Doves
2/5
Quite an achievement, this album: I listened to it from start to finish, and found myself completely indifferent - for better and/or worse.
Problem is, this isn't what we seek to get out of our music.
[Also, too frequently it felt like this album is a Coldplay emulator.]
John Cale
2/5
Boring through and through
Pavement
2/5
On one hand, I kind of like that drone guitar sound/grind.
On the other, the effect is sort of ruined by the vocals.
Overall, not the worst album I got here by far, but not an album that can take me places either. Just another mundane album that, almost 30 years later, offers little reason to pay it a visit.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
2/5
Frankly, I find Lynyrd Skynyrd mildly boring and uninspiring even before we add the "that did not age particularly well" factor.
Fleet Foxes
2/5
This album is so forgettable, I truly fail to comprehend why it’s included here.
Weather Report
3/5
I argue this album is a bit of a miss. Not because it's bad, but rather because it should have been so much better given the subject matter, performers, and genre.
Don't get me wrong, though: I like it!
Venom
1/5
Oy Gevalt!
Pink Floyd
3/5
TLDR: This is not the Pink Floyd album you were looking for.
If you woke me up in the middle of the night to ask me who my favourite band is, the answer you'd get is Pink Floyd. However, the Pink Floyd I'd be referring to is the one with David Gilmour (and, preferably, with Roger Waters too); I was never able to attach myself to Syd Barrett's Floyd.
Piper at the Gates of Dawn explains why: there's some good music there, yes (Interstellar Overdrive offers a fine example). But the whole thing is way too trippy, lacks cohesion, and frankly I don't understand what the band is trying to say. I don’t think they do, either.
Piper is probably as fine a start as one could expect given the circumstances, but it's the landmark albums that came out during the seventies in its post Barrett era that gave Pink Floyd the power of its might.
Genesis
3/5
Over the years I spent a lot of time with this album. I have mixed feelings about it: on one hand, it's got songs I consider proper favourites (Carpet Crawlers, to name one off the top of my head). But on the other hand -
1. It's a bit too prog when it comes to prog rock, at least in my book.
2. Sides 3 & 4 offer nuclear winter levels of desolation when it comes to quality tunes, at least in comparison to the wealth on offer by sides 1 & 2.
To sum up, there are some excellent tracks here, but the album itself is far too long for its own good.
U2
4/5
By far my favourite U2 album of all time. I know folks argue the band's deviation from the sound that identified them to that point was some form of heresy, but I actually liked it a lot (and lamented them going back to their "normal" sound 3 albums later).
People tend to forget this album is a bit of a moment in history, at least as far as the European Union is concerned. These influences are all over the place, in the album's name, cover, or a song that was used for the soundtrack of a Wim Wenders film. I consider Achtung Baby a very accurate snapshot of what Europe felt like at the time.
The songs themselves are either a hit or a miss. I always liked The Fly a lot, and One received tons of accolades. But other songs (e.g., Even Better Than the Real Thing) sound and feel like fillers. Regardless, I spent many a fond hour with this album over the years, and I fully expect many more to come.
Sade
3/5
On one hand, I wonder if this is elevator music that I'm listening to. On the other, it sort of works on me [but what does that imply about me?]. I guess I've been conditioned to like Smooth Operator.
P.S. Not the most, how shall I put it, modern album in terms of lyrics, is it?
Waylon Jennings
2/5
I approve of the rock music influence, that defied my country music genre expectations and provided for an album I could actually listen to. But that still doesn't mean this is an album I'd like to listen to...
Ramones
1/5
Low quality (in sound, as well as musically and lyrically) noise throughout.
Badly Drawn Boy
2/5
As with the majority of albums served to me here, I fail to detect any qualities that render this particular album special in any way. Unless, of course, it's all about being boring.
The Smiths
2/5
It’s nice that they saved this album for this one particular day when it's accurate, but it still reeks of Morrissey.
3/5
Is it just me or is it that the only deviation allowed here from the western-English speaking hegemony is Brazil?
As for the music, it's of that "clean" non offending electronic genre that's probably best for background duties at one's favourite hang out place.
Arcade Fire
3/5
I have this "problem" with Arcade Fire's music: I appreciate them ticking all the boxes, but their music just fails to uplift me. Can't say exactly why, we don't seem to be working on the same wavelength.
Love
2/5
Yet another album that, while not too bad, should have been consigned to the dustbin of history were it not for this website and its peculiar, fetish like, habit of attempting to put lipstick on pigs.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
I fully expected this album to be an absolute killer of an album, with 2 such great performers joining hands (and voices). Alas, I find the result rather anaemic, with the performances tending towards the boring and uninvolved.
In other words, this album has nothing on Getz/Gilberto.
Ananda Shankar
2/5
The gimmick behind this album is the mixing of rock music with Indian style music. The question is, does this gimmick create for a good album?
For me, the true test case were the covers for Doors' Light My Fire and Stones' Jumpin' Jack Flash. The answer to the question "would I have liked these [cover] songs if I was unaware of the original versions" was a definite no.
Hence why I relegate the album to the gimmick category.
Beatles
4/5
Not my favourite Beatles album (by quite a margin, given their sublime output), but I do consider Rubber Soul a turning point: it marks the point in time when the band stopped offering pure pop music and started their truly creative phase. The one we can now recognise for its creative genius. Rubber Soul offers a bit of a whiff of that, whereas the likes of Sgt. Pepper provide for a blessed overdose.
It's the albums that followed Rubber Soul that made the Beatles the great band they are, which therefore make it into a critical turning point.
The Mars Volta
2/5
A reminder I didn't need for why I dislike most of the rock music that originates in the USA (and for why I don't like Muse that much, either).
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
2/5
Kind of shows how much music (and, not less importantly, lyrics) have evolved over time.
TLC
2/5
Not my kind of music by quite a stretch, and not because it's clearly aiming at horny folks.
Meat Loaf
3/5
Proof that being over the top can be a virtue when done in such a blatantly exaggerated way.
Alas, the record is marred by side B taking itself rather too seriously and, thus, being rather boring.
Morrissey
1/5
It’s the 7th time Morrissey and/or The Smiths come up here for me. Come on, surely this world has other music makers than this annoying whiny voice?
Motörhead
1/5
Live, dead, I still can’t stand the noise
Blue Cheer
2/5
Don’t think I’d listen to this album today (I can state that with 100% confidence...). The band runs out of original tricks rather too quickly.
However, I can totally see me listening to it at the time it was released and thinking how new, original, and full of tricks this album is.
Blondie
3/5
As albums go, this one is one of those typical “some songs are awesome, some are fillers”.
However.
This is one of those albums that make me mourn what had happened to pop music over the years. Why did it deteriorate from this incredibly musical, powerful, wonderful voice and personality powered incarnation, into the dreary repetitive boredom of contemporary pop?
Aerosmith
2/5
The standard Aerosmith affair: bland and boring.
P.S. Does this album really belong in this list? [Nope.]
Can
2/5
First impression: "Interesting".
Alas, the album is marred by a latter half that's best described as a bad acid trip.
Neil Young
2/5
First thing first: this is the 6th Neil Young, solo or not, album I'm receiving here. I like Neil Young, but I think that's over the top.
As for the album itself:
It feels like an "another" Neil Young album, rather than an essential Neil Young album. The music has aged and not that well. It also feels like the music wasn't that much of a hit back when it was released, either.
That is to say, this one is yet another of way too many that should not have been included here.
Gang Of Four
1/5
As with the majority of punk music (everything other than Clash?), this is a bland and rather annoying to listen to album. The best thing about punk music is the world moving on.
Aretha Franklin
3/5
If I were to give this 4 stars, it would be because this is a powerful creation from a powerful woman, not because I like the music that much.
Musically speaking, I don't mind the album but it's clearly not my cup of coffee. Obviously, Natural Woman and Chain of Fools are standouts.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
As with her previous album pushed at me here, Blue, I cannot claim to be on the Joni Mitchell wavelength. I do get why some people love her to bits, but me, I'm much more of a Jaco Pastorius fan than a Joni Mitchell one.
All in all: a pretty boring album, even if not offensively so.
Kate Bush
4/5
I love Kate Bush and this album, despite Stranger Things.
Hounds of Love continues to demonstrate Bush's talents, but:
1. I don't think it let her show off her unique vocal talents as much as some of her other albums (The Kick Inside is the example that always pops into my head).
2. The album oozes with originality and innovation (take the first few seconds of Cloudbusting as an example), but at the same time it also carries that eighties dating stamp all over.
P.S. Can't wait for the album I consider Bush's best, by far, The Kick Inside. I don't know exactly why, but each of the songs there seems to speak directly to me, in a manner that Hounds of Love doesn't achieve.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
My feelings towards this album and its "quieter" incarnation of Nick Cave are similar to the feelings I harbour towards the Led Zeppelin 3 album: I like it, but I prefer the real thing.
You got to hand it to Nick Cave, though. Each of his songs feel like he's truly spilling his guts, lyrics wise.
Laura Nyro
2/5
There’s a great voice there.
Alas, the music reminds me of the stuff that bored the hell out of me in so many Broadway style musicals (and without the magic of a flashy show to take it down with).
Alice Cooper
3/5
I don't like Alice Cooper, I think he's rather bland. But I'll give this album the credit: it's definitely trying!
The Byrds
1/5
4th Byrds album pushed at me here. Someone must have a crush on this band.
As for me, I certainly don't share the sentiment. As with the previous 3 cases, this album is a bore-fest.
Talking Heads
3/5
Oozing with originality, but a tad too eccentric for my taste.
Big Star
2/5
There's so much better music to represent the genre and the period than this bland and uninspiring album.
Deep Purple
4/5
I used to really like this album (and Deep Purple's music in general).
Times have changed, though, and Deep Purple's appeal has faded a lot. Coming back to this album, the performances felt more like the prolonged orgasm of some wankfest festival.
So what does it say about me if I were to hint that, eventually, while re-listening to the album after all these years, I sort of fell back for it?
Regardless of our opinion about the music, I argue we can all agree on the following:
1. This album represents a pretty unique flavour of a live music act.
2. This is probably the best “best of Deep Purple” album (for better or worse).
Tom Waits
3/5
Welcome to the 5th Tom Waits album served to me here, proving once and for all that there are only 12 musicians to ever produce music in this world (at least according to the procurers of these facilities).
The nice thing about Tom Waits, as opposed to his fellow 11, is that each of his albums are quite different than one another. And while I can't say I like the majority, there are exceptions, and this jazzy one definitely "errs" towards the positive side of things. That pretend jazz club atmosphere reminds me of some of the best live music experiences I've ever had, in both style and ambience.
Justice
3/5
This noisier version of Daft Punk is ok for the background, but not something I’d bother to take with me to a remote island.
P.S. I’ll note that, curiously, there is an inverse relationship between the quality of the songs on this album and their amount of lyrics.
The Kinks
2/5
If you happen to be in desperate need for some music for your retro style kids’ show, you might get some ideas from this album.
Everyone else need not apply.
Nitin Sawhney
2/5
Although not offensively bad, I can't say I find this album the least bit inspiring.
Slayer
1/5
Best to pretend this abomination never happened.
The Specials
2/5
Nothing special
2/5
I love Blur, but I don't see any particular reason to include this particular album here.
Rocket From The Crypt
1/5
Generic noise (that seems to pass for “rock music” in the USA)
Fugees
2/5
I recognise this album was huge at the time.
I also acknowledge that between this album, and Wyclef Jean's subsequent albums, I used to consider myself a fan of the genre.
But things have changed: both the world of music as well as my views have evolved since, for better or worse. There are still a couple of songs I consider (Ready or Not, Killing Me Softly); however, I have little patience for the rest, especially the parts that are more like talking than anything else. I'll put it this way: my life upon this earth is way too short to waste on the meaningless bullshit that constitutes such a huge part of this album.
The Damned
2/5
Yet another punk record
2/5
Not the worst concept album ever, but still: it's fairly boring.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
2/5
Allow me to start by pointing out this is the 6th album I'm getting from Neil Young's direction over here. One would think there are other musicians in this world, but obviously not our esteemed curators.
(And for the record, I generally like Neil Young's music.)
With that in mind, I'll refer to this particular album and point out that while I'd generally describe it "well, nice", I will also add I see little in the way of reason to listen to it again in this day and age.
5/5
How shall I put it... "No other album comes even close to this when it comes to originality and innovation"?
Not my favourite of the Beatles albums, but - wow, this is such a special album. I can always re-listen and feel as if I'm listening to it for the very first time.
P.S. A Day in the Life has to be one of the most beautiful songs ever.
Deep Purple
4/5
As time passes, it becomes clearer and clearer that Deep Purple’s music tends towards the bland. A simple comparison with Led Zeppelin’s music (same genre, yet timeless music) is all it takes to arrive at that conclusion.
However, Machine Head represent DP at its peak, and although bland they do have something to offer. Smoke on the Water is the obvious example.
Cream
4/5
What you get when you mix three of the best musicians* with their respective instruments together, and throw in a whole lot of drugs.
That is to say, a rock/blues classic.
* I’m trying to write this without passing judgement on Clapton as a person.
Kacey Musgraves
2/5
Call emergency, the curator of this list seems to have slipped on banana peel, which caused them to pick an album that really doesn't belong here!
[Then again, this is such a frequent occurrence, I wouldn't bother the emergency services]
Cocteau Twins
1/5
This album should not be on this list.
Fever Ray
3/5
I like the song from Vikings because I used to like watching the series, but other than that I'd say this is a pretty ordinary album that's functional for background duties. And that's it.
Flamin' Groovies
2/5
Yet another album that's so past way expiration it clearly can't qualify for "an album you just have to listen to". And frankly, I doubt it should have qualified even back when it was new.
Björk
3/5
Bjork is a rather hard to crack case for me (file under "first world problems").
On one hand, I consider her voice one of the better things humanity has going for itself. I also like a lot of her music (please refer to my previous review of her album Debut, a very 5 stars affair).
However, Bjork is not the artist to produce the same album twice. She likes to explore. Thus far, I find her explorations, while somewhat interesting, not half as thrilling as Debut was. Vespertine is a clear example of this "problem".
Lucky for me, Bjork hasn't put a gun to my head to force me to listen to each and every album of hers. I pick and choose, while she's out there having fun exploring. I will not be going back to Vespertine any time soon, but at the same time I appreciate the artist that tries to be original and say something new with each and every album.
Queen Latifah
1/5
Confirmed: I still can't stand hip-hop.
But I'll still add I fail to see why this particular album merits inclusion here (regardless of my lack of appreciation for the genre).
Ryan Adams
1/5
I find this wannabe Dylan music rather boring. Bring on Bryan Adams instead!
Erykah Badu
2/5
As is often the case with the albums listed here, what starts with the promise of freshness quickly deteriorates into the repetitive.
Brian Eno
3/5
Treads the line between the genius and the eccentric, and not so carefully.
It also demonstrates where U2's best albums came from.
The Mothers Of Invention
1/5
This album proves, rather conclusively, that a recording of a bunch of guys talking amongst themselves as they fool around does not make for great music.
Elvis Presley
2/5
The songs err on the side of simplicity, as far as my current tastes are concerned. And while this may have been cutting edge 66 years ago, I judge the music today.
Steely Dan
3/5
Nice music, I like Steely Dan, but I think that these days their music is best experienced through “best of” collections.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I recognise this album is a landmark, but: I’ve always found Dylan’s presentation rather annoying. And at least in this album, I don’t think this is to the album’s advantage.
The Everly Brothers
2/5
Humanity has moved on since this album, and we're better for that.
David Bowie
2/5
It's nice that Bowie reinvented himself for each of his albums, but I can't claim to like this particular incarnation. I definitely don't get his Across the Universe, and other than the album's 2 hits I find affairs rather boring.
Johnny Cash
3/5
This album really reminds me of William Shatner's Has Been. Both are [mostly] cover albums, and both feature "singing" that's more like narration. Sure, Cash has the better voice, but Shatner knows how to not take himself too seriously - and thus his is the better album.
N.W.A.
1/5
A collection of lots of things I can't stand about music
Janet Jackson
1/5
No, I don't get why this album is here.
Unless it's for "extreme over-production", which rendered the album unlistenable to these ears.
Eric Clapton
3/5
Didn't realise Eric Clapton is still a thing.
Putting racism and general asshole-ness aside for a minute and looking at the music alone (assuming that's even possible), I'd say this album might have been nice, once upon a time, but is now past it.
But, yeah, this would be a better place without Clapton in it.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
What can I say, other than: they released their first amazing album, and then they released an even better album?
Or, if I'm being more analytic: this album is what you get when you take 4 musicians at the top of their game (certainly the top of their respective instruments) and boost the synergy effect to 11.
Or should I say that with a whole lot of love, they rumbled on and brought it on home? To which I’ll say, thank you!
Tim Buckley
3/5
Sounds like a standard issue seventies rock album to me.
Prince
2/5
Not my favourite of Prince's albums. He evolved as he went along, and I regard the albums that followed better.
Def Leppard
1/5
Rock music for people who don't like rock?
Or just: fodder.
Saint Etienne
3/5
I always like Saint Etienne's music: it never knocks me off my chair, but it's always pleasant and relaxing. And that goes a long way!
P.S. Their 2021 album, I've Been Trying to Tell You, is quite good, too.
Circle Jerks
1/5
What have I done to deserve this
Billie Holiday
2/5
This album lacks depth. The only thing it has going for it is the voice; but the lyrics are shallow, and the accompanying music is all but non existent.
The Replacements
2/5
To the band's credit, the mundane and uninspiring nature of this album is explained by the band's name.
Yet another album that doesn't belong here.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Not a bad album, but I doubt it would have featured here if the cover didn’t read “Bob Dylan”.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
An OK bluesy album, that's probably a representative of the Stones at their peak. Yet, even at their peak, they could only produce an album that would have been nothing without its opening and closing tracks.
Robbie Williams
2/5
Shallow pop produced with an obviously large budget is still shallow pop music.
Miles Davis
5/5
Ooh... Just my favourite jazz album of all time. Thinking about the talent concentrating at that recording studio alone blows my mind.
For decades now, this has been an album I kept coming back to again and again, always discovering new facades I wasn't aware of before (it helps that the album has been released under different speeds and such, again, and again).
The White Stripes
4/5
An excellent adventure in core rock music. Something that this world clearly doesn't have enough of!
I like the minimalist presentation (though it's no minimalist when it comes to sound levels), creating good music out of rock's core constituents.
P.S. Elephant is even better.
A Tribe Called Quest
2/5
One of the more listenable albums of the genre. Alas, I still don't like this genre.
The Doors
4/5
Sheer brilliance, rock music of the type that never fades. File under “what a debut”.
Who could have imagined a rock song with such a huge organ solo could light my fire so consistently? Or that The End could provide the such an effective soundtrack to one of the best films ever, Apocalypse Now?
My second favourite Doors album, by the tiniest of margins (LA Woman, you’re my woman).
Beatles
5/5
From Revolver and onwards (perhaps with the slight exception of Let It Be), everything coming from the Beatles was sheer excellence. I’ll leave it to others to explain why that was the case, but it seems the band simply matured and stopped trying to please the universe.
Pearl Jam
4/5
Pearl Jam's Ten never took hold of me the way Nirvana's Nevermind did, but I grew to appreciate its qualities over time. Tunes aside, the songs here are very deep + touching.
It's just a pity the album's second half isn't half as good as its first.
Don't tell me it's been 30 years, I can't be that old
The Flaming Lips
3/5
I like how The Flaming Lips reinvent themselves with every album, even if I don't always particularly like the inventions themselves. The peculiar case of Yoshimi is one of those: it's OK, musically, but doesn't exactly knock my headphones off.
Do You Realize, however, is one of those songs that do.
Public Enemy
2/5
Not my kind of music (also, thanks but no thanks for destroying a nice streak of albums here)
Teenage Fanclub
2/5
Given the benefit of hindsight, this is a pretty ordinary album that doesn't belong on this list. [Hint hint nudge nudge to the curators here, things are not set in stone, you know!]
Derek & The Dominos
4/5
Oh look, there's that racist again!
Why are we allowing the openly racist here, anyway? Did Elon Musk buy this website, too? I thought this place was about creating an open community.
As to the music (insert painful segue):
It's of the very bluesy rock I used to like a lot, and actually still like a lot (especially in the longer songs, such as Key to the Highway or Have You Ever Loved a Woman). However, one could successfully argue, though, that this album is rather old in the tooth.
And then there's Layla, a timeless classic.
The Sugarcubes
3/5
This album tried to make the most of the time it was released in, but by now it doesn't really cut it. I can, however, see a future for the band's singer, she has a wonderful voice.
Laibach
1/5
Are you having a laugh?
It’s nice to have a diversion from English, but why this???
Rage Against The Machine
2/5
I like my rock music delivered:
1. Musically, and
2. With actual singing, as opposed to constant shouting.
Which is why I'm no fan of this album.
Julian Cope
2/5
One does wonder what goes through the heads of this website’s curators when they pick their albums. I suspect it’s illegal (and if it’s not, then it clearly should be).
Turbonegro
1/5
Amateur hour
Sparks
3/5
"This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us" is one of those sensational songs I can never get out of my head. It's crazy in the best sense of the word.
The rest of the album drags on, though, even if I do appreciate the artistic statement it sought to make.
Suede
3/5
A clear case of an album that might have been something upon its release, but - by now - is an irrelevant has been.
Queen
4/5
A very rich and diverse album. I prefer News of the World when it comes to Queen albums, but this one is probably their second best.
Spacemen 3
2/5
A contender for the 1001 Albums You Should Avoid Hearing Because You’ll Die of Boredom book.
Van Halen
2/5
On the positive side, it's short. Also, I did like Jump.
But, how shall I put it diplomatically? I despise the mundane, uninspiring, and bland waste of time that passed for American rock music at the time (and often still does).
David Bowie
2/5
As much as I like Bowie, I can't say I like this album. Most of it sounds too much like noise to me, and there's a definitive lack of hits (Heroes is the only familiar track).
I do admire the Brian Eno (?) inspired tracks, Moss Garden and Neukuln, for their interesting sound. But that's it.
Not everything made by Bowie is gold, and that's perfectly fine.
Love
1/5
Why, why, why [Delilah]?
It's not the worst album ever handed to me here, but it definitely ranks at or near the top of "why the f*ck is this album here in the first place" department (an all too popular department, I have to add).
Slipknot
1/5
Awful
Iggy Pop
3/5
Brimming with energy, and the title track stands out even more.
But... Each of the tracks, on their own, sounds a bit too simple to me; like they're made of a single riff that's on repeat.
Goldfrapp
2/5
I much prefer the higher octane Goldfrapp of yore over this incarnation.
P.S. I also very much fail to see in what way, exactly, is this album to die for. Of all the albums released in 2008, what’s so special about this one?
Come on, lift your game
John Prine
1/5
Yet another record to die of. What dump was this album dug out of?
The Velvet Underground
3/5
Traverses the thin line between boring and pleasant
808 State
1/5
Generic electronic music representing the time it came out in, yes, but in what way is this to die for?
Hookworms
2/5
Given there are so few albums from 2018 here, one has to ask what the to die for factor of this album is. And the obvious answer is: no.
I suspect no one (but family & friends) would list this album in the year’s top 10, or even top 50 or 100. Especially when looking at the music produced all over the world, as opposed to limiting oneself to the English speaking world.
If ever we needed proof this book turned into this website is rather bizarre/eccentric/myopic, or even nepotic, we have it now.
Metallica
3/5
The shtick of layering metal music with a symphonic orchestra fades rather quickly, and then we’re left with an album of averages: Metallica’s better songs are made worse by this “innovative” interpretation, but their lesser songs have been made better.
Lucky for us, Metallica’s portfolio tends towards the lesser side.
Miriam Makeba
2/5
Very different from the standard this website got me used to, but, alas, somewhat boring and dated.
The Only Ones
2/5
Yet another indistinguishable album with absolutely nothing special about it. Please lift your game!
Ravi Shankar
1/5
Nice that we’re getting non western music here, but this shouldn’t be the only exception. George Harrison might have found illumination with this music, but I certainly don’t.
Beastie Boys
3/5
An album that starts with John Bonham’s legendary drumming from When the Levee Breaks can’t go wrong, right?
I don’t like rap music, and that’s an understatement, but the Beastie Boys are the exception because they show how rap can be done right: by quoting tons of quality rock music! [It’s a pity copyright laws prevent others from following down the Beastie Boys' path.]
That said, the latter parts of the album features tracks that overstay their welcome, featuring mostly screaming band members and less brilliance.
Iron Butterfly
3/5
Way past its expiration date, and often bettered.
However, the title track? It’s awesome!
Roxy Music
3/5
An original and interesting album, even after all these years. I do consider Avalon to be Roxy Music's best, though.
Prefab Sprout
2/5
File under "where did they have to go to dig this one up from". At its time, the album brought a couple of minor hits that were played a bit on the radio, but there should be light years between that and being anything to die from...
Jane's Addiction
2/5
The music doesn’t live up to the album cover, featuring way too much shouty shoutiness to cover for the relative lack of musical creativity (though, by American rock standards, this is s as creative as it gets).
Isaac Hayes
4/5
This album starts with pure awesomeness (it’s great to learn where Portishead got their sample from), but side B is one big letdown.
Regardless, I’m going to give credit to the creativity and originality in this album. Well worth listening to!
The Beau Brummels
1/5
Sounds like what one would expect out of a recording of a bunch of kindergarten kids randomly bumping into one another.
The Band
1/5
Sesame Street's musical rejects?
The Who
4/5
I wonder how many other album covers here depict the aftermath of urination.
But given we're here for the music:
This one's probably the best Who album, yes, but like the rest of them the bursts of genius (i.e., the opening track and the 2 closing tracks) are surrounded by seas of mediocrity.
Eventually, I decided to be generous with my rating, on account of Won't Get Fooled Again. Guess I was fooled, again.
Jamiroquai
2/5
Even back when it was fresh, hip, and popular, there was something about Jamiroquai's music that really got under my skin. I can't say exactly what it was, but it definitely had to do with the vocal qualities and the pretend funk rhythms.
Things are way worse now, when it's hard to listen to the music and figure out how it was ever popular.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
Still boring after all these years.
Never got on the Mitchell wavelength.
Beatles
3/5
Pre its creative peak, The Beatles were a great band but not half as great as they'd turn out to be. They had good pop music for the time, some of it quite good (but clearly not an album-ful). Lucky for us, their music got more complex with time.
Songhoy Blues
2/5
A bit of a one trick pony of an album, with all the songs sounding pretty much the same. Yet another album that was probably selected to be here probably not due to musical merit.
Pulp
2/5
The music ranges from the mildly interesting to the definitely boring (the album's duration certainly doesn't help). Pulp is OK, but I can't see in what universe this album can count as an album to die for.
ABBA
3/5
I can't say I'm in love with this music, but it was a bit of a breath of fresh air given I was expecting that "more of the same" from ABBA that I'm used to (not that there's much wrong with that). Feels like this album was ahead of its time yet way behind on our current times.
Baaba Maal
2/5
Nice to get a break from Western music, but: this one's boring.
To the curators of this website I will say, don't give up! I'm sure that, eventually, you'll find plenty of good non Western music. Do consider asking the majority of this world's population, I'm sure they'd happily share favourites!
Common
1/5
Nope, I still don't like rap music. I also don't like the collaboration with a celeb antisemite, though one could hardly blame Common for that.
Johnny Cash
2/5
There may be notable synergy between the singer and his audience here, but not with me. It's simple, I don't like this music (and I definitely think it's overrated).
Elliott Smith
2/5
File under “all the songs sound the same” and “nothing special”.
Mott The Hoople
2/5
Poor people’s Bowie
Dolly Parton
2/5
Surely “The Pain” referred to in the 1st track refers to the pain of listening to this album’s country music?
The Chemical Brothers
5/5
Where do I start, where do I begin?
I always liked this album, but now - with the perspective of time - I can confidently say this is not only the best album to come out of The Chemical Brothers, this is also my vote for best ever of its genre. Powerful and relentless, exactly what the genre calls for.
What genre, exactly? Electronica? Dance? [How do you refer to music where no instrument is actually played by the musician?]
I prefer to look at it as electronic rock.
The Mamas & The Papas
3/5
Yes, it's aged, but you got to hand it to the band, they did wonderful things harmonising their voices.
As usual, most of the songs on this albums are duds, but the famous tracks fully deserve to be. At least they made them short back then (albums, that is).
Radiohead
3/5
I wonder how this album would rate if it didn’t have a famous band name attached. The music's OK, but nothing to die for.
William Orbit
2/5
Doesn't rise above the "background music for when one is actually concentrating on something completely different" level.
Nothing to die for here, move along.
Depeche Mode
1/5
I like Depeche Mode, but in its later incarnations. Clearly, this one hasn’t aged that well; given the gift of hindsight, it feels as if the band wa yet to find its true way (and just synthed its way to an album).
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
1/5
Noise to die of
Elliott Smith
2/5
Here I was thinking that me getting the first Elliott Smith album over at this website was more than a bit of a stretch, when I got this one as well. Neither is anything to die for.
The Hives
2/5
Here I was, thinking Hate to Say I Told You So is a good song, when I got to listen to this album. Only then did it occur to me what kind of a freak accident that song is, surrounded as it is by songs that sound more or less the same and are generally indistinguishable from noise.
1/5
I’d file this under “this really aged badly”, only that I suspect it was bad right from the start.
Fred Neil
1/5
Que boring!
I’d like to point a finger at The The’s rendition of Dolphins, which (unlike this one) is magnificent.
The Kinks
2/5
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a person seeking to enjoy Kinks music, must be in want of a best-of album.
Otherwise, said person will endure many a duds of a style that has aged badly. Even on a Sunday afternoon.
Jurassic 5
2/5
Not the worst ever, but I still can’t stand the genre.
Curtis Mayfield
2/5
I don’t mind funk, but this album falls under that “all the songs sound the same” umbrella. Nothing to die for here.
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
I think we can all agree that Springsteen is a respectable artist (and then some), but this album?
Nothing special.
The White Stripes
5/5
Probably my favourite album of its decade?
Songs like Seven Nation Army through Ball and Biscuit and Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine are songs I can listen to all day (and I do/did, a lot). But really, it's the entire album: Elephant provides a very vivid example for how to do rock right in the 21st century.
Soft Cell
2/5
This album sounded much better in my memory than it did today in real life. Which is another way of saying it aged badly.
Other than Tainted Love, there's nothing to this album, really.
Carole King
5/5
Whenever I listen to this album, my mind always wanders to thinking about the cover's cat and what it's up to these days. But that's mostly because song after song, this album hits with one surprise after the other: on paper, the music here is made of dead simple raw ingredients, how come each of these songs packs so much depth?
Lyrics go a long way, as well as King's vocals, but the rest is just magic. This is an album of anthems.
Skunk Anansie
3/5
Nice, strong music that clearly came from the nineties? Yes.
But a record to die for? Pull the other one.
Taylor Swift
1/5
Let’s put things on the table: I’m the last person Swift thinks of when she creates her music. A clear case of agreeing to disagree.
4/5
The album that marks the coming of age of U2 (as well as its Americanisation).
Those first 4 opening tracks pack a mean punch!
3/5
Brings back memories of tunes I liked and music videos that made me laugh. However, I wouldn’t consider this anything more than a fine representation of early eighties pop music; nothing to die for.
The Jam
3/5
I fail to hear anything of distinction here, but unlike most of the albums served here at least this one managed background music duties...
The Beach Boys
1/5
More boredom from The Beach Boys.
It’s the 3rd album of theirs that I get here, and unlike it’s predecessors there are no redeeming tracks to be found.
Stevie Wonder
2/5
The first song is good.
The last song is good.
Superstition is very good.
The rest of the album is dead boring.
Black Flag
1/5
Noise
The Jam
2/5
Too ordinary
SZA
1/5
Music of a wavelength that’s opposite to mine.
Hole
2/5
Got the decibels, but doesn’t deliver on the brilliance department.
The Notorious B.I.G.
1/5
So not my kind of thing
The War On Drugs
3/5
During 2014, this was one of my favourite albums from the year. However, I don't think it aged that well: songs I previously found mesmerising now leave me rather indifferent.
Sure, the album has its moments. I admit to tilting towards the longer, ballad like tracks such as An Ocean in Between the Waves. However, in order to truly be able to get what Lost in the Dream tries to deliver, I find I need to leave everything else and truly concentrate on the music. Which, these days, is usually too much of an ask.
Small Faces
2/5
This album might (?) have been something back in its day, but it definitely fails to rise to the occasion today, offering only mundane gibberish.
And Lazy Sunday is not enough of a track to save it.
OutKast
1/5
For a brief while I liked Hey Ya*, but that exception aside, I am still completely unable to relate to this genre.
And all these interludes they have sprayed all over the album: other than being disrespectful of my time, I really don't get their point.
* Yes, I know it's not from this album.
Tori Amos
2/5
At the time, I found I could never truly relate to Amos’ music, despite it ticking most checkboxes. Fast forward to today, and not much has changed.
Wild Beasts
2/5
File under “where did they dig that one out of” (apparently, this website does a lot of digging!).
Also, what an annoying voice (sorry!).
2Pac
1/5
Sorry, but I can't stand this music.
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
Not my kind of music, but I dare say, this is not bad at all!
Fresh and original, this one is definitely not a case of “all the tracks sound the same”.
Haircut 100
1/5
A very badly aged nothing burger
Elvis Costello
1/5
Might as well rename this website into "the Elvis Costello portfolio", given this is the 6th album of his I'm getting here. And it's just as boring as the other 5.
Believe it or not, there are other artists out there!
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
This is not a passable album.
It might belong in a modern art museum, when one is open to the strangest of art. However, presented as a music album, this is a clear "return to sender".
Duran Duran
4/5
A classic of sophisticated eighties pop music.
At the time, between the glamorous music videos and the band members' looks, the music was almost secondary. However, the perspective of time proves this is actually a good album!
Jeru The Damaja
1/5
Nope
The Rolling Stones
2/5
A classic Stones album, in the sense that it’s dreary, boring, and uninspiring.
The Doors
5/5
Ooh, finally I'm getting my favourite Doors album! And it's not like The Doors was a bad album, it's just that I like this one's more bluesy sound (as well as the inclusion of a bass guitar - viva la revolución!).
As far as favourite tracks are concerned, I love the title song so much, with its transitions. Riders on the Storm always gets me, too, with its haunting lyrics and atmosphere.
It does break my heart that I can order a coffee under the name Mojo Risin and no one blinks anymore, though.
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
1/5
This website seems to specialise in albums with absolutely nothing to offer.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
2/5
Past it (and Spinning Wheel isn't enough to save the day)
Gene Clark
1/5
As if I didn't have enough boredom in my life, getting served as I was with 4 Byrds albums here already, I got this "bonus".
Iron Maiden
1/5
How shall I put it best?
I can't stand Iron Maiden.
Gotan Project
4/5
This album turns background music into an art of its own, pushing the envelope so to speak.
Favourite track: Santa Maria, on account of it being featured in Chuck.
Gillian Welch
1/5
A mighty achievement in the field of boredom.
Elvis Presley
2/5
Significantly past its expiration date, but, frankly, I don't think it ever belonged here. It's pretty boring, and far from being a cohesive album.
The Electric Prunes
2/5
Yet another album that's way past its expiration date and with little to offer even before achieving said expiration.
Eminem
2/5
While I really don't like hiphop music, there's something a tad easier on the ear with Eminem's music that makes his generally tolerable.
However, what completely put me off this time around were the lyrics. I don't know if I grew soft or whether culture really changed so much in a couple of decades, but I just couldn't stand listening to this ongoing barrage of insults to humanity.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
I guess this is Stevie Wonder's magnum opus. Yes, there are several duds here, but also many songs that withstood the test of time very well and can best be described using the professional term "hits".
I do appreciate the effort and the achievement, even if this genre of music is not my typical cup of coffee.
Portishead
4/5
The innovative sound of Portishead still sounds innovative, fresh and original after all these years! As does the singer’s voice.
I wish more bands would break new grounds the way Portishead did.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Nice funky tunes, but they sort of repeat themselves too much.
That said, I’ll contradict myself and say I utterly fell for Sex Machine.
Nas
1/5
Still can't stand this music (sorry), but the lyrics aren't helping either.
The Stranglers
1/5
I'll put it this way: there was vast improvement in The Stranglers output after this album.
Björk
2/5
A very experimental album, that, almost by definition, should have never been counted as an album to die for; the fact that was a one off is all we need to know.
As for me, while I applaud Bjork for going where no human has gone before, music-wise, I cannot say I like this album.
Barry Adamson
2/5
So many excellent soundtracks out there, I don't get this Bizarro pick of a pretend soundtrack featuring music of inconsistent quality.
The Saints
2/5
Of all the Aussie albums out there, this is the one you choose to force me to listen to?
PJ Harvey
3/5
I absolutely love PJ Harvey, but I also hold her later albums in MUCH more regard. Like good wine, her music improved with age.
I'll put it this way, of all her albums, I wouldn't have picked this one for this list.
Stan Getz
4/5
One of those classic jazz albums that always sound fresh and that I can never tire of.
Boards of Canada
2/5
Too repetitive and mundane to go anywhere, yet another peculiar choice of an album for this list.
Little Simz
2/5
Musically much better than most of what passes under the hip-hop bridge, but still nothing I would willingly listen to.
Meat Puppets
2/5
Severe inconsistencies in quality between tracks.
The first and only time I've heard of the Meat Puppets was in Nirvana's Unplugged album. Listening to this album now, I can see why I managed to live my life without them thus far and will surely manage the rest of my life the same.
k.d. lang
2/5
The voice is there, but the music is way too country for me to be able to get into.
If it was up to me, I would list Ingenue and perhaps Hymns of the 49th Parallel instead of Shadowland.
Sebadoh
2/5
Sigh.
Yet another bizarrely uninspiring album to pop up over here. Can't say I appreciate the "in your face" low-fi sound, either.
Beck
3/5
Nice and cheerful, if a bit too long for its own good.
I like how Beck is able to completely reinvent himself with every album. Not that many people can claim similar levels of talent.
Slint
2/5
A special type of music that doesn't seem to be getting anywhere.
The Go-Betweens
1/5
Severely dated.
I fail to detect any distinguishing features in this album.
Radiohead
1/5
5th Radiohead album served to me here, none of them my favourite Radiohead album. And here I was, thinking I already got the point.
But it's not just Radiohead fatigue: this one feels completely redundant, and not only because of the annoying squeaky vocals.
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
It feels like an album ahead of its time, but at the same time it fails to take me to the places that the music I like does.
That said, Lucy Jordan is one of those unique songs that always mesmerise me. It depicts a very coherent picture and it hits me in the guts, probably because of identification and similar realisations to the Lucy’s.
Todd Rundgren
2/5
I'm not against psychedelic rock (some of my best friends etc), but this is too much.
Tortoise
2/5
Background music of no special qualities (and some distinct negative qualities, as per the case of the "experimental" second half of the opening track). By tomorrow I'll forget I ever listened to this album.
Turtle, you said?
George Harrison
4/5
Such a beautiful album, both lyrics wise and music wise. I love listening to this one properly, paying total attention to Harrison's singing, and let him take me to the places on his mind.
All Things Must Pass packs a lot of fond memories for me.
Khaled
2/5
First, I have to ask the editors here: of all the many millions of non English speaking albums out there, why is it, exactly, that you picked this one over everything else?
As to the album at hand, the music is not too bad but it’s at more or less the quality of a middle eastern wedding soundtrack. Entertaining, to one extent or another, but that’s more or less it.
Garbage
3/5
Garbage do music good, but like so many before and after them there are too many fluff pieces in between the really good tracks.
P.S. I also don't consider this one their best album.
Michael Jackson
3/5
Not a Thriller, not my kind of music, but I cannot deny this album offers notable qualities. And as a bonus, I'm assuming Jackson was more a victim than a perpetrator back when this album was made.
Common
1/5
Yeah, sorry, I'll pass.
(Didn't age that well, either.)
Sisters Of Mercy
1/5
Yet another album that might (emphasis on might) been of some interest to someone back in the day, but sounds way outdated and irrelevant these days.
Orbital
2/5
An album clearly dedicated to people who seek to spend their entire night in a rave, probably with the aid of drugs.
As for the music, the repetitive drone is rather uninspiring (given that I'm not in a rave and I'm not under the influence).
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
2/5
At their best, I truly love the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. But this is not their peak, this is just their beginning. (And that peak was all too brief.)
Philosophical discussions aside, this album is way too rough around the edges (as well as the midsection) for me to be able to compare it with compatriots such as, say, White Stripes' Elephant. Maps is pretty much the only decent song here.
Snoop Dogg
1/5
This is why I don’t like hip-hop.
Bob Dylan
2/5
Way too folky for me.
Django Django
2/5
Not a bad album, but I fail to see how this album could be counted in any “best of” list. It’s simply not good enough.
At the time, I actually quite liked the band’s Born Under Saturn album, whereas this one never attracted my attention.
David Holmes
1/5
If boredom could kill
Peter Frampton
2/5
Passé rock (and I think that was the case back in 1976, too)
The Mothers Of Invention
1/5
Way too crazy (AKA "concept") for yours truly to be able to listen.
Boston
2/5
How good is More Than a Feeling? It’s almost one of those rare breed of songs that transcend time.
I also like how the album cover always reminded me of the cover art for the Atari 2600 version of Space Invaders.
Alas, the rest of the album is rather mundane and not worth listening to, especially these days.
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
It's Tricky and Walk This Way offer catchy tunes. As for the rest of this album, I find it unlistenable (pretty much the way I find most hip-hop music - sorry).
Prince
2/5
I appreciate the talent, but other than the title song none of the tracks move me in the least. Sorry, I tried.
David Crosby
2/5
I guarantee I'll forget everything about this album by tomorrow, including its name.
That said: RIP, David Crosby.
De La Soul
1/5
Confirmed: I still cannot bear to listen to this type of music.
Ray Charles
3/5
Nice big band jazz arrangements, but I have to admit: none of the songs here light my fire.
Calexico
3/5
An interesting mix of genres, and the genres do vary to one extent or another as the album progresses. But as far as what this album has to offer, that is more or less it.
Black Sabbath
4/5
Between songs like the title track and Iron Man, one could easily think this is a milestone of a classic album. This is further supported by the absence of duds, as well as a fairly mild aging effect (plus, let’s face it, although the album is considered “metal” it’s nothing like what passes for metal these days).
I Therefore argue one is absolutely right.
Mudhoney
1/5
I’m not sure how far an album can make it on the basis of the core credential “we were there a couple of weeks before Nirvana”. I am, however, pretty sure I can’t stand the low-fi sound.
Megadeth
1/5
Can't stand ya
Skepta
1/5
Guess I don’t like this flavour of rap, either.
Randy Newman
2/5
I cannot deny the wit/braininess on display here, it's just that I find the music boring.
David Bowie
2/5
I've always found this album rather bland and uninspiring, and that hasn't changed after listening to it yet again. What a stark contrast between this album and the super innovative Bowie album, Blackstar!
Joan Baez
1/5
I mean Baez no disrespect, but this album is like when scientists find the reason why dinosaurs went extinct. In our case it wasn’t a rogue asteroid, but rather the world of music moving away from this yodeling based genre of folk music.
Gram Parsons
3/5
Not my kind of music, sure, but I cannot deny this is very pleasant music - especially when Emmylou Harris joins.
Mekons
1/5
They might have been uniquely peculiar some 40 years ago, but they definitely didn't withstand the test of time. I would not count this as an album to go back to.
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
This might serve as suitable background to some modern art exhibition, but as music to be listened to in its own rights?
Nah
Dizzee Rascal
1/5
Sorry, but I find this music unlistenable.
Scritti Politti
1/5
Pretty bad eighties music that aged pretty badly since.
Incubus
1/5
The band has that basic American rock sound that I find boring, uninspiring, and unoriginal.
Am I allowed to question this album’s inclusion in this here portfolio?
N.E.R.D
2/5
I see little of virtue in this album. Nothing, actually.
Seems like the curators here are clutching at straws.
Mike Oldfield
4/5
A blast from the past. I can see how it doesn’t look (or even sound) like much today, but it was certainly something back in its day, and it has more of a “making of” story than most other albums.
Personally, I prefer the second version, which Oldfield released in the early nineties. However, even that one (or the ones that followed since) aren’t enough to bridge the gap to where the music world is today.
Anyway, it's hard for me to rate this music which has been all over the background of my life's soundtrack. It has been many years since it stopped mesmerising me, but that doesn't mean I no longer appreciate Tubular Bells.
Holger Czukay
3/5
Surprisingly nice and pleasant music!
I’ll put it this way, it’s way better than the bulk of the crap “music” I’ve been served with here.
The Cars
3/5
Generally speaking, I like The Cars, but:
1. By now they're a band best experienced through a compilation album. On its own, and by today's standards, this particular album ranges between the mediocre and the nothing special.
2. Heartbeat City is easily The Cars' best album; I wouldn't have picked their debut as the highlight of their work.
The Residents
1/5
Another bizarre artsy pick that makes me reminisce about root canals.
Gil Scott-Heron
3/5
Not my kind of music, but it’s ok; lyrics wise, it sounds like it’s still very much relevant.
Christina Aguilera
1/5
Stripped is a case in point for a book I might write in one incarnation or another. The subject would be “what happened to pop music over the years”, and it will discuss how the mighty have fallen: how the likes of The Beatles music deteriorated into commodities such as this here album.
The Clash
3/5
The album where The Clash came of age (i.e., not just another punk band, but rather a punk band with depth).
That said, I still think The Clash is better experienced these days through compilation albums. There's too much fluff in the album.
Dr. John
2/5
Sounds like an artist that came up with a nice niche for themselves. But is it an album worth cherishing over the years above so many others?
Probably not.
King Crimson
1/5
When it comes to King Crimson, I learned the hard way to stick with In the Court of the Crimson King.
Sheryl Crow
3/5
Obviously, I was aware of All I wanna do is have some fun, but I never attributed much to it other than being a rather catchy song. I was thus taken by surprise by this album, which packs more quality than I expected.
Will I ever go back to this album again? Probably not.
Dinosaur Jr.
1/5
It's as if they're trying to compensate for the lack of creativity with excessive noise.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
Spell "expired"
Linkin Park
2/5
Bland American rock.
One of those albums that will only work for folks who grew up with it (for better or worse).
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
Probably my favourite LCD Soundsystem album, mostly due to the notoriety of North American Scum (and, other than being easy to identify with, it being a very catchy track). However, as an album, I always find I lose interest somewhere along the way due to the repetitive nature of affairs.
Talvin Singh
2/5
Pretty anaemic nineties electronic music that’s spiced with Indian influences but isn’t going anywhere and definitely failed to age well.
R.E.M.
4/5
In my opinion, this is R.E.M.’s breakthrough album: they finally produced an album that’s great to listen to from to finish and is filled with hits. Out of Time took affairs further, yes, but I’m perfectly happy with Green.
Here’s for an album I had so much good time with during the nineties (mostly)!
Maxwell
2/5
I guess this album was picked for this list here on account of the first track, because all the rest of the album is pretty boring.
Should an album get listed here on account of a single track? I think that's wrong.
Fairport Convention
2/5
Boring folk music is fairly boring.
The Associates
1/5
Very badly dated music that wasn't exactly stellar back when it was new.
I fail to fathom what this album is doing over here.
Bob Dylan
3/5
Firstly, I will note this is my 7th Dylan album here. I, for one, think that's too much.
That said, this particular album is probably on the better side of those 7.
Klaxons
2/5
Sounds like an inferior version of a lot of the music that was popular at the time of this album's release.
Mj Cole
2/5
This type of music became popular in the late nineties, and stayed popular till the early naughties.
As far as "this" type of music is concerned, Sincere is far from representing any substantial musical achievements or much in the field of originality.
Also: extremely overlong.
So: Meh, what's this album doing here?
The Police
5/5
My favourite Police album by far. As far as I'm concerned, this reggae of the white album is one of those rare beasts where each track is a masterpiece in its own right.
Message in a Bottle is album's most famous track, yes, but the album is full of unique moments. Whether it's that unique sound of Walking on the Moon or The Bed's Too Big Without You, or that opera singer I can hear in the background in Does Everyone Stare, this album is the result of the hard work of three very competent musicians striving very hard to avoid their era's common "rock" sound.
They were highly successful in this endeavour of theirs.
P.S. I used to love the album's back cover, featuring the back of the trio's heads (basically, the opposite of the front cover's photo). We don't get to experience these things in this age of streaming.
Public Enemy
2/5
Really not my type of music.
Traffic
2/5
A rather peculiar choice for an album to include here.
That aside, this one did not age well.
David Ackles
2/5
Pomp and circumstance are not my kind of thing
The Lemonheads
2/5
The music isn't bad, but there's nothing special about it either. Worse, there's very little originality in this album (a fact made even clearer by Mrs. Robinson cover being the album's best and most famous track).
Jefferson Airplane
2/5
More outdated, drug infused music from the sixties.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
2/5
I fail to detect much in the way of worthiness in this album. It’s actually pretty boring.
Steve Winwood
2/5
Windwood never managed to catch me with his music, even when it was new.
Super Furry Animals
2/5
Far from the worst album ever served to me here, but really, nothing special. As in, I fail to see a reason to ever get back to this album.
Bebel Gilberto
2/5
I guess it's OK background music material, but seriously: I fail to see the point of including this album in this list. What's so special about it?
Britney Spears
2/5
My first instinct was to wonder whether it is legal to look at this album cover. I was, obviously, familiar with the title track (and consider it incredibly catchy), but I never realised it was packaged this way.
Anyway, legal musings aside, the music itself is of the repetitive, artificial, boring, an uninspiring nature that modern pop music grew to become over the years (since the early to mid nineties, if you ask me). So, yes, one good song, the rest can remain hidden.
Steely Dan
3/5
A good, solid, album that lacks the tracks that really set me on fire.
Janis Joplin
4/5
Between the voice and the music, they don't do stuff like this anymore. And that's very sad.
Willie Nelson
3/5
Good for falling asleep with
Jacques Brel
2/5
None of the chansons I truly like were in this album. And there are plenty to pick from!
Peter Gabriel
4/5
By far the best Peter Gabriel album.
This album was so Big Time for me when it came out! The rich musical tapestries, the creative music videos, they all added to make quite a big impact on the person I turned out to be. Or as much as music can.
That cassette I bought back then is long gone, though. They'd never last, commercial cassette releases.
P.S.
As much as I love Kate Bush, I always found Don't Give Up this album's weakest link. And although it was Sledgehammer that first attracted me to this album, these day I gravitate towards tracks like We Do What We're Told much more.
Brian Eno
2/5
One can't blame Brian Eno for failing to explore different worlds of music. That said, this particular exploit is rather boring.
The Flying Burrito Brothers
1/5
Way too country for me.
Underworld
2/5
This music was everywhere at the time, but today I find I'm so over it...
The senses of freshness and originality are gone, and we're just stuck with the repetitiveness.
Sonic Youth
3/5
Probably my favourite Sonic Youth album, mainly because it was the group's answer to the far superior Nirvana. The album's not bad, but it's a far cry from the real thing. As in, it's hard for me to imagine a scenario where I'd prefer to listen to this album here over listening to Nirvana.
Which is to say, I don't think this album's qualities merit its inclusion here.
Brian Wilson
1/5
I’ll put it this way, the world would have been a better place if we just had the Beach Boys without this.
Stephen Stills
2/5
Funny, just last week I gave Stills’ recently released Live at Berkeley 1971 album a try, and gave up 4-5 tracks in on account of irrelevance.
That conclusion still applies. Yes, credit should go to the mixing of genres, but still: We’ve moved on in the fifty plus years since this album.
Brian Eno
3/5
4th Brian Eno album I’m getting here.
To Eno’s credit, he doesn’t seem to make the same album twice. That said, although there’s some nice music here, I cannot claim to have been knocked off my seat.
Neneh Cherry
2/5
At the time, there was something unique and original about the Neneh Cherry sound (not so much today, but let's give Cherry the credit she deserves). Alas, this unique sound is only well expressed in 2 tracks, with the rest drowning in repetitive mediocrity.
Van Morrison
1/5
This album seems like a Most Boring of Van Morrison collection.
Nanci Griffith
1/5
Given there so few country music albums here (don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining), I do wonder what qualifies this album over the rest of them when it came to inclusion in this list here.
Jethro Tull
3/5
I will forever remember this album with contempt, for the sole reason my sibling traded MY copy of Prince's Purple Rain for this album without asking for my permission.
Not a bad prog rock album at all (my prog rock preferences lie elsewhere, though). But Purple Rain is the superior album.
Animal Collective
2/5
I can see what the band was aiming at with this album, it’s just that what they ended up with sounds too much like noise to me.
Nirvana
4/5
As good a follow up to Nevermind as one could have expected.
But Nevermind aside, this is a very good album by its own rights. I don’t think it held the the test of time as well, but it’s not short on quality nor hit tracks.
Kelela
1/5
Found this particular flavour of R&B quite un-listenable.
Missy Elliott
2/5
Can't help it, this really isn't my kind of music.
Johnny Cash
2/5
Cash knows how to energise the crowd, but I still can't say I like the music (or the awful recording quality).
Method Man
1/5
Sounds like a very tedious production in a genre I best avoid.
U2
3/5
I know it's fashionable to say War is a great album, but I consider U2 a band that came of age with Joshua Tree and produced its finest albums in the 5-6 years period that followed (most notably, Achtung Baby).
War? What is good for?
The Temptations
3/5
Papa Was a Rollin' Stone is the elephant in the album, with its 12 minutes of sheer groovy delight. The rest of the songs range from the boring to the mundane...
Grateful Dead
3/5
This drug infused elongated jam session proved surprisingly effective background to my weekend afternoon book reading…
But yeah, Grateful Dead isn’t my jam.
Bonnie Raitt
1/5
Pretty awful stuff. I'm in need of severe ear cleansing now.
Soul II Soul
2/5
Here's an album that completely failed the test of time. Not that it ever managed to achieve mediocrity.
Rahul Dev Burman
2/5
And the inevitable question is, if Bollywood is a category of music that's officially recognised by this list here, then why this one out of all the millions out there, and even more importantly - why only* this one?
* Out of the 878 albums served to me here thus far, this is the first to come from Bollywood. There were 3-4 other Indian music albums thus far.
Richard Thompson
2/5
One of those albums through which reviewers can boast to have a level of understanding and appreciation of art that rises above that of the masses.
I'm with the masses: this is boring stuff.
Slade
1/5
Demonstrating the art of being noisy for the sake of being noisy
Daft Punk
2/5
I think that, over the years, Daft Punk proved they're better than this. As for what "this" is, it's a leftover from the drug infused raves of the nineties.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
I don't mind prog rock at all, I just don't see why this particular specimen deserves commendation. It's got meh written all over it.
Solange
1/5
Hope others like it, because this album certainly isn't for me.
50 Cent
1/5
Another album off my probably least favourite genre eschewing values I despise the most.
Tangerine Dream
2/5
OK, Wikipedia tells me this album was historically important. I accept that, even if I've never heard of it before.
Regardless of history, today I found this an album about nothing. But unlike Seinfeld, which is excellent through and through, this music is going nowhere.
The Flaming Lips
3/5
There are 2 things going for this album:
1. A Race for the Prize is a truly excellent song.
2. Unique + original sound that still sounds fresh.
However, this album also has a knack for losing me somewhere along the way.
Adele
3/5
The voice is divine, no doubt about it.
The music? Less so. Very much so.
Would I ever listen to this album of my own free will? Nah. But I feel I should give this voice some credit.
Yes
2/5
Not the worst, but certainly music that leaves me indifferent.
I would argue the [only] Yes album that truly belongs here is 90125.
Paul McCartney
3/5
Clearly, this album is a mix and match collection of half cooked ideas. Maybe I'm Amazed is obviously the most famous one, but my favourite is Momma Miss America.
It's obvious this album carries a lot of weight with Beatles fans, and it's also obvious it reeks of sheer brilliance. Alas, there is no escaping its under cooked delivery.
Finley Quaye
2/5
One can live a full and complete life without ever hearing of this album, let alone actually listening to it. Yes, at the time there were a couple of hits from the album, but no, they left as much of an impression as a fart in the wind.
Bauhaus
1/5
In what way is this supposed to be special and even [gulp] good?
John Lennon
3/5
Lennon's solo work offers a bit of a contrast dilemma to me.
On one hand, the songs are raw and direct, and are obviously full of personal meaning (and just: meaning). On the other hand, and generally speaking, the music side of things is nothing special.
Rufus Wainwright
1/5
Sounds like the marketing department opted to keep me out of the target audience for this one.
Kings of Leon
2/5
Never got on the Kings of Leon train, never could stand the singer's voice.
fIREHOSE
2/5
Riddle of the Eighties is "what is this album doing on anybody's list 40 years later".
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Probably the most famous of the Stones' albums, it also best demonstrates the Stones’ brand of uninspiring, mundane, rock music.
Also, the 5th Stones album I’ve been served with over here.
2/5
A promising album that never takes off:
The music definitely has the right leanings when it comes to its take on R&B, but at the same time it tends to err on the boring side.
Duke Ellington
3/5
Nice big band jazz music, no denying that.
Can't say it gripped me tightly, though.
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
Nice to see the occasional, if still very rare, deviation from mainstream English speaking music. And the music here isn't bad, either. At the same time, it didn't knock me off my feet.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
2/5
First, I’ll credit the album cover (which is very different to the one this website displays).
That said, while I'm appreciative of Marley's brand of reggae music, I found the album repetitive and rather boring.
Big Black
1/5
Another bout of noise
Radiohead
3/5
6th Radiohead album served to me over here, and since this is the place for me to state my opinion: that's way too much!
Also, still missing is my favourite Radiohead album 🤦🏼♂️
Anyway, Kid A:
It's one of those albums that people who intellectualise music will definitely rate highly. As for dumbo me, I miss the raw guitars sound.
I'll put it this way: yes, I recognise this to be a quality release, but it will never be an album I ask my streaming service of choice to play for me.
Everything But The Girl
1/5
Yet another dead on arrival album recommendation from this website:
Not only is this one badly out of date, I'd argue that even when it was new it didn't deserve listing in forums such as this one.
The Killers
2/5
Classic American rock music, which is another way of saying it's rather over the top, and probably in order to cover up for the abundant superficiality.
Primal Scream
3/5
I wouldn't list this album in anything worthy of dying for, but I find the music nice and varied. Definitely Primal Scream, but also different to other Primal Scream material.
The Auteurs
2/5
I would classify this as "just another mainstream album of its time". I fail to detect the special about it.
Madonna
2/5
Not my kind of music.
The Sabres Of Paradise
2/5
More electronic music for nineties people on drugs. Some of the genre is good, this one falls straight into the classic "too repetitive, too boring" file.
4/5
Oasis was never my thing, and I never really got the arguments between its leaders, but: This album hasn't dated too badly, and Wonderwall is still a song that grips me throughout. Most of the other songs are good, too!
Simple Minds
3/5
There was a period when I couldn't stop listening to Simple Minds, considering them sheer brilliance. That period's long gone, but I still love this music, even without Don't You Forget About Me.
As for this particular album, it does suffer from the typical overabundance of filler tracks. Simple Minds is one of those obvious calls for "best experienced through a compilation" bands.
Suzanne Vega
2/5
Given this is album #911 for me, and given this is the first Suzanne Vega album I'm served with, I will start with: If it was up to me and I had to choose but one Vega album, I would go with Solitude Standing or, if forced, 99.9 F. But not this one, whose main credential is "I was here first". Point is, Vega is so much better than this particular album.
As for this album: Marlene on the Wall is a nice hit, but the rest of the album errs way too far into the underwhelming.
Dolly Parton
1/5
I know it has become extremely popular to adore Parton, and I'm thankful for her investments in mRNA vaccinations, but I just don't like this music.
KISS
1/5
Always found Kiss' music gimmicky, uninspiring, and rather ordinary. A disrespectful waste of its listener's time, if you will. And I still do, I don't care about the band's image or how flashy their live shows with fireworks coming off their guitars are.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
A fine but not great rock album from a good rock band that's a tad past its peak. Some great tracks, some less so, but overall I enjoy listening to Californication from time to time.
Most importantly, Californication will forever lie in the shadows of Blood Sugar Sex Magik. And very rightly so.
The Who
1/5
5th Who album served to me here, which is too much.
Regardless of that annoying fact, I consider this specific concept album to completely miss the mark. It reminded me why I never count myself as a Who fan or even appreciator.
Emmylou Harris
1/5
Emmylou Harris, I loved so much for so long, but this album is way too far gone into country music territory for me to tolerate.
Hanoi Rocks
1/5
Why?
Joanna Newsom
1/5
Art for art's sake (or for people to be able to boast superior sophistication)
MGMT
3/5
There were times when one could not avoid exposure to some of the songs in this album. They were played everywhere!
Those time have gone by now, making me wonder what it is about certain albums that leave a permanent mark whereas others, like MGMT's here, disappear into the ether.
Those couple of tracks that were huge hits back then are still nice to listen to, occasionally...
Astor Piazzolla
2/5
OK jazz music, yes, but I got the point after one track.
Yet again, I fail to see the special spice that merited this particular album's inclusion here above others (but then again, I should be used to that by now). Is it the token xylophone/accordion this list needed ever so badly?
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Another peculiar pick of an album, joining a very long line of other picks on this here website. As is often the case, it smells of "do admire my sophistication for having picked this here album that you would otherwise not willingly choose to listen to".
Janelle Monáe
2/5
Creative? Yes.
Music that speak to me? No.
Lightning Bolt
1/5
I’d much rather listen to paint dry.
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
Nice rock music that just lacks that bit of a spark that will turn it into the truly brilliant
Kings of Leon
2/5
I still can't stand the singer's voice from the last time you shoved a Kings of Leon at me. The band has had its time under the sun, the world has moved on.
Tim Buckley
2/5
If music that feels so ancient is allowed here, why can't we have actual good stuff like Beethoven?
I will also question the album cover.
Koffi Olomide
1/5
I'm repeating myself here, but: pretty much the only thing to celebrate about this entry is the rarity of non western entries. As for the music itself, I can't say it aged well nor can I say I find of interest for any other reason.
Which is rather sad, because there is so much good music in this world that's completely ignored by this list here.
And yes, the guy is no angel, either.
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
Not my kind of music. Next!
Tom Tom Club
3/5
Nice witty music, but it fails to carry me away into remote places
Napalm Death
1/5
Unlistenable
Ministry
1/5
Look, I really can’t stand a whole album of this sh*t
George Michael
2/5
Too smooth a pop for me to be able to truly enjoy. Besides, most of the tracks feel like not much more than fluffy fillers.
Neil Young
2/5
First, I will note that this is the 8th album with Young's name on it that's served to me over here. We can probably all (?) agree this is a bit of an overkill.
As for this album's music: kind of boring, I guess?
Antony and the Johnsons
3/5
Back when this album came out, I was fascinated by it. True, it wasn't my kind of music, but the voice and the originality were forces to be reckoned with (especially at a time when so much music did its best to sound exactly like Coldplay).
It was therefore interesting to revisit this album I haven't listened to for a while. And I have to say, the voice is still a factor, but the music did not have as much effect on me as it once did. I guess I grew older with added layers of cynicism.
Sonic Youth
2/5
An incohesive album from an overrated band whose main achievement was being there at the right time.
Stereo MC's
3/5
Connected and Step it Up were big hits at the time, especially Connected. And I still like the music, even though it aged and faded.
However, I fail to see why this particular album should be celebrated more than 30 years after the fact. No one cared about that album at the time, all people cared for were 1-2 hit singles that have more or less disappeared from our culture.
Yet another bizarre album choice.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
3/5
Janis Joplin is something else, the raw energies are great, but it’s down to a couple of tracks (Summertime & Piece of My Heart) to hold this album and it’s just not enough to render it truly great.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
1/5
There’s a word that an old and dear aunt of mine uses to describe music that’s not much more than a repetitive drone that feels like it’s drilling an extra hole in your head: Moormooya.
This album is Moormooya.
The Cramps
1/5
The world would have been a better place if this band were atheists instead.
Seriously, where did this website's curators dig this album up from?
Faust
2/5
Yes, German music should receive a presence here, but not at all costs. Surely there is German music that is not as repetitive and uninspiring?
GZA
1/5
Not my kind of music (yet again). Next!
Bon Jovi
2/5
In my book, this is the definition of rock music mediocrity. At the same time, I'll say with a straight face that Livin’ on a Prayer and You Give Love a Bad Name are rather catchy.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
I get it, the curators here really dig Nick Cave. It comes built in with music appreciation pretensions.
As for me, I fail to see any significant qualities on display here with this album other than extreme seriousness.
The Darkness
1/5
Sounds like a bad eighties band
Scott Walker
2/5
Album #945 is a second Scott Walker one. And here I was, thinking one was way more than enough.
Anyway, as for Scott 2: inconsistent retro, nothing the vast majority of folks today would voluntarily ask to listen to.
Arcade Fire
2/5
Over the years, I really grew out of love with Arcade Fire’s music. What once spoke to me now seems mundane, uninteresting, and pretentious.
Korn
1/5
No
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
2/5
Not for me, next
XTC
2/5
Failed to trigger any meaningful emotions. I’d classify this as just another one of many (most) albums.
4/5
There was a time when I would classify Ziggy Stardust as one of the best 3 albums ever. My taste in music changed since, and I admit the album doesn't stir the same emotions in me as it used to; these days I'd probably rank Hunkey Dory as a superior album.
Regardless of my own deliberations with myself: what an excellent album! I miss the days of high quality thematic albums, where each of the songs could be appreciated as its own work of art, but the album in its entirety offers that kind of synergy that renders it far superior to just another collection of songs that happened to come from the same creator.
They don't make them like that anymore.
The Zutons
3/5
Nice music that's quite representative of this century first decade's music. However, I fail to see the incredible in it, that quality that should place it in some exclusive list like this one is meant to be.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
1/5
Guess this album offers effective insomnia relief?
(Also, 5th Nick Cave album to be served to me here, guess the curators here have a severe crush case)
David Bowie
4/5
With the number of Bowie albums served to me here getting close to 2 digits, one thing that's dead obvious is that there's too much Bowie here (regardless of how good Bowie was).
As for this particular album: it's pretty good!
Not as good as Bowie's best, but given the variety of styles here it can't be boring, either. Clearly ahead of its time.
Beyoncé
1/5
Ouch, I really can't stand this music, which is a pity given how nice Beyonce's voice is.
And yes, I'm fully aware of being firmly on the minority side here.
Cowboy Junkies
2/5
Nothing too offensive, just boring
1/5
Credit goes to the curators here, for ruining an afternoon of mine
Shuggie Otis
2/5
Inoffensive, but not exactly exciting either
The Verve
4/5
Here’s an album with numerous classic tracks, yet an album that I remember mostly for being so inoffensive: there’s just nothing to dislike here. Guess that’s why it sold so many copies.
Bee Gees
2/5
Not the Bee Gees album I’d pick.
Ride
2/5
I'd call this a "standard British rock album of its era". Not bad, but not something that should be cherished for all eternity either.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Not my kind of music, but clearly a very well made political statement that's very well delivered (and also offers some fine music).
Here's an album that actually deserves to be in a list such as this.
Rod Stewart
2/5
Another album that’s nothing special, and probably never really was. To the curators here, I’d say: Fifty something years later, it’s time to move on.
CHIC
4/5
Pretty cool music!
Merle Haggard
2/5
I think this is exactly the type of music the soundtrack to Walk Hard was aiming its satire at.
Christina Aguilera
1/5
Intolerable.
Plus, I fail to see what this album is doing in this forum (but then again, there’s so much of that here, I have to accept I just don’t get it).
Hot Chip
2/5
The music varies from "nothing special" to "rather annoying".
Ali Farka Touré
2/5
Second album I’m getting here from Ali Farka Touré. One might even think other African musicians are hard to find.
Anyway, Ry Cooder or not, this album is too repetitive.
The KLF
2/5
KLF were incredibly big at the time through their singles, then they disappeared - pulled their records away from public access - and then, decades later, decided to come back into the same consciousness that already forgot all about them.
Anyway, KLF were never an album's band, they were an MTV band. The singles' versions are so much better than the album versions, I don't understand why they even bothered with an album.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
1/5
This might have been something sometime, but now it's just bantha fodder.
Jack White
3/5
I like Jack White's music, but I don't think breaking apart from White Stripes did it (or him) good.
Bill Evans Trio
3/5
I like jazz, I like Evans' contributions to the world of jazz, but this one errs a bit too much towards easy listening by my book.
Björk
3/5
Cue in the mixed feelings.
On one hand, I love how no Bjork album sounds like one of its predecessors. I love the innovation and sense of exploration, Bjork boldly going where no musician has gone before. Even the album cover is worth noting for its daring.
On the other hand, there's the actual music. I'm enjoying it, but not as much as I should (?): it's definitely not easy to digest, one of those albums that require too many listens before I can conclude that I would have been better off spending my time listening to other albums.
Jazmine Sullivan
1/5
My ability to withstand this type of music is measured in nanoseconds.
The Cult
1/5
Trash
The Bees
2/5
I guess what makes this album special is that it's an album?
Because I fail to detect anything else.
Supertramp
2/5
I really like some of Supertramp's songs, but as for their albums? Good songs are too far apart.
50 years later on, Supertramp is best experience through compilations.
Malcolm McLaren
2/5
Two things stand for this album by this relatively accidental artist:
1. Buffalo Girls
2. Double Dutch
Other than that, the music did sound fresh at the time. I do, however, hate all the talk show like tracks; I don't know who was the one that started with this habit, but it's annoying.
Afrika Bambaataa
1/5
Skip (and: wow, that aged badly!)
Giant Sand
2/5
Yet another Lou Reed album served to me here
Suede
2/5
A rather desperate pick of an album, innit?
Brian Eno
2/5
OK, so Eno & Byrne sampled like there's no tomorrow, and therefore one can argue they paved the way for others to follow. But it's not a good album, nor is this good music.
P.S. I wonder if the curators here have picked albums to also commemorate the end of mass sampling, courtesy of the record companies' waking up and using copyrights to stop it from happening.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
I like Fatboy Slim, but I think that by this album we got the point.
The xx
2/5
xx seems to be one of those cases of bands whose music I like when it's released, but within just a couple of years I look back and wonder what it was that I found interesting about it.
I'll also add that, if pressed to name an xx album I'd curate, this definitely wouldn't be the one.
The Stooges
2/5
A clever way to sneak another Iggy Pop album in here?
Anyway, the album was definitely ahead of its time, yet that does not make an album great - the music does. And it doesn't.
Pavement
1/5
Yet another in the wide gamut of unremarkable albums served to me here.
Talking Heads
2/5
If the point of this pick of an album was to point out the curator here really, but really, likes Talking Heads, then they really went to extremes, because I got that point already many of their albums ago.
Doves
2/5
A rather inconsistent album: some of it offers nice atmospheric tracks, while the rest of it is best classified as "nothing special".
By tomorrow, I'll forget all about this one.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Visceral, timeless rock music, peaking with Creedence's version of I Heard It Through the Grapevine: an 11 minutes masterpiece.
I don't get why we can't get music like in this day and age. Our loss.
Van Halen
2/5
Guess you have to be an American to like this trashy music.
Van Morrison
2/5
Moondance (the song) does not make an average album great. I will admit, I'm rather sick and tired of the Van Morrison flavour of music.
Les Rythmes Digitales
2/5
I think the curators here are having a laugh, making thousands of innocent folks listen to this shit
The Thrills
2/5
And this album is special because of ____?
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
As close to perfection as an album could get, at least in this world.
I’d argue that some of the songs here are perfect, period: the title track (what a voice, what lyrics), El Condor Pasa, Cecilia, The Boxer, The Only Living Boy in New York… and it’s not like the rest of them are inferior.
I often wonder what would have happened if Simon & Garfunkel persevered. Not that I’m complaining at Paul Simon’s output as a solo performer.
The Rolling Stones
1/5
If it wasn't for the band's name, there's no way this album would get curated here.
And while I'm at it: there are way too many Stones curated here.
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
Not as fresh sounding as it was in the day, but still one of the Chemicals' better albums (they're a classic case of "I like your old stuff better than the new"). The second half of the album is m-u-c-h better than the first, though.
In my opinion, with this album and its followups the band established the genre.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
Rather too progressive for my taste
Eagles
4/5
First, can we all agree Hotel California was probably THE SONG of the seventies?
As for the album:
Long in the tooth, and obviously so, but at the same time a classic, and rightly so. Even if it doesn't maintain its own quality standards as it progresses.
Tracks wise, Hotel California's guitar solos will probably always melt me away, and many of the others here clearly come off a mature band at its peak.
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
2/5
I'll tell you what, this list here did not need yet another Clapton album
2/5
Yet another of way too many of the albums here that apply to the pretentious more than they do to the music lover.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
2/5
Album #1000 offers a good representation of the overall experience here: an album my life would definitely be better off were I to not waste my time on it. Sure, it might have had some importance 60 years ago, but we’re talking about music and music should be fun.
Girls Against Boys
2/5
Pretty ordinary
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
Okay, so there's unique sound here.
That said, "unique" does not necessarily imply "good". In this particular case, affairs are borderline unlistenable.
The 13th Floor Elevators
2/5
Not the worst I've been given here, but still: humanity has moved on
Stevie Wonder
2/5
Some nice songs wrapped up in between pretty ordinary tracks.
Ultimately, I can't say I got along with this particular album's sound.
Justin Timberlake
1/5
This website is sinking into unprecedented lows
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
Third Dexys Midnight Runners album I'm getting here, one might think they're the next Led Zeppelin or something.
They're not, and this album is not, either.
Devendra Banhart
2/5
I can see how a certain minority group of people might find this album intriguing. But, generally speaking, as far as the vast majority of humanity is concerned, this is no album to die for or anything remotely close.
Ryan Adams
1/5
It all went downhill after Summer of 69
Super Furry Animals
2/5
Nothing to see here, move along
Beck
3/5
Nice and original, and definitely one of Beck's best.
Yet it's rare for Beck's music to truly move me.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
3/5
There's nothing special about this album other than the name "Damon Albarn". Guess that's all it takes for certain folks.
Stephen Stills
2/5
I can confirm this album is as boring as Stills' other solo album I received here, as well as the other 2 albums where he's part of the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young gang.
Soft Machine
2/5
Sorry, too out there for my liking.
The Birthday Party
1/5
So many better things came out of Australia, why this one?
Oh, I see, it’s a way for the curators here to sneak another Nick Cave album in.
Mariah Carey
1/5
If this album can show up here, then clearly us humans are capable of the most horrendous acts
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
Pretentious, and much too annoying despite occasional sparks of good music.
Youssou N'Dour
2/5
Looks like this is, more or less, the only type of non Western music allowed here.
As far as I am concerned, I am happy to sample this genre from time to time, but I can't say I love it. I also fail to detect the special spice here, but then again, what do I know.
Stereolab
3/5
Too gimmicky, but this list had me listen to much worse
Fiona Apple
2/5
Who is that woke up and said to themselves, "yes, this is the album that should represent 2020's music for this curated list"?
Because, to me, this album sounds like eccentricity for eccentricity's sake.
LTJ Bukem
2/5
Repetitive meaningless nothingness
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
I have mixed feelings towards Manic Street Preachers. I find some of their songs utterly brilliant, yet most of their albums are an effort at grinding water. This album is no exception.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
One of those cases where the name on the album makes all the difference, because as albums go this one is rather eccentric.
Mudhoney
2/5
A second Mudhoney album here? Are you having a laugh?
Happy Mondays
2/5
Yet another forgettable album (that didn’t leave much of a mark even at its prime)
Marilyn Manson
1/5
Junk "music" wasting my time
Mylo
2/5
On par with the Creative Commons music some small shops play in order to avoid royalty fees
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
1/5
And I thought the first Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band album I got here was bad
Arcade Fire
2/5
That's deep, man
Peter Tosh
2/5
Noble cause, but the music isn’t the greatest.
Joe Ely
1/5
I can't believe I was actually expected to listen to this awfulness
Jean-Michel Jarre
4/5
Innovative synth music back in its day, still very much nice music to listen to today.
Throwing Muses
2/5
My life would have been better without this. I'd argue I'm not alone
Suicide
1/5
A rather unfortunate choice of a name, followed by quite annoying music.
Big Star
2/5
OK, it's definitely music, but am I supposed to find this special in any way?
The Vines
2/5
Never managed to grip me
Lupe Fiasco
1/5
I find this type of music unlistenable. Next
The Libertines
2/5
Yet another album that seems to have been curated here because the author had a hard time coming up with the promised thousand albums.
MC Solaar
2/5
Today I learned I don't like French rap music either. Mind you, it was better than most of the English speaking rap served to me over here.
Burning Spear
2/5
I admit reggae is not my forte, but I found this album particularly uninspiring and repetitive.
Pentangle
1/5
This album made me laugh. I don’t think this was the artist had in mind.
The Prodigy
2/5
Overindulgent, uninspiring, and repetitive.
The Coral
1/5
Several tiers below "nothing special"
k.d. lang
4/5
What a voice!
I wish every song here was as good as Constant Craving, but I should learn to look at the bright side: I love this album, and can hardly think of a better soundtrack to a lazy summer afternoon.
Magazine
1/5
And I thought this list had already exhausted all British bands that ever existed
The Dictators
1/5
Another album that's here not because it offers good music, but rather because years later someone had a brain fart re the album's dubious historical value.
1/5
Yet another album the curator's here dug up somewhere, but which should have clearly left alone.
Kings of Leon
2/5
Not the worst album I got here, but seriously, a 3rd Kings of Leon album here is way too much, don’t you think?
I still can't stand the singer's voice, for a start.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
4/5
People don't seem to be aware these days just how much of "the talk of the town" this album was.
Controversy aside, I was always fascinated by the music: from the sublime Trevor Horn production through the variety of music on display here. Fury on one side, a classic of Liverpool, and Born to Run on the other, an American car culture classic. And in between, hits such Relax and Two Tribes.
Also worth noting is the album's sound quality, a rare reference in popular music where one could tune equipment to.
Coldcut
2/5
Far too springy (and messy) for me.
Morrissey
1/5
This place is reeking with Morrissey. Sorry, I can’t stand him.
White Denim
2/5
One of many albums here that aren’t too bad, but don’t belong in such a list either. I guess most readers of the original book had a hard time noticing this, but in the age of streaming the king’s nakedness is repeatedly exposed…
Dagmar Krause
1/5
An artistic statement does not necessarily good music make.
Need to cleanse my ears after this one.
Pere Ubu
1/5
Delicately traverses the borderline between noise and awful music.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
Sounds like they started curating random albums here
The Byrds
2/5
Is this just a list of everything Byrds? Because “bonuses” aside, this if the 5th album I’m getting from them here. And let’s make it clear, they ain’t no Beatles, Led Zep, or Pink Floyd.
Kate Bush
3/5
Eccentric, yes, but also original and - occasionally - entertaining.
Is this the Kate Bush album I’d curate here? No way. But, ultimately, it’s a Kate Bush album and I love Kate Bush.
The Divine Comedy
1/5
Seriously, a second bizarro album from this artist?
Art thou sane? Or you trying to drive us crazy?
Minor Threat
1/5
Seriously, where did they dig this shit out of?
The xx
3/5
Unlike the previous xx album served to me here, this is the right xx album to recommend if one insists upon listening to The xx.
I qualified my recommendation on the grounds xx is a bit of a one trick pony, and with time this album’s originality has faded into the background. Still nice to listen to, but not the phenomenon it once was.
Iron Maiden
1/5
Dull, repetitive and boring - just like everything else Iron Maiden.
The Black Keys
3/5
A solid album by The Black Keys, who - in my opinion - have done even better elsewhere.
The hit songs, Tighten Up and Howlin' for You, are definitely a step above the rest, and an indication of what the band is truly capable of.
Dion
2/5
So things have deteriorated to us being served albums here for reasons as minute as “Phil Spector, a notorious criminal, produced some of the songs”?
2/5
Wow, this album is so much worse than I remembered it. Mundane and uninspiring music coupled with foul language for the sake of foul language, there’s little to redeem this turd.
This album should only be listened to by those seeking to worsen their condition.
Dusty Springfield
2/5
With the notable exception of songs that featured in Pulp Fiction, as well as The Windmills of Your Mind, I find the music here errs on the too mild side of things.
Cornershop
1/5
One sort of an OK song does not merit an otherwise very bland album’s inclusion here.
M.I.A.
1/5
I can't stand M.I.A.'s music the second time around here either (and no, I did not consider M.I.A.'s music worthy of a second entry here to begin with).
The Beta Band
2/5
It's definitely music. For brief moments it even sounds original.
Does said music merit inclusion in what's alleged to be a prestigious list of albums? Nahhhhhhhhh
Crowded House
2/5
While I think Australian music is greatly under represented here, I always found Crowded House's music rather mundane.
TV On The Radio
2/5
Another filler album, just to get to 1001?
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Nice and pleasant, with very nice arrangements. Even if I couldn’t avoid noting my general inability to tell one song from the other, I enjoyed listening. And I will also admit to having a soft spot for Sinatra’s voice.
American Music Club
2/5
Clearly, the curators here got desperate as they were trying to make it to 1001.
G. Love & Special Sauce
2/5
Yet another filler album
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
They took a food processor, forced as many sounds as they could inside it, and then forced us to listen to the result.
The White Stripes
3/5
I much preferred The White Stripes' guitar based sound over what Satan has to offer. On the other hand, this is still very high quality rock music, and the duo has to be commended for not staying in place.
Which side wins?
I'll put it this way, this album does not light my fire. I wonder if I would have paid it much attention if it wasn't for the band's name and its past glory.
Sleater-Kinney
3/5
I don't think this is particularly inspiring music that I just had to listen to before I croak. It's rather simple and it's definitely repetitive.
But given I'm a sucker for heavy guitar sound, I will give this album the benefit of doubt.
Sonic Youth
3/5
5th Sonic Youth album? You can’t be serious.
As for the album itself: a bit annoying, rather benign, uninspiring. You know, a Sonic Youth album. When they grow up they'd like to be a Nirvana.
Ice Cube
1/5
Second Ice Cube album served to me here offers more of the things I couldn’t stand in the previous one.
Bill Callahan
2/5
Yet another filler album in this curated list.
I wonder, what was it the curators thought I should not miss out on by listening to this album, but I can’t come up with an answer.
The Beta Band
2/5
I find this album rather ordinary. Not the worst thing ever, but nothing I'd want to go back to, either.
Which leaves me with yet another “seriously?” thrown at the curators here for picking a second album from this band. Where I come from, this is called laziness.
Norah Jones
3/5
I can't say I'm a big fan of this Grammy winning genre, but I will not deny Norah Jones does it well.
The Psychedelic Furs
2/5
Having their song Pretty in Pink featured in the movie Pretty in Pink does not render this album worth listening to. There's something about The Psychedelic Furs' sound that gives me a headache.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
1/5
The answer to the question "where the hell did they dig this album out of" is in the question.
Scissor Sisters
2/5
One more of so many albums here that are just nothing special.
Adding insult to injury is what the band did to Comfortably Numb, one of the most beautiful songs ever. Severe punishments have been handed for much less.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
Seriously, a 3rd album from a band of the calibre of Echo And The Bunnymen? Are we to believe this was a Led Zeppelin grade band???
Anyway: as the band says in the album’s first song, “spare us”. Spare us from outdated music that sounded pretty meh upon release.
Hawkwind
2/5
With songs that take hours to get anywhere (if they get there at all) and an awful sound, I do wonder what went on in the minds of the folks that picked this album for this list here. Probably the same drugs required to come up with a band name such as “Hawkwind”?
Robert Wyatt
2/5
I have no idea how an album like that could make it into a list such as this, when there is so much good music to be had out there.
Stan Getz
4/5
First, this classic is the definition of nice music.
Second, The Girl from Ipanema is absolutely divine, as is the singer's voice.
This album used to be one of the select albums that people tried out when they wanted a taste of what jazz has to offer (together with the likes of Kind of Blue). Things don't work like that anymore, and I wonder if this "progress" caused Getz/Gilberto to disappear off the radar. Which would be a great shame.
CHVRCHES
2/5
Overrated band
The Velvet Underground
2/5
An overrated album from an overrated band.
I thought I'd qualify the above with a statement along the lines of "With all due respect to the underground movement...", but I guess I only hold respect for the underground when it comes to public transport.