277
Albums Rated
2.87
Average Rating
25%
Complete
812 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
How you rate albums
Rating Timeline
Average rating over time
Ratings by Decade
Which era do you prefer?
Activity by Day
When do you listen?
Taste Profile
2010s
Favorite Decade
Hip-hop
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Harsh
Rater Style
18
5-Star Albums
22
1-Star Albums
Taste Analysis
Genre Preferences
Ratings by genre
Origin Preferences
Ratings by country
Rating Style
You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yeezus | 5 | 2.77 | +2.23 |
| Rattlesnakes | 5 | 2.9 | +2.1 |
| Closer | 5 | 3.22 | +1.78 |
| 1989 | 5 | 3.27 | +1.73 |
| At Mister Kelly's | 5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
| My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy | 5 | 3.42 | +1.58 |
| Aqualung | 5 | 3.44 | +1.56 |
| Rio | 5 | 3.49 | +1.51 |
| Raising Hell | 5 | 3.51 | +1.49 |
| Calenture | 4 | 2.55 | +1.45 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Either Or | 1 | 3.38 | -2.38 |
| Cross | 1 | 3.28 | -2.28 |
| Dry | 1 | 3.24 | -2.24 |
| Buffalo Springfield Again | 1 | 3.18 | -2.18 |
| The White Album | 2 | 4.18 | -2.18 |
| It's A Shame About Ray | 1 | 3.12 | -2.12 |
| Rid Of Me | 1 | 3.11 | -2.11 |
| Liege And Lief | 1 | 3.09 | -2.09 |
| Peace Sells...But Who's Buying | 1 | 2.98 | -1.98 |
| Ogden's Nut Gone Flake | 1 | 2.95 | -1.95 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Kanye West | 2 | 5 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| PJ Harvey | 2 | 1 |
| Barry Adamson | 2 | 1.5 |
| Metallica | 4 | 2.25 |
Controversial Artists
Artists you rate inconsistently
| Artist | Albums | Variance |
|---|---|---|
| Black Sabbath | 2 | 1.5 |
| Pink Floyd | 3 | 1.41 |
5-Star Albums (18)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Taylor Swift
5/5
The quintessential pop album? Every other song is a damn hit, and even the ones that didn't dominate the radio and department store playlists are catchy as fuck. I would've had a rough time telling you when exactly these songs came out before I came back to this album, and that really just speaks to the timeless feel of this record. Hell yeah
Already Saved: Wildest Dreams
Saved After Listening: Blank Space, Style, Out Of The Woods
36 likes
Primal Scream
2/5
The most exciting part of listening to this album was enjoying a song and going to save it, and then realizing the album had ended and it was playing Primal Scream radio. Didn't enjoy this one much
35 likes
Kanye West
5/5
So incredibly ahead of its time it's insane. I understand why people dislike this album, and there are certainly low points for me: I do not like I'm In It, regardless of the fact that all the reasons I dislike it are why it was made in the first place, and c'mon, "I keep it 300, like the Romans" ??, but there aren't many albums that give the listener the experience that Yeezus does. The beats and samples are iconic (love me some Waluigi Pinball-type beat on Guilt Trip), and production is of course fantastic. Does listening to this narcissistic trip in 2022 make me more uncomfortable than I would've been listening in 2013, given recent happenings with Kanye? Maybe. Does it change how I feel about this album? 5.
Already Saved: Black Skinhead; Blood On The Leaves; Guilt Trip; Bound 2
Saved After Listening: New Slaves, Hold My Liquor*
13 likes
Duran Duran
5/5
So fucking good man, Hungry Like the Wolf and Rio are my obvious favorites but the start of New Religion is fire. No skips and a perfect length, def gonna listen to this album a lot more now.
Already Saved: Hungry Like the Wolf
Saved After Listening: Rio (idk why i didn't already have this one), New Religion, Save a Prayer
13 likes
1-Star Albums (22)
All Ratings
Amy Winehouse
3/5
1. Rehab
2. You Know I'm No Good
3. Me & Mr Jones
4. Just Friends
5. Back to Black
6. Love is a Losing Game
7. Tears Dry on Their Own
8. Wake Up Alone
9. Some Unholy War
10. He Can Only Hold Her
11. Addicted
Ice T
2/5
A little long, understand the impact but not hooked, might need another listen, do like the rock elements, however, esp. in Body Count
No Saved Songs
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Good length, very funky, like the gospel elements
Saved: Sex Machine
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Like the length, funky and soulful, political and personal at the same time, probably best reggae album ever, second half is fantastic
Saved: Waiting in Vain, Three Little Birds, One Love / People Get Ready - Medley
The Flaming Lips
4/5
Perfect length for an album, starts with a banger, no skips, ego tripping is my fav
Saved: Fight Test, Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell, Do You Realize??
Marvin Gaye
3/5
woohoo! great memories of sex from this album. just superb
Beatles
3/5
I liked this album more than I was expecting to. Songs are short and enjoyable, all an easy listen, no clear bangers but underrated in terms of all of the Beatles music
Saved: Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown), In My Life
The Byrds
2/5
Had to listen a couple of times, didn't dislike any songs but not many stuck out to me during casual listening. Really like the Back Pages cover
Saved: My Back Pages
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Liked Where the Wild Roses Grow and The Curse of Millhaven. Something different and interesting, if not unsettling as hell. Album cover is also pretty cool, one of my favorites so far
Duran Duran
5/5
So fucking good man, Hungry Like the Wolf and Rio are my obvious favorites but the start of New Religion is fire. No skips and a perfect length, def gonna listen to this album a lot more now.
Already Saved: Hungry Like the Wolf
Saved After Listening: Rio (idk why i didn't already have this one), New Religion, Save a Prayer
Tito Puente
2/5
Enjoyable but I don't know if I would come back to it as an album, maybe would listen again to see if there were specific songs I liked
TV On The Radio
4/5
Maybe it was because my first listen was pre-coffee (grumpy boy), but I liked this immensely more on the second listen. First half is damn good, went 5/5 on liked songs and eventually just went and saved the album. Didn't like the second half quite as much, brought me down on the album overall as I felt it dragged on a bit. Still, the start was good enough for me to give this a solid 4.
Saved: Halfway Home, Crying, Dancing Choose, Stork & Owl, Golden Age, DLZ
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
I wasn't really pulled in by many of the songs. Didn't hate it, didn't really love it. Might be one to come back to
Saved: Stars Are Stars
Coldplay
4/5
Listening to Coldplay? *cries*
Already Saved: Yellow
Saved After Listening: Trouble
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Phenomenal talent, impact is undeniable, especially on Pastime Paradise. A little long to be an album for me to come back to and listen all the way through, but there are definitely songs I would like to give another listen
Saved: Sir Duke, Pastime Paradise
The Specials
3/5
The music is very enjoyable, but I think a full album of ska is a bit much for me. 2.5 and I'll round up to a 3
Saved: A Message to You Rudy
Blue Cheer
1/5
Felt like it dragged on, even for such a short album. Typically a fan of heavy metal but didn't really enjoy this, only redeemable song was Out of Focus.
AC/DC
4/5
Very solid album with a lot of hits. I didn't find any songs that I liked more than the ones I had already saved, but I enjoyed all of them.
Already Saved: Shoot to Thrill, Back In Black, You Shook Me All Night Long
Saved After Listening: Hells Bells
The Clash
5/5
I'm very glad we got this album, I always wanted to listen to it and never got to it. I was already up to a 4 after listening once and the second listen pushed it to a 5. There wasn't a single song I can say I didn't enjoy and the ones I saved I thought were phenomenal. I have not been influenced by Christopher-Thomas Cordero in any way for this rating nor has he threatened me if I give this album any less than a 5.
Saved: London Calling, Hateful, Spanish Bombs, Death or Glory, The Card Cheat
The Replacements
3/5
Struggled to rate this one - felt like I enjoyed it a bit more than the Byrds album and other 2's, but didn't feel it was up there with the 4's. If only there was a number that fit between those two. Unsatisfied gives me a Bryan Adams feel
Saved: I Will Dare, Unsatisfied
The Monkees
2/5
I didn't go into this with that high of hopes, always kinda thought these guys were just budget Beatles. It wasn't bad, just not something I think I would return to
Saved: Shades of Gray, All of Your Toys
Barry Adamson
1/5
As a movie soundtrack, pretty cool. As an hour long album, ehhh
The Swinging Detective was pretty dope, however
Black Sabbath
5/5
Some disgustingly good riffs in this album, had actually forgotten abt War Pigs, which was a nice surprise. Pretty much every song is a banger, also they pieced together Paranoid in 2 hours??? What the fuck
Already Saved: Paranoid
Saved After Listening: War Pigs, Iron Man, Electric Funeral
Charles Mingus
3/5
This was pretty good - I don't really listen to jazz but I enjoyed this. He has a cool name too
The Pogues
4/5
This was super different and really interesting to listen to. I caught some Western influences in a few songs, and liked the Irish folk of many of the others. Sally McLennane is a surprising banger, album cover is pretty cool as well. It was a little long, though two of the songs I saved were from that expanded edition so it evens out.
Saved: Sally McLennane, Dirty Old Town, The Band Played Waltzing Matilda, A Rainy Night in Soho, The Body of an American
Eurythmics
3/5
I honestly didn't like this as much as I was expecting to, especially considering how good the song Sweet Dreams is. It's a really cool sound, just not many of the songs stuck out in my head. 2.5 that I'll round to a 3 because a 2 feels too low
Saved: Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This), Jennifer
Pixies
2/5
Real tough to judge. I really liked the first instrumental song but almost everything else was somewhat forgettable. It wasn't as much of a drag as that Blue Cheer album and it grew on me a bit, but not really all that exciting. I think I could return to this one
Saved: Cecilia Ann, Ana, The Happening
The Magnetic Fields
3/5
nice
Saved: I Think I Need a New Heart, No One Will Ever Love You, Queen of the Savages
Quicksilver Messenger Service
1/5
Huh. well I listened to this on the walk to class with zero distractions and still couldn't identify a song I enjoyed. It is definitely music, and it definitely played into my ears, and that's about all I know. I guess the fact that much of this was recorded live might contribute to the fact that *snore*
Arrested Development
3/5
Lots of fun to listen to. It was cool to see the samples from Sly and the Family Stone after I listened to them earlier in this generator, especially on People Everyday
Saved: People Everyday, Mr. Wendal
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Was very very surprised by this. I don't really like country, but I do like rock, and this was a great fusion of the two. The choruses were pretty phenomenal
Saved: Cinnamon Girl, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, Running Dry (Requiem for the Rockets)
Rufus Wainwright
1/5
Not really my thing. He's got a great voice but the whole opera vibe is just too much
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Fantastic mix of upbeat rock and more composed songwriting. Californication and Scar Tissue are obvious favorites but them and the rest of the first half make the second half pale a bit in comparison, so I rounded this 4.5 down to a 4.
Saved: Around the World, Scar Tissue, Californication Easily, Road Trippin'
Black Sabbath
2/5
First repeat artist! It's a shame we got this after Paranoid, because the latter is clearly superior even for something released the same year. Some cool riffs in this album as well, but none of the songs stand out much at all, leaving it to drag on as a result
Emmylou Harris
2/5
I definitely prefer older country music to newer, and actually liked a couple of these songs. Too many of them sound alike, though, and it kind of muddles the album.
Saved: Bluebird Wine, Boulder to Birmingham
Gang Of Four
3/5
These guys remind me a good bit of The Clash with the social commentary in many of the songs. I didn't feel like many of the songs stood out to me, but the album as a whole is enjoyable and you can feel its influence
Saved: Natural's Not In It, 5.45
Bob Dylan
3/5
I just don't know what I think about Bob Dylan. He has such a distinct voice but it isn't always in the best way. Like a Rolling Stone is really good and has grown on me a ton but I don't love the rest of the album. Would probably need a few more listens
Saved: Like a Rolling Stone
The Smiths
2/5
A cool sound but don't really think its for me - this is another album I think I could try to return to with more time
Saved: Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
Buffalo Springfield
1/5
Much too slow for me, nothing stands out or is that compelling. No more folk/psychedelic rock 2021
Blur
4/5
Liked this a lot. Nothing quite so good as Song 2, but a very diverse collection of songs in an album that doesn't really show its length. Was a bigger fan of the more toned down and personal songs
Saved: End of a Century, Badhead, This Is a Low
Big Star
1/5
Not all that compelling, but then again I didn't listen very closely. Might come back to it, but if we're being honest, probably not
Super Furry Animals
2/5
A pretty cool album, but a little all over the place and difficult to follow. The songs I saved I really liked, but the others weren't incredibly memorable
Saved: Something 4 the Weekend, Hangin' with Howard Marks
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
5/5
Big big fan of this. Didn't really like it all that much the first time, so just goes to show how important a second or third listen is for a lot of these albums. The first 5 I'm giving to an album I didn't already know
Saved: Speedboat, Rattlesnakes, Down on Mission Street, 2cv, Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken?
David Bowie
3/5
This told me that I need to listen to more David Bowie. I enjoyed this a good bit but do think I could return to it and like it even more
Liked: Word on a Wing, Wild Is the Wind
Mike Oldfield
3/5
Fascinating story as to how this ended up as the theme to The Exorcist. Don't think I would return to this as an album, but I can appreciate the composition and the cultural impact, and actually really enjoy the music
Saved: Mike Oldfield's Single
Harry Nilsson
2/5
Nothing incredibly exciting, almost a little boring at times. Wasn't sure what to expect but didn't really enjoy this. 1 seems too harsh so I'm giving it a 2
Pink Floyd
2/5
Such an odd sound - at times different and intriguing and at times discordant and a little tough to listen to. Cool to listen to early Pink Floyd, but this doesn't pull me in like their other albums do
Liked: Lucifer Sam
Primal Scream
2/5
Not a huge fan of this house music style, pretty repetitive. Definitely not what I was expecting at all. Do like the cover, however
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Like the first half of this album a good bit more than the second, and think I was more interested in the individual songs than the album as a whole. Still, I'm excited to get and listen to more Led Zeppelin in the future
Already Saved: Immigrant Song
Saved After Listening: Friends, Since I've Been Loving You
The Saints
2/5
No clue and honestly don't want to spend any more time on this. Liked some of the songs but it just dragged on too long for my liking
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Giving the likes of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and The Rolling Stones a 2.5 average feels wrong, but I didn't like this as much as I thought I would. Might be a little too country for me, but it was still a good listen
Saved: Gimme Shelter, You Got The Silver
R.E.M.
4/5
Really liked the sound of this album, very cryptic and fits the feel of the cover. Flipped between a 3 and a 4 but ultimately think I enjoyed this more than a lot of my other 3's
Saved: Radio Free Europe, Sitting Still, Shaking Through
The Auteurs
4/5
Very good album, a little surprised at how much I liked it. Took me a couple listens to fully appreciate the album but glad I spent a little more time on it, definitely worth it
Saved: Show Girl, How Could I Be Wrong, Idiot Brother
Lauryn Hill
4/5
A little long for my liking, but a great hip-hop album with insane impact. Really like the interludes from the classroom as well
Saved: Doo Wop (That Thing), Final Hour
Sonic Youth
2/5
All just kinda ran together and wasn't super compelling. Little disappointed - was looking forward to this after reading the wikipedia
Ian Dury
2/5
An interesting album, but not quite sure to make of it. A little too abrasive at times for my liking
Sade
3/5
Enjoyed this a lot. Only listened once so not completely sure of this rating, but comfortable with a strong 3
Saved: Smooth Operator
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
Another album I'd like to give more time but really just needed to catch up. One listen was pretty enjoyable, so I think I could come back to this one
Saved: Little Wing, Bold as Love
Sheryl Crow
4/5
A bit surprised by this one, but I loved it. Very close to a five but the middle was weaker than the start and finish. Still an album I would absolutely come back to
Saved: Run, Baby, Run; Leaving Las Vegas; I Shall Believe
Tracy Chapman
4/5
ok Fast Car is actually phenomenal and I really like this album. 4 cause the songs sound a little similar sometimes but this was quite good
Saved: Fast Car, Baby Can I Hold You For My Lover
PJ Harvey
1/5
Can't say I really liked much, if any, of this. Not my type of music
PJ Harvey
1/5
Pretty crazy we got the same artist two days in a row. Also crazy that I really don't like either of the albums. Tough for me to judge this impartially because I just don't like listening to it
Fatboy Slim
2/5
Enjoyable enough but not a type of music I would ever really choose to listen to. I need a little bit more going on
Pink Floyd
5/5
Gotta be the most excited I've been for an album in this generator. Transition from Happiest Days of Our Lives to Another Brick in the Wall pt. 2 is fucking insane, might be one of the best transitions I've ever heard in an album. Guitar solos in Comfortably Numb are insanely good And it might repeat endlessly?? ahhhhhh
Already Saved: Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2
Saved After Listening: Hey You, Comfortably Numb
3/5
Liked this a good bit. Want to come back to it since I only listened all the way through once, but this was a good album
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Didn't like this quite as much as I thought I would, think award tour is my favorite from them. Still a very enjoyable and influential rap album. think Footprints samples Sir Duke???
Saved: Footprints, Can I Kick It?
Metallica
3/5
Sounds pretty damn good for a live album. Like the classical/metal combination, much more than I thought I would. Way too long an album for any sort of regular listening and I had to skip around a good bit, but I couldn't let that bring this down too much
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Great album. Never really liked Thunder Road all that much but also hadn't listened to it much and after this album I like it a lot more. Born to Run is just a phenomenal song and my favorite of Springsteen's.
Already Saved: Born to Run
Saved After Listening: Thunder Road, She's the One
Incubus
2/5
Not so sure about this one. Like Drive a good bit and can see why it got so popular, but everything else is kinda eh.
Liked: Drive
Tom Waits
2/5
Gonna give this a 2 bc I thought the overall sound of the album was cool but I didn't really like any of the songs. Only listened once, so def didn't do it justice, but it is what it is
Faust
1/5
Only listened once but found this a little boring. Don't really have a desire to come back to it
Carpenters
3/5
Very singsongy and 70s, but I liked this for casual listening. Mr. Guder sample was fun to identify and track down
Saved: We've Only Just Begun, Mr. Guder
Nina Simone
3/5
One of my favorite things about this generator is that I get to discover a number of samples I didn't know about beforehand - Four Women being one of them. Also, the Bowie album we got earlier has a cover of this album's title song, which is cool. Only listened to this album once cause I'm a little behind but I liked it a good bit
Saved: Four Women
Brian Eno
4/5
Don't really know what to say about this except that it does exactly what it tells you it's going to do and it does it very well. Great studying music and very relaxing
Mudhoney
2/5
Definitely disappointed in this one, thought I would like it a lot more than I did
2/5
Meant to be a concept album but I didn't really get the themes other than war is bad and the empire isn't great either. Maybe that's cause I only listened once, but idk
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Might even like this more than songs in the key of life - definitely a little easier listen given its relative shortness. He really just knows how to make music - Superstition is phenomenal
Saved: You Are The Sunshine Of My Life, Superstition
Metallica
2/5
Metallica makes good pump-up and hype music for crowds, but not so much music to listen to on a regular basis, at least for me. Didn't really enjoy this, actually liked their live album much better
Madonna
2/5
Very pop, which isn't so bad, but I don't think I'd come back to this album
Led Zeppelin
3/5
A tad disappointed, but a lot of these sounded pretty similar without a ton of direction. I think he says "baby" about a thousand times. The influences are all there, and you get a look into what they're gonna become, but this one might be a bit overhyped
Liked: Good Times Bad Times
George Michael
3/5
A very enjoyable album. clearly influential in pop culture for its time and beyond - any album with a song featuring in Arrested Development is good to me
Saved: Freedom!, Heal The Pain
Run-D.M.C.
5/5
One of the great early rap albums. You Be Illin' is one of the earliest songs I remember listening to, and Walk This Way is just an insane rock/rap crossover. These guys are just having a shit ton of fun, and it really shows
Already Saved: It's Tricky, Walk This Way, You Be Illin'
Saved After Listening: Is It Live, Raising Hell
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Very gruff and at times dark - reminds me a bit of jeremy irons. Not sure what I think, songwriting is pretty cool but I wouldn't return to this.
Saved: First We Take Manhattan
George Jones
2/5
Only really a fan of the title track - everything else was just pretty boring. It's gonna take a bit more for me to enjoy country music
Liked: The Grand Tour
Parliament
2/5
Enjoyable to listen to and very funky, but not something I think I would return to. A little repetitive, but fun nonetheless
Saved: Give Up The Funk
Justice
1/5
Nah
The White Stripes
3/5
Seven Nation Army is an all-time classic, but I didn't feel like many of the other songs complimented it all that well. A little too slow at times for my liking, but still enjoyable
Already Saved: Seven Nation Army
Saved After Listening: Ball and Biscuit
The Triffids
4/5
Classic 80s rock/pop, so you know I'm gonna love it. A little long, but the songs I saved were very very good, even if I wouldn't come back to the entire album
Saved: Bury My Deep in Love, Blinder By T!he Hour, Jerdacuttup Man
The Youngbloods
3/5
Very fun for background music, but can't say I paid much more attention to it than that. Not sure if that says more about the album or my mindset these past couple days, but a 3 feels fair
Ray Charles
3/5
Great talent but the album feels a little too similar at times, which brought this down a score from 4 to 3. Still very enjoyable and calming
Saved: Let the Good Times Roll
FKA twigs
4/5
This was a bit of a breath of fresh air after the weeks of 60s, 70s and 80s music, and I really enjoyed it. She's got a really unique style that's complimented by the background ambience and beats very well. Glad to have gotten this and need to check out some of her recent work
Saved: Two Weeks, Pendulum
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
Very calming and easy to listen to. She's got a beautiful voice - can't say that I'll return to this, but for casual listening I enjoyed it very much
Saint Etienne
2/5
I'm like 4 days behind so its probably time to rate this - didn't love it, didn't hate it, a 2 seems fair. I just listened to the whole thing for the third (?) time not realizing that it was on shuffle - can't tell if that helped or hurt this rating. Perhaps catching up on albums will give me some semblance of a dopamine rush, fingers crossed
Björk
2/5
This is another one of those albums where the sound is super different and I kinda get what they're trying to do, but I just don't really like listening to it. Sort of like the two PJ Harvey albums in a way. Which is a shame, because I've heard good things about Björk
Supertramp
3/5
I liked this a good bit. Didn't pay attention nearly enough to latch onto specific songs other than the two I saved, but did really enjoy those two - the sax on "hide in your shell" is fucking awesome. Could definitely come back to this one and like it even more
Saved: Hide In Your Shell, Crime Of The Century
Neil Young
2/5
#bringbackcrazyhorse because honestly this and the other Neil Young related album (Buffalo Springfield) were less than engaging. I can see maybe why Heart of Gold got so big, but it was something about the songs on "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere" that pulled me in much more than this album. He just sounds a little bored
R.E.M.
2/5
Pretty good album - glad I've gotten to listen to a little more R.E.M., but I just don't this as much as Murmur. Everybody Hurts is a good song but it's just too cheesy, and not much else really stood out. A high 2
Saved: Drive, Find The River
Elliott Smith
1/5
Found this pretty damn boring, didn't excite me enough to really listen to many of the songs closely at all
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Very bluesy, but also a little too long. Liked a couple of songs, but nothing like Gimme Shelter. 3 feels fair
Saved: Tumbling Dice, Sweet Virginia
Megadeth
1/5
Didn't enjoy this at all, at risk of sounding like a boomer, I can't really hear the lyrics super well over the instruments. Exceedingly boring about 2 songs in
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
A pretty good album - can't say I like it as much as Born to Run and his crooning is a bit much at times, but still enjoyable, and come on, its Bruce Springsteen
Liked: Badlands, Racing in the Street
Supergrass
2/5
Grew on me a bit and I liked a few songs, but still tough to judge. Too long and it feels/sounds much older than it is, which threw me off a bit. High 2
Saved: In It For The Money, Sun Hits The Sky, Caught By The Fuzz
The Beau Brummels
1/5
Tired of this boring psychedelic rock 60s bullshit lmao I just don't like it
The Notorious B.I.G.
4/5
Very influential and a classic album. His voice is super unique and recognizable. Kinda the king of sexual interludes - made this weird to listen to at home, but there's vulnerable parts as well that make it a really well-rounded album. A little long, but that's alright
Saved: Gimme The Loot, Juicy
Small Faces
1/5
eh. Didn't listen super closely but didn't like what I heard
Violent Femmes
2/5
Don't think it's my kind of music. His voice is kinda grating and there were some songs I really didn't like. Still, recognized and liked Blister in The Sun and enjoyed some of the first half
Saved: Blister In The Sun, Gone Daddy Gone
The Smiths
3/5
Like this more than Strangeways, they can get a little boring/drawn-out at times, but its really good for background music. Strong 3
Saved: The Headmaster Ritual, I Want the One I Can't Have
DJ Shadow
4/5
Big fan of this, great background/chill music with a ton of different musical elements thrown in. Some of the songs, like Midnight, are pretty creepy and have a cool ambience
Saved: Stem / Long Stem, Organ Donor, Midnight In A Perfect World
Sebadoh
2/5
Nothing very compelling. Liked the first song and that was it, even after two listens
Fever Ray
3/5
Enjoyed this more than expected, especially after the second listen. Haunting and sort of creepy in a good way
Saved: If I Had A Heart, Dry And Dusty, Concrete Walls
Stephen Stills
2/5
Some of the songs were alright but this was too long, didn't enjoy it much for its length
Santana
3/5
Some very cool riffs in this album, "smooth" music that is nice to listen to. Don't know if I'd return to it much past that, but still an enjoyable listen
Saved: Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen
The Kinks
2/5
Not horrible by any means, but I didn't really like many of the songs, and even actively disliked a few of them to the point I had to skip them. A low 2, less enjoyable than their other album
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
Very calm, easy listening. Gets a little repetitive after some time, but I can't fault it too much, because I enjoyed listening all the way through.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
Giving this a 4 because the first half of the album is much better than the last (save Free Bird), but this is still phenomenal, especially for a debut album. Love the blues elements and even the country twang
Already Saved: Free Bird
Saved After Listening: Tuesday's Gone, Simple Man
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Everyone's favorite edgy guy is back! Honestly didn't like this as much as Murder Ballads, even if I was kinda looking forward to hearing his (more) normal music. This didn't make much of an impact on me, and was too long to focus on it well enough
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
Found the Killing Moon after going a bit into Bunnymen's discography following Crocodiles and immediately liked it. Felt the same after listening to this album, very nice flow and makes me feel like I'm on that album cover with them. A very good album
Already Saved: The Killing Moon
Saved After Listening: Silver, Seven Seas
Serge Gainsbourg
2/5
Who is ̶K̶e̶y̶s̶e̶r̶ ̶S̶o̶z̶e̶ Melody Nelson? Had I the fluency required to understand this album I might have enjoyed it more (the Wikipedia certainly didn't help), but it's just not something I'd ever want to return to. It wasn't half bad, and I actually enjoyed the background music and chords that played throughout, but by god it sounded like this man was recording post mic-consumption, and I just couldn't get past that.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
2/5
I know how influential these guys were, but it still doesn't change the fact that I unfortunately found this to be pretty boring. Redeeming qualities, absolutely, but I wouldn't return to this
Saved: Pre-Road Downs
The Divine Comedy
3/5
This was pretty fun. Nothing groundshaking or incredible, but I found this to be a really enjoyable listen.
Saved: Everybody Knows (except you)
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
Honestly had a tough time finishing this, but a 1 did feel too harsh. I enjoyed the first song a good bit, but disliked this more and more as the album went on. Not for me
Beastie Boys
3/5
Struggling to rate this - on one hand, the samples are fun, their unique sound should be appreciated, and I like how single songs in this project can sometimes be all over the place. On the other hand, it's a ton of songs that are really hard to follow at times, and listening to this hasn't really made me want to listen to any more of the Beastie Boys' music past this generator. I guess we'll shoot for a middle rating
Saved: Shake Your Rump, BBB: Hello Brooklyn
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
Understand the influence but couldn't get into this - was not a fan of the first song and that kinda colored how I felt about the rest of the album.
Paul Simon
4/5
Not gonna lie, this kinda put me to sleep the first listen, but this was phenomenal with more time and less distractions. 4 because I liked the start more than the end of the album, but still very very good.
Saved: Mother and Child Reunion, Duncan, Peace Like a River
Kate Bush
2/5
Even going into this knowing that this is one of her least accessible and "out-there" albums, I couldn't find myself enjoying this. Some tracks were very difficult to get through, even as some were somewhat enjoyable.
Leftfield
2/5
Well this came out of left field
Green Day
4/5
Very very solid album. I listened to American Idiot a lot on our old computer with ITunes, and that song still slaps. I love the singles that I've got saved, but the whole rock opera trope drags on a bit with some of the longer songs, so I dropped this to a 4. A high 4, nonetheless
Already Saved: American Idiot, Holiday / Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Wake Me up When September Ends
Saved After Listening: Give Me Novacaine / She's a Rebel
ABBA
3/5
Easy and fun listen, very similar to The Carpenters in that regard. I was a little underwhelmed, especially with some of the more singsong-y tracks like Dum Dum Diddle and Happy Hawaii - obviously nothing is gonna rival Dancing Queen, but nothing else made a great impact on me. This could be a 4 off pure enjoyment alone, but a high 3 feels much better for how I felt about this as an album
Already Saved: Dancing Queen
Saved After Listening: My Love, My Life
Joni Mitchell
3/5
An album that deserved more attention than the two (semi) listens I gave it, but I did enjoy this. Help Me and Free Man in Paris were the highlights for me.
Metallica
2/5
Kinda a grueling hour-long listen. An album pretty much carried by its singles (which, in the case of Sandman and Nothing Else Matters, are pretty damn good), but everything else blends together. If it was 20 min shorter, it might have been more bearable, but I can't listen to this whole thing without zoning out. Low 2
Taylor Swift
5/5
The quintessential pop album? Every other song is a damn hit, and even the ones that didn't dominate the radio and department store playlists are catchy as fuck. I would've had a rough time telling you when exactly these songs came out before I came back to this album, and that really just speaks to the timeless feel of this record. Hell yeah
Already Saved: Wildest Dreams
Saved After Listening: Blank Space, Style, Out Of The Woods
D'Angelo
2/5
Was a little underwhelmed by everything but the title track - I enjoyed how the album sounded and really liked the soul influences, but lyrically it felt lacking.
Laibach
1/5
Yeah, couldn't get through this one, even with this being the first partially-non-English album that I could somewhat understand. A little investigation brought me to the conclusion that these guys *probably* weren't pro-Nazi, but that doesn't make this any less suspect. Actually spending more time on this review than I did listening to the album, so you can guess where this rating is going.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
Could probably give this another listen, but I'm starting to get pretty behind. Nothing special or particularly compelling, just decent alt rock
Eric Clapton
3/5
Very fun listen. None of the songs stuck out much other than I Shot The Sheriff, but still greatly enjoyable.
Beth Orton
2/5
These "singer-songwriter" albums always seem to be very hit or miss for me, and this was a bit of a miss. Enjoyed Stolen Car, and that was about it - everything else was much too slow and frankly a bit boring. Not the best album to come back to after a bit of a hiatus
Saved: Stolen Car
Carole King
5/5
Pretty incredible, honestly. Took me a couple listens - less attention can make this album seem a little slow (read: my other reviews on singer-songwriter albums), but I loved this. The tunes are so catchy, she's got a superb voice, and each piece fits well with the next. A 4.5 I'm giving a 5 because what the hell
Saved: It's Too Late, Way over Yonder, Tapestry, (You Make Me Feel) Like A Natural Woman
Meat Loaf
4/5
There's a reason this is one of the best-selling albums of all time. Very enjoyable and fun, such that even the 8 minute+ songs never seem to drag on.
Saved: Bat Out of Hell, Paradise By the Dashboard Light
The Sonics
2/5
Weirdly familiar, guess that's because this inspired so much later garage rock and faster punk. Not always the most enjoyable thing to listen to, but can appreciate the influence.
Otis Redding
4/5
A generational talent. The songs muddle together a bit, but these are phenomenal covers - My Girl was a highlight, that shit sounds amazing. A solid 4
Saved: Ole Man Trouble, My Girl, You Don't Miss Your Water
Elton John
2/5
Tiny Dancer is obviously an incredible song, but it doesn't do quite enough to hold up the rest of the album, which pales after the first track. It's not quite a fair comparison, but this was underwhelming for me
Saved: Madman Across The Water
Sarah Vaughan
5/5
Loved practically everything about this. The old-timey recording nature of this live performance (I imagine in a smallish lounge at Mister Kelly's) gives this such an intimate feel. Moments like the man introducing Sarah Vaughan and cracking a joke about all the attendees being "Mercury recording artists," the artist joking about messing up a song and the crowd laughing around her, and the small talk and glasses clinking in the background really make you feel like you're a part of the performance. I typically enjoy instrumental jazz more, but she's got a great voice that really captivated me for the entire album
Saved: September In The Rain, Be Anything But Darling Be Mine
Jean-Michel Jarre
3/5
I typically don't love electronic music, but I think that's more on the EDM side - this reminded me a lot of Brian Eno, which I liked a good bit. Cool sci-fi vibes and good studying/working music
Mike Ladd
2/5
This has all the elements that made me love the DJ Shadow album, but I just don't like Ladd's vocals. They're tiring and drawn-out, and I'm unable to enjoy the atmosphere of the beats like I want to
The Cure
3/5
The Cure songs I enjoy tend to be a little more upbeat, which is unfortunate because this album is not. It's still really good, I just found myself getting a little bored by it as it went on
Saved: Play For Today, A Forest
Drive-By Truckers
2/5
Just not something I'm interested in listening to. I can appreciate the influences and the extensive project, but not for me
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Don't hate it, don't love it. It's so dreary, almost exhaustingly so, but he has an iconic voice and obviously a very influential style. Enjoyable in doses
Saved: Famous Blue Raincoat
Richard Hawley
3/5
This was close to a 4, but a few songs near the end brought this down a bit for me. Still a big fan of this - its very somber and croony, but I like how it feels way older than it is
Liked: Coles Corner, The Ocean
Fleet Foxes
4/5
A beautiful album. Love the soundscapes and trilling instrumentation. Sounds like something out of a fantasy land
Saved: White Winter Hymnal, He Doesn't Know Why, Your Protector
Simple Minds
1/5
Oh man. This was so incredibly boring. I don't remember any of the songs and couldn't tell you difference between any of them. No thanks
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
2/5
Not this collection of dudes again. I've liked their individual work much more than them together - it's just too much for me. They're on this list way too much
Bob Dylan
3/5
Does his voice get even weirder with age? Like Highway 61 Revisited, this one took me a bit to get used to, but I did enjoy it. I could probably revisit (hehe) Highway 61, because I liked that better than this, but still found this to be a great collection of songs, albeit a little too long. Most relatable part was when he said "I'm listening to Neil Young, someone's always saying 'turn it down'"
Saved: Love Sick, Standing in the Doorway
Oasis
2/5
Pretty disappointing, I expected to enjoy this a lot more. Hard to parse out what's going on in many of these - kinda an endless drone that I couldn't get into even with multiple listens
Saved: Supersonic
The Pogues
3/5
It's a good album, but none of the songs really grab me like those from rum, sodomy, and the lash. Still a very fun genre to listen to, and the Christmas song is quickly growing on me
Saved: Turkish Song of the Damned, Fairytale of New York
Richard Thompson
3/5
Pleasantly surprised by this one. Don't love folk music but this had some great hooks and I feel they compliment each other very well
Saved: I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight, We Sing Hallelujah
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Didn't like this much at all. Drawn-out, over-the-top, and at times very creepy with the soft whispers in your ear. a 2 because there were a few songs I somewhat enjoyed, but this was close to a 1
Travis
3/5
A very nice album. Good choruses and nice voice, kinda sounds like a memory, if that makes any sense. Longer than it should be - I'll never get the "let's make 4 minutes of this song straight just complete silence" but oh well
Saved: Writing To Reach You, Driftwood
Fairport Convention
1/5
yay! more folk rock
Willie Nelson
3/5
Surprised to enjoy this so much, given my dislike for country, but I think it's something about the older country music that I like more
Saved: Georgia On My Mind, All of Me
Haircut 100
3/5
Good, enjoyable new wave. It's too long, something I fixed by skipping the repeat last song, but I liked the soft tunes and often instrumental-dominated songs
Saved: Lemon Firebrigade
Barry Adamson
2/5
Like his other album, it's a great concept that still feels out of place to me on this list. I enjoyed listening to this, but definitely rated his first album too low - that one was better
Saved: The Big Bamboozle
Alanis Morissette
5/5
Honestly this shit fucking bangs. Lot of sneaky hits in this one that I liked more and more as I listened multiple times. A surprising 5 but a 5 nonetheless
Saved: All I Really Want, You Oughta Know, Ironic*
Peter Tosh
2/5
Pretty much what I expected - don't love it, but it's enjoyable music. Don't think I'm a huge reggae fan but I can appreciate the music and the statement this album is making
Lou Reed
2/5
Pretty underwhelming - thought it was kinda corny at times, and don't understand the hype for Walk On the Wild Side.
Saved: Perfect Day
Muddy Waters
3/5
Took me a few listens, but I liked this more than expected. Very bluesy and I like the rock elements
Saved: I Want To Be Loved #2*
Muddy Waters
2/5
Our second back-to-back artist! I appreciate the authenticity of this as a live album, but I like the other one better
Happy Mondays
1/5
Didn't like this at all. Rough return to the list after a little break
Fun Lovin' Criminals
4/5
Just a ton of fun, honestly really enjoyed this album. It trails off a bit on the back end, but still a strong album. Can't really identify a genre, which made it even more enjoyable
Saved: The Fun Lovin' Criminal, The Grave And The Constant, Scooby Snacks, Bombin' The L*
Dolly Parton
3/5
She's obviously great and one of the more tolerable country artists, but can't say anything excited me much after Coat Of Many Colors. These albums based around big songs would all fare better if they embedded that song further down
Saved: Coat Of Many Colors*
Gary Numan
2/5
Everything sounded very similar - can understand the appeal/influence this had, but not for me
Dennis Wilson
3/5
Grew on me a lot in the second listen. Very nice as background music, but some of the songs I saved were worthy of multiple listens
Saved: River Song, Time*, Tug of Love
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Like his other albums, songwriting is impressive, but it's just a little boring and longwinded. Not anything I look forward to returning to
The Who
4/5
Baba O'Riley and Behind Blue Eyes probably give this album three stars alone, and a second listen got me into Bargain as well. It's a phenomenal album, but I can't say anything else really blew me away, so 4 stars
Already Saved: Baba O'Riley, Behind Blue Eyes
Saved After Listening: Bargain*
The Teardrop Explodes
3/5
A high 3. Spent a lot of time on this one, mainly cause I wasn't sure what to rate it - songs I liked were very good and enjoyed it as a whole, but a 4 feels too high
Saved: Ha Ha I'm Drowning*, Treason
Primal Scream
2/5
The most exciting part of listening to this album was enjoying a song and going to save it, and then realizing the album had ended and it was playing Primal Scream radio. Didn't enjoy this one much
The Jam
3/5
A fun album. Didn't absolutely love it, didn't dislike it. 3 feels right
Saved: To Be Someone (Didn't We Have A Nice Time)*
fIREHOSE
2/5
Only listened twice, but just not exciting to me at all. Favorite song was a 40 sec instrumental only because the name of it was funny
John Lennon
2/5
kill john lennon kill john lennon
This was kinda mid, another one of those albums (like the Dolly Parton one) where the title track is far and away the best and outshines everything, especially given its placement as the first song of the album. This dragged on and I had no interest in listening more than twice. Imagine is still a really good song tho
Eels
2/5
Grew on me a good bit in the second listen. Still dragged a lot and struggled to contain my attention much. One of the albums where I kinda wish the ranking system was out of 10 - I've given so many 2s and 3s that it's hard to distinguish between the both of them.
Saved: Susan's House*
The Afghan Whigs
4/5
Very solid album. His voice is pretty grating but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Enjoyed the switch-up to the female lead singer as well. Might need to start doing a favorite bar for these albums - "You think I'm scared of girls/Well maybe/But I'm not afraid of you" is pretty fire
Saved: Debonair*, What Jail Is Like
Shivkumar Sharma
3/5
Always cool to see unique foreign music on here. This was very enjoyable to listen to while doing work, especially liked the various nature sounds in the background. Not something I'd necessarily seek out, but fun nonetheless
Iron Butterfly
3/5
The fact that I didn't save a track doesn't show that I actually found this fairly enjoyable. The title track is easily the best, and there are elements that made me understand why this sold so insanely well, but there wasn't anything that absolutely blew me away
Tori Amos
4/5
Singer-songwriter albums have been incredibly hit-or-miss for me in this venture - this is a hit. Crazy good album that I was not expecting to like this much. It's sad as fuck at times, and Me and a Gun is chilling and heartbreaking, but never did I feel bored or think the songs sounded too similar. Her vocal inflections on China are one example of the variety throughout, the piano on Leather another
Saved: Winter, China*, Leather
A good album. Didn't blow me away but grew on me a lot after a few listens. Liked how short it was too - made this an easy thing to come back to
Saved: Stay With Me, That's All You Need*
Wire
2/5
oof I mean I spent a WHILE with this album probably listened 4 or 5 times because I felt like I wasn't giving it justice with background listening but damn its just kinda there
Saved: Lowdown*
The Go-Betweens
3/5
Liked this a good bit, just not enough to spring from a 3.5 to a 4. Reminds me of The Smiths a little bit, which I like. Also appreciate the 2020 remaster - songs sound GOOD
Liked: Quiet Heart, Was There Anything I Could Do?*
Thelonious Monk
3/5
Good, relaxing jazz, nice to listen to while doing work. Nothing crazy except for the last one, which I really liked
Saved: Bemsha Swing*
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
2/5
Cool, authentic sound that eventually gets boring, which is striking given how short this album is. The dude is aptly named, just kinda talks his way through much of this. Songwriting rarely seems original, too, and my favorite song was literally just Sarah Vaughan singing
Liked: San Francisco Baby Blues*
Tears For Fears
4/5
A 4.5 that just doesn't quite reach 5 level. Don't get me wrong, this album is amazing - Everybody Wants To Rule The World might be a top ten song all time for me, but I feel like it wanes a bit in the middle. Last song is a little weird, too, but everything else is very strong
Already Saved: Everybody Wants To Rule The World
Saved After Listening: Shout, Head Over Heels / Broken*
Kate Bush
2/5
It's tough I listened to this three times and admittedly didn't give it undivided attention but it just didn't grab me. Cool sound, but that's about all it did for me
Saved: The Fog*
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Knows what it does and does it well, a fun album. Can't help but feel like I'm listening to the same song over and over, though - concept makes sense but it gets repetitive. Some of the charm from being old music wears off, too ("makin whoopee") ???? dog
Saved: You Make Me Feel So Young, Pennies From Heaven*
Ray Charles
4/5
This is one of those albums on this list where my rating gets influenced by reading more about the album and its history, but even that didn't really change how I felt. Incredibly groundbreaking with a huge variety of genres that shine through in songs. Love the background singers/choruses, especially when they introduce the song with its title, often at the start of the song. Got a little longwinded and repetitive, enough to make this not quite a 5, but the spotify version has more songs than the original album, so not too many points off. Even with the repetitiveness, I rarely got bored
Saved: Bye Bye Love, You Don’t Know Me, I Can't Stop Loving You; Oh, Lonesome Me*
The Beach Boys
3/5
I think it's overrated, to be honest. Wouldn't It Be Nice is a phenomenal opener, but I don't think the rest of the album lives up to the tone it sets. Not to say I didn't love the songs I saved and overall had a very enjoyable listening experience, but I don't feel like it endures in the way that other monumental albums in this list do. Instrumentation and harmonies are beautiful, but the lyrics are so damn flat sometimes. Not gonna let the hype surrounding this one pull it up
Saved: Wouldn't It Be Nice, Sloop John B, God Only Knows*
Kanye West
5/5
So incredibly ahead of its time it's insane. I understand why people dislike this album, and there are certainly low points for me: I do not like I'm In It, regardless of the fact that all the reasons I dislike it are why it was made in the first place, and c'mon, "I keep it 300, like the Romans" ??, but there aren't many albums that give the listener the experience that Yeezus does. The beats and samples are iconic (love me some Waluigi Pinball-type beat on Guilt Trip), and production is of course fantastic. Does listening to this narcissistic trip in 2022 make me more uncomfortable than I would've been listening in 2013, given recent happenings with Kanye? Maybe. Does it change how I feel about this album? 5.
Already Saved: Black Skinhead; Blood On The Leaves; Guilt Trip; Bound 2
Saved After Listening: New Slaves, Hold My Liquor*
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Sheer number of songs saved might point this higher, but this trailed a bit around the middle for me - it's probably too long for what it is. Still very enjoyable and I'm loving these dark beats albums, this just wasn't as good as endtroducing, which I can't help but compare it to
Saved: Dig Your Own Hole, Elektrobank, Setting Sun, The Private Psychedelic Reel*
Kid Rock
1/5
Came into this with the absolute lowest expectations and was not disappointed. I have absolutely no clue how this sold so many units, even if it was released in the late 90s. Fucking terrible beats and even worse rapping
Kanye West
5/5
Guess I'll go ahead and rate this before it gets any worse. Kid Rock and Kanye back-to-back is one hell of a stretch.
Nonetheless, this album is phenomenal. When a song as good as So Appalled is the low point of the first 9 songs for me, you know this is generational. Production is so over-the-top but it's beautiful and it works. AOTL interlude, something I often forget about in the album, is so well done. Two of the best feature verses ever in my opinion from Nicki and Ross. Like all of my favorite Kanye albums, there are some low points - the Chris Rock feature on Blame Game (rest of the song is good) wears out its welcome about a minute in, even if I found it hilarious the first time I heard it, and I still don't really like Hell Of A Life, even if the interpolation of Iron Man is pretty cool. Still, this is one of the most complete albums I've ever heard - there's a reason this is almost universally considered one of Kanye's best. Maybe he needs another isolated retreat to Hawaii.
Already Saved: Dark Fantasy; Gorgeous; POWER; All Of The Lights; Devil In A New Dress; Runaway; Lost In The World
Saved After Listening: Monster, So Appalled, Who Will Survive In America*
Pantera
2/5
Giving this a 2 because I respect its influence and cohesiveness. I just don't like heavy metal and I didn't really enjoy listening to this, nor would I come back to it
OutKast
4/5
Double album so I feel like it makes more sense to rate these separately and then combine the scores - it's much too long to rate as one project. That being said, I love the double album concept and like how each is its own individual venture.
Speakerboxxx: 5
This was phenomenal. Love the P-funk influence, features were great. Doesn't necessarily have the bigger hits of The Love Below but feels really complete.
The Love Below: 3
Yeah this one lost me a bit. Middle is very strong with Hey Ya and Roses and I liked the concepts of the beginning but the end didn't really gel for me at all. Felt a little all over the place.
Combined score: 4
Already Saved: Hey Ya!
Saved After Listening: GhettoMusick, Bowtie, The Way You Move*, The Rooster, Bust, Flip Flop Rock, Last Call, She Lives in My Lap, Roses
Queen
4/5
Very grandiose and over-the-top, but in a good way. The hits I knew already, but Death On Two Legs was a nice surprise and might be my favorite songs after Bohemian Rhapsody. Album feels a little long, but maybe that was partly the echo parts halfway through Prophet's Song, which I would've saved if it wasn't for that
Already Saved: Bohemian Rhapsody
Saved After Listening: Death On Two Legs (Dedicated To…)*, You're My Best Friend, '39, God Save The Queen
Aerosmith
3/5
I was kinda low on this to start but it grew on me some. It's cool to listen to an Aerosmith album minus some of the mega hits, even though lots of these songs were incredibly catchy. That being said, I judge a lot of these albums based on whether or not I would return to them as a whole. I can see myself listening to singles here, but not Pump as a whole, and that brought it down.
Saved: Young Lust, Going Down/ Love In An Elevator, Monkey On My Back*, Water Song/Janie's Got A Gun, What It Takes
Jeff Beck
3/5
Odd thing how I started this album a day before he passed. I'm kinda up and down on blues - loved the instrumentals on this album, but the vocals get too croony and drawn-out for my liking at times. Still a nice listen, short enough to keep me and accessible enough that I'd like to check his music out more
Saved: Greensleeves, Beck's Bolero*, Blues Deluxe
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Can't say this album isn't important, especially given the circumstances of it being written, and it's cool to listen to newer Springsteen. That being said, is this really an essential album, one that you need to listen to before you die, any more than the other two Springsteen albums we've already gotten? I don't think so. It's also just too damn long
Saved: Lonesome Day*, Worlds Apart
Eagles
4/5
Was pretty familiar with this album before this generator, and my opinion hasn't changed all that much. Title track never gets old, I still love Life in the Fast Lane even if it is a little corny, Wasted Time is good even if a little too singsongy. It probably is a little overrated and it feels too long, enough to the point that the concept album appeal loses me, but it's still a cohesive and fun listen. Enjoyed seeing all the global reviews reference that Big Lebowski quote about the Eagles
Already Saved: Hotel California; Life in the Fast Lane; Wasted Time
Saved After Listening: New Kid in Town, Victim of Love*, The Last Resort
Sex Pistols
3/5
The difficult decision between rating an album based off pure enjoyment vs. rating an album based on how important, influential, etc it is. This album is fun, the riffs are dope, I enjoyed comparing it to other punk albums on this list, especially The Jam album, and it's cool to read about their history, especially with the controversy that surrounded the album. At the same time, it tended to sound very similar at times, the guitar riffs lost their appeal about 3/4ths through, and I don't think listening to one of the most influential and subversive? punk rock albums of all time during my corporate 9-5 did it many favors. This is a 3.5 that I didn't quite enjoy enough to make it a 4
Saved: No Feelings*, Liar, Anarchy in the U.K.
Basement Jaxx
2/5
Actually liked this better than I expected, especially considering how I typically feel about house/electronic music. I bet I would have fun listening to this in a club, and I know that listening at home obviously isn't the ideal listening experience, but it just gets so boring for me after a while
Saved: Rendez-Vu*, Red Alert
Todd Rundgren
4/5
A really weird album that just kinda works for me. Is it pop? Rock? Psychedelic rock? It's too long, and as a result probably not something I would return to in its entirety very often. But each of my three listens was really enjoyable and I found new elements I liked each time I came back. With half stars, this would probably get a 3.5, but we don't have half stars
Saved: Never Never Land, Zen Archer, When the Shit Hits the Fan / Sunset Blvd.*, Sometimes I Don't Know What to Feel
Magazine
4/5
Didn't realize this was a remaster so was going to commend an album from 2007 for capturing that old punk sound, but it makes more sense this came out in 1978. I was immediately a fan of shot by both sides and the rest of this album solidified a very good listen. 3.5 that gets a 4 because I had a lot of fun
Saved: Definitive Gaze, Shot By Both Sides*, The Great Beautician In The Sky, Touch And Go
Shack
3/5
Good, inoffensive britpop. Not sure if I really love this or if I've just spent a lot of time with it, so a 3 feels right. I Want You is #realmusic tho
Saved: Pull Together*, Beautiful, Streets of Kenny, I Want You
Fred Neil
2/5
Surprised to not like this all that much given its status as early folk rock, but didn't find this all that compelling. Cool that this dude completely abandoned his career to protect and conserve dolphins though lmao
Saved: The Dolphins, That's The Bag I'm In*
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
Makes a white boy feel like he can salsa
Saved: Plástico*, Pedro Navaja, Siembra
Maxwell
4/5
The Urban Theme made love to my ears and I never looked back
Saved: The Urban Theme, Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)*, Lonely's The Only Company (1&II), Suitelady (The Proposal Jam)
Beatles
2/5
Supremely disappointing. Album is much too long and lacks any sort of cohesion to keep you interested after about 30 minutes. I understand this is a double album, but there's virtually nothing about the second half that compels me, much less had it been an album on its own. I understand and can respect the novelty of exploring a new genre in every song, but barely any of the songs that were new to me caught my attention in any profound way. Where's the magic they captured on While My Guitar Gently Weeps? Can you Imagine being in a room with both John Lennon and Eric Clapton at the same time? (derogatory) 30% skips (probably more than that), and the one song I had saved coming into this album will likely be the only one I return to. Gimme Rubber Soul over this any day
Already Saved: While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Saved After Listening: Back In The U.S.S.R., Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, Birthday*
Nas
5/5
Had this album saved from back in like 2016 when I thought it made me cool to like it, so nice to return to this with a much better sense of musical literacy. Infectious beats and hooks, rewards multiple close listens, and I bet the samples are fire. Easy 5
Already Saved: N.Y. State of Mind
Saved After Listening: Life's a Bitch, The World Is Yours, Halftime*, Represent, It Ain't Hard to Tell
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Right in my wheelhouse. Lot of distinct genres if you listen closely, which I definitely didn't do well enough on first listen, so this quickly shot up in score when I returned to it
Already Saved: Up Around The Bend
Saved After Listening: Ramble Tamble, Travelin' Band, Lookin' Out My Back Door*, I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Roxy Music
2/5
I'm usually all for weird Brian Eno but this one really drags on the back end and the songs I did like didn't do enough to pull it up
Saved: Ladytron, If There Is Something*
Khaled
2/5
This album isn't on Spotify (minus El Harba Wine, banger) so I listened to a compilation someone made on YouTube - not an ideal or really even fair listening experience, but I figured no use in skipping this just to come back another time for the same thing. Enjoyable, unique, something I would never listen to if it wasn't for this site, but also nothing I'd likely come back to
Already Saved: El Harba Wine*
Soft Cell
3/5
Grew on me immensely (amazing what multiple listens does for any album on this list ((except that stupid The White Album fuck the Beatles))). The synths are awesome and there's a great atmosphere to this album, but I do find a lot of the lyrics to be middling, except on Tainted Love, where everything just works.
Already Saved: Tainted Love
Saved After Listening: Frustration, Tainted Love (already saved), Entertain Me, Chips On My Shoulder, Say Hello Wave Goodbye*
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
I've heard of them before but this was the first I'd really listened to any of their music, and I liked this a lot. Her voice is a large part of the really dark atmosphere on the album, and I can see why so much was made about the unique guitar playing. Obviously parallels to The Cure, I'm sold
Saved: Spellbound, Into The Light*, Arabian Knights, Night Shift
Jamiroquai
3/5
A very impressive debut album that wears its influences on its sleeve. Felt it was very consistent but repetitive at the same time and enjoyed it while realizing it's not totally for me. 3.5 rounded down
Saved: When You Gonna Learn?, Too Young to Die*, If I Like It I Do It, Emergency on Planet Earth
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Clearly very influential, absolutely loved the opening track. Bonus of being an awesome lawn-mowing album, which is how I first listened to this. Really want to see this movie now
Saved: Little Child Runnin' Wild*, Pusherman, Think, Superfly, Freddie's Dead - Theme from 'Superfly'
Fela Kuti
3/5
Very cool, subversive, political, important, with a crazy and tragic story to boot. I prefer a tighter jazz arrangement, but you can't help but get lost in this at times
Saved: Zombie*
Elvis Presley
3/5
It really feels more like a compilation (that switch from Blue Suede Shoes to I'm Counting on You, plus his early crooning makes him sound like a completely different person), but still quite enjoyable with maybe one of the most iconic opening lines of this whole list. Drags too much in the middle and there's some slop like Tutti Frutti, so a ~3.5 rounded down.
Saved: Blue Suede Shoes, I'm Counting on You, Just Because*, I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry, Blue Moon
Missy Elliott
4/5
Early 2000s rap at its finest. The moments where she's speaking to the listener are a little dated feeling but they also give this album its charm. I still can't really get with the reversed parts of Work It but everything else hits for me
Saved: Bring the Pain, Gossip Folks, Funky Fresh Dressed, Slide*
Suzanne Vega
2/5
Not quite for me. Lots of talk-singing and the lyrics were really the only thing I really liked, especially on Queen and the soldier
Liked: Cracking, The Queen And The Soldier*
The Lemonheads
1/5
Whatever, man. 1001 albums you must hear before you sleep
Saved: It's a Shame About Ray*, Mrs. Robinson
Green Day
4/5
For better or worse, can't listen to Basket Case anymore without thinking of that fucking vocoded Steamed Hams video. Awesome album, discovered some tracks I didn't really know before. Apparently hardcore fans disliked this new, cleaner sound when this album came out, but guys, it's still named Dookie and about mass murder and depression and jacking off.
Already Saved: Basket Case; When I Come Around
Saved After Listening: Burnout, Longview, Welcome to Paradise*, She
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Super distinct from Stand, I think both to its benefit and detriment. It's not as fun to listen to, more challenging, darker, and there aren't any songs that grabbed me as immediate hits (can't really get behind Family Affair, unfortunately, though the lyrics are really good). But listen closer (I went through this probably 4-5 times in total) and there's some really really cool choices on this, Spaced Cowboy being one of my favorites. High 3 because I respect this a lot more than I enjoyed listening to it.
Saved: Luv N' Haight*, Time, Spaced Cowboy, Runnin' Away
Jethro Tull
5/5
Bought this on vinyl from a yard sale a few months ago really only knowing Aqualung and am very glad I did. Thought this was just hard rock, so a nice surprise to see folk and psych elements on this. Second half of the album had me drooling like the old dude at the [REDACTED]
Already Saved: Aqualung
Saved After Listening: Mother Goose, My God, Hymn 43, Locomotive Breath, Wind-Up*
Anita Baker
3/5
Half the album not on Spotify so this unfortunately only gets one listen on YouTube. Really like the opening track and thought this was a great listen, but the tracks bled together a bit for me. Still something I think I would return to more if it was on Spotify
Saved: Sweet Love*, You Bring Me Joy
Boston
4/5
Loses steam over the back half but damn if this isn't one of the most electric opening 3-song runs I've ever listened to. Foreplay / Long Time is one of my favorite 2-part songs of all time. Fun fact: I played Peace of Mind in the car for my high school girlfriend and she asked me to turn it off halfway through
Already Saved: More Than a Feeling; Peace of Mind; Foreplay / Long Time
Saved After Listening: Rock & Roll Band, Smokin'*
The Streets
3/5
Love the concept album. Drags out too much and he can be a chore to listen to, but you absolutely know what you're getting into. Shoutout the gambling one and the genuinely heartful break-up one
Already Saved: Not Addicted; Fit but You Know It
Saved After Listening: Blinded by the Lights, Dry Your Eyes*
Frank Zappa
2/5
Had fun but not something I'm going to put on and listen to anytime soon. Good jams, thought I'd enjoy the vocal track more than I did. "Zappa dedicated the album to his newborn son, Dweezil." Alright, man
Saved: Peaches En Regalia*, Son Of Mr. Green Genes
Pavement
4/5
Uh oh am I about to become a Pavement head? Really liked this, especially the guitar playing and the lyrical delivery. You can feel the influence this had
Saved: Summer Babe, In The Mouth A Desert*, Zürich Is Stained, Loretta's Scars
David Bowie
4/5
I might like some of the singles off Station to Station better but this is a more complete album. Life on Mars? is the main standout, but I really liked the songs dedicated to people, especially the sick blues rock sound on the one for Bob Dylan. I love Bob Dylan
Saved: Changes, Life on Mars?*, Andy Warhol, Song for Bob Dylan
Guns N' Roses
2/5
Yeah, might've been different if you asked me like 4 years ago. Just don't really care for this aside from the insanely overplayed (but still good) Welcome To The Jungle and Sweet Child O' Mine. Not much else compelled me here
Already Saved: Welcome To The Jungle; Sweet Child O' Mine
Saved After Listening: Out Ta Get Me*
T. Rex
4/5
I call almost half of the albums on this list "influential" but hey! here's another one. Cool parallels to Bowie from 2 albums ago, gritty aspects of production, I liked this immediately
Saved: Mambo Sun, Monolith*, Lean Woman Blues, Bang a Gong (Get It On), Planet Queen
Frank Ocean
4/5
Might feel a little different about this if it wasn't for the nostalgia surrounding it - it's a little bloated - but the hits HIT. Pyramids is still insane, plus you haven't lived until you've played die outside on a nice spring day with Lost drifting from the speaker. I could cry
Already Saved: Thinkin Bout You; Super Rich Kids; Pyramids; Lost
Saved After Listening: Sweet Life, Pink Matter*
The B-52's
2/5
Outside of Rock Lobster (always fun), I feel like you have to be in a specific mood to enjoy this, and I just didn't. Was even tired of the sound by the time that song ended, tbh, and there's still half an album left
Already Saved: Rock Lobster
Air
2/5
Cool atmosphere, not bad work listening. Probably works great with the movie, don't really care for it much on its own
Saved: Playground Love, Dirty Trip*
Arcade Fire
4/5
It doesn't fully hold my attention the whole way through, but really the only thing I can say negatively about this. Soundscapes are insane #whenyouwatchingthemovieandwakeupplays
Already Saved: Wake Up; Rebellion (Lies)
Saved After Listening: Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)*, Neighborhood #2 (Laika)
Mj Cole
1/5
Didn't want to finish it. Unsure if I disliked the music or the godawful album cover more
Pink Floyd
5/5
Not really a debate. Puts you in a place not many other albums can, art is beautiful, production insane, etc. Us and Them is SO underrated and is a song I could probably listen to every day until I die. 5 stars
Already Saved: Time; The Great Gig In The Sky; Us and Them
Saved After Listening: Breathe (In the Air)*, Brain Damage
Jimmy Smith
4/5
Kinda exactly what I needed rn. I guess this guy basically pioneered the use of the organ in jazz, which is so so cool. Got lost in this in a really good way
Saved: Back At The Chicken Shack
The Smiths
4/5
Probably their best work - definitely my favorite of the 3 we've gotten so far. Maybe a little surprised by how catchy some of these are
Already Saved: The Boy with the Thorn in His Side; There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
Saved After Listening: I Know It's Over, Bigmouth Strikes Again*
Morrissey
2/5
Doesn't excite me the way the smiths music does. Even some of the more interesting guitar playing, like on The More You Ignore Me, gets overshadowed by the most loser buh lyrics. And imagine that criticism coming from me!
Saved: Now My Heart Is Full, Speedway*
N.W.A.
3/5
Really important and deserves its spot more than a lot of other albums on this list. There are just parts that have aged so poorly that make it a slog of a listen now, even with the electric start to the album. Express Yourself is still an absolute Skate 1 classic though
Already Saved: Express Yourself
Billy Bragg
4/5
Didn't even need a second full listen, y'all knew I was gonna love this. No offense to Billy Bragg, but every time there were Tweedy vocals I mostly just wished this was a Wilco album. I do think they work very well together on The Unwelcome Guest, though
Already Saved: California Stars; Hesitating Beauty
Saved After Listening: Walt Whitman's Niece*, I Guess I Planted, The Unwelcome Guest
Nico
3/5
Production is a little too hit-or-miss for me. I'll listen to These Days and think wow this is one of the greatest songs of all time and then get to It Was a Pleasure Then and just get confused. Reading the wikipedia just made me sad.
Already Saved: The Fairest Of The Seasons; These Days
Saved After Listening: I'll Keep It With Mine*
The Cars
3/5
Doesn't really have the song-to-song magic of Heartbeat City for me but still a strong album, especially for a debut. Just What I Needed was..... a high school classic for a boy like me
Already Saved: Just What I Needed
Saved After Listening: My Best Friend's Girl, Moving in Stereo*
Ice Cube
4/5
Liked this more than the NWA album from a few back -I think it was partly the inserts/interludes on this, which I think are really well done and always pertinent. Certified Suburban White Boy Moment: anytime I went over to my friend's house in high school to play Call of Duty he would put on music, and he, without fail, always played It Was A Good Day. Every single time
Already Saved: It Was A Good Day
Saved After Listening: When Will They Shoot?*, Now I Gotta Wet 'Cha, Check Yo Self
The Temptations
4/5
Really fun, funky listen. Crazy that Papa almost didn't get made, that song is so so good
Saved: Run Charlie Run, Papa Was A Rollin' Stone*, I Ain't Got Nothin', Mother Nature
Radiohead
5/5
I had mostly avoided Radiohead for a decent portion of my serious music-listening life, partially by accident, so I think this was only their second or third album I've listened all the way through. Was pretty blown away on first listen and returning to this some months later felt the same. Guitar playing is infectious, grandiose and over-the-top at times in the right way. A 5!
Already Saved: High and Dry; Fake Plastic Trees; (Nice Dream); Bullet Proof… I Wish I Was; Black Star; Street Spirit (Fade Out)
Saved After Listening: Planet Telex, Just, My Iron Lung*, Sulk
B.B. King
4/5
I really like live jazz albums. I really like blues. Stands to reason I would love a live blues album. And did
Saved: Every Day I Have The Blues; Sweet Little Angel; How Blue Can You Get?*
Ute Lemper
2/5
Suffocatingly German. Was disappointed to find out I wasn't going to hear songs sung by Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, etc. Interesting enough ballads to keep this from a 1, but this mostly felt like a bunch of throwaway Bond themes.
Saved: Die Dreigroschenoper: Tango Ballad*
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
Another band I probably never would've interacted with if not for this list. Tough to identify influences because they sound so familiar but kept thinking Alice in Chains and maybe some Smashing Pumpkins - might be way off on that. Great first half, last half dragged a bit. A high 3
Saved: Jupiter and Teardrop*, Fuzzy, Wish You Well, Dixie Drug Store
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Not the biggest reggae fan, but I do enjoy getting lost in this for an album. Might not have the super hits of Exodus, but I feel like No Woman No Cry and Bend Down Low immediately stuck with more than anything off of that album
Saved: No Woman No Cry, Them Belly Full (But We Hungry), Bend Down Low*, Talkin' Blues
X-Ray Spex
4/5
This rocked! Really liked the use of horns throughout and the unique lyrics, like on Plastic Bag. A nice surprise
Saved: Art-I-Ficial, Let's Submerge, Identity*, Germfree Adolescence, Plastic Bag
The Velvet Underground
3/5
Expected to like this a lot more, but for some reason just not the biggest fan of the stripped back production. Prefer the banana album and Loaded a lot more than this, but there's still some highs - I'm reading those vocals on After Hours are the drummer??? huh??
Already Saved: Pale Blue Eyes
Saved After Listening: Candy Says, After Hours*
Neneh Cherry
2/5
Can appreciate the inclusion of this in the list without really loving the listen, outside of the opener
Saved: Buffalo Stance*, Inna City Mamma
Queen
3/5
Cool hard rock with some psych elements (swear those Freddie screams were inspiration for Pink Floyd's The Wall) but nothing that blew me out the water
Already Saved: Killer Queen
Saved After Listening: Flick Of The Wrist*, Now I'm Here
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
Can't really place this one. Took me a lot longer to catch on than some of his other music, and I think multiple listens actually did this a disservice, funny enough. Volume of songs saved /= enjoyment
Saved: Tears Before Bedtime*, Shabby Doll, The Long Honeymoon, …And In Every Home, Human Hands
Doves
3/5
Kinda a lesser Coldplay/Travis but still with some very catchy melodies. Another one where I'd return to singles but probably not the whole album
Saved: Words, There Goes The Fear, N.Y.*, Pounding
Ghostface Killah
4/5
Feels pretty underrated as rap albums in this list go. Took me a while to listen twice cause of the length but there are some incredibly catchy cuts in this. I'm astonished I'd never heard Back Like That before this album
Saved: Shakey Dog, The Champ, 9 Milli Bros, Back Like That*, Be Easy, Back Like That - Remix
The Kinks
3/5
Very pleasant listen, reminds me a lot of Rubber Soul in a lot of ways but maybe without some of the catchier melodies. A little too soft and poppy for my taste
Saved: The Village Green Preservation Society, Picture Book, Sitting by the Riverside, Village Green*
Jane's Addiction
2/5
Doesn't move me much, nothing really meets the high of Obvious, especially in the back half. Not the biggest fan of his voice either
Saved: Obvious*, Been Caught Stealing
Aretha Franklin
3/5
I won't belabor my point that having the far-and-above best song on the album as the opener often drags down the rest of the listen (clearly none of these titans were making albums with little old me in mind), but it remains one of my bigger complaints about albums on this list. She has an absolutely commanding voice - I just wish there was more going on in these tracks
Saved: Respect, I Never Loved A Man*
The Only Ones
3/5
Another introduction to a band I've never heard of, as well as a new genre of music identified in their Wikipedia (power pop!). Found two covers of songs off this album by Yo La Tengo and The Replacements, respectively, so clearly very influential - but other than the unique vocal style that we've heard a bunch of times over on this list, nothing super special. Still a fun ride, with some hits under 1 mil
Saved: The Whole Of The Law, Another Girl, Another Planet*, The Beast, Peter And The Pets
The Sabres Of Paradise
2/5
Gets a low 2 cause I don't think it deserves the same space as the other 1s on this list, but still a chore for me to get through, especially at the start. Picked up some and the closing track is definitely the highlight, but I'm comfortable in saying electronic is just not for me lmao
Saved: Wilmot, Haunted Dancehall*
Joy Division
5/5
First album I get to review from listening on vinyl! Don't even really recall how I first came across this, because I don't know if I've even listened to Unknown Pleasures in full, but I do remember Closer hitting immediately. A really cold, suffocating album that entraps me like very few can (with the exception of like Disintegration ((oh boy I cannot wait for that))). Feels weird to listen to in July - this is an album you listen to in midwinter where it feels like nothing is ever going to get better
Already Saved: Atrocity Exhibition; Passover; Colony; A Means to an End; Twenty Four Hours; The Eternal
Saved After Listening: Isolation, Decades*
Metallica
2/5
More than fine with the knowledge I'll never be a Metallica fan. Liked this more than expected but it really does just become an incessant drone after Welcome Home.
Saved: The Thing That Should Not Be, Welcome Home (Sanitarium)*
k.d. lang
2/5
Beautiful but too sleepy for me. I do find some of the compositions interesting but not enough for more than a cursory listen
Saved: Miss Chatelaine, Constant Craving*
Country Joe & The Fish
1/5
Relisten almost brought it up to a 2, but everything post Porpoise Mouth is so sleepy I couldn't do it. There's only so many foundational psych rock albums we need on this list and I can't say I would've included this one
Saved: Flying High, Porpoise Mouth*
Al Green
5/5
Can I unc out for a bit? He is singing his ass off on this
Already Saved: Let's Stay Together
Saved After Listening: La-La for You*, Old Time Lovin', How Can You Mend a Broken Heart
System Of A Down
3/5
Pleasantly surprised by this, especially given the genre. Really like the dark atmosphere, especially on Spiders
Saved: Suite-Pee, Sugar, Spiders*
Deee-Lite
2/5
Enjoyable enough but only really here for Groove Is in the Heart
Saved: Groove Is in the Heart*
Willie Nelson
3/5
Works as a whole album more than the individual songs hit, maybe cause of how short they are. He's a great storyteller, about time I listened more to him
Saved: Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain, Red Headed Stranger*, Down Under