461
Albums Rated
3.54
Average Rating
42%
Complete
628 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950s
Favorite Decade
Soul
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
98
5-Star Albums
12
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arular | 5 | 2.84 | +2.16 |
| Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret | 5 | 2.87 | +2.13 |
| Kick Out The Jams (Live) | 5 | 2.91 | +2.09 |
| Smokers Delight | 5 | 2.91 | +2.09 |
| Pills 'n' Thrills And Bellyaches | 5 | 2.98 | +2.02 |
| Crossing the Red Sea With the Adverts | 5 | 2.98 | +2.02 |
| Tanto Tempo | 5 | 3.07 | +1.93 |
| Double Nickels On The Dime | 5 | 3.12 | +1.88 |
| Repeater | 5 | 3.12 | +1.88 |
| Your New Favourite Band | 5 | 3.13 | +1.87 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rain Dogs | 1 | 3.2 | -2.2 |
| Tubular Bells | 1 | 3.1 | -2.1 |
| The Nightfly | 1 | 3.01 | -2.01 |
| Sheet Music | 1 | 2.96 | -1.96 |
| New Wave | 1 | 2.86 | -1.86 |
| Tarkus | 1 | 2.79 | -1.79 |
| Californication | 2 | 3.7 | -1.7 |
| Bitte Orca | 1 | 2.69 | -1.69 |
| Black Holes and Revelations | 2 | 3.59 | -1.59 |
| Aja | 2 | 3.46 | -1.46 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Radiohead | 6 | 4.83 |
| Beatles | 5 | 4.6 |
| Led Zeppelin | 4 | 4.75 |
| Isaac Hayes | 3 | 5 |
| The Doors | 3 | 5 |
| Creedence Clearwater Revival | 3 | 5 |
| The Rolling Stones | 3 | 5 |
| Simon & Garfunkel | 3 | 4.67 |
| Stevie Wonder | 3 | 4.67 |
| Van Halen | 2 | 5 |
| Miles Davis | 2 | 5 |
| T. Rex | 2 | 5 |
| Pixies | 2 | 5 |
| Nirvana | 2 | 5 |
| Massive Attack | 2 | 5 |
| David Bowie | 5 | 4.2 |
| U2 | 4 | 4.25 |
| Metallica | 3 | 4.33 |
| The Smiths | 3 | 4.33 |
| Pink Floyd | 3 | 4.33 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Happy Mondays | 5, 2 |
| Portishead | 2, 5 |
| Peter Gabriel | 2, 5 |
5-Star Albums (98)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
The Dude: Do you find them much, these, stolen cars?
Younger Cop: Sometimes. Wouldn't hold out much hope for the tape deck though.
Older Cop: Or the Creedence.
41 likes
The Prodigy
5/5
This album held up well. I actually gave it 2 listens. I remember being more drawn to the aggro tracks like Firestarter as a younger man, but I enjoyed the others more this time around. Also got way more of the sample references and the strong Kool Keith influence this time. Probably still more partial to Jilted Generation (2nd album) but damn Breathe is a killer track.
12 likes
Isaac Hayes
5/5
You know that Shaft is one bad mother...
(Shut your mouth!)
But I'm just talkin' about Shaft!
(We can dig it)
8 likes
5/5
This album ROCKS. It's kind of amazing that it's from 1969, as it wouldn't be out of place ten years later at the onset of punk. Similar feelings about the Stooges album that we listened to recently. I hadn't had a listen in a while and it was great to get reacquainted.
7 likes
Eminem
4/5
Super offensive but there's really not much else like it out there. It's a weird feeling to be so repulsed and so impressed at the same time. Some of the tracks are just great.
7 likes
1-Star Albums (12)
All Ratings
Kate Bush
3/5
Very strong first couple of tracks, with the first being the most successful single on the album and probably my favorite. The album gets progressively more experimental-sounding and "out there" towards the end, which is admirable but falls flat on a few tracks. I'd probably stop halfway through on future listens.
Eminem
4/5
Super offensive but there's really not much else like it out there. It's a weird feeling to be so repulsed and so impressed at the same time. Some of the tracks are just great.
Isaac Hayes
5/5
Knew and loved many of these tracks already. This was surprisingly fun to work to, and I expect I'll be coming back to it on occasion.
The Doors
5/5
I think I've listened to this album dozens of times dating back to my college years. Despite my more-diminished opinion of Jim's poetry these days, it still holds up and remains as unique and captivating as I remember. Even the worst songs (e.g., "End of the Night") have their charm. Look at the Ramones' cover of the largely-forgotten "Take it as it Comes"!
Buena Vista Social Club
5/5
I was introduced to this album by my Chinese-Brazilian roommate along with a bunch of bossanova stuff. I played this one and Joao Gilberto Live in Montreux endlessly for months, and I still come back to this one frequently. It's even on my regular running playlist. I just love it.
Steely Dan
4/5
Surprised it didn't recommend "Can't Buy a Thrill", whose tracks are more familiar. But this one was surprisingly quirky. I didn't get burned out on a single sound and found it pretty listenable while I worked. Rikki Don't Lose that Number was still the standout for me. Reading up on this album, you really do appreciate the quality of the studio production, and it helps to understand that isn't really a pure "rock" album but a bit of jazz fusion too.
Tom Waits
1/5
I never got Tom Waits and I was hoping this would change my mind. It did not. I've never been able to appreciate the lead singer who can't sing, and I have trouble getting past it, even when the songwriting and lyrics are good.
Elbow
3/5
Listenable but didn't really grab me. I thought I had never heard of them but did recognize the main single "one day like this" which is decent. It does really feel of an era; I was able to place the decade after hearing the first few bars.
Van Halen
5/5
Yeah it's more mainstream (not that VH were ever the hipster's choice) and synth-heavy, but wow so good top-to-bottom. The band are in top form, and I confess to loving this album as a kid. My only regret is that by the time I saw them live they were in full Hagar.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Really enjoyable. I had only really been familiar with her hits, and this album was a pleasant surprise that really showcased her talent and had a more old-school flavor. Would listen again
Metallica
5/5
I have loved this album for decades and have no issues listening to it again. It stands the test of time and for me is probably Metallica's best album (or neck-in-neck with And Justice For All). Also the tracks really follow well if you listen in order. Note too that I saw Metallica play half these songs live and it was probably the most high-quality, fan-oriented live show I've seen.
Ministry
3/5
This didn't date as well for me; it was nice to have it follow on from Metallica, which I thought still held up. This one gave me a more nostalgic vibe for a time when I was younger, more immature, and latched onto this kinds of simplistic angry teen songs. "Jesus built my hot rod" still stands out, though, as a weird and wild bit of sustained, intense nonsense.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
This wasn't my cup of tea but it was true to its title by being quite short, so I listened all the way through. I was most suprised that I hadn't heard of this band or recognized any of the songs despite it being squarely in my peak listening/discovery days. It reminded me of maybe the Pogues or some such indie lyrical band.
Slipknot
2/5
Maybe not my thing, but it wasn't terrible. Not sure I'll listen again, but it was good to learn what Slipknot are about. I'd heard of them but had no idea what genre/style they were.
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
This was fun, although the style admittedly wore me out after a whole album. Way too much perky for too long. It really does lift you a bit though. Mr Blue Sky is a fun quirky song.
CHIC
4/5
Good album. The whole sound top to bottom is pretty consistent, and a really strong introduction with Good Times. Some of the tracks drag on a little, no doubt because of the dance floor audience, but a very listenable album.
George Michael
3/5
Listened to this with Genius trivia on, it really added a lot of context around some of the tracks that made this more enjoyable for me given George Michael's history since the album was released.
Donald Fagen
1/5
I had never heard of this album, which was weird given its release date and popularity. I like Steely Dan, and the album cover was even cool, so I was interested to listen. Unfortunately it really just sounded like generic "classic rock bandleader goes solo" in the vein of Michael McDonald. It was really forgettable and had no standout tracks.
The Prodigy
5/5
This album held up well. I actually gave it 2 listens. I remember being more drawn to the aggro tracks like Firestarter as a younger man, but I enjoyed the others more this time around. Also got way more of the sample references and the strong Kool Keith influence this time. Probably still more partial to Jilted Generation (2nd album) but damn Breathe is a killer track.
Miles Davis
5/5
Super great work time listening. Will do again
David Bowie
4/5
Had only heard Sound and Vision before, which is a favorite. The whole album has a really nice range from the pop-flavored to the somewhat experimental, with a lot of influence from German synth bands of the 70s. A fun evening listen.
Adam & The Ants
2/5
I have long wanted to appreciate this band, but their estimation by many as a "joke band" does ring a bit true for me. I was a big fan of his solo stuff when I was like 10 years old though. Also I appreciate his role in the punk and new wave movements, but this music falls into some hybrid category that just sounds too glam+gimmicky to me. I'll take Devo instead.
Stereolab
3/5
Overall solid but not captivating. I was familiar with the first track and like it. The rest was of a similar vein but more fully explored their unique sound, in both good and bad directions.
Happy Mondays
5/5
This album was ever-present for me in college (roommate's favorite) but I did not own it myself. I wasn't really into it at the time (I was more into classic rock) but appreciated it way more now. Would listen again.
The Youngbloods
3/5
I liked the general feel of this album, it veered between Doors-style instrumental jamming to CSN/America folk rock to a more straightforward folk/roots vibe. Overall not much jumped out as much as the lead track, though "Sunlight" is a nice listen.
Pavement
2/5
For all their popularity, I've heard very little Pavement. They fall into that category of "decent songs, bad singer" that I have trouble sticking with (Dinosaur Jr being at the front of that line). I do appreciate the songwriting in Pavement's work; it's pretty unique and has an earnestness to it that echoes some of the best writers like Lennon and Wilson.
Pulp
4/5
Good. Lots of variety, well-produced, would do again.
The Beach Boys
4/5
Good album to listen through, and it contains a few all-time pop greats. The production is as good as the hype around it, but I personally don't rate it a top 10 album because it's just not my style at the moment. Compared to the Beatles, I find it a little too far over on the pop side to listen that regularly.
Sugar
4/5
Positives: doesn't really sound dated, lots of variety, some great tracks (Helpless is my fave). Negatives: sometimes feels like a cover set of famous 90s bands like Pixies, Cure, etc. I feel like I heard enough of this album in the 90s and only like revisiting the favorites.
Genesis
2/5
I didn't particularly like the album, but it was mostly just crazy to hear Collins, Gabriel, and Rutherford playing long operatic prog rock. It seemed worlds away from their "Invisible Touch" cashing in.
2/5
Ok after listening to an old Genesis album and now this, I really don't want to listen to any more classic prog rock for a while. I skipped around and eventually gave up after about 20 minutes of listening. All I can say is that it's an impressive set of music to compose, arrange, and play well, but it's also kind of boring and the lyrics didn't do much for me.
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3/5
Listenable but not super engaging for me. Very ambient and experimental in parts. Really disliked the songs with vocals. Progenitor of bands like Air, who I like better, but I recognize the Eno influence and respect the vision to make a record like this.
Joy Division
4/5
I've spent so much time listening to "Unknown Pleasures" this made me realize how much I'd forgotten about their other album. It's more art-rock, spare, and haunting, but high quality and worth exploring in-depth. You need to be in a mood for it, though. I'm glad I was pointed back to this album.
Roxy Music
3/5
I was used to listening to this band's greatest hits, this was a nice exposure to their earlier album work. I loved the sound and songs, but I do think they dragged on for me in parts. I'll probably stick with singles but add some more titles to the rotation.
The Smiths
4/5
Not my favorite Smiths album (that's reserved for their debut or Meat is Murder) but still a quite good one. The album has a really full sound and a good range. I don't need a second invite to give it another listen.
The Smiths
4/5
I had this on heavy rotation in my early post-grad years. Some quality cuts scattered throughout, enough to make it worth listening through. Except for "Frankly Mr Shankly" and "Vicar in a TuTu", bleh. The existence of those (imo) stinkers knocks it down a star for me.
k.d. lang
3/5
Decent listen, a throwback album to country/western music that I generally like. k.d. has a great voice, and it's nice for easing into the morning. I'm not entirely sure why it's on this list, though. It's a great showcase for her talents, but it doesn't seem particularly ground-breaking, and I'd go to other artists (e.g., Patsy Cline) for better seminal work in the genre.
Bob Dylan
4/5
Enjoyed, but had in the background and it deserves a more dedicated listen. Will have to revisit.
Talking Heads
5/5
I really enjoyed this album, more than I thought I would. After all the "challenging" prog and art rock that this list has been suggesting, I was braced for more despite my general appreciation for talking heads. This album was listenable end-to-end and I found myself picking my head up from my work to just sit and enjoy it. Really good stuff.
R.E.M.
5/5
I listened to this album so much in the 90s that it was hard for me to fathom that it came out when I was 10 years old. "Laughing" is one of my all-time faves, and the rest of it is quite good as well.
Neil Young
4/5
Strong album I'd never heard before. I recognized "On the Beach" and really enjoyed the first two tracks (Walk On and See the Sky About to Rain). It gets very dirge-like once you reach the end, but I have a lot of respect for simple but honest and unique songwriting, and this is a pretty solid example.
Pink Floyd
4/5
Ok didn't listen, but uhhh, yeah i know this album.
The Allman Brothers Band
2/5
Not my jam. Songs were long and repetitive, and I can go to other sources for better blues. Two stars instead of one because it was inoffensive background music when I wasn't paying attention to it.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Not bad, but not my cup of tea. Lost our cat this week so thought it might be actually the right time for this dirge-type music, but sadly I just wasn't into it. I did read some entertaining writing on how to become a Nick Cave fan.
Soft Cell
5/5
This album is extremely 80s but was top-to-bottom good. I'd heard three tracks from it before (and liked them) but was surprised how much I enjoyed the others as well. Will definitely listen again.
Isaac Hayes
5/5
You know that Shaft is one bad mother...
(Shut your mouth!)
But I'm just talkin' about Shaft!
(We can dig it)
Waylon Jennings
4/5
Very listenable and just the right amount of country + rock'n'roll. I only really knew him from "Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys", so this was a bit of a pleasant revelation.
Haircut 100
3/5
Interesting that an album from a group I considered a one-hit wonder showed up. The album wasn't bad and definitely captures an era. It also showcases the quirkiness of this band in their instrumentation and melody.
KISS
3/5
This is some hilariously over-the-top party rock, but you gotta love "Detroit Rock City" and "Beth". It really doesn't beg for re-listens, probably best to just pick out those songs and move on. Really a 2.5 for me but rounding up because they are just so iconic.
The Go-Betweens
3/5
This I believe was one of those "popular in Europe but not the US" type albums that didn't really land for me. Not bad, but nothing really stood out for me either.
The Who
4/5
I'd forgotten this sound from the earlier Who years. Reading some of the context around radio in the UK at the time was helpful, and I honestly think maybe the concept of the album outweighs the overall quality on it, but it's still quite good against the high bar of The Who's entire catalog.
David Bowie
5/5
Great album, I've listened to it numerous times and it's grown on me, maybe even being better than Ziggy Stardust. Changes is such a great opener, one of the best actually. I also learned that a riff from Andy Warhol was the inspiration for one in Metallica's Master of Puppets. Who knew?
5/5
This album ROCKS. It's kind of amazing that it's from 1969, as it wouldn't be out of place ten years later at the onset of punk. Similar feelings about the Stooges album that we listened to recently. I hadn't had a listen in a while and it was great to get reacquainted.
Spiritualized
2/5
I don't remember this band from the 90's. Their sound is inoffensive but doesn't stand out to me as particularly unique, but maybe they were back then? They fit squarely into shoegaze for me, and certainly have a timeless quality that carries on with newer bands like Tame Impala. I don't think I'll remember much from this listen and don't expect I'll revisit the album.
Jethro Tull
4/5
Hadn't ever listened to this album despite knowing several tracks on it like the back of my hand. Was surprised at how overall high quality it was and really enjoyed it.
N.W.A.
5/5
I thought I'd listened to this end-to-end before but didn't remember some of the later tracks. Still powerful and (sadly) relevant, and drives home how Ice Cube is an all-time great who gets lost in the Biggie/Tupac conversations.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
1/5
lol no
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Good end-to-end. Son of a preacher man. Listened twice and would listen again.
Beck
4/5
Hadn't heard this album before. Much more chill and less rock-heavy than very familiar albums like Odelay and Guero, but I liked it. It showed some strong melody and had a consistent lower-key mood about it.
Basement Jaxx
3/5
I loved this album back in the day. In 2021 it definitely seems of its time and is maybe a little too "amped" for this middle-aged man :D I confess that I had a little nostalgic fun reconnecting with it after ~20 years.
The Byrds
4/5
Good listen, there were a few tracks in addition to the title one that stuck out like "Here Without You". Strange for an album of mostly covers to be on this list, but it did have a lot to do with popularizing folk music and its own unique sound.
Manu Chao
3/5
I like Manu Chao's style, but I have never been able to really get into his music. I tend to listen a bit every few years. Maybe it's the foreign lyrics or that the songs tend to sound repetitive to me. He's clearly talented and the sound is good, I just don't need that much of it I guess.
Gang Of Four
4/5
Good album, great songwriting. Glad I got to listen all the way through. Minimal and classically post-punk, much more raw than their later work.
Pretenders
4/5
Love this album - I only recently rediscovered The Pretenders this past year and was surprised at how tight the rhythms and riffs are in this album. Plus what a lead in Chrissie Hynde!
T. Rex
5/5
Very familiar with this album. It's really a great intro to T Rex, the simple but earnest lyrics, the kind of silly straight-up rock anthems, and the breadth.
Queen Latifah
4/5
So fun! I remember hearing Queen Latifah when she first hit the radio and her flows really stood out. The production on this album is awesome, with contributions from names like KRS-One and Prince Paul.
Iggy Pop
3/5
Was fine. I hadn't realized it was a David Bowie collaboration. Nothing really stood out for me beyond the 2 hits (title track and The Passenger).
Jane Weaver
3/5
Hippy dippy but I liked the electro-folk sound
Pantera
4/5
So fun to hear this again! Definitely requires a certain mood, but the band is so tight and the songs are high-quality compared to the scream metal they inspired later.
Roxy Music
3/5
Good intro to the Roxy style and clearly an "important" album, but it didn't really grab me. I kind of agree with Bryan Ferry's displeasure with the arrangements of some of these tunes.
Steely Dan
2/5
Not as good as Can't Buy a Thrill. Sounded ok, but honestly kind of bored me.
Iron Butterfly
3/5
Hadn't heard the rest of this album before. Not bad, although pretty different from the title track. Some of it seemed almost copycat-like to The Doors, who had just released their debut a year before.
Elvis Presley
4/5
Foo Fighters
3/5
Better than I was expecting! I'm embarrassed to say I enjoyed it!
Motörhead
4/5
My main thought listening to this was "goddamn, that must have been a fun show." it ran a bit together for me towards the end, but a good listen.
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
Grant Lee Buffalo
2/5
Did not like. Just seems like a mishmash of Bowie, Neil Young, or Pixies tribute songs.
Taylor Swift
3/5
Listenable! Not quite my bag but I didn't feel compelled to turn it off. I wonder if this was the album where so much of what I hear in pop today started.
Curtis Mayfield
5/5
CLASSIC. I have listened to this album many many times and wish I had it on vinyl.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
The Dude: Do you find them much, these, stolen cars?
Younger Cop: Sometimes. Wouldn't hold out much hope for the tape deck though.
Older Cop: Or the Creedence.
Prince
5/5
I hadn't listened to the whole album in maybe 30+ years? It's definitely of an era so it's sound feels a bit dated in parts, but it's really a showcase of what Prince could do when he was just approaching the peak of his fame. There wasn't a lot else like it at the time.
Beatles
5/5
Everything about the production of this album is amazing. Taxman is a killer opener, with amazing buildup as tracks and the bassline are progressively added. So good!
Todd Rundgren
4/5
I never knew this was a double album! Have to say I liked the first two sides way more than the rest but it's still a great body of music. It really lives up to the "catchy" billing and embodies the best of early 70s rock/pop. Will definitely be revisiting chunks of it.
Morrissey
4/5
Yes it's Morrissey. I'm not as bothered by his voice as others, although time has proven him to be just as disagreeable publicly as his bandmates found him privately. Still, his solo work has touches of The Smiths with some extra rock riffs and typically sardonic lyrics.
Soundgarden
4/5
Good album with some string singles. I'm more partial to Badmotorfinger myself, but it wasn't hard to get sent back into my 90s grunge phase with this one.
Thelonious Monk
3/5
This was listenable but it faded into the background for me. I'm not a focused jazz listener and admittedly don't have the experience to appreciate it like an aficionado. I was honestly surprised to see this on a big list of rock/pop albums.
Bee Gees
4/5
I realized I've never listened to a Bee Gees album end-to-end. This one predated their more famous disco work (yet was still their 9th album!) and seemed more heartfelt and ballad-like. Very listenable and a great summer record.
The Temptations
4/5
I learned that Papa Was a Rollin' Stone was a cover! Crazy! Anyway, this album is awesome.
Bebel Gilberto
5/5
Listened to this album many many times in grad school. It was a great melding of the bossa nova sound with modern production and some electronic elements. I had no problem giving it another listen and realized I had missed it.
Deep Purple
3/5
Some bangers on there (Speed King!) but missing Black Night which came out around the same time. Still some over-the-top prog-rock sounding stuff that I really didn't like (Child in Time), so limits the replay value for me vs just a greatest hits album.
The Charlatans
2/5
ok. reminds me of the early 90s, not particularly unique or captivating
The Who
4/5
Some all-time classics on this. I enjoyed the lesser-known tracks too like "the song is over" too!
Missy Elliott
4/5
Strong! So many top-end collaborators on this, and some deep digs for samples, and a really unique style. I never listened to the full album back in the day but really enjoyed hearing it through.
Flamin' Groovies
3/5
Not bad - I like the band, but the overall album was a take on a genre that I just didn't get super into. There were a few fun tracks on it though so I gave 3 stars.
Judas Priest
4/5
So fun! End-to-end rock, a progenitor of thrash. I read that it was one of their more "commercial" efforts, which I guess is true, but it did pave the way for a lot of bands to come.
Wild Beasts
2/5
the grooves are good but the singer's weird falsetto singing was grating. meh
Charles Mingus
2/5
I have to confess I don't really know the right setting for listening to this. It gets pretty hectic and intense in parts, so I can safely say it's not for work background music. I might need a tutorial on how to properly enjoy it before listening again.
Queen
5/5
This album is amazing and I love it. Guitar solos don't get much better, and good luck finding better vocals than Freddie Mercury. It simply rocks, and has enough breadth that you can't wait for what you're going to hear on the next track. I came to this album later in life and wish I had it when I was younger.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
My parents had this album in the house and I have since inherited it. It will always have a place in my rotation.
Kate Bush
2/5
Overall eclectic and not really my style, but very well-produced. Some tracks like "This Woman's Work" are moving, others are honestly just grating.
10cc
1/5
Not my bag. Creative, yes, but in the same way that some art can be creative yet not entertaining. Too much of a prog rock vibe for me.
XTC
2/5
I don't get XTC. It sounds like children's music. Maybe their lyrics are good? I can't get past the annoying singsong vocals and nursery rhyme melodies.
5/5
Who couldn't love this album? Amazing production, all-time classic tracks, and enough variety to keep you going through all of it, with the perfect ending track.
Shack
2/5
Didn't really register for me, I wasn't wowed by it. Kind of sounded like standard 90s alt-pop
Anthrax
3/5
Uh, this was harder to listen to than, say, Pantera. It's a little like fruit roll-ups. I remember liking them when I was young but they just don't appeal to me now. Good memories of Anthrax though, long live skate thrash!
The Human League
3/5
Kind of interesting meld of 80s new wave pop and 80s German electronica, even though these guys were from Sheffield (!?) I found it nostalgia-inducing but ultimately a little hard to listen to all the way through.
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
Initially wasn't in the mood but warmed up to it and eventually ended up really liking it. Maybe it's my soft spot for Chicago, or some of the great vocals with backing from Shara Worden. Would listen again.
The Specials
3/5
Some good tunes here, "Man at C&A", the "Enjoy Yourself" cover, and I can see how they wanted to get out of the typical ska format after their debut. But for me it resulted in a lot of hit-and-miss that made for an uneven listening experience across the album.
The Doors
5/5
The Doors were my go-to band in late HS/early college. I had a big poster of Jim Morrison on the wall and secretly wanted to be a rock star. Some of the poetry rings as a bit hokey to me now, but I still love their songs, vocals, and unique sound. LA Woman is top to bottom probably their best , with competition from their first album. Such a shame that Morrison died 3 months after this album was released, when they were seemingly at their peak.
The Adverts
5/5
I only just started listening to the Adverts this year, although I'd heard a few of their tunes on some punk playlists before. It's really solid, punk vibes with high-level lyrics, instrumentation, and hooks. I've listened twice already and will probably do so again.
MGMT
4/5
This was great, some strong melodies and lyrics. Unexpected to be honest. Goes to show when you like one song (Electric Feel in my case) you should go on to give the album at least one listen.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Amazing that this album came out around the time of Rubber Soul. It shows a similar experimental style and has such breadth while staying distinctly Stones. Jagger and Richards wrote all these songs (no covers) and this album shows how good they were.
Spiritualized
2/5
Reminiscent of other contemporary stuff like Happy Mondays mixed with a shoegazy space rock vibe. I found it pretty irritating to be honest.
Blue Cheer
3/5
Never heard of this band but I enjoyed the album. It's a great specimen of proto-metal with those buzz guitars and garage-style production! The opening cover is of Summertime Blues is awesome!
James Brown
5/5
Really gives a feel for what it might have been like to see JB live. And that intro! Only knock is that the recording quality (at least the one I listened to on Spotify) is pretty bad.
Fishbone
4/5
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
Had heard the lead track but not the rest. Very listenable and something I should revisit.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
Killing Moon is a great track, but I prefer the Cutter. A whole album of those vocals was a little hard for me to stomach.
Run-D.M.C.
5/5
I listened to this tape nonstop for a while as a kid. Peter Piper still holds up, as do many of the other tracks (Run's House!). So good.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Aretha! This is a lot of covers (but Respect is kind of a clever pseudo-cover), but it really captures the best of what made her so great. The vocal range, the easy transitions between soul, motown, funk, and gospel.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
I loved this album back in the day, but it feels a bit immature and dated to this fortysomething dad now. Still, "Under the Bridge" and "Give it Away" hold up fairly well. God help him, Anthony Kiedis really could have benefited from autotune :)
Steely Dan
2/5
I only recognized "Peg" from this record. The rest was pretty groovy in a kind of 70s booty music way. It kind of ran together for me and nothing else really stuck out. Maybe it requires another listen to appreciate but I will probably not do that.
Gang Starr
5/5
The prototype for 90s group gangster rap. Smoother than NWA but harder than west coast G funk, it's super awesome.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Variety, excellent hooks, eminently listenable over and over. I was delighted to be reacquainted with this album after a long layoff.
Pere Ubu
2/5
Inventive and unique in its sound, but hard to listen to top-to-bottom and just not my style.
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Liked it but didn't love it. Nice to hear the sound of what previously was a 1-hit wonder to me. Learned a little bit about the band and definitely appreciate them more.
The Smiths
5/5
I am an unapologetic Smiths fan and love this album. I've probably listened to it end-to-end over a dozen times and was happy to do it again. Some of the best bass work and hooks in their oeuvre on this one.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
I hadn't realized how long this band had been around before the mid-80s. Some of my favorite songs of theirs came on their fourth, fifth, and sixth albums. This captures well the essence of their sound from around that time, and Spellbound is one of their best.
Happy Mondays
2/5
I wasn't crazy about them before and that hasn't really changed. I think I could tolerate a song of theirs every once in a while, but a whole album was honestly excruciating.
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
Props for this being a pioneering psychedelic album. I confess to not hearing much of this band outside of "Feel like I'm Fixin to Die". It is an *important* record that wasn't really something I'm into at the moment. It might be worth another listen to digest, but it didn't strike me as something I'll have on rotation.
The Style Council
2/5
Too eclectic for me, and the rap kind of lost me. Still, "You're the Best Thing" is a great one. "Our Favorite Shop" is the 4-star one for me.
Pink Floyd
5/5
This was really nice to listen to on a block where I just needed to get some work done. It flows incredibly well end-to-end and takes you to different places along the way without being jarring or pretentious. Loved hearing this again after a long hiatus.
Rage Against The Machine
4/5
Banger album, but in typical Gen X fashion and given RATM's career from then on, I wonder to what extent I was being sold an "angry youth" narrative from a group of guys that are all now multimillionaires. Still, it was really a new sound for its time and I confess that I still give it a spin now and then.
Tortoise
4/5
This was cool! Never heard of it, will listen again. Great for work and study. The songs run together a bit, but in a good way.
JAY Z
4/5
Really enjoyed it. Hadn't listened end-to-end. The sounds still hold up, the lyrics are edgy classic Jay-Z. Maybe a bit overproduced in sections but overall a fun listen.
Frank Sinatra
5/5
Peak Sinatra, the lead track might be my favorite of all his recordings. It's worth pointing out that this was the peak of his career revival with Capitol and a huge deal to the Italian American community, who had in Sinatra a role model for getting out of underclass status in America.
The Beach Boys
3/5
Honestly don't remember much of it other than "Feel Flows". Wasn't what I was expecting and on reading about the history realized it was a band trying to reconnect with fans after some disappointing albums.
4/5
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
I'm a SP fan, but even when this was released, I found it somewhat disappointing relative to Gish and Siamese Dream. Years on, I feel even less enthusiastic about it, as the lyrics come off as written for a much much younger and angsty person than I am. The sound and production are impressive though.
The Black Keys
3/5
A good listen but it feels so derivative of other bands (e.g., T-Rex) as to almost feel like a cover album. I don't feel like they add that much to the classics I already listen to, but the sound is good.
The Doors
5/5
One of their best end-to-end listens, maybe second only to their debut.
Suede
3/5
I'd only heard "Metal Mickey" before this. It was overall a decent album, I found the vocals a bit annoying after a while. I didn't see a whole lot of reason to return to it.
Beatles
5/5
I feel like this is my sweet spot for the Beatles, that kind of in-between from their Beatlemania stuff and the later Sgt Pepper/White album stuff. "In My Life" is an all-time favorite for me. The rest is wonderful.
Van Halen
5/5
Still holds up really well. Even the non-classics are super good, and of course the instruments and vocals are top notch. If there's any complaint, I get a little fatigued by DLR's doo-wop stylings but Eddie makes up for all of it and more. I mean, it has Eruption.
Beatles
3/5
Funnily enough, this was the first Beatles record I listened to end-to-end. Doing so again now, it clearly has some amazing tracks like Dear Prudence, Back in the USSR, Revolution 1. But it can also feel pretty indulgent and off the rails despite the amazing production.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Aside from the iffy experiment "Murder Mystery", this album is tight from top to bottom and shows a lot of craft. Reed's vocals and lyrics are their characteristic mix of enthusiasm and apathy and ruminate on love and morality.
Portishead
2/5
I had forgotten that this came 11 years after their second album, 14 after their debut. It was proclaimed a "reinvention" of the band's sound, and it really is apart from the very familiar Beth Gibbons vocals. It has a harshness to it throughout that I unfortunately found grating. Sharp mechanical beats, abrupt transitions, and dissonant instrumental crescendos all contribute to a strange suspense film vibe. Overall I probably won't revisit even though they get full credit for not phoning in another Dummy after so many years.
Megadeth
4/5
Hadn't heard before and really enjoyed it. The lead track I listened to a few times. Maybe I was just really in the mood!
Burning Spear
5/5
I'd heard the first two tracks before quite a bit, but the rest was new and showed a lot of depth. Will likely add to the rotation and learn more about this album.
Sabu
4/5
Fun - hadn't heard of Sabu and this was a good listen. I'm not authoritative on this genre but it held its own with other stuff I've heard by Tito Rodriguez, Puente, etc.
Cat Stevens
5/5
I went through a Cat Stevens phase last year and listened to this one a few times. This might be his best, and it's very listenable end-to-end with "wild world" and "father and son" the clear hits. I'm going to check out the "father and son" 2020 remake where he sings with his 22-year old self!
The Byrds
4/5
Enjoyed it. A side of The Byrds I hadn't heard that much of outside of the opening track.
Röyksopp
3/5
I remembered this album from back in the day. Was good to revisit and seemed to age reasonably well. Might give it a listen here and there for focused work.
The The
4/5
This album surprised me with how many songs I remembered after hearing it. I had only recognized "This is the day" but "Uncertain Smile" and "Giant" also rang a bell after hearing them again. It sounds very much of its time, but it's a standout example of what made this music fun and interesting.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
I've been listening to a few select tracks from this album for quite some time without knowing they were all from one album. Great representation of the "folk rock" that went against the guitar rock of the time, along with S&G, Byrds, etc.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
4/5
Really good introduction to their sound and very relaxing to listen to. Without knowing the lyrics, a whole album almost felt like listening to Gregorian chants or renaissance choral works.
Japan
3/5
I was mostly astounded to learn about this band and hear how similar they are to Duran Duran (they came out around the same time in the same country). Kind of interesting that they fell apart right as Duran Duran were on the road to super-stardom. A solid album with some strong early-80s cuts.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
Was never a big fan, but I do have a lot of respect for the dude and like a handful of his songs. This album has two of them (American Girl and Breakdown). The rest was ok but I'm still more of a selective listener.
The Strokes
3/5
Fun album, I remember listening to it and being impressed with "what the kids are listening to these days". Maybe a bit too polished and the vocals can grate, but overall listenable end-to-end.
Minutemen
5/5
Already a fan of this one. Nice to listen again and I think I enjoy it more every time. Not hard core punk but firmly within the punk ethos. Some of the tunes come off as a bit too blunt ("#1 Hit Song"), but the drums and bass in particular are outstanding.
Killing Joke
3/5
Good proto-industrial music mixed a bit with new wave. I hadn't heard them before and thought it was a nice little discovery. My industrial days are mostly over but this was good enough to convince me to listen again sometime soon. Giving it 3 but feels more like 3.5.
Nightmares On Wax
5/5
Carboot Soul was the first NoW album I listened to, so it will always hold a special place, but this one is fantastic top to bottom. I was so glad to be reminded of it and it fit perfectly with the heads down work I needed to do that day.
5/5
I first gave this a listen later in life, but was then unable to stop for a few weeks after. Really the epitome of what a concept album should be: diverse, high-quality songs all the way through, plenty of virtuosity in all departments, and incredibly unique.
Boston
3/5
I was never a massive Boston fan but I do like some of their hits, though not intensely so. This album led with several of them, a really strong start. "Foreplay" is probably the most creative/prog-rocky thing on the album, and the rest feels like keeping to a formula. Overall while a pleasant listen, it didn't stand out to me, so I give it a solid 3.
Jean-Michel Jarre
3/5
Kind of trippy electronica that I liked but probably don't need to hear too often. Nice to discover though!
Metallica
3/5
I had some dissonance appreciating the ability of Metallica to play tight, skilled metal and cringing at the over-the-top feel of including a full-blown orchestra. In places it does work, but I skew more towards the "garage days revisited" end of the spectrum.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
I've long held that Jesus and Mary Chain songs mostly sound the same, and that is the case for this album. However, it's a great sound, and it's not grating over a whole album. And that sound is really the epitome of Gen X cool :)
Fela Kuti
5/5
I hadn't really listened to much Fela, but when I heard "Let's start" it kind of blew my mind. The way it opens, the slowdown, the return to the original groove, amazing. The rest of the album doesn't hit those heights but is still awe-inspiring.
Talk Talk
3/5
Nice to hear this band outside of "It's my life". Overall it didn't register that strongly with me, but it showed a little more breadth to them and their sound was overall pleasant and not too dated.
David Gray
3/5
Very pop, though I confess to liking "Babylon". Inoffensive, but also doesn't really speak to me.
Sonic Youth
3/5
This was a pretty canonical Sonic Youth album to me. A few with great hooks and a few experimental noise songs that I won't revisit. Honestly they're a band I feel I should like more, but have to wade through a lot of stuff before I can pick out my favorite tracks.
New Order
5/5
Doesn't have the top top hits but in my opinion is one of their best overall albums. Catchy at every turn and easy to repeat listen. The beats are a lot more intense on this one and harkens to Pet Shop Boys.
Janet Jackson
4/5
Guilty pleasure and some great tracks (always liked "Miss you much"), albeit a tad overproduced. Hadn't ever listened all the way through.
Johnny Cash
5/5
One of my favorite albums. It's raucous and full of energy, with a songlist that hits on some of the best of his work. I never get tired of listening to it.
Queens of the Stone Age
4/5
Never really gave them a listen before. It was better than I was expecting and I listened to the whole thing. Nice discovery!
Duran Duran
4/5
This is a great album but not perfect; it does get a bit formulaic in parts but you can't deny the greatness of "Rio", "The Chauffeur", and my favorite, "Save a Prayer".
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
This album was short and sweet and captured some of the essence of J&MC. "April Skies" is a standout, but the overall tone, earnestness, and emotion of the album is strong. Yes it's a bit mopey and emo, but what do you expect?
Iron Maiden
4/5
Fun album. It had a lot of good cuts on it that put me down a rabbit hole of Sepultura, Pantera, Slayer, Danzig, and more. Really great for the somewhat pissy mood I was in at the time.
Metallica
5/5
This is still in my running rotation and is probably still my favorite Metallica album due to the sheer artistry and ambition of every track. There's a lot of virtuosity here, great messages, and it holds together as a full album.
The Beau Brummels
2/5
A few tunes I enjoyed, but overall just not my style. Glad I got to know them, an interesting folk + british invasion vibe.
Portishead
5/5
This album had an otherworldly sound when I first heard it. Upon listening again, it didn't awe me to the extent it did the first time in 1994, but it holds up really well and remains a great top-to-bottom album. I actually never thought they matched it with subsequent releases, (admittedly they didn't want to be pigeon-holed) but they really brought trip-hop to prominence along with Massive Attack.
Lauryn Hill
5/5
This album really showcases what an incredible talent Lauryn Hill is. She was only 22 and already a huge star from her time in the Fugees. Well-educated and from a relatively affluent background for your average hip-hop artist, her songs nonetheless have a power to them that speaks to real struggles at all economic levels. And damn can she sing about love, too.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
This album is amazing. It has so much range in melody, instrumentation, and topics/lyrics. It shows instrumental and production virtuosity on every track, and it holds together as an album for an end-to-end listen. If you can't appreciate it, I'd question your appreciation for music in general. Nothing like it to pick you up on a rough day, too.
The Yardbirds
3/5
Enjoyed learning about a new song (Lost Women) and "Inside Outside Upside Down" is a classic. Overall a great overall psychedelic record that I'm glad I learned about. Also just love these origin story types of bands that jump-started the careers of some true icons. I'm just not enough of a fan of the genre to give it more than 3 stars.
Femi Kuti
3/5
Good vibes and fun listen, but a bit repetitive and draining after a while.
The Hives
5/5
I listened to the Hives on heavy rotation for a period of a few months in 2000. It was fresh, not too pop-sounding, and had just the right amount of scream from Pelle Almqvist. This compilation has some of their early best. A bit surprised to see a compilation on this list, I'd recommend Veni Vidi Vicious.
Nine Inch Nails
4/5
This album has some of my favorite NiN tracks ("Closer", "Hey Pig", "Hurt"), but also descends into a bit too much teen-angst anger in places. The production is ridiculously good and it was definitely a revelation on its release.
Pixies
5/5
This album blew me away when I first heard it, because I hadn't really listened to anything like it before. It wasn't punk, it wasn't pop, it wasn't mopey art rock. I proceeded to listen to it over and over and over. I still don't get tired of it. Do I get it all? No. Do I care? Not a lick.
Nick Drake
4/5
"One of these things first" is a huge favorite. The rest of the album plays out nicely with a great sound that holds steady throughout.
Bob Dylan
4/5
I listened to this some time ago and was happy to get reacquainted with some of the lesser-known tracks like "Visions of Johanna" and "Obviously Five Believers". It's still "Just like a Woman" for me, such a complex, emotional, and probably biographical song suffused with real love.
Thundercat
2/5
Not my cup of tea, but definitely creative and impressive from an instrumental and production standpoint. Glad I got the exposure to it, but not sure I'll be revisiting.
Dire Straits
4/5
I liked this album more than I thought I would. I associate Dire Straits more with the "Money for Nothing" overplayed radio era, but this was a much more listenable and groovy album that, in addition to the big hits, was really well rounded-out in terms of sound and concept.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Was totally unfamiliar with this album and really enjoyed it, despite it being quite short. I hadn't realized that Mayfield penned Baby Huey's "Hard Times" until I heard it on this album. Good listen worth another round.
Cypress Hill
4/5
Of its time but also so unique in its style compared to the other rappers around. Those iconic voices and the Latino flavor really made this album an awesome debut.
Fugazi
5/5
This was my first Fugazi listen, and it has been on rotation to some degree ever since. It set me on the path to full-blown fandom. I like Repeater because it really defined the band's sound and came before the lyrics progressively became too obtuse, so it retained some of that punk origin. Song #1, the title track, and Merchandise are my faves.
Joy Division
5/5
I went backwards to Joy Division, having heard a lot of New Order in college and only learning about their predecessor through early hits like Ceremony and then diving into JD albums all the way back to when they were Warsaw. This one is top-to-bottom good, with a range of pacing and tone while all staying distinctly within the band's sound.
Jane's Addiction
4/5
I was happy to listen to this again after high school and college days. Holds up well, found myself liking the more dreamy/ethereal stuff like "Then she did", but "Been Caught Stealing" is still a fave. A few to forget otherwise would rate higher.
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
More interesting jazz than what I was expecting. World influences unlike the usual trios/quartets I typically associate with jazz.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
I started with Led Zeppelin IV and the boxed set then worked my way back to the other albums, so I hadn't heard II as a coherent album until much later. The strong blues influence and super great rock takes on some of those classics, Bonham's excellent solo on Moby Dick, and the timelessness of Ramble On make it a top top album.
M.I.A.
4/5
I don't listen to MIA as much as I used to, but I feel like I appreciate her even more after her documentary and reading more about her evolution as an artist. This album has some bangers on it and more experimental sounds as well, which make it an intriguing listen with some repeat value. I probably still prefer her debut Arular, but this one is maybe more sophisticated and inventive.
Slint
2/5
Kind of Minutemen meets grunge with a little Fugazi mixed in. You'd think I would like it but I found it grating and was waiting for it to be over. The instrumentation was sometimes interesting and complex but sometimes veered into repetitiveness. The vocals were really irritating and had me hovering over the skip button numerous times. Won't revisit.
Bill Evans Trio
3/5
This was a nice listen, but I'm no jazz aficionado so it kind of sounded like any other trio jazz album. Great music for working, though!
Everything But The Girl
4/5
I hadn't listened to EBTG much before and was pleasantly surprised. I loved the electronic production of this album, and it caused me to dive back into some of my 90's drum-and-bass favorites. It has a good range of sounds but nothing that really jumped out at me as a must-repeat-listen track.
Dr. Octagon
4/5
Raunchy but Dan the Automator makes for a unique and futuristic sound that gives "Blue Flowers" and "Earth People" classic status. Also what a crazy and creative idea for a concept album. A departure from Ultramagnetic MC's but you could draw some lines for Kool Keith between those albums and this one.
Goldie
4/5
This was one of those albums that still holds up well, and I think I appreciate the long opening "symphony" more as a grown up. It's a groundbreaking album that took drum n bass in a new direction that blended ambient, ethereal sounds with soaring vocals. A few tracks don't live up to the rest of the album, but overall I loved revisiting it.
Laibach
2/5
I read up on this band a bit, and have a lot of respect for what they were trying to do as artists. Parodying totalitarian states, poking the Soviet bear, all pretty interesting. That said, the music is somewhat hard to listen to and I didn't make it through the album.
Isaac Hayes
5/5
This album is a great listen all the way through. It launched a thousand samples and exhibits a kind of mastery over production, instrumentation, and arrangement. Can't recommend enough.
Talking Heads
4/5
Hadn't heard this whole album before. Some of these tunes I thought were from later albums and not their debut. I really enjoyed it, it was less quirky than I was expecting and way more polished.
Beatles
5/5
I've heard this many many times already. Maxwell's Silver Hammer and Sun King are maybe lower points, but there are some all-time great songs on here. Here Comes the Sun is probably George's best, and "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" and "The End" are two personal favorites.
Fred Neil
3/5
Never knew he was the originator of "Everybody's Talkin'". I'd only heard "Dolphins" before, which was quirky but a good listen. Overall I enjoyed!
Muddy Waters
3/5
I'm not a huge blues fan, but this is probably the closest I can get to liking a whole blues album. Muddy has an amazing rawness to his sound (vocals, guitar) that add to the standard blues riffs and get a little beyond the repetitiveness that I naively associate with the genre.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
This is a great album. Social commentary, themed, imaginative, beautifully produced, suffused with craft. Hadn't listened all the way through before and was really happy I did.
Suede
3/5
I'd only heard "Metal Mickey", a good song that felt a little niche. The rest of the album had a fair bit of range to it and was actually pretty good. Brett Anderson's screechy vocals grate on me after a whole album though.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
2/5
Not my favorite RHCP album, decent and well-produced but I thought their earlier stuff was way more fun.
Scott Walker
2/5
Respect for a traditional crooner/heartthrob going rogue and making some really offbeat stuff. I can see how he influenced and gained the respect of some more iconoclastic artists like Bowie, Thom Yorke, Marc Almond, etc. But to be honest the music is not for me and has too much of a musical theater quality to it.
Deerhunter
3/5
This album felt very of its time and reminded me of bands like Tame Impala and War on Drugs that I tend to like more. It's a mix of differing styles, with some shoegaze and other more pop-oriented tunes that make it a bit erratic, but at few points did I find it irritating or too far afield to make sense. I veered between 2 and 3 but there was enough good I thought to round up.
Air
4/5
This was on heavy rotation back in the day. I had already heard Premiers Symptômes and loved it. This was a little more pop-oriented but still had a great low-key, relaxing yet slightly haunting feel that kept me listening during work and study sessions. Strangely I never saw the movie and wonder how many listeners of this soundtrack ever did?
Deep Purple
4/5
This album rocks and delivers on everything you would associate with Deep Purple. It fits right in with the advent of Zeppelin, Sabbath, and the hard rock scene. It's a direct progenitor of hair metal and rock acts like Van Halen, Crüe, Judas Priest. It's good throughout and should get most people away from just listening to "Smoke on the Water".
The Divine Comedy
2/5
I listened to the most popular track ("Something for the Weekend") and didn't like it. It has a Smiths vibe without being as instrumentally or lyrically interesting. It sounds a little like The The with lesser vocals but more upbeat and tongue-in-cheek lyrics.
Nirvana
5/5
I actually watched this set on Youtube about a week before this app suggested the album. Despite a very casual vibe to the band's banter and a few remarks from Cobain on whether he will mess up certain songs, it's a remarkably tight set. The acoustic (or near-acoustic) format, while far from the grunge sound of the original recordings, still retains the angst, rage, and introspective qualities. Cameos by the Meat Puppets and support from The Germs's Pat Smear, and a few covers, notably David Bowie and the powerful Leadbelly closer, make it far more than a greatest hits collection.
Steely Dan
4/5
One thing this app has done has been to force me to listen to a few Steely Dan albums, and it's actually been pretty fun. I know them mostly from classic rock stations and movie soundtracks, and to hear whole albums has been a good way to show me that I actually generally like the band and can listen to them for some time without getting bored. They require a certain mood and maybe aren't the hipster's choice, but hey, I feel ok liking them.
Daft Punk
4/5
This was my first intro to DP as a whole album and I loved it. The creative use of chopped and warped samples is unparalleled, and I really enjoy digging through the sources and discovering music that way. At times, there are tracks that sound a bit like experimental noise techno, but overall it's a great album to play and come back to every so often.
Mike Oldfield
1/5
New age is not my thing. I recognized the Exorcist soundtrack and didn't make it through the whole thing. Interesting? Maybe. Tolerable? Barely. Re-listen? Probably not.
Moby
4/5
Much longer than I remember, with a number of tracks that seemed more electronic-experimental in nature. Overall I like the mix of folk and techno, and I didn't think the album sounded too dated.
Super Furry Animals
2/5
Too quirky and overproduced. Lots of irritating sounds in the mix that made me stop halfway through.
The Mars Volta
2/5
I really couldn't get into this music. It's unique yet sounds like generic prog rock in lots of places. It lacks melody and consistent rhythm while having strong virtuosity from the musicians (except maybe the vocals).
Billy Bragg
3/5
I like Billy Bragg, but his gift is his songwriting and I generally am not attentive enough to listen and parse the lyrics. As a result, all of his songs sound somewhat the same to me.
Gary Numan
4/5
Fun album, sooo 80s and Euro. I've listened to it a few times before. Innovative for its time and maybe kind of niche for most, but it brings me back to the early days of computers, synths, and tech where everything seemed so new and full of potential.
Shuggie Otis
3/5
I was impressed with the range and sound of many parts of this album, but other parts were a little too saccharine for me. Overall I'd probably pick and choose some things to re-listen (I felt it was strongest on instrumentals with a jazz flavor) but probably not re-listen this massive collection of songs all over again.
Ozomatli
2/5
New discovery for me, although I liked some of the sounds it overall didn't really grab me. A bit too poppy in places and I feel like the latin element got drowned out by more formulaic rock in places.
Meat Loaf
3/5
Kind of knew what to expect here.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
This album was fun, I enjoyed it, although I don't speak Spanish so I missed out on some of the topical qualities that made this album so popular. It has a lot of range and is always entertaining. Also I learned that Ruben Blades is the same one who I remember from TV and movies over the years, pretty impressive. Learning about "Pedro Navaja"'s relationship to threepenny opera was instructive, it's a very good homage!
Roni Size
4/5
Big Roni Size fan but had not heard this album end-to-end. I really enjoyed it and will probably revisit. This artist sent me down a big drum n bass rabbit hole back in the 90s that I still dive into from time to time. Love the jazz and (light) reggae influences, and the vocals, while not always my cup of tea, aren't overly distracting and in the case of "watching windows" really add to it.
The Stooges
4/5
Classic seminal Detroit punk. This album takes you into a gritty, disaffected world and keeps you there. My only gripe is the 10min+ "We Will Fall" that kind of derails the listen, but "No Fun", "Loose", "I Wanna Be Your Dog" are all-time classics.
1/5
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Hadn't heard this before, pretty classic sound and very listenable. Probably needs another round to pay more attention to the lyrics and concept. But enjoyed nonetheless.
Pink Floyd
4/5
I'm not sure this album could get made today, but it's so immersive and interesting throughout. It didn't fall into what I consider pitfalls of prog rock: over-elaborate or off-puttingly high-concept.
Boards of Canada
4/5
It's a bit kooky, but I actually listened to it twice. It fit well as background for working, but was intriguing enough to grab my attention at times with the uniqueness or catchiness of some bass hooks or samples. One of those albums that I hadn't listened to but had enjoyed a few tracks (eg, "Aquarius") previously.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
This was the first LZ album I listened to, as a 15 year old working in a water park. All the stoner guys I worked with insisted I give it a spin and it ended up being something I returned to over and over. Lots of breadth, skill, and fun on this one. Essential listening for any classic and hard rock fan.
Raekwon
4/5
Was familiar with a few tracks. Holds together well as an album and has a distinctive sound that is Wu Tang-adjacent but breaks new ground.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
This album is just full of classics and might be their best. I'm listening to it again now just because I liked it so much. It rocks, has great hooks, and features a fully-committed Jagger belting out the no-nonsense, often-edgy lyrics.
John Martyn
2/5
The closest comparisons I could think of from what I know are Nick Drake and maybe Cat Stevens. The album does have range; "Dreams by the Sea" introduced electronic and jazz elements that I wasn't expecting. It has a rambly, mumbly quality that I found off-putting but was apparently deliberate by the artist to sound different and organic. All a matter of taste, I suppose.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
3/5
Enjoyed a few tracks on this but the preachiness got to me after a little while. Basically it felt like Jack Dangers production with Consolidated vocals and themes laid over top of it. Which it literally is. Most unexpected but also cool to hear Charlie Hunter on this album!
Fairport Convention
2/5
I'm sure there are people who love this, and maybe it's a great example of the genre. It's just not my favorite style of music and didn't really do anything to persuade me to engage more with it.
Harry Nilsson
4/5
This album is pretty essential to anyone who cares about 70s pop culture. "Jump Into the Fire" and "Coconut" made their names later in prominent film soundtracks ("Goodfellas" and "Reservoir Dogs" respectively), and "Without You" might be one of his biggest hits. It was written originally by members of Badfinger, but Nilsson's gifted (and some say wasted) voice really enhances it in a way that I'm not sure the original writers could have replicated.
Ramones
5/5
I mean, it's the debut album by one of the greatest punk bands ever, if not the greatest. So many favorites on here, from "Judy is a Punk" to "Havana Affair" and "Chain Saw". I love the quote from (I think) Klosterman that this album "saved rock from itself and punk rock from art-gallery pretension." Still, it's funny how this once very edgy and disruptive music is now played to my kid's 4th-grade class by his teacher. Times do change.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
4/5
For some reason I knew the band name but didn't associate it with this sort of music, I assumed they were some sort of Skynyrd type classic rock band. As a result, I expected to turn it off after 1 or 2 songs. Instead, I listened to the whole damned thing. I found the covers and throwbacks to old country and bluegrass endearing, and there was plenty of variety in rhythm, melody, and instrumentation to keep it interesting throughout. Good stuff.
AC/DC
4/5
I confess I am a beginner drummer and like AC/DC for their easy beats. This album didn't challenge on that front, but it had stronger instrumentation and variety than I was expecting. Some of the tracks like "Beating Around the Bush" were more up-tempo and "Night Prowler" was a rare slowed-down adventure for them. Overall, it's pretty canonical for the band, a breakthrough in terms of getting them into the mainstream.
The Specials
4/5
I waffle on the Specials, because sometimes they come off as just a cover band for the "real" ska sound that came out of Kingston over half a century ago. But at the same time, they have some solid originals like "Too much too young" and did add a new dimension to the covers they do play. Also they have a fantastic message around combating racism and their origin story was based on including both black and white people.
ZZ Top
3/5
Definitely more blues rock than the ZZ Top "Sharp Dressed Man", "Gimme All Your Lovin" 80s pop rock that I grew up with. I did recognize "La Grange" and generally enjoyed the album overall, wasn't particularly wowed by it but definitely listenable and catchy.
Miles Davis
5/5
Can't say I'm a listener of much free jazz but this album is probably the best introduction you could give someone to bring them into the fold. It keeps rhythm while bringing in a freestyle virtuosity that impresses rather than alienates. It holds together well as an album, too.
Blondie
5/5
I have a soft spot for this album and was delighted to revisit. It has a fairly good breadth of tracks, not all gold, but enough so that it keeps you listening and represents a strong top-to-bottom album. Love the synth and punk and pop and proto new wave vibe.
The Auteurs
1/5
This feels like pretty generic UK indie pop. I don't really know how it made this list. I hated the poncey vocals and got more annoyed with each subsequent song.
Traffic
2/5
I didn't really know what to make of this album. It was interesting I guess, but I didn't feel like much of it caught me with great hooks or spoke to me lyrically. It wasn't overindulgent prog rock, but it also didn't feel entirely purposeful in a kind of jam band way. Overall I probably won't revisit and can say to myself "ok that's what this band was about."
David Bowie
4/5
"Golden Years" was the only familiar track to me on this, but overall I enjoyed it. I listened once while working and didn't absorb much, then gave another listen and was impressed with the experimentation and production, trying new things while remaining very listenable.
Alice In Chains
4/5
I preferred this album to "Facelift" both then and now, it has a little more range and depth to it. I liked the quote from the producer that described them as Tommy Iommi slowed down (vs sped up for Metallica). Unlike, STP, Alice in Chains seemed authentically great and not there to capitalize on a trend driven by music companies. I had the good fortune of seeing them in concert, even helping to hold up Layne Staley while he sang from within the crowd.
Blur
2/5
A brit-pop band I never could get into. It's in keeping with what I know of them, but there's something about the lyrics and vocals and slick production I just don't appreciate.
The Crusaders
2/5
This seemed like easy listening, Weather Channel-type music. Admittedly I didn't do any reading on what made this album significant. Maybe it was a pioneer in the genre, maybe it led to bigger and better things. My 9-year old described it as "weird" but I heard it as more generic. Maybe all these years later we're just more accustomed to this type of smooth jazz.
Turbonegro
3/5
Some of this sounded a little too formulaic for me, but a few tunes were more interesting. I kept comparing it to The Hives throughout, whom I prefer, but I'm guessing this album would grow on me over another listen or two.
Black Sabbath
5/5
The story about the recording of this album is almost as interesting as the album itself. I'm always amazed that bands can put out work like this while in a haze of drugs and booze. There's good range on this one, with "Supernaut" the obvious standout and some nice production turns on "FX" and "Changes".
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
I think Green River is still my favorite, but this album is great in its own right and opens with possibly my favorite CCR tune. There really weren't any missteps I could hear, and I gave it two listens in a row because I enjoyed it so much.
Merle Haggard
3/5
Solid country album. I don't listen to a ton of country but I enjoyed the sound and easily made it through the whole record. That said, nothing really stood out that strongly to me either. I'd incorporate it into the rotation on those occasional times when I go on a country spree.
Dr. Dre
4/5
It's a hell of an album, but I've also kind of aged out of it. I can appreciate the artistry of the mix, production, style while taking a dimmer view of the content. Still, it is of its time and projects the lifestyle of the people and places from where it derives, which has its own value.
T. Rex
5/5
Own this on vinyl and never get tired of it. The variety, honesty and creativity of the songs, and general grooviness make it timeless for me. Buick Mackane is a straight-up banger
Prince
4/5
Great, interesting, funky album that spans the gamut of Prince sounds. "Ballad of Dorothy Parker" and "Housequake" were good tracks to revisit outside of the obvious hits.
The Jam
5/5
Tight, subversive, and catchy. I love this album and love the band.
Beastie Boys
4/5
"Sure shot" is one of my all-time favorites and still runs near the top of my most-played tracks year after year. The overall album breaks some new ground incorporating live instruments to varying degrees of effect. I didn't like them at first tbh, but I've warmed up to them as years have gone by. What impressed me the most about this album was the (continued) impressive use of digging and sampling to make truly unique and fresh beats.
Dr. John
3/5
I see why this was on the list, as it doesn't sound like any other album I've heard on this list and is pretty groovy in spots. Still, I wasn't so into it that I feel the need to dive in again. Or maybe I need a second listen to appreciate it more. Someday..
The xx
5/5
When I first listened to this album it had the effect of introducing me to a sound I hadn't previously heard. I then clued in to Young Marble Giants as a predecessor, but this album is sufficiently unique that I still rate it as one of the best I've heard in the last 15 years. It was great to relisten after a few years away from it.
Bee Gees
2/5
I can see why the Bee Gees got some props for doing a sort of departure concept album, but at the same time I didn't particularly get into it. It's hard to square it with the rest of their work, so it came across to me as a bit of an indulgence. I can see why it had such a tumultuous history and reception.
Ice T
3/5
My overall impression of this album was that it felt new but nascent. By this I mean that it has some groundbreaking stuff there - "New Jack Hustler" is an all-timer for the genre, and it introduced "Body Count", a pretty unexpected crossover of punk and gangsta rap. But at the same time the rhymes are comparatively basic to where the genre would go in a few years, and efforts like Body Count similarly felt like a version 0. Still, you gotta respect Ice T for all his inventiveness and willingness to take things in new directions.
The Kinks
4/5
I hadn't heard before and I think have listened three or four times through now. What starts sounding like typical British invasion music on closer inspection becomes edgy and subversive. Yet it's also musically tight with great hooks. I was genuinely surprised at how much I enjoyed this album.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
I've read a bit about Buddy Holly lately - Greil Marcus said "Buddy Holly had something very different from the other great early rock n' roll stars, whether it was Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Bo Diddley. He came across as so ordinary, as such a nerd. You know, he was a big guy, and he carried a gun. He was anything but a nerd." I agree 100%. This album, while it fits neatly into the 50's rock'n'roll canon, does have something more in its arrangements, its variation, and its vocals. It's a great listen.
Massive Attack
5/5
This album holds up years on, and bits and pieces still show up as influences in modern music and pop culture. The stunning production, stream-of-consciousness yet poetic lyrics, and consistent end-to-end identity of this album make it something I come back to year after year.
Motörhead
3/5
Hadn't listened to the whole thing. Ace of Spades obvs the standout but the rest gives you peak Motörhead, which if it's your thing you'll love. I was never huge into this band but find them listenable enough.
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
This album surprised me in terms of its breadth and overall listenability. You do have to fight through the meandering "Until I Believe in my Soul" to get to "Come on Eileen" which is still the clear best track. I think what struck me the most is how tight the band is and how they were able to jump around a bit in tone and instrumentation while retaining a signature sound.
Kacey Musgraves
3/5
I found this pleasant to listen to after a rough week. It usually isn't my kind of thing, but it had a calming coffee-shop vibe to it that kept me listening. Only after looking her up on Wikipedia did I know that this qualified as Country.
Goldfrapp
2/5
Gave it a listen and found it pretty similar to some tracks I've heard from Air. It's not my cup of tea but I was able to get through the album without much fuss. Nothing really caught me in terms of wanting to listen again. Overall average for me and I probably won't come back to it.
Supergrass
2/5
I vaguely recall this band from the 90s but not much beyond their one big US single ("Alright"?) I found it mostly grating and gave up on it mid-listen. Just not my style, maybe too much in the pop direction?
Radiohead
5/5
I remember that this was seen as a big departure for the band after the more instrumental albums that came before. But the influences (mo'wax, autechre, aphex twin, german electronica, underworld, etc) are all near and dear to me, and this album only really grows on me more. Future albums still maintained elements of this direction and remain prominent on my rotation.
Beastie Boys
4/5
You still get the sense that the Beasties were still on the path to maturing from a baseline of License to Ill, but damn the DJ work and sampling in this album is out of this world. It's doubly frustrating to think that an album like this could never happen again due to the work and money that would be involved in clearing the samples today.
William Orbit
4/5
This was a bit of an eye-opening album for me when I first heard it; I hadn't heard that combination of atmospheric electronica combined with beats and new agey progressions before. It served as frequent background to my study time in college, and prompted me to get Madonna's "Ray of Light" when it came out despite never having picked up any of her previous albums.
Arcade Fire
3/5
My first intro was "Neon Bible", so I'd already become familiar with the sound. This album just clued me into some other songs that were similar in kind and stood out in some cases. I didn't get particularly engrossed in it, but I also found it listenable and made it through the album. Would probably listen again to get more depth and pay more attention to the lyrics.
The White Stripes
4/5
I'm more partial to De Stijl, but this one isn't far behind. "You have no faith in medicine" is one of my favorite White Stripes tracks, and it really does showcase some of the best of what this band is about. Such a big sound from a two-piece band!
Björk
4/5
The production of this album combined with Björk's vocal's blew me away when I first listened, and I had it on repeat for some time. Giving it a listen now in 2023, it still holds up and represents a pretty unique sound even today. Maybe the lyrics are a little childish but Björk can really emote!
Marvin Gaye
4/5
This is kind of the godfather of slow jams, no? I'm a big fan of Marvin and this captures his signature sound end-to-end. Is it a little over-the-top in some places? Maybe, but it was pretty ground-breaking (and controversial) at the time.
Ute Lemper
1/5
Uh...
George Harrison
4/5
Just Beatles enough to seem familiar, just George enough to feel like a fresh take? I feel like this album shows the side that he contributed to the Beatles in the best way. I don't necessarily seek this album out, but when I start listening I'm always glad I did. I think as I continue paying more attention to the lyrics and delving more into the album I'll continue to find new things.
Radiohead
4/5
Probably my least familiar album, as I've only given it a few listens. "2+2=5" is such a great opening track, though, and "There, there" is in my rotation. It was nice to reacquaint with "Go to sleep" and "Wolf at the door".
Radiohead
5/5
This album feels the most experimental of theirs, with some tracks ("Revolving doors") that are a little hard to digest at times. Yet it also has some of Radiohead's most sublime work. "Pyramid song" might be my favorite across their whole oeuvre. "I might be wrong", "Pakt like sardines..." and "Knives out" are classics. I can't not give it 5.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Solid top-to-bottom album with a great range of subject matter, melody, and influences. It shows growth despite being a seventh album and missing Bunny and Tosh. Leads strong with some all-timers and brings you along for the ride across the album.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
5/5
My favorite album from one of my favorite bands. Confess to not listening all the way through until a few years ago, but it went on repeat after that. "Sinister Purpose" was a later-day discovery that just added to my appreciation for this album beyond the title track and the many other greats here ("Lodi", "Bad moon rising", "Commotion", "Tombstone shadow"...)
The Undertones
4/5
Fun album, was only familiar with "teenage kicks". The opener was great and it held up all the way through. Two listens, and a good addition to my punk rotation.
Lou Reed
4/5
Somewhere between 4 and 5. Continues the clever songwriting and easy but unforgettable hooks of Velvet Underground, and cuts new ground in the glam rock direction, no doubt because Bowie and Ronson were behind it. The subject matter is really out there for the US in the 70s, and even the quirkiest tracks have an edge to them. I've listened many times and will continue to do so.
De La Soul
4/5
Brought back memories. One of those albums that really does warrant a solid listen from end-to-end because of the interludes and decent flow from one track to the next.
Al Green
5/5
Two all-time great songs here, title track and the cover of "How can you mend a broken heart". The rest is also quite good and never disappoints.
Bad Company
2/5
Pretty much what I was expecting. I knew the two hit tracks from this album, and the rest of the album, while varying some tempos and topics, didn't really wow me. Just not for me.
The Boo Radleys
2/5
I'm getting a lot of recommendations for 90s britpop psychadelic-style bands and I'm not liking it. This cleanly falls into the genre and again does nothing for me.
The War On Drugs
5/5
This band captivates me in ways I cannot explain. I have always been more of a melody listener than a lyrics listener, and I think that's why I like them so much. The chord progressions stir emotions for me that have little to do with the words. Upon reading the lyrics, they are so abstract that it leaves the listener to interpret or project themselves onto them. As a middle-aged person I have to confess it feels nice to enjoy something so much that was made in the last 10 years.
Sebadoh
2/5
I can't get past the terrible whiny vocals and dissonant grating chords. Totally makes sense that this band formed out of a falling out with Dinosaur Jr.
Robert Wyatt
2/5
The lyrics are fun in these songs but man they are a tough listen! I found myself more interested in his history and the influence he had on bands like Tears for Fears than I was in actually getting through the album, unfortunately.
Nanci Griffith
3/5
I started listening to this as background music and found it pleasant but maybe somewhat conventional country-folk. Then I read an obituary for Nanci Griffith that praised her confessional-style songwriting, so I gave it another listen paying more attention to the lyrics. While maybe over-the-top folksy in places, they were inventive and had a narrative flair to them that does really add a lot. So I'd encourage listeners to give the songwriting some attention, you'll enjoy it a lot more.
The Magnetic Fields
2/5
Magnetic Fields have always been a "small doses" group for me due to the vocals and maudlin nature of their sound. So the prospect of listening to 3 hours of not-very-curated output from this band was several giant leaps beyond my tolerance. Did I listen to all of it? Of course not. I read reviews and picked out about 1/4 of what seemed to be the best-regarded. A few were clever. Most were meh. I don't feel particularly bad about missing the rest.
U2
5/5
Torn between 4 and 5 on this one, only because a few tracks don't live up to the lofty heights of tracks like "New Year's Day" and "Two Hearts Beat as One". Maybe that's unfair? Bono's voice is at its insistent, pleading peak, and the instrumentals have a level of craft and production that make them timeless despite losing a bit of their punk edge. They've evolved a lot since then, and they had to, but I kind of miss this version of the band.
The Slits
4/5
Classic post-punk! I love "Typical Girls", "Shoplifting", and the "Heard it through the Grapvine" cover. It's really spare-sounding and catchy in parts but full-sounding and powerful in others. Irreverant and full of punk rock spirit.
Grizzly Bear
2/5
I used to really like this album and gave it quite a few listens back in the day. I can't really figure out why now. Maybe I liked a girl who liked it. Maybe I thought it was deep and arty. Now I find it kind of pretentious and grating, and I feel kind of guilty for liking it. Also see Vampire Weekend.
Butthole Surfers
1/5
I know what to expect from this band and yet I still can't find a way to appreciate it. Like, I can't understand how presumably a group of people and a not insignificant amount of money went into hiring producers, sound engineers, studio time, agents, etc to produce this and print it on LPs, cassettes, whatever. I am left wondering what I'm missing, or whether I'm really missing anything and people who like this sort of thing are suckers.
Def Leppard
4/5
My favorite Def Leppard album with my favorite song of theirs. There are a few great tracks, and it's in that sweet spot between the rougher previous work (High n Dry) and more poppy later work (Hysteria). I really enjoyed giving this a listen again after all these years.
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
I think this is one of those albums you probably would have appreciated more if you'd heard it right when it came out. Years later, it reminds me of bands like Hüsker Du and Dinosaur Jr but probably got there first. They also have their own later all-time great album that came to overshadow this one. Still, a good listen. Agree with some comments that it's nice to hear the bass and drums come out more on this album than in their later work.
Alice Cooper
3/5
Respect for the album, it's bananas and has an art rock Rocky Horror vibe through and through, but it's not all for me. A good chunk of it was eminently listenable though.
The B-52's
4/5
Slightly bigger fan of Wild Planet, but this is a fun album with some classics. It's quite unique as well and holds up for a listen nowadays.
U2
4/5
Going to see U2 play this album during their Vegas residency so this was pretty timely. It's a top-to-bottom solid album that fits neatly in their transition to being a fully euro-pop megaband. The Brian Eno production is really strongly felt here, and the electronic/ambient bent to many of the tunes feels like a mild departure from Joshua Tree and Rattle & Hum. You could see Zooropa on the horizon.
Moby Grape
4/5
Really enjoyed this, pretty classic stuff from the SF psychedelic scene. Was happy to dig in about the band and learn more about who they influenced (Robert Plant!) Seems a shame they didn't see more success than they did, or get paid what they should have.
Julian Cope
3/5
I was slightly familiar with Julian Cope already ("World Shut Your Mouth", "Charlotte Anne") but this gave me a fuller picture of what he could do. It never really blew me away and kind of fit in with a lot of 90s indie at the time, but the subject matter is more edgy and he does have a point of view! I give it an aight - don't hate it, probably won't seek it out.
The Triffids
2/5
Was not particularly a fan - no songs stuck out for me, and the tunes sounded mostly like an inferior Roxy Music clone.
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
Another throwback to the grunge era. I had this album in college and do remember liking Debonair and a few other tracks. Relistening 30 (!) years on, I'm struck by how good the instruments still sound and how bad the vocals are. Apparently Greg Dulli played John Lennon in "Backbeat", which sounds crazy to me. How?? Anyway, the sound is its own, it wasn't a copy of Nirvana or the other big grunge bands of the time, and it does still work.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
Cool album that has slicker production and more funk & soul elements than your standard reggae album. It still contains some of the political bent of Bob Marley's songwriting but also more simple, pop-type tunes like "Jamming" and "Waiting in Vain". Probably one of his most accessible and catchy albums with several all-time classics.
Leftfield
3/5
Another 90s album recommended to me that is again very much of its time. Fits right in with Prodigy, Crystal Method, Chemical Brothers, and so on. Made for the clubs so a little harder to appreciate while working on the couch, but it is good for focus. The production is flawless, and it's a trip to listen to with headphones or a multi-speaker system. I'm between a 3 and 4 on it. If it had my favorite Leftfield track ("A final hit") on it, easily 4.
R.E.M.
3/5
I read that R.E.M. were learning about bubble gum pop songs from the 60s when they wrote some of these tracks, and it shows. A weird transition from their usual impenetrable lyrics to very simple and seemingly meaningless songs like "Stand". "Orange Crush" is still a top tune, though, so can't completely slam it.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Classic Velvets sound, but this one is really all about Sister Ray! That's all you've got to say I think.
Jungle Brothers
4/5
This was good - felt of its time to some extent, but loved the samples and the flows. Surprised I wasn't more familiar with it from back in the day; I didn't recognize any tracks, even "Doin Our Own Dang" despite it having tens of millions of plays on Spotify. Will return to it
Mj Cole
4/5
I hadn't heard this before and was surprised at that. I really enjoyed it and wanted to learn a little more about the UK Garage scene. Nice mix of soul vocals, smooth basslines and dance beats.
5/5
Listened quite recently and still love this album. I think this and Achtung Baby took them from borderline Christian/protest rock into a pop-oriented outfit with a unique and innovative sound. There are no bad songs on this album, and several all-time classics. Vocals, instruments, and production are impeccable.
AC/DC
4/5
I first heard this album in middle school and it was amazing! Nothing like AC/DC to introduce you to the world of no-nonsense hard rock. This band has been around as long as I have, and their music still seems ever-present in the world, whether it's ads, stadia, or radio play. While the lyrics also have a middle school level of complexity to them, you can't argue with Angus's riffs and the A+ rock vocals of Brian Johnson. As an aside, as a beginner drummer it's a great album to learn your first beats on.
Hot Chip
3/5
If you like Hot Chip this is a solid album that pretty much encapsulates their sound, at least as I know it. I'm ok on this band and thus ok on this album. Honestly nothing stood out to me as a banger.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
One heck of an album, opening with one of my all-time favorite Stones tunes. The mix of blues and rock is representative of their best run of albums during this period. Not to mention the ridiculously good backing vocals.
Queen
3/5
Overall was ok, this felt like a connoisseur's album that sees the band in a bit of a transitional period from prog-rock concept to more hard rock and pop elements. You can hear the beginnings of "Bohemian Rhapsody" in this album and the hard riffs that showed up in Sheer Heart Attack later. Listenable but few things really stuck with me. Can't argue with the band's quality though.
The Cure
4/5
Strangely the first time I heard these tunes was on the "Mixed Up" LP that had a bunch of guest remixes. It was my first foray into "alternative" music as a new teen, and I really liked it. Hearing the originals not long after that, I remember having to adjust to the cure's *actual* sound and not the remix stuff, warming up to it, then preferring it. It holds up well I think, and many of the songs should be regarded as classics now. It's not quality all the way through but it's generally at a high level of craft, creativity, and pop sensibility.
Peter Gabriel
2/5
This just isn't my kind of music, nothing against the artist. It's ambitious and clearly going for some high-concept impact, but other than "Biko" I don't find myself engaging with it. Maybe that makes me lazy or makes this music too challenging. Or maybe it's pretentious and unapproachable. Either way I'm fine not returning to it.
Mylo
3/5
I believe I purchased this album back in the day after hearing "Drop the Pressure". I really wanted to love it but found myself only kind of liking it. While it's creative in places, it tends to feel pretty repetitive and synthetically anodyne in others. It might be a product of the genre or the era, but I had a hard time getting back into this album. It does carry some sentimental nostalgia value for me so I'll round up my 2.5 to a 3.
Christine and the Queens
3/5
Relatively recent, had never heard of this band. I kind of liked it and would re-listen to some of the tracks. I enjoyed the French versions more and I'm not sure why. Nice electro-pop vibe with some catchy hooks.
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
Pretty enjoyable album with few tracks but a decent amount of variety and a nice diversion from what I normally listen to. N'Dour is considered one of the great world vocalists and I definitely can tell why. Downsides are that without understanding the lyrics I feel like I'm missing half of the song's impact.
The Shamen
3/5
Whoa, rewind to 1990. I remember "Move any Mountain" which apparently wasn't even on the original release. I enjoyed it as background to work and clued in to a few tunes, but it sounded VERY 90s. A lot of the big names of the time (Oakenfold, Orbit, Dangers, 808 state) guested on this album. Solid but also made me feel old.
Michael Jackson
4/5
Nice R&B/disco influenced album before he became the King of Pop. Enjoyed that there weren't really any stinkers on this album and that it had a consistent style to it throughout. Will revisit.
Beck
5/5
This was on heavy rotation in my post-college days, I loved the inventiveness of the production and the wide range of styles that somehow all held together over the course of the album. Beck's lyrics are nonsensical yet also convey a mood or theme. This album also confirmed that he wasn't just a one-hit wonder after "Loser", and he went on to have a great career for decades after.
The Clash
5/5
All-time punk classic, without question. Social commentary with tight, pure, driving hooks. The raging, cynical, words and voice of Strummer. Top tracks for me are the inventive and relevant cover of "Police and Thieves" (recommend reading the backstory on this one), "Career Opportunities", and "White Riot" (read up on this one too).
4/5
I have a tough time putting a rating on this one, as it has some songs I truly love, like "Uncontrollable Urge", "Gut Feeling" and "Jocko Homo". It also has a few that I almost always skip. I go for 4, as it really captures what this band was about, how unique and crazy they were, and the range of catchy, quirky, post-punk nerdiness they could exhibit.
The Everly Brothers
3/5
One of those groups that captures the best of their era and genre. This album is a fun listen; not top-to-bottom amazing but listenable all the way through with some classics. Some good discoveries here too: "Cathy's Clown" is the biggest hit, and I confess I wasn't familiar before. Also I'd only ever heard the Nazareth version of "Love Hurts". The original is great!
LTJ Bukem
4/5
Was a heavy consumer of this type of music in the 90s and it still holds up pretty well. LTJ Bukem was on the high end of production quality and atmospherics, similar to artists like Talvin Singh and Omni Trio. I believe it was called "intelligent" dnb. Due for a comeback given the modern trend towards instrumental mood music.
Radiohead
5/5
Not my favorite Radiohead album but certainly groundbreaking and a real step up in terms of what this band was capable of doing. Incorporating experimental, electronica, a wide variety of melodies and tempos all under an umbrella of post-futurist alienation and emptiness. Really holds together as a concept and has had a lasting legacy after over a quarter century.
Ride
2/5
This album seemed to have every 1990 hipster music critic on its side, but I saw it as a pretty middle-of-the-road shoegaze album. I feel like I should listen again to really get it, but it didn't seem to rise nearly to the level of something like Loveless that came out the following year. What am I missing here?
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
This wasn't my first introduction to ATCQ, that was actually Midnight Marauders. I effectively experienced their work in reverse chronological order. So what I'm saying is that the sound of this album wasn't as fresh for me as that Midnight Marauders experience. I already knew what they were about. That said, this album is fantastic. It holds together end-to-end and doesn't really hit a false note. The sampling is creative and makes me long for the days of wild west raiding of samples from anyone and everyone before it got lawyered away. The Lou Reed bassline for "Can I Kick It?" is pure genius.
Fairport Convention
2/5
Repetitive, sea-shanty-sounding folk that drove me to somnolence. I think I'm the wrong demographic or era for this stuff. Even the big hit on it, "Who knows where the time goes?" didn't really stick for me. I'm sure my parents loved it though.
Wilco
2/5
I've always seen this group as the quintessential Millennial band. Respect for trying to keep their sound fresh for all these years, but this album, like many of this era, sounds like a lot of borrowing and not a lot of innovating. It was listenable but uninteresting, varied but not grounded. It struck me as an album liked by people who don't like music that much.
The Sugarcubes
2/5
I tried and failed several times to get into the Sugarcubes during their heyday. The best tracks on this album really point towards Bjork's subsequent solo career. It's creative and varied, but also grating and forgettable at too many points for me.
Radiohead
5/5
Important and transitional album from Pablo Honey to OK Computer (also on this list). The production and spacey-but-still-guitar-laden sound are on another level from their previous album and start to give the band their current well-known identity. The lyrics are like first- or third-person fables, somewhat blunt and overly angsty but again working toward the more abstract, sweeping commentary that was to come. Not my favorite Radiohead album but still a great one.
Can
2/5
I just Can't get into this band. The yelly singing drives me nuts.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
3/5
Thanks Neil Young (and Joni Mitchell) for taking parts of this album from Spotify. I listened through a Youtube upload and must say I enjoyed it. It had tight, strong instrumentation and harmonies and excellent canonical hippie songwriting. Lots of classics included, and short enough not to wear out its welcome. I prefer the previous (debut) album a little more, but this one is still a fine listen.
The Vines
2/5
Kind of like The Hives but not as good? A garage revival band, but I'm not sure exactly what they're adding. I found this album at best super boring ("Mary Jane") and at worst really grating ("Factory"). Their big hit "Get Free" was a middling angsty yelly song that would be a throwaway track on a Sonics or Stooges record.
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
A friend shared this album with me at a time when I thought interesting new music was dead or dying. I ended up playing it repeatedly and branching out into Strokes, Franz Ferdinand, Fratellis, etc. This one though stands out more than the rest. Something about the homespun sound, the rough-and-tumble nightlife vibe conveyed by the lyrics, and decent tightness of the band really worked.
The Sonics
5/5
Pretty much the standard for garage rock. The hissy recording, the distortion, the drums that sound like they are coming from a closet adjacent to the studio. What really makes this album for me is the vocal energy of Gerry Roslie, who screams into these songs with a degree of commitment that is rarely matched in most rock albums. The aggression of this album is outstanding and presages so many of today's acts.
Primal Scream
4/5
Classic 90s psychedelic throwback album. It is a pretty great combination of contemporary production and electronica mixed with classic 60s rock sounds. It maybe lacks the socio-political charge of that era and feels like more of a party album, but you can't deny the hooks and durability of these songs. Listened to it many times back then and have no problem queueing it up today.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
Hard to put into context given its age and my lack of much familiarity with this era other than a few other greatest hits collections (eg, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey). But I still enjoyed it quite a bit. Apparently it was bold for its time, its title reflecting the early years of the cold war era.
Cowboy Junkies
3/5
This was a 90s dorm room staple. Like most, the "Sweet Jane" cover is the only one I can remember, but what a cover it is! It's kind of the epitome of what you want a cover to be, true to the melody but interpreted in a way that you hadn't imagined before. The rest of the album is solid, establishes a mood early, and keeps you involved throughout. Trippy emo country/folk has seldom been done better. Tip: If you like this you should also be checking out Mazzy Star.
Hole
2/5
I like very few Hole songs, and none of them are on this album. It's almost self-parodyingly grunge in every aspect: buzzy (but crisply-produced) riffs, snarlingly theatrical vocals. Nothing jumped out at me and I'm probably not revisiting.
LCD Soundsystem
5/5
This was my first exposure to LCD and it was pretty influential, as I got pretty deep into them for a time. Saw a few shows, looked up all their in-song references, etc. I love the throwback beats mixed with the creative production and slightly cynical self-aware lyrics. They are one of those bands that represent a certain type of music listener who will not only enjoy their music but also go digging for influences, related bands, and other types of discovery.
Arcade Fire
3/5
It's true that if you listen to enough Arcade Fire, their songs do tend to sound fairly similar, but this album did some novel things with instruments and production (the opening pipe organ on "Intervention" not the least of them). It did take my attention for a time, and I still enjoy some tracks on it, but I feel I grew out of it at some point and find it a bit dramatic for my current outlook on life. But that buildup, crescendo, and emotion put into the arcs of their songs can be infectious at times.
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
This was decent. I'm no connoisseur of Bollywood soundtracks, but I was taken in by the mysterious energy and odd time signature of the title track. The band is tight and there's some great musicianship there. There more of a pop vibe to the rest, varied, but fun in places. But I only really wanted to revisit the title track. Solid 3 for me
Morrissey
4/5
Ah, Moz. So polarizing yet so unique. As a huge Smiths fan I also gravitated towards his solo work later on, and this album was in my rotation back in the day. It still holds up, but I've outgrown Morrissey a bit since then. My 1990's self would have given this 5, but my 2020's self veers between 3 and 4. It still has the quirky, scathing, pretentious lyrics, great production, and great instrumentation. But I sympathize with those who find it a bit much.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
I feel like the band really flexes their fantasy/mythology muscles on this album, going beyond normal hard rock themes to slightly proggy realms, but it all still works, top to bottom. It also still rocks, with "Immigrant Song" as an all-time opener. Even "Out on the Tiles", a deep cut that never made it into their boxed set, stands out (for me at least) as a fantastic rocker with a fantastic synced bass/guitar riff and an accompanying novel rhythm.
Massive Attack
5/5
Just a classic of the genre, with wicked beats, hooks, and evocative stream-of-consciousness lyrics. I listen to this album end-to-end regularly and will keep doing so in perpetuity.
808 State
3/5
Was underwhelmed until I saw that this album came out in 1989. So it was pretty ahead of its time, and "Pacific State" is a great great track that I heard a lot in a lot of DJ mixes in the 90's. Across the whole of the album I would say it felt a little uneven and nothing really matches up to "Pacific", but still some impressive stuff showing what was to come in house/electronica.
TLC
3/5
"Waterfalls" is an obvious fave on this, and overall it's a good R&B pop album with some edge, solid production, and talent. But it's really just not my style overall and I don't see a need to relisten outside of the few singles.
Neneh Cherry
3/5
The album was decent and listenable, but I was more fascinated that 1) members of Massive Attack worked on this album 2) that Neneh Cherry lost the Best New Artist Grammy to Milli Vanilli, which was vacated but then not awarded to her, and 3) that she was a member of the Slits.
Circle Jerks
3/5
One of those tough ones where I have to decide whether I rate it on how I felt about it when I was 17 vs how I feel about it now. At 17 I thought it was fun, edgy, and cool. It was one of the first full-on punk albums I listened to regularly. Nowadays I feel like I've outgrown a lot of it, but I do get nostalgic for that sound, those short-but-bluntly-to-the-point songs, and the irreverence of it all. I'll go middle and say 3.
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
The first two tracks are bona fide hits and I could hear them just about any day. The rest of the album is pretty high level as well - as first-time listens I also enjoyed Africano and See the Light. The band is tight, super uplifting, and makes you want to dance around with your friends. What's not to like?
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3/5
I hadn't heard of this band prior to this generator, so good on the app for introducing me to something new. That said, this album was only ok for me. Listenable, but a little derivative of The Smiths in places. Nothing really stuck out for me, but at the same time nothing really annoyed me either. Overall it felt somewhat forgettable. I saw that Lloyd Cole has had a bit of a solo career since; curious whether that's worth checking out.
Nick Drake
4/5
Enjoyed it. Like most I had only listened to a compilation of hits ("Way to Blue: An Introduction") that contained a few songs from this album. Overall it sounded pretty consistent in tone and melody. I wasn't taking in the lyrics and that's probably a major oversight. But I found it pleasant and gave it 2 listens, which is more than I can say for a lot of these recommendations.
The Pharcyde
5/5
I can't rate this album without thinking about the whole Pharcyde package - the personalities, the quirky music videos, and of course the beats. This album was FUN. It didn't take itself too seriously, it touched on some real human feelings but also took time to make jokes, even at their own expense. Dates really well I think? Ok maybe not many rappers rhyme "nincompoop" nowadays but still, I can listen again and again.
Talvin Singh
4/5
I was a big fan of "Soundz of the Asian Underground" back in the day and listened to this album a fair bit. Some of the samples/voiceovers feel a bit corny upon revisiting, but you can't argue with the production and soundscape that this album creates. It was eye-opening for me at the time and holds up really well. I thought it added a new dimension to a lot of the atmospheric drum'n'bass tracks that were floating around at the time.
Peter Gabriel
5/5
It was so fun listening to this again! I had the cassette for this album back in the day and remember it being one of the first VH1-type albums that I really enjoyed listening to. Polished, with dialed-down pretentiousness that kind of marred his earlier work. And I guess you can't get away from the fact that this was from the era of peak MTV, where the videos went hand-in-hand with the album release. That didn't hurt. Still, it's a pretty innovative album for its time and still holds up well despite it's somewhat dated production.
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
I grew up with my parents playing S&G in the house on our turntable and later cassette deck. I liked it then and still like it now. Honestly it's only grown on me as I've come to understand more about the lyrics and the context in which they were written. Sometimes pretentious but generally thought-provoking or emotionally evocative, always tight and occasionally brilliant, I'm always willing to get nostalgic and give a record like this another spin.
White Denim
2/5
Intriguing sound and instrumentation but the prog-rock, jam band elements and vocals eventually grated. Actually had trouble placing this music in time before I'd seen the album release date.
Belle & Sebastian
2/5
This band is just not my thing. Nothing against them. I was lucky to make it about 2/3 through this album before it became too distractingly irritating and interfered with work.
Mudhoney
2/5
I remember a lot of head shaking around Mudhoney as to why they didn't hit it big like Nirvana and Pearl Jam. I think this album really captures for me why that was the case. It's not terrible, but it's also not particularly special either. The hooks are fine but simple and unremarkable, the musicianship is unremarkable, the vocals are unremarkable and a little whiny. It reminded me a bit of Riverbottom Nightmare Band without the charisma of Chuck Stoat and Stanley Weasel.
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Props to this list for even surfacing this album to me. Definitely a departure from the usual, and I did dig the rhythms and style for a bit. Over time, I got a little burned out over a whole album's worth, particularly when I didn't really know the context or meaning of the songs. I'm also probably not well-versed enough in this genre to really hear the subtleties of the different tunes and appreciate them. That said, good exposure to something new and maybe I'll try to learn a little more about it.
Nico
3/5
I feel with Nico you're not just getting the singer, you're getting a whole story about the Velvets, the Factory, friendships with folks like Jim Morrison and Jackson Browne, and of course her pretty horrible politics and racism. This album really exhibits her talents and the particular NYC bohemian sound she and her circle produced. Haunting and poignant, it does warrant multiple listens while not really reaching the heights of her collaborations with the Velvet Underground.
The Young Gods
1/5
Frank Sinatra
3/5
A little jarring to hear Sinatra singing along to these songs, I associate him with standards, jazz, crooning. I was already familiar with Jobim and many of his songs, but I was surprised that this collaboration had happened. It's a good listen of two supremely talented people enjoying each other's sounds. Maybe I'm too much of a purist to give it a huge rating but I definitely enjoyed it.
Dead Kennedys
4/5
I remember borrowing a cassette from my friend in 6th or 7th grade and hiding it from my parents. I only listened to it judiciously and to be honest didn't really understand much of the content until I was a fair bit older. Now I look back on this music fondly as being in true punk rock spirit. The band is exceptionally tight and skilled. Jello's vocals aren't for everyone but I find them angry and smart enough to roll with. There are some duds on this album but overall it's more good than meh. "Stealing people's mail" and "Chemical warfare" are unsung favorites in addition to the well-known tracks like "Holiday in Cambodia" and "California über Alles"
Tricky
4/5
My first Tricky album was "Angels with Dirty Faces" and I listened to it nonstop for weeks. My cooler friends said "Oh you need to listen to Maxinquaye", and they were right. The upside was that this album is tight; leveraging past achievements with Massive Attack while going in his own direction. The downside was that I wished I'd listened to Maxinquaye first, as I think it would have been more eye-opening as an introduction to Tricky. It has hard-hitting, gritty lyrics that ring with some authenticity. Really worthy inclusion on this list.
2/5
I heard the first track and thought, they are trying really hard to be Radiohead. Then I listened to the rest and thought, ok, maybe they are sort of Radiohead meets Eurovision. It's not really my thing but it's not terrible either. I saw them live some time ago and it was a fantastic spectacle. Probably won't re-listen.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
2/5
The opening track was probably my favorite. It gets a little too insistent and grating at times, and didn't really hold me for the whole album. I don't know much about this guy but have heard a fair amount from his contemporaries, maybe it's worth learning a little more?
1/5
lol wut
Tangerine Dream
3/5
I liked this album more than I thought I would. For some reason I associated this band with other German outfits like Can and Kraftwerk. As someone who likes some ambient, moody electronica for working, it surprised me by being more in this vein. I was struck at times by the feeling of being enveloped by the sound. Not for every situation, but good stuff.
Venom
3/5
As an 11-year old, a friend was singing a dirty song whose lyrics had the refrain "Teacher's pet". I didn't know what artist made this song, and didn't think about it again until I heard it in this album. So it's a bit like using Soundhound or Shazam but the lookup taking about 40 years to finish.
Anyway, the album is one of those "origins" albums that set the stage for a lot of bigger, arguably better acts to come. So credit for that, but overall I'll take those bands over this one.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I was surprised that I wasn't blown away by this album. "Shelter from the storm" and "Tangled up in blue" were the only ones I knew, and the rest just sort of rolled by. I do think it's an album that requires more attentiveness than I was giving it during my workday, but it felt a bit repetitive and overwrought in places.
Radiohead
5/5
I was already a fan of this band by the time this album came out, and I remember it striking me as somewhat of a departure from the electronic-oriented Amnesiac/Hail to the Thief releases. More like a return to stuff like The Bends but with enough influence from their recent history to sound unique. Honestly this album for me is the most re-listenable one in their catalog and I was delighted to listen again for this app. I had forgotten the marketing around this album and it's "pay what you like" model. They never did that again, and in the end music seems commoditized to death by Apple, Spotify, etc, so maybe it unfortunately played into their hands.
Sparks
2/5
I'd heard of this band but never checked out their work, so they are no longer a mystery to me. That said, I didn't really care for it. The lyrics are quirky, the singing and melodies a little too far in the art pop vein and therefore grating to me.
Django Django
2/5
This feels like a dark horse outsider pick. If that is not the case and this really was one of the best albums of the 2010s, I'm not sure I missed out on much by not going deep on new music from this decade.
Sly & The Family Stone
5/5
I read an old review of this album that described it as "Utopia", which I found really fitting (although one or two songs don't really fit that description). This album is blended, generally optimistic, and purposeful. There are at least 4 bona fide classics on it, and the rest of the album doesn't disappoint either. Everyone should give it a listen.
Gorillaz
3/5
Really strong first 10 tracks or so then peters out significantly, could have benefited from a little more curation. 5/4 is one of my favorites, and the variety keeps you engaged. There's some creative, catchy music here, and they are clearly experimenting with whatever catches their fancy. Good prelude to Demon Days, where they clearly found their sweet spot and sold boatloads of records.
Deee-Lite
4/5
Listened to this album many times in the past. Even the worst tracks on this album are listenable, and for those who only know "Groove is in the Heart", there are some other great ones on here like "What is Love?" and "Try me on...I'm very you". Even the intro theme is kind of a banger. Maybe not the most challenging or deep music lyrically, but it's a great mood-lifter and just might have you dancing around your house.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
I feel like Hendrix is something that you appreciate for different reasons as you get older. Early on, it was part of the classic rock canon for stoners and dudes who worshiped guitar gods. As time has gone on, I've come to appreciate the arrangements and supreme skills of the supporting cast, as well as the breadth of sounds and subjects in what is a pretty ambitious last album by Jimi and the band. A few overwrought/indulgent segments don't put it in that top top tier for me, but I'll definitely keep giving it the occasional listen.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
Good listen - I've always liked their version of "Stepping Stone" and heard bits and pieces of this band but never gave one of their albums a listen. It's a British Invasion album with some depth and a bit of an edge to it. Definitely a departure from the more saccharine/copycat acts of the time.
Buck Owens
3/5
Fine, listenable old school country. It didn't strike me as particularly outstanding but it was fine. The title track seemed to be by far the most popular but I didn't really feel it was that much better than the rest of the album.
Johnny Cash
4/5
Honestly the power of this album, despite having many covers, was a bit of a shock to me after listening to much older Cash recordings to this point. I was familiar with some of these songs but 1) didn't realize they were all on the same album and 2) hadn't realized how good the other tracks were. Maybe you need to be in a certain frame of mind to stick with it for the entirety of the album, but on the whole I really enjoyed it and was encouraged by how this kind of creative output can be done so late in life.
The Prodigy
4/5
Great 90s amped up techno that hit mainstream with their next album. I prefer this one, it has a lot of range, from "Full Throttle" to the more chill "3 Kilos". There's some creative use of samples, like glass breaking in "Break & Enter", and fun elements like the studio chatter before "Poison". Fuck's sake, I'm trying to write this fucking tune!
Depeche Mode
4/5
Interesting album in that it has some of the best tracks DM have ever done, but it also peters out a bit towards the end with more instrumental/experimental stuff ("Pimpf", ugh) that is a bit out of band or doesn't feel quite done. The highs are so high though that I can't really fathom giving it less than 4 stars.
Oasis
3/5
Oasis seem like a pretty polarizing band, but you have to credit their polish and ability to write a good hook. I confess to not being familiar with this album, and I was actually alright with it. Decent pop grooves with a high level of production, and seemingly not a ton of depth. Listenable but nothing that was super.
Madonna
4/5
Definitely my favorite Madonna album, though most of my favorite Madonna songs are elsewhere. I remember being super surprised at hearing this album, as I was already post-college and not really paying any attention to Madonna at this point. I did listen to William Orbit, and this collab was shockingly good. Props to the master of staying relevant through generations.
Traffic
3/5
Fun listen. A lot of the songs breezed by, but it struck the right mood for me and stayed there throughout. Instrumentals are on point, and it really captures a late 60's vibe. Only complaint might be that it all blends together a bit, but a few of the songs are making it into the regular rotation.
David Bowie
3/5
Tough album to rate, because all the context around it makes it 1000x more interesting and kind of awe-inspiring with respect to David Bowie as an artist. The fact that he could make this album, in secret, while ill, experimenting with some of the most modern sounds around at the time, is just incredible. The songs themselves are haunting, unique, and generally listenable. His voice still seems pristine, and you feel that if he had lived another ten years we'd have ten more albums that were just as innovative.
Big Star
4/5
This was a favorite in my rotation for a while. I only came to this band later in life but wished I had learned about them way earlier in my classic rock days. Just good honest catchy power pop.
Janelle Monáe
4/5
Inventive and kind of cool. "Tightrope" was the only one I'd heard before, and it's fun. Would listen again!
The Associates
2/5
I couldn't get through the album. Listened to the first two tracks and the over-Bowied vocals + synthy soundtrack lost me quite quickly. Tried a few other tracks that were apparently the big hits on this album and found them to be middling 80s synth-pop. Read the backstory on the band and the singer Billy Mackenzie's path was truly tragic. They seemed to know and influence a lot of other, better bands so I can kind of see why this album is on the list.
X-Ray Spex
4/5
Obviously you come for Poly Styrene's vocals. What a voice for punk. However, the lyrics and tone are pretty incisive, and the band offers an edgy-but-informed take on the 1970s UK punk scene. Has some pop elements that foreshadow the impending post-punk wave but I don't think this detracts from a band that should be on any OG punk playlist.
Underworld
4/5
First Underworld album I listened to and a big intro to the 90s electronic scene. Being someone who focuses on beats and riffs and doesn't need lyrics to really make sense, it was great for me. Enough variation and catchiness to listen all the way through, and spurred me to listen to the rest of Underworld's ouvre.
Method Man
4/5
Heard a lot of tracks from this album but never the whole thing end-to-end. Embarrassed that I've only discovered that I really like this album now in 2024. Creative beats, great flow, holds together throughout with few drops in quality.
4/5
Part of the canon for anyone learning about the US punk scene. Full of honest stories from the artists' own lives and a reflection of their own relationship (they were recently married before the release). Has most of my favorite X tracks, with tight instruments, committed vocals, and enough hooks to keep you listening throughout.
The Kinks
4/5
Was surprised to read that this album was a poor seller at its release, but I guess it makes sense given what audiences were probably expecting from The Kinks at the time. There's a lot of variety here in instruments, styles, and subject matter, but all holding to the loose concept of preserving Ray Davies's vision of "Englishness" at the time. It's funny to hear this almost 60 years on and try to determine whether it's a satirical swipe at conservative hand-wringing or a genuine concern over the march of "progress" and loss of local culture (Davies's own rationale for the concept album). It's a great listen and I loved being prodded into hearing it a few more times.
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
I grew up with S&G music playing in the house, and have had a lifelong love of their music. This album really bridges the more classic folk of Joan Baez and early Dylan into a more modern sound for the time. The lyrics, harmonies, and production are top, and at least four of their best tunes are here.
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
I've only been a casual PSB listener over the years, so very little familiarity with their albums as a whole. This was a great end-to-end album, with even the lesser-known tracks like "Only the Wind" really surprising me with their strong melodies and polish. There's a good amount of variety here and I feel it really showcases their range.
Mercury Rev
2/5
Mercury Rev were a 90s band that I heard a lot about but didn't really listen to back in the day. Having listened to this album, I realize they aren't my style and didn't miss much. Cool band name tho.
Ash
2/5
"Kung fu" gave me nostalgia vibes from watching "Rumble in the Bronx", but the rest of the album is derivative nonsense. Even "Kung fu" is a pretty stupid song, but catchy. 1001 albums generator occasionally poops out one of these UK albums that never went further than the Isles and I gamely suffer through them.
Michael Jackson
4/5
First time listening all the way through. "Man in the Mirror" is one of my all-time faves, and it was good to hear "Just another part of me" and "Just can't stop loving you" again, as they don't turn up as regularly in modern pop culture. This music spans the consciousness of generations too, so it was fun to listen with my middle schooler and talk about just how popular this guy was back in the day.
The The
2/5
I thought I liked The The because I was already pretty familiar with Soul Mining, an album with some genuinely great tunes on it. This one is clearly keeping to their sound, but I found it more grating and hard to latch on to any particular tune, including the title track which seems to be the most popular. The vocals are a little over-wrought and growly, and the 80s new wave production is similarly over-the-top. The songs themselves are also pretty blunt in lyrics and topics. I don't hate it, I just found it more forgettable.
The Saints
4/5
Hell yes the Saints rock. Tight, catchy, great vocals by Chris Bailey. Lyrics are fairly generic in the punk vain but honestly I don't really care. I just like the aggro riffs.
Pentangle
2/5
I listened to half of one track and decided it wasn't for me. Not bad or good, just not for me.
Ella Fitzgerald
4/5
Loved it! I'd heard many of these before, but they really are some of the best arrangements I've heard for Gershwin period. "Let's call the whole thing off" and "Someone to Watch Over Me" are probably my favorites, but it's a wonderful listen through the whole songbook!
Liz Phair
4/5
I remember having several friends in college who loved this album and I just wasn't into that type of music at the time. Since then, I've come back to it on occasion and appreciated it a lot more. It's pretty great songwriting, edgy, but tight. Not quite grunge but in the same ballpark. I'm part of the crowd that didn't like her move to pop in the 2000's.
The Zutons
3/5
I don't know how to describe - it was almost good? I think the sound was promising but the concept and lyrics felt somewhat gimmicky. It didn't really grab me but it didn't offend me either.
Jeff Beck
3/5
I thought this was ok but nothing stuck out for me. I thought "wow Jeff Beck sounds a lot like Rod Stewart" but uh right that actually is Rod Stewart. Guitar work is great of course but it just didn't grab me. Overall I thought it was just meh which makes me feel bad for dissing one of the guitar greats.
Jimmy Smith
4/5
Only knew him from "Root Down", but this was a quality album that kept me listening a few times. Jazz funk that was great for both working and dedicated listening.
Guided By Voices
3/5
I'd heard some of these tunes before in much more polished form. This almost sounded like a demo tape but I still enjoyed the short, almost sampler-type nature of the album. That said, there are a *lot* of forgettable tunes on this album, so you drown a bit in quantity vs quality. A few bangers on here, so won't go below 3 on it.
The Police
5/5
An old album I actually listened to as a kid and didn't discover later in life! Amazed at how much I still like it all these years later (well, except for "Mother" which I never liked). The Police had really evolved their sound at this point from their more ska-type roots but still had a lot of variety, craft, and slightly-over-intellectual lyrics that were still relatable. I give it a five because it stayed with me for so long and is still very listenable today.
Scritti Politti
3/5
I had only heard "perfect way" before, which was a good tune. The rest of the album was along the same lines but didn't quite hit the highs of that song. It is some serious bubbly synthy 80s new wave pop, which in many ways is a positive listen but can become a bit much over a whole album.
The Beta Band
3/5
Generally a fan of this band, but this album petered out a bit for me after the first few tracks. They become repetitive and at times grating, and had me skipping early to hear the next track and just get to something different. "Assessment" is a banger though.
M.I.A.
5/5
This album was an achievement in so many respects. It broke ground in terms of its sound, samples, and subjects. It was largely the brainchild of one artist, and the cross-cultural flavor of this album couldn't have been done out of a traditional studio. Highly recommend the documentary "Matangi/Maya/M.I.A." to learn more about her origin story.
Pixies
5/5
This was actually my first Pixies album, which means I'm not necessarily in the "Surfer Rosa then everything else" category. I actually loved this album and used it as a gateway to all their other stuff. I'd say it got fairly equal play with "Surfer Rosa" and "Bossa Nova" in my rotation. "Wave of Mutilation" is an all-time favorite track.
DJ Shadow
4/5
It had been a while since I listened to this end-to-end. It's a little hard to recreate the first impressions I had of this genre, as it sounded a bit like it came from another planet. Now it has a familiarity to it, but you still appreciate the craft and skill that went into finding the records and the turntablism that rendered the record.
John Grant
2/5
I had never heard of this album, it must be one of those UK hits that didn't really translate to the US? I think the artist was in his 40s when he made this record but the lyrics sound like they were written by a high school or college student. Was not really impressed by it.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
Timeless, catchy, clever, incredibly listenable. A great introduction to jazz for all ages
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
I had to listen to a playlist of the same name on Spotify so i'm not sure it was the actual album. I kept waiting for the intro and goofing around to stop and the album part to begin. Maybe if I was in a band or high I'd get it?
Green Day
3/5
I'm predisposed to dislike Green Day because I saw them as poseurs compared to real punk bands like Dead Kennedys and Black Flag. That said, I've mellowed to them as I've gotten older and actually like some of their tunes. This album imo, while better produced, more rangy, and stronger as a concept, is more in the poseur direction. Credit where it's due, they are a tight, skilled group that can write a hook.
I'm from the generation that came up on War and Joshua Tree, so this album feels poppy and vapid compared to the emotion and storytelling of those earlier albums. It has some quality instrumentals and production, in my opinion let down a bit by the songwriting in places. It was funny to see U2 live recently and marvel at how many people were waiting for the tracks from this album versus Achtung Baby, Joshua Tree, War, Unforgettable Fire, which to me are all far superior.
Kate Bush
2/5
Do you like waltzes, accordions, and shrieking? This might just be the album for you.
Violent Femmes
5/5
Was nice to revisit after many many years away from this album. I listened to it so many times in my teen years that I felt comfortable being "done" with it. But you can't really turn your back on albums that were such a big part of your youth just because you're in a different phase of life now. It's nice to bring back those memories, and hell, the music holds up really well! As catchy, minimalist, and punky as it gets, with a sound all its own.
Slayer
3/5
First of all, this is a template metal album that set the standard alongside Metallica and Megadeth. It is masterfully produced and performed, and has some real bangers on there. That said, it is INTENSE, and to be honest I have to be in a really particularly angry mood to have the motivation to spin it up. It's like a really difficult movie that you thought was excellent but can't bring yourself to watch a second time.
Love
2/5
Great band, this album was some classic psychedelia and had its moments, but it didn't grab me the way some of Love's biggest hits on Reel to Real and Forever Changes do. The longform jam tracks felt over-indulgent but maybe that's just my bias.
Ghostface Killah
4/5
This is why I use the 1001 albums generator. This album passed me by, and I loved listening to it. Great flows, good storytelling, and some varied, consistently high-end production.
The Black Crowes
4/5
Honestly, I didn't think I'd like listening to this album after all these years. I've listened to so much blues and rock since then that I thought I'd find it too sanitized or something. But no, it was still fun, I still admire the hell out of Chris Robinson's voice, and it's still pretty solid from track 1 to track 10.
Bad Brains
3/5
Ok I confess to not having listened to this album, and I respect the many great musicians who have cited this album as an influence. It's one of those albums that kind of needs to be situated in its time to be appreciated, as it was an early example of a hardcore punk band breaking out of the genre a bit to do some interesting things. As a fan of the hardcore stuff, I'm less drawn to it but still appreciate bangers like the title track and "House of Suffering".
Donovan
4/5
A favorite of my parents, and now that I'm getting up there, it's something that I enjoy as a whole album instead of just the hit tracks. I know a lot of his fame comes from his associations with other more famous people, but Donovan was a quite gifted singer/songwriter in his own right. A trendsetter as well, as this album really predates a lot of the canonical psychedelic albums from the era.
TV On The Radio
2/5
Repetitive riffs, vibe-ruining a capella breakdowns, and also pretentious. There was a lot of hype around this band back in the day and I never really got it, but I thought it was I never really gave them a chance. Well, I just did, and it didn't change my mind.
Nirvana
5/5
Wow, deep cut, must have flown under the radar for most of us. Wonder what ever happened with this band? Seems like they could have been pretty influential with more airplay.
The Jam
4/5
I was more familiar with "All Mod Cons" and "The Gift", which I loved, so I had moderate expectations out of sheer ignorance. In fact this is a pretty great album in keeping with the best of this band. Great production, variety, hooks, and the classic working class struggle lyrics. It would be a great intro to The Jam as a recommendation.
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
This was on my rotation in college along with other MTV Amp favorites (FSOL, Crystal Method, Underworld, etc). Maybe I've mellowed with age but the production is a little heavy for me today, and I can't hang with the bombastic, splashy beats for an entire album. Even when it settles down a bit with "Where do I Begin", it kicks back in about halfway through. Solid 3.
The Gun Club
4/5
Good stuff. Reminded me a lot of X mixed with Cramps-style rockabilly. "Sex Beat" and "She's Like Heroin To Me" were my favorites.
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Solid. The legacy of this album is pretty massive, as it set a standard for Stax and the Memphis sound, and these guys played on so many huge hits from that studio. As an album, for me it's solid but not transcendant. Inventive covers and great musicianship, but I prefer mixing Booker T songs with other soul music of the era vs a whole album at once.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
So many of my favorite tunes from this band - "In My Time of Dying", "Kashmir", "Houses of the Holy"...this album really shows off their stylistic range and their fantastical side.
Simply Red
2/5
I appreciate Mick Hucknall's voice; dude can belt and he knows it. The songs unfortunately just run together and are mostly unremarkable 80s pop. Credit for "Holding Back the Years" which carried over from his previous band, but overall don't need to listen again.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
2/5
Dirty Projectors
1/5
Not my cup of tea. I won't yuck someone else's yum, but I don't go for lots of tempo & melody changes, falsetto, and generally this millennial indie vibe. It sounds pretentious to me.
MC Solaar
3/5
Loved the beats and flows in this even though I do not speak even basic French. I had a few Solaar songs on the rotation back in the day but hadn't heard any of these nor listened to an album clean through. Was well worth it.
Sam Cooke
3/5
Really cool hearing Sam Cooke do these classics in a tight set with the energy of a live and intimate crowd. Lets you hear a side of him that doesn't come through in the studio recordings. Massive respect for him as a live performer, gone too soon.
Garbage
3/5
Had totally forgotten that this was Butch Vig's band. Decent shoegaze vibes with a little more polish than some of the other acts that honestly I like a little more. I saw them live back in the day and enjoyed the show, but hearing the album now end-to-end didn't really engage me. I give it a 3 because it was listenable but not amazing for me.
Joan Baez
3/5
My parents loved Joan Baez and we had some of her records in the house growing up. I didn't pay it much attention at the time, but listening to this brought me back to childhood and hearing her, S&G, PP&M, and other folk singers of the era in our living room. What a beautiful voice she has, and the arrangements range from somber to joyous, sometimes in the same song.
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
So many hits on this album, I can't believe it was the band's 11th. I've listened to it a few times and generally enjoy it. "Dreams" and "The Chain" are favorites, but some of the songs like the opening track veer into REO Speedwagon territory. For me it nudges its way up to 4 because of its ability to transcend generations.
The Blue Nile
2/5
Bold choice for the opening track on this album, it predisposed me to hate it almost immediately.
Napalm Death
2/5
Respect for the genre and its punk rock spirit but it's not for me. I am middle-aged and not nearly that angry anymore. I'm not sure I would have even liked this when I was 15, but I probably would have shared more of the black-and-white extreme PoVs in the songs.