I really enjoyed this album. This is a solid jam/jazz/funk/acid rock offering with lots to dig in to especially if you're musically inclined. The record was joyful and playful and featured impressive musicianship. I especially enjoyed the use of the synth which in no way made the music sound dated (as synths can do). Great record to put on to get people dancing as well.

Incredible album. It feels like the music is unfolding in real time not necessarily as a live show, but as an all encompassing experience. George Clinton's futuristic vision is pervasive and engaging. The personnel on this album are the very best at what they do. This might be the definitive funk album.

Really good. Great mix of funk, new wave/post punk with great Thatcher era lyrics. The use of horns within this post punk format gives the music a more optimistic sounding feel as opposed to other British post punk artists despite the lyrics that reflect economic and global strife.

I got a lot of a lot of Nick Drake vibes from this one. I can also see how they influenced the diy indie scene as well. Very well written and unusual songs with a thoughtful arrangement and instrumentation

The range of influences in this album is impressive. I hear Beach Boys, Beatles, punk, African music (particularly Burundi), and glam rock. Adam and the Ants are clearly not overly concerned with mixing these influences or writing idiosyncratic songs, such as 'Jolly Roger,' yet there is a unity to this album that makes it all work. There's a lot to love here. The more I dive into New Wave, the more I'm convinced that it is one of the most forward thinking movements in popular music history.

Not my usual listening, but was intrigued on how I could hear the seeds of punk, shoegaze, and new wave. The influence of the Doors as well as artists such as Bo Diddley were apparent.

This album is fearless. David Byrne is unafraid to toss in disco influences with rock influences and create something new but coherent. His frantic lyrics and singing add a sense of manic urgency to this album. This music is off-kilter, yet still finds a groove.

The Beatles and Elton John influence is apparent here. The Bee Gees are better known for their late '70s disco pop, but this album showcases their ability to craft lush pop centered around themes of loss and remembrance. Highlights for me are 'How Can You Mend a Broken Heart,' 'Trafalgar,' 'Don't Wanna Live Inside Myself,' and 'Walking Back to Waterloo.'

I'm very glad this album was included. Loretta Lynn's contribution to country music cannot be overstated. Her vocal performance is powerful and subtle. Female country singers are often noted for their powerful delivery, but Lynn showcases immense control and damn near perfect delivery (see 'I Really Don't Want to Know' for a masterclass in vocal delivery). The music itself is well crafted, and is more complex with its chord changes than one would think. It is designed to deliver the exact emotional resolution (or lack thereof) that the songwriter intends. In that, it excels.

There is so much potential in this music. Having said that, the lyrics are weak and trying too hard to be edgy. I can't help but compare this album with other music from the mid nineties that successfully capture feelings of isolation and sadness without becoming heavy handed. As for the music itself, I really enjoyed the first half of the album, but it just doesn't fulfill what it could be. By the second half of the album, it starts to fall flat. Guitar arpeggios are great, but not when they make up the entirety of the album.

I really enjoyed this album. This is a solid jam/jazz/funk/acid rock offering with lots to dig in to especially if you're musically inclined. The record was joyful and playful and featured impressive musicianship. I especially enjoyed the use of the synth which in no way made the music sound dated (as synths can do). Great record to put on to get people dancing as well.

Great blend of Brit pop and punk with The Beach Boys influence coming through. Overall, a warm album from a band who knows how to effectively switch up a song

Not my favorite Velvet Underground, but still a great album

Great mix of jazz, R&B, swing, and early rock and roll. This album is high energy until the very end. I have heard of Louis Prima before, but I'm glad to have become more familiar with his music. This album would have been very influential at this particular musical crossroads. Prima's embrace of the burgeoning rock and roll genre is a testament to his flexibility and openness.

The synth sounds a bit dated, but this album is a fusion masterpiece featuring acrobatic musicianship and great exploratory passages.

One of the greatest albums of all time. You can hear the seeds of experimentation which would explode the next year in Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. This album represents a huge leap forward musically, and technologically as the Beatles began using the studio as an instrument in itself.

I have never listened to Blur before but enjoyed this album quite a bit. The range of influence that could be heard throughout was diverse and well incorporated. Overall, a great album

Incredible album! Cohesive, interesting, and boundary pushing. I can imagine how formative this must have been for experimental musicians. I'm very glad this has been put on my radar.

Loved it. I have been spoken derisively about synth heavy 80s albums in the past, but I'm growing to enjoy quite a bit of that style of music. Rio is well paced, and features interesting lyrics, amazing bass lines, and intriguing synth/keyboard work. I will definitely be returning to this album.

Great first half. I enjoy the more ballad like songs from this one. Simple music, great vocal delivery

Loved it. I have not waded much into goth-rock/new wave/post-punk but this was great. Though the instrumentation was simple, it was very effective. The music features a strong backbeat, prominent bass, horror motifs, and typical new wave/post-punk vocal delivery. The overall result is a driving, pulsing music that is instantly likable and even danceable.

I listened to this album twice. The first time I quite enjoyed it but felt it was one of those albums that needs to be given more time to grow on me. The second listen opened up some of the melodies and rhythms and allowed me to pick apart some of the various styles and influences. Overall, I think that this album is criminally overlooked. We would do well to get outside of our Anglo-American concentration and see how what we are familiar with influences and has been influenced by what we are not familiar with.

Gorgeous instrumentation and vocals. I have heard Baaba Maal mentioned by other musicians so it was great to actually be able to listen to him.

Beautiful. I listened to it twice. I will be returning to Elliott Smith quite a bit

Great album. I've always loved the title track as well as 'Vincent,' but listening to the album as a whole makes me wonder why Don McLean isn't known beyond a few songs. His songwriting and musicianship are great and his vocal range is impressive. He can be a bit on the nose for some things, but when he's great, he's truly great.

Better than expected. I’m not the biggest fan of metal, but hearing it with the symphony brings out those classically influenced qualities

Good hard rock. I grew up with quite a few of these songs. They’re not terribly innovative but there’s something to be said for their mastery of their style. Paul Rogers is an excellent vocalist

Great album, great songwriter. She’s influential as hell, there’s not much more I can say about her

Some good songs, but the album really starts to drag towards the end.

Solid album. This album was made during a period of tension within the band and escalating drug use. This album is more moody than joyful, and represents a change in direction for the band. Within a few years the rhythm section would be replaced.

Super interesting album. This self-named genre Deathpunk is way more thought out that than the punk label would suggest. The arrangement is complex and is able to keep the listeners attention through over 40 minutes of music. The lyrics and the name of the band are transgressive, but again, very interesting.

Incredible album. It feels like the music is unfolding in real time not necessarily as a live show, but as an all encompassing experience. George Clinton's futuristic vision is pervasive and engaging. The personnel on this album are the very best at what they do. This might be the definitive funk album.

A startlingly intimate and atmospheric album. Certain songs such as Deer Stop grabbed me immediately. Alison Goldfrapp's vocals are haunting and when they are altered the effect is electric.

I was familiar with Sandy Denny through her performance on Led Zeppelin IV, but this showcases her vocals in a new way. This album is very interesting in that it approaches folk rock from a undeniably British perspective. Great storytelling, and compelling music.

Great album. Really bridges the gap between new wave and Britpop. I will definitely be returning to this album

Solid album. Admittedly, I am not to familiar with most of Springsteen’s work. This album was full of great storytelling

Nothing terribly groundbreaking here. Fairly enjoyable, but it seems like an over-earnest rehashing of heartland rock. It's also hard to come to this album as a new listener in the wake of the allegations of sexual abuse. I feel like I've been primed to dislike anything Ryan Adams has put out. I will say that he definitely can write a good song and has a unique voice.

I can hear how this album influenced Nick Drake, Simon and Garfunkel, Led Zeppelin, etc. Great acoustic guitar playing, and great folk music.

I have seen this band live because a friend had an extra ticket. They were fine, but there wasn't much of their music that resonated with me. This album has some good tracks, but the second half really lags. I do enjoy the interesting synth worth though. It's a good album, just not something I'd willingly put on.

One of the greatest albums of the '90s and possibly ever. Nirvana expanded their dynamics on this album which gives it more texture and shows that the band was not simply content to rehash Nevermind. This album hints at their Beatles and Pixies influence while incorporating elements of punk and hardcore music. Kurt Cobain was a master songwriter and an avid student of music.

Not bad. Lots of interesting syncopation. The more I listen to it, the more I can hear the Smiths influence and British New Wave as a whole. It's not a straight rock album as it contains, punk, funk, and art music influences. The song structure here is varied with lots of good breaks. The rhythm section drives the whole band with moments of great syncopation and wonderful high hat work layered over a thumping bass.

Great album, accessible, positive, and instantly listenable.

Classic album. Neil Young's lead guitar shines through this album and makes what was already a supergroup even better. One of the greatest folk rock statements ever

Not my usual fare but I enjoyed it for what it was. It is un-categorizable in genre, but still feels unified.

Wow. Strange album but what an experiment in songwriting and genre bending. Will be listening to again

Some great moments in the first half, but it’s just a bit much for me. This album carries some of the worse impulses in 80s music and is quite dated. However, it’s an exemplary example of where pop music was at that time

Not much to say. This is one of the best Dylan albums which is about as high as I can praise it. This album features an electric first half and is the first of a three album trio which sees Dylan reinvent himself and write some of the greatest if not the greatest songs of all time.

A hidden gem. I had never heard of this band but after listening to this album, I can hear tinges of punk within an experimental framework. It's interesting to think about what was coming out in 1966, the Beatles' Revolver, the Beach Boy's Pet Sounds etc., and Black Monk Time sounds completely different. Truly incredible

Classic album. Huge leap in songwriting from his previous three albums featuring great melodies and driving instrumentation.

I liked it quite a bit. Julian Cope at times sounded like he was bringing in influences from the Smiths, Lou Reed/The Velvet Underground, and various new wave/post-punk artists. The album runs a bit long and would benefit from a pruning of sorts.

Not my favorite Doors album, but with Roadhouse Blues, Waiting for the Sun, Queen of the Highway, and Peace Frog, this is still a very strong album. As always, Ray Manzarek's keyboard work is incredible. I'm also a fan of Robbie Krieger's guitar work.

Fun album. Not every song is the best lyrically, but I think this is their best album

Really good. Great mix of funk, new wave/post punk with great Thatcher era lyrics. The use of horns within this post punk format gives the music a more optimistic sounding feel as opposed to other British post punk artists despite the lyrics that reflect economic and global strife.

I got a lot of a lot of Nick Drake vibes from this one. I can also see how they influenced the diy indie scene as well. Very well written and unusual songs with a thoughtful arrangement and instrumentation

Really good album. I've never listened to a Tribe Called Quest before, but have been trying to learn more about hip hop and its history. This album is accessible, and features a smooth flow, and beats full of jazz, funk, and rock idioms. This album does run a bit long though. However, I've listened to other albums that are way shorter but feel longer. I hope to listen to more of this group in the future. This album made me excited to delve more into hip hop.

I wasn't expecting to be as into this album as I am. It's so smooth, funky, and jazzy. The musicianship is fantastic and Sade's vocals are phenomenal as well. The drums and bass are locked in and are doing really interesting lines and rhythms in the background. This is a marvelously produced album and is sequenced and mixed very well. In retrospect, it makes total sense that I love this album as I love funk and jazz. I was expecting something more dated I think.

Really interesting. I personally loved the cinematic feel to this album

I listened to this album a couple of times and while I did enjoy it, there wasn’t anything in particular that stood out to me except Automatic and Skidmarks on My Heart.

I was quite familiar with this album. It has a very American barroom feel. The standouts were Tiny Dancer, Levon, and the title track. Some of the songs drag a bit

I’d been wanting to explore the Pixies for a while and this gave me the perfect excuse. Bossanova is phenomenal. The post punk, surf rock, and folk rock influence is obvious, and their own influence in later bands such as Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins, and Nirvana is abundantly clear. So great I immediately started it over

I never really got into the strokes and now it feels a bit too late. This album was incredibly influential to the point where a lot of what came after sounds just like it. If I had heard this album first, perhaps my reaction would be different

Excellent album that brings together a who's who of Cuban musicians to create something truly wonderful. This album is at once listenable, danceable, and features some amazing musicianship and arrangement. This will going into my rotation.

I need to listen to a few more times as it's super layered. The flow is great of course, but there is so much going on in the background that deserves to be heard. There's a tinge of darkness and moodiness to this album that is really intriguing. An excellent addition to the mystique of the Wu Tang Clan

I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. This music was interesting for its refusal to stay within a hard rock/metal framework. The funk and hip hop influences reminded me of RHCP with better songwriting and arrangement. I see why this band is so influential. This is not something I would have sought out for myself, but I'm really glad I got to listen to it.

I really liked parts of it. Some of the synthesizer use definitely was ahead of its time and sounded almost contemporary. Unfortunately, with such heavy reliance on synthesizers to simulate brass and other instrumentation, the music sounds incredibly dated. The songwriting is of course great, but it's hard to be able to listen to this album without the synths getting in the way.

Classic. It does drag a bit and feels a bit bloated, but when it’s good, it’s truly great.

Brilliant album. One of my favorite things about Pink Floyd is that they let their songs breathe as it were. Each musical passage is allowed to be savored and developed in its own timing. David Gilmour is one of my favorite guitarists for his ability to craft melodies and solos that are exactly what the song needs. Furthermore, the lyrical makeup is at once specific to Sid Barrett’s mental breakdown, yet universalizing in some of its themes of exploitation, genius, longing, and sadness.

Not only does this album represent the best of Simon & Garfunkel, it also looks ahead to Paul Simon's later work in exploring Latin American and African music. As always, the harmonies are tight, and Simon's lyrics are among the best in the American songbook. On a personal note, Simon & Garfunkel always make me feel nostalgic in a way I can't quite put my finger on. One of the greatest duos of all time.

I've never listened to Hole. Courtney Love is a complicated and polarizing figure and for that reason I've never really had an interest in her music. I should've just listened. This is a monster of an album and grabbed me immediately with its punk and hardcore inspired grunge. It has memorable lyrics, great musicianship, all topped off with Courtney Love's incredible vocal delivery. Hole is supremely talented and after hearing this, much preferred to other grunge acts of the time. I'm glad I gave it a listen.

Incredible album. Like a great piece of classical music, this album was thematic, self-referential, and incorporated previous melodies and lyrics to create a sense that this album is meant to be listed to as a whole, as a piece of music rather than a collection of songs. The flows on this album are some of the best I've ever heard. Lauryn Hill is the clear standout, though Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel are also incredible. It's no wonder why this group is one of the most influential in hip hop.

Interesting mix of rockabilly, post-punk, a touch of reggae, new wave, folk, and hard rock. There's obvious influences from the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, the Police, and '70s commercial rock. I'm honestly not sure if I like it or if it's really boring. It's very proto college rock in a lot of ways. There's nothing here that's terribly innovative. The bass work however, is truly outstanding.

Perhaps I’m just rating it highly because I lived in the East Bay for so long, but this album seriously holds up after 17 years. A punk rock opera was genius then and is genius now

Fantastic mix of jazz, funk, soul, rock and hip hop. Q-Tip has a fantastic flow as well. The transitions are great and the use of samples is perfect

Great garage rock. Not my favorite personally, but I’m still a fan

The first half is really great. It drags a bit after that, but picks back up in the last two tracks. Sinead O'Connor's vocal delivery never fails to impress. She is recognizably Irish and infuses her music with little inflections, both musically and vocally, to that point. However, she is not mired in traditionalism and makes music that must have certainly sounded new and fresh when it debuted.

The range of influences in this album is impressive. I hear Beach Boys, Beatles, punk, African music (particularly Burundi), and glam rock. Adam and the Ants are clearly not overly concerned with mixing these influences or writing idiosyncratic songs, such as 'Jolly Roger,' yet there is a unity to this album that makes it all work. There's a lot to love here. The more I dive into New Wave, the more I'm convinced that it is one of the most forward thinking movements in popular music history.

I discovered this album about five years ago and I fell in love with it instantly. Dennis Wilson was a man in the midst of self-destruction in the wake of his abusive upbringing and the excesses of fame as a member of the Beach Boys. He was not known as a sensitive man, but for his drunken escapades which eventually culminated in his death by drowning. His voice was rapidly deteriorating which can be heard here and in subsequent live performances of this material. Here, Wilson is concerned with environmental devastation and love. In 'River Song' the opening track, he confronts the claustrophobia and smog of LA, opting instead to champion a cleaner, more natural environment. In the title track, 'Pacific Ocean Blue,' penned alongside cousin and bandmate Mike Love, Wilson laments the destruction of ocean wildlife. This is an album very close to my heart both for its lyrical and musical value, but also because it gives us an insight into the enigmatic and broken person that was Dennis Wilson.

This is my first time hearing Depeche Mode and I must say that I loved this album. It is brooding and driving with interesting instrumentation and song construction. There's an expansiveness to this music that I really enjoy. British New Wave is quickly becoming a favorite of mine.

This is obviously a classic album and is absolutely stacked with hits. The production is incredible, and the arrangement has aged very well. However, I would be remiss not to mention that in light of the renewed allegations of child sexual abuse against Michael Jackson, it's difficult to listen to this music as a non-involved listener. I can't say for certain what did or didn't happen, but the persistence of these allegations is troublesome to say the least.

Great funk/psychedelic record. The drum machine give the music a slower more driving rhythm. The instrumentation is phenomenal down to the multiple guitar parts, bass, and horns. Shuggie Otis' voice is light and smooth, a perfect complement to his music

This album was interesting for several reasons. Nico's deep and untrained voice has a way of cutting through the often lush instrumentation that lends it an air of mystery and sadness. This is truly an enigmatic album, songs written by men sung by a woman who nobody really seemed to know. I was a bit tired of it by the end, but I believe this album deserves a few more listens.

It was more funky than I expected which is a welcome shift from the plant pop groups that would dominate the late 90s. This music was at times, funny, sexual, and socially conscious. I can see why it's a celebrated album. It just doesn't do much for me personally, but I appreciate it for what it is. It does run a bit long and is a bit over produced for my taste

Minimalist and driving, this album creates a sparse electronic landscape that serves as the ominous backdrop for the oft altered vocals of Karin Dreijer (Fever Ray). This album is compelling and expansive and keeps its creative impulses in check as not to leave the tracks bloated. Simply put, I loved this album.

I have only really heard the song 'Aqualung' from Jethro Tull. I should have listened to more. This album is superb. It is driving and lyrically interesting with its explorations of religion, god, and the human condition. Ian Anderson's vocals are superb and the flute playing is not a mere novelty; it is phenomenal. Jethro Tull's dedication to traditional British folk music shows through the prog rock in a way that feels natural. I will definitely look for this album in vinyl

Enjoyable, great harmonies, but other than that, not very exciting. I don't think it deserved the critical panning it got upon its release, but It's not Crosby's best work. Again, perfectly enjoyable, very calming, just not terribly groundbreaking.

RHCP is not my favorite, but they are consistent and they can be a lot of fun. I'm not a big fan of some of the vocal choices that Anthony Kiedis makes, but I can't deny the talent of the rhythm section of Flea and Chad Smith or the amazing guitar playing of John Frusciante. This album has some amazing songs, but I still prefer Californication to this.

This album is expansive and groundbreaking. Numan’s reliance on the synth does not take away from the humanity of this album and elevates synthesized music to a form on par with traditional rock instrumentation

I enjoyed this album quite a bit. It sits on the border of New Wave and Glam Rock and anticipates Goth Rock. Some of the songs were a little too drawn out but it was an easy listen. The album wasn’t overly reliant on synth and had a good balance with a strong backbeat

Fun album. I really enjoyed it at the beginning but it did run a bit long. It definitely has me interested in ska and the history of that music.

This is a top Led Zeppelin album for me. Going to Wales was probably the best thing the band could have done in that point in their career. Here they gain a healthy infusion of folk influence. Jimmy Page's open tuning experiments are some of the highlights of the album. I view this album as Led Zeppelin's Revolver, an album that paved the way for their apex, in this case, the self titled fourth album.

Enjoyable, but nothing terribly groundbreaking here. This band was the house band for Stax records and contributed to the Memphis soul sound. However, on their own, the music is just a bit too sterile for me. These players are tremendously talented and are great at what they do, but the music is just not as alive as I would like

Every once in a while an album comes along that challenges and expands the notion of what an album can be. This is one of those albums. It's political, soothing, and is just so expansive that it's beyond classification. I didn't listen to this album when it was topping the end of the year lists in 2016 and I really should have been. It deserved its place at the top.

I really enjoyed this album. I’m not terribly familiar with Yes but I’m glad I gave this a listen. There is a lot of jazz and classical influence and the album is structured into several mini-suites that challenge the rock form.

Great industrial sound. My biggest gripe is the mix. The vocals are way turned down and get drowned out by the music. Other than that, this is a very cathartic album. Trent Reznor is the best at what he does

Great mix of Brazilian, African, and soul/blues/R&B. This album is incredibly interesting rhythmically and the combination of the familiar (to western audiences) and the unfamiliar is very effective. The album remains exciting and fast paced from the first to the last song.

Interesting concept and thrilling to hear previously uncovered Woody Guthrie lyrics, but overall, this album runs a bit long and the modern heartland rock backing falls a bit flat after a while. Still a really cool album

It's pleasant, but sterile and overproduced. When I see a British band in the late '80s, I expect a bit of economic panic and some anger as well. This album seems exists in a world where Thatcher was never PM. It takes no risks whatsoever and sounds like an adult contemporary radio station. I can hear glimpses of the post-punk ethos in the vocal delivery, but the backing music washes it out and sanitizes it. A notable exception is 'The Night I heard Caruso Sing'

This album has an ethereal and expansive feel for the most part. While I enjoyed it, it started to drag very quickly. The use of electronic and orchestral elements was interesting. I feel like if this album had condensed itself a bit and tightened its focus it would've been a great album.

This songs are so well crafted that it's easy to see why they were so popular. ABBA knew how to right a compelling middle 8 as well. Modern pop music is incredibly indebted to ABBA. The instrumentation is lush and slick, and everything about the production is careful and intentional. Though this is not my favorite style of music, I can appreciate just how well done it is. Very enjoyable.

Wonderfully experimental while also very relaxing. This album is almost trancelike and is punctuated by moments that are funny, irreverent, and topical. The features on this album are excellent and diverse. The musicianship on this album is excellent, and the songwriting is eclectic with moments that remind me of stream of consciousness.

It’s rare to find an artist that is consistently making incredible and forward thinking music this far in their career. With David Bowie’s last album, he once again reinvents himself and comes back with an album that is musically interesting and lyrically mysterious. His death in the wake of this album release may have given context to the lyrics, but this album stands on its own.

This is probably one of the Stones' best and most coherent albums. The Stones' successfully weave rock, latin jazz, country, and delta blues together. Furthermore, this album is more lyrically mature than their earlier work, with meditations on drug use, love, and even a questionable take on slave owning.

Emmylou Harris is a titan of the Americana scene. Utilizing traditional instrumentation, a subtle western beat, and a gift for storytelling, she creates earnest, compelling music that is entirely her own. Like the outlaws of the 70s and 80s, Harris operates outside the Nashville formula, and borrows across genres.

This album is so ridiculously influential, it seems inconsequential to rate it. Patti Smith's debut is so many things at once. It is primal, messy, poetic, delicate, irreverent, rebellious, and beautiful all at once. This album is much indebted to earlier rock forms, but she manages to incorporate those forms into the mix in a new and exciting way. Often called the godmother of punk, Patti Smith to me seems like a natural successor to the Beat movement with her stream of consciousness lyrics and spoken word passages. Simply put, this album is essential and incredible.

After the success of Tommy, Pete Townsend embarked on another ambitious rock opera project titled Lifehouse. This project was eventually abandoned but some of the elements made their way onto Who's Next. This album is surely one of the Who's best. It is concise and coherent and features some of their greatest hits. Many of the lesser known songs come from Lifehouse and concern themselves with the relationship between music and its audience. This is truly a great album.

The last of his rock trilogy, Blonde on Blonde might be Bob Dylan's best album as well as his most sweeping and expansive. Backed by a host of studio musicians as well as members of his live band, Dylan delivers a wonderfully produced and arranged album that is stunningly cohesive. Dylan's storytelling and songwriting is also at its best on this album with a forward driving feel that carries the listener from one song to the next.

This album is so much more focused than some of the Stooges previous work largely thanks to David Bowie's production. Iggy Pop's vocals are acidic and pointed, and the guitar work is much more interesting, punchy, and tight while still retaining that messy garage/proto-punk feel that define the Stooges. This album is dark, raw, and it can be easily seen why it is considered one of the most influential albums in rock.

The more country influenced songs stand out more on this record. Rod Stewart can write and sing a perfectly find rock song, but the tone of his voice is well suited to more folk/county sounds where he can showcase his finesse as well as his power

This album manages to bring together a host of influences in a coherent and interesting way. I can hear Beatles, the Smiths, Joy Division, dance sounds and more in this album. The 'Madchester' scene of which the Stone Roses were a key player, was born of the indie dance scene fused with psychedelia and pop sounds. This movement found mainstream success but started to decline in the earlier nineties as Britpop and Grunge became favored.

An interesting album to be sure. The music is a combination of hardcore punk (which Bad Brains did not like to be called), reggae, and metal. Some songs also have a new wave tinge. The music itself features strong reggae inspired bass lines with guitar work that is slightly phased (in typical eighties fashion) that ranges from more punk inspired rhythms to virtuosic leads that sound more inspired by contemporary metal. The vocal delivery is similarly nuanced and ranges from growled phrases to a more straightforward delivery. Despite the range of influences and styles, this album is coherent and unique.

Though the band has been quite forward about the influences, The Beatles' Revolver is very much present from the get go. The guitar is punchy, and the bass is acrobatic and front and center. There are a lot of new wave artists, but the Jam infuse it with a bit of mod flair and attitude that makes me hesitate to just lump this album in with post-punk. The drum work owes a lot (again as stated by the band) to Michael Jackson's Off the Wall, and drive the album forward without seeming out of place. It is a supremely well crafted and enjoyable album

Once again, the Pixies do not disappoint. Doolittle is such an influential album that there's not much more I can say about it. It is a wonderful blend of punk, surf rock, and new wave that would go on to influence bands like Radiohead and Nirvana. This album is more accessible than their debut, Surfer Rosa, but without compromising what made them great.

The singing in South Auctioneer really turned me off. The songwriting just isn't very good nor is the delivery. The music itself is fine, but there's nothing terribly groundbreaking or unique about it especially in 1999. I get the feeling that Death in Vegas take themselves too seriously and are really trying to sound dark and dangerous. Not even an appearance from Iggy Pop salvage this album (though non-coincidentally, the song on which he appears, Aisha, is the highlight of the album).

This album would be notable alone for the manner in which it was released. However, it also happens to be one of Radiohead's best and by extension, one of the best albums period. Radiohead are masters of crafting songs that ebb and flow in the most arresting ways. In Rainbows never feels rushed. It takes its time to simmer to properly develop its songs and itself as a whole. Radiohead is one of those bands where every single member is absolutely indispensable and contributes greatly to everything they do as a whole.

At first I was a bit disappointed this album wasn't more like Raw Power by the Stooges. However, by the second song, I began to really dig what I was hearing. Iggy Pop (and David Bowie) are taking an art rock and pop approach that utilizes burgeoning electronic sounds and folds them into a slower rock format features long songs that are more like mini suites. This album does feel more like a Bowie album more than anything but is extremely effective and engaging.

There are many excellent things about this album. The musicianship and production are clean and tight and the vocal delivery is energetic. I'm not terribly knowledgeable about salsa, but I was struck by the complexity of the harmonies and arrangement. Some of the bass work in particular was incredible. Overall, a great album that makes me want to learn about the various styles of Latin American music

Dusty Springfield's first album sees her stepping into a Blue-Eyed Soul style. Her performance is commanding and confident. I'm not terribly familiar with her work but I find it interesting that like the Beatles, we see the influence of Black music on an English artist. Her voice on 'Twenty-Four Hours from Tulsa' is soaring and was the first track to really click for me. Though some of the song choices are confusing to me, her studio recordings are energetic and exciting.

I think about this album as almost a companion of sorts to Marvin Gaye's What's Going On. Curtis Mayfield employs driving ponderous soul/R&B to explore social issues surrounding the cycle of poverty and drug use. He takes an extremely critical approach of drug dealing which is somewhat at odds with the message of the film. The music itself is tight and gives the lyrics room to land. Overall it is incredibly effective and engaging.

I enjoyed it initially, but to be honest, it did drag on quite a bit. The beats were very interesting and I'm sure this sounded very groundbreaking at the time, but the synth hasn't aged as well. The lyrics were interesting and clearly shaped by Thatcherism.

There’s a level to which this album is endearing, but after a while it becomes just hard to follow despite the fact that the songs are short, simple, and catchy. I’m impressed with the sheer scale of this album and it was clearly a labor of love but at almost three hours, it feels self-indulgent

Jimi’s final album released during his lifetime is a sprawling work that incorporates some of his more grandiose tendencies into a more cohesive album. Jimi’s guitar work is groundbreaking as always and still sounds fresh today. He was and is a huge impact on players including myself

I’m intrigued by this album. It combines 80s elements of power pop, folk music, country music, and new wave. It is more conventional than most new wave artists and can be quite symphonic.

An explosive album with phenomenal vocals from Janis Joplin. My biggest gripe is that it was not produced or mixed well.

Brilliant record. I have had this band recommended to me for years, but tried to listen to them before my tastes had expanded. This album was wonderfully written, arranged, and produced and fearlessly explores and transcends genre. My favorite tracks were Halfway Home, Golden Age, and DLZ.

It's hard to imagine what modern music would sound like without this album. Bowie and Brian Eno create an album with a satisfying rock front half, and a ethereal, dreamlike, and somewhat menacing back half. The experimental and ambient elements here are crucial to the development of post-punk. I remember when I first heard Blackstar, I thought that it was coming out of nowhere because I had not explored this period of Bowie. This album has given much such a deeper appreciation of this artist and of the history of music in general.

I'm not a big fan of Aerosmith. There were better bands doing what they were doing and they've just never resonated with me. This album does not change my opinion. There are catchy riffs, some good hits, and decent vocal delivery, but even though this album is less than 40 minutes, it gets boring by the end.

I really enjoyed this album. James Taylor's more soulful and bluesy songs made me realize just what a versatile vocal he is. I've always known him more as a folk singer/songwriter, but this album truly showed off his range. I'm only giving it four starts because there's nothing that's terribly new or groundbreaking on this album, but it is executed to perfection.

Jimi Hendrix's impact on the genre cannot be overstated. With his virtuosic playing, his onstage persona, and his experimentalism, he is the archetype for the rockstar. His debut opens with the career defining Purple Haze with its punchy opening riff and eastern influenced solo. Hendrix was not educated in music and this gave him the freedom to try things that others would not. Not every experiment was successful, and his lyrics often leave a lot to be desired, but his successes and innovation put him in the top tier of musicians and songwriters.

Though it’s only a few songs, this album takes its time to properly build each song without overstaying its welcome. One of my favorite things is Neil Young’s strange lead guitar lines and solos. He uses interesting rhythms and accidentals in his playing that give his solos a frantic yet earnest feeling that really suits this music.

This album has been difficult for me to get into. It's more sparse than I'm used to and despite the familiar rhythms (which have appeared in western music since) the melodies remain a bit out of reach. I'm sure that says more about me than the music itself, but maybe it'll click eventually

Amazing album that introduces some of Pink Floyd’s most enduring songs. The impact of WWII in Great Britain is explored in the beginning of this album as it develops the story of Pink, a rock star who builds a wall of separation between the world and himself. This album is indulgent, strange, and dark. Nevertheless, it is incredible in its scope both lyrically and musically

These guys were clearly listening to everyone at the time. The Beatles, Beach Boys, and Rolling Stones influence is clear. However, the Electric Prunes are clearly doing their own thing and doing it very well. Their music is varied, psychedelic, and dark. They are also experimenting with sounds and instrumentation in a way that still sounds interesting over 50 years later

I love Shoegaze, and in that realm, My Bloody Valentine reign supreme. This album is thoughtful, melodic, driving, messy, ethereal, and every other superlative. This is music on its own terms, willing to borrow from what came before, yet also willing to push the envelope forward in a new and exciting way.

A masterclass in songwriting, arrangement, and production. Dolly Parton expresses a naiveté that is endearing and allows her to inhabit an almost childlike space of wonder and unrequited love. The musicianship on this album is tight. For me, the bass really shines in an album that is a joy to listen to from start to finish.

Psychedelic soul is a super interesting genre and something I have not explored with the Temptations. There are experiments that don’t quite work, like a cover of ‘I heard it Through the Grapevine’ but there are some really great sounds on this album. ‘Runaway Child, Running Wild’ is a standout for me and a great jam. Of course this is still a Temptations record and so we still get those lush harmonies for which the group is known

The alt rock album of the 90s. The musicianship on this album is incredible. I’m particularly a big fan of the lead guitar lines and Jimmy Chamberlin’s drumming. Furthermore, Billy Corgan has a gift for melody that cuts through the albums heaviest moments

A solid rock opera. It reminds me a bit of Pink Floyd's 'The Wall' as it deals with themes of British class and identity especially in the wake of the wars. The instrumentation was simple but effective. I was not aware that the Kinks made any more conceptual work and I was pleasantly surprised to find a textured album full of social commentary.

This album features better songwriting than his debut and much more interesting arrangements. Songs like ‘little wing’ and ‘bold as love’ illustrate this well.

While this album had its moments, it was not my favorite effort by Neil Young and Crazy Horse. Certain sounds were very dated and though I enjoyed the garage rock feel, there are much better examples out there

This album is a microcosm of the history of punk to 1979. There are more traditional punk songs, as well as songs that are clearly incorporating post-punk and new wave sounds. I found this album to be accessible and interesting while providing that sonic link from punk to what it evolved into. The musicianship was much better than a typical British punk band while retaining the lyrical force that typifies that music.

Another watershed jazz album. Brubeck's playing is complex and experiments with time signatures of various more 'exotic' influences. This coupled with Paul Desmond's acrobatic saxophone playing make this album groundbreaking and approachable.

Super interesting especially given their history as a band that arise from the ashes of Joy Division. The band is embracing electronic sounds influenced by club music yet can’t shake their new wave roots and the result is wonderfully moody and danceable music. This album has a great sense of space and doesn’t feel too cluttered; every layer is able to be heard clearly

Good hardcore punk. Punk is definitely not my go-to genre, but hardcore is my favorite sub genre. This is messy, angry, and driving, everything you want from a hardcore record.

Great production. It’s obvious that Kanye West has had a large hand in the production of this album. Jay-Z is really at his best here. The flow is good, the lyrics are punchy and memorable, and he’s still trying to establish his place at the top. Essentially, he still has to work for it. The only drawback of this album might be its length. The standout track for me was the Kanye West produced ‘Takeover’

Fantastic album. Herbie Hancock is a fusion pioneer and this album is an excellent yet accessible foray into jazz funk fusion. The songs are very well constructed and build gradually and naturally. The musicianship is top notch of course and driven by Hancock’s playing of the Fender Rhodes electric piano. The improv breaks are impressive as well. This album is an absolute genre bending classic.

Possibly the greatest album of the 1980s. This sprawling record is expansive, unsettling, ponderous, noisy, and driving. Sonic Youth. This album has had an immeasurable influence on grunge, indie, DIY, etc. which continues to this day.

One of their best. I grew up listening to earlier Motown, but this record is right up there with 'What's Going On' in terms of social awareness. I wasn't aware that the Temptations made records such as this, but I'm very glad it's been brought to my attention. The music itself is funky, soulful, and has an excellent grove. All in all, a great record.

Nice short doo wop album. This album, down to the title, is crafted to appeal to teenagers of the time. Nevertheless, the harmonies are crisp and precise. It is immediately clear that their influence was immense. The Everly Brothers influenced the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and Simon and Garfunkel and I'm sure many others.

I have never listened to a Prince album, just isolated tracks. This album has a bit of everything from funk, jazz, rock, blues, and electronic influences. Prince is a phenomenal musician and guitar player and I’m excited to dig into his discography more

Willie Nelson bucked the system and instead of putting out over produced Nashville drivel, made a simple, stripped down country record structured as a concept album. Red Headed Stranger is the story of a preacher who kills his wife and lover and explores themes of loss, guilt, and longing. It’s exactly what needed to be made at the time

It has its decent moments and overall is a well produced album, but doesn’t seem to know quite what it wants to be. I enjoy the more new wave moments, but some of the drum machines and synth date the album and take away from the wonderful vocal and bass performances. Having said that, I’m glad to have been exposed to a-ha beyond ‘Take on Me’

It’s good. It’s not terribly unique or groundbreaking though. Having said that, I do enjoy French electronica. It’s was a good listen

I enjoyed this more than I was expecting. There are a lot of genres packed into this album spanning funk, ska, and some metal and new wave influences. The lyrics reflect a punk ethic and the music is energetic and joyous

There’s a lot to this album and I definitely need to listen to it again. Some of the lyrics are a bit on the nose, but the music itself is very interesting. It is darker and more filled out than U2’s previous work.

This is probably the greatest jazz album of all time. It is also the best statement of cool jazz. The addition of John Coltrane makes this album also one of the greatest jazz collaborations to exist.

Great skate punk/hardcore album. This album is not terribly groundbreaking, but it’s tons of fun and enjoyable all the way through.

I enjoyed the lyrical themes of this album quite a bit. It’s a very interesting slice of the post Thatcher/Reagan era told from the perspective of people who are still with the aftermath. Manic Street Preachers are the leaders of the Welsh music movement in the 90s and are a very important band. The music itself is brooding, stark and industrial at times, and punchy.

Incredible. This album is gritty and unique. The subject matter and the very style of the music itself match perfectly. Even without the lyrics, this album would still sound like the dejected of New York.

Otis Redding had such an expressive voice. It was versatile, acrobatic, yet had a persistent grit to it. However, on songs like 'I've Been Loving You Too Long,' his voice smooths out revealing its delicacy. His songs are buoyant with a lilting beat and a robust horn section. He simply inhabits the music in a way that only the best soul/R&B artists do.

From this debut one would think Kanye arrived on the scene fully formed. The samples are great, the beats are innovative as hell, and his production is absolute perfection. His fearlessness to incorporate so many disparate elements into hip hop truly set him apart from his contemporaries. He’s truly a cut above

You know how sometimes you listen to music you loved when you were younger and it just doesn’t sound as good? This is not one of those albums. If anything, I can better appreciate just has lush and layered this album is. It’s goddamned anthemic. Noel Gallagher’s songwriting is absolutely at its peak here. Oasis have never been the flashiest or boundary pushing band, but one thing they are is absolutely unique. No one sounds quite like them. There is not a single bad song on this album.

Very impressive and idiosyncratic art rock album. You can hear The Beach Boys influence and pop songwriting elements that would be incorporated into much of Paul McCartney’s early to mid 80s output. This band has both a pop sensibility and an avant garde sensibility that blend quite well on this album.

I’m not a huge metal fan but I really enjoyed Judas Priest. Rob Halford’s vocal delivery is fantastic and the music is driving yet still has a clarity to it. This album was released over a decade after Judas Priest formed and heralds the coming of thrash metal.

A good case can be made that punk has its origins in the late 1960s garage rock scene in Detroit which includes the Stooges and MC5. MC5 is what you get when people with counterculture sympathetic beliefs get angry and aggressive. The music is messy, distorted, and frenetic. Along with the purposefully provocative lyrics and stage show, MC5 is clearly a herald of the nascent punk scene

My partner is from the Detroit metro area and grew up not too far from where Kid Rock is from. Despite what he says in his music, he grew up well off. This album is full of empty posturing; he wants so badly to be able to claim a backstory like Eminem's but it's just not the case. Stylistically, kid rock isn’t doing anything new, but he’s definitely doing it worse. His flow is decent, but is often undercut by awful rhymes and cheesy metal interludes. He’s trying to be too much at once, a rags to riches rapper who actually grew up relatively affluent and a southernish redneck from the north who needs auto tune to get through a straight country song. His use of profanity is gratuitous beyond what is necessary and one wonders if his sexual prowess is a fraction of how he portrays it. This music is clearly designed to appeal to disaffected white people but comes off as disingenuous and unnecessarily confrontational. This is music that absolutely no one needed. At best, it's someone trying, and not succeeding at genre fusion, at the worst, it's a cynical ploy to sell records to white people who think they're hard.

The advent of doom metal. Black Sabbath adds minor scale melodics to a blues rock structure to create something new and ominous in this 1970 release. It's interesting to think about his album in context with other releases around that time. Truly nothing sounded like this. The longer experimental pieces (there are only five songs) are surprising digestible and must have been mind blowing at the time.

It wasn’t as good as ‘Pills n Thrills n Bellyaches’ but this album was useful to hear that blend of New Wave and electronic influences which became the Madchester sound. This album is heavily influenced by the talking heads, the smiths, and Lazyitis was very reminiscent of the Beatles’ Ticket to Ride. Overall a nice coherent transition album.

Great funky Afrobeat with a pan-African message. Very enjoyable and danceable. The production is very 90s but works well with the music.

A modern classic. The Flaming Lips take an unusual storyline (really only apparent in the first few songs) and explore themes of mortality and love. The music is dreamlike and uses both analog and digital instrumentation to create a lush backdrop.

Perhaps the first rock concept album. This album finds the Kinks taking on a softer sound and more socially observant lyrical focus. 1966 was a banner year for rock albums but I think this album compares favorably and contrasts well to the heavy hitters of that year, mainly Pet Sounds and Revolver

Very interesting mix. The music itself seems to be more Latin American inspired but the lyrics are sung in many languages including Spanish French and English. The music is infectious and very danceable. My Spanish isn’t as good as it used to be so I don’t understand as much as I like, but from what I’ve read, the lyrics have an anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist

Terrific album both lyrically and musically. Janelle Monae manages to cross genre effortlessly without it being jarring or intrusive. She also subverts traditional pop and R&B chord progressions and allows there to be unresolved tension in her music to reflect the lyrical themes. Overall, a super impressive album all around.

This energetic show features heavy Chubby Checkers and Isley Brothers influences along with 1950's soul and R&B in general. Sam Cooke's delivery is incredibly charismatic. One of the great joys of this performance is just how much fun Cooke and his audience are having. It sounds like an absolute frenzy. Cooke's voice seemingly does not tire. It is truly a remarkable performance.

I first heard this album in high school and I just did not get it. This listen through went way better. The concept is interesting and seems to support what Pete Townsend has expressed in interviews about how he feels about the capitalist nature of his success despite his socially liberal political views. This album is self satirizing and earnest at the same time and is quintessentially The Who. The flow from song to song is great and nothing is misplaced

A good example of the emerging country/folk/rock inflected Laurel Canyon sound. This album was pleasant enough, but nothing about it really sticks with me. If anything, it's an interesting look into the careers of Neil Young and Stephen Stills before they became famous in their own right.

It’s pleasant enough and has some interesting chord changes, but it’s fairly bland. It’s almost as if this is an over westernized and sanitized Samba. The backing band sometimes sounds like it’s straight out of the 50s which is jarring considering what what going on musically in 1967. I’m a fan of Astrud Gilberto but this is just not produced the way it should have been. The jazz flute is great though.

As a guitarist who discovered the blues early on, I recognize this album;s role in bringing the blues to a wider US and UK audience in the early '60s. Muddy Water's influence on artists such as the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton and countless others cannot be overstated. His was the definitive statement of the Chicago Blues (by way of Mississippi). His music is buoyant, joyous, and super accessible.

The White Stripes are absolutely a back to basics rock band. This album features fairly simple songs with good riffs, memorable songwriting, and great delivery from both Jack and Meg White. But at the end of the day, the White Stripes sound like the White Stripes. They show that back to basics doesn't mean rehashing everything that went before, but doing something new with the fundamentals. Jack White's DIY ethic is important because it democratizes music, something that the rise of home recording has only expanded upon.

It’s a bit dated in some of its sounds, but for me this album is brilliant. Yes utilizes interesting rhythms, chord changes, and melodies to create music that stands apart especially in 1971. The jazz, blues, and classical influences are apparent and woven well into the music. The musicianship is phenomenal and the occasional suite like song structures further attest to this band’s ambition.

Very much in the Britpop vein from the drum sounds to the chord changes. I can also hear a fair bit of Neil Young and Radiohead influence as well. This album features memorable melodies as would be expected and some interesting instrumental bits. The last song with its period of silence was a bit annoying but overall, a good album and great exploration into the influence of Britpop

Lauryn Hill is insanely talented. She can sing, and she has one of the greatest flows in the game. Her songwriting is textured and deals with more complexity than her contemporaries. This album shows Hill navigating her life, love, the expectations of others, and her own strength to define who she is for herself. This album has already become a modern classic and it’s easy to see why.

This album has some really great moments especially where Billy Gibbons’ slide guitar playing takes over. It’s a solid rock album.

Intricately layered and beautifully produced. This album was incredibly influential when it came out and it holds up very well. These songs are so well written and constructed that it almost sounds less complex than it actually is. It is one of those albums which rewards multiple listens due to the amount of stuff going on in each song.

Aretha Franklin is perhaps the greatest singer in American popular music. Not only is she supremely talented, having superhuman control, dynamic, and range, she is one of the most expressive and ecstatic singers to ever record. Her studio records are brimming with energy as though she may burst out of the speakers at any time. This record is her Atlantic debut and leads with the career defining ‘Respect’. Her vocal performance throughout is exquisite and intimate

Decent metal, good riffs, grooves, and drumming. I enjoyed this album more than I’ve enjoyed most metal albums. The chord changes are more interesting and throw some seventh chords in there too which gives an almost Hendrix like quality to some of the phrasing. Jailbait was completely unnecessary.

Possibly the Doors finest and most coherent album. LA Woman is very blues driven and features some of Ray Manzarek’s best work on keys. The band as a whole plays very well on this album and Jim Morrison’s vocal delivery is energetic as always.

The greatest album of the 90s. This album not only represented a huge leap forward for Radiohead, but a huge leap forward for popular music in general. OK Computer saw Radiohead incorporating electronic sounds and effects while talking about themes of alienation and the rise of technology. The songs are incredibly well crafted and show such intentionality that it's hard to believe that Radiohead would continue to evolve beyond this album. It's as close to a perfect album as you can get.

Excellent pop music. The first half is very Michael Jackson influenced, especially his earlier work. The second half is a bit slower and contemplative sounding. Overall, this album is very heavy on 80s pop motifs with a bit of contemporary hip hop influence thrown in (though non-obtrusively). The lyrics are deliberately dense which I really like as it allows the music to create a mood around a song to get an emotional meaning across that's not as dependent on the musical content. This is not my usual genre but I found it well executed and enjoyable.

A great combination of beat and melody. This album takes French House a step further. The beats and resonant, solid, and occasionally glitchy while the melodies are memorable. Essentially, this album doesn't sacrifice musicality for the sake of the beat. It is one of the best electronic albums ever and still sounds fresh.

Great opening track. This album incredibly unique in its scope. Rock operas had been a thing for over a decade, but this album feels more like a rock musical with the way it's arranged. It's a fine distinction but I think it holds. I became a bit bored with the middle bit, but it certainly had some very bombastic and interesting moments.

Good blue eyed soul. Dusty Springfield gives some classic performances on this record that highlight her incredible voice. I find the influence of black music very interesting especially when one thinks about how it is repackaged for popular consumption.

Johnny Cash comes out swinging with a raucous album of outlaw country. Where ‘Live at Folsom Prison’ took a more contemplative tone, this album was high energy throughout. An absolutely exhilarating show

Interesting proto-trip-hop like album. It is perfectly good music, but didn't sway me one way or the other. The layering in some of the songs is quite fantastic though.

A manifesto of weird. This album is awesome. It is a combination of punk, surf, emerging new wave, and a lot of guts. This album could easily fall off the edge of the cliff into the inane, but it just stays in that sweet spot of weird and genius. The arrangement is perfect with driving bass and drums and guitar and synth lines that are instantly memorable and clear. The vocal delivery is occasionally silly, occasionally earnest, and occasionally feels like a street preacher trying to save your soul.

Elvis Costello crosses so many genres here you’d think it wouldn’t work. Not only does it work, it works in such a way that creates a sound that is unique to Elvis Costello. I can hear a strong Beatles influence as well as elements of reggae, punk, laurel canyon folk, and new wave. Elvis Costello’s vocal delivery is energetic and unique as well

I was in college when this music dominated the indie scene and as such, it has a nostalgic feeling for me when I hear it’s driving and contemplative melodies. In retrospect, I can see how much of this indie alternative musics sounds the same. Nevertheless, Deerhunter does that style very well.

This album was ok. The lyrics were really hit or miss. Lenny Kravitz is a good musician, but I think he tried to do too much on this one. His perspective however is really great. He is unapologetically black and isn’t afraid to infuse that into his music which borrows from funk, R&B, and a lot of Beatles.

Though a bit heavy handed at times, Meat is Murder is a classic album. Johnny Marr’s clean jangly guitar and Morrissey’s vocals and unique melodies come together seamlessly to create some of the most identifiable music of the post punk/new wave era. This is not my favorite Smiths album, but it is still top notch.

This album is dark, dreary, yet has a quality to it that makes it sound very much alive. The beats are driving and prominent, and the slight echo gives a sense of space and atmosphere. The Cure are incredibly influential and it is apparent on their second album just how important they are

This classic album from Alanis Morissette features a heavy backdrop of anger and angst which is channeled into post-grunge. This album is powerful and demands to be heard. Though I don't think this album is as successful as some of its contemporaries, it is extremely important in the history of popular music and is incredibly influential.

This album really spans the range of the Smashing Pumpkins. Here we see the band at their heaviest, softest, and most reflective. The two hour run time is a bit much, but this is such an essential album for this band and for the 90s that it doesn’t matter.

Ethereal and atmospheric. I enjoyed this album but it is not something I would choose to listen to. Having said that, I’m glad I gave it a listen and hope to return to it as there were a lot of elements that I really liked

Campy and ambitious, this album is the pinnacle of 70s rock excess. The vocal arrangements are genius and the meticulous and uncompromising layering of music stands apart. Brian May is one of my favorite guitarists and his Dixieland jazz layered solo in ‘Good Company’ is one of his best with the guitar simulating an entire brass section including a sliding trombone. Of course, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is the climax of this album. That song is iconic on its own, but within the context of the album it becomes even greater. I adore this album

Deceptively 70s rock until it isn't anymore. Songs like 'On Some Faraway Beach' sound almost as if they could've been written by Arcade Fire or Neutral Milk Hotel. Though not as experimental and ambient as Eno's later work, this album challenges the notion of what popular music is.

Elvis embraces his country and soul side on this album. This album is very well produced but doesn’t quite capture the authenticity and energy of earlier soul albums. There are certainly some gems on this album and it is a great album by all accounts, but after the experimentation on the late 60s, this album sounds a bit behind

The Stones most coherent album. This album is widely regarded one of the greatest rock albums of all time and I agree to an extent. This album distills rock down into its necessary elements and delivers it in a soul/blues/country package. The songwriting is tight as well. I just am not seeing much experimentation here or with the Stones in general.

I’m Your Man represents a return to form for Leonard Cohen. The album has a sultry late night feel but is brighter than his previous work. It’s obvious why Tom Waits thinks so highly of this album. My only qualm is the synthesizer based production which grounds the music in a recognizably 80s sound and takes me out of the timelessness of Cohen’s music. Obviously it’s a brilliant album nonetheless

A year after Hendrix's death, this album brims with his influence. A combination of funk, acid rock, experimental music, and psychedelia, Maggot Brain is both accessible and transgressive in a way that only George Clinton can be. The musicianship on this album is unimpeachable.

The Fall were incredibly prolific and I’m not familiar with the rest of their work. This album is a perfectly fine new wave/post-punk album. I enjoyed the driving guitars and the unique vocal delivery but don’t really see what sets this album apart from earlier new wave bands, especially in the early nineties.

Some of Bob Marley’s most well known songs are in this album. Aside from that, this album is a joy to listen to. The music is purposeful, catchy, and driving. Marley’s lyrics span religion, politics, sex, and love

This album is so ridiculously ahead of its time. It honestly blew me away. The music builds gradually allowing the listener to hear the layers of distorted and electronic music. The vocal delivery seems punk and spoken word influenced.

I'm not a fan of Aerosmith at their best, and I'm certainly not a fan of this. This album is well executed and well mixed, but it's just not very good. I don't want to hear aging rock stars sing about their sexual exploits before going into pure cheese with the closing track. The music is just ok. If you want good hard rock, there are so many better and more genre defining options. The energy is there, the musicianship is fine, but there's just nothing memorable or groundbreaking about this. But I also like ambient noise so what the hell do I know.

The harmonies are incredible of course. The production is slick and a bit sterile and lacks the touch and soul that Brian Wilson and Phil Spector had. Nevertheless, this album is quite enjoyable and was a huge hit during its time and has given us memorable songs such as 'Monday, Monday,' and 'California Dreamin.' This album is doing something a bit different which in 1966 is saying a whole hell of a lot.

This album has moments of straight techno which melt into new wave and atmospheric rock. At times, the album is danceable and at others, ponderous. The way that the music constructs and deconstructs is interesting and adds to the simmering quality of some of the tracks. Overall, really enjoyable if a touch too long

PJ Harvey’s debut album does not sound like a typical debut album. She comes across as confident and in control of her artistic vision. The music is textured and utilizes changes in dynamic very well. The sound is mature and stands out amongst the mountain of alternative music that came out in the early 90s.

I have never listened to a full Bestie Boys album before. I was surprised to find it full of jazz, funk, and rock idioms. Their blending of genre is seamless and shows where hip hop will go in 15-20 years later with Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Kendrick Lamar. I was surprised and impressed. I'm still not the biggest fan of their vocal delivery style, and their flow is a bit rudimentary.

I didn’t hate it, I didn’t love it. The lead vocals were powerful and enjoyed the black centric lyrics that are damn near absent from alternative metal. However, I just didn’t find much to this album that was terribly innovative musically especially in 1999

Ray Charles delivers an excellent vocal performance. However, in the wake of what was happening in jazz at the time, his big band backed vocals sound a little dated. His piano playing is bluesy and is often subtle. Overall, a wonderfully coherent album if not a bit samey.

This album sees Neil Young grappling with the urge to settle down into a quiet place with someone he loves. The impulse is universal and it leads to a richly textured folk country album that includes some of Young’s most enduring songs.

Solid west coast rap. The rhythm section on this album really stands out with classic soul and funk lines. Overall this album is very well balanced. My biggest issue is the portrayal of women in this album though Yo-Yo’s inclusion is a good counterbalance to his misogyny. Ice Cube’s flow is good with moments that break out of contemporary patterns and anticipate the more creative rapping to come

PJ Harvey does not disappoint with a more delicate and wavering voice which communicates the disillusionment that is found throughout this album. The music is more atmospheric with jangly new wave inspired guitars which further build the sense of disillusionment and distrust

A striking meditation on god, love, and death. Leonard Cohen has always had tension throughout his work, but this album sees the tension unresolved and left to us, the listener. His voice and the subtle instrumentation command attention and leave the listener with a profound sense of loss.

I wasn’t sure what to expect but this album was truly great. Elements of Britpop meet influences such as the Beatles, Radiohead etc. to form a lush textured album that is familiar and new at the same time. I find rock albums from this time tend to sound a lot like each other but this album stands out. I loved the instrumentation as well

I really liked it at the beginning, but it does start to drag. I found the lyrics playful which made me want to listen in, but the album just got so repetitive that I had to break it into chunks to listen to it. There was a lot of upbeat slightly electronic inspired rock music in 2007 and this effort is better than most, but overall, I didn't find it to be earth-shatteringly good

Though not as coherent as ‘What’s the Story Morning Glory’ Oasis’ debut is energetic and full of memorable songs. This band came on the scene knowing exactly who they were. Their sound is developed and their delivery is spot on

I remember System of a Down from when I was in middle school and high school. I was not allowed to listen to them. I was extremely pleasantly surprised to find a very interesting album with interesting melodies and guitar lines. It kept my attention the whole time and this is a genre I never listen to by choice.

This is the best example of Phil Spector's 'Wall of Sound' production technique. Though it was incredibly influential, this technique can muddy the background quite a bit. Playing the studio like an instrument was new in the early sixties and would truly come to fruition in the hand of Brian Wilson and the Beatles several years later.

The music was strong. The instrumentation was expansive giving the album a symphonic feel. There was also a strong sense of melody and whimsy. I only know John Cale through his work his work with the Velvet Underground but though this was very different, this art pop stands very well on its own.

I’m not too familiar with Cat Stevens, but I found this album to be very pleasant. Stevens’ brand of folk is fairly typical of the time being driven by piano and guitar. He has an impeccable sense of melody but for me, this music just doesn’t push the boundaries.

Elliott Smith with a backing band has a very Beatles-esque sound. The song writing is great, the musicianship and instrumentation is great, and the production is perfect. Instant classic

Swampy bayou rockabilly in the hands of a few men from the Bay Area translates incredibly well. John Fogerty’s voice has the perfect amount of grit and expressiveness and seems made for this type of music.

Almost like The Who meets the Kinks with a touch of new wave.

One of the greatest rock debut albums of the 70s, Boston’s self titled album delivers on tight suite like rock. Tom Scholz was a home recoding pioneer and many effects and techniques were developed by Scholz and became industry standard for a time. The vocals are powerful and the instrumentation is sweeping, classically influenced, and carefully orchestrated. I might call this baroque rock instead of power pop.

This is the best shoe gaze album of all time. It is atmospheric, occasionally discordant, and beautifully layered. This album is almost like looking at something through frosted glass and gives me a nostalgic sense for something I’ve never experienced. It is absolutely breathtaking

Wonderful album with great instrumentation. There an anthemic quality to this album that characterizes a lot of Britpop, but there’s a lot of art rock influence here also. I definitely hear the influences of Bowie and the Smiths.

Highway 61 Revisited is a contender for Bob Dylan's greatest, and that is saying a lot. This is Dylan's first 'rock' album as it were, with Bringing it All Back Home having an acoustic half. The album is tinged with blues and country and runs the gamut from straightforward to experimental songs. Of course, this album is famous for what might be the greatest song ever recorded, 'Like a Rolling Stone.' The album is sprawling and far reaching in a way that only the greatest novels are.

This is a watershed album. It is remarkably coherent and engaging from beginning to end. The Cure’s goth edged post-punk is unique and influential. This album gave rise to some of the most enduring music of the last 30 years

Another album at the intersection of R&B and Soul. There's a wide range of influences on this album including some Bossa Nova, and county/western. Though Solomon Burke has a great voice, I understand why he was overshadowed by others in the Soul/R&B scene. He's not as explosive as James Brown, or Sam Cooke (live). His instrumentation is more sparse and calls to mind a more '50s style of instrumentation.

Not as good as other psychedelic albums of the era. In fact, I get the feeling that by the time Iron Butterfly made this album, psychedelic music was just another aesthetic that could be employed. There is nothing terribly original about this music. The singer sounds like he’s doing an Elvis impersonation the whole time, and the title track is 17 minutes of self indulgent noodling.

This album blew me out of the water. Nina Simone's voice and delivery demands attention. It is textured, deep (contralto), and arresting. Everything about this album is striking down to the socially conscious lyrics. This is one of those albums that make me understand the simple power the human voice can have.

This album is a socially conscious blend of soul and cool jazz that at times seems to predict the eventual rise of rap with Gil Scott-Heron’s spoken delivery. This album is somewhat conversational which lends a sense of intimacy that makes its message effective

Stereolab is very hard to categorize. They simultaneously anticipate sounds that would dominate in the following years, yet do so by using sounds from the past across all genres. This album contains sounds that would become popular a decade later and sounds that are familiar and well worn. However, the only drawback to this album is its length.

This was a pretty fun album. The use of samples was interesting and I generally enjoy the Beastie Boys’ style of hip hop. The only downside to this album was some of the lyrics that felt like forced rhymes and the delivery itself which is dated.

Yes is one of the few bands who can pull off an 18 minute song. This album is lush, very well constructed and contains moments which sound surprisingly contemporary. With its use of unusual rhythms and jazz fusion like melodic lines, this album pushes hard on what it means to be a ‘progressive rock’ band. At points this album sounds like contemporary indie folk before dropping into a fusion groove. The harmonies give a CSN vibe within a completely new format. Simply put, this album shouldn’t work, but it just does

This album is responsible for much of the trend towards roots rock and Americana beginning in the 1970s and as such its influence can be felt in contemporary music as well. To top it off, this album contains a couple of songs that were co-written with Bob Dylan thus lending some additional folk credence to what is already a genre defining album.

Though not as explosive as their previous album, Celebrity Skin shoes that Hole was one of best rock bands of the late 1990s. Courtney Love’s vocals are as amazing as ever and the music is solid.

Sarah Vaughan has one of the most beautiful and versatile voices I have ever heard. This album is perfect down to the vocals, the accompaniment, and her natural humor. I absolutely adore this artist and this album.

It’s hard not to think of this album as a Wu Tang Clan album with its cinematic interludes and mafioso centric themes. RZA’s production is phenomenal and Raekwon’s vocal performance with its dynamic flow and shifting rhythms make this album stand out and place it in the upper echelons of 90s east coast rap. I loved this album.

There’s quite a lot going on here. I hear orchestral pop, folk rock, country, electronics, Britpop, and jazz but it doesn’t exactly sound like a blend. It sounds like a jumble of musical references that don’t really create something new. The songwriting is a bit lazy with quite a few lines sounding like they were written to preserve a rhyme. It’s not offensive, but it’s just trying sound more forward thinking than it actually is.

Bitches Brew gets a lot of acclaim, but this transition album sees the advent of fusion. Here we can see the development from modal jazz forms to include more blues, funk, and even some rock elements. This album is also more accessible.

Great mambo album clearly meant to get people dancing. The orchestration is tight and the singing is clear and jaunty. It owes a lot to earlier big band records. In a way, it is both groundbreaking and looking to the past through its fusion of Latin rhythms into big band jazz of previous years

Amazing as always. Aretha Franklin had one of the most powerful voices in popular music. Lady Soul contains two of her greatest hits, but is enjoyable and explosive throughout. Her level of vocal control is remarkable and she never over or under sings. The musical backing is well arranged and highlights her voice well.

A seminal record which helped launch the new school style, Run-D.M.C. features drum machines, more aggressive delivery (relatively), and emphasizes the DJ alongside the MC. With rock and funk tinges, this album is more coherent and intentional than a lot of old school records. The only drawback for me is just how dated it sounds

Not my thing. The music is mediocre though it is well arranged and performed. I’m not a fan of shock rock because it’s transgressive simply for the effect. There’s not really anything of substance behind it and it’s not really saying anything profound. It’s gimmicky

As much as I appreciate how experimental and influential this album is. For me it didn’t click. I enjoy all of the elements that make up this album, however they did not mesh together well. While some transitions were interesting, others were quite jarring. I appreciate the incorporation of a diverse set of instruments, however, it did come across as a bit amateurish.

Buck Owens was a pioneer of the Bakersfield Sound and this album is a phenomenal example of it. Buck Owens is extremely expressive and melancholic which makes his music very effective. This album is essential for anyone who wants to understand the history of popular music.

Great album with interesting rhythms and topical lyrics. This album was also hugely influential on later bands and is considered to be one of the greatest albums of the 70s. I found the mix of post-punk, funk, and dub to be particularly compelling

Ironically, after Eric Clapton's departure and his subsequent replacement with Jeff Beck, the Yardbirds sound trended toward the blues inflected and more psychadelic/experimental. The vocals are great, the bass is forward and melodic, and Jeff Beck's guitar playing is phenomenal. I prefer Jeff Beck to Clapton on most cases and in 'Jeff's Boogie,' you can hear him experimenting with harmonics and a virtuosity that would characterize his later more jazz/fusion influenced work.

The first few songs have a bit of a Grateful Dead meets David Bowie feel before the prog/art rock really takes hold. Brian Eno’s contribution is immense and hints at his ambient music aspirations. Frankly this album absolutely blew me away. The suite like nature of the album plays best as a whole and the genre fluidity works very well for them. This album is way ahead of its time and parts of it sound like it could have been released by contemporary independent artists.

This was an incredibly enjoyable album. The beats were strong and I could hear influences ranging from Latin music to funk and nineties R&B. Common is also a very gifted lyricist and rapper. My only complaint is the 77 minutes runtime.