This is my second PFunk album in less than a week and man-oh-man. The title track alone merits its five stars, I mean, who sends a guitarist into a session and tells them to play like their mother just died? Very deep funk album that doesn't show the funky side that they will become, but this is my style.

This album was a breath of fresh air in a period that had hard rock / hair metal being pushed aside by grunge. Along come the Robinson brothers with their blues-base true-rock record.

Five stars for Beck's Bolero alone. This record is responsible for that 60's / 70's British Blues sound. Beck brings on Rod Stewart before he became the mega-star, and Ronny Wood before becoming a Stone.

Yes, it's possible to separate Clapton's current tendencies to be an A-hole from the genius of CREAM. This album is a good reason. Nevermind the genius of Clapton's playing but listening to one of the greatest drummers Ginger Baker and the masterful bass playing of Jack Bruce makes this album such a sonic explosion that they only needed three members to do it.

Great rock album. Classic Rod Stewart that launched him from the Jeff Beck years. Long before he became Rod 'The Bod' and the disco years, this album shows why he was great.

Would really give it a 3.5 - 3.75. Good rocking album that wears its influence on 90's grunge on its sleeve. Does it belong on the list? YES Average: ★★★ 1. "Teen Age Riot" ★★★★ 2. "Silver Rocket" ★★★★ 3. "The Sprawl" ★★★ 4. "Cross the Breeze"★★★★★ 5. "Eric's Trip" ★★ 6. "Total Trash" ★★ 7. "Hey Joni" ★★★ 8. "Providence" ★ 9. "Candle" ★★★ 10. "Rain King" ★★★ 11. "Kissability" ★★★ 12. "Trilogy: The Wonder" ★★★ 13. "Trilogy: Hyperstation" ★★★★ 14. "Trilogy: Eliminator Jr." ★★★★

I haven't listened to this album front to back in about 20 years. I've forgotten how good it is. Knowing how the Gallagher brothers have fared since their rise to fame has tinted how freaking talented they are. 4/5.

I never heard of this album, or of Neil. This record is fantastic, it straddles multiple genres. His voice reminds me of Glen Campbell, Leonard Cohen or Tom Waits.

Never heard of them, but then again, the late 90's / early 00's newer music and Riot Grl were not my focus. I dig it, love the quirky lyrics and the different sounds they came up with. Very much a They Might Be Giants meet early Beastie Boys vibe. I'm glad I discovered this (new to me) band. Is Le Tigre an album I must hear? Maybe? Does it belong on this list? Would give 3.5 - 3.75 but will round up to a 4.0 for this one.

Tom Sawyer speaks for itself. While weird, it's a seminal song of the time. Red Barchetta. Holy crap, can we say near perfect? This song was laid down in one take. YYZ, Limelight, and The Camera Eye round out a good run of Prog Rock. Witch Hunt and Vital Signs are the weaker tracks that finish off the album. 3.75 / 5.

Dylan at his best.

I've never willingly sat down to listen to a Brazilian Afro-Cubano-Salsa-Pop record. The experience of África Brasil by Jorge Ben was eye-opening. The influence of this type of music and this album, in particular, is easy to pick up. My issue with some different styles of global music is that the repetitive rhythms and verses get frustrating and this record does not difer, still a really good listen.

Fun, typical 90s indie-pop rock. Of note, their cover of Simon and Garfunkel's 'Mrs. Robinson' was the first alt cover that was a significant hit. All of the covers today whether good or bad are because of this.

The problem with using the latest technology for music is that you risk it sounding very dated in the future. This album has not aged well in terms of technology. Eight of the 11 tracks from this album were released as singles (Nine if you count the UK release of Liberian Girl, but please don't). The album could be re-released with those singles only and only improve the album. Speed Demon, Liberian Girl and Just Good Friends detract from the album which suffers from the production values of the period.

Pleasantly surprised by this one. I'm probably the only person that is not a fan of Graceland and the influence that World music played in Simon's future works, but this album is lovely to listen to. It will definitely work it's way into my rotation. Actual score: 3.9

Fun listen. It wouldn't be on my must-play list, but I'd give it a spin on occasion.

Seminal thrash metal album from the 90s. Very rarely does a band's non-musical story surpass the musical one, but man-o-man does Pantera have a hell of a story as a band. Their contribution to metal can be told through this album.

Understand how this album has gained new fans and is listed as an influential album. I'm discovering that I'm not that into Psychadelic Rock, but I like the covers.

I'm listening to this as the only person in my office on a Friday that is gray and rainy out. This, album is perfect and its impossible to pause or walk away from it once you start it. It's hard to pick a favorite track, but that closing medley is a hell of a tune.

The Sgt. Peppers influence is all over this album. I'm not a fan of the experimental folksy lovey-dovey folk sound of Tim Buckley so this doesn't ring to well for me.

I bought this CD when it came out, haven't listened to it complete in about 25 years. Damn good 90s Hip-Hop Soul. Forgot about how Lisa Lopes was the crazy in the Crazy Sexy Cool, but her talent was taken from us too soon.

Isn't Anything isn't…good. In the late 80s I was into hard rock, metal, modern and rap. Indie music like MBV didn't register on my radar.

My favorite LZ album, the best debut album, an absolutely perfect album.

Very good alternative to the US / England concept of the blues. I also hear some jazz and middle eastern music in here. Similar to the Jimmy Page / Robert Plant Led Zeppelin Unplugged album.

Five stars for Beck's Bolero alone. This record is responsible for that 60's / 70's British Blues sound. Beck brings on Rod Stewart before he became the mega-star, and Ronny Wood before becoming a Stone.

In a time that Gangsta Rap and the East Coast / West Coast rivalry was ruling the airwaves, Pharcyde's Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde is a modern hip hop album in a classic style.

Great 80s synth-pop, and, yeah at some points the sound is cringingly 80s synth-pop.

Todd Rundgren helps this album. As a thematic piece, it has a Beatles Sgt Peppers vibe that finishes weaker than it started. Dear God feels thrown in at the end - which of course it is and while it's a good song, it doesn't feel connected to the album. 3.5/5

Fried Ice Cream is a reality!

Wikipedia article really helped me through this one. Reading the processes of the writing / recording made some of my least favorite Fab Four songs more tolerable. I was pleasantly surprised by George's "Love You To".

This is my second PFunk album in less than a week and man-oh-man. The title track alone merits its five stars, I mean, who sends a guitarist into a session and tells them to play like their mother just died? Very deep funk album that doesn't show the funky side that they will become, but this is my style.

I've never delved deep into Elvis Costello's catalog beyond his greatist hits and radio hits, so this was a different side of EC that I'm used to seeing. And I dig it. His voice never bothered me as it seems to bother others, but I've grown up with that voice and am a well-enough-versed veteran to listen beyond that. The writing, production, and musicality of the Attractions put together a great late-era New Wave album. Overall, 7/10, rounded up to a 4/5. I don't know why added to the list, but can appreciate it presence.

The Temps breaking from their familiar Motown Sound to get funkier including a 9+ minute near-masterpiece in Runaway Child. With a little traditional late 60s soul style thrown in, this is a good Temptations album.

I remember when this album came out. I grew up on early U2 and was not happy with the direction they went in after Achtung Baby. When ATYCLB came out, it felt like a surprise return to a familiar U2 that I liked. I still prefer the earlier U2 and understand the need to experiment, but this album is one of their better ones.

I'm listening to Morrissey and I'm not…sad??? Seriously though, Morrissey takes a lot of hits for being the original emo downer, but this is an upbeat rocker.

Regarded as the first heavy metal album, this is a shredder. The lyrics focus on the dark, storytelling perspective that would be a theme with metal. Iommi and Butler are the standouts here, Ozzy's voice never gained traction with me, but this iteration seems less 'Ozzy Inc™' than in his later years.

Very 80s synth-pop. Eurythmics were everywhere with their distinctive sound. After almost forty years on, the sound has not aged so well and while Sweet Dreams gets the glory, Love Is a Stranger is a stronger song that was a fave growing up.

Sounds like the 'best friends' medley on the soundtrack to an 80s movie. Standout tracks: Wishing Well, If You All Get to Heaven, Who's Loving You

I once played soccer with Deep Purple's Ritchie Blackmore, this was almost as good.

I used to work with a couple of guys that were in a KISS tribute band (DO NOT EVER CALL THEM A COVER BAND) and they would play KISS all. the. time. This is a good album that is just fun rock-n-roll. RIP Dave my God of Thunder - I miss you brother.

I would be happy dying before listening to this album. I don't know why it was included and while I'm not much into electronic, I've heard plenty that would fit perfectly on a list of albums to listen to before I die. Bonus, if I'm ever asked for recommendations on music to play while on hold with customer service, this will surely come to mind.

Rufus has a style that is very particular and can be offsetting to most when you get past his bigger hits. I'm a fan of Rufus and listening to this album top to bottom felt tough for me. Still a great album that highlights his vocal range.

Love me some Tom Waits and this album is always toward the top of my list. 4.5/5

My first reaction to this when it came up was ugh. I'm an 80's / 90's metal/thrash kid. The early 00's rehashing of punk and metal was not good in my view. BUT, I went into this album intending to give it a fair listen. My opinion still hasn't changed. While technically skilled, the rythm section carries this album with the standard metal fills. The mix between sing/yelling/crooning doesn't play well to me.

If Superunknown made the list, I wonder about Ultramega OK, Louder Than Love and Badmotorfinger because those albums are the perfect Soundgarden sound. Superunknown is good, but I remember when Spoonman came out thinking they overstayed their welcome. Nevertheless, Soundgarden represent the pinnacle of the NW Grunge sound (yeah, Nirvana is overrated and had Chris Cornell done what Kurt did around the same time they'd be more revered). 3.5/5.

You can note the evolution of the big band sound in this recording, but then again let Basie be Basie and you get solid gold every time.

The music of the 80s. AatA were some of the best syntho-pop in the post-punk pop scene. Some of that music comes off as very dated forty years later, this not so much.

Do not listen to this if you're morose or mourning. Wow, I've never heard his solo stuff and this album convinced me I need to dig into it. I don't know how to even categorize this music.

I would listen to Tom Waits read from the dictionary while playing an accordion. Rain Dogs is near peak Tom Waits. He's very experimental musicality-wise, but his lyrics are just poetic.

It's hard to imagine that Iron Maiden goes back to 1980 with their debut album. This borders between the iconic British hard rock sound that was emerging from Europe and what would eventually become the sound of later 80s and 90s Heavy Metal. This album is a great little time capsule piece.

Easy listen when you're all up in your head. Amazing album that is close to five stars, but Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall cast a great shadow.

Good early thrash. The influence on Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer and other 80s thrash pioneers is present.

What makes Sinatra one of the greatest is his constant change. He loved music and singing and was always looking to new artists and influences and learning from them. Antonio Jobem was as hot as Sinatra and the Beatles in his home country of Brazil. When his Bossanova sound became popular worldwide he paired up with Sinatra for this classic. Sintra's velvet voice is tested for the slowed down pace and lower range than he's used to. Not one of my favorite Sintara albums, but it still gets a spin on occasion.

Yes, it's possible to separate Clapton's current tendencies to be an A-hole from the genius of CREAM. This album is a good reason. Nevermind the genius of Clapton's playing but listening to one of the greatest drummers Ginger Baker and the masterful bass playing of Jack Bruce makes this album such a sonic explosion that they only needed three members to do it.

Great rock album. Classic Rod Stewart that launched him from the Jeff Beck years. Long before he became Rod 'The Bod' and the disco years, this album shows why he was great.

Amazing that the message is still relevant. TDHoH, PE, BDP, KRS-ONE, Marvin Gaye… etc - the list can just go on and on. Black political music has long been speaking truth to power and yet goes unheard. I hope that messages like this will no longer have to be recorded.

Raw Samba of the 60s was great. Just like all things great and trend worthy, when they go pop its an indication that the trend has jumped the shark. This is a decent poppy-samba album, but 60s pop like this isn't my cup of tea. Gilberto's earlier Samba is much more worthy of inclusion on the list.

Never heard of her before. This hybrid of 60s pop, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez is good.

This is a new one for me. While I'm scratching my head as to what makes this album so important that I listen to it before I die, I like it. I'll have to check this group out to check on the rest of their catalog.

Damn amazing album. Common has always been on point, but Kanye's participation reminds me of what made him so great.

PSB being PSB. Can't argue too much with it, their sound is timeless.

Of course this album is still relevant some 20 years later. ZDL may have gone of the deep end, but I still listen to this album pretty regularly and may of course still blast 'Killing in the Name' when I'm in a mood. 4.5/5

Never got into the Byrds - is this their must listen?

Never heard of Manic Street Preachers before. Now that this has introduced me to them, I'll check out the rest of their discography.

One of the Stones' best.

Beautiful piece of work. Side one is a five star, side two's 3.5 bring this to a four star.

It started off strong and after the fourth song got very repetitive.

On par with Bob Marley's best.

My second straight reggae album and neither was a Marley disc. I wasn't much of a raga fan, but this is definitely worth the listen and I will revisit again.

Not what you expect to hear from Björk - very good for background noise.

Perfect example of songwriting and singing.

I don't know why a 'live' album by a band that some admit overdubbed 75% of the album in the studio is a 'must hear' - there are many better live albums that yield the same effect with better results (KISS ALIVE). On the whole, this is a good Thin Lizzy album and reflects why this forgotten band is cited as an influence.

I've forgotten how great this album is. Billy Corgan, mad genius that he is has pretty much spoiled all good will the Pumpkins earned. The 90s grunge sound is credited with being born in the PacNW. Chicago's Smashing Pumpkins expand that area with this album. 4.5/5

Why is this a must listen? It's not awful, but I can think of many synth-pop albums that could be on a list of must listen, this would not be one.

Frank's best era. This album was the first concept that he made and would continue to follow the format. This album was the first pressed 12" LP. From an artistic standpoint, this is some of the best Sinatra songs recorded. If you're in a melancholy mood, listen to this album.

A little mix of Hendrix's iconic blues, hits and filled with the psychodellic rock of the era. A double-album is a heavy lift, could this have been condensed down to one LP, no but two is a bit of a stretch too.

Why listen to a full album of songs that sound different? I like Franz Ferdinand's debut album, but a must-listen? I wouldn't suggest that.

My dislike for David Byrne aside, this is a great TH album. Very future driven. 3.5/5

I didn't know what to expect with this band and boy was I impressed. Nice ambient sounds that remind me of some mellower Radiohead.

The Smiths are dated now and Morrisey being Morrisey and all, they've caught some flack. This album doesn't hold up as much today, but spoke of the times and was influential to so much of the later and current music we have now.

As a father to a teen-ager, I recognized many songs on this and enjoy them. TS is America's Pop-Queen.

Starts off interesting, plateaus and drops at the end. To the point that I just want it to end. It's decent indie rock, not my style though.

One of the originators of punk proves he can work solo too. With the help of David Bowie, Iggy knocks it out of the park here.

When Bruuuuuuuuce turned this album in, his manager, Jon Landau told him he needed a single for the radio. He went back and produced that single - Dancing in the Dark and an additional six more would be released. Every single record was a top-ten hit. You can't argue with this and you can't argue with Bruce because he is the Boss.

For all the slack Lars gets for being a mediocre drummer, James gets overlooked for what a horrible singer he is live. And I'm a Metallica fan. On paper, this is a brilliant concept. Executed? meh. I will say S&M 2 is better. Heck, there's a number of orchestral / rock collabs that belong on the list in lieu of this - The Rolling Stones/London Phil, Led Zeps MTV Unplugged, etc. I love Metallica's constant trying of different things, but 3 stars from a Metallica fan is tough to give.

Don't get why so much meh-Brit-pop is must listen. I didn't listen much to 'em when they were around and I still don't.

Forgot how good the Afghan Whigs are. While grunge was taking over, this album is a nice alternative sound to what would become the ALTERNATIVE sound.

It's Morrissey, so it's good…I guess. this week has been tough picks for me and I don't have the headspace for a Morrissey album. But thanks for the reminder that Maggy is dead!

Very good. Steve Winwood delivers here… 3.5/5

it may sound dated, but this is the album that influenced 80s and 90s rock and is still influential today.

it may sound dated, but this is the album that influenced 80s and 90s rock and is still influential today.

Damn great 80s synth pop reminiscent of Depeche Mode. The tainted love remixes are a great bonus.

Good 90s club music, but I can easily see why she's classified as a 1HW.

Jazzy Rap. The last track alone merits the disc five stars.

A different side of Getz that I'm not familiar with.

Definitely psych-rock and not what you'd imagine PINK FLOYD sounding like. I liked it more than I thought I would. 3.5/5.

Hot Damn. I never heard this group before. I thought Television was the preeminent Post-Punk band, I'll need to check out more from them. 4.5/5

Oof. This late 90s early aughts pop metal is tough to get through. I don't get why an Incubus album is a must listen to when there's only one recognizable song on it. And I don't like that one song. 2.5/5

Screw it. 5.0. If I could rate higher I would. I've not listened to much of Janelle Monae, but I am wowed by this album. It's hard for me to pull the trigger for 5.0 on something thats new to me like this without it being a groundbreaker or iconic artist. But wow, this was a great disc to end the week on. I'm going to relisten now.

Groundbreaking album that changed hip-hop/rap. Some of it is very dated and doesn't sound like it belongs on what you would imagine 'gangsta rap' is today, but I remember how shattering this whole thing was. 3.5/5

What people think the Sex Pistols sound like, but actual Punk music. 3.5/5

I've heard There Goes the Fear in snippets, but the rest of the album was new to me as was the band. The upbeat tracks were fun and the slower ones oozed a Coldplay vibe. 3.5/5

My second time this week getting an album from the recent five years thinking meh, modern music doesn't grip me and for the second time I'm floored. I can see why SAULT is classified as R&B/Soul but there is so much more to this album that doesn't fit into those genres. There's some Jazz, 80s Pop, New Wave elements. It's a very poetic, easy listener of an album. 4.5/5.

Classic Aerosmith, not their best album but I'd guarantee this album is on the list solely because of 'Back in the Saddle' which is one of their best songs. 3.5

Starts off strong with some classic Elton hits and thins out to be some of his weaker stuff.

I…I don't know what I listened to, but I like it I think? 4.0

Groovy - 3.5.

Isaac before he went full-throated crazy. Amazing piece of work, his voice is like hot butter.

A lot of these songs don't originate with Sinatra, so why is this album a must listen? Nelson Riddle. He's one of, if not the best oranger in the American Popular Songbook. Entire papers and documentaries have been created on what he did with I've Got You Under My Skin - one of my favorite Sinatra songs for the very reason Nelson Riddle is amazing. The trombone transition at the end of the song merits this album the full five stars it deserves, the same material in the hands of any other combo of arranger/singer would yield more Michael Bublé oatmeal.

I like live albums like this where you hear the raw performance, some are recorded live and 'enhanced' in the studio. This is a good archive of a performer that did not get to stick around to prove his value as one of the greatest singers around. Bonus points for King Curtis blowing on the sax, you can tell the influence he had on players like Clarence Clemmons. 3.5/5

The 'patient-zero' for 99% of this list. Modern music owes everything to Little Richard's innovation. Sure, he was riding a wave of change in the 1950's, but the bands that influence the bands that are listened to now were influenced by Little Richard. 4.5/5 for musicality. 5/5 for originality.

YO CHUCK-D, WHERE ARE YOU? Typical PE album, not their best but still a solid 4.0.

DM are the peak synth-pop to come out of the 80s/90s. This album is one of their finest - 3.5/4

Belongs on the list: 5 Monumental Album: 4 Influential Album: 4 Van-the-Man™'s best disc. 4.5/5

Hell of a freshman outing from The Doors. This album is still on frequent rotation for me. Morrison's lyrics with Manzeric's organ fills and Densmore's drumming are groundbreaking. Wish they would've lasted longer to see what else they could've contributed to RNR.

This album was a breath of fresh air in a period that had hard rock / hair metal being pushed aside by grunge. Along come the Robinson brothers with their blues-base true-rock record.

I never got into country music until the last few years. Outlaw Country is the latest discovery for me and you can't have Outlaw without Waylon. Billy Joe Shaver's addition to the lineup helps turn this album into a fun romp. 4/5.

Three chords and the truth. Punk rock at its essence. 3.5/5

All due respect to Paul McCartney's recent comment that The Rolling Stones are basically a blues cover band, this sophomore album from the Fab Four that has nearly half of its fourteen tracks as covers is great. While not a fan of their earlier works, The Beatles tapped into a vein that changed the direction of pop music and this disc is evidence.

Even the casual music fan can't deny the immensity of this album. Quincy Jones is the best.

The pre-fab band that gave Punk its look (because its founder ran a clothing store and wanted to promote them and figured he could put a band together and sell music and clothing). Johnny Rotten's voice becomes a little grating by the time you get to the end but still worth a listen every once in a while. 3.5/5

My favorite Beatles album. Something turned out to be one of their best songs and John / Paul didn't write it. But the perfection in this album is the side 2 medley. They pulled unfinished songs together to fill an album when they were clearly not getting along and had no interest in working together anymore, that is where the talent shines.

Good classic hip hop. I forgot how great Queen Latifah was as an MC. 3.5/5

Good solid album with well known hits from Sir Elton. Should've been a single disc, lots of tracks on this album follow John's signature sound and get repetative. 3.5

Easily a solid five without RESPECT (one of the very few songs that is a cover very much better than the original, all due apologies to Otis Redding who even thought the same). Aretha Franklin blending pop, funk, soul, and gospe are fantastic. Her cover of Sam Cooke's 'A Change is Gonna Come' is just hauntingly beautiful.

Never heard of them before and I'm impressed. They're a good example of English Post-Punk.

Ahhh… this takes me back to high school. While I was more into Anthrax, Slayer and Metallica rated a close second. This was the album from them that I played often to my parents discontent.

The Talking Heads being the Talking Heads. I can tolerate them to a point, but David Byrne just annoys me. 3.5/5

Good, raw hiphop.

Don't do drugs mmmkay? This album is an example of what you can do if you're clear-headed. Sonically, PUMP is dated but Aerosmith put out one heck of an album with this. What It Takes is still in frequent rotation for me. 3.5/5

Love the song, was curious about the rest of the album for a while. The song is really the must listen and the rest of the album is a solid meh. There are plenty of better examples of acid / psychedelic rock available. The song alone would rate a good 4 but the rest of the album along with the song is watered down to a 2.5/5.

Fantastic, I think this might be my second T.Rex album from the list and this one belongs on it too. Definitely hear the influence on Bowie and 80s New Wave. 3.5/5

I normally try to listen to the whole album, after 131 albums, I finally hit an album that I really struggled with. The short song transitions is hectic and disorienting. TMBG did a similar thing in their early years, but with a more eclectic songwriting style that I favor. 2/5.

How awesome to get this album on Christmas, I can't imagine giving a different review in August, but you need a certain environment to listen to this album. A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector by Various Artists is on heavy rotation in my house during the holidays and it's easy to separate the genius from the malcontent. Spector was a handful always, but he nailed the recipe with the wall of sound and his eye for talent in Darlene Love, Ronnie Spector and the rest make everything he touched perfect. 4.5/5

Is every TH album a must listen? Sonically, this is an interesting album, but nothing to write home about. Once in a Lifetime does the heavy lifting here.

It's 11º outside as I listen to this. This Marley album takes me to the beach for a warm respite from reality. The only song from BMs Greatest Hits whose picture hung on every college student's wall - Stir it Up is one of Bob's better known songs and pairs well with the rest of the album. It's nice to hear some Bob Marley I'm unfamiliar with. 4/5

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, before In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida was In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. But Cuban. This album is 65 years old and sounds like it was recorded down in the barrio yesterday. While it seems out of place for a Blue Note record, latin-jazz ushered the way in for the Bossa Nova craze that would come in a short decade. This was a fun listen and I plan on buying this on vinyl to have a dance party in my living room.

Hell of a solo WU album. Have to imagine being produced outside of and not featuring a lot of WU chums this outing is all Ghost. He can hold his own to fill an album. 3.5/5

Raw and gritty. This album produced Bruce's best work, because he was locked in a legal battle for ownership of his work and he couldn't put out any new music until it was settled. This meant he worked. And worked…and worked. This album has my favorite Bruce song - Something in the Night, it's such a beautiful song. Add to it Candy's Room and Racing in the Street as some of the lesser known songs to the biggies like Badlands, The Promised Land, Prove it All Night and Darkness make this a full five-star album.

I'm glad that NY kept his best stuff from CS&N to make this, CSNY are a great group but this album would've suffered under the full group. This is up there with Neil's best. 4.5/5

I haven't listened to this album in about thirty years and forgot how raw and original it is. Jam Master Jay's sampling and cutting work with the by today's standards 'simple lines'. But this right here is one of the building blocks of rap. Long before the autotune. 4.5/5.

If the Munsters were a punk rock band they would be the Cramps. The Cramps are the answer to the question you didn't know you wanted to ask: can a four-person band have two guitars, a singer, a drummer and no bass? Yes. Does this album belong on a list of albums you must hear? If you listen to this album and think for a moment you heard the newest Jack White vault release from when the White Stripes opened a Burger King, then you have your answer.

This was really fun and a good indicator of what PopPunk should be. A fun little tidbit about this band, they're from Derry, Northern Ireland and were popular during 'The Troubles'. I highly recommend the Netflix series 'Derry Girls' which takes place at the same time and gives a visual to what it was like being young during this period.

This is the definitive Grunge album. AiC had a tap into the teen angst, anger and lostiness that came to be associated with Gen-X and the 90s. 3.5/5

Monumental album for Rush, not my favorite from them. 3.5/5

Elements of metal, blues, prog and experimental rock. All of this coming from a trio.

If Shameika said she had potential, then by golly she sure did. This is a more mature album coming from the borderline grunge princess of the 90's. It feels disjointed and all over the place sonically. Lyrically, some of her best writing. 3/5

I could gladly die without ever having heard this album and just another example of why auto-tune is destroying music.

More of a look into the freestyle mind of Syd after leaving Pink Floyd. You can hear where he has it together and where he doesn't. I suspect this is a must-hear due to it being Syd Barrett and gives a peak into what Pink Floyd would be doing had he stayed. 3/5

I missed this one when it came out, but then again, I was living in NYC listening to the last bit of metal glory and the rising grunge scene. This style of post-punk / pop-punk wouldn't catch on for some time, by which time I've moved on. It's okay for what it is, I think there are albums that better capture the pop punk British sound of the time. 3/5.

Very ambient. So ambient, I forgot I was listening to it. While not my style, good album. 3/5.

The good: the garage-revival of the early 00's was a great throwback to simple three-chord plug and play raw rock and roll. The Hives hit their mark here. The meh: recognizing this is a 'compilation' for the sake of getting more airplay, the album is very repetitive. 3.5/5

Growing up in Wisconsin in the 70s, my friends and I would gather in a buddy's basement and listen to this album a ton, while enjoying the finer cabbage from the garden. I look back on those days as character defining. One friend went on to become pretty famous, another got into some trouble with assaults and joined a cult. As adults we're no longer to much in touch, but every time I hear this album and in particular the famous 'I want you to want me', I go back to that basement and think HELLO WISCONSIN!!

The album itself is almost a greatest hits package. I haven't listened to Synchronicity top to bottom in ages and as a whole it plays much better than each track individually.

(Pop) Punk Rock Concept Album? Sure. Less about the music and more about the context of this Green Day's American Idiot came at a time when Radiohead also dropped Hail To The Thief. At the turn of the century when so much was going wrong in the world and the US seemed to be the party responsible, music led the boom of discontent. I wish that the GWB, Iran / Iraq wars, Wall Street, BLM incidents led to as good protest music as came out of the late 60s / early 70s. American Idiot thematically is the closest.

Great album that highlights the rising digital creative scene.

This follow up to Ill Communication was considered a flop when the Beasties moved from their party-boy anthems to well written verses with good sampling and actually playing their instruments. It didn't take long for this to become and underground hit and now rivals Ill Communication as their best - I do give Paul's Boutique the edge over the prior. 4/5.

Clapton's updated raw vision of the blues that followed his heroin addiction, this is the transition piece that led him to his modern mainstay. As news about Clapton being a piece of shit continually make headlines, it's time to remember, even assholes can be talented. 4/5.

Proto-pop-garage-punk? I'm not sure how this is classified, but take the irritating parts of all of those styles, blend them together into a homogenized slurry of early-00s rock and you get the Arctic Monkeys? 3/5

I remember my older brother coming home really excited from a concert at a local community college on Long Island in the early 80s. "This band from Ireland is the next big thing, they're amazing!". While I was young and unable to go see them until the Achtung Baby tour, my fandom jumped onboard like any other impressionable early teenager's would when their mentor in all things music discovered a new gem. My love / hate relationship with the Dublin boys would swing both ways through the years, but you can never argue that Joshua Tree is an amazing album. Yes, Bono can be an irritating prick at times and The Edge's guitar stylings can be predictable and lazy, but this era of U2 that launched them beyond the stratosphere will always be peak. 5/5.

It doesn't sound like a late 70s album. Jazz, Fusion, Rock and Prog together. 3.5/5

Neal Young is stretching his legs on his second post-Buffalo Springfield solo disc. His first collab of many with Crazy Horse is a great peak into where he will take his music. His songwriting stands out here - Cinnamon Girl, Down By The River, The Losing End… etc are all sonically not something that you'd think a singer / songwriter would put out in 1969. This popped up on the tail end of NYs battle with Spotify, and I'll repeat what I said last week with an Eric Clapton selection, it's okay to seperate the asshole from the music when they take stands you don't agree with. 4/5.

Early 90s raw rock. This would equal the early indie scene while grunge was pushing hair metal to the side.

New one for me. I've heard of Elbow, but if you wanted a Peter Gabriel Radiohead/Coldplay cover band, this is them. The sound is etherial and makes good background filler with the concession that this one hour album feels like four. 3.5/5.

Back in the 70s the boys loved this album because Boston's Aerosmith brought The Rolling Stones sound to an American band. The girls loved this album because of Steven Tyler and his big ten-inch… record. Great rocking album with instant classics Sweet Emotion and Walk This Way. 3.75/5.

Most of the samples from early to mid-90s hip hop come from here. I've never heard them in full, this is a disc I will easily buy and put on for background music. 4.5/5.

Good album, but like most of the post-2000 additions to this list I gotta ask what makes this a must listen? I've never heard of this album or group. Granted when this was released, I had a four year old running around the house. 3.5/5.

Decent background ambient electronica. 3/5.

"I never knew how good our songs were until I heard Ella Fitzgerald sing them". - Ira Gershwin This collection features my favorite era of American music and one of the tops of the genre - Ella Fitzgerald. While it's her name on the album, it's a veritable who's who of greats that made this collection possible. Aside of Ella being the highlight vocalizing the amazing words of the brothers Gershwin, this would not be possible at all without Nelson Riddle's orchestration. I've struggled to get through some of the selections on this list that are only one disc. The whopping six discs of music on this selection wasn't enough for me. I could've gone for more Ella Fitzgerald.

Makes good background music, other than that…

This is painful. Right from the title, which is what Gaye said to his wife when turning over the agreed upon 50% of the royalties of this album which was negotiated to end the divorce proceedings she brought against him. He'd fallen behind on child support and his spending habits and the long legal proceedings left him broke. Oh yeah, that wife was also the sister of Motown / TAMLA records executive Berry Gordy. Marvin Gaye is a tough listen, his vocal range is spot on. The smooth R&B sound he evolved into from his earlier Northern Soul fame lost some fans as well. Combining the hard R&B and the personal lyrics make this a heart rendingly good album. 3.5/5.

Siblings always produce really good music when they hate each other. 3.5/5.

Part folk, part rock, part country, Joni takes her talent in all directions. Sonically, some of this album is very dated, but the showcase here is Mitchell's lyric writing. It's amazing that this period of American music gave us Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan etc… 4/5

OG Punk. Who else can go into a hotel room for two days and output a classic album with I just wanna be your dog and 1969 other than Iggy and the Stooges? 4/5.

90s Brit-Pop, with this, the second album I've gotten from Supergrass - a band I never heard of before starting this list. I wondered before what made them a 'must listen' and now that they have so far, two albums on this list, I wonder what is their catch? This is a good album, for what it represents. 3.5/5.

Trip Hop / Chill Hop - great selection from a period where electronic music was starting to fall into its own. 3.5/5

The band that successfully kept punk alive in the late 80s / early 90s merits a must listen with Repeater. 3.5/5

I missed out by being a little too young for Echo and the Bunnymen by a few years when this came out. Now after knowing their impact on music and giving this album my first full listen, it's good. That whole British new-wave / post-punk sound was all over the place, but EatB clearly have it down pat. 4/5.

Not my favorite SY album, a quasi-thematic album that goes from okay to pretty darn good by the end. 3.5/5.

Punk music turns Celtic. Ground zero for the Irish punk bands like Dropkick Murphy's, Black 47, Flogging Molly, etc. all start with the troubled Shane McGowan and his colleagues. Great album, great track list.

Not my favorite era of Miles, but when Miles Davis tells you he's a genius, listen to him. The highlights for me are the more traditional "Miles Davis" sounding ones. The experimental is okay in my book, but when he blows his horn, he wails.

A lot of blues, a little prog and the best female rock vocalist ever. Gershwin's Summertime and 'Piece of My Heart' get the proper love and respect Janis' legacy deserves, but the cover of Big Momma Thornton's "Ball and Chain" rounds this out as a great slice of Americana. 4.5/5.

I wasn't a fan of the The when they started, I'm still not. I do get the reason they're on the list though.

Only the 70s could give us rock flute. And because its the 70s, it works. 4/5.

Roxy Music sets the bar for the 80s sound with this album.

You know how Bob Dylan does Bob Dylan stuff like record a Christmas album when he's a non-practicing borderline atheistic Jew, records Sinatra cover albums, etc, because he's Bob Dylan? I'm Your Man is like that, only not as good. Cohen's lyrics are good here, but my gawd. The music has to be a joke, otherwise the thought of using a 1987 Compaq Presario to generate the tones was a serious artistic oversight. 3.5/5.

That 12-string Rickenbacker that leads of the title track and flows throughout the album of original songs combined with Bob Dylan covers has etched its way into becoming one of the iconic sounds of the 60s. The Byrds are one of those groups who's music gives just about as much Entertainment as the internal intrigue. 3.5/5

1978? You can hear this album's influence in late 80s synth pop, 90s college rock, on and on. This was a pleasure to listen to and this album in particular is an example of the post-punk sound's influence. Bonus: what a great version of Helter Skelter.

This takes me back to the clubs in the 90s. This album is very indicative of the 90s electronic clubs sound, bonus, the segue's between songs with the live dialogue is clever - especially with the James Bond Theme. 4/5

In which Mr. Wonder plays the organ. Innervisions is ONE of this iconic sounds from a period where Stevie Wonder constantly reinvents his sound'. Crossing over Soul, Jazz, Gospel, Spiritual, and good ole' Rock-N-Roll, Innervisions is a home run.

Rubén Blades? The actor? What a fun ride, I don't speak Spanish, so I can't comment on the social commentary aspect of this collaboration. But I do dig salsa music and this spans a range. This Afro-cuban-disco-jazz centric album is a fun listen and I'll definitely revisit. 4/5.

This pains me to listen to. I love Billie Holliday and listening to this final record released while she was alive leaves me uneasy. Her voice is not what it was on her best record 'Lady Sings the Blues'. She is a ghost of herself, wracked in addiction and mostly likely terminal when she recorded these tracks. The orchestration by Irving Townsend is too Lawrence Welk-like and doesn't compliment what could be a more bluesy, torch-song like recording. Holiday sings some of my favorites from the Great American Songbook and nothing on here challenges what are my favorite versions. Bonus to her for trying to put her spin on these treasures, but she should have gone to Nelson Riddle who was working wonders with Frank Sinatra during this period. 3.5/5.

Music in Exile by Songhoy Blues is a great dessert-World Music album. It follows in the footsteps of the genre and while I enjoyed listening to it, I don't believe it would be on the updated list without the backstory of the members. 3.5/5

Locust Abortion Technician by Butthole Surfers comes at a period of fun, schlocky punk rock. MOD, SOD, and Scatterbrain helped make this genre popular. Not the bet representation of the sound, but I liked it nonetheless. 3.5/5.

It's rare that a Live album should be considered a must listen, this is one of them. There is something about early Jazz and the American Songbook that only improves when performed live in a small club. Sarah Vaughn is one of the top females singers from this era, sometimes overshadowed by Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, her voice remained at it's peak throughout her career and didn't suffer the fallbacks that the others did. Good solid performance. 4/5.

The US' version of the Beatles - all pop, no flop. Today! is The Beach Boys transitional album, they're growing up here and moving on to what will become Pet Sounds. But to get there, Brian Wilson needs to do his Brian Wilson thing. Paired with Phil Spector's Wall of Sound this album while flat in hits is a good heritage slice of The Beach Boys cake. 3.5/5

As near perfection you can get with a jazz album. I'm probably in the minority by thinking that Giant Steps is superior, but Love Supreme is a stellar work. 4.5/5.

The sound that launched the second wave of punk, new wave and post-punk. The voice of that sound, Bob Marley is still influential, some 40 years after his death. And there's a reason, Bob's sound is often copied, but never duplicated. Natty Dread drags on a little towards the end, but this album got well worn by the youth across the pond. 4/5.

Good solid Funk-N-Roll that set the standard for those that followed. Obviously, Stand! and Everyday People standout, but Track 2 and the near-fourteen minute Sex Machine are phenomenal songs. 4/5.

Getting away from the recognizable hits like Hanging on the Telephone, One Way Or Another and Heart of Glass, Parallel Lines by Blondie spans the multiple genres that came crashing together during this era. When you blend Post-punk, new wave and disco to make it work, it works. Sadly, filling an album with songs that don't make this sound work gets a little repetitive. This is a very good album and does what every Blondie album needs to do, blend a few of the recognizable hits with the sound currently working its way through the NY clubs. 3.5/5

This album was the second most popular album behind Master of Puppets when I reached high school in 1986. The legacy of Number of the Beast catapults Iron Maiden to the upper echelons of heavy metal because of its quality and its influence. Compared to the metal that would be released after this album broke music, one would think it tame and hardly Heavy Metal. But just like the Beatles and Elvis' music today pales in comparison to the children they spawned, Iron Maiden's Number of the Beast shares the same limelight. 4/5.

Of all the Bad Brains albums, I Against I is not the one to list as 'must listen'. But since it's here, let's talk. This album is one of Bad Brains weaker sets, combining elements of pop, disco and some elements of DC Bounce. This is a good selection of a the punk genre in transition, too late for the great punk scene and a precursor of the 90s pop-punk that will be prevalent. 3/5.

Prince was a genius, I acknowledge that. When he was on, he was on and Purple Rain is the best example of his work. 5/5.

What you would think sounds like an Enya-esque inspired album, then realize this album came out in 1974! For the technology limitations compared between then and now, this album can easily be released today, and while not my normal choice for mood music, I'm interested. 3.5/5.

After watching all 50,000 hours of the 'Get Back' documentary and being amazed at watching Paul McCartney whip out 'Get Back' while waiting for John Lennon to come to work, I acknowledge his genius. But then in the same documentary, you see him churn out utter bullshit like 'Maxwells Silver Hammer' and realize when McCartney is on, he's on. When he's off, he is way fucking off. The same goes for 'Band On The Run'. McCartney's entire post-Beatles career is basically him spouting 'I wrote Hey Jude' and revising common history that everybody knows is fucking bullshit but he does it anyway. Band on the Run, Jet, and Let Me Roll it do the heavy lifting on this album to merit it on a list of 1,001 albums you must listen to, but the rest of the McCartney drivel waters down the splendor of what could be a good album - but this isn't the only McCartney or Beatles album that is guilty of such. The last two tracks, 'Picasso's Last Words (Drink to Me)' and 'Nineteen-Hundred and Eighty-Five' are fun little jaunts that you want to hear once and be done with. 4/5.

This iteration of the BBoys is my favorite - them returning to their punk rock / instrumental roots. This fourth album that follows up Check Your Head to round out the 'Instrumental' portion follows their original 'party-boy-white-boy-rappers' phase, while the platform that launched them is also their weaker. The one-two of Check Your Head and Ill Communication gets to their Beatles 'experimental' phase which is the richest period. 4/5.

Moss Side Story by Barry Adamson is what makes me question the worthiness of an entry on a list 1,000 albums to hear before you die. Why? WhyTheFuq is an album that some guy made to get noticed as a cinematic composer worthy of such an entry? On the whole, the album is…okay, so I'll leave my critiques of Adamson's bland compositions that don't stray from a 4/4 time and take issue Arnar Eggert Thoroddsen of Iceland who wrote the entry for this album in the first printing of the book (and what I would guess is the entries for the reprinting). If you wanted to see a post-punk-avant-garde soundtrack (but I beg of you to tell me what the connection this album has to post-punk other than the artist having been in two post-punk UK bans, but I digress), I'm sure Yoko Ono has something for you and I can guarantee, her view of Avant Gard music is spot on and as a matter of fact, I feel you are blocking her a slot on this list. Congratulations to Barry Adamson for turning a demo into the career you wanted, I'm not sure that I'm for the better after listening to this. 2/5 for the entry on the list | 3/5 for the musicality.

ELPs TARKUS delivers exactly what it is, an edgy prog-rock album. This list is turning me into a prog-rock fan and while this isn't my fave of what I've been hearing, it was a good listen. 3.5/5.

With all due respect to Glass Animals fans, and fans of late 90s / early 00s BritPop – No. Understanding that the book this list is based on is British and most of it's contributors are British, the amount of unnecessary BritPop on this list is a head-scratcher. Rings around the world is an okay album. It starts off strong and almost halfway into the album I started getting annoyed and frustrated. Yay for the band that they peaked at number three on the UK charts, but across the pond you have to get to the Indie Charts before you even see this album rank a moderate 32 for the year. This is not a list-worthy entry. Perhaps I'm becoming annoyed at the draws that are giving me mediocre UK pop for the the third time in four days, but I'm hopeful tomorrow will be better. 3/5 for musicality | 2/5 for list worthiness.

Granted, I'm not into the Western African World Music scene, but after some exposure to Femi Kuti's father Felt and Ali Farka Touré, I had higher hopes for this album. Femi has it tough, being the child of a legend and while this album is a good listen, I don't grasp it as much as the others. Femi Kuti's self-titled album is a fun listen, spanning jazz, fusion, punk, afro-cuban, and soul. Some of the songs suffer by being way too long and repetitive. 3/5.

I've forgotten how good F5 is. This album is raw, the beats are simple and the lyrics are great. 4/5.

Funk, soul, and jazz all combined to make the Mardi Gras sound. Dr. John's first album is a fun trek down the Mardi Gras wormhole, this is such a great album. 4/5.

Dayum, Reverend Al. Al Green's voice is instantly recognizable and iconic. Let's Stay Together is an amazing song kicking off an amazing album. The Memphis 70s sound is so prevalent on here. The album includes the Reverend's cover of the Bee Gee's 'How Can You Mend A Broken Heart' which, may be better than the original, it's very close. How many cover songs can do that? 4/5.

Another of the British list writers put bands only British people would know on list entry. I've never heard The Only Ones and after today I probably will never again. 1978 is an era during a time of great change in music, and the punk / post-punk sound is probably the most vibrant sound getting changed. The Only Ones sound like they're jumping on a popular bandwagon sound, and while there are many bands that are just as guilty (cough, Sex Pistols, cough) they don't excel at it. This freshman album is a good example of Neo-80s New-Wave-Post-Punk, but it's also forgettable and really makes me wonder what makes it's addition to a list of must listen albums. Overall it's okay. 3/5 for the album. 2/5 for its inclusion on the list.

This starts off nice and smooth. It's an easy listen, harkening back to 70s/80s singer / songwriter FM rock, Bob Segar and Jackson Brown come to mind. This is my first experience with The War On Drugs, and it was pleasant and soothing. 3/5.

I get the hate for Elvis Costello on this list, but Armed Forces is a tour deForce that definitely belongs and is a must listen. This 1979 near-masterpiece is a sonic balance of punk, post-punk and the oncoming 80s pop sound. Of course Nick Lowe's production does the heavy lifting here. 4/5.

A great slice of the perfect example of a music genre that crashed and burned so fast. Chic's sound exemplified the sound of Disco, and that's with thanks to Bernard Edwards bass and Nile Rodgers guitar. Take those two sounds away and the iconic sound of disco is gone. The album is very dated. Some of the songs like LeFreak and I want your love are still relevant, but the rest of the album while sounding innovative, lags. 3.5/5

Indie rock when indie rock was good. All of the comparisons to current bands gets lost on the fact that this style of music was relatively unheard of, with the exception of Pixies, which is blown away by Pavement. 3.5/5.

Combining my least favorite things in music: Steely Dan and smooth Jazz. I know my biases are personal, so I'll rate this as to its being on this list which is 3/5. Yeah, never mind. I tried to be fair. This is just shit. Music isn't supposed to make you hostile. 1.5/5.

Solid example of early 90s rap. Dre transitions from the 'Gangsta Rap' label that NWA acquired and turns to Hip Hop Impresario by featuring the Death Row players. This is where Snoop emerges and turns into an eventual impresario himself, but that's another story. 4/5.

I first heard the song Monkey Man in an episode of 21 Jump Street. The rawness of that song hit me like a ton of bricks. Monkey Man is on this album along with songs like Gimme Shelter (watch the doc on this song if you can, the woman singing backup harmony was very pregnant and awoken out of bed to sing this. There's one point where you can hear Mick Jagger give a 'Whoo' because he's so floored by her vocals), Love in Vain, Let it Bleed, Midnight Rambler and You Can't Always Get What You Want. Along with a fondness for Country Honk - a honky tonk version of Honky Tonk Woman makes this one of the Stones best albums in my book.

Instead of writing a new review that criticizes the overabundance of British-Pop on this lis, I'll just copy/paste my last critique, which was also a Super Furry Animals album - just 12 albums ago. "With all due respect to Glass Animals fans, and fans of late 90s / early 00s BritPop – No. Understanding that the book this list is based on is British and most of it's contributors are British, the amount of unnecessary BritPop on this list is a head-scratcher. Rings around the world is an okay album. It starts off strong and almost halfway into the album I started getting annoyed and frustrated. Yay for the band that they peaked at number three on the UK charts, but across the pond you have to get to the Indie Charts before you even see this album rank a moderate 32 for the year. This is not a list-worthy entry. Perhaps I'm becoming annoyed at the draws that are giving me mediocre UK pop for the the third time in four days, but I'm hopeful tomorrow will be better. 3/5 for musicality | 2/5 for list worthiness."

Not my bag, but the production is really good. I'm not sure what makes this an album you must listen to - its no different than any of the same genre specific album that's currently available.

I've discovered a liking for prog-rock through this list, but this listen was tough. I've always had trouble getting into early Genesis, maybe its Peter Gabriel's falsetto or the weird hippy-dippy Jethro Tull-like flute music. I do get early Genesis' influence on music and would give this a second listen at some point, but don't see a heavy rotation from this one in my future. 3/5.

Another Marvin Gaye masterpiece that is a concept album. Personally, I struggle with some 70s Soul and some tracks on this album are good examples. BUT. Marvin wears his soul on his sleeve once again as he addresses his childhood and marital issues with his wife, who is also his boss' sister, so his struggle was real. For as much as this is great Marvin Gaye album, once again, listen to the Funk Brothers in the background. Jamerson's bass and of course the drum work on the title track are masterful. 4/5.

Not my favorite Radiohead album and I'm not so sure as to why it's a 'Must Listen', but a good attempt on a new direction in sound for the band. 3/5.

Now I know what Tiny Tim would sound like if he was dug up and given a record contract.

Great album. Are We Not Men? Stradles that punk / post-punk / new wave perfectly. As a bonus, the only non-Devo song written by the band, The Rolling Stones (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction is a great example of taking an original and putting your spin on it. 4/10

The Band shows that they can step out of Bob Dylan's shadow and still be great. Man how I wish these guys could've kept it together to continue to put out great music, but we had them for how long we needed to have them and Music From Big Pink perfectly illustrates the collision that rock, folk, country and blues would happen in the Woodstock, NY scene. 4/5

Two of the loveliest songs every written are on this album. Ripple and Brokedown Palace come on the same tracklist as other popular songs Friend of the Devil, Sugar Magnolia and Truckin'. The Grateful Dead are a polarizing band, you either like them or you don't, there is no in between. Their songwriting and musicality are simplistic at best, but don't let a studio recording convince you of their influence and impact without listening to them live. The time to see them live with Jerry at the helm has passed, but their spearheading of a new genre within rock and roll has kept their style of music going since the late 60s. You can't really argue with an impact like that. 4/5.

Good album. Full of that late 70s folk / pop sound. You definitely need to be in a space for this, kinda like with Joni Mitchell's non 'Blue' work.

If I wanted to hear a group namecheck themselves on a record, I'd listen to DJ Kahlid. This album started off on the wrong foot and got worse from there. Okay, after a thorough listen, this album warmed up on me. 1999 seems a little late in the 90s techno for an album that sounds like this to emerge. But it's better than I expected. Is it a must-listen? Maybe. Is it iconic? No, but I'll say this is the first album after some 230 assignments that forced me to reverse my decision. 3.5/5.

Public Image: First Issue is a good…demo. Johnny Lydon can't figure out where he wants to take his new band. Are they still punk? Are they post-punk? New Wave? The over nine minute opening track even has some early Industrial flavors to it. Whatever this is, Lydon's screeching doesn't help. He's all over the place as punk icon, poet, and attempted crooner. Later releases from PiL are list-worthy, but my lord did Warner Brothers do the US a favor by not releasing this. If only the people that though this would be a worthy entry onto a list of albums you must hear before you die followed the same rationale. 3/5 for musicality. 1/5 for 'Must Listenability'

Monumentally influential album that led to the folk explosion in the 60s. Joan Baez' debut album is the groundwork that would lead to Bob Dylan, The Byrds and the essential sound of the 70s. Combined with an ethic for doing good and protesting the bad, the hippie movement is being seeded here. 3.5./5

Very good traditional punk album from a band I've never heard of.

The quenticential sound of the 90s. I haven't listened to this album in about ten years and forgot how good it was. You don't get many concept albums in this age of single-driven music. 3.5/5

don't know why this is a must-listen. if I wanted to listen to French electronic music, I'd put on Daft Punk. I don't like Daft Punk. 2.5/5.

I wasn't a fan when this first came out, but acknowledged that it was something special. Paul Simon's World Music sound never really landed with me, but I discovered Ladysmith Black Mambazo which I did like. Today I still feel the same about Paul Simon's solo work, I know it's really good and after a fresh listen to Graceland for the first time in over 20 years, I get it. 3.5/5

This is a frequent listen when things are gloomy. With recent news of another (!) mass school shooting here in the US, which followed a mass shooting in a supermarket, people have been on edge and I've been thinking about music that I'm drawn to when it's dark. This was one of them and I'm so glad it popped up for me. This album wraps up Young's Doom Trilogy when his world was collapsing around him and it strikes real. It's a must listen for when you're sad, or quiet, or completative or … whatever. 4.5/5

This album sounds like summer. Bruce is a supreme story teller, and this album is the best example of his songwriting. His tales weave an arc through love, loss and genuine lostiness to put you in the middle of the angst of America. And it all starts with the perfect description… 'The screen door slams. Mary's dress sways.' I've listened to this album to easily know it's a five-star must listen. This is the album that broke Bruce from local boy to international superstar. His perseverance and drive to create the perfect album that would save his failing recording career is an emotional drive that is perfectly crafted for album listening. This is Bruce's masterpiece. He's created others that are great, this is the best. 5/5.

I think what strikes me most about this album is that it doesn't fit within the confines of what I would think Brazilian music is. The Samba sensation of the 60s that introduced 'Girl from Ipanema' and forced its way into the works of great singers such as Frank Sinatra is not present here. It's indescribable really, I pick up a lot of smooth jazz, Mexicali, Morricone and American pop with a Spanish / Portuguese vocal track. I don't know anything about Milton Nascimento to formulate an actual reaction to his music, but this was a pleasant listen. 3.5/5.

Man, that band that was on Sabrina the Teenage Witch is really good.

Never listened to the album all the way through. The singles from it were monster hits and were everywhere, so I knew coming into this album that it would be good. Layering the concept on top bumped it up a few notches for me. 4/5.

With this album, Jamiroquai does what generations of English musicians have done before them. Take music originated in America and not as popular as before and put their spin on it and make it better. 4/5.

David Bowie's songwriting paired with Mick Ronson's musical and orchestration genius make for a great listen. Not my bag, but a good spin. 3.5/5.

Man… this one hit me hard today. I never heard Nick Drake before and didn't know what to expect. I was gripped from the first song through. I'll have to explore more of his catalog. 4/5.

The whole package. Lou Reed crosses the punk, post-punk eras and launches himself into glam with the much needed help of David Bowie. This album is such a gem of a listen.

Not only is Carole King a gifted songwriter, the person behind a lot of hits, but she's a good singer. Tapestry graduates her from behind a desk at the Bryll Building to the spotlight. Amazing album with amazing songwriting.

The good thing about this album is its brevity. Key songwriter Gene Clark's departure from the group prior to this album is evident by the rambling inconsistent songwriting. It appears that when a song got complicated in the writing process, they decided to stop right where the problem occurred. The supposed influence of psychedelic rock this album is purported to carry is a bit of a stretch in my book. The only thing that puts this album on a must listen list is that you can see what happens to a group that loses it's motivation and of course, without a single Bob Dylan cover to carry them, only 8 Miles High (a subpar song at best) is the lone standout.

This is the Beatles Sgt Peppers. 4/5.

There is a criminally small amount of country music on this list. And I'm not a big country music fan. The list writer(s) being from the UK is very evident when you look at the amount of mediocre 90s pop dance. Anyways… Before she was a national treasure. Before she was an actress. Before she was the butt of jokes about her looks, Dolly Parton was pure country. Country music is story telling. It makes you happy, sad, optimistic and angry. Dolly's songwriting earned her slot on this list and her voice secured her spot on the list of great singers. 4/5.

Oh… what could have been. If I could master the skill of turning my life's aches, pains, joy and dependance into verse as easily as Amy does on Back To Black, I would also be able to describe how monumental and touching her music is. Instead… 

Having not been much of a Bowie fan, this one caught me off guard. I enjoyed it. The balance of vocals and instrumental tracks are sonically smooth and enjoyable to me - unlike David's Ziggy period. 4/5.

First, very few albums are so iconic in their first year that they become "a must-listen to before you die" status. Second, of those albums that are, they were game changers that spoke to current events (What's Going On), or forever changed the sound of music (Elvis, The Beatles). Lan Del Rey's "Chemtrails Over The Country Club" does neither. Moving on from the worthiness of being on such a list, this album is still meh. The vocals are repetitive and whiny while the music is flat. This is my 254th generated album and it is the first that I've stopped listening to before making it the blissful end. I've grudged through a lot of bad albums, this one takes the cake. Congratulations Lana, my first one star review goes to you.

Curtis Mayfield being Curtis Mayfield. This album has a great funk sound, but what purpose does a generic funk album have on a list of 'Must-Listen-To' Albums?

I don't find many live albums that should count on a list of 'must listen' too, and despite my love Bobby D, this one is included. The mythology of the concert and the stigma of Dylan going electric is what merited this album on the list I'd wager. But its inclusion as a live album is okay. Dylan's acoustic set is amazing, filled with a greatest hits blast. Moving into the electric set backed by the Hawks before they became THE BAND, you can hear Dylan struggling to set the pace - or maybe that was intentional and he played sloppy to antagonize the crowd that was not so happy that he was playing electric. 3.5/5.

It's hard to find a weak song on this album, this iteration of Radiohead is where they start to break from the early 90s grunge darlings that brought them success with Creep and you hear an improvement in the lyric writing and composition. 4/5.

A favorite that I still play on occasion. Cypress Hill's debut is their best and they rode in on a part of the wave of west coast gangsta rap in the early 90s. While not the best example of the genre, their latin roots and glimpses into the barrio's of the west coast make for a great album. They won't match the success or quality of this album, but some 30+ years later, it still holds. 3.5/5