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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Dire Straits 'Brothers In Arms' was an album that didn't do too much for me when it was released. Money for Nothing was a monster hit that ruled the airwaves and of course MTV. Looking back on it now, Mark Knopfler's genius for the guitar shines and produces and fantastic album with several hits. 3.5/5.
Texas Blues can't be more Texas. 3.5/5.
I bought this album when it came out. It's a fun album, but must listen? Nah. After seeing that they're still around and poking around their website, I saw this tidbit: "The band became an international hit, settling down in the UK, where their multi-platinum debut album ‘Come Find Yourself’ spent an incredible two years in the UK album chart." Now I get it. Once again the list authors believe a majority of the albums you must listen to are UK 90s pop hits. Come Find Yourself is a good blend of rock, hiphop, and jazz with some good samples and I've enjoyed my first relisten in about 25 years. But I've forgotten about it pretty quickly. 3/5 for musicality and 1.5/5 for list worthiness.
Elvis' most important album deserves to be on this list, the other bajillionty from the book? Nah. Anyways… coming from the punk migration to post-punk, pop and new-wave My Aim Is True is a great blending of the prior influences and some others mixed in to make a good album. 3.5/5.
The album itself grows a little repetitive when you consider how far a southern Hammond organ-based soul group can go. But when you add in Booker T & The MG's are the house band to the current label that is driving the sound for 60s R&B Soul - STAX. AND Mr. Booker T is an 18 year old prodigy at the time, this album becomes amazing. How many other infamous house bands - the Funk Brothers, The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, The Wrecking Crew should have put out their own albums? 4/5.
Oh, hey look. Another British 90's electronic act that is a must-listen to. Just like the dozens of other British 90's electronic acts that are on this list. Aside from the above, this album is pretty good. 3/5.
Some of his best.
This was more fun than I expected. Bonus points, it's nice to see the authors find an electronic album from this decade that wasn't British.
A different sound that I'm not used to from The Kinks. Elements of prog-rock and Brit-pop sound off here 3.5/5.
Love me some Kendrick. m.A.A.d city would be an awesome album… if there weren't a bunch of more awesome albums behind it. Amazing freshman effort that change the face of Hip Hop only for the better. 3.5/5.
This one impressed me more than I expected. I was big into the music scene in the 90s and knew of and liked Pulp, but didn't actively seek them out. This album is indicative of the British Pop impression of the US's grunge pop. 3.5/5.
Great album, and a must listen. I'm not on the Bowie bandwagon, but do admire his constant reinventing of himself and his sound. 4/5.
I tried… When it comes to controversial people on this list, I easily separate the art from the artist and took the same approach to listening to this album. I haven't listened to a lot of Kanye, but I've heard his earlier albums. This was just unlistenable, and I'm disappointed I couldn't make it past the first four tracks. This is my 271st album on the list and the second one I couldn't make it through. The first, Lana Del Rey's Chemtrails is also a recent addition, but I will acknowledge Kanye does belong on this list and maybe just Yeezus isn't the album that should get him there. 1/5.
Beautiful. One of my favorites. Even more so having lost my father recently, "Father and Son" just turned me into a weeping pile.
A lot of rap / hip-hop is tough in an album format. Filter out the singles and the features, you're left with a lot of meh that shouldn't have been recorded. And that's what you get with 50 Cent's 'Get Rich Or Die Tryin'". His backstory and mythology made him popular with this album's release. Tie that in with the hit singles and Eminem collaborations, you've got some good tracks. But the filler drags this album down. The sound didn't age well, combined with the constant G-Unit shoutouts made this listening experience drag on. The album could've been 15 minutes shorter and been more successful. 3/5.
All the good things about 80s synth-electro-new wave-pop before they became a cliché. The The were a band that came a bit before my time, but their legacy and influence wears well on this album. This was a great listen. 3.5/5.
Drunk by Thundercat is an interesting listen. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't. More importantly, an album from 2017 is too immature to make it on to a list of albums you must listen to before you die. So to borrow from Shark Tank - I'm out. 2/5.
In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida is a 17 minute drum track. The producers of Timeless must've thought to themselves that that was a record that needed to be broken and created a 21 minute electronic drum track. The only problem is, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida is good and Timeless' 21 minute eponymous opener and the rest of the album is total shit. From the original version of the book: "Some of Timeless sounds dated today, but few dance producers have come close to realizing such an ambitious artistic vision. It is the sound of future jazz from a distance planet, set to the sharpest beats." Andy Pickering, the poor individual charged with writing the paragraph for Goldie's entry must've fallen and hit his head. Nothing about jungle-drum-and-bass music is a must listen to and that music surely has not aged well. Nor has his entry for this album. 2/5.
Not what I expected from a live Tango album. This was a pleasant listen, and I could get into what merits it's inclusion on this list opposed to other Tango albums. But I'll sit back and enjoy this one for now. 3.5/5.
Lovely, emotional and smooth. Nina Simone is one of those artists who's influence is wide-spanning. This album is near damn-perfect. 4.75/5.
I probably haven't listened to this album much in the last 30 years, but I remember loving it when it came out and my opinion hasn't changed. Björk has a style that is smooth, relaxing and wide-ranging. This was treat. 3.5/5.
80s smooth jazz / R&B / soul is not in my wheelhouse and I couldn't name you one Bobby Womack song, nor do I have any recollection of the song that made this album a hit. Which is kind of the weak point of this type of list. Anybody can easily name off 100 albums that are a must listen to. Music aficionados might be able to pull off 500. But 1,001 is going to have some holes in that leaves people scratching their head. Like this album Sonically and production-wise it's an okay album, but again, this music isn't my thing so I really can't judge it. 3/5.
Some good Americana / Country has made it to the list. While not her best, this is a very good album and an example of how good the music coming out of Nashville was when the pop-Country fad started making waves and changing the genre for the worst. 4/5.
My original review got deleted by 'human error'. To summarize, this style of music isn't my thing, but I ended up liking it more than I expected. I wonder how many children born in late 1986 / early 1987 were conceived to this album. 3/5.
An interesting take on popular music using a musical style most were not familiar with? Sure. A must-listen? No. There are more sitar styled albums that should bump this from the list, heck there are more options from people named Shankar. 3/5.
This album hits in my sweet spot of music enjoyment and I'll tell you I've never heard one song from this so-called monster hit. Growing up in the twi-state area and listening to some of the biggest US pop, rock and alternative radio stations this hasn't caught my ear. I get there that a list in this style needs to pick up some things that I'm unfamiliar with, but for crying out loud, can we please slow down on the 80s/90s BritPop? And slapping on a descriptor like 'they sound like a modern Bowie' doesn't help. Bowie sounded like a modern Bowie. Suede's eponymous debut LP sounds like the boring Brit-pop that made the Gallagher brothers think they should be pop stars. 3/5.
Interesting concept from Joni that speaks for itself. I mean, it's Joni Mitchell. This album gets bonus points for having Jaco Pastorius on some of the tracks. While not her more familiar work, definitely a must listen. 4/5.
All of the negative reviews of this album just scream "If you weren't there, you wouldn't get it." Yeah, hair metal is the second most loathed music style following disco currently. But just like disco, hair metal was good before it became cliché and Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet is in the top 5 of hair metal albums. Love it or loathe it, it's a good representation of the genre. There's no other reason this album would be the best selling album of 1987 and is currently the 48th best-selling album in the United States. 3.5/5. *Update: This is the first time in about 20 years I've listened to this album front to back and it sounds… different. Is this a poor remaster? Did JBJ rerecord this iconic album? Whatever, it sounds too engineered from what I recall this album sounding like.
This is a good Q-Tip album. Tip's best work came from the Tribe years. Should this album merit inclusion based on it being a Q-Tip album, or an album that is from a member of the Tribe. Regardless, this album doesn't rank high on the Hip Hop / R&B / Jazz-Hop / Fusion albums to be worthy of inclusion on this list. 3/5.
Damn fine album. Post-punk meets 80s synth pop. Bjork catches a lot of slack, but like Yoko Ono, her skill is in her range and this album doesn't suffer as a result. This is a revisit-worthy album. 4/5.
I write this two short blocks from the club where the White Stripes first started and about a half-mile from Jack White's Third Man Records Detroit store. Jack White is to music like Veganism is to eating. Meaning, how do you know if someone likes Jack White / The White Stripes? Don't worry, they'll tell you. Elephant is a good garage album. The ballpark anthem Seven Nation Army is almost a cliché now, but White has some other good songs on here. There's No Home For You Here, I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself are two. But, when he strays from the raw garage sound he's known for (In The Cold, Cold Night), the problems of Jack White / The White Stripes show. White's basic songwriting isn't supported on the weaker music of off-brand songs but excel when his garage sound is paired. I love what he's done for music, record stores, and recording, but this is a middle of the road album. 3.5/5.
Not particularly a fan of Cohen's recorded stuff, but this knocked me for a loop. Absolutely mesmerizing. 4/5.
Great OG Ska album. Long before 90s Ska / Punk bands would change the sound of ska, this album has all of the elements that were at the beginning of ska - Raggae, post-punk, etc. 4/5.
It's loud, it's obnoxious and it's unsettling. But isn't that the point of jazz? John Zorn pushes the Avante Garde sound of jazz to the limits where it almost sounds like heavy metal - again, isn't that the point of jazz? To experiment? Spy vs. Spy is a great symphonic, catastrophic wall of noise that somehow flows into a very good album. 4/5.
One of New Order's weaker albums that came after their peak and precipitated their new image of post-90s synth-dance. This is coming from a New Order fan as well. 3/5.
Of course this album belongs on a list like this. Listening to Blue on Apple Music through AirPod Pro's with Noise Cancellation on was a moving experience. I felt like I was inside of the piano by the end of the album. 5/5.
More Brit-alternative than Brit-pop, but I remember hearing this a lot back in the 90s and always enjoyed their music. On relisten, it's still good. 3.5/5.
In the US during 90s Pulp kind of got buried by Oasis, Blur and other likeminded bland Britpop groups because other than the few standouts, they all sound the same. Pulp's Different Class falls into that line and extends into the 'If David Bowie first came to fame in the 90s this is what he'd sound like' sound. It's not bad, it's not groundbreaking, it's just okay and thats not too bad. P.S. the William Shatner version of Common People is the best version. 3/5.
You know when seeing a band and album name that you've never listened to that you're in for a Britpop 90s band and today's reveal proves this rule. No disrespect to Damon Gough, his record is okay and on first listen I'd give it a solid 3 stars. But we're here to listen to albums that you need to hear before you die and I can tell you this album does not fit that bill. By a long shot. Badly Drawn Boy's The Hour Of Bewilderbeast wasn't a must listen when it came out. Seeing as this isn't in the original edition of the book, for future consideration to the authors, if you need to stretch your bias by looking at a record's performance that peaks on Billboard's US Independent Albums at 23, please seek professional help. 2/5.
I'm aware of Kaye's significance as a performer / producer before nosediving off of the pier of sanity. However, I don't get the hype. 'The College Dropout' is a decent hip-hop album with some standout tracks (the ones with features from other rappers outshine Ye's solo stuff), but I'm not convinced this is a remarkable album. It does belong on this list, so a 3.5/5 is the best I can do.
The great thing about the Thrash / Punk / Speed Metal on this list is 28 songs, 33 minutes. This music and Napalm Death in particular just thrusts it's message in your face, blows up your home and leaves. Unlike the one hour, eighteen minute Kanye West College Dropout I had to sludge through. This album gets a lot of hate from this group, but these guys are more gifted musicians playing with the tenacity and talent to get this music out than about ⅔ of the rest of this list. 3.75/5.
Jansch's work is new to me, which surprises me as I just learned he was a big influence on Jimmy Page. His influence on this album is easily seen on Page and other familiar names in rock and roll. Pleasant listen. 4/5.
Is it jazz? Rock? Salsa, latin, prog? Santana makes easy many types of music on this album. It's a great listen for a variety of moods. 4/5.
This album is a very eclectic range of sounds. A very pleasant listening experience. 4/5.
Simple Motor City Punk. Not the Stooges best work IMO. but a great listen. 3.5/5.
Having never heard of of Spence, I was impressed at how his sound serves as an influence for the more popular singer songwriters we are familiar with. 3.5/5.
The Pixies best album. The album that inspired much of what became the grunge movement and on into the indie craze. 3.5/5.
When the album could easily be confused as a greatest hits compilation, you know its a five-star. 5/5.
Elvis is the meat in this sandwich, but you don't get a good sandwich without good bread and that's where The Jordanaires and the Nashville A-Team come in and make this an amazing album. Presley's vocals are good and he's at his peak here. Why? Because this is the music he wanted to make. He's having fun with his friends and making some great rock and roll and country music. If Elvis was able to make more of this music and less of the Colonel's shit that he was forced to do, he could've kept going instead of meeting the fate he did. 4/5.
It's a great Brit-pop album from the 80s and you still hear some of the hits today, but a must listen? I haven't listened to this album in over thirty years and today's revisit makes it feel dated. 3/5.
Wow… moving and emotional. This is a Miles Davis record in name only. Looking at the personnel on this record is like a who's-who of some of the best Jazz musicians around. Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone John McLaughlin – electric guitar Chick Corea – electric piano Herbie Hancock – electric piano Joe Zawinul – electric piano, organ Dave Holland – double bass Tony Williams – drums I get the critiques of Miles' avant-garde and fusion styles, but this album is just beautiful music. 5/5.
Some of Queen's finest work. The production skills alone make this a great album. I like that Queen was an all hands band, everybody contributed so that it wasn't a vanity project for Freddie Mercury and Brian May. But with that lack of vanity, there are some weaker songs keeping this from being a perfect five-star album. 4/5.
You know an album that you never heard of is British 90s pop/indie just by seeing the cover pop up. The Fall's 'The Infotainment Scan' is a great example of 'If at first you don't succeed, maybe try 14 more times…" The Infotainment Scan is an okay album. I've never heard it before and this period is when I was at my prime new music listening. It's not a great album and it surely is not something that you definitely need to hear before you die. 2/5.
I'm a bit of an REM fan and do enjoy this album. Its influence helped kick of the college rock / indie rock scene of the 80s and 90s. But this album just hints at the phenomenal band REM will become. 3.5/5.
Boy were we angry in the 90s. Smash comes in that sweet spot where grunge and alternative have pushed hair metal to the side and themselves are over saturating the music scene with a sound that isn't as great as the sound that got them here. This music was all over the radio and to a certain degree, still is. The upcoming latin music revival would push alt-rock to the side as the popular genre and The Offspring and their compatriots bear the brunt. 3/5.
Good, raw hip hop. Common's beats are great, his flow is on point and his message in each piece is clear. This reminds me I need to listen to more Common. 4/5.
Faith by George Michael is just short of a greatest hits record for him. I remember when this album was released the fury that it created. It's still such a powerful listen for the big hits + One More Try alone. 4/5.
It's great that The Strokes reclaimed the punk sound back from what the 90s Punks did to it. While not true punk, Is This It checks off a couple of boxes and is a pleasant listen. 3.5/5.
A seminal 90s Grunge album. Shirley Manson's vocals match well to the distorted sound. One of the better grunge albums that has held up still. 3.5/5.
I owned this album when it came out and nearly wore it out from playing it so many times. Now some 30ish years after my last full listen, I remember every downbeat, every nuance, every little element of every song. FNM's legacy is very secured from an album that was one of the first to mix genres like rock, prog, rap, classical, and jazz. The Real Thing is a true winner. 4.5/5.
Now if every 80s / 90s BritPop album on this list was as joyful to listen to as this, I wouldn't complain so much about 80s / 90s BritPop. I was quasi-familiar with their one hit, 'There She Goes', but didn't know it or them enough to expect it when it started. Before then, I was enjoying their music. 4/5.
Good 80s dance-synth-pop. The benefit to New Order with Low-Life is this is their album that turned them into the New Order they are known as. This is their inspirational album that leads off a new genre. 3.5/5.
Yeah, you can tell Andy Warhol had something to do with this album. The Velvet Underground & Nico is so far ahead of its time. An album in 1967 that was a successful avant-garde / punk / psychedelic / artsy / post-punk album that paved the way for so many bands. 4/5.
Good music, good singing. Erika Badu has that voice that makes you melt. Now, what makes this a must listen? I don't know, but a thoroughly enjoyable listen nonetheless. 3.5/5.
Great background noise, great mixing, great alignment of different genres that share a beat. 4/5.
This is a borderline album for the list. It's got some big hits, it's got Boy George who gender-bending display brought Culture Club friends and foes. But does any of that make this album a must listen? I'd say no, the album itself does not wave a flag or carry a meaning. Its just 80s new wave synth pop that hasn't aged too well. 3/5.
A beautiful voice that was quieted too soon. It's sad to listen to the emotion and biographical nature of this album and knowing how the story ends. Frank is a great album and would probably get a 5 from me in some alternate universe that Back In Black doesn't exist in. 4.5/5.
Great example of mixing using samples. I had no problem enjoying this album in the background while I worked. I'm not so sure I'd recommend it as a must listen, but I would definitely relisten to this. 4/5.
In today's entry of "The author's bias for 80s and 90s British Pop Rock and some other albums you should listen to before you die", Paul Weller's sublimely average Wild Wood. Wild Wood was so popular that it kicked three singles that made it to the top 20 in the UK. I don't know how it did in the US because the Wiki page for this spectacular artistic merit that I just listened to so I can die is sparse. Paul Weller is the type of musician people tell you they listen to to sound smart. Why his second album has to be listened to before I die is a question I will ruminate on from now until the day I die. Wild Wood is a decent enough album, 3/5 for musicality, 2/5 for it's presence on this list.
Seen as their transition from prog / synth rock to their more familiar sound with the addition of the Hammond piano Crime of the Century lays down the tracks for the amazing Breakfast in America album that will launch them beyond the stratosphere. Good album, not my favorite, by it has that distinctive Supertramp sound that is still such a guilty pleasure. 3.5/5.
If you were to ask me what I thought early '00s Indie music sounded like, this would be the example I could give. Surprisingly, this is my first time hearing this album or this band (unless it was playing in a Starbucks), so ranking this as a must-listen album that sounds like every other album from it's time period and not seeing albums I've heard of makes me scratch my head. 2.5/5.
Patient zero for what would become thrash metal. The Big 4 of thrash, Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax all cite this album as their gateway to what made them great. 3.5 / 5.
This would've been in my wheelhouse in '94 if I knew it. It hits in that true post-punk / early grunge bell. My only gripe is no album from this genre / era should be more than forty minutes, the 1:10 length of this album drags out a good experience into a meh one. Especially when you have a nine minute track and then a 9 ½ minute version to close out the album. 3.5 / 5.
A modern day version of some classic punk / post-punk. Better listen than I expected. 4/5.
90's Dad rock. Pretty good album, but not so much of a iconic album illustrative of the genre / era of the time. 3.5/5.
Nice to see the authors expanding their favoritism of BritPop to post 80s and 90s. Not a bad album, but not list worthy either. 2/5.
Once again the list authors confound me as to certain selections pop up on this list. I'm a big fan of what Rod did with the Faces. His early solo stuff is amazing. This album? Not even his best. Why does it belong on this list then? No major hits, no groundbreaking output that inspired future musicians. What then? From the book, the author puts more effort on the follow up to this album - Every Picture Tells a Story which is phenomenal and belongs on a list such as this. Treating an album such as this as an album that precedes and kind of lays the groundwork for a (masterpiece) is a weak handed excuse to push a work that isn't thaaaat awesome. 2.5/5.
Sweet (Baby James) album. Can't go wrong with JT. 4/5.
For all of the grief they earned in their later years, Coldplay nails it with 'A Rush Of Blood To The Head'. This album can almost serve as their greatest hits, and that's fine. 4/5.
Granted, there are only two, but does every Joy Division album need to be here? Had the singer not killed himself, would this album merit a listen? Still a good album from the time period. 3/5.
This album was everywhere when it was released. Even though the Gwynn Stefani of South Side didn't make it to the album cut, it helped project it through the atmosphere. Moby's Play did serve as an influence for future DJs regardless the slap back he gets today, it still holds up. 4/5.
Fun. Kee. 4/5.
Kate Bush isn't my bag, but I'm aware of how much she's influenced and know this album is cited a lot. 3.5/5.
Not my favorite Sonic Youth album by far, but I can dig what they were trying to do. 3.5/5.
Another round of love the art, hate the artist. Clapton is amazing, no other musician's fans acclaim god-like status like his and it's fairly evident on this album. There is a lot of filler, everything after track 2's Bell-Bottom Blues through track 10's Have You Ever Loved A Woman just drones. But the real gold is the bookends of the album. People love to drag Clapton through the mud and he deserves that, but Clapton found the inspiration for the album in Duane Allman who plays on many of the tracks and had these two met, Clapton's career might've been shorter. 4/5.
I guess the good thing about Apple Music not having the full album is I don't have to feel like I need to listen to an album that is most definitely not a must listen to album. 2.5/5.
Pretty decent, surprisingly doesn't sound like mid-90s indie and more 2010s, with less emo-centric verses. I'd argue about this album being on the list, but it does serve as a nice counter-balance to the other grunge and alternative coming out at the same time. 3/5.
The second best 'first' solo album by a former Beatle. You pick up some arrangements that could've been Beatles tunes and if done in the Abbey Road / Let It Be sequence, they could've been done great by the Fab 4. But, here Lennon assembles the best studio musicians and formulates his version of what a Beatles album could sound like without being helmed by Paul McCartney and George Martin. Aside from the still relevant Imagine, the whole album is beautiful (even the How Do You Sleep dis track).
Saying this as someone that lived in the time of Kurt Cobain, I know I'm in the minority when I say that Nirvana wasn't that great and their impact on music would be less if he didn't do what he did. But this album, this show is one of the best things to come out that genre. Included is one of my all-time favorite songs All Apologies and my favorite version as well. I remember the ruckus that ensued when the band teased the 'casual fans' in the audience with the opening chords of Smells Like Teen Spirit and when into another song. 4/5.
Peak Elvis in my book. This comes right off the '68 comeback special and more importantly in my opinion, getting out of the RCA studio and going to the local up and coming American Sound Studio and backed by house band, 'the Memphis Boys' gave Elvis that second sound that (re)made his image after his Sun Records years. Man-oh-man if only he could have gotten out of Tom Parker's grip and produced this music, he could've had a third or fourth go-round and nailed them all. 4.5/5.
In today's entry for generic Brit-pop that sounds like just about anything else done by a better qualified group you should listen to before you die we have Lloyd Cole And The Commotions, a group I've never heard of and if I did hear anything I'd think it was the Smith's or Morrisey's solo work. 2.5/5.
I've seen Zappa described as less rock and roll artist and guitarist and more composer. When listening to Hot Rats through this lens you gain an appreciation for Zappa. I was never a big fan by any means, but also never really understood his music until I started listening to more avant grade styles to see what the big deal was (Miles Davis, Mahavishnu, etc). 4.5/5.
You know just by seeing a name or an album you don't recognize that it's going to be 80s / 90s UK Britpop and the Happy Mondays Bummed continues that streak. I could go on my usual rant about the biases of the author(s) but I'll just check out with my usual, not a must listen to, but a decent album of the time. 2.5/5.
Lauryn Hill steps out of the shadow of the Fugees and Wyclef to state that she can put together a massive monster of an album with Miseducation. My only gripe is that it goes long at an hour and seventeen minutes, but still relevant, still great. 4/5.
It is possible for two things to be true at once. 1) Eric Clapton is an amazing musician 2) Eric Clapton is an asshole A lot of the reviews here today don't take the context of EC going John Mayall's Bluesbreakers into account. At a time in music when American music fans had forgotten about the blues and it was nearly erased from history, some Brits picked up some records and heard amazing guitar riffs and lyrics. Just like every form of music that Americans created and ruined, the British take and improve and make it relevant again. Such is the case for Mayall and this album that brought aboard the young phenom Eric Clapton. Music today wouldn't be half of what it is had it not been for these two gods of the blues collaborating. 4/5.
one hit surrounded by a lot of 80s synth pop. It does deserve its placement on the list for the influence it's wielded for almost 40 years - that has to count for something. 3/5.
I fucking hate Steely Dan. I don't know if it's a result of growing up in the 70s and 80s and being subjected to the soft-rock, nouveau jazz part deus sounds of Steely Dan in dentist's offices or elevators but I've never enjoyed them. I am however, cognizant of their impact and contribution to music and knowing how they are reviewers darlings I did listen to this. And while it wasn't as bad of a listen for me as it was, I still don't get it. But this was a big improvement over some of the brit-pop cycle I've been stuck in. 3/5.
This isn't in my original copy of the book which means someone thought that the original 1,001 albums you need to listen to before you die was incomplete without this album. How many flights of stairs do you need to fall down to elicit the brain damage requisite to think that the original list could only be improved by this album? This is probably the most insulting example of the books author(s) cramming their Brit-Pop of the 80s and 90s down our throats when even the Wikipedia entry for this album cites "Three songs were released as singles but failed to make a big impact." What about this album is a must-listen? I can think many reasons to never listen to this album again. 2/5.
Here it is, patient zero for the grunge boom. I picked this album up in early 1991 only because I knew the band would be playing a concert I was going to called Lollapalooza. Back then, Lollapalooza traveled from location to location instead of being fixed like it is today. From the moment I pressed play on the cassette of this new band I never heard of, I was hooked. Little did I know the tremble in the ground would shake the entirety of music. Ten is by far Pearl Jam's best album, and in the spectrum of grunge it is way up there. 4/5.
Never heard of Sebadoh and expected less than what I got. For an early 90s album, Bubble and Scrape harkens back to some mid-80s punk rock, and that's not a bad thing. The 90s idea of punk rock became pop for the sake of punk and really ruined what was a great genre, had Sebadoh been the flag bearer for the genre, I'd be curious to see how much better it would become. My only critiques of this album are that for a punk-ish album it runs long at 47 minutes and some of the songs sound repetitive. 3/5.
Can say nothing better than the reviewer that says "I'm not even sure this album was in the 1001 top albums of 1987." 2/5.
I'm discovering that Psychedelic Rock isn't one of my preferred genres. While not an unenjoyable listen, The Kinks Face To Face is influential and not so bad.
Regardless of being removed from the list, this album is still a must listen. Adele might've come on so strong she may have overstayed her welcome, but this album is her in her full-swing. 4/5.
Hellofa Punk album. With heavy hitters like Pat Smear and Joan Jett involved in this album, it makes me wonder what we could have had if Darby Crash lived longer. 3.5 / 5.
More pop-punk than the familiar Punk from the late 70s and 80s icons like Ramons, Clash, and Sex Pistols, The Damned apply a Punk ideal to a post-punk / new wave sound that is pretty interesting. Worthy of a listen to hear how punk rock has evolved over the years. 3/5.
More enjoyable than I expected. Reminds me of John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra. More experimental jazzy than pop/rock. 4/5.
Herbie Hancock has done some pretty far out things, blending jazz & funk isn't one of 'em. 5/5.
I just remember Teenage Fanclub from their collaboration with De La Soul on the 'Judgement Night' soundtrack which is phenomenal and if soundtracks were on the list it would have a slot there. Bandwagonesque is an easy listen to an alternative to what would become the Alternative sound of the 90s. 3.5/5.
Sure the Beatles get a lot of hate, but when a 13 track has nine easily identifiable songs to a layperson, you're doing something right. A Hard Day's Night has hokey, cliché, sugary songs that in the context of 1964 is exactly what the pop music buying public wanted. 4.5/5.
When Nas dropped Illmatic Hip Hop changed. The genre evolved from a fun, braggadocious B-Boy genre to a serious, poetic, flowing piece of art. 5/5.
Early German synth? Yeah, I like it. Kraftwerk are obviously the leaders of the genre, but this album was a fun listen. Easy rhythm, simple lyrics. Good album. 4/5.
Women have always taken a back seat in popular music. They've fought and thrown some elbows to take their seat at the table, so when Alan's Morissette's Jagged Little Pill 'shocked' and drew gasps from the pearl clutchers that this docile little Canadian former children's television star burst onto the 'Alt-Rock' scene and sang about such things was released, it was fire. And it still is.
Subtle touches of the prog rock Gabriel did with Genesis, subtle touches of blues and synth rock. I never listened to this album other than Solsbury Hill and really enjoyed it. 3.5.
Decent ambient background music. I mean, if the authors wanted a 90s musical album to deem a 'MUST LISTEN', instead of choosing an unknown (once again) British based artist who's 'MUST LISTEN' album is such a 'MUST LISTEN' that it barely has any clicks on the services that actually have it - they could've chosen Enya or Kenny G or even that Chant album done by monks. 2.5 / 5.
I've listened to this album enough to know it's a five-star. It speaks for itself. RIP PHIFE DAWG. 5/5.
The OG of heavy metal. At 42 years old, it's still a very listenable album. 11/10.
U2s last good album and following Joshua Tree, this was not a good album. 4.5/5.
What I deem as typical latino-cuban music. I don't know why it took Ry Cooder to 'discover' latin-styled music. But I will give Buena Vista Social Club should be a listen since it awakened many ears to the sound. 3.5.
I too like listening to bands that sound like Soundgarden that are not named Soundgarden. 2.5/5.
Never heard of John Martin and expected to not enjoy this based on the reviews. But while reading about him and listening, I grew intrigued and enjoyed this album. 4/5.
Non-stop, head-banging, floor-shaking, Tinitus-inducing thrash metal! MoP will mark, in my opinion, the penultimate good Metallica album and just about as close to perfection they could get. 4.5/5.
Hip hop albums should not be more than 45 minutes at best. Jay-Z's The Blueprint clocks in at 63 minutes and is about 40 minutes too long. I'd be in favor for certain collections of greatest hits being considered for this list, Jay-Z is one. Albums with individual bangers don't make an album a must listen and this is an example. 3/5.
He was really all over the place with this one and probably is credited with what I call "Kurt Cobain Syndrome" - the instance of celebrity for the sole reason of dying. This is a good album and his KCS paired with his Hallelujah cover are probably what got it onto this list, but when viewed through the lens of the music of the period, it's… pretty good. 3.5 / 5.
Interesting music. Terrible lyrics. 3.5/5.
Methinks the only reason this album is on the list is because of it's monster hit 'Our House', which is enough to scratch the authors 80s / 90s BritPop / PostPunk itch. 3.5 / 5.
Some of their best work. This album is the perfect blend of Paul Simon's lyrics, Art Garfunkle's harmonizing and the amazing backing musicians from the Wrecking Crew. 4/5.
Outside of the four familiar classics, which by no means is a flop, the rest of the album is fairly 80s ZZ Top rock. 3.5 / 5.
Even if Poison Arrow - the song that propels this album to the list showed up on a list of singles you must hear before you die, or even the top songs of 1982, I'd skip it. This album has absolutely zero reasons for being a 'must listen' and is just another example of the author's insane logic for forcing 80s and 90s Euro-Synth onto a place it doesn't belong.
Yesterday I drew ABC's The Lexicon Of Love which was a slog at 42 minutes. Nick Cave's Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus double album clocking in at 1 hour and 22 minutes was a much easier listen. I've never really listened to Nick Cave but the production, writing and performing on this album is top notch and was an enjoyable listen 4/5.
Never really listened to John Prime much before he died recently. His wonderful lyrics and simple music pair well with his voice. Reminds me of John Denver and Leonard Cohen. 4/5.
I'm not usually a fan of live albums. In the rare case, a live album is an attempt to capture the energy and spirit of a band that excels in that arena and this is the case with At Fillmore East by The Allman Brothers Band. The Allman Brothers are a result of their culture, which being a southern band would have some country influence. The addition of blues funk and soul are what takes them from a generic classic rock radio band to an experience. That all ends with the death of Duane Allman, but man this album grooves. 3.5 / 5.
A master class in songwriting from a master song writer. 4/5.
Stevie's 70s organ period was not my favorite… until I listened to this album. Holy crap what an amazing album. I'm perplexed as to how I've never heard it. 4.5 / 5.
I like Em's writing, but I absolutely hate hip hop albums that are over an hour. 3.5 / 5.
Yeah, I love the Great American Songbook and I enjoy Ray Charles. This entry baffles me because it doesn't showcase his songwriting, singing or overtly his piano playing talent. His Country Western volumes are Ray Charles that NEEDS to be listened to. This album is an average output from Ray and as an example of the Great American Songbook, but as usual, the authors missed a great opportunity to really nail both entries. 3.5/5.
I forgot how many pop chart hits this album produced. I wasn't a fan when it came out, and still not a fan of Green Day, but I get their impact and Dookie is definitely a must-listen. 3.5/5.
Very weird, very interesting and very much a must listen. This is a nice slice of life from the explorational age of music when electronic instruments were starting to be used. 3/5.
I could listen to Willie Nelson sing the phone book. 4/5.
I guess the authors want me to end my time on this mortal coil. 2/5.
Some albums are impactful and some albums just sound like they want you to feel intelligent, so this is not my favorite Nick Cave. 3/5.
From the first edition of the book: "What about Saturday Night Fever?'; you may ask. Well, you won't find compilations or soundtracks by "various artists" in this book, although we have made room for soundtracks that consist entirely of original material composed by a particular artist. Otherwise, we would not have been able to tell you about Superfly, Shaft, or Purple Rain-three milestones in pop and some of the best work by Curtis Mayfield, Isaac Hayes, and Prince respectively. Once again, the author(s) twist and bend the rules of the list to fit their vision, but an otherwise decent funk-soul-jazz album. 3/5.
I had enjoy another Manic Street Preachers album on the list - The Holy Bible, but this is not an album I would deem as a must listen. So another instance of the author(s) cramming their BritPop bias down our throats. 2.5/5.
The author(s) finally get a bullseye for their 80s BritPop synth love. I think they think that all brit pop was as good as D2 without recognizing how impactful D2 were and are. Outside of the hits RIO hasn't aged too well, but carries that classic Duran sound. 3.5/5.
Adele has taken the bitter breakup album to a new level since Alan's Morisette's Jagged Little Pill. 21 is a heart wrenching view into a very public breakup. This album was all over with it's monster hits and is deserving of being on such list despite the over saturation Adele has taken with her succeeding 29 and is starting to overstay her welcome, but 21 can stay, it's amazing. 4/5.
A quasi-psychedelic, jam, acid glimpse into the late 60s. 4/5.
1984 (the year) is one of the best years for Rock N' Roll music. 1984 (the album) was the threshold to the quintessential 80s rock sound and opened the door for the later hair / metal / grunge successors that worship at the feet of Eddie Van Halen's mastery. 4/5.
The only disappointment one can get in listening to Pink Floyd's The Wall is that sad feeling that isn't your first experience all over again. This concept album packs into its two discs 1.5+hr runtime what many albums on this list only wish and that is a top to bottom solid piece of art. 5/5.
Okay Brit-synth-pop that checks all of the boxes for the author(s) that all of the other Brit-synth-pop that doesn't need to be here does. 3/5.
Having never heard of this album or Abdullah, I was happy to see a Jazz album pop up on the list AND enjoy it. Water from an ancient well has elements of John Coltrane and it just hits. Its hard to believe that an album from 1986 can sound like it was recorded at the Blue Note in 1959. 4/5
^ What I love about this list, experiencing music I'm not familiar with. I've known of Tito Puente as a cultural icon growing up without having the benefit of knowing his music, his iconic status is merited with music like this. 4/5.
I was introduced to Yes when my older brother drew their iconic logo over and over on his notebook in elementary school. Fast forward I was gifted a copy of Atlantic Record 40th anniversary collection. On cassette! Since first hearing Yes on that collection I've enjoyed their music, but never took a deep dive into their catalog. Yes straddles the prog line somewhere Jethro Tull and early Genesis. Rick Wakeman's entry to the lineup starts to firm up their credentials of Prog Rock powerhouse and early rock and roll influence. Fragile has the well known Roundabout and Long Distance Runaround, but the nearly 12 minute Heart of the Sunrise is such a sonic wall of sound that is a great reason, even with all of my sensibilities. 4/5.
Not only Wu's best album, but easily in the top-three hip-hop albums of all time. 5/5.
Swamp rock straight from the swamps of (checks notes… California?). Regardless, 1969 is much earlier than I would have expected CCR to have begun, but Green River is such a fantastic album with chock full of Fogerty originals and an original cover of James Brown's The Night Time is the Right Time to round out a solid performance. 4/5.
She bops. 3.5/5.
This album by former Byrds member Gene Clark makes me wonder what a version of the Byrds would have put out if he was still around when Gram Parsons joined. Clark's song writing and orchestration on this album would have made me more interested in listening to the Byrds if he was in charge of their output. Wonderful melodies and smooth writing. 4/5.
Not what you expect when you hear 'The Kinks'. Something Else dips its toes into the water of psychedelic and prog rock before Ray takes over the reins of studio production. It was a nice alternative sound from the Kinks. 3.5/5.
Sometime in the early 80s my family was having new carpet installed, so there in our main hallway was a 12 foot carpet roll. My siblings and myself must've annoyed the living hell out of our parents by walking back and forth on the thing singing 'We Are Family' over and over. But then again, we were occupied… While this is really a Chic album, Sister Sledge did the right thing by handing the reins of their projects to Nile Rogers and Bernard Edwards. They are answer to the argument 'Disco Sux'. 3.5/5.
All of a sudden Kate Bush is being discovered and heralded as a great female vocalist thanks to Stranger Things. She's always been in that hmmm, I don't know if I like it or if this is out of my league. Hounds of Love spans a range of styles, some fun and some straying into Fine Arts major justifying 'their creativity'. 3.5/5.
I hate Steely Dan. Yes, they are a love/hate band and I'm aware that I fall in the minority on them. But, their music makes me angry. There is something about the combination of instrument choice and vocal pairing that brings out that urge in me. Being fully aware of that, I also know the influence they have on generations that followed so I can't let my biases really affect whether or not this album is a must listen. Best I can do is 3/5.
Interesting choice for 10cc. Their hits aren't many but Sheet Music isn't exactly the pull anybody would make when selecting a 10cc album to listen to. Weird, experimental and a somewhat successful attempt at making music that sounds like Harry Nilsson. 3/5.
Great follow up to their first release. Reading the background on the recording process, the band made the right choice in recording their raw, live sound. Definitely a sleeper in comparison, but a great punk album. 3.5/5.
This album triggered my tinnitus so badly after two songs that for the first time in 425 albums, I tapped out. I know I'm not missing much. The Killers emerged in the early 00's bland reawakening of pop rock along with Modest Mouse and Franz Ferdinand. Had it not been for the arena popular Mr Brightside, The Killers would be a budget bin selection like the other two. But, it is and Hot Fuss is still deemed a 'Must Listen' and whether it truly is or not for this list, when it comes to Tinnitus sufferers, it is not. So if you dear listener come across this review, please check your volume and protect your ears, unless you want to not listen to music that you do and do not enjoy. 3/5.
Record Company Exec: This better be one of the best albums if you want to use a picture of a concrete monolith that you just pissed on for the cover. Pete Townsend: I wrote it. 5/5
Rock? Punk? Prog? Opera? Dixie Jazz? This album is all over the place, from the poppy well-known Killer Queen, through the heavy-metal inspiring Stone Cold Crazy, Queen weaves a tapestry of eclectic music into a tight 39 minutes. 4/5.
The problem with evolving your image over your career to the point you end it making massive music for Disney® is you become so identified with those movies that its forgotten that you've made some popular music long before. Randy Newman has always been one of those show-tuney writers that somehow gotten popular on the pop charts. A lot of this sounds like what others have already said, raunchier versions of his Disney music.
Never heard this group before, so their status as a must-listen intrigued me. Halcyon Digest by Deerhunter is a mellow album that is good on the background but not gripping or a 'must-listen'. As a matter of fact, Halcyon Digest is a generic sampling of the same generic indie music that the US has spewed out for the first 15 years of the century and if you were to play a sampling of this or any other Deerhunter album I'm sure an average music listener would spout off several Franz Ferdinandish-Modest Mousey bands before landing on Deerhunter. 3/5.
The influential album that influenced the influencers. Raw, gritty and similar to what Iggy & The Stooges were putting out at the same time. 4/5.
Was expecting some elevator-type easy listening until I hears Sandy Denny on the first track. I first heard her going back and forth on The Battle of Evermore with Robert Plant, but haven't heard much of her otherwise. Fairport Convention's Liege And Lief was a surprisingly good listen. It may be that I'm getting this album so close to St Patrick's day, a day filled with Celtic music that this album's traditional track on English music with a 60's musical twist, but I enjoyed it. Fun listen. 4/5.
Millions Now Living Will Never Die by Tortoise suffers from a miscataloging. While showing up as 'Alternative' in Apple Music, I'm picking up prog rock, jam-band, jazz, fusion and more. This album was a refreshing listen. It's ambient tones make great background noise while working on a task that requires focus. 4.5/5.
With a voice as smooth as butter Rock 'N Soul by Solomon Burke ranks with the classics of the original rock and roll founders like Chuck Berry, Little Richard and on-and-on. Pop Soul as Burke's sound is helped lay the tracks for Otis, Motown and other black artists to once again, pave the way for future musicians to walk on.
Coldplay/Chris Martin catch a deservedly large amount of flack, but Parachutes was the album the projected them to the level to catch that flack. They kind of remind me of how U2 evolved into a band that people hated after Achtüng Baby. Chris Martin's lyrics on Parachutes is top notch and I'm surprised at how much I enjoyed this album. a surprising 4/5.
L.A. Woman gives a great indication of where The Doors were going creatively and as the tragic story repeats itself over and over again, we are robbed from finding out what Jim & Co. would do next. 4/5.
As a Metallica fan, the self-titled 'Black Album' signals the decline of Metallica in my humble opinion. Sure, the pop-rock-thrash-metal album was a charting success and probably what James & Lars wanted, but something is missing. Since it came out, it was one of the fewer listened albums and I'm at a point t in my life where this and future albums are rarely played until we get to 2008's Death Magnetic. This is my first spin of this album in maybe 20 years and it still strikes as a duller Metallica album, although I do grant why its on a 'Must-Listen' list like this and think at 3.5 stars it still warrants its place here. 3.5/5
Of all the albums I felt the need to defend, Def Leppard's Pyromania shouldn't be one of them. Yet the slaughter of poor reviews of this album need to be corrected. Pyromania is a monster. What it did in 1983 and paved the way for is probably invisible from most of the reviewers here who probably don't realize they were possibly conceived to this album. Did Def Leppard overstay their welcome? Yes. Is 1983's Pyromania Def Leppard's peak? No, that would come with Hysteria, the actual album that has the one-armed drummer. Rick Allen had both of his arms on this one. 4/5.
10 tracks at 48 minutes for an album that sounds like one song. This album is probably only here for 'Wake Up', a phenomenal song that does a lot of heavy lifting to keep this album good. 3/5.
Generic Who soundalike. Nothing that really stands out as excellent, influential or meriting of a 'must-listen'. 3/5.
Weird, eclectic, and yet interesting. Each song seems like a different genre. 3.5/5.
Compare this album's average rating of 2.97 against Nirvana's Nevermind rating of Nevermind at 4.41 and come up with a head scratcher. Nirvana was essentially a Meat Puppets cover band and because some guy bit into the wrong end of a shotgun, they have the third highest rated album on this list. Nirvana is and was overrated. Meat Puppets are all over the place and can't follow a musical thread. 3/5.
Hey, you know how electronic music started getting really popular and edgy in the 90s and all of these great groups came out and represented the genre really well? How about we select a group that nobody has heard of and hasn't done much for the genre, but they're from the British Isles, so fuck everybody's opinions, right? - The authors probably 2/5.
In today's edition of the UK Wish version of genre defining music we have Ash, a band that rides the grunge wave to D-level music celebrity-dom status that a casual music afficianado that was listening to this music during this time has never heard of but the authors of this list decide to let their UK favoritism take precedence rather than quality music. 2.5/5.
The only required listening of the Verve is Bitter Sweet Symphony. The only reason Bitter Sweet Symphony makes the Verve a must-listen and merit entry on this list is because of the fucked up copyright laws that allowed Alan Klein snatch the rights of the song because someone messed up on the sample clearance and Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are credited as the writers of the magnificent song. They're not and it's not their fault, as a matter of fact, they reverted the rights back to The Verve, but anyways the rest of the album is meh 90s Brit-Pop-Alternative-Rock. 3/5.
Kacey Musgraves is part of the crew taking mainstream country music back to good country music, so maybe that's why an album from 2018 is making a list of albums you must listen to before you die. In any event, I wouldn't add this one to the list. It's a good listen, but needs time age before being relevant for a list like this. 3/5.
After seeing Alice Cooper play Pontius Pilot in the Jesus Christ Superstar live TV event some years ago, I can see his fascination with musicals and theater. I haven't listened to an Alice Cooper album in about 30 years, so this was a pleasant surprise listen. 3.5/5.
Interesting electronic music that is probably better than most of the electronic music the author(s) force upon this list, but is there really room for so much content from a genre that all sounds the same? If that's the case, pull one album to stand and represent and skip the rest - this one could be that representative. 3/5.
Another Jam album? One was more than enough and with Sound Effects joining All Mod Cons, I'd pressure the author(s) to keep Sound Effects and toss the other - this one has That's Entertainment at least. Anything to keep Paul Weller omnipresent I guess. This all comes from someone who loves post-punk music, but come on. Not every post-punk; nüe wave hit maker needs to be here. 3/5.
fairly typical album of the period. Sounds a little like Marvin Gaye's Here Dear, also a 'must-listen'. 3/5.
Absolute gem of an album, some of REMs best lyric writing is right here. Everybody Hurts alone makes this album great, the rest is above par. No filler. 4.5/5
Frank Black created a whole new genre with Surfer Rosa. The Alternative / Grunge genre is more famous for starting in the 90s with Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Pixies pushes that needle a little further left. To 1988. 4/5.
Sounds like every other ambient-electronica piece that makes me question this list. It's okay, but must-listen? 3/5
My first time listening to or hearing of the Adverts, and it was a pleasant experience. I'm not entirely sure how much punk needs to be listened to once you get outside of the main contenders. Crossing the Red Sea sounds like typical punk and shouts the same message, but an all together good listen. 3.5/5
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Bonus, this was the first Spanish language album I listened to that was in Spanish, English and French. 3.5/5.
If they were the first band on the moon, I'd understand any album of theirs being a must listen. Since they are not, and don't necessarily meet the 80-90s UK pop profile the writer(s) love, I guess Sweden is close enough. It's an okay album, I give them credit for remaking Iron Man in their sound - they were out punched by the song, but they tried. 3/5.
I'm questioning why an album as recent as 2017 is on a must-listen list when it hasn't had time to actually have an impact, and based on prior reviewers it's not their most impactful album. Regardless, I walked into this not looking forward to listening and came out of it impressed. My Apple Music was on repeat and I didn't know I listened to the album twice. 4/5.
This album fell off the original list because it shouldn't have been on there in the first place. Muse represents a generic sound from the early 00s that you can play and struggle to name the band because they all sound the same. Black Holes and Revelations is an okay album and nothing against Muse, but a list of albums you should listen to before you die shouldn't include groups that all sound the same. 3/5.
Ozomatli takes all of the bad tropes of latin and alternative hip hop and combines them together in this album. The latin redux barely produced must-listen albums worthy of a list, this isn't one of them. 3/5.
Grunge and Alternative music wouldn't be what it is/was without Mudhoney and SubPop records in the late 80s. As a matter of fact, Mudhoney is peak Grunge/Alternative. 4/5.
clicked on the link to listen in Apple Music. It brought up the 10th anniversary reissue that had remixes and for some reason the original was not available so I listened to remixes before noticing my good. Found the original and had to start over, was bummed because I enjoyed the remixes. The original? It's okay electronic music. But it continues the author(s) bias for unoriginal British music that has no place on a list like this. 3/5.
This is a goodbye message. Johnny's saying sorry, goodby, thank you, and he loves you. This album was a masterpiece when released and after some time and a relisten after the loss of a loved one has left my keyboard sopping wet. Country music is underrepresented on this list and Johnny Cash isn't necessarily Country, nor is this album, but it's place here is well earned. 5/5.
Speaking as someone who appreciates later Dylan and even *gasp* Dylan live, this is a fantastic album. Highlands tees up nicely as a prequel to 'Murder Most Foul'. 4.5/5.
IN RAINBOWS marks a sonic change in direction for one of my favorite bands. I'm still unsure about this, but knowing that this album instigated the course that brings us to the current iteration of the band, I can't argue. 3.5/5.
Genericised EDM that barely registered a pulse, except in *checks notes* the UK - the location that the author(s) seem to believe all must-listen music originates from. Meh. 2.5/5.
Rust In Peace represents the crossing point of Metallica's decline of quality music and Megadeth's rising pace of good thrash metal. I know I'm glad Dave Mustaine got fired, it gave him the opportunity to make this. 4/5.
I wouldn't even know how to classify this, I'm guessing some sort of alternatvie-grunge-prog?
For a concept album, I get the idea behind it. Interesting attempt and it yielded a couple of iconic songs. 3/5.
I get what Bowie is to fans, but I'm missing something. Young Americans is one of Bowie's forays into a musical form that he is not familiar with. He knocks it out of the park. 3.5/5.
I forgot how many hits they had. My only critique is they try to hit too many styles from disco to funk, etc. But a good disc nonetheless. 3.5/5
There are two types of music I detest, Modern Country and Smooth Jazz. I always thought that Weather Report was smooth jazz, so imagine my surprise at finally sitting down and listening to a WR album for the first time and hearing Jaco Pastorius' fingers flow over his fretless base. I'm still not sold on WR, but will give more of their discs a listen. I stand corrected on WR being smooth jazz, I don't look forward to discovering something pleasant about Modern Country though… 4/5
Let me tell you about the early 00's kids. You couldn't stand on a line at Starbucks without hearing this. It was so trendy, you pulled the 'Free iTunes Download Card' from the sugar station and downloaded it onto your iPod. It was so good you bought tons of Pepsi products to get the better-than-cash-iTunes-codes to download the rest of the album. Or you got it on Napster and never listened to it again. Anyways, a different perspective on the retro-techno-trend. 3/5.
I find it funny that reviewers are trashing this album but heaping praise on Nirvana, who cite this group and this album as a major influence in the 90s punk / grunge resurgence. Anyways, this is a good album. The Slits are at the prime years of Punk and you can hear a little bit of everything that was influential in the late 70, early 80s. 3.5/5
In which the author(s) wanted a Nine Inch Nails record but needed another UK band to feed their bias. 2.5/5.
Prince made great music. Prince made bad music. 1999 is a blend of both. 3.5/5.
Ambient indeed. Simple, easy background music that's intended to be simple, easy background music. 4/5.
The Man Who… sounds like Thom Yorke. 3/5
Tom Waits' Bone Machine is one of his albums that I wasn't expecting to enjoy as much as I did. I'm familiar with his works and know the more popular albums. Bone Machine was a first listen and won't be the last. 4/5.
The more I discover prog-rock through this list, the more I like it. This might be my favorite Genesis album, and this is coming from someone who grew up in the 1980's, Ala Invisible Touch years. 4/5.
Mott The Hoople were an okay band that lucked into a mentorship from David Bowie. He showed them the ways of the Glam and their brief period of notoriety was extended. Mott is the first album of that extension and Bowie's influence is very evident. 3/5.
The album that launched prog rock. In The Court Of The Crimson King is not an easy listen and you need to be in a place to appreciate it and prog-style music. Once you're comfortable with songs longer than the 3-5 minute range and in the 7-13 minute range you'll appreciate what goes into it, similar to freeform Jazz of the 50's & 60's. 4.5/5.
In which the author(s) don't allow Saturday Night Fever because of it's flexible rule against soundtracks so they pull a Bee Gee's album that has one recognizable song. 3/5.
The album where the influence of their US tour and return from the beginnings of Beatlemania also starts to show the groups changing influence and lays the path for them to move from the pop band they started out as to the experimental band that doesn't tour. This is the entry into my personal favorite period of the Beatles, the one where they make music for themselves and release lightning from a bottle. 4.5/5.
Steely Dan is the band people talk about when they want to sound intelligent. I fucking hate Steely Dan and their dentist office smooth jazz castoff. 2/5.
What a listen. It's Congolese, but sounds like Caribbean, Conga, Salsa and at least a half-dozen other world sounds. Just like with a comment I made separating the man and the music with Eric Clapton, same goes here. Koffi Olomide is a terrible person that makes good music. 3.5/5.
An interesting progression for the Folk sound. Following his success with Fairport Convention, Richard Thompson's I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight is a keystone album that sets Folk in a direction that Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits easily use as an influence. 3.5/5
The patient-zero of Southern Rock. Iconic for stereotypes and plane crash jokes, but Lynyrd Skynyrd have carved out a niche for themselves in American Music with this album. 4/5.
Beck is one of those weird creative geniuses that turns weird into gold, which says a lot for a Scientologist. 4/5.
…and now I'm pregnant. Amazing album. For a Y2k release, this could be right out of the 50's / 60's with a Sinatra / Gilberto feel. Babel Gilberto does to Samba and other afro-cuban styled music what Amy Winehouse did with American Soul - took it from the past, put a little modern polish on it and succeeded. 4/5.
A covers album even in a 1930s pre-war German Cabaret style is still a covers album, and I don't really see a covers album as much of a 'must-listen'. 3/5.
1986 seems a little early for something this grungy and alternative to have been released. But here we are. I was all prepared to review this as another UK disc forced onto the list, but this sound is easily five years ahead of its time. 3/5.
Love Louis Prima. My one complaint about his music is that his songs all have the same closing and musical themes. But that's Louis. His music is awesome and definitely a required listen. 4/5.
I get the hate for Radiohead, I guess I just come down on their side since I've enjoyed them since first hearing Pablo Honey a-ways-back-when. OK coMPUTER is a break from the gurney whiney alternative band and moves Radiohead into whiney adult rock agents. And I like it. 4/5.
"The Vines were frequently compared to Nirvana". I'm not a Nirvana fan and can clearly see this is bullshit. Fuck the Brit loving music apologist that put this on the list of things to listen to before you fucking die. If you're compared to one of the greatest bands from a genre, you need to be better than them or shut the fuck up. 2.5/5.
People that know Bruce can name a few songs. Casual fans will say Born To Run is their favorite album. High-brow fans keep Nebraska close to the heart as a favorite. The story of how the album came about deserves it's own place on the list, but for an artist on the fast rise to super-stardom to stop and put out an all acoustic album at a time when that wasn't done is brave. 4/5
Foo Fighters is not a great album because it's lyrics (it's not). Foo Fighters is not a great album because it's music (it's not). It's an amazing testament of what grief and how we process it turns shit into gold. I'm not a fan of the Foo and am kind of annoyed at how sainted Dave Growl became like he's the only person capable of cheerleading rock, but for this album, he did good. 3.5/5.
Not hard rock/metal. This is just like the earlier 90s 'Punk' refresh. I don't what about this album makes it a 'Must Listen'. The sound is a clone of similar acts from the period while the lyrics try to be edgy, they're edgy in the sense of a Starbucks barista wearing a pin on their apron supporting ______ month and calling themselves an ally. The music is okay, not a must listen. 2/5.
The New Orleans parent of Rock and Roll. Just like his comrades in Memphis and Chicago, Fats Domino's take on 'local music' with a twist becomes on of the building blocks of the music that will change the world. He doesn't have as many 'instant hits' on his debut as Little Richard or Elvis, and so on but Fats Domino's boogie boogie rag-time rock and roll innovations are still as much a part of American music today. 4.5/5.
Similar in style to Fun Lovin' Criminals, Stereo MC's one-hit wonder status must merit them worthy of inclusion on this list according to the author(s). It doesn't. And on top of yet another shoe-horning of a mediocre UK band onto the list, I wonder if it's their UK bias. Again… 2.5/5.
There's two things the author(s) really like - 80s-90s UK pop and singer/songwriters. Instead of pulling all the popular singer/songwriter albums a little filling out of their influences from folk and the Great American Songbook would be better. But Leonard Cohen's Songs of Love & Hate is one of those that has a few really good songs and the rest is filler. 3.5/5
I don't know what the hell I just listened to or how to describe it, but I love it. Definitely will revisit. 4/5.
Funky, dark and smoove. 4/5.
I've never heard of this album and it sounds…okay. There's nothing fantastic about it that really merits being on the list. From the wikipedia page: Nixon became a breakthrough release for Lambchop in the United Kingdom, where it received critical acclaim and was named among the best albums of 2000 by numerous publications. Ah, now I get it. 2/5.
For all the hate I give the author(s) of the list about being so biased of 90s/00s UK unoriginal pop, I'd easily swap any of those albums for this. This is the example of Limp Bizkit they chose warranted inclusion? Must be a must-listen so you know how bad it was in the 90s. 2/5.
Any album that is closing in on its fiftieth anniversary and still charts is an easy five-star.
No more a better sampler of 90s dance than Dee-Lite. When this song hit the charts, I bought the album and while a lot of it wasn't my favorite back then, this album was on constant repeat. This was a nice revisit to an album I haven't heard in about 20 years. 3.5/5
"Fly or Die is the second studio album by American rap rock band N.E.R.D,…" Tis neither rap nor rock. 2/5.
Tracy Chapman earns her singer/songwriter chops with here. 3.5/5.
Sounds like something you'd do when you get your hands on a fresh new audio sampler. 3/5
Ozzy as Ozzy should be. Long before the crazy, chaos, and lost wandering grandfather schtick, it's easily forgotten how great of a band Black Sabbath was. 4/5.
It's hard to get a grasp on an album that you've never heard by an artist you don't know. Listening to A Little Deeper by Ms. Dynamite in 2023 you're not hearing too much originality or something that merits inclusion on a list of 'Albums you must hear'. When a record that barely had any traction when it was released and who's global stats only show a bump in the UK compared to a flat reception outside, you get a good look at the biases the author(s) of this book have for subpar UK performers regurgitating more popular artists who's only crime appear to not be based in the UK. 3/5.
This album was the sound of the early 90s. Sheryl Crow and the rest of the Lilith Faire Army™ domineered the popular music channels. Tuesday Night Music Club brought such a cultural shift to the sound of music that opened doors for women, but really shined a light on female Singer/Songwriters. 4/5
I grew up the black sheep artist in a police family. Band logo design was a favorite thing to me, so I decorated my notebook covers with band logos that I redrew. A police officer relative saw my book cover with P.E.'s bullseye logo on it and got mad at me because PE was anti-cop. I asked if they listened to PE or knew what they were rapping about. Fear of A Black Planet explains their gripes. Chuck D was/is the voice of a generation and the bravery it took to release an album like this was immense. 4/5.
I'm surprised to see so many low reviews of Norah Jones' 'Come Away with Me'. There must be some confusion and that might be due to how this album skyrocketed Jones to popularity overnight. This is not a Pop, AOR, or smooth rock album. This is a Jazz album and for a Jazz vocal album to gain the traction and popularity this did says something about a cross-genre hit. 4/5.
Man this album just does not sync for me. Lenny's lyrics are terrible and this record just feels like a justification for a newly purchased rhyming dictionary. 3/5
The amazing thing about Aretha Franklin was that she could take a popular song by another artist, put her spin on it and create a wholly different song that is 10x better than the original. There are plenty of examples of that on this album. 4.5/5
It's okay. In terms of a list of albums to listen to before you die, this album is an interesting merging of Indian and electronic music, but just like examples from both of these genres, it just goes on and on. 3/5.
The sound of silence, a Sunday morning with the comics page in your lap with your dog sound asleep at your slippered feet while an autumnal rain storm passes through. 4.5/5.
Grunge / alternative long before it became popular. Its influence is present in bands like Nirvana et al. 3.5/5
Whatever the hell this is, I love it. This is what I love about this album. Here I was, not expecting to hear 70's funk cowboy porn music but this is how I round out my week. 4/5.
Pretty good trip-hop album that I've never heard before. So a casual look at the details reveals it's from the author(s) favorite genre: 90s UK music that hasn't been heard by the rest of the world. Like I said, good album. But given the fact that it's little known outside the UK and there are pleeeeeenty of relevant and better albums from the genre, I'm just more convinced that Demery really needs to get out more. 3/5.
A dazzling glimpse into the 80s pop scene that wasn't as much on the forefront as others. Cocteau Twins 'Treasure' is dark and morose in a very 80s latchkey-come-home-when-the-street-lights-come-on way. 3.5/5.
I remember seeing Jesus & Mary Chain on the Lollapalooza tour in 1992 and thinking this new grungy raw sound was awesome. Turns out, J&MC were grunge before grunge was a thing. 3.5/5
I think I'm pregnant. Serge Gainsbourg's Histoire De Melody Nelson is an interesting spoken word album backed by period compositions for orchestras and electronic music. I never really wondered what a French Leonard Cohen would sound like, but I like it. 4/5
This takes me back to the Manhattan dance clubs of the 90s. RIP Limelight. I do wonder why Chemical Brothers have two albums on this list when one will surely do. But hey, it's not another pop album nobody heard of this time. 3.5/5
Luuuuuuucy… you have some 'splainin to do. I have to wonder if the Ricky Ricardo character is partially influenced by Machito. Regardless, it's nice hear more jazz on this list. Kenya sets the bar for afro-cuban jazz that it wasn't until today that I really see the connection to today's contemporary latin music. 4/5.
There's very few LIVE albums that I'd rate worthy of 'must-listen' status and regardless its technological innovations, recording quality and tightness of Van & The Band, I'd hardly rate this one on THAT par. Great album, Van sounds great but I fail to see the importance of this record which hasn't stood the test of time. 3.5/5.
I don't know what I'm getting out of this. Bryter Layter has a sound that is very period and Drake's lyrics don't really sync. Had his career lasted longer, I wonder how this album would rank. 3/5.
Some 45 minute albums on this list feel like like it's a three-hour listen. Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life comes in at a whopping 1:45 on two discs and feels like it's a 45 minute listen. That my friends is mastery of the art. There's many reasons a person of Stevie Wonder's stature can put out 18+ albums and SitKoL is a prime example. 4.5/5
Off the Wall is where Michael Jackson shows his potential as a standalone artist away from his familial group. You see hints of pure genius in Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough, Rock with You, and Workin' Day and Night while the rest of the album falls flat to the current dated sound of the late 1970s. But off the wall is just Jackson teeing you up for something very special to come… 3.5/5
Modern Life Is Rubbish by Blur is kinda like oatmeal - its food, but nobody really wants it. 2.5/5
I don't get Beyoncé. She can sing. We've known that since her mother selected her for advancement over her sister and the other Child of Destiny. Nevertheless, she falls into some sort of Kardashian level of fame where all I hear is how great Beyoncé is and it doesn't resonate for me. So should her epynonimous album be considered a must listen? To me, no.
Woody's words are still relevant. Kudos to a non-American for capturing his essence and translating it to a modern sound while still maintaining that raw Woody sound. 4.5/5
It's 3AM on the lower east side of NYC. The smells of the spring rain waft in through the open window of your lower first-floor apartment lit by the reflected light of streetlamps and the flashing neon sign outside of the bar that just closed. The love of your life just left you for your brother. This album is perfection, and not the only example of it that Miles would lay down on vinyl. 5/5
Every great concert you've ever seen is a pale attempt at recreating the energy that James Brown had when he performed. This live record is fantastic but also misses on that energy, but that's not the record's fault for not being able to encapsulate a four dimension experience on to a three dimension piece of media that yields an aural sound. 4/5
There is something about 60s/70s Brit-Singer-Songwriter schmaltz that just falls flat. Scott Walker is no different here. 3/5
This album turned into a forgettable album, but this was such a great listen. I forgot how many memorable songs came from The Thrills, too bad they and this album got lost in the early 00's indie-crossover flop. 3/5.
Why rewrite what WikiPedia puts so succinctly: Upon completion in 1974, Spector himself shelved the release for twelve months, only to find the album was largely met with indifference by the music establishment at the time. Phil should've left it on the shelf. 2/5.
Never heard of this album or band. I at first I was listening to Men At Work, but they fit the author(s) sweet spot of BritPop that he likes to shove down the throats of this lists readers. 2/5.
This is one of those tongue-in-cheek-cliche bands right? This album can't be serious <reads the Wiki page> "Permission to Land is the debut studio album by the British glam rock band"… Seriously. This is my 538th album on this list and probably the 700th British band that Demory put on here instead of a proper band from that genre that launched the genre. I'm about thisclose to dropping this project due to Robert fucking Demory's insanity. 2/5.
I'll agree with others on a live album really not being a must listen and while Live at Leeds is a phenomenal album in particular Keith Moon, it's a meh from me. 3.5/5
Freak Out! by The Mothers Of Invention is such a different album than you think Frank Zappa capable of. It sounds very contemporary for a 1966 release until you start to pick up different instruments and lyrics and then you get that it is indeed a Frank Zappa album. 3.5/5
Masterpiece. This is the album all of the indie-post punk-2000's bands want you to think they're improving. This is the album that fans of those bands call us 'Boomer' with a snear on their peach-fuzzed faces when you tell them their band sucks. This is the album that made the NYC post-punk sound of the 1970s. This. Is. The. Album.* 5/5. *And I fucking love it.
I bought this album when it came out - only because of Justified & The Ancient which was a massive hit being played everywhere. I never made it through the whole album then, and this listen through some 20+ years later was no different. Once again, the author(s) put region over importance with this list and it feels like every new day is a 50/50 gamble over whether I'll hit with another 90s UK pop or electronic album that barely registered on its release. 2.5/5.
In 1977 this album changes music. It's an underground influence that is the reason this list exists. 4/5.
There are better versions of this style of music than this album by Country Joe & The Fish - heck there's even better versions by Country Joe!
Red Hot Chili Peppers had been long established before Blood Sugar Sex Magik was released, but this one turned out to be a monster and in my opinion, their last good album before switching to their 'Dani California' style. Bonus, Chad Smith's drumming on this record is a master class. 4/5.
Admittedly, I don't get the fuss about Liz Phair. I do get her impact on music and see the importance of this album. But it doesn't sound like more than the typical early 90s female hard rocker. 3.5/5.
I remember Back2Life being all over the radio when it was released. But a hit single does not make an album a must listen. Unless…(checks notes) the album was UK in origin and suits the author(s) UK bias. 3/5/
Never heard of this album or group, so I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy it. A very post-punk sound with hints of Velvet Underground and Primus is always considered a must-listen. 4/5.
I…I… Don't know what I just listened to but I feel agitated. Why is this album here? It's not UK 90's pop. 2/5
My second favorite post-Beatles album. John just dumps everything on the floor. His therapy and marriage to Yoko help him put out some of his best writing ever. Just hearing his voice makes me sad that we were robbed of some of his best work and perhaps a reunion with Paul. 4/5.