Adult Contemporary. It’s only for adults. Don’t you dare listen to this kids, it’s for the adults. This is the music that’s playing on a paint stained boom box in your neighborhoods open garage. It’s a hot Sunday afternoon in early September. Your neighbor’s dad has half their Chevy in pieces in the driveway and he’s covered in oil stains. He’s smoked a pack of cigs and crushed a 12 pack of Miller highlife before the late games kicked off. This is the album he’s listening to while he curses at the old truck. I haven’t listened to it yet (or checked that it exists) but I know Anita Baker has a great Christmas Album. 3/5. Good to know Baker.

Absolutely beautiful album. My perception is that The Youngbloods are less cited than other popular counterculture musicians but they are great standard bearers for the movement. The lyrics are poetic and still relevant to our culture 50+ years later. I love everything about this album. The instrumentation is dated but that’s fine. It’s of it’s time. So much fun.

Opening song is so iconic and themed perfectly as an intro. Great bass. Dear Doctor…country? What? Very nice.

Seems influential but not necessarily for me. I hear Avril Lavigne and Ben Folds.

On elf the greatest of all time

The true king. This is the R&B teaching Rock and Roll how it should sound.

Not a fan of the clash but I’m glad I gave this a listen to reconfirm. I can appreciate the passion and the social critique but the vocals and simplistic percussion grind my gears.

I listened practically on repeat the entire day. Love it.

Smooth. chill. Beautiful in the background or for focus. It’s steadily grew on me throughout the day. This is a very interesting pivot for the list so far. I initially intended to ignore it and give a low ranking but listening further got me kinda hooked.

Sounds like something someone else is sentimental for

Good example of shoegaze. Didn’t really do anything for me.

Adult Contemporary. It’s only for adults. Don’t you dare listen to this kids, it’s for the adults. This is the music that’s playing on a paint stained boom box in your neighborhoods open garage. It’s a hot Sunday afternoon in early September. Your neighbor’s dad has half their Chevy in pieces in the driveway and he’s covered in oil stains. He’s smoked a pack of cigs and crushed a 12 pack of Miller highlife before the late games kicked off. This is the album he’s listening to while he curses at the old truck. I haven’t listened to it yet (or checked that it exists) but I know Anita Baker has a great Christmas Album. 3/5. Good to know Baker.

This is both angrier and more homophobic than I remember. It’s a funny album though and an interesting time capsule for what an angry embattled rapper sounded like in 2000.

A songwriter with a questionable voice. He sounds…old on some of the upper register stuff Speakin’ Out was more country than I realized Neil Young can be. Albuquerque is fantastic.

Like the high energy stuff. Love the ballads. There are just some absolute party rock classics. It’s dumb. It’s loud. It’s a lot of fun. Can’t say this is high art by any means but I am not going to skip Def Leppard if it comes on the radio.

Joplin carries this one for me but there is a lot more interesting guitar than I expected. Full of meandering tracks that kinda lose me. Piece of My Heart is an all timer.

1.5 hot wonder

Classic. Over the top. Love it.

Love it. More polished than the first album Oasis released. Really well produced. There are some great hits on this.

Interesting style and instrumentation mix. This tackles, or at least shares a perspective on some complex but very real issues.

Psychedelic and weird. Very happy for the refresher on Rundgren. This will work it’s way into my normal listening.

This one isnt intended to be absorbed on airpods in your house. I think you had to be there in the clubs. Loose Fit is fun.

Love a good active Bass part. I’m not sure the “concept” for this album is communicated clearly though. This is an interesting album but not very approachable for an unfamiliar listener.

I may be grading the overall album generously because of how much I love Karma Police.

This is dumb

The R&B stuff is great. I like it more than the more pop sounds.

Love Blister in the Sun. The rest sounds the same

Legendary.

this is easier listening than I expected. I knew Imagine and Jealous Guy going in and I'm pleasantly surprised by the rest.

Jammy and sick. Love it.

This was so much better than I expected. I had a perception of Alice Cooper as a hacky, shock act and this felt much more genuine than I anticipated.

I don’t think this one would make my list of 1001 albums to hear before I die.

Sounds ahead of its time

Some of the greatest songs ever written but this album has too much “stuff” on it. I think it’s a little overrated and needed to be trimmed down. Still love it.

Kinda hanging it’s hat on the one hit song

The 1 hit is great. Didn’t love the rest.

Love Steely Dan. This album is pedestrian

Sounds completely modern despite coming out in the 50s

Absolutely beautiful album. My perception is that The Youngbloods are less cited than other popular counterculture musicians but they are great standard bearers for the movement. The lyrics are poetic and still relevant to our culture 50+ years later. I love everything about this album. The instrumentation is dated but that’s fine. It’s of it’s time. So much fun.

The bass lines are the most interesting part. Unfortunately, I don’t mean this as a compliment. Some tracks are lyrically rote and lacking vocal dynamic variation. There are a few nice ones nestled in. I’m scratching my head as to why I need to hear this one before I die though. 1.5 stars.

Very nice. Folk is like comfort food. It’s always enjoyable and safe but when it’s done well it can be elevated it’s comparable to genres where we expect high quality.

I was ready to write this off as an album that shouldn’t be included until I heard a lick popularized by the Grateful Dead. If you’re good enough to share source material and interests with the dead, you’re good enough for a patient listen from me. Very nice album. The conceptual songs are tedious but the melodies are pleasant and I’m always game for some sitar.

There is some nirvana feel at places. I like this album the more I hear it. Glad to know pavement.

Smooth and nostalgic for me.

This album built as it went on. I’m curious to see on multiple listens if my impressions improve further. Love the sound.

Not distinct. It’s nice but I don’t understand the inclusion

A Bizarre and fantastic journey

Beatles did it better

Builds to a very strong close

Took me a few tries to get through this one but it surpassed my expectations. There are some poignant lines and “work it” was a massive hit.

Umm whatever guys

It’s a bit meandering but dang it starts strong. Love Rundgren

Unique sound

Classic.

Genre spanning. This is way more than “School’s Out”.

Solid honkey tonk album

So inventive

I tried my hardest to fight my nostalgia and give this a lower score. It’s just too damn good. I love almost every song and the one I don’t(yellow submarine) is iconic. Harrison sitar influence. Excellent vocals and famous bass licks from Paul. Just fantastic.

Maybe I’m just basic but commercially successful Rush seems better than Rush for Rush’s sake.

Couple of absolute classics but the individual pieces blended in a bit too much for me. Maybe I didn’t pay close enough attention

Got some nice vibes

I love albums like this on the list because I end up learning things I didn’t even know I was missing out on. I like ska but knowing this came out in 1979 totally changed my mental timeline on when ska happened. Very cool track to start the album and fun moments throughout. The quote from the stones was a cool spot.

Feels very authentic

This confirmed a minor complaint I have with Bowie. There are always some amazing concepts but the execution isn’t quite what I want. It’s sparse. I want a horn line or more from the accompanying vocals. To say it differently I just want Bowie doing everything he does but with a more assertive producer.

Black Star is fantastic

Maybe I don’t get punk. This just feels like rough musicianship, rough production quality, and angst.

Distinct sound

Between this and Behavior, Pet Shop Boys absolutely eat their spot on this list. I wasn’t familiar with them at all but they’re great.

One of the greatest crescendos to the close of an album ever. Absolute classic.

Mmmmmmm funky

Instantly this made me think of the Stones but based on the dates maybe some of that influence went both directions

Seemed a lot cooler and more transgressive when it came out. Really hard to tell what’s going on lyrically. The hi hat, on “closer” in particular, is grating.

Maybe I’m just dense but I didn’t realize Michael Jackson did so much disco.

Little wing and Castles Made of Sand

One of my all time favorite recordings of Birdland