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Albums Rated
3.42
Average Rating
100%
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2010s
Favorite Decade
Rock-and-roll
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
132
5-Star Albums
26
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Penance Soiree
The Icarus Line
|
5 | 2.5 | +2.5 |
|
Sex Packets
Digital Underground
|
5 | 2.67 | +2.33 |
|
...Baby One More Time
Britney Spears
|
5 | 2.67 | +2.33 |
|
Back to Basics
Christina Aguilera
|
5 | 2.76 | +2.24 |
|
Yeezus
Kanye West
|
5 | 2.77 | +2.23 |
|
Chris
Christine and the Queens
|
5 | 2.82 | +2.18 |
|
Sweetheart Of The Rodeo
The Byrds
|
5 | 2.83 | +2.17 |
|
Ananda Shankar
Ananda Shankar
|
5 | 2.83 | +2.17 |
|
Cafe Bleu
The Style Council
|
5 | 2.87 | +2.13 |
|
Merriweather Post Pavilion
Animal Collective
|
5 | 2.9 | +2.1 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Protection
Massive Attack
|
1 | 3.25 | -2.25 |
|
Double Nickels On The Dime
Minutemen
|
1 | 3.12 | -2.12 |
|
Nighthawks At The Diner
Tom Waits
|
1 | 3.01 | -2.01 |
|
World Clique
Deee-Lite
|
1 | 2.86 | -1.86 |
|
Roots
Sepultura
|
1 | 2.79 | -1.79 |
|
Arise
Sepultura
|
1 | 2.73 | -1.73 |
|
Atomizer
Big Black
|
1 | 2.72 | -1.72 |
|
The Score
Fugees
|
2 | 3.69 | -1.69 |
|
Slipknot
Slipknot
|
1 | 2.68 | -1.68 |
|
Let's Get Killed
David Holmes
|
1 | 2.68 | -1.68 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 7 | 4.71 |
| Radiohead | 6 | 4.67 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 5 |
| Kanye West | 3 | 5 |
| Pink Floyd | 4 | 4.5 |
| Johnny Cash | 3 | 4.67 |
| Kendrick Lamar | 2 | 5 |
| Aretha Franklin | 2 | 5 |
| Stevie Wonder | 4 | 4.25 |
| Metallica | 4 | 4.25 |
| Bob Marley & The Wailers | 3 | 4.33 |
| Led Zeppelin | 5 | 4 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Sepultura | 2 | 1 |
| Slipknot | 2 | 1.5 |
| Pere Ubu | 2 | 1.5 |
| Public Image Ltd. | 2 | 1.5 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Massive Attack | 1, 4 |
| Fleetwood Mac | 2, 5 |
5-Star Albums (132)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Destiny's Child
4/5
Like the missy elliott album I got, survivor is very emblematic of it’s time but it’s definitely much less dated than that album. Survivor still makes me feel like a bad bitch even though I’m a straight white man
26 likes
Beck
4/5
This was very obviously a Beck album from the first song. He seems to skip from genre to genre in a care-free manner but he manages to keep a consistent theme through the album as well. Hotwax is country and High 5 is hip hop and other songs are blues. I see where he got his reputation as being able to master any musical genre. Fav songs: Devils Haircut, Hotwax, Ramshackle
19 likes
White Denim
5/5
I think I’ve found another gem of an artist. This album was pretty good and I kept listening to their music after the album ended and this shit is my jam. It’s like blues and rock and a little psychedelic and there’s a lot going on but doesn’t get irritating. I’d probably put it at a high 4 but I want it on my summary just so I remember this band from time to time. Is and is and is is by far my fav but street joy is pretty good too.
18 likes
Basement Jaxx
2/5
I’m honestly getting sick of the weird amount of electronica albums I’ve gotten recently. As I listen to each of these, I’ve come to realize why daft punk and fatboy slim have lasted into the 21st century while all of the artists like this one are relics of the 90s at this point. Not as bad as the last album though. Fav song: red alert
18 likes
Mj Cole
1/5
You know it’s bad when I can make it all the way through trout mask replica but not this. By the fourth song I was out this shit sucked major ass.
16 likes
1-Star Albums (26)
All Ratings
The Who
4/5
I was surprised by this album. It was a part of British Invasion but atill had an identity of its own
Richard Thompson
3/5
Very folksy and well written. Title track was the best but probs wouldn’t listen to it again
Devendra Banhart
4/5
I was surprised by this album. I could tell it’s psychedelic folk almost immediately. Fav songs: a sight to behold, this beard is for siobhan
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
I found this album to be very boring personally but well made objectively. Nick Cave’s voice was monotone but the minimalist production was solid along with good songwriting. Not horrible but not enjoyable. Fav song, ig: black hair
Arctic Monkeys
4/5
Solid, hard-rocking debut album. The guitars are great, Alex Turner's voice is fitting for the British punk revival the album is going for. Fav songs: I bet you look good on the dance floor, dancing shoes
4/5
This was a really solid concept album. It has excellent writing and each song felt like it contributed to the themes of the album. There are also some great guitars on here too. Fav songs: shangri-la, Churchill says, drivin
The Rolling Stones
2/5
This may be because of the state of mind I was in while I listened to this album, but I found it to be pretty boring. Nothing differentiated it from other British Invasion albums and it was pretty lame by Rolling Stones standards. I can appreciate the attempt at psychedelic vibes from the stones though.
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
I liked the vibe of this album more than I liked any particular song. It’s a decent rock album with good production and is very of its time but nothing really stands out in particular.
U2
3/5
I appreciated how different this album was from the rest of U2’s discography. It was much more alternative and heavy that their other more pop-sounding music. It wasn’t amazing but it wasn’t bad either. Fav songs: mysterious ways, even better than the real thing
Mike Ladd
2/5
This album was my introduction to experimental hip hop and this album hasn’t convinced me on the genre. The flow and bars were good and the production was interesting at the very least with its Asian influences, but none of it really stood out. It was also a bizarre choice to have jazz tracks seemingly randomly inserted in between hip hop songs
Paul Weller
4/5
I really liked this album and I had never heard of paul welled before. I really like his blues rock sound and it sounds like a precursor to modern blues rock bands such as the black keys. Fav songs: can you heal us, wild wood, holy man reprise
The Rolling Stones
4/5
This album was much better than aftermath in my opinion. It was still a unique stones album from their earlier work and clearly showed that they wanted to experiment with blues, country, and continue working with psychedelic sounds. I was surprised by the Black influence in you gotta move as well. I can still hear this album in modern indie blues with songs like moonlight mile and wild horses has always been one of my favorite Rolling Stones songs. Fav songs: moonlight mile, wild horses, sister morphine, moonlight mile, you gotta move
OutKast
3/5
This is a quintessential 2000s hip hop album and it certainly feels like an encapsulation of the era in which it was made. Ms. Jackson is still a classic to this day and the bars in each song still hold up for the most part. I liked it but it’s not my favorite era of hip hop/rap. Fav songs: gasoline dreams, ms. Jackson, bombs over Baghdad
Coldplay
4/5
This is an album I’ve always heard singles from but never listened to all the way through. I’m glad I finally did because it’s a really good album. It definitely is different from parachutes and is more upbeat and uses piano/electric guitar more. Solid album from start to finish. Fav songs: scientist, clocks, god put a smile upon your face, politik
Korn
3/5
This was another surprising album. It was much better than I thought but some of the songs are comically edgy and the lyrics can be very dated at times. However, it’s about as good as nu metal gets. Fav songs: freak on a leash, bbk
Nick Drake
4/5
This album really grew on me upon multiple listens. The haunting vocals and stripped down to the bone production made this album extremely sad to listen to but also very enjoyable. I don’t have a favorite song because I just like the sound of the album in general
Doves
3/5
This album was interesting. It sounds very similar to what Coldplay was making at around the same time but was still heavier and more unique. I’d have to listen to it again to find favorite songs because I also enjoyed this one as more of a complete experience
Black Sabbath
3/5
It’s weird to think that this album came out just as the Beatles were breaking up because brit rock and heavy metal seem so far apart from each other but they were almost contemporary. This album isn’t bad but the title tracks sound is wildly different from the rest of the album. Plus each track is 3 songs lumped together which was annoying to find a fav song. Overall, not amazing but a very interesting look into the genesis of heavy metal. Fav song I think: the wizard
2Pac
3/5
Going into this album, I had never been a big fan of old school hip hop but this album made me appreciate it slightly more. Tupac’s lyricism is excellent and the production is pretty good even though it’s what I don’t like about older rap. Fav songs: dear mama, temptations
Deee-Lite
1/5
This album was the most 90s thing I’ve ever heard and it was not enjoyable at except for the one-hit wonder groove in the heart. Every song is both boring and annoying with lame production and okay singing until you reach groove is in the heart and there’s finally a catchy baseline. Without that one song this album would be completely irredeemable. Fav song: groove is in the heart
Buck Owens
3/5
This was probably the most standard 60s country album I've ever heard. It was by no means bad and had some good tracks but nothing stood out to me. With Marty Robbins, I'll always remember his biggest songs but I likely won't remember as much about this album. Fav songs: streets of laredo, cryin' time
Public Enemy
3/5
Between this and the Tupac album from a couple of days ago, I think I'm beginning to warm up to old-school rap. This felt like the second generation of NWA, with even sharper political commentary and better production. Fav songs: Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos, Party For Your Right To Fight
Dire Straits
4/5
This album is mostly known for sultans of swing, and for good reason, but the album as a whole was pretty good. The chill guitars on each song were really nice and knopflers voice is relaxing. A nice chilled out rock album. Fav songs: sultans of swing, most of the other ones
Aerosmith
3/5
I got a lot of guns and roses and even some nirvana vibes from this album. It’s not the most memorable rock album I’ve ever heard and it has a couple stand out songs. Always hated back in the saddle though. Fav song: sick as a dog
Cheap Trick
4/5
I’ve never been a huge fan of live albums, with some exceptions, but this was a perfectly fine one. My favorite song of cheap tricks was on here and there were a couple other good ones. Fav songs: ain’t that a shame, I want you to want me, surrender
Daft Punk
3/5
I really like a good amount of Daft Punk's music but I've never been able to get into this album. It's super repetitive and some of the beats get annoying but there's something about it that doesn't make me hate it. It's still really well produced and the music isn't bad it's just not meant for focused listening. Fav songs: Da Funk, Alive
Beck
4/5
This was very obviously a Beck album from the first song. He seems to skip from genre to genre in a care-free manner but he manages to keep a consistent theme through the album as well. Hotwax is country and High 5 is hip hop and other songs are blues. I see where he got his reputation as being able to master any musical genre. Fav songs: Devils Haircut, Hotwax, Ramshackle
Bob Marley & The Wailers
5/5
This album is awesome. I had always liked reggae and lover's rock but had never actually listened to a Bob Marley album, and I'm glad I finally did. All of the songs perfectly encapsulate the reggae vibes of the 70s and 80s and all of the singles are still bangers. Fav songs: so much things to say, the heathen, exodus, three little birds, one love/people get ready
The La's
2/5
This was obviously another one-hit wonder album. It wasn’t hard on the ears but it wasn’t very memorable except for one or two songs. Fav songs: there she goes, doledrum
Cream
3/5
After the first two songs of this album, I started to get the feeling that this was another album with like two good songs then 80% filler. While this wasn’t completely true, I still didn’t get much out of this album other than some pretty cool guitars. Fav songs: strange brew, sunshine of your love
Aimee Mann
3/5
I only know Aimee Mann from the magnolia soundtrack and this album isn’t as good as that but it still solid. I wa shining to it by the end but few songs really stood out. Feels like a proto-Taylor Swift album. Fav song: Say anything
Elvis Costello
4/5
I had only ever heard of Elvis Costello before this but I’m glad I finally listened to one of his albums. This was a fun and catchy album that was solid the whole way through. Makes you nostalgic for a time you’ve never lived in. Fav songs: welcome to the working week, mystery dance
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
The abattoir blues section of this album was awesome. It reminded me a lot of meatloafs bombastic, operatic rock music and I would’ve given it a five. Unfortunately, the second half of the album slows down and becomes much more like the boatman’s call, which I’m less fond of. Overall, it’s still a solid album but the first half is much much better. Fav songs: get ready for love, hiding all away
The Allman Brothers Band
4/5
The garage-rock blues sound that's showcased on this album is one of my favorite genres of music and this album was over an hour of just that. It's a great live album and one I can just listen and vibe to forever just because it sounds so good. Fav song: done somebody wrong
Fatboy Slim
4/5
This album felt like a natural evolution of Homework by Daft Punk. It was still repetitive, catchy electronica but kept it fresher than Homework, in my opinion. Overall, sounded good the whole way though while still having quite a few standouts, with acid 8000 sounding like a Daft Punk song. Also the original album cover is way cooler than the American version. Fav songs: The Rockafeller Skank, Soul Surfing, Love Island
Dwight Yoakam
4/5
This was another album that I liked in general but can’t really pick out a specific song I really liked. It was just a solid blues, country, honky think revival album. Fav song: I got you
Beyoncé
4/5
This album grew on me as I listened to it. At first, I wasn’t enjoying it at all but by the time I got about halfway through I was thoroughly vibing to it. It’s definitely one of the horniest albums I’ve ever listened to and shows why Beyoncé is called the queen. Fav songs: drunk in love remix, jealous, XO
Grateful Dead
3/5
Here we have another album that has no bad songs yet no songs that really stand out from the rest. It’s just a competent, solid Grateful Dead album. Fav songs: candy man, truckin
Fred Neil
3/5
Just like the Grateful Dead album I had before this, it was easy listening. No standout amazing songs but no songs that I hated. I have nothing else to say about this album except that it got very weird in the last song compared to the rest of the album. Fav song: everybody’s talkin
Pavement
3/5
At first, I filed this album away under all of the other mid-90s/early-00s indie music I've ever heard but it really grew on me after the first couple of songs. I got tired of the breathy vocals on some of the tracks but I really liked the production throughout the record. Fav songs: stop breathing, unfair
The Stranglers
3/5
This was an alright english punk album. It’s nowhere near the Sex Pistols or anything but it sounds good at least. The lyrics on most of the songs certainly haven’t aged well. Fav songs: princess of the streets, peaches
Happy Mondays
2/5
I got tired of this album pretty quickly. The sound wasn't bad but it wasn't interesting either and I was not a fan of the vocals at all. It sounded both unique and completely bland and mediocre at the same time
Screaming Trees
3/5
This was certainly the most unique grunge/rock/blues album I've heard so far. It has a lot of different elements incorporated and while I probably wouldn't listen to this very often, it was still an interesting listen. I especially enjoyed how psychedelic the last few songs got; it got me interested in their earlier music which I hear is more psychedelic. Fav songs: All I Know, Traveler
Carole King
5/5
What a banger of an album. This has every right to be one of the best-selling classic albums of all time just because it sounds so good. King's voice, songwriting, and quintessential 70s sound all come together to make every song enjoyable. Fav songs: I feel the earth move, its too late, way over yonder, where you lead
Jazmine Sullivan
4/5
I was surprised to see this recent of an album on this list, but it was a worthy addition. The vocals and writing on this album are great and it had a great R&B sound. It did seem somewhat anemic considering it was half an hour including the intermission stories though. Fav songs: pick up your feelings, price tags
Method Man
2/5
It's likely the mood I was in when I listened to this album, but it was not for me. I think I enjoy the more complex production of 90s rap like in that Tupac album I got a while back as opposed to this which felt pretty stripped back. The lyrics were still pretty good though.
Eric Clapton
4/5
This album proves Eric Clapton amazing talent as a guitarist. Every song is enjoyable to listen to just for the guitar playing but the tracks themselves are still well-made all around. Fav songs: motherless child, I shot the sheriff, let it grow
FKA twigs
4/5
This was a weird one. I’m not sure how to describe this album but I think I liked it. It really grew on me as I listened to it more and by the end I was vibing to it. Fav songs: two weeks, pendulum
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
I was mostly bored by this album throughout listening to it. No songs stood out and it just sounded like 80s pop. Didn’t despise it but couldn’t find anything that would make me listen to any one of the tracks again
Dolly Parton
3/5
Here we have Dolly Parton bringing her distinctive voice to the dominant folk country of the early 1970s. This was a pretty standard 70s folk album and is nowhere near Dolly's best but it still shows off her musical talent. Fav song: Here I Am
The Avalanches
3/5
A Quentin Tarantino movie is the best way to describe this album. Like his movies, this album creates something original out of a plethora of preexisting media from classical music samples, to audio clips, to other samples. In addition, all of the electronica albums I've gotten so far have been very distinct from each other yet still tend to have the same markers. Fatboy Slim is different from Daft Punk is different from The Avalanches yet they are all undeniably the same genre. This felt more ambient than those other albums though. Fav songs: Radio, Live at Dominoes
Death In Vegas
4/5
This album took me completely by surprise. I had never heard of this artist before this album but what an album it is. The first half of this album started out really strong and felt like the electronica version of Radiohead with strong, ominous production. I wasn't as big of a fan in the second half but still enjoyed it nonetheless. Fav songs: Dirge, Death Threat
Tom Waits
1/5
I’ve always heard that Tom waits has a reputation for being divisive and I see where that comes from. I hated this album and all it had going for it was the jazz house vibe. Otherwise, all of the intros were boring and the actual songs were a slow, unenergetic version of jazz that sucks all the fun out of the genre
Leonard Cohen
4/5
I had only heard a couple of Leonard Cohen songs before this and this was my first album. What an album it is. The songwriting mixed with Cohen's haunting, deep voice makes for a really good, ominous-sounding album. Gives me total True Detective vibes. Fav songs: You Want It Darker, Leaving the Table, String Reprise/Treaty
The Soft Boys
3/5
After listening to this album, I don't think I see the similarities between classical and neo-psychedelic. This sounded like a standard UK rock album from the 80s more than any type of psychedelic genre album. Still not bad though. Fav song: kingdom of love
Roxy Music
3/5
I think this is the most eclectic album I’ve had so far. Each song is completely different from the other but the album as a whole still has a strong identity. Hard to pinpoint fav songs but: bitter sweet
Spiritualized
2/5
I was into this album at first but I just got bored of it by the end. It had a cool spacey sound but I think it ended up being relatively lame in terms of slow rock like this. It also didn’t help that I started to space out the album while I worked on other stuff. Fav song: if I were with her now
Beach House
4/5
This is the type of music I regularly listen to so it’s safe to say I enjoyed this album. It does sound quite a bit like most other dream pop albums but there’s something different about this one. I think it’s a hypnotic quality to the production. Btw I’m in dc right now. Fav songs: a walk in the park, lover of mine, real love
Solange
4/5
I didn’t realize how good of a voice solange had until I listened to this. This was mostly better than the Beyoncé album I got a while back just based off the voice and production. Every song was enjoyable but there were a few too many interludes. Fav songs: weary, don’t touch my hair
The Smiths
3/5
I’m not sure how I feel about morisseys voice, but this album was perfectly fine. I don’t have much to say about it other than that it was completely acceptable in terms of sound and lyrics
Massive Attack
1/5
I’m not sure how I feel about morisseys voice, but this album was perfectly fine. I don’t have much to say about it other than that it was completely acceptable in terms of sound and lyrics
Basement Jaxx
2/5
I’m honestly getting sick of the weird amount of electronica albums I’ve gotten recently. As I listen to each of these, I’ve come to realize why daft punk and fatboy slim have lasted into the 21st century while all of the artists like this one are relics of the 90s at this point. Not as bad as the last album though. Fav song: red alert
Meat Loaf
5/5
Sixty-three days in, I finally have a favorite album of mine to listen to yet again. I've loved this album since I was 13 for its bombastic, lighthearted, energetic vibes. Paradise by the Dashboard Light makes it easy to imagine what being a dumb teenager in the 1970s would be like and the title track is a great driving song. Also, Jim Steinman is a genius songwriter. Fav songs: all of them but especially PBTDL
Johnny Cash
4/5
It's pretty tough to beat Johnny Cash performing live at a prison. The man seems to do his best work there because the way he comes off on this album make it feel like these performances are where he's most at home. Loved hearing all the classics plus some that I hadn't heard before. Fav songs: wanted man, I walk the line, boy named sue, folsom prison blues
Nirvana
5/5
It’s amazing how influential nirvana became after essentially only 2 albums but it’s understandable. Both this and nevermind are all time greats for good reason, not much more to be said. Nevermind is still better in my opinion. Fav songs: heart-shaped box, rape me, all apologies
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
This is the first time I've heard one of Springsteen's more slow albums and I must say that I'm not the biggest fan. I definitely like his more upbeat and energetic music but this still isn't terrible. A little boring but the lyrics are good and Bruce's voice is solid. Fav song: Highway Patrolman
Nick Drake
4/5
I definitely liked this album more than Pink Moon, and that was a pretty good album. This one had more instruments and a more complex production which I liked. Like Pink Moon, none of the songs stand out on their own, they just seem to blend together into a really good listening experience. Fav songs: time has told me
The Cure
3/5
This album was fine. It was extremely goth and extremely 80s. It was an enjoyable enough listening experience but I probably wouldn't listen to this very regularly. Fav song: one hundred years
Hawkwind
2/5
I didn’t finish this album not because it was bad but because I just got tired of it. Each song sounded like the same type of space rock with ambient noises and some good guitars/drums
Depeche Mode
4/5
Personal Jesus alone is enough to give this album at least a 3 but the rest of the tracks were pretty enjoyable as well. I think it's only the second 90s electronica album I've gotten that I actually fully enjoyed. Quintessential 80s sound. Fav songs: PERSONAL JESUS, halo, enjoy the silence
Prefab Sprout
5/5
Holy shit did this album catch me by surprise. I had never even heard of Prefab Sprout before this and I loved every track on this album. This might be the first album this generator has introduced me to for the first time that I absolutely, fully enjoyed. Literally don't have enough good things to say about it. Fav songs: bonny, when love breaks down, goodbye lucille
Thin Lizzy
4/5
This was a pretty enjoyable live album. It didn’t all sound the same and the big hits were fun. Not much to say about it other than that it was a good listen. Fav songs: emerald, boys are back in town
Iron Maiden
4/5
I had fun listening to this album. It’s at the heavy metal point where it’s still energetic and fun but still hardcore enough to not be regular rock. Fav songs: 22 acacia avenue, run to the hills
Queen
4/5
This was a lot closer to something like metal than what I associate with Queen. It’s still very much Queen though and March of the black Queen sounds like a proto bohemian rhapsody. Good album. Fav songs: fairy-fellers master stroke, March of the black Queen
5/5
Literally every single one of my favorite oasis songs are on this album. What a classic banger of an album. Even if wonderwall is overplayed it’s still good and I love champagne supernova, it’s been my alarm in the morning for years. Fav songs: literally no skips
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
We all know why this album is on here, but it was surprisingly enjoyable despite the one-hit wonder. Very energetic and fun plus can’t hate on come on Eileen. Fav songs: Jackie Wilson said, old, come on eileen
R.E.M.
4/5
Good album. Not my favorite rem music but still good. Everybody hurts is still one of the bests though. Fav songs: drive, everybody hurts, man on the moon
Megadeth
3/5
This was a perfectly standard heavy metal album. Everything started to blur together at a certain point but there were a couple standouts. Fav song: good mourning/black friday
Traffic
3/5
This was a good album. I don’t have much to say about it but I liked the blues/folk sound of it. Fav song: every mothers son
Bob Dylan
3/5
This was the first time I had heard the later albums of Bob Dylan. I liked it because I like that style of blues but I’m not sure bob dylan is the best fit for it. I could just be saying that because I’m biased toward more modern blues like the black keys. Definitely not as good as his older music. Fav song: dirt road blues
Beatles
5/5
While this is still a classic album, I think it’s my least favorite Beatles album. It’s not bad by any means but I find revolver and sgt peppers to be a lot better. Fav songs: nowhere man, Michelle
Foo Fighters
3/5
It's clear that this is Foo Fighters first album because while there are glimpses of the sound that the band would one day embrace, it mostly feels like an impression of Nirvana. This is fine for a debut album as Dave found his footing and the later albums feel much more original, so I'd say this is a solid debut album. Fav song: This is a call
Super Furry Animals
4/5
Britpop albums like this have had a mixed record with me so far, but this is one of the good ones. The vocals sounded like the Doves and the production was a lot more abrasive and electronic than I expected. Fav songs: a touch sensitive, run! Christian, run!
Love
3/5
This was a perfectly fine psychedelic album. Each song tended to blend together, but it had a nice sound that wasn't too abstract but was still mellow and retained its identity as psychedelic
Jurassic 5
5/5
Like Prefab Sprout, this was another shocking album for me. I had never even heard of Jurassic 5 before this, but they delivered the first alternative hip-hop album I not only liked but loved. The lyricism and flow on each track are better than nearly any other classic-era rap artist I've heard. Definitely didn't like the final track though, just a bunch of ambient noise. Fav songs: Most of them but especially: what's golden, if your only knew, react
Brian Eno
3/5
This was a unique album. Each song sounded notably different from one another in a good way. Fav song: Driving Me Backwards
Adam & The Ants
2/5
At first, this album sounded like a carbon copy of the album I got the day before, but the more intently I listened, I found it to be far less enjoyable. I"m very much not a fan of the vocals and the overall sound is just average
Miriam Makeba
4/5
It was refreshing to finally get an album that was in a genre I have rarely ever heard. Not only was it unique, but it was extremely enjoyable to listen to as it went from soft lullabyes to uplifting chants. Miriam has a baller voice and I'm glad this is on the list. Favs: the click song, mbube
The Doors
3/5
This isn't the best music from the doors that I've heard, but it still sounded like the doors through and through. Fav: riders on the storm
AC/DC
5/5
This was another childhood album of mine and it's hard to take off nostalgia goggles for it. I've listened to every song so much I don't think I can judge it from a fresh perspective. With that being said I still find it very enjoyable to listen to and there are no skips.
LL Cool J
2/5
So far, I've been pleasantly surprised by the classic hip hop/rap albums I've gotten, but this one was an example of one confirming my pre-1001 albums opinion that I'm not a big fan of old school hip hop. The title track wasn't bad though. Fav song: mama said knock you out
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
While this album was alright, I've never been the biggest fan of Tom Petty in general. He has some good songs and was great with the Wilbury's but I've never enjoyed most of his music. Objectively though, this wasn't an awful album and had some good songs. Fav: Rockin Around, American Girl
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
This was definitely a better album than Nebraska, but I still don’t find Bruce Springsteens earlier music that great in general. I think his more energetic music is just better than his slower music Fav: Adam made a Cain
Primal Scream
3/5
At first, I liked the sound of this album but as it went on I got more and more tired of it. Some of the songs are way too long and repetitive but others that have actual vocals are pretty good. Fav: damaged
Sebadoh
3/5
This was simultaneously a weird and completely standard indie rock album. Most of the tracks sound like stereotypical indie rock from the 1990s but every once in a while there's like a screamo song or something which threw me off. Either way, it wasn't bad but not super notable either. Favs: soul and fire, fantastic disaster
T. Rex
4/5
I had only ever listened to bang a gong by this band before this album, but I liked this album. It was just a solid glam rock album, not much else to say. Fav: rock on
Sepultura
1/5
Screamo is a no from me dog
Fleetwood Mac
2/5
After listening to this album, it's clear that I'm a Fleetwood Mac normie. It wasn't bad and I get that they're going in a new, experimental direction but I just found it mostly boring more than anything else. Title track wasn't bad though
4/5
I know this album by its first three songs in addition to its own reputation as the best U2 album. It is a good u2 album and I love still haven’t found what I’m looking for but I think the last half of the album really doesn’t do the first half justice. Favs: streets have no name, still haven’t found what I’m looking for, with or without you
Wu-Tang Clan
3/5
Of all of the classic rap albums I've heard on this list, this has been one of the better ones. It was also much less aggressive than what I associate with. Fav: can it be all so simple
Os Mutantes
4/5
I think I got one of the weirder albums on this list because I haven’t heard anything like this before. It felt like the experimental Spanish version of psychedelic music and it felt totally unique. Based off music alone, this is a 3 but the sheer uniqueness makes it a 4. Fav: a minha menina
Gillian Welch
4/5
Based on this album, Gillian Welch is the folk version of Aimee Mann because they have like the exact same voice. Regardless, I liked this album overall but a 14 minute final track was a tad excessive even if it was still good. Fav: dear someone
Miles Davis
2/5
A perfectly fine experimental ambient jazz album I suppose
Television
2/5
I have literally nothing interesting to say about this album except that it has the usual problem of okay production but shit vocals
Queen Latifah
4/5
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this album. This is the energetic classic hip hop that I like over the slower, darker stuff.
Nirvana
5/5
Ahhhh another classic. While in utero was a 5, this is even better. Every song except for maybe the closer is excellent. Favs: smells like teen spirit, in bloom, come as you are, breed
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
I’m surprised I listened to this album all the way through given that it’s Christmas Eve and I wasn’t in the mood for alt hip hop. Regardless, it wasn’t my favorite thing but it was objectively pretty good. I liked that they sampled sir duke and the beat on can I kick it was good. Ham n eggs was a goofy song. Fav: can I kick it
Various Artists
4/5
Obviously biased judging this on Christmas but I think most of these songs still hold up if I listened to them in March or august. Can’t beat the classics. Favs: sleigh ride, christmas
Led Zeppelin
4/5
I've never listened to a led zeppelin album all the way through before and this is a good place to start. It's a lot more energetic than songs on led zeppelin 4 and it sounded like an ancestor to the black keys in a lot of ways. Fav: whole lotta love
Ray Charles
5/5
Everyone knows ray charles but I feel like there isn’t any single song or album anyone points to when referencing him. However, this album was great from start to finish. Loved the trumpets and rays voice. Fav: just for a thrill
Joy Division
2/5
I’ve only heard songs off of unknown pleasures and I’ve never been that huge of a fan. The sound is very bare and empty feeling and I’ve never liked the vocals but I suppose I appreciate the impact joy division's and all that.
Anita Baker
4/5
Ahhh 80s-90s sex music. Nothing bad to say about it except that the full album wasn't on spotify and out of order on youtube so I probably didn't get the intended listening experience
Gene Clark
3/5
Gene Clark sounds like a less nasally bob Dylan which is fine, but the music as a whole wasn’t as good as Dylan’s peak folk music. Still easy listening tho even if it felt long and sorta repetitive. Fav: tears of rage
Joan Armatrading
3/5
Not much to say about this one. I liked the sound and the voice and it was a quality album
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Amy winehouse made awesome music. Her unique modern r&b and jazz combo is super good. It’s not as good as back to black but it’s still full of bangers. Fav: you sent me flying
Kraftwerk
3/5
This album sounds like it was exclusively used to score B movies from the 80s even though it came out in 1978. It also sounds like a sort of progenitor to daft punk because it’s much more simplistic but still well produced.
The Modern Lovers
2/5
This dude's voice is annoying and I didn't enjoy this album very much at all. It's typical early punk music I suppose but not a fan
The Who
3/5
This throws back to my very first album of this list: I didn’t like this album as much as my generation. Baba o Reilly is still great though
Pink Floyd
5/5
Another childhood album of mine. I loved shine on you crazy diamond and wish you were here as a kid but now I’ve come to appreciate the rest of the album more
Billy Joel
4/5
This is the first Billy Joel album I've listened to all the way through and its what I expected from a billy joel album. Every song is at least listenable and there are quite a few bangers. Favs: moving out, only the good die young, everybody has a dream
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
Green onions is a song everyone’s heard but doesn’t know the name of but everyone should hear the rest of the album. Really catchy and led me on a binge of this and Smokey Robinson and such. Favs: green onions, one who really loves you
Ozomatli
4/5
Albums like this are the ones I look forward to the most on this list due to their sheer uniqueness. Latin rock is much more interesting than hearing another boring 70s-80s rock album. Fav: who founded America
Teenage Fanclub
4/5
A perfectly solid 90s indie rock album. Enjoyed the production. Fav: the concept
The Go-Go's
3/5
Pure, distilled 80s music. Can’t hate on annoyingly catchy dance music. Favs: we got the beat, vacation
The Streets
1/5
Aggressively British people do Tupac. Not a fan and the first track was fucking awful
Fleet Foxes
5/5
This was a really really good album. Definitely my kind of music and I’d never heard of them before. Fav: white winter hymnal
Kate Bush
2/5
Eh. Not a huge fan. Some of it felt like tv music some felt like 80s sex music but all of it had pretty lame vocals
Alice Cooper
4/5
This album contributed to half of the Alice coopers greatest hits that I listened to as a child. Some of the songs were kinda shitty but no more mr nice guy and elected make up for it
Flamin' Groovies
3/5
For the first 30 seconds I was really excited to hear a full on blues rock album but then I heard the vocals and my expectations were lowered to just another 70s rock album with blues influence. Still not bad tho fav was carol
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Another classic album I’d never listened to. It’s really good and I quite enjoyed it. Fav: bridge over troubled water, quite a few others
Deep Purple
3/5
Oh boy. Another standard 70s rock album. Woohoo. Bloodsucker was cool tho
a-ha
3/5
There’s literally one reason that this album is on this list and it’s a worthy reason. The rest of it wasn’t terrible though. We all know which song is the favorite
Janet Jackson
4/5
I don’t think I’d ever listened to Janet Jackson before this but it was a pleasant surprise. Most of the songs were catchy but it got verrrry preachy in parts
Happy Mondays
2/5
Mostly forgettable 90s indie rock. Some cool sounds but that’s about it
Miles Davis
3/5
Some nice jazz that was much much better than bitches brew
Funkadelic
3/5
Wasn’t on Spotify and wasn’t gonna bother with YouTube. The first couple tracks sounded pretty funky and groovy though.
ZZ Top
4/5
Big fan of this ZZ Top sound. Very garage blues sounding and la grange is always fun to hear again
Fiona Apple
4/5
I’d only ever heard of Fiona Apple and after this she might be one of the best female rock artists from the 90s that I’ve heard. Much better than Aimee Mann. Fav: criminal
Deep Purple
3/5
Of all of the live albums I've gotten so far, this one felt the most like a concert with all of the guitar solos and added stuff to each song. Unfortunately, I don't like Deep Purple that much so I couldn't fully enjoy the live vibes. Smoke on the Water is still cool though
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
This album has a reputation of being like the best shoegaze album ever, which must mean that I’m just not a big fan of shoegaze. Wasn’t bad but def wasn’t a fan
Jean-Michel Jarre
5/5
I think this album might be directly responsible for the entire sound of 80s sci-fi and some mainstream sound that's seen even today. For 1976, this shit feels way ahead of its time and it's also super enjoyable to listen to. Parts 3 and 6 are the best ones
The Waterboys
3/5
I got the most of this album after like half an hour, did not need to be 2 hours long. Perfectly fine 80s bluegrass type stuff tho
Talking Heads
3/5
I love David Byrne and talking heads but this is one of the lesser albums of the band. Still good and psycho killer is still great but the later albums are much better
System Of A Down
2/5
Can definitely do worse than System of a Down in terms of nu metal but it still isn’t the greatest. Not horrible by any means
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Easily the best Springsteen album I’ve gotten. Born in the USA, dancing in the dark, and glory days are all classic bangers
Aerosmith
4/5
I was surprised by how many of aerosmiths hits were on this album. Every other song I’ve heard on the radio a bunch of times at some point in my life. All those hits make it a pretty solid album overall. Young lust, going down, and what it takes are all great
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
While I still appreciate getting albums like this, this is the first one I didn't enjoy very much. The last few songs were pretty good but the rest were more annoying than anything.
Judas Priest
3/5
I hope they knew what they were doing when they named this album British steel and then making each song as patriotic for the US as possible. Breaking the law still a classic
5/5
The Beatles second best album and still a classic. Like all the other albums the first like 3 songs are legendary then the rest is just solid
PJ Harvey
4/5
I'm beginning to realize that I enjoy 90s female indie rock quite a bit in between this and fiona apple. The guitars are really good on this album
Queen
4/5
It’s not as good as Queen 2 but it’s still catchy and fun to listen to. I like the vibes of Leroy brown and killer Queen is still solid
Kraftwerk
2/5
The first track sounds like something that would be in the soundtrack for an indie pixel art game but after that the repetitive basic electronic music got annoying
CHIC
4/5
I assumed this album was gonna be the same vibes as le freak the whole way through but it got a lot slower and smoother than I was expecting. Still groovy and funky and all that
The Byrds
4/5
This was just a generally solid 60s album. Some psychedelic, some blues, some other stuff. Just very enjoyable
The Lemonheads
2/5
It’s not necessarily bad but this kind of music is very lame imo
The Prodigy
5/5
The music and the album cover both go hard. Music gets better the louder it is
Fats Domino
4/5
Nothing bad to say about this album except that it wasn't Spotify. Still fun to listen to though
Koffi Olomide
2/5
Cool that this album is on this list but not much of a fan at all. Mostly boring 90s African music,
Beatles
4/5
I can respect being eclectic but holy shit dude. Almost every song on this album was good in its own right but had no continuity from one to the other. Also what the fuck was revolution 9. Back in the ussr and obladi = classics. Also liked the blues songs
The Doors
4/5
Much much better than the last doors album I had to listen to. It has a couple of classics on here and all of the rest of the songs were really good
Emmylou Harris
4/5
Really solid country music album from someone I've never heard of. Really liked the first two songs of the album and the rest kept me engaged. Feels ahead of its time too
Brian Eno
3/5
Not much that was memorable on this album except for some of the production. By no means bad to listen to
Deerhunter
5/5
This kind of music is right up my alley and I liked every song but it gets a five mostly because I listened to it while on a really relaxing walk on the first nice day in February. Immaculate vibes
The Only Ones
3/5
Like every other Brit Rock album like this: good production, boring and shitty vocals. Overall a pretty boring album
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
Very psychedelic but got very abrasive and annoying by the end
The Jam
3/5
Completely standard 80s rock, post punk album I guess
Ray Price
3/5
I have not heard a more generic and standard country blues album. Love the genre and this fits in that genre but there's like nothing unique about it.
Muddy Waters
3/5
Love this kind of music even if no one song stood out and the guitars in the first song sounded like every single blues song ever.
The Verve
2/5
The hit single off the album already turned me off cuz it’s just annoying to me at this point. Otherwise it was fine, nothing too notable
The Strokes
5/5
Solid album. Classic and has quite a few bangers. I’m insanely drunk rn
Patti Smith
2/5
The music is fun and energetic and maybe catchy but pattis voice sucks ass. Also in a somewhat bad mood when I listened to this
Sonic Youth
3/5
The screamo elements I heard every once in a while pissed me off but overall it was actually a pretty decent album.
Alice Cooper
4/5
None of the songs bested the title track, but it was still a pretty good album. Not as good as billion dollar babies but still good. Very eclectic production
Neneh Cherry
2/5
Even though I enjoyed Queen Latifah's album I got a while back, I still don't think this type of music is entirely my thing
The Sabres Of Paradise
2/5
Sounds like an annoying, repetitive, overlong version of a kraftwerk album. Also first song sounded like diarrhea
Funkadelic
4/5
This is the kind of psychedelic I’m talking about. Killer guitars and that’s almost all u need. Can you get to that is really good
Elbow
5/5
Grounds for Divorce made this album rocket up to a 4 automatically for me. It started out kind of slow but just kept getting better and better.
George Michael
3/5
George Michael has a killer voice but the album as a whole was just fine. Still love freedom 90
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
I didn’t realize time after time and girl just wanna have fun came off the same album. Pure 80s pop and it’s pretty great
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Stevie wonder is awesome and this album was really nice to listen to on the long drive to New Mexico.
Aerosmith
4/5
Pretty fine album but didn’t listen to it too intensely cuz New Mexico. Still love walk this way
Q-Tip
5/5
Really really liked this album. Felt like a 90s rap classic even tho it came out in 2008. Really liked the first track and move
Buzzcocks
3/5
Most of these mediocre punk albums I rate a two but this one was just interesting enough to be average
SAULT
4/5
I liked this album at first, then it got pretty experimental, then it got good again. Not music meant for me but it’s still really good and the Spotify radio that came on after it was great and I’m still listening to it
David Bowie
4/5
Everyone loves David Bowie and this album shows why. I had only ever listened to Ziggy Stardust but this album is really good as expected
Manu Chao
4/5
This is definitely the best foreign language album I've gotten so far. They switch between English, Spanish, and French and it flows pretty well. Very catchy as well
David Gray
3/5
This was good album to get in the post-spring break shitty period. Wistful romantic stuff and pretty decent
Tears For Fears
4/5
All of the hits on this album are bangers and the rest are pretty good too. Epitome of the 80s and still holds up
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Solid frank album. Didn’t seem to hear much of the other guy but it was good all around
Fugees
2/5
Not a huge fan. Can barely summon the effort to explain my feelings toward this album
Prince
4/5
I love prince and I really like this album doesn’t have all of his best songs on it but it’s still a super good album except for a couple songs at the end
The Cars
4/5
I was surprised by how many hits were on this album from good times roll to best friends girl to bye bye love. All the other songs were pretty good and enjoyable too.
Lambchop
4/5
Not what I was expecting from a band called lambchop but it was solid chill music
DJ Shadow
3/5
A very experimental hip-hop album and not as weird and lame as welcome to the afterfuture. Still not the most amazing music ever though
Laura Nyro
3/5
Somewhat hard to hear over the chaos of a frat house, but the album overall sounded pretty nice. I’ve become a bigger fan of this type of music since the start of this list I think
Weather Report
4/5
Felt like a slightly more modern miles Davis album. Very nice ambient jazz type music and such. Also I found out that the endtroducing album could be called trip hop and I’m just noting that here
R.E.M.
4/5
Rem makes another good album. Idk if it’s as good as the last one I got but end of the world as we know it is still a banger
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
While I’m still a hardline tpab fan, holy shit this album still holds up. All of the singles are still great and everything about it is great
Big Star
3/5
I hated the vocals of this album at first but it got better as it went along. Missing some songs on spotify but the ones I did hear were fine
Keith Jarrett
3/5
The man can play a mean piano. And that’s about all I have to say
Def Leppard
5/5
I knew this was Def Leppard's biggest album but I didn't realize that basically every song became a classic from Love Bites to Animal to Hysteria to Armageddon It. Lots of bangers and the epitome of hair metal
Sisters Of Mercy
3/5
Very 80s gothic rock. Not my favorite genre or anything but it was alright. Especially the corrosion song
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
2/5
Very lame psychedelia. Not a fan
Brian Eno
3/5
Not my favorite ambient music but still fine to listen to in the background. Will still never beat c418
George Michael
3/5
I don't think it was as good as the last album of George Michael's I got but it was still good if only for his voice in some songs. Faith is one of my fav songs of his
Björk
4/5
I can’t tell if I like this for my principled appreciation of weird, experimental shit or if I actually enjoyed it. Either way bjork and sault are like the only two artists I’ve gotten that have made me seek out more of their music. Side note: her music is eclectic asf. Submarine was my fav and sounded like a demonic barbershop quartet
Can
2/5
Oh boy more 70s psychedelic woo hoo. This one didn’t do it for me and I can’t even be bothered to fully listen to it right now as I play elden ring
Stevie Wonder
4/5
This is my second Stevie Wonder album and it further confirms that he's a national treasure and can do no wrong. Pretty crazy that I haven't even gotten songs in the key of life yet. Also Higher Ground is a banger
Tracy Chapman
4/5
Damn this album is sad as fuck but it’s also hella good. Not a huge fan of the voice but the songwriting is top notch
Spacemen 3
3/5
I’m usually not a big fan of shoegaze/soft core stuff like this. But this one’s pretty alright. Also just thought about my last album and it def felt like a black womans version of a bob dylan album
Lenny Kravitz
5/5
I had honestly only ever listened to fly away before this but this was a great intro into Lenny kravitz. Excellent album and his yelly voice with the production just works
Bad Company
4/5
This is an album I’m familiar with but had never listened to fully. With that being said, I feel like I have at least heard each song on this album at least once at some point in my life. No misses and a classic in classic rock
Femi Kuti
3/5
This album wasn’t bad but it def started to drag on since it’s 73 minutes of traditional African music. Not great bike riding music
Talking Heads
3/5
This was lesser talking heads in my opinion. Still not bad but not as fun as stuff like stop making sense. Take me to the river is still good tho
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Each of these songs seems to have certain moods you need to be in to listen to them. Like black screen is apparently really good for an angry/tense car ride. Overall though it wasn’t awful for my first lcd album
Slipknot
2/5
This kind of music is insanely outdated and very cringe but there’s something about the sound that I don’t totally hate. And when there’s only a modest amount of screaming like on psychosocial it’s actually not bad
The Who
2/5
Honestly over The Who being on this list. I’ve been lucky with live albums so far despite not preferring them but I was not thrilled with this one
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
A pleasant album. Not much else to add, just that I enjoyed listening to it
The Byrds
4/5
After about 13 hours since I listened to it, I don’t remember much of this album but I do remember enjoying it and thinking that it’s one of my favorite types of 60s music
John Coltrane
2/5
Honestly didn’t enjoy this type of jazz very much. It was choppy and annoying but still technically good
Antony and the Johnsons
3/5
This album grew on me slowly as I listened to it. I hated the first song but by the time it got to fistful of love I was into it partly cuz that song itself is a banger. This is another album like sault where the Spotify radio is better than the album
The Who
3/5
Okay now I’m really tired of getting The Who albums. But that being said I liked the concept behind this one and it was definitely better than the last one I got
XTC
4/5
I had no idea what to expect from this album but it was pretty good. I really liked 1000 umbrellas and the rest of the songs were enjoyable too
Barry Adamson
2/5
Today sucks and this album sucks. There’s some decent sounding stuff on it but it’s not enjoyable to listen to. But maybe it’s just the headspace I’m in
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Not quite as good as exodus but still really good bob marley. I really liked rebel music
Kraftwerk
2/5
Idk how much kraftwerk I need to listen to to before I die but I almost died of boredom from the song autobahn. Overall this album was mildly boring but mitternacht was good
Morrissey
2/5
never been a huge fan of the smiths and this solo album didn't garner any more goodwill for Morrissey from me. just as boring as most smiths music
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
It’s not a perfect album but the bangers like scar tissue other side and californication make up for all the duds. Also the second half has some like psychedelic sounds or something but it’s cool
Elvis Presley
4/5
Classic Elvis and all of the songs were good but suspicious minds and the gentle on my mind cover were great
Kanye West
5/5
This is probably my favorite Kanye album. On sight and black skinhead are all time bangers and bound 2 is also hella good
Buena Vista Social Club
2/5
This was overall one of the most boring foreign language albums I’ve gotten. Surprised this came out in the late 90s since it sounds like something from the 60s
Japan
2/5
This is not great music to listen to while fighting the fire giant in elden ring but honestly it didn’t even sound that great in general
Al Green
4/5
At first I only recognized and fully listened to the title track since that’s the popular one, but the rest of the album is really great soul music too. At first I only had it on in the background but relistening to it in the car alone made it much better
Queen
4/5
Bohemian rhapsody aside, this album was good and the opera vibes were there the whole time. I also really like you’re my best friend. Also bohemian rhapsody holy shit bro
Supergrass
3/5
While there were some enjoyable parts on this album, I got tired of it at some point in its 70 minute runtime. Not bad alternative Brit rock from the 90s but not entirely my thing
Norah Jones
4/5
This album was a very pleasant listening experience. It was the type of sad, wistful romance stuff that you'd hear in like 2000s dramedys or something but its still good on its own.
Sparks
5/5
I've always heard of Sparks and have wanted to listen to their music since they just had a documentary come out about them but never got around to it. This was a good introduction though because I loved this album. It was so unique sounding and energetic and all the songs were catchy. The first two on the album were my favorite though
James Taylor
3/5
This was nice easy listening and well-written folk. Not much else to say honestly
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
I didn’t really listen to this song super in depth since I was in the process of beating elden ring while I had it on in the background but it was definitely bobs most political album and it’s was pretty good
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Parts of this were boring and parts were interesting but overall it was just an alright dark storytelling album. Henry lee was pretty good
3/5
This album didn’t make a great first impression but it grew on me after a while. Still not great and not good canvassing music but oh well
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
It’s tricky and walk this way are both awesome but I did get a little tired of the signature run dmc flow that emphasizes the last word in a bar after a while. Also enjoyed the title track
Louis Prima
4/5
I love music like this and just a gigolo is great but this album got on the annoying side after a while with how high energy and busy some of the songs are. Not too annoying tho
Todd Rundgren
4/5
The Wikipedia for this album said it was the result of Todd’s experimentation with lsd and I think that really comes through in the music. The production gets insane sometimes and super overwhelming but most of it was actually really good and well put together as you would expect from an artist on lsd in the 70s
Stan Getz
3/5
Honestly I’m just surprised by how many ambient jazz albums there are on this list. This was one of the better ones though
Sonic Youth
3/5
Just like the last sonic youth album I got, I thought this was good but wasn’t super memorable. The mood is what stuck with me the most especially on tracks like shoot
2/5
This had none of the famous yes songs on it and was more prog rock than anything. Wasn't super memorable
Gil Scott-Heron
2/5
Fuck this album for not being on Spotify but that being said it felt a lot like the Marvin Gaye what’s going on type of music where it’s just slow tempo social commentary. This definitely isn’t as good as Marvin Gaye though
Van Morrison
5/5
The memories with chloe that’ll be associated with this album already give it a 5 but it’s also a great album and van Morrison is awesome
JAY Z
5/5
I wish this was a bad album so I could make a joke about it being the worst thing to happen on September 11 of 2001 but unfortunately it's really good. The production is great on almost every song (some are very early 2000s) and all of the features are excellent too. renegade and u don't know are my favs
The Beach Boys
4/5
Honestly not much to say. It’s a classic who doesn’t like this album
Gene Clark
4/5
Thoroughly enjoyed this album and especially liked the title track. Good mix of blues and 70s rock
David Bowie
4/5
Crazy how all of David Bowles album sound ahead of their time, futuristic, and emblematic of the time it was made all at once
Incredible Bongo Band
4/5
They sure are incredible based on this album. Very glad they didn’t just make the whole album all bongos all the time but just kept them a prominent feature more than anything
2/5
More like this album is rubbish
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Not quite as good as 2 and 4 but still great. Also a surprising amount of bluegrass songs
Tricky
4/5
Hard to make heads or tails of this album. I really liked the seedy atmosphere of some of the slower more ambient tracks but it felt long and I was getting bored in the beginning. Very interesting album either way
The Roots
4/5
This album was great. Some experimental stuff and good lyrics. The first half with songs like rock you were way better than the second half though
The War On Drugs
3/5
I love me some retro 80s music but this one sorta got boring by the end.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I like bob dylan and this sure is bob dylan but it’s not something I’d really listen to regularly like I would with highway 61
Living Colour
2/5
Honestly could’ve quit listening to this album after cult of personality
Saint Etienne
3/5
This was a fun French album. Nice easy listening and not awful bike ride music either. Only love can break your heart stood out
Nico
2/5
Everyone’s heard these days but the rest of the album was just boring to me. I just don’t think it’s my vibe
Thundercat
4/5
I’ve heard thunder at quite a bit through Kendrick’s music and other stuff but this is my first album of his. Overall, really good and has a lot of standout songs. Them changes is still good despite tik tok getting it’s hands on it
Richard Hawley
4/5
I started off thinking that this was yet another boring album that’s on here for some historical or music critic reason but by the end I was totally on board. The vocals are basically nick cave from the boatman’s call mixed with frank Sinatra but the production is on a whole other level of mixing genres and it’s all really beautiful sounding
Missy Elliott
3/5
I started off thinking that this was yet another boring album that’s on here for some historical or music critic reason but by the end I was totally on board. The vocals are basically nick cave from the boatman’s call mixed with frank Sinatra but the production is on a whole other level of mixing genres and it’s all really beautiful sounding
The Yardbirds
3/5
Kinda lost interest in this one half way through. It was alright and somewhat unique
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
Billy Corgan is undeniably talented but I’ve never been the biggest fan of his voice. With this album, I actually liked the middle more than either end with the exception of cherub rock. Today is overrated
50 Cent
4/5
Honestly insane that this album still even sort of holds up almost 2 decades later. All the beats are catchy and many men and in da club are still bangers. Even the album length isn’t that bad since each song sounds pretty distinct
Röyksopp
4/5
Completely forgot to rate this one so I’ve kinda forgotten everything about it but I remember liking it a good amount
Adele
4/5
I think this album is overrated and all of the singles except send my love aren’t that great but it’s still Adele so it’s good even if it’s not as good as 19 or 21 or 30. All I need and send my love are the standouts
The Crusaders
3/5
This is basically the American version of Japanese city pop except i don’t like it as much as Japanese city pop. Still decent easy listening tho
Sonic Youth
3/5
After like the first two songs, which were great, it became just like the other couple sonic youth albums I’ve gotten. Pretty standard I guess
The Flaming Lips
3/5
Instrumentals are way better than the vocals but overall it’s alright. All the mokran mixes stood out though
Donovan
4/5
I’ve never heard mideval psychedelic music like this but it’s really good
Badly Drawn Boy
5/5
This was a surprising album given that I’ve never heard of either the album or the artist before but it was really solid. The shining and camping next to water were standouts. Second half I didn’t enjoy quite as much but giving it a 5 mainly just to remember it
Janelle Monáe
3/5
This is the first time I’ve heard janelle monae outside of features and movie soundtracks and it was solid. Very different from what I’ve heard before but also good in its own right. Definitely can tell it’s inspired by metropolis
Boston
4/5
Pretty much every song on this album is a classic. I still love long time and rock and roll band but more than a feeling is just tired at this point. Plus not a huge fan of the second half of the album
TV On The Radio
5/5
I hadn’t ever heard of tv on the radio before this but I loved this album. My fav song was actually a song of theirs that came on after the album ended on Spotify but overall I liked every song on the album especially crying and dlz
Iggy Pop
4/5
The title track was definitely the star of the album for me but the rest of it was also really solid. Felt very 60s for 1977
Metallica
4/5
The length is somewhat intimidating but it’s basically a Metallica greatest hits album with a symphony orchestra added to it so what more could you want. Even liked fuel a little more than the original
The Last Shadow Puppets
4/5
Very much enjoyed this album and how sort of orchestral it was. Also Alex turner is very talented from a vocal and writing perspective. Calm like you was the stand out for me
The B-52's
3/5
It's definitely the B-52s but it sounds more late-60s than late-70s. Overall, it was listenable but lava and maybe planet claire were pretty much the only notable ones and even those weren't amazing
Pink Floyd
3/5
This album has a drastically different sound from anything Pink Floyd made after the 1960s and I’m assuming that that’s mostly due to the departure of syd barrett. This was mostly cool from the perspective of hearing what the band sounded like at the start before they found their footing. And that sound was a pretty standard psychedelic rock vibe
Destiny's Child
4/5
Like the missy elliott album I got, survivor is very emblematic of it’s time but it’s definitely much less dated than that album. Survivor still makes me feel like a bad bitch even though I’m a straight white man
Peter Tosh
2/5
Pretty basic 70s psychedelic blues. Not very subtle/nuanced in its message but whatever. Also didn’t listen to this one too intently cuz it got pretty boring
Michael Jackson
3/5
While this is an insanely popular and important album, thriller just can’t be beat. The production and lyrics and sound are overall more mature and darker but it just isn’t my jam the way that something like billy Jean is. Smooth criminal, dirty Diana, etc. are all still deserved classics though
ZZ Top
4/5
ZZ Top is a weird band to me. They’re very distinct mostly because of the amazing guitar work but also a lot of the less popular songs sound like a standard 80s rock band like Def Leppard or something. The popular songs like sharp dressed man on this are very distinct from the rest of the album. Still good either way though
New Order
2/5
This album was in one ear and out the other for me. Like it was a fine 80s album but whatever. I remember sorta liking the last track
The Mars Volta
3/5
Not quite my thing but it’s really well made. The whole vibe of the album from the title to the song names kinda made me roll my eyes with how self serious it is but it was alright to listen to
Blue Cheer
3/5
Felt like standard 60s rock music. Yet another completely average album. First song wasn’t bad
Jamiroquai
4/5
This was pretty cool retro, Stevie wonder type album at first but the last two songs really elevated the whole thing. They were the perfect blend of 70s r&b and modern stuff, especially revolution 1993
Mike Oldfield
4/5
While I’m not a huge fan of the genre, this is one of my favorite pieces of prog rock. Not only was it used in the exorcist but just the obsession of making it is super interesting. Idk what the other two tracks on the album are and I don’t really care either
Joni Mitchell
2/5
I hate joe Rogan as much as the next guy but Joni’s music not being on Spotify is a pain in the ass. Plus it wasn’t even that great of an album
Kelela
2/5
While it’s not bad, this album got pretty tiring by the end. Its basically just a love-making album and that’s fine but it gets old after an hour
Marvin Gaye
3/5
It’s not the greatest Marvin Gaye but it still had some good tracks on it. Also kinda tiring since this had similar sexy vibes to the last album I got, just in different eras
Paul Simon
4/5
This album was very pleasant to listen to. Not much to say other than that; very good paul Simon. Me and Julio in the courtyard is great
Cocteau Twins
3/5
I’ve heard the first track on this album a million times but never knew this is what it was from. Overall though, everything except that song kinda blurred together but I liked the essential 80s vibe despite being from 1990
Queens of the Stone Age
4/5
At first this sounded like basic 90s rock music-definitely stoner rock-but then the last track of the album really elevated the whole thing for me and made me go back and listen to parts of the album again. So hats off to I was a teenage hand model for getting this album from a 3 to a 4
Tim Buckley
2/5
On its own, this album was kinda boring with songs that went on for way too long. The lyrics were decent and the vocals were alright. However, the blessing and curse of this generator got me on a 90s rock kick with queens of the Stone Age yesterday only to have to listen to 40 lame minutes of 60s folk the next day
AC/DC
4/5
Highway to hell is an all-timer but the rest of the album is a standard AC/DC album: Ultra listenable, 70s rock
The National
3/5
Not much to say about this album. Nice enough 2010s indie music. I had never heard of this band but apparently Chloe really likes them
Jethro Tull
3/5
Honestly the behind the scenes interview at the end of the special edition was more interesting than most of the music. The music itself was good and I felt like I should have been paying more attention to the lyrics the whole time (playing it mostly in the background) but I can’t be bothered to ever relisten to this album
k.d. lang
4/5
This mix of breathy 30s music and country blues is like crack to me honestly. Idc what it is but I’ll always enjoy it. Especially lock stock and teardrops
OutKast
5/5
It was fun to actually listen to the album that hey ya and roses came from. Both of the albums manage to perfectly compliment each other despite being wildly different in multiple ways and offer great showcases of big boi and Andre 3000. Speakerboxx is a solid, straightforward hip hop album while the love below is a wildly creative and eclectic album of psychedelic and jazz and a million other influences. Overall, it’s a classic for more than just hey ya and although I wouldn’t relisten to the whole thing very often it’s still got enough memorable songs like the way you move and vibrate to be a 5
Arcade Fire
3/5
This was a fun listen. I've never been super into arcade fire but this was a fine introduction into them
John Grant
5/5
I rolled my eyes when this album first started but by the end I was fully enjoying it. Aside from sparks this is one of the more truly unique albums I’ve had. John’s folk voice singing Weird Al but edgy lyrics in a indie rock/pop album was a really interesting combination. All of the songs were good but sigourney weaver, jesus hates faggots, and the last couple songs really stood out
3/5
Given how perfectly average of an 80s album this was, I want to imagine that this was a moderate hit that came out the exact same day as thriller or some shit and was just completely overshadowed. Regardless, lots of sad love type vibes and one of the later songs on the album I remember thinking was alright
The Cardigans
4/5
I was preparing for this to be one of those albums that’s only on here for the one popular song but I was pleasantly surprised. Lovefool almost got completely outshined by step on me and the iron man cover was super interesting and fun
John Prine
3/5
This is much better folk than the last folk album I got. The lyrics are packed with anti-war and other social commentary but the music is still fun to listen to
The Specials
3/5
Very whimsical and somewhat catchy. I listened to this early in the morning and I barely remember much about it by when I’m writing this at 11pm except that I liked the jet set song
Fela Kuti
3/5
The last song was missing from Spotify but this was totally acceptable funk. Not much else to add
The Who
2/5
By this point I meet another The Who entry with complete contempt not because the music is bad but because I do this list to discover new music. The Who is the opposite of this because they’re neither a fun band to revisit like a Beatles album but they’re not interestingly bad. Like pinball wizard is a good song but not exciting like a Queen of Denmark or sparks
Otis Redding
4/5
This kind of music is right up my alley already, but this album had the added benefit of being the originator (I think) of classic songs like satisfaction and what a wonderful world. So both an enjoyable and interesting album
1/5
This is one of the lowest rated albums on the list and rightly so. Usually with an album like this I’d admire it’s uniqueness and experimentation but about 10 minutes in I just got a headache. Frantically playing the saxophone and drums is not enjoyable free jazz.
Also with Otis blue I got a lot of shit wrong in my notes so: satisfaction was a cover of the stones, respect was another interesting track, and it’s just wonderful world not the Louis Armstrong song
The Damned
2/5
This type of English punk is very quickly becoming grouped in with what I was talking about on my tommy review: not bad but not very interesting or particularly personally enjoyable.
Lou Reed
2/5
I like velvet underground so I was surprised by how much I disliked this album. If it weren’t for walk on the wild side, this album might’ve been a 1 cuz songs like Andy’s chest were awful
Paul Simon
3/5
Paul Simon is always a good listen. I didn’t get a chance to rate this before ragbrai but I enjoyed listening to it on the way to sergeant bluff
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
For the first album I missed while at ragbrai, this was exactly what I expected it to be based off the title, band name, and year it was released. Pure psychedelic rock and the trippy instrumental tracks are almost always better than the vocals, except for love
Rush
2/5
Ragbrai album 2: While I know that this is a pretty famous fantasy/prog rock album, aside from the vocals, it pretty much sounded like most other rock music from this era. Plus just have never been a huge fan of rush
Elis Regina
3/5
Ragbrai album 3: This album is going alongside Japanese city pop in my ambient road-trip music. Pleasantly passed 50 minutes on the trip back from mason city. Next to last song stood out
Cypress Hill
3/5
Ragbrai album 4 of 4: While it’s before my time, I definitely buy that this was a influential, innovative hip hop album in the early 90s. However, it’s not quite my style of old school hip hop plus the typical homophobia is always a turn off. Call cops pigs is one thing but calling cops fags is just lame
The Kinks
3/5
It’s been almost a year since I got that kinks concept album but I still remember that I enjoyed shangri-la more than anything on this album
Marianne Faithfull
3/5
For 1979, this album felt a couple years ahead of its time. However, this is also one of the few albums where the background of the album is just as interesting as the actual music. Mariannes personal struggles since her previous album definitely give the album an extra weight it wouldn't have had otherwise
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
3/5
For 1991, this is a very unique album so it gets props for that at the very least. Wasn’t a huge fan and definitely wouldn’t listen to it again but still somewhat memorable.
Side note: I did relisten to violator by Depeche Mode and I definitely should’ve given it a 5 instead of a 4
Peter Gabriel
3/5
This is one of the most eclectic albums I've gotten so far. Every song felt like peter gabriel just decided to pick a random genre and do his version of it. However, I wasn't super engaged by the album which might be more because it was on in the car while I was driving but nonetheless I didn't find too many of the songs enjoyable by themselves. The smooth jazz one was decent but other than that I already don't remember too much about it
The Jam
2/5
Might as well have been British white noise. I found nothing notable from this album
Harry Nilsson
4/5
I had heard of this album because of coconut being the end song of reservoir dogs but I had never listened to the whole thing. Safe to say I was surprised by how many hits and catchy songs were on this. Never knew all of these were Harry Nilsson let alone all on one album. 4.5/5
Caetano Veloso
2/5
Brazil does 60s psychedelia. Pretty straight forward and not my thing
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
This was a very pleasant funky album. I hadn't heard much pre-disco earth wind and fire and this definitely had EWF trademarks but wasn't the super well-known September sound. I really liked shining star
The Flaming Lips
4/5
I think this is one of the first concept albums I fully engaged with. Stuff like aqualung always just sounded like a regular album but I felt like the story was pretty clear in general. Also very fun songs and a fun concept. Ego tripping and do you realize we’re my favs
The Stooges
3/5
I saw in the Wikipedia blurb that this had an impact on a bunch of other artists and I can definitely tell because it sounds like it would have influenced almost every major rock movement from 1975-1995. From punk to grunge this album has notes of all of it. I feel like I’ve been harsh on punk so far but this proto punk is actually pretty good
Elton John
5/5
A classic, banger after banger album. Peak Elton John that has almost every single hit he ever made. It has party songs, slow songs, funeral songs, and anything else you could ever want from Elton John. Everyone knows which songs are the standouts but even the lesser known ones are still good. It was cool that he used the “I’m only sleeping” reverse guitar on one song
ABBA
4/5
Abba is one of the few bands whose music is impossible to not like, despite mamma Mia’s best efforts. Every song makes you want to jam out and each has a unique sound. Very cool to hear dancing Queen organically and fully enjoyed my first full abba album, Fernando was also great
X-Ray Spex
2/5
I tend to like this type of punk slightly more than the other punk albums I’ve gotten so far but I was not a fan of this one. Get an annoying voice with not very notable vocals
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Yet again Simon and Garfunkel made an album that is super easy and pleasant listening. Can't complain about any part of this album except that mrs. robinson got overplayed. fakin it and hazy shade of winter are the highlights
5/5
While Radiohead is still my male manipulator music of choice, this is a good entry into that genre. I still love supermassive black hole and knights of cydonia but the rest of the album also goes hard, especially the first two songs. Overall, right up my alley and it’s getting an objective 4 but subjective 5
Dizzee Rascal
1/5
I didn’t think there’d be another British rap album to rival that streets album but here we are. This grime album was just as hard to listen to despite being slightly better with flows and production. I would even go so far as to say I luv u is an alright song but the rest is ass
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
4/5
This is another one I had on in the background but I like this vibe of music and it was really nice to listen to even if I didn’t listen totally in depth
Kanye West
5/5
Between this and Yeezus it’s crazy how much Kanye’s sound has developed over a decade. While I like yeezus more, this is still great music. Very innovative and unique while still very much sounding like a 2004 rap album. The mix of religion and typical hip hop themes is interesting here before it got completely overdone in his later albums. New workout plan and I’ll fly away both have great beats
Erykah Badu
3/5
I got really excited for this album based off the first two songs but after that it kinda petered out and became boring if well made r&b. At least it had a good start tho
Tori Amos
2/5
Based on the wiki article, this sounds like a very influential album but lyrically it reminds me of Tracy Chapman and the wavy folksy vocals sound like tons for stuff that came before 1992 I think. Either way I was pretty bored by this album and will probably forget about it at like 11 tonight when I get the next album
Goldfrapp
4/5
This is a great late night, chill vibes album. Was really nice to get play chess and listen to monster love. Felt like a French version of Japanese breakfast
Eminem
5/5
Unfortunately, this album is great. It's true that 90% of the lyrics have not aged well in the slightest but it's also true that almost every song is catchy or interesting. The real slim shady was one of my favorite high school songs and stan is a great song about obsessive fans but Kim is like the most violent song I've ever heard and homophobia and misogyny run rampant throughout the whole album. This has led me to a dilemma where I want to rate this album a 5 because I like almost every song but I also don't because I'd have a "guilty conscience" lol. Whatever fuck it
Julian Cope
2/5
This sounded like even less interesting Nick Cave album. This type of music has to be really really good to appeal to me and this did not cut it. Spent most of my day listening to the Marshal Mathers LP some more.
Bonnie Raitt
4/5
There were a lot more genres in this than I expected at first glance. It’s still very much typical female folk/country but there’s also like ZZ Top guitars on one track and some blues rock influences on the others. Overall very nice listen
The The
4/5
I can’t decide to give this album a 4 or a 5. I love the band name, infected and heartland are super good, and it’s a standout post-punk album. However, I don’t see myself remembering this in like 2 days
The White Stripes
4/5
I've always wanted to listen to this album fully because I like what I've heard from the white stripes beyond the usual seven nation army and I think we're going to be friends. That's not to say that 7 nation army isn't a killer way to start an album that keeps you amped pretty much through the entire tracklist. The song still makes you want to run through any wall you see even after being overplayed for 20 years. Otherwise, I also liked the more (relatively) mellow closing song
Pixies
3/5
This album went by insanely fast for 14 tracks. I wasn't expecting it to be this punky since my only exposure to the pixies is basically just where is my mind. But by insanely fast I also meant that it kinda went in one ear and out the other unfortunately
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Almost nothing beats a night alone listening to an album like this while just chilling out. I love soul music and there are a ton of soul classics on here from chain of fools to natural woman and all the rest are just as banging. You know an album is usually a 5 when the spotify radio that comes on afterward is also awesome
The Hives
4/5
I was not expecting the first song of this album to appear on this list because it feels like a one hit wonder that shows up in 00s alternative playlists a lot. However, while nothing is quite as good as that song, the rest of the album is still pretty good. Plus I’m pretty sure this is the first greatest hits album I’ve gotten
2/5
I think I need to watch a documentary about punk to fully understand this type of music. Between proto-punk, punk, post-punk, and every other type of punk I clearly don’t fully understand the prominence of this era of music. As it stands, this album was like most punk albums I’ve gotten where it has some cool guitars but I can’t find any other positives. This is like a 2.5
Lauryn Hill
5/5
I've been looking forward for this album for a while due to its reputation as being one of the greatest hip hop albums ever. I've had a mixed record with this era of hip hop so I was interested to see what this brought to the table. Safe to say, it brought a lot of great stuff to the table from the way ahead of its time production to the great lyrics and engaging themes of religion and love. Each song sounds like a Kendrick-type track which I love and each song was just great, especially ex factor and can't take my eyes off you. Definitely deserves all of the praise and accolades its gotten.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
While it sounded a bit too close to a billy Joel album, I enjoyed listening to this. Nothing ultra standout but just a nice 50 minutes
Talking Heads
3/5
While I like the talking heads I don’t think I’ve ever heard a single track off of this album. It’s definitely a talking heads album with all the weirdness but this felt a little more psychedelic or something idk
Steve Winwood
4/5
This was a fun album. The first half was more fun than the second but it was funky and the keyboard synthesizer thing was used really well. It's the most 80s sounding instrument you can get but it sounds great here
Beck
3/5
I think I like this one better than odelay but it was still a typical beck album where he showcases his jack of all trades abilities this time with bluesy folk rock. I liked little one but otherwise nothing stood out too much.
Blondie
4/5
A classic album that I’m glad to have finally heard all the way through. Heart of glass is a top 10 song (and the Miley Cyrus cover is pretty great too) and I also like one way or another (with a good 1D cover). I can’t quite give this a 5 but I liked it a lot
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
3/5
I didn't have high hopes going into this album but I thoroughly enjoyed the parts of it that were on Spotify. While it's on the talkier side of experimental hip hop, I liked the radical messaging and each song made me want to make molotov cocktails or something. It's a shame a third of the album isn't on spotify but hey the parts that are on there are good
Bee Gees
2/5
I had no idea that the bee gees made music like this or any music outside of disco. Nevertheless, this album was a bunch of kinda boring love ballads that didn't ever really catch my interest. It may must be my bias against the bee gees and most disco in general but the vocals in this weren't great either.
Jane Weaver
4/5
This was a groovy album. I liked the 80s vibes mixed with like arcade fire or something. Really kicked it up a notch with the architect and the lightning back
The Smiths
3/5
While I still don’t particularly like the smiths, I found this album to be much better than meat is murder. Maybe I only liked it more given the present circumstances (also lol @ making this the album for today) but I thought the title track was a standout. Overall I think I like the smiths more if I hear less morrissey and more cool instrumentals
Dr. Octagon
2/5
I'm not super into psychedelic trip-hop stuff like this but some of the beats and production on this album was pretty good. Also, the theme of this album was weird as shit like they went above and beyond with the gynecologist bit
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
I love the band name but otherwise it seemed like a typical country album from the early 60s even though it came out later on. It was fun to listen to but nothing stuck too much
Elastica
4/5
I only like a very specific type of alternative 90s rock like this and this album is part of that specific type. I love this kind of female led retro punk type stuff. 2:1 and connection are the best tracks
Fiona Apple
4/5
The wiki blurb said that Fiona produced this whole album in her apartment and that definitely shows in a good way. The instrumentals were really stripped down and it was fun to hear her dogs barking in the background at the end of a couple of songs. This definitely felt like an album an artist would make late in their career after they've had their biggest successes and are just fucking around. At first, I wasn't the hugest fan of the weird experimentation but songs near the end like cosmonaut and drum set were really good and changed my mind a bit
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
The album cover led me to believe that this would be a slow, Tracy Chapman-type thing but it was actually a lot more lively than that besides the untitled track. It starts out as like a sort of activist album that was typical for the 80s in the first song but ended with neo-soul which was interesting.
Goldfrapp
3/5
This one wasn't as good as Seventh Tree and didn't have a song that reached monster love levels but it was still alright. Had a very sultry, smoke-filled 30s lounge vibe to most of it
Arrested Development
4/5
While I don't have a particular song to add to the playlist from this album, I enjoyed it quite a bit. I think I've realized that I enjoy the arrested development, Lauryn Hill type of 90s hip hop more than the Tupac, BIG type. For this album though, I really liked the interesting, inventive production and catchy beats. Also, any song that talks about revolution makes me happy in albums like this.
Talvin Singh
2/5
I was definitely not high enough to listen to this album and even worse I was drunk on Husker game day which is like the worst mindset for listening to music like this. It was pretty calming I suppose but I just could not get into it and have no interest in ever listening to this again
Siouxsie And The Banshees
2/5
This is sort of what I was talking about in my Elastica review. I liked that album but this album is pretty much the same vibe and I didn't like it. I guess nostalgic 90s post-punk is my thing but proto-post-punk isn't? Idk
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
This was apparently the first album by the chili peppers that featured their trademark sound and I can definitely tell because it's not quite to the greatness of Californication but still very distinct. Under the bridge is a great song and the album got better as it went along but I still wasn't enjoying it as much as other peppers music. Also give it away is an overrated song.
Bauhaus
2/5
This was a weird ass album but also a totally average English rock album at the same time. It sounded sorta punky and of its time but also sounded super stripped down yet not quite experimental. Idk man I didn't hate it but also didn't really enjoy it.
Moby Grape
4/5
I really really liked this album but unfortunately, it wasn't on Spotify so it loses points for that. It was just a really good-sounding 60s rock album that I probably won't ever listen to again since it's not on my main avenue of music consumption.
The Pogues
4/5
When this album started, I thought Irish folk-punk was my newly discovered favorite genre of music because the first couple songs were super fun but as I went along the novelty wore off and I felt like it started to get repetitive. However, the last song was really fun even though it sounds kinda similar to the first one. Overall, I think I enjoyed it more as a one-off novelty album than a new genre of music
Johnny Cash
5/5
Like probably everyone else, I loved this album. Everything from the original songs to the well-chosen covers, hurt being the most famous of them, are excellent and perfectly showcase johnny cash in his twilight years. The album definitely has a more modern, melancholy theme than anything else cash ever did and knowing the condition he was in when he recorded this makes it hit even harder. He also does everything from love songs to sad songs to modern pop songs on this album and doesn't falter in any genre.
Circle Jerks
2/5
This got to the point where it felt like a parody of punk rock. Each song was like a minute long and each one felt like a string of transgressive and angsty lyrics set to intense guitars and drums. It was even complete with funny, raunchy song titles. Feels like the inspiration for Sex Bob-Omb from Scott Pilgrim.
Crowded House
4/5
This album was a pleasant surprise. I was expecting some mediocre rock but it was actually really really good. I liked the title track and the rest of it was a really nice listen too.
Le Tigre
4/5
Minus the group sex album, I'm on a streak of pretty good albums including quite a few that I've never heard of. This was a good female-led, neo-punk album and the first track was especially good.
Beatles
5/5
I don't even know what else there is to say about this album. It's my favorite Beatles album by far and it's just one of the most ahead of its time and unique albums of the 60s. From taxman to tomorrow never knows each song is at the very least good. Eleanor rigby is one of the best Beatles songs and I grew up with yellow submarine just like pretty much every other kid I think. Also, the reverse guitars on I'm only sleeping really struck me the first time I listened to this album a teenager and it still hits me every time now
Shuggie Otis
3/5
This album was just a lot of good vibes. It was nice easy listening bordering on ambient funk. The first song somewhat stood out and the rest of it was good too.
Mudhoney
4/5
The deluxe version was the only version on Spotify and the 2:15 hour runtime definitely scared me so I only listened to the original 22 minutes at first. It was an interesting mix of post punk and pre grunge that definitely captures a weird grey area of rock like this in the late 80s. Regardless, this was a 3/5 but once the original tracks ended I wanted to keep listening to the whole deluxe thing so I suppose that bumps it up to a 4
Sex Pistols
4/5
I feel like I’ve shit on a lot of punk albums on this list but this one, of course, is an exception. It’s one of the most influential album of not just punk but of the 70s and Johnny rottens voice is just so compelling and unique. While I still wouldn’t say I loved this whole album I liked each song and understood why it’s so highly regarded. Obviously anarchy in the uk is the standout; it’s one of the best songs ever. Interesting that it was the only song with the original bass guitarist before Sid vicious came in.
Jane's Addiction
2/5
Once again, this feels like an album that is only on here for one song, been caught stealing in this case. It's not a terrible song but it's not at the level of take on me for hunting high and low.
Pretenders
2/5
I haven't gotten one of those completely bland albums that plagued my first six months of this list in a while but here's another one. "An album that mixes punk, pop, and rock" describes countless albums and this one doesn't contribute much to that massive pool of similar albums. I like the album cover for some reason though, maybe ironically.
Peter Frampton
3/5
This was a pretty decent live album. I've always felt like Peter's guitar playing stood out among 70s rock like this (aside from dire straits) and have liked it. Also the sound box stuff near the end and in show me the way I really like. Baby I love your way has always been a little overrated to me but otherwise its an alright 70s rock album.
Roxy Music
3/5
I honestly don't remember much about the last album I got from roxy music other than the album cover so I can't really compare these albums other than to say that I probably won't remember this album either. I really liked the second half of in every dream home a heartbreak but other than that there isn't much here that's likely to stick with me.
5/5
I'm guessing this was another "not-random" album just like The Queen is Dead due to Loretta Lynn dying yesterday. Regardless, I appreciate it because Loretta has a great voice and made pretty progressive music for the 1960s country scene. The title track was great and all of the other songs were super fun. It's one of those albums where you can't go wrong with any of the songs and it's just a straight up fun album.
Lou Reed
2/5
Just like the last Lou Reed album I got, it just isn't working for me outside of velvet underground. His voice is just so boring compared to the great production and dark lyrics on most of the songs.
Cat Stevens
3/5
This was a perfectly fine album that I don't have much to say about. Father and son is my favorite and the rest were listenable
The Stooges
3/5
This was an early punk album I actually somewhat enjoyed up to the very end. Initially, the vocals weren’t annoying and the production was pretty good but then it devolved into like free jazz trash at the end which came out of nowhere. So I’ll probably end up remembering this album by it’s last track more than anything tbh
The Adverts
3/5
It's a bummer that my run of good and memorable albums from last month has come to an end since the past week's worth have been completely boring to me and even the parts that did stand out have escaped my memory already. Same goes for this album, punk that I won't remember in like 2 days.
Blur
2/5
While this is a lot better than the last album I got by blur which was ultra shitty and should’ve gotten a 1, I still didn’t enjoy it very much. Just not for me I guess
Primal Scream
2/5
I barely remember a single thing about the other primal scream album and this one appears headed to the same fate. This is a good one to listen to high though. The interesting album drought continues I suppose.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
Dexy's midnight runners made an album that doesn't have come on eileen? really? There was one song, idek which, that I remember liking but that was it.
Pixies
3/5
It’s wild to me that where is my mind wasn’t released as a single for this album. I get that it caught on through fight club but it’s so much better than the rest of the album and so unique it’s crazy that they only chose gigantic. It’s interesting to hear some Spanish lyrics and the last song was pretty good also, plus I can definitely see where Kurt contain got his inspiration from in this album.
ABBA
4/5
This felt a lot like abbas kid a. It was wildly different for the first song and they definitely tried something completely different for the album but at the end of the day you can still tell what band it is. The album itself is great too with Abba delivering yet another album where there aren’t really any skips. Slipping through my fingers is still a standout and so is the first song + the day before you came just because they’re so different from typical abba
Ryan Adams
4/5
This was a pleasant album after the endless punk and rock albums I’ve been getting. I only know ryan adams from his 1989 cover album Chloe made me listen to and this is a much better introduction to him than that. Adams voice and songwriting is great and songs like Amy and come pick me up are the best showcases of that. However, shakedown on 9th street is my favorite song on the album even though it’s totally out of place compared to the rest of the tracks
Grant Lee Buffalo
3/5
This felt somewhat similar to my last album but with a lil more rock instead of blues. Every song on this album seemed to start off pretty average and then turn into a banging powerhouse in the last half, Jupiter and teardrops + fuzzy being the best examples of this. Overall, I think this is either a really weak 4 or a really strong 3
The Band
5/5
Growing up my dad liked watching the last waltz and that was my intro to the band. I always liked their greatest hits and this album showed that they’re talented way beyond just those songs. They feel about a decade ahead of their time and it’s a perfect mix of blues and rock. Cripple creek and Dixie down are both excellent and this whole album was excellent too
Blur
3/5
While this was the best blur album I’ve gotten, I really hope it’s the last cuz I’m tired of them. Song 2 of course was a standout and death of a party was a cool smiths like song but otherwise I still am not a fan of blur
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
This album obviously needs no introduction and definitely deserves a 5 but honestly it's starting to feel overplayed. I used to love Don't Stop and go your own way but now I'm just like eh. Dreams and the chain are still bangers though.
Mekons
3/5
This album definitely gets points for creativity regardless of how much I enjoyed it. The mix of punk and country works really well if you’re into both of those things. Unfortunately I wasn’t a huge fan of the punk side and didn’t enjoy this as much as I wanted to. Either way points for being unique
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
I don’t have much to say about this album but I liked it. Felt like a more modern version of nick drake.
Machito
5/5
Finally, after Tom waits and experimental miles Davis, I got a jazz album that I really really like. John Coltrane was pretty good but it can’t compare to the high energy afro Cuban stuff that’s on this album. I think this is also one of the oldest albums I’ve gotten. Conversation and tin tin deo are my favs
Rod Stewart
4/5
A lot of this album was in the background but it was pretty alright. It rose above the forgettable blandness of a lot of the albums I've gotten on this list but not too far above. I liked the second half more than the first half and maggie may was a standout.
John Lennon
4/5
Honestly went into this album wanting to hate it given John Lennon as a person, but I really enjoyed it. Imagine might actually be one of the lamest songs on the album compared to songs like crippled inside and I don't wanna be a soldier mama. This was a very eclectic album too, went through a surprising number of genres with each song. Doesn't quite get a 5 because of John Lennon and it's so hard though.
Garbage
4/5
This album has that same sweet spot combo of alt rock and post punk that that elastics album did. This one was more alt rock and pop leaning than the elastics album though. I liked this quite a bit and only happy when it rains is probs my fav
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
Besides the weird ass sex machine song that’s like 12 minutes, I like this album. However, I feel like I would enjoy learning about the historical contexts that went into making this album rather than actually listen to it. The music isn’t bad but with stuff like the second track it’s almost more interesting to find out what society was like at the time the track was made. Regardless, I want to take you higher and everyday people were standouts
Talk Talk
3/5
I had this on in the background while I was focusing on work, so I don't have many nuanced things to say about it. Regardless, I enjoyed it simply because I like this type of 80s music and the general sound of it. The guitars on the second half of the second track stood out to me.
Sam Cooke
4/5
I was introduced to Sam Cooke through animal house and I’ve enjoyed his music ever since. His music evokes memories as if I was in high school 40 years before I was born. This was a good live album too and twistin and bring it on home were the standouts obviously
Sheryl Crow
4/5
Surprisingly I didn’t hate hearing all I wanna do on this album even though they played it once every 20 minutes when I worked at hyvee. Otherwise the album was better than I was expecting since I’ve never been super impressed by Sheryl crow. The first song was pretty good
Lynyrd Skynyrd
5/5
I had heard about this album through pop culture osmosis but still never realized how many of Skynyrds' hits are on this album. Might as well be a greatest hits album tbh.
B.B. King
3/5
Between this, sam cooke, and even lynyrd skynyrd I've gotten a good mix of different types of blues and soul recently. This wasn't quite as good as those and there isn't a song that really sticks out to me but it's definitely a really solid 3/5. Fun live music atmosphere and decent music.
Soft Cell
2/5
Honestly this review is going to be exactly the same as my hunting high and low review. This album and has one reason and one reason only why it’s on here. Unfortunately tainted love doesn’t make up for the rest of this album like take on me did for that album. Also Where did our love go doesn’t count since it wasn’t originally on the album.
5/5
I don’t really need to even say anything about this album. Peak David Bowie and even if it’s not my fav album of his it’s still getting a 5
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Sir Duke was my first real introduction to Stevie Wonder (minus superstition) in high school but I had never listened to this album before. In a 100-minute album, I never got tired of any of the music or felt that it was overlong. It was great from start to finish and joy inside my tears was awesome too
Leonard Cohen
2/5
I was kinda in a rush listening to this album and skipped a couple of the songs but I pretty much got the gist from the first 3 or 4 songs. This isn't nearly as good as his more modern, deep, and haunting stuff. This was just boring folk.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
This was a really unfortunate day to get an 85 minute album as the rush I was in yesterday will continue until Tuesday. Somehow I was able to listen to the whole thing and it did not live up to any of the self titled albums that preceded it. Kashmir is still good but otherwise it just felt like more of the same I guess. The same is still good and maybe it was just the circumstances of the day but I wasn’t a huge fan.
Slipknot
1/5
I remember being pleasantly surprised at how not terrible the last slipknot album was but this one sucked ass. The lyrics were cringe and the screaming on every track was grating the whole time. No person needs to listen to more than one slipknot album before they die
Bob Dylan
4/5
I was bouncing in between Omaha and Gretna a lot today and this was a really good album to drive to. It was relaxing and mellow but the lyrics were still engaging. I'm not always a huge fan of Bob Dylan-type folk music but this was pretty nice. Masters of war and Oxford town were my favs
The White Stripes
4/5
I was surprised that I could even listen to this whole album on Election Day but I got through it. It wasn’t quite as good as elephant but it was still a nice listen from start to finish. Fell in love with a girl and I think we’re gonna be friends are standouts even though that second one is waaaay overplayed in indie movies
Tim Buckley
2/5
This was a weird ass album. It’s only memorable because of the distinctive effeminate voice and it was occasionally interesting but was mostly irritating
The Byrds
3/5
I barely remember the last byrds album I got but I vaguely remember enjoying it. This one just felt like second rate Beatles music. While second rate Beatles still isn’t bad I was not a fan of this album until the second half where it got slightly better. Also surprised at how many albums end with well meet again
David Bowie
3/5
This definitely felt like a David Bowie album. It wasn’t as memorable as his classic stuff but it was still an alright listen. Moments stuck out to me but not entire songs really except the last one which stuck out as not good.
The Band
3/5
This was an alright album for my birthday I suppose. It has arguably their biggest (and most overrated) hit but it was still good. Tears of rage was probs my fav but overall not quite as good as the self titled album
Wilco
4/5
I think I got a Wilco album before??? And didn’t really like it but regardless this one was really good. It was a mix of country blues and rock and the whole thing, while long, was nice to listen to. Monday was my fav song
David Bowie
2/5
It was interesting to get this and the next day so close to each other since I could more easily compare them. This felt much more experimental and dark whereas the next day was more traditional David Bowie music. I usually appreciate experimental stuff but I was not a fan of this really at all. It definitely sounds like an album made by someone who knew they were going to die soon though.
The Shamen
2/5
I’m not quite sure how this album ended up on this list. It’s just standard dance music and I can’t find a single thing unique or special enough about it to warrant it as one of 1001 important albums.
Gang Starr
3/5
Perfectly fine early 90s old school rap. Not exactly my thing but this one I can at least appreciate. Good production too
Sade
3/5
This was nice and relaxing. One of those albums where nothing really stuck with me but the spotify radio that came on after the end was pretty good.
Eurythmics
4/5
Finally an album that breaks the 80s one-hit wonder plague on this list by being really good in addition to having one really great standout song. Get fucked a-ha and soft cell annie lennox can actually make both a classic song and good album to go along with it that has fantastic use of synthesizers and sounds ultra 80s but also not dated. I also really liked somebody told me and jennifer.
808 State
3/5
Yet another edm album that I appreciated as edm but didn’t see how it stood out in any way enough to be on this list. It was fine I guess
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
The sound of this album is exactly what I think of when I think of dad rock. Not that it was bad, pump it up was good, but a lot of it just made me instinctively roll my eyes.
Joni Mitchell
2/5
I get where joni is coming from but pulling all of her music from spotify really sucks. Not only is it a pain in the ass to listen to it but, like the last album of her's, the music itself isn't even worth seeking out. It's just boring hippie folk music and I was gonna give it a 2 but now I'm almost thinking about giving it a one because of the situation now.
The Police
2/5
Yet another one hit wonder 80s album to add to the a-ha and soft cell pile. We know which song is good and then the rest of it was lame af
Ice T
3/5
For the longest time, I only knew ice t from svu and thought he was pretty cool on that until I found out he used to be a famous rapper. I was interested to hear this album since I’d never heard any of his music until now and it was pretty much what I expected. Early 90s hip hop that isn’t really my thing but I can appreciate objectively. The lyrics/storytelling on here are good but still didn’t fully do it for me except for body count which shows how white I am I guess. The final skit was good but is cancelled out by the cringe first skit
Suede
3/5
I feel like this type of Brit pop is hit or miss for me but this one was more in the middle for me. I liked the sound of it generally but none of it stuck with me either. The wiki says this is like the first Brit pop album and that makes sense given that it sounds more like the smiths than oasis
Eagles
4/5
It’s one of the best selling albums ever for a reason. All of the songs were at the very least a good listen while songs like wasted time and obviously the title track are amazing. Life in the fast lane is lame and overrated though
MC Solaar
3/5
While it can’t be much more than ambient music for me since I don’t speak French, I’m glad to get an album like this every once in a while. French hip hop is pretty cool apparently and nice to have on while you play overwatch. A couple songs in the second half (idk what they are) were sorta standouts
The United States Of America
4/5
I went into this expecting another mediocre psychedelic album like the last byrds album I got but this was actually really solid. Hard coming love was good, stranded in time sounded a lil too much like eleanor rigby, and I liked how chaotic american way of love got by the second and third part. Also very leftist, counter-culture lyrics which was fun.
Steely Dan
4/5
I've always generally liked Steely Dan and there's a lot of enduring hype around them on tik tok or whatever but this is the first album of theirs I've listened to. Rikki don't lose that number is the big hit but I much prefer any major dude will tell you, east st. louis toodle-oo, as well as pretty much every other song on this album
Miles Davis
3/5
Yet another great jazz album from one of the greats. Like all the other jazz albums, I do get tired of it after about 30-40 minutes but it’s all still good. This one even made me want to go back and try to listen to bitches brew again (still wasn’t a huge fan, but it was a little better)
Bee Gees
3/5
This was drastically different from what I was expecting from The Bee Gees and it made me think that they just did whatever was trendy but less good. This sounded a lot like the Beatles and some random orchestral music but had like nothing unique about it. Then in 76 the went to disco after no one liked them anymore and got successful again. This still wasn’t terrible, give your best and lamplight were good, but it’s destined to the same fate as trafalgar where I completely forget about it after like one day. Low 3
King Crimson
4/5
Of all the prog rock albums I’ve gotten, this is definitely high on the list. It was much cooler than 2112 and the larks tongues in aspic parts 1 and 2 were the standouts.
Motörhead
5/5
I was expecting this to be more lame music that old white divorced men play when they work on their motorcycle but it’s actually awesome. Every song gets you amped but especially ace of spaces and fast and loose. Just a great kinetic energy running through the whole thing.
Also I was looking through my history and I meant for kind of blue to be a 4. Th Bee Gees are nowhere near a miles Davis John Coltrane collab and should not have the same score.
Magazine
2/5
Oh yay another punk album. This one was fine I guess. Whatever
Elton John
4/5
It’s not quite as good as goodbye yellow brick road but it was still better than almost every punk album I’ve ever gotten on this list. Tiny dancer (obviously) and Indian sunset were the standouts
Billie Holiday
3/5
It was almost one in the morning, but I'm pretty sure that this is what made me almost fall asleep. It was just really slow and soothing in a way that would make me drowsy at almost any point in the day honestly. Definitely doesn't sound like the voice of someone who's gonna die of alcohol poisoning within the next year though.
The Kinks
3/5
This sounded much more similar to the concept album I got by the kinks super early on than the more recent one that I got. I have nothing to say about this album to be honest. Will not remember it in 24 hours.
The Sugarcubes
3/5
The only thing I was really thinking throughout this whole album was "Wait is that Bjork??" and then finding out that it is and subsequently researching Bjork's entire music history leading up to that 2004 album I got from her. It's weird hearing her voice outside of unsettling dark music (minus it's oh so quiet) but I still liked her performance on this as well as the album in general for its uniqueness. Birthday is probably the best song and maybe also sick for toys.
The Prodigy
4/5
This definitely isn't as good as the fat of the land, which I need to listen to again to see if it still deserves my surprised 5 star because I don't remember it a whole bunch, but it's still about as good as big beat rave edm gets. It gets you hyped, then you get exhausted of it by the halfway point, then eventually you just start vibing. It sounds like ass if you listen to it any other way besides as loud as possible though. Voodoo people was my fav and is also another fun origin of a tik tok sound.
Fela Kuti
3/5
I would've immediately forgotten about this album right after listening but reading the wiki really changed my perspective. The fact that this album led to the death of his mother and the destruction of his commune at the hands of the Nigerian government is pretty crazy and makes me admire this album more than I would have otherwise. Also would've appreciated it more if I could've understood the lyrics. Taking away that context, however, it just sounds like Afro music and is perfectly alright. The two bonus tracks were definitely worse than the original two tracks though.
Van Morrison
4/5
This one definitely had a slower, more soulsy vibe to it than moondance or brown eyed girl and I appreciated that more than I fully enjoyed it. I much prefer his more upbeat stuff but this was still good. Sweet thing and it’s instrumentals was the standout
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
Everyone's heard at least one song from it but doesn't know it's from this album which I think speaks to how influential it is for folk rock. For me it was you don't have to cry but after listening to the whole thing, wooden ships was my favorite track
Michael Jackson
5/5
I was afraid this album would be like bad where I ended up actually disliking it but this shit was awesome. Every song was masterfully produced and the big hits are still great even though I’ve heard beat it and Billie Jean hundreds of times. Doesn’t get more 80s than this but also doesn’t get too much better than this.
Supergrass
4/5
Alright was the only familiarity I had with this album before I got it and it’s still the best song on the album. It’ll never fail to get u in an upbeat mood and it’s just banging in general. Otherwise, sofa of my lethargy was another standout. The rest of it was good but was surprising given that I was only used to alright.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
I think Leonard cohens early stuff is the only era I don’t like. This album was cohen evolving into the 80s really well and was nice to listen to. No songs really were memorable though, maybe on another listen
The Style Council
5/5
It's definitely just the mood that I'm in because I hit 1500 on chess.com while listening to this album, but what a fun album. It's like a perfectly unique mix of jazz, soul, 80s pop, and even hip-hop. I also learned that paul weller started The Jam, whose albums I've given like twos and threes but this is such a step up from that. My Ever Changing Moods is a great exhibit of the first 3 of this combo and is my favorite on this album. It also reminds me of that prefab sprout album I gave a 5.
The Kinks
3/5
This was another alright album by the kinks. The title track is always great and makes me think of hot fuzz and the rest is another 60s kinks album where it seems very focused on middle class British life with the Walter song and such. Also, I’m not to the point I’m at with the who but I’m ready to be done listening to kinks albums on this list now.
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
I went into this knowing it’s the lowest rated album on the list but honestly, while it isn’t pleasant or easy to listen to I was okay with it. I’m not a big punk guy but this was so deconstructed it was unique. In reality I’m guessing this was a bunch of college kids smashing pieces of metal together and if I spoke German I feel like I’d probably roll my eyes at the lyrics, but for some reason it was clicking with me. It’s by no means good but not deserving of being the worst. Also, I learned while deep diving on this album that the lead singer became the guitarist for nick cave and the bad seeds which is an insane piece of music trivia I can’t share with anyone ever because no one listens to nick cave anymore let alone a German experimental band
Cocteau Twins
2/5
Based on the song titles this is some vaguely mythological concept album but honestly the only things I’ll remember from this are that it’s much heavier than cherry colored funk and that the cover reminds me of that slipknot album
New York Dolls
4/5
Apparently if punk gets proto enough I end up really liking it because this was super fun hard rock. Personality crisis and the song about falling in love with the nurse treating your overdose were standouts but the whole album was rocking. This is one of those albums where I want a documentary about it because I feel like being a queer/androgynous hard rock band in 70s New York would be wild in addition to pioneering punk and glam rock
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
Yeah a boring ass post punk album like this was not what I needed on a night as frenetic as this. Most of it went in one ear and out the other while I spent all my brain power thinking about other things.
Heaven 17
3/5
I think it says something when the radio that comes on after the album ends plays far better synth-pop than the album itself. This wasn't great but I'm guessing it was pretty influential for this kind of music in the early 80s
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
4/5
My experience with this album was similar with that oxygene album I got where I was completely pleasantly surprised by a mostly instrumental soundtrack. The first song was amazing and the rest wasn’t as good as oxygene but I still really enjoyed listening to all of it
4/5
I definitely have a soft spot for this type of early 00s late 90s female-led alternative because this wasn't nearly as good as that Elastica album but I still mostly enjoyed it. It was a pleasant surprise to hear Thom York on a song that also happens to be my favorite on the album. This is a low 4 btw
Portishead
5/5
After all of the hip-hop albums I've gotten that incorporate and/or straight up are trip-hop, it's crazy that it was pioneered by in English electronic band. The vibes of this album were immaculate and it's a fire and glory box were the most immaculate songs. Loved this album.
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
The first two songs of this album were great then the third track got super weird and lost me. The guitars and heavy soul feel was good and it was cool that it was live I think but then I ended up tuning out lost of it because it got like experimental/improvisational. Also didn’t help that I still have dummy music stuck in my head. The last song was short and sweet though.
Charles Mingus
4/5
Of all of the jazz albums I’ve gotten, while this isn’t my favorite, I think this is the first one where I really began to appreciate the process of making jazz. This whole album was so rich and complex in all of its instrumentation and felt simultaneously highly choreographed and highly improvisational
Sugar
4/5
This is a stereotypical 90s alternative album but also has really killer guitar work. The vocals and overall vibes could be found in any album like this but the heavy instrumentals make it more exciting and fun to listen to. Helpless and slick were my favorite tracks.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
I was excited to listen to this album because I've always enjoyed Jimi Hendrix whenever I happened to hear his music and wanted to listen to a full album. He didn't disappoint. The guitars were as mindblowing as ever and all along the watchtower never gets old. He also hopped between different genres a lot; mainly garage blues but also a good amount of jazz. Voodoo Chile and its reprise were also standouts.
Public Enemy
4/5
I think I appreciated this album more than it takes a nation of millions although I feel that I probably underrated that album when I got it. I love the lyrics of public enemy because they're still relevant and are constantly hard-hitting but for some reason, I don't love them like I feel I should. It might be the production style but even that is pretty high quality and complex and I don't think it's the flow or the sound of the vocals. Either way I liked 911 is a joke, fear of a black planet, and fight the power.
Van Halen
3/5
Honestly this was a pretty whatever album. It wasn't bad by any means but it wasn't notable to me in any way really. Maybe I only feel that way because I've heard running with the devil and eruption so many times but by the end I was just like "yup that's van halen, alright"
Lorde
5/5
I remember being excited for this album when it came out because I liked Pure Heroine so much and then being disappointed after only listening to green light but 15 year old me was clearly a dumbass because 21 year old me thought this album is excellent. It's dreamy, nostalgic, and sad all at the same time while also being a pioneer of the type of female pop music that's been done to death at this point. I love Sour but there's no way Olivia Rodrigo is where she is without stuff like this. Perfect places, green light, and super cut are my favs but mainly perfect places.
Tina Turner
3/5
The first few songs of this album, I might have been queen and show some respect, were pretty decent and interesting even though what's love got to do with it is still overrated. After that, the covers were hit and miss (lets stay together, okay; help, bad) and the rest was just mildly boring.
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
The start of this album sounds like cartman but overall it was fun. Very very 80s and just quirky all around. It's a sin was the top song.
Mercury Rev
4/5
I was reminded of the flaming lips and that hour of bewilderbeast album listening to this even tho there isn’t much concrete reasoning behind it, just vibes. This is still good 90s music but wasn’t as good as those two things I just mentioned. opus 40 is a banger though
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
I honestly shouldn’t have expected anything different from a 1968 Frank Zappa led album with a cover parodying the Beatles. It was weird, satirical, bizzare, annoying, political, sporadically fun, and very of its time. Take your clothes off when you dance was probably my favorite followed by what’s the ugliest part of your body
The Youngbloods
4/5
Of all of the laurel canyon albums this one had the best balance of psychedelic and folk type stuff. It was better than the byrds but not quite to the level of like the mamas and papas. Sham was my favorite
Steely Dan
4/5
Another quality steely Dan album. Didn’t like it as much as the last one though. I have nothing else to add
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
1/5
I first heard of this album from Anthony fantano and I couldn't make it past dachau blues on first listen. This time around I somehow made it all the way through in one sitting and honestly, the actual music parts are pretty good. Moonlight in vermont is actually a solid track and it clearly takes a lot of talent to make music like this, but the rest of the album is just packed with random bullshit like orange claw hammer and skits that make it almost unbearable to listen to. It's already exhausting to listen to by its experimental polyrhythmic jazz nature and the unnecessary fat just sinks it. If it were a 30-minute album I might even give it a 3 but instead it gets a high 1
Kid Rock
2/5
I cannot imagine a worse experience during this list than getting two bottom ranked 70+ minute albums. Unfortunately, I actually enjoyed the first 4 or 5 tracks in a guilty pleasure sort of way. It’s embarrassing to even admit given how cringe the lyrics are but I guess I can take solace in the fact that the rest of the album fucking sucks and I don’t have to give it more than a 2. It’s all downhill after the party one, gets worse with the auto tune song then unbearable once you get to the racist final track. Also fuck kid rock as a person
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
This was a really good palate cleanser after the last two albums. I always like getting albums like this because they're snack-sized and doo-wop music is crack for me because I can never stop listening to it once I start. There are no bad songs on here and there were also no bad songs once the radio started playing. Sucks that he died in a plane crash.
Tom Waits
2/5
This album didn’t really change my very negative opinion of tom waits very much but it was definitely better than the last album. I still don’t like his voice but the production was at least varied. Feels like he went on a Leonard cohen arc when his music got darker and weirder as he got older
Hanoi Rocks
3/5
This was some pretty bland glam rock but until I get you saved most of the album. Otherwise nothing really notable
Everything But The Girl
2/5
Yawn. Lyrics felt a lot like Tracy Chapman but with a less interesting voice. I briefly got excited by a song until I realized that the album had ended and it was actually a style council song, a much better band.
Massive Attack
4/5
This album was good enough to the point where I went back and listened to protection, which I gave a 1 because I was in a really bad mood and it was the worst music for that mood. Turns out it also deserved at least a solid 3 because both of these are really good trippy electronica albums. Five man army on this one and karmacoma on protection are both excellent, too bad the latter will forever be on my worst albums list.
The Pretty Things
3/5
The wiki blurb said that many people though that the who was inspired by this band but I saw more of that kinks album about wartime Britain. That said, this album did give me the same indifferent feeling as the who.
Mudhoney
3/5
This album picked up a bit around the third or fourth song but still not to the point of being memorable. Pretty lame grunge but the baseline on something so clear is solid.
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Female post-punk is still pretty much undefeated on this list. This and elastica, while not exactly the same era, both stand out as really solid female rock albums. Monitor was my favorite off of this
The Charlatans
4/5
Even though it’s a bit too similar to oasis, this album started out super strong with the first 3-4 songs being great. I got somewhat tired of it by the end though so it’s a low 4. One to to another or north country boy are probably my favs.
Bert Jansch
2/5
Not only was this album boring but I also had to miss watching the Australian open to listen to it. Sure it has an unpolished feel to it but that doesn’t make it any more fun to listen to when I could just listen to nick drake or bob dylan who are far better folk singer-songwriters
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Stevie wonder does it again and makes a banger album that feels way ahead of its time with songs like you and I while also defining the 70s with superstition. There’s virtually no misses on this album but I’m not sure if I like it quite as much as songs in the key of life. Still a high 4 though
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
This definitely feels like CCRs magnum opus based on the sheer number of hits that're on it; to the point where I can't tell if I'm just tired of hearing them or it just wasn't my thing to begin with. I think the former because run through the jungle was still good but long as I can see the light doesn't hit as good as it did when I first heard it play over the credits of the movie State of Play starring Russell Crowe (don't ask me why I have this association). Overall, though, it's still a really solid album all around.
Dolly Parton
4/5
This album made a 50 minute drive in the snow go from unbearable to just excruciating which is honestly a pretty big feat. I couldn’t imagine a comparable album today where the three biggest artists of a genre got together to make a banger filled album. Closest thing after this was probably traveling wilburys
Steely Dan
5/5
The feeling I get when I get a steely Dan album is exactly the opposite of how I feel when I get a who album where I feel actually excited instead of filled with dread. This album was jam packed with the bands biggest and best hits, with dirty work being especially important for my first political job. Definitely the best steely Dan album I’ve gotten so far and that was a pretty high bar to start.
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
This is by far the best lcd Soundsystem album I’ve gotten. All my friends and I love you New York are both bangers plus North American scum is a fun one. Still maintains the weirdness of the other albums but is way more fun to listen to
Metallica
4/5
I’d been looking forward to this album since I’d never listened to it all the way through. I have to admit I’m biased toward the black album because it’s what I grew up with (which I know is heresy to some) but I can still appreciate the importance of this album. It also helps that it rocks and is both fun and heavy unlike sepultura albums. The title track is definitely the best but I also enjoyed Orion a good amount, which probably just shows my black album leanings.
Simply Red
4/5
Woohoo my 500th album! I was considering talking about my favorite of my 5 stars but I don’t feel like it right now and I think relistening to all of those after the 1001st album would be more fun. I can say that dummy and kimono my house have stuck with me the most so far, though. As for this album, I was expecting it to be like tainted love where holding back the years was the only good song but I was wrong. This album was a good British pop soul thing that slightly reminded me of prefab sprout and the top song wasn’t even my favorite. Jericho and sad old red were probs my favorites
Faith No More
4/5
I was surprised by how many songs I’d heard from this album that I thought was totally obscure. Both epic and war pigs are tracks I’ve heard around but never knew their origins, with war pigs being solid and epic being meh. This was also a very eclectic album as the super heavy war pigs was followed by like a chill nick cave style closer. Falling to pieces was maybe my fav
Songhoy Blues
5/5
This is by far the best non-English language album I’ve gotten on this list so far. It’s exactly my type of blues rock and every song is a banger from start to finish but especially soubour and petit metier. Even if I can’t understand I can feel the political message through the music and that’s just the icing on the cake for a great album; would kill to hear it live. Also, this has been a great run of albums the past week or two
Radiohead
4/5
I’ve been looking forward to getting a Radiohead album since album 1 and of course the first of the (I think) 4 albums I get is my least favorite of the bunch. That’s not to say it’s bad—just, fake plastic trees, and high and dry are really good—but it doesn’t hold a candle to in rainbows or ok computer or kid a. Just is an especially good song and partially introduced me to Radiohead.
Morrissey
4/5
With the Queen is dead I said that less vocals and more cool production would’ve made it better and I think this album finally found the right balance between the two. It could also be that I’ve just grown warmer to the smiths/morrissey but I liked this one quite a bit. The first track had solid instrumentals and the rest of the album stayed right around that level.
Side note: when I was looking for my Queen is dead review I saw my siouxsie reviews and realized that I had given one album a two then the next one a 4 and said I’d never heard of them lol.
Def Leppard
4/5
It might just be because I’m in a different mood but I didn’t find this as good as hysteria and thought it was closer to the lame dad rock Def Leppard music is stigmatized as. That being said it’s still fun and songs like photograph and rock of ages were fun so there epic streak of good albums continues. I was also surprised to hear the pretty fly for a white guy intro sound effect on here.
Frank Ocean
5/5
I am now officially blown away by how many good albums I've gotten in a row at this point. I'm glad to see this album on this list because I've only ever listened to Blonde from start to finish and always wanted to listen to this even if I've heard most of the songs at some point. This shit was great and makes me sad that he doesn't make music anymore because this album is perfect for smoking weed/just chilling/listening on headphones alone/having sex/driving all at once and can basically fit any vibe that you're looking for. Super rich kids, lost, bad religion, and forest gump are my favs
The Stooges
3/5
I think the streak of 4 and 5 star albums has come to an end with this one. The vocals were boring but the production was great for the most part. That we will fall song was god awful and ruined any chance this album had of getting a 4 but the rest was alright.
Silver Jews
4/5
This was some really nice Nashville indie rock. Let’s not and say we did was my favorite and the rest was pleasant but sad. Not much more to say.
N.W.A.
4/5
This album is another exception to my distaste of old-school hip-hop. The rest of the album doesn't really compare to the first two songs (except for maybe I aint tha 1) and the misogyny still hasn't aged well (but better than Eminem music) but as a whole it's still really solid. It very clearly captures the anger and rage about discrimination and police brutality at the time that still resonates to this day. It's also really good driving music.
Prince
4/5
Going into this I'd only heard the big hits so I was excited to listen to the rest of it. Honestly, though, I was very slightly let down because none of them really stuck with me the same way that let's go crazy sticks with me. It was by no means bad but I think I was just let down by extremely high expectations. The hits still hit really hard though.
Tom Waits
3/5
I was really surprised by this because I have made my disdain for Tom Waits pretty clear but this album was actually pretty fun. I think it's more of a high 3 than a 4 but it's still the best Waits album I've gotten so far (and hopefully no more unless they're like this). I liked gun street girl and the rest of it had a kind of unique fantasy blues kind of vibe.
Public Enemy
3/5
I know I mentioned that I like public enemy except for the vocals but this album was almost the opposite. I liked everything except for the beats which started out cool then got grating by the end of the song. Can’t truss it is the worst example of this while by the time I get to Arizona is the best example. Still good hip hop all around but starting to make me wonder if the issue I had with this was what I really had with the last one. Btw listened to this during a big fight with Chloe so that might’ve skewed my opinion idk.
Waylon Jennings
4/5
Ain’t nothing wrong with good old fashioned honky tonk. Even though it was made in the 70s it makes me feel like a highwayman in the 50s
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
I definitely prefer nick caves more bombastic and operatic stuff but I have to admire how versatile he is even if I was bored by this album for the most part. Like yes the lyrics are very meditative and poetic but that doesn’t make it any more fun to listen to. I liked the minimalist, stripped back production though. This probably would’ve been a good visual album or stage play or something.
Hole
4/5
Once again female led 90s alternative rock delivers and this time at the hands of the person that killed Kurt Cobain. I'd never had much exposure to Hole except for the Cobain jokes and this was definitely a good first impression. I'd heard celebrity skin maybe once before and it's definitely the standout of the album. Malibu and awful are also fun songs and this song goes in the ranks of elastica and the last siouxsie album I got.
Supertramp
4/5
At first I was surprised that a non Breakfast in America supertramp album was on this list but by the third song it had surpassed 75% of the other prog rock albums I’ve gotten so far. Bloody well right was my fav
Neil Young
3/5
This album almost rose above the bad will I have toward it since it isn't on Spotify and I have to use YouTube but at the end of the day it was some good but not super memorable folk music. Not quite enough to get above the average 3 for a non-Spotify album
The Everly Brothers
4/5
It was refreshing to have a nice short and sweet 27-minute album since I feel like I've been getting a lot of longer albums recently. This was just good old-fashioned blues and that's just too much was my fav.
Willie Nelson
4/5
I have very similar feelings toward this album as I do to the last one I got: very pleasant and fun. The only difference is that this one is better due to it having more memorable tracks like stardust, Georgia on my mind, and *especially* blue skies. I know they're all covers but honestly, the only one that doesn't surpass the original is unchained melody.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
4/5
While it’s probably not the first, it feels like the first post-disco album on this list. The post-disco combined with very early hip hop makes a very fun and unique combo that’s also timeless with songs like it’s nasty and the message still are sampled to this day. Those also happen to be the best tracks along with Scorpio but there are def no bad tracks. The lyrics are also interesting since they’re pretty dark compared to the production.
Tangerine Dream
4/5
If TRON was a 37-minute movie, this album would be a perfect soundtrack and I can even see similarities between this and Daft Punk's score for the sequel. It sounds so futuristic, ethereal, and timeless all at the same time. It's not quite as powerful as Oxygene but it's definitely what I wished I got out of Kraftwerk's music. The first two tracks were the strongest.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Once again I have been won over by 20-30 year old female-led rock music. I think I liked this one more than elastica but not quite as much as hole overall. I was surprised to hear heads will roll aka the frat lip sync song on here and it was my favorite song along with dull life. This album also did a good job of moving from powerful, energetic songs in the beginning to more slow stuff by the end.
Metallica
4/5
It probably wasn’t a good idea to listen to an album like this while I was winding down for the night because I feel like I didn’t enjoy it as much as I would’ve if I listened to it while working or something. Regardless, this is still a classic album that shouldn’t have lost to jethro tull even if I got tired of it after One finished. I think I still prefer the black album over puppets and puppets over this.
Beastie Boys
4/5
I was almost ready to give this album a 5 but then it seemed to take a dive after fight for your right (which is easily the best song along with she’s crafty). All the intense guitars and stuff seemed to disappear and it felt really repetitive. Overall thought it’s still some really fun white boy rap.
The Monks
4/5
I was filled with dread when I saw that it was influential to punk but I came to really really admire this album. I would say I enjoyed reading up on its wiki and on the background of the monks more than the album itself but it still had good tracks like monk time complication and we do. This is the first experimental avant- grade album I’ve gotten that I’ve fully respected because it really was just 5 guys that didn’t like rock and decided to just fuck around while deployed in Germany with no moderation trying to make a new sound. No bullshit with clanging together found objects and recording industrial sounds. Even the cover is just black with default text on it.
Run-D.M.C.
2/5
I like Run-DMC but honestly this album was boring. It was their usual flow but without the fun, catchy production that makes them enjoyable to listen to. This isn't a bad thing but the lyrics also felt more edgy and political than their more popular albums.
Finley Quaye
2/5
This was pretty lame 90s reggae with shitty production. It got decent for a couple songs in the middle, namely even after all and ride on but the rest was sad. Honestly a little comforting getting a couple of twos after the last month of 4s; back to the old giveth and taketh list.
Bob Dylan
5/5
Well so much for getting a couple more lower rated albums I guess I get the greatest folk rock album of all time. Some of bobs acoustic stuff gets boring after a while for me but this stuff is so lively and energetic while still maintaining genius songwriting it’s insane. The all of the songs are bangers back to back with tombstone blues and ballad of a thin man being my favorites.
Bill Evans Trio
3/5
After enough of these live jazz albums I'm beginning to realize that I shouldn't judge these the same as most of the other albums. I began to enjoy this much more when I back to listen to it ambiently as opposed to critically like I do with most of the albums. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how to translate that to a criticism and a rating because it was nice for around an hour of messing around on my phone but would've bored me if I had listened any more intently. In general, though, it was really nice, relaxing jazz and I didn't even notice that they put multiple takes of the same song on there.
Little Simz
5/5
I refuse to believe that British hip hop has evolved this far from trash like the streets in less than 20 years. Two albums from this genre managed to get into my 1 stars while this honestly might make it into my 5 star dependent on how much I listen to it tomorrow because it’s great from the lyrics to the beats to the overall sound.
The Clash
3/5
This is obviously a quintessential, influential, landmark punk album that everyone loves but honestly I wasn’t super impressed. It’s miles better than most of the punk albums I’ve gotten on here but there still weren’t many songs aside from the first and last track and hateful that I was really struck by. Maybe I just prefer the more sneering, aggressive Sex Pistols because a lot of this was honestly kinda lame. I can definitely see this having a death grip on like all of the 18-25 demographic in 1979 though
Randy Newman
4/5
This was a fun album to get since I’ve only ever known randy Newman from movie scores and was never familiar with his actual music career. You can definitely see the career trajectory from this though since both are really well made and pleasant and just feel cozy and comforting. It was just a nice half hour and I especially liked the first track.
Isaac Hayes
4/5
I was surprised that a movie soundtrack would be on here but I suppose if you're going to include one this is a pretty good pick since it was pretty influential in how Black-led movies were scored. I was only familiar with the theme song but the whole thing was pretty good. At some points I got bored but then remembered that this was probably for a slower part that was dialogue heavy and just waited for the next big action scene and all of those tracks were really funky and fun.
Side note: I was looking through the controversial tab in my history and I saw that I gave stankonia by outlast a 2 which is embarrassing cuz after like a year and a half I think that albums a 4. Probably just shows how my rating system has evolved
Slade
3/5
This was basically Led Zeppelin crossed with a really early version of hair metal and it was whatever. It was energetic and fun enough I guess but nothing super interesting or enjoyable.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
3/5
This album somehow managed to redeem itself after losing whatever open mindedness I had after the screaming in the first 5 seconds with really rockin guitars and almost nothing else. Definitely seems like a great live show in some blues bar and it does get a little exhausting after a while but overall I ended up enjoying it I think. Wail was my fav and it’s a bonus that weird al was involved in some way.
Venom
2/5
This was marginally better than shit like sepultura because there's still a bit of musical talent behind it but I still wasn't a fan at all. Joes Blues explosion or whatever was fun even though I couldn't understand the lyrics but it was just lame on this one. I still managed to make it through the entire album so I'm not sure if it deserves a 1 or not.
Beatles
5/5
This is tied with if not a close second to revolver for my favorite Beatles album. Every song on this album is just so great and the infighting with the band members ended up making even better showcases of each person since paul and john appear as much as they usually did on a lot of these songs. Every song has a different influence and sounds so distinct and makes the album perfectly eclectic. I would list off my favorite songs but its most of them so I guess my top tier picks are oh darling, here comes the sun, either carry that weight or sometimes. Maxwells hammer and octopus's garden are nostalgia songs for me too.
Electric Light Orchestra
5/5
It’s impossible to not love elo and especially this elo album. It’s just so fun and funky from start to finish that it’s impossible to not jam out to at some point. If don’t let me down was on here it would be the all-in-one ELO album but as it stands it’s still great. I’ve always loved turn to stone Mr blue sky and sweet talking woman but starlight was the new fav from listening to this album all the way through the first time
Black Sabbath
4/5
I feel like the order that I’ve gotten Black Sabbath albums on this list so far are in ascending order of quality. This is better than their first album but I highly doubt I’ll enjoy this more than paranoid when I get it. Overall this was really good and has some excellent guitar work throughout, especially at the end of the first track and on supernaut. It was also shocking to hear a cover of the big mouth theme on here and it was even more shocking to find out that this is the original. I just assumed it was a soul song first but it’s honestly much better this way. It’s also just surprising how versatile Black Sabbath is with their writing, production, and singing since they can do sad poignant stuff like changes as well as the classic heavy metal stuff they’re known for.
3/5
It's weird for me to think that most of Devo's popular stuff came out in the late 70s as opposed to the 80s since that's the decade I mostly associate them with. This sounded more 70s than whip it but still. As for the actual album, I thought it was largely unnotable. There wasn't much besides maybe the first track that really interested me.
The Isley Brothers
5/5
Yet another soul/funk album that just absolutely fucks. The first track blew me away with its insane guitar work and I was completely on board the rest of the way; the next brightest spot is you walk your way. It pulls off slower songs and energetic, happy songs perfectly and is a perfect blend of funk and soul that is just so soothing to listen to. Also you know it's good when Kendrick Lamar samples one of your songs.
Suzanne Vega
2/5
Boringggg. Some of the instrumentals were good but the vocals were too boring even if the lyrics were okay. Much better folk music but also much worse.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
I felt like I knew this album from somewhere but after listening to it, I definitely haven't heard it anywhere except for jane says. This toes the line between hard rock and metal and it was alright; nothing I would listen to regularly but it was well made and not a chore to listen to. I enjoyed the thank you boys track that was a mellow ambient intermission that sounded like an outro track only for there to be another heavy track right after it. Also nice album cover.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
I wasn’t really wowed by this album like it was just what I expect from ccr but I still can’t resist this kind of swampy garage blues. It sounds about the same from track to track but it at least does one thing really really well. Born on the bayou and proud Mary relatively stood out compared to everything else.
Dire Straits
3/5
Obviously money for nothing and walk of life are the standouts of this album but I was honestly surprised by how this album slams on the brakes after those two songs. It just becomes slow rock/jazz with a bunch of saxes which isn’t bad it just was not what I was expecting at all. Overall it gets a high three for the two big songs then the rest was just fine
The Pharcyde
3/5
This wasn't a completely miserable 90s hip hop experience which puts it above about 50% of the other such albums I've gotten so far. I can't think of a song I thought stood out (maybe I'm that type of nigga) but I mildly enjoyed listening to the whole thing for the most part.
Beatles
4/5
It’s fun to get this Beatles album almost right after abbey road and see the contrast. Abbey road is ahead of its time and ultra original while this is a solid mix of covers and original songs; both are good in their own right but abbey road is still better and Smokey Robinson really got a hold is much better than this. Overall though this is a really high 4 because all the covers just assisted in white people stealing black music as was normal in the era.
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
It was nice to get another mellow smooth jazz album instead of a super lively miles Davis type thing. While similar, this was way better than Billie holiday album I got but still has the usual problem of getting samey and old by the end. Fortunately this was a tight 35 minutes and the final track was cute and funny. High 3
D'Angelo
2/5
Based on the Wikipedia blurb, I expected to enjoy this album a lot more than I actually did. This shit was a slog and completely unmemorable. Maybe it was super influential in the mix of electronica, R&B, and hip-hop but it definitely hasn't aged well because it just sounds totally dated and lame.
GZA
4/5
Hearing this album makes me wish that I got 36 chambers after this because I feel like I didn’t fully appreciate the wu tang clan and their members. This was a really good trip hop album that had an excellent atmosphere and vibe throughout; kinda made me wonder if dummy influenced this at all. I especially liked 4th chamber
Madness
3/5
It's wild that this album was never released in the US even though it had our house on it. I don't know why they didn't have faith in it because it's a good 80s brit rock album that doesn't have anything crazy on it but isn't bad. Also only gets a high 3 instead of a 4 because most of it isn't on spotify.
Dinosaur Jr.
2/5
Yet another case of alright sound and shit vocals. Sounds like your standard 90s alternative/grunge but the dudes voice just sucks and only gets worse with the low point being that dumb song that just starts out with screaming.
Suicide
3/5
I was scared when I heard "minimalist electronics and harsh rhythms" but this was actually nice until the end. It was cool to hear non-Kraftwerk, pre 80s electronic rock music and while the vocals weren't amazing they weren't annoying *until the last two songs*. Frankie Teardrop was grating, boring, and bad all around and the last track didn't save the ending at all. Ghost rider was probs my fav though.
Thelonious Monk
3/5
After all the jazz albums I've gotten on this list, something really needs to stand out to get above a 3. This album had no such thing and was once again ambient jazz I would hear at a nice restaurant or a 50s-themed bar. Does its job of being background noise but nothing beyond that for me. I'm sure this was some revolutionary jazz album or whatever but I don't care.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Stairway to heaven was one of my first introductions to 70s rock and I always skipped to the guitar solo like I'm sure every other 12 year old did as well. Black dog was probably the second song that got me into led zeppelin in general and it was fun to finally hear the rest of the tracks from beginning to end. There's a reason I was highly influenced by some of the songs on this album because the whole thing is just great and is equal to if not better than led zeppelin 2.
Prince
3/5
Holy shit this was a long album and I really wasn’t impressed by it. It’s Prince so it wasn’t bad by any means but it felt stripped back production wise and I think that it just made it less interesting 80s pop rock. Starfish and coffee and I could never take the place of your man are both sort of standouts
Ravi Shankar
2/5
It’s cool that this album is on this list in theory because it gives you insight into how Indian music is made and why it’s cool. In practice it’s boring as fuck and can only be enjoyed on a theoretical level for me.
Milton Nascimento
2/5
I've heard enough south american albums on this list to know that there are far better ones than this. At first, I thought this was the Brazilian version of Japanese city pop but then it went through a bunch of different sounds through a very long one-hour runtime. There are a couple of good tracks like gusto del sol but by the end I just wanted it to be over and that's why it gets a high two.
Pere Ubu
1/5
I’ve gotten quite a few shitty punk or punk adjacent albums but none as bad as this one. The vocals are terrible which is par for the course but even the production is completely unlistenable about 80% of the time.
Underworld
2/5
I listened to this album this morning and I’ve already forgotten the specific things I had to say about it. Just some lame electronica that was really long I guess.
Elliott Smith
5/5
I’m a sucker for wistful indie singer songwriter stuff like this and this album really hit that sweet spot. I really liked son of Sam and lost and found but all of the tracks were pretty much good. Reminded me of badly drawn boy
Germs
1/5
This has all of the characteristics of a shitty hardcore punk album that I would give a two any day of the week. Unfortunately, it's not on spotify which knocks it down a point as well as just being shitty enough all around that I feel fine giving it a 1 regardless of the spotify technicality.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
2/5
Honestly, I think of this kind of music as what plays at the end of artsy TV show episodes where a plot twist or major character development just happened. It's country/folk/sad boy hours and it's fine but also somewhat boring. Great addition to visual media though, adding songs like this to Justified season finales really works. Also minus a point for not being on spotify.
Donald Fagen
3/5
This album was like a bias test for me because I’m not sure if I went from “this is bland, inoffensive yacht rock” to “this is pretty mellow and fun” because the tracks started to get better or because I realized that this guy was one of the founders of steely Dan after about 3-4 tracks. Looking back though I still found it somewhat bland the same way some people (losers) critics actual steely Dan music.
Megadeth
4/5
First of all, there’s something about this album cover that I both love and hate. Like it’s a tacky 80s metal cover but also kinda cool. Regardless, the album is good, fun metal that probably isn’t technically as good as Metallica but is still enjoyable to listen to. It’s still not my favorite genre ever but it was still a nice 40 minutes while I played far cry. Definitely a low 4
Snoop Dogg
3/5
This was an unfortunate day to get this album because I was super busy with moving and by the time I had a free hour to listen to it I just wanted to take a nap. I probably heard 40% of the album by the time I drifted into sleep but overall I still liked it. Gz and hustlas & who am I were my favs because they had fun production, which the album had quite a bit of overall. Unfortunately the lyrics and skits did not age well and are pretty cringe to me at this point. On any other day this might’ve gotten a 4 but instead it gets an above average 3
De La Soul
4/5
While it does have bangers like me myself and I and say no go, I see it more as a whole greater than the sum of its parts. I hate the shitty echo sound effect and I don't love the flow but by the end I was like "wow this is a pretty unique and fun rap album" even though I wasn't actively jamming out to every single song. Definitely understand why this album has so much prestige behind it though. Hearing this when in 1989 would be crazy because its about a decade ahead of its time.
Miles Davis
4/5
While I'm starting to get tired of jazz albums that are 40 minutes long but only consist of two songs, this might be my favorite miles davis album so far. I loved the last like 8 minutes of the second half especially. It even made me go back and listen to kind of blue again while I played chess.
Adele
5/5
As a 9-10-year-old when this came out, I can still remember the grip this album had on pop music in the early 2010s and was thus a big part of my initial exploration of the music and Vevo side of youtube (rolling in the deep music video). I can even remember a year or two later, when I got my iPod touch, downloading rolling in the deep, set fire to the rain, and someone like you on iDownloads+ from mp3skull.com because I didn't want/know how to buy music. Anyway, the point is that this album is awesome and all of the big hits still hit and the less popular songs are also great. While I've heard the hits a million times, I never knew how country and twangy adele gets in some of the later songs which I really liked.
Ice Cube
3/5
For some reason it was very weird to learn that Public Enemy associates did a lot of producing this album because them and Ice Cube occupy such different areas of hip hop in my mind even though they were contemporaries. Anyway, this was a lot like the Ice-T album because the production and flow is great but the lyrics really really haven't aged well. You can't fade me and its a mans world are great examples of this but its also hard to hate on because it sounds so good. Once upon a time in the hood is one that was just good all around though. Very high 3
3/5
I’m sure bob dylan would be fun to see live but hearing him live did nothing for me. Overall this was fine but I was just mildly bored for most of the songs and my fav bob dylan song, ballad of a thin man, wasn’t even that great on this. Also I understand that this is historically important but it’s just a live greatest hits album which probs shouldn’t be in this list when I already heard most of these songs from other albums. Barely gets a three because bob dylan is still talented even if I was personally bored.
Isaac Hayes
5/5
I was surprised to see issac Hayes again because I thought he was just the shaft guy but it makes much more sense why that soundtrack was so good after hearing this. The album really lives up to its title and is just some really really great soul music. The third track is definitely the weakest but this still gets a 5 due to the sheer power of walk on by.
Mj Cole
1/5
You know it’s bad when I can make it all the way through trout mask replica but not this. By the fourth song I was out this shit sucked major ass.
Depeche Mode
4/5
I think this album cements Depeche Mode as one of my top 3 favorite artists of the 80s because—except for a few duds and a random moonlight sonata—this album was excellent. I don’t think its as right of an album as violator and doesn’t quite reach a 5 but it’s pretty darn close. The pure 80s synths and overall sound still holds up.
Dr. Dre
4/5
As a 21-year-old white dude, I have nothing new to say about the most influential and possibly best hip-hop album of its era but I will also say that it's insanely well-produced. I think this album finally pushed me over the edge into fully enjoying most 90s hip-hop because it had great beats all around despite the typical occasional cringe lyrics and especially dumb skits. Regardless, the radio that played after the album ended made for a very enjoyable afternoon. I am now very excited to get Illmatic and 2001.
Iron Butterfly
3/5
The incredible bongo band version was far better than what I'm assuming is the original of the title track. Overall pretty bland psychedelic rock, doesn't deserve a 2 but at the same time I don't want to give it a 3. Also, this album just *starts* like I thought spotify started the album in the middle or on shuffle or something. On a second listen I guess it gets a 3
The Black Crowes
3/5
This has to be like the most influential album ever for lame dads everywhere. As soon as I heard hard to handle start I could hear the grills get fired up and the belts looped through all the Jean shorts get tightened. While it definitely feels like the most cliched dad/bar rock album ever, there’s nothing necessarily wrong with that. It filled up 43 minutes with not totally awful rock music I guess.
Guided By Voices
2/5
First off the wiki blurb that says this is a lofi band is definitely bullshit based on this album. This is as 90s indie rock as it gets and while it started off decent, by the song that sampled snoring I was completely over it. It’s especially bad when it’s only 41 minutes and it feels like 60. Usually I like albums almost entirely made up of 1:30 songs but this one didn’t really give me anything to latch onto. I feel like that format is better for crazy hyper shit like 100 gecs more than bland rock like this.
The The
4/5
It’s not as good as infected but this is still my favorite synth pop band I’ve discovered on this list. The song writing is interesting and the production is still super groovy and unique. Also the cover art for this one is among the weirdest I’ve seen so far. This is the day was my fav; mid to low 4.
Alice In Chains
5/5
I've been excited to get this album because I've only heard Rooster and if a fucking great song came off the album, it's gotta be good. That turned out to be pretty good logic because this album slaps. It's an excellent balance of grunge and more metal stuff and Layne Staley's vocals are just amazing. Rooster remains the top track but them bones, would?, and down in a hole are all also worthy of a podium.
Kate Bush
3/5
This album probably saw a huge global ratings bump after stranger things came out—and that definitely is the best song on the album—but overall I was slightly underwhelmed. I don’t know how to describe it because the songs both sound ahead of their time and really 80s in a weird bad way. I think I generally liked it but feel victim to high expectations because of how huge running up that hill is. Definitely a high 3
Led Zeppelin
4/5
I think this is the last Led Zeppelin album I’m going to get on this list and it’s honestly a sad one to end on because instead of it feeling like a young band that’s rough around the edges it’s just more of the same after hearing far better work. Like yeah this is all well and good hard blues rock but I’ve already listened to Led Zeppelin 2 and stairway to heaven. I know the list should be random but for albums like this I wish I could’ve gotten them in order.
Minutemen
1/5
I made it just past the song with a surprise tik tok sound in it and threw in the towel. I already hate spoken word so the combo of that with 70 more minutes of jazz punk stuff was just too much.
Pulp
4/5
My first listen of this album was while high and playing video games and it’s a fucking great album that has a scary bit in it. Very operatic and emotional and cheesy but also awesome. Weirdly sounds like lcd sound system but less experimental with production. Who knows what I’ll think about it tomorrow.
Well I listened to it a second time today and unfortunately it didn’t fully live up to my stoned hype. A good number of songs like help the aged were still good but overall it’s more of an above average 4 instead of a 5
Steve Earle
3/5
It’s country by Steve Earle so of course it’s good but nothing stuck out to me too much. Maybe that was just the circumstances I was listening to the album in but it just gets a high 3.
Eagles
3/5
The eagles get a lot of hate for reasons that go over my Gen Z head but I've never reacted to their music very poorly. This album wasn't mind-blowing or revolutionary by any means but it was a pleasant 37 minutes. The equivalent of a popcorn movie. Probably also a high 3.
Hot Chip
4/5
It was really refreshing to get a chill and relaxed electronica album for once. Not big beats and harsh sounds, just some good vibes that would be nice to listen to as you’re hanging out with a small group or something. Flutes was my fav.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
I have like nothing interesting to say about this album. It was the pet shop boys typical 80s electronic music with the typical pet shop boys weird nasally voice.
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
This was another album that I was looking forward to getting at some point. It's pretty long but didn't noticeably drag at any point and I definitely enjoyed it more than soma. Bullet with butterfly wings and 1979 are still the best but I really liked how eclectic the tracks were overall. Like the song after 1979 is full on metal.
Orbital
2/5
I can’t give this a one because it’s not irritating to listen to but this was the most boring, “can I put you on hold for an 75 minutes” album I’ve gotten in a while. Like I get that it’s supposed to be ambient but Jesus dude. The penultimate track was about as good as it got
Pavement
3/5
Pavement is a band that I’ve discovered through this list and has also grown on me a fair bit. I never thought much of the first albums I got of theirs but now I can at the very least appreciate them. This album wasn’t as good as the one with stop breathing on it but it was still alright. High high 3
Peter Gabriel
4/5
This is a good benchmark album for me to see how far I’ve come after 600 albums because it was one my dad owned on cd and I listened to in high school. Back then I exclusively listened to sledgehammer and when I tried to listen to the whole thing I thought it was boring filler. Now, I really appreciate the album from start to finish. Sledgehammer and it’s music video still can’t be beat but big time, the Kaye bush duet, and in your eyes are all pretty solid. This is also probably the most quintessentially 80s album I’ve gotten outside of shit like Michael Jackson. The synths and other production is just so 80s in a way that’s almost indescribable.
Sepultura
1/5
Yeah. Once again: nope.
White Denim
5/5
I think I’ve found another gem of an artist. This album was pretty good and I kept listening to their music after the album ended and this shit is my jam. It’s like blues and rock and a little psychedelic and there’s a lot going on but doesn’t get irritating. I’d probably put it at a high 4 but I want it on my summary just so I remember this band from time to time. Is and is and is is by far my fav but street joy is pretty good too.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I don’t think I quite liked this as much as sticky fingers but this was a pretty good stones album. It honestly felt like a precursor to the real blues rock of sticky fingers, which I’m pretty sure it was. Gimme shelter was my favorite.
Minor Threat
2/5
I was gonna make a “thank god it’s only 20 minutes” joke when I saw that it was hardcore punk but it’s unfortunately not *that* bad. However, I would still say that if it was longer than like half an hour I would hate it a lot more than I do. This is also probably the most juvenile punk album I’ve gotten at least lyric wise. High 2
Santana
5/5
This was a great album to listen to while high and it was also fun to hear classic Santana that’s totally different from his 21st century stuff. Oye como va was my favorite and Santana can fucking shred. It also held up the whole next day while I was sober. Pretty great album idk if it’s worth a 5 but I think it’s close enough.
Joan Baez
2/5
Lame ass folk music. It’s exactly what you expect when you think of 60s folk and I was so tired of it by the end. However it doesn’t get a 1 because this is the pre-animals house of the rising sun is pretty good but fucking what. I guess it’s just a traditional folk song so it’s not originally from this album either but it’s still wild that there was a semi-big version of it before the one everyone knows. Also girl of constant sorrow is the same way but both of these don’t hold a candle to the animals and soggy bottom boys respectively.
Violent Femmes
4/5
This was definitely a more interesting than similar ones I’ve gotten. The first track is one of those for me that I might’ve heard playing at some random point in my life but never truly listened to it cuz it sounded familiar and I associated it with radio music. It’s actually pretty good and fun to hear in this setting. The rest was a bit of a mixed bag with to the kill and some other ones being pretty good but I didn’t love the album overall. Can’t decide between a high 3 or a low 4
The Byrds
5/5
When I first saw that I got another Byrds album I was honestly pretty upset because they are wayyy overrepresented on this list even if their albums were influential or whatever. I was ready to rip this album apart but unfortunately this album rocked. I'm a sucker for country rock like this and this is about as good as it gets unless you're mainlining marty robbins. It's one of those albums where I don't really have a favorite song it was just a really fun 40 minutes of music.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
This album rides a mighty fine line between homage and blatant rip off of black music of the 50s and 60s. Like it might as well be chuck berry but with mick jagger singing. While that means that it’s still pretty good music to listen to, it gets negative originality/uniqueness points. Also doesn’t help that like every single song is a cover. Glad they found their own voice as they released more albums; I t’s still heavily inspired by black artists but it’s way more creative than this.
Madonna
3/5
I’ve been looking forward to listening to some Madonna albums from this album but honestly I wasn’t a huge fan of this one. The first two songs are classic 80s Madonna but then it starts to become bland abba like music before the last two tracks turn into rock or something. It wasn’t bad but it was almost too stereotypically 80s for its own good. Excited for like a virgin though.
Taylor Swift
5/5
As soon as I got this album, I thought I was going to for sure give it a 5; but now that I've finished it I'm not so sure. Shake it off, bad blood (I listened to the kendrick lamar version even though it's technically not on the album idc), and blank space were seminal songs for me when I was in middle school--especially shake it off--but I forgot how much this album drags in the last three tracks. They're not terrible I guess but they're not nearly as fun as the bulk of the tracks that came before it. However, I feel like I've given 5s to albums that have had worse tracks and this album almost deserves it off the strength of shake it off and blank space alone so I think a 5 is fine but comes with some qualifiers.
The Smiths
4/5
I’ve definitely warmed up to the smiths over the course of this album and have wanted to relisten to the Queen is dead but this is a whole different thing than most smiths music I’ve gotten. It feels more orchestral and less guitar focused than the other stuff. Even if I was never wowed or fully into it, I think this was the most interesting album of theirs I’ve gotten. Stop me… is my favorite.
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Between this and renaissance, q-tip is pretty safely my GOAT old school rapper and it’s cool that I discovered him through this list. His jazzy production abilities and his rapping/lyricism is almost unmatched by anything else from this time period on this list. It didn’t excite me like renaissance did and isn’t something I want to relisten to a lot but it’s still great. Check the rhime is probably my favorite.
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
I expected to mildly dislike this album based off of my experience with loveless and I was entirely right in that expectation. I usually like harsh music in this style (can’t think of an example rn, maybe early Radiohead or sonic youth) but something about shoegaze just doesn’t do it for me.
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
This is about as hippie, counterculture, psychedelic as it gets but I wasn’t really wowed by this album. It was cool to hear white rabbit and somebody to love, which are the standouts, but everything else was just fine. I didn’t realize there were extra tracks at first but could basically tell once an out of place blues song kicked in. Overall grace slick is the most talented out of everyone based on this album but it’s still all average 60s counterculture music with the exception of white rabbit which is really good.
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
I finally get shoegaze thanks to this album I think. At first I was pissed to get another mbv album this close to the last one but this is the one that finally made it click. I’ve always liked dream pop type stuff like the chromatics so this is just a slightly more intense version of that. I think my problem was that I didn’t listen to the first two albums very intently and just listened to the grungy guitars but the ethereal voices are what makes the whole thing for me. This album made me go back and listen to loveless again and that album definitely deserves more than what I gave it so I’m probs gonna overrate this album even though loveless deserves it more. Sometimes is probably my favorite off of that one and who sees you is my favorite off of this one.
As a genre, though, I’m not sure if I’m fully down with shoegaze. Mbv obviously have it down but I haven’t heard too much that makes me love it as a genre even though the ideas behind the form is pretty interesting and compelling to me.
Stereo MC's
3/5
I heavily judged this album by its cover at first but my fears were allayed by the first track which was one of those songs I’ve heard but never knew the details of. It’s also my favorite track on the album. It keeps going along well enough for the next handful of tracks but I’m not sure if I was sleepy or what but I got bored about halfway through and was pretty much over it. Maybe making this album about a half hour wouldve really helped it.
David Holmes
1/5
By the time I gave up on this album just over halfway through I wished I was, in fact, killed. I couldnt even make it through the title track and only survived past the weird James Bond cover because of the sorta okay Rodney yates song. This is the kind of electronica I despise.
Shivkumar Sharma
2/5
This is apparently some hugely important album in introducing western audiences to traditional Indian music but given that there’s stuff like RRR now this is definitely quaint. It’s not bad but it’s not something that caught my interest like some of the African music has. Overall was just bored through the whole thing.
Paul McCartney and Wings
5/5
This was a great album to get after a bit of a skid of 2-3 shitty to mediocre albums. I’ve loved the title track since middle school and the rest of it keeps up that energy. I also really love jet and let me roll it. It’s just a fun album that’s a hella good listen from start to finish.
fIREHOSE
2/5
At this point, I’ve gotten plenty of bizarre and totally unique albums and this is one of the least notable ones I’ve listened to. I was mostly bored and uninterested the whole time but it wasn’t bad enough to get a 1. On the other hand, at least I still remember listening to kollaps and how I felt toward it. This one is getting forgotten at exactly 1020 tomorrow and just frees up the next 24 hours for whatever music I want.
Derek & The Dominos
2/5
At first I tried to admire the excellent guitar work on each of the songs on this album but by about the halfway point of this 80 minute album I couldn’t take it anymore. This shit is made for the whitest of white dads and is very bland blues rock type stuff. Usually I’m pretty favorable to this stuff but it was just so boring. I won’t give it a 1 because Layla and nobody knows you are good but it’s only about a mid 2.
3/5
I was surprised by this album because I started it and looked at its length and thought that I was gonna hate it by the end. Weirdly, while I still thought it was really long, I didn’t totally despise it even though most of these ambient electronica albums wear me down too much by the end. This one I was fine with for probably 80% of it. There were some duds but mostly fine.
Billy Bragg
2/5
This album had some pretty overtly radical/political music that I definitely identify with but I can’t say I really enjoyed listening to it too much. Like yeah it’s cool that there’s a song about how badass unions are but there are so many (mostly hip hop/60s folk) artists I’d rather listen to for politically charged music cuz this guys voice sucked and the sound wasn’t very notable.
Billy Bragg
4/5
So first reaction before listening: what the fuck? Why do I have this guy again but also yay Wilco. Post listen: I was pretty much validated in my first look but not quite how I thought because this shit was actually pretty good and I think it’s mostly because of Wilco (yay). Braggs hallmarks are still all over it with yet another song about the godly nature of unions and more political lyrics but this one had way better production and the vocals were far less grating. California stars and way over yonder are my favorites.
The Human League
3/5
I would put this album maybe one step above the soft cell and a-ha albums and a few steps below the eurythmics album in that the whole thing revolves around one song and the rest of the tracks are just fine. Not dumb like the first two albums or good like the other album I mentioned, just whatever. Unfortunately, dont you want me isn't as strong of a single as take on me so it gets the same--maybe slightly higher--score as hunting high and low.
Björk
3/5
Even though it’s usually something I would never listen to again, I always have to admire bjorks albums. They’re just so different and unique that it’s hard to shit on them even if you don’t personally love the music; I wanted to keep listening to this album even though I wasn’t thoroughly enjoying it just to hear what she was gonna do on the next song. She’s obviously very talented and is willing to work in every genre of music using her own style. This one was very orchestral and notget was the main song that stuck out to me. I’m excited to get some of her classic 90s stuff.
Youssou N'Dour
2/5
Yeah this is another “whatever” international album. I have no I’ll feelings toward this album except that I was bored by it and was glad it was only 34 minutes.
In other news: I finally connected the dots that war pigs on the pigs no more album was a cover and I realized that it’s basically the same as the original but not as meaty so that album takes a hit cuz I dislike covers that are basically a copy of the original. It’s one of those where you discover you only like the sound of it because it’s near identical to the original that you also like.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
Honestly I had a feeling that this would suck as soon as I clicked rate on my last album and lo and behold I was right. Sometimes judging by the cover works out pretty well. I’m sure this was a competent album but it was not my type of prog rock at all; just boring most of the way. All the people there sounded hype about it though so I hope there was a cool light show or a pile of lsd on the floor or something to go along with the set.
Skepta
2/5
Unfortunately after the excellent little simz album, the British rap albums on this list have gone back to being bad. This isn’t the worst one mostly due to the production but the lyrics are completely unrelatable to me and made me cringe most of the time. There are a couple songs I’d maybe think about possibly listening to again but that’s it.
Ian Dury
3/5
This was a fun lil album. It felt like a bloke from your local pub decided to make some music about all of the regulars he interacts with. It’s crude and goofy and somewhat catchy and suppose that’s all you need. I didn’t listen to the bonus tracks or anything but billericay dickie was a bop. What I imagine the British version of colt 45 to be.
Common
2/5
Don’t have much to say about this album and was admittedly only half listening through the first half. The reason for these things is because it’s a pretty boring and mostly unnotable hip hop album. A couple decent beats here and there but that’s about it and keeps it from being a 1. Maybe a big deal in its day but I really did not feel it.
George Harrison
5/5
I’ve been looking forward to a George Harrison album for quite a while because I like all of the Beatles music he made and a couple solo songs including my sweet lord (which is also one of my favorites on this album) and this didn’t disappoint. This album feels like an explosion of George’s creative energies that we’re kinda bottled by John and Paul in the Beatles. It’s 2 hours long and some of the songs really feel like they were Beatles songs that never made the cut for some reason. That’s not to say they’re bad though, this whole album was thoroughly enjoyable even if the second half did sag more than the first. My sweet lord, let it down, and hear me lord we’re my top three on an album that was flush with bangers.
Björk
3/5
Once again I'm still fine with Bjork even though it's not my thing but this one was admittedly more dull and straightforward than the other albums I've gotten so far. It makes sense because it's her solo debut but still...I want the weirdness. However, her vocals and even the basic instrumentals are still unique enough to carry it to a low three I think.
David Bowie
4/5
Once again David Bowie proves himself capable of being able to master whatever genre of music he feels like making an album of. This time it’s soul/r&b and it’s unsurprisingly good. However, fame is one of my favorite Bowie songs and it honestly feels a little out of place here because the rest of the album has a bunch of backing vocals and sounds more r&b then fake comes at the end and is nothing like what came before it.
Solomon Burke
3/5
As has been well documented, I'm a big fan of soul music like this. While this wasn't the best of this genre I've heard from this list and wasn't incredibly memorable, I still enjoyed it nonetheless. High 3
The Boo Radleys
3/5
This album seemed to skip between shoegaze, indie, and alternative rock throughout its hour length and thankfully I’ve already had my mbv breakthrough on shoegaze or else I would’ve liked this album a lot less I think. Overall it was alright with a few standout songs (wish I was skinny, best lose the fear), a good amount of unnotable songs, and one or two songs that made me viscerally uncomfortable (the runway and white noise songs near the end). Honestly the shoegaze section in mainly the first quarter was my favorite part of the whole album which would’ve been pretty surprising 2 months ago.
Klaxons
5/5
Even though the last couple songs don’t live up to the rest of the album, the album as a whole kicks ass. It’s just one of the purest forms of 2000s alt rock short of the arctic monkeys I’ve heard in a while. The run of songs from golden skans to forgotten works is just excellent.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
4/5
It was fun to hear the early iterations of synth pop that this album offered. The second track was probably the standout of the main album as well as the first bonus track. Since it’s early synth it’s nothing extravagant or really exciting but it was still a nice album that embodies the 80s.
Frank Sinatra
5/5
What can I say? It’s Frank and it’s great. This one doesn’t have many super hits but it’s 50 minutes packed with slow ballads and pretty much exactly the type of music that you think of when you think of Frank Sinatra. Even if you’re expecting the vibes, though, it’ll still make you sad but also warm and fuzzy inside the whole time as the lyrics are emotional but the music is comforting.
However, I ended up listening to more architecture and morality throughout today than Frank which really surprised me. Something about the synth pop on that album really clicked with me between yesterday and today and even Chloe liked it when I played it over dinner. Since I tend to give 5s to albums I go back to even after I rate it, I want to retroactively give a 5 to that album and let this 5 serve as that 5 as well.
Laibach
2/5
The list giveth 3 great albums in a row, the list also giveth a bottom rated follow up that completely doesn’t match the vibes of the last 3. While it sounds like I’m going to hate on the album, I’m mostly just fascinated by it. I can’t imagine that any regular person born after 1970 and/or outside of Eastern Europe would find this album even moderately comprehensible. Even if I spoke German I wouldnt have a clue what they’re going for, I feel; and short of a class in late stage Soviet era culture I’ll never understand this. It’s a mix of patriotic trumpets, heavy metal with vocals recorded by a singer with a mouthful of gravel, and samples of Winston Churchill quotes and the only thing I took away from it was that ramnstein had to have been influenced by this in some way. I was fine with it at first and excited to give it a 3, but then jagerspiel hit and that all too familiar feeling of physical discomfort came over me as I listened to something just awful. In general, I appreciate albums like this that are radically different from anything I’ve ever heard and are completely opaque to me because it makes me try to understand what the artist was trying to say with this. Unfortunately this came at a bad time at the tail end of an epic three album run so it doesn’t get quite as much slack.
The Cure
4/5
I was intially going to give this album a high three like I feel I’ve given to a lot of 80s rock albums like this but the second half of this album with songs like a forest and at night bumped it up to a 4. It was definitely better than pornography which I think is the only other cure album I’ve gotten so far. If you vibe with Robert smiths voice and the slower sound there’s nothing to not like here.
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
This album was a perfectly fine alt rock/grunge album. It was by no means in the leagues of Nirvana or Pavement but it definitely wasn't the worst 90s rock album I've heard so far on this list. The vocals sounded like Trent Reznor and the lyrics were basically a concept album about a toxic relationship. I especially liked the track from the woman's point of view. High 3
Drive Like Jehu
2/5
This album opened as a 1 for me but then managed to claw its way up to maybe a mid 2. At first it was the typical annoying hardcore bullshit and luau was probably the worst of this but then super unison and new union actually broke up the unrelenting noise for a bit and it was actually alright. Overall it still made me physically uncomfortable by the end like these overlong hardcore albums do but it at least doesn’t deserve a 1. Also the Spotify artist banner of this band is the most white suburban dad “getting some buddies together to mess around on guitar” core I’ve ever seen.
The Vines
5/5
This was a strong contender for a 5 from the first track and it was solidified as a 5 for me as soon as I heard get free, song I’ve always heard but never really knew where it came from. I love early 2000s alternative rock like this and this was 50 pure minutes of it with 90s grunge influences galore (I don’t think this is “the second coming of nirvana” but it’s definitely heavily inspired by them). Another favorite of mine was outtathaway.
Stan Getz
5/5
At first I was going to give this a really solid 4 because it was a really pleasant listen throughout and I especially liked the saxophone solos. However, after listening to it throughout the entire day, I realized that this was a rare jazz/bossa nova album that transcended simply ambient listening and became something I actively enjoyed for 40 minutes straight. Girl from Ipanema was a great start to the album and it kept up those good vibes throughout.
The Beau Brummels
4/5
This album was a mix of the byrds and bob dylan and it was alright. It wasn’t super amazing but it’s good enough to get a very ambivalent 4 because of songs like nine pound hammer and old Kentucky home.
Tom Tom Club
4/5
This album really snuck up on me. It started out with a goofy ass rap song that was somewhat cringe but I didn’t dislike it and it just grew in quality for me song by song. I was hit with the shock that the iconic genius of love riff came before it’s nasty and after that I was totally won over by tracks like as above so below, Lorelai, and under the boardwalk. The energy, quirkiness, and richness of the production is what makes it good I think. We’re it not for tracks like Tom Tom theme it’d get a 5
Edit: this whole album makes so much more sense knowing that it’s a side project of talking heads members that aren’t David byrne. Completely explains the eccentricity throughout.
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
I’m glad I listened to all of mbv albums before this because I definitely would not have appreciated this album as much had I not come around to shoegaze through their albums. This one is a bit more pop forward that the mbv albums and it’s not nearly as good overall. Nothing offensively bad but nothing really standout.
Beatles
5/5
At this point I’m running out of things to say about Beatles albums so I’m just gonna give it a 5 and savor it since I’m pretty sure let it be and maybe magical mystery tour are the only two left (I don’t remember if I got help already). I’ll just say that this one is definitely better than with the Beatles and the white album but clearly doesn’t hold a candle to revolver and abbey road. Title track and can’t buy me love are the favs.
1/5
Well I can say that noise rock definitely sucks based on the albums I’ve gotten so far. This one had fleeting moments of things that I could’ve enjoyed but none of it lasted before regressing back into annoying, edgy, shitty-sounding rock. Overall it was just a less interesting Kollaps without any increase in listenability.
Iron Maiden
3/5
Honestly the standard I hold all these types of metal albums to now is megadeths rust in peace and unfortunately this one doesn’t compare. It’s still not bad but it was just a half hour blur of 80s metal sounds with shitter than usual vocals in which nothing stuck out to me. Number of the beast was also definitely better.
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Post punk albums like this might as well be white noise to me at this point. I felt absolutely nothing throughout this entire album and struggled to even pay attention to it when I was driving home from my parents (I was really trying to focus on the music but just kept spacing out).
Arcade Fire
5/5
This is an album I've been looking forward to for a while because I've heard this is considered the best arcade fire album and I really wanted to like the last couple albums of theirs I've gotten on this list. Thankfully, this really lived up to the hype and is essentially banger after banger starting with the first track. I especially liked the suburbs, modern man, and sprawl 2. The mix of synths, keyboard, and vocals all work perfectly to create a vibe that makes me nostalgic for a decade I wasn't born in.
Scissor Sisters
4/5
I'd only ever heard I can't decide by this band and I had no idea that they were from the early 2000s. I assumed that it was an 80s thing but after listening to this whole thing I can see the early 2000s vibes. It was pretty good overall, with the first half being way better than the second half, and was a fun 2004-version-of-synth/glam-rock type thing. My favs were Laura and take your mama and the comfortably numb cover was my least fav.
Duran Duran
3/5
This was a good album to get because I’ve heard rip and hungry like the wolf a million times so it’s nice to understand the album those songs came from now. Unfortunately, the rest of the album isn’t super notable and hungry like the wolf remains the best track by a mile. I would’ve given it a 4 we’re it not for the last song that just left a bad taste in my mouth. I think this album is a notch above stuff like soft cell and aha albums where it has a couple great singles and nothing else going for it.
Frank Black
3/5
I was pretty drunk for about 75% of this album and during that time I thought it was overlong, boring, and had terrible vocals. However, as I sobered up throughout the course of the album, I began to enjoy it slightly more while still thinking that it was overlong and also learned that this artist was the frontman for the pixies which I generally like. If I relisten to this tomorrow, I’ll reevaluate but as of right now it gets a low three on account of killing my drunk vibes and being generally lame while I was intoxicated and to a lesser extent while I was relatively sober. I listened to a couple songs the next day and honestly enjoyed them a bit less. Not enough for a two but definitely a shitty 3
Nirvana
5/5
I think this is the last pure nirvana I get on this album and I’m glad I get to go out with this one since it’s a perfect cap to nirvana as a band as well. It’s a perfect selection of songs that combine excellent covers like man who sold the world with thematically fitting originals like all apologies and something in the way. They arranged and performed a flawless set list that mirrored Kurt’s headspace at that point along with the feelings the band had toward their status in the music world. This is either at or slightly below nevermind for me.
R.E.M.
4/5
I don't think I'd ever heard of this REM album let alone heard any of the songs off of it, which is surprising. It makes sense in that their subsequent albums have surpassed this with better singles but this was still really solid and has a well-rounded set of tracks. They had a solid, distinct sound coming right out of the gate. I especially liked pilgrimage and catapult.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
The first few elvis Costello albums I got always had a couple songs that really jumped out to me and explained why he had so many entries on this list. For this one, I couldn’t find much memorable about it at all and am even struggling to write this roughly 24 hours after listening. He’s clearly talented but I really don’t see why he gets so many spots on this list while some other classic albums aren’t on here.
Abdullah Ibrahim
3/5
Perfectly alright ambient, flute-heavy jazz. Even Wikipedia has nothing to say about this one.
Haircut 100
3/5
This sounds really similar to every other British new wave album and that's neither a good nor bad thing. There were moments that stood out but otherwise, it was an intensely generic record that had an unusual amount of saxophone solos.
Turbonegro
2/5
Really? I thought I had gotten through all of the lame ass, okay-guitars-shitty-voice, obnoxious punk albums earlier on this list.
I'm completely over albums like this at this point so I'm just going to discuss my thoughts on the director's cut woodstock documentary I watched today: It's the best concert doc I've ever seen. It gives a perfect feel of what it would've been like to be there for the full three days and also does a great job of contextualizing how the event became what it was. My favorite parts were just the slice of life looks at how people acted and what they did in between sets as well as how the event functioned logistically. The sets were almost all great but I was surprised that they mostly avoided the most popular songs from each featured artist (i want to take you higher and purple haze being the most notable exceptions) and didn't show ccr or the band which were personal bummers. Joe Cocker was probably my favorite raw performance due to the sheer energy (it looks like he's having a full-body seizure at all times) and I can't recall one that I actively disliked. Overall, it was not only a great documentary but a piece of history in and of itself that functions as an archive of the greatest musical event ever. Also, I don't think I would've appreciated the doc as much had I not been doing this list because people like Joan Baez would've gone completely over my head while the doc simultaneously added context to some of the albums on the list I've gotten like Country Joe and the Fish and Joan Baez. This dumb punk album gets a 2 but this documentary gets a 5.
Amy Winehouse
5/5
And another album I’ve been really excited for. I really love rehab and back to black so I had high expectations for the rest of the album and it didn’t disappoint. The few tracks in between my favs were amazing but the entire second half of the album makes up for it. For being less than 40 minutes it really packs a punch, especially with the tragic context of the subject matter.
Bobby Womack
4/5
This was a nice 40 minutes of very choral soul music. I was admittedly distracted reading the Wikipedia page of prousts in search of lost time for a couple tracks but I still enjoyed the album overall.
Kings of Leon
4/5
As someone that’s only listened to the biggest hits of kings of leon, this album was more interesting from the perspective of being a blueprint for the magnum opus work later in the decade that they would come out with. Outside of that, this is an unapologetically early 2000s alternative rock album that has a couple of duds but is still a fine listen. Holy roller novocaine is probs my favorite.
Joe Ely
4/5
How can you hate classic honky tonk music like this? It’s just a great listen in every way and never fails to be a fun time. It’s not quite a 5 but I know I’ll still be listening to west texas waltz and cornbread moon all of tomorrow.
Johnny Cash
5/5
This is classic cash but I never knew that this literally saved his career. I just thought it was him continuing in his prime or something. I’ve loved Folsom prison blues, cocaine blues, and Jackson since I was a preteen and 25 minutes and egg suckin dog were new favs. I also really appreciated how great of a performer he was here with the little skits in between songs as well as how he sings some of the lines in each song. There’s a good amount of filler songs in here but the highs are so high I think I’m gonna give it a 5 more out of respect than anything.
The Undertones
3/5
The most memorable thing about this album is by far the album cover like lmao. Otherwise it’s just another punk album with lame vocals about teenager stuff. This one had a couple redeeming qualities like the song hard luck and good instrumentation but nothing to bring it even close to a 4.
Ghostface Killah
5/5
Another solo wu tang album that is magnificently produced and has excellent flows. I still think I like liquid swords more but the first like 5 songs on this are all bangers especially shaken dog, the champ, and back like that. The sheer star power of both the features and the production are also insane and works as a great bridge between old school 90s rap and more melodic 00s stuff, back like that and it’s remix with Kanye come to mind the most. Idk if I’m getting softer with my 5s or getting a chance to listen to the album more and thus appreciate it more but after listening to this album multiple times throughout the day it’s pretty great all the way through and doesn’t really drag at all.
Rush
3/5
Another solo wu tang album that is magnificently produced and has excellent flows. I still think I like liquid swords more but the first like 5 songs on this are all bangers especially shaken dog, the champ, and . The sheer star power of both the features and the production are also insane and works as a great bridge between old school 90s rap and more melodic 00s stuff, back like that and it’s remix with Kanye come to mind the most.
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
I've always heard a lot of different things about sufjan stevens and a lot of good things about this album but I'd never listened to him at all. This album felt really fresh and new compared to stuff I've been getting recently for some reason. It's definitely a complete left turn from fishscale and moving pictures but there's something more to it than just that. The folksy music and mountains of Illinois references that mostly went over my head combined to make an immaculate vibe and overall cozy/wistful feeling in me. It was just a really nice and pleasant album to listen to overall despite a weird more aggressive song in there just over halfway through. All the song names are too long for me to fully remember which ones I liked but the john wayne gacy one and they are night zombies definitely stood out.
Wire
3/5
An album like this would usually get my standard contemptful indifference to boring punk thatre a dime a dozen on this list but the 21 songs in 35 minutes thing at least makes it interesting to talk about. Since I listened to this at 2 in the morning after a Taylor swift concert Im probably biased but honestly the constant switching of songs made the album seems far longer than it actually was despite also feeling faster paced. It was very odd.
Pantera
2/5
Despite being better than sepultura and having a cool album cover, this was still very much not for me. I appreciated this slightly more than other metal based on the guitar work and varying of sounded but I still had a headache by the end and was wishing that it had ended about 20 minutes earlier.
Scritti Politti
3/5
Atlanta night 1: I didn’t write this review right after I listened to it so it’s already pretty hazy after a full day of exploring but I remember that it had really lame simplistic production that worked sometimes and not at all in other tracks while the vocals were solid throughout. Pretty average britpop.
It wasn’t super memorable for me but this was a pretty solid blues rock album. I’m usually not a huge rod stewart fan but his voice really fit the bluesy electric guitar.
Coldplay
4/5
This album is good on its own but is more interesting as a point of comparison for rush of blood because this shows how much the band had improved by the time they released that album. Here, they seem quiet and without a really unique sound doing wistful love songs while their next album is more bombastic and confident in both production and writing. Regardless of quality in between albums, yellow, trouble, and shiver are all great on their own.
Fishbone
4/5
This was definitely an interesting album. The mix of rock and ska made it sound like it would’ve come out in like 2004 and have aged really poorly but for some reason it actually worked pretty well. I listened to the whole thing in an airport so I didn’t listen super intensely but I did enjoy most of the tracks on the album.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
This is definitely one of those iconic albums I very much appreciate but don’t fully enjoy from start to end. The opening track is still iconic but some of the more psychedelic guitar heavy songs start to weigh on me and I begin to get tired of the whole album. Despite those moments, however, I understand why this is such an important album and can still enjoy tracks like Sunday morning and heroin.
The Beach Boys
4/5
This album didn’t hold a candle to pet sounds but it was still a solid beach boys album that goes into more of a doowop, love ballad direction. I don’t have much else to say about it honestly.
Slint
4/5
For about the first 15 minutes I thought that this was gonna be another sleeper hit album for me but unfortunately it got much less interesting as the intensity mellowed out in the second half. I liked the harsh noises and singing when it appeared but it was mostly outnumbered by a lot of talking which I found much less interesting. Fortunately the overbearing feeling of dread comes back in the last track for a while which only makes me more conflicted on whether to give a 3 or 4. Much like the velvet underground/nico album, I can also see the influence this had on rock music in the 90s from grunge to alternative to experimental with the heavy bass guitars and such so I appreciate it on that level.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Typically with albums that aren't on Spotify, I give them tougher reviews because it's a pain in the ass to listen on Youtube and is rarely ever worth it (ads on top of john zorn was just cruel). Unfortunately, this album was actually really good and had some songs, mainly powderfinger, that I wish I could add to my spotify playlist. So good job neil, you and Joni really showed joe rogan who's boss by making your good music less accessible.
The Police
3/5
Aside from message in a bottle this album was pretty bland which surprises me. For how many hits the police have and how big they were, I thought they’d have stronger albums than a one hit wonder, soft cell type band.
The Young Rascals
4/5
It was really fun to hear groovin in the wild; otherwise this was just a fun collection of psychedelic pop rock type stuff.
The Beach Boys
4/5
This is vastly different from every other album I’ve heard from The Beach Boys in a very refreshing way. It definitely felt more seventies and electronic and you could tell that the band was overtly trying to get away from the surfer sound between the title and the production. It was a good album overall but long promises road was excellent and played on repeat for the whole day.
Aphex Twin
5/5
I listened to this while driving home at night in cool summer air and while high and those were probably the two best ways to enjoy this album. I’ve been looking forward to this one because it’s widely regarded as the best ambient album and it’s a genre I was never that into. Fortunately, It was by far the best non-jazz ambient album I’ve ever heard. The tracks kept me engaged for the whole length and I didn’t get tired of them by the end, which is exceedingly rare for me in this genre. I needed up listening to this most of the day and I realized that it’s not an album to listen to for 70 minutes straight; it’s something you reliably use whenever you need it for as long as you need it and it’s perfect for any situation from walks to sleeping to driving to doing drugs.
Kings of Leon
4/5
I'm surprised to get two Kings of Leon albums and neither of them was the huge 2008 album that was super popular with my generation. Either way, this one was still really good with a good mix of emotional slow songs and some really fun fast-paced ones. I especially enjoyed King of the Rodeo and the Bucket. The previous album of theirs that I got came on after this one ended and I think I've grown to appreciate that one a bit more too.
Tito Puente
4/5
I always love getting big band type stuff and this satisfied that sweet spot for half an hour. It wasn’t as good as the Afro Cuban Kenya one but it was still solid.
Nitin Sawhney
4/5
This album has to be a plant because there's no way I'm getting it the day after Oppenheimer's opening weekend as a coincidence. Regardless, I'm glad I got it now because nuclear weapons have been on my mind and this did a great job of conveying the emotions that come with thinking about nuclear war and WMDs. It also conveyed those emotions about nukes from a totally different perspective than any other media I've seen from Japan to America. Unfortunately, I got a bit tired of it and was wishing it was over 2/3 of the way through but the vibes all the way through were heavy and the news clips were thought-provoking, even the now-tired Oppenheimer bit at the end felt recontextualized coming from an artist with a Hindu background.
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
This album was foundational to my understanding of rap and hip hop in high school and made me seek out new music instead of sticking to the boring ass music taste of rural midwestern white people; so not only is this album a landmark in contemporary rap but it’s also personally important to me to some extent. I’ve listened to tpab countless times but what made this listen fresh is that it came in the second half of the list for me after a number of albums that exposed me to the full history of hip hop. I think I came out of this listen with an even greater appreciation of it because I better (but not fully) understand its influences from dj shadow to a tribe called quest. As for my thoughts on the album itself it’s mindblowingly well produced and accompanies songs focusing on interesting and thought provoking subject matter. Every song is an absolute banger except for maybe you ain’t gotta lie and mortal man only because the Tupac convo at the end goes on too long.
Missy Elliott
4/5
This album was foundational to my understanding of rap and hip hop in high school and made me seek out new music instead of sticking to the boring ass music taste of rural midwestern white people; so not only is this album a landmark in contemporary rap but it’s also personally important to me to some extent. I’ve listened to tpab countless times but what made this listen fresh is that it came in the second half of the list for me after a number of albums that exposed me to the full history of hip hop. I think I came out of this listen with an even greater appreciation of it because I better (but not fully) understand its influences from dj shadow to a tribe called quest. As for my thoughts on the album itself it’s mindblowingly well produced and accompanies songs focusing on interesting and thought provoking subject matter. Every song is an absolute banger except for maybe you ain’t gotta lie and mortal man only because the Tupac convo at the end goes on too long.
Paul Simon
3/5
The website fucked up and repeated my review of TPAB for Under Construction so instead of writing out my original review again here's a shorter version: It's very much of its time but holds up surprisingly well (aside from the usual cringe lyrics on tracks like work it). I especially liked the first half of the album up to the Jay-Z feature (minus the long skits). Now onto Graceland, an album with an even shorter review.
It was another 45 minutes of fun Paul Simon music that was very similar to the Juilo down by the schoolyard album.
Big Black
1/5
I'm coming down from a high and not only did I have to listen to this shit album but I had to go on youtube to listen to it. There were moments that reminded me of the hyper aggression of 100 gecs but this was nowhere even close to that level quality and was instead just an assault on the ears.
Les Rythmes Digitales
3/5
Based on the album art and the 90s electronica genre, I was fully expecting this to suck shit but it was surprisingly okay. It's not an album to listen to very intently so my attention drifted in and out while I did a crossword. Some points I remember as being very abrasive and obnoxious and other points being pretty funky and cool with the final track being a stand out especially because the vocals were pretty good too. It wasn't great but it did just enough for me to mildly enjoy it.
The Killers
5/5
Going into this album, I was fully expecting it to be pretty lame outside of Mr. brightside and somebody told me but man was I wrong. The whole album was quintessential 2000s alt rock and still holds up despite being played to death for almost two decades now. I've heard Mr. brightside at every single party I've ever been to since I was in high school and all through college and it never fails to blow the roof off regardless of the vibe leading up to the point where you hear the opening riff. As for the other tracks, the first half up to all these things I've done is non-stop banger after banger while the second half really shines in the final two tracks of the whole album. It's a landmark in its genre and rightfully so.
The Cure
4/5
While I’m still a bigger fan of boys don’t cry, this is by far my favorite cure album I’ve gotten on this list. It’s a little long and sometimes the songs start to drag since they average around 5 minutes in length but overall I was never annoyed like I was when I listened to pornography. This is a good balance of their earlier, lighter stuff and their later heavier stuff. Homesick and love song were standouts.
Leonard Cohen
3/5
While it still isn't quite as good as You Want It Darker, I liked this one much more than the last album of Cohen's I got. It's more interesting that his songwriting talent never got stale or deteriorated over half a century than anything else. Definition of a generational talent even if I'm not an avid fan. I especially liked So Long, Marianne.
Lightning Bolt
2/5
I agree with the wiki that this is a very accessible noise rock album because its the only one I've heard that I've even sort of understood the appeal of. I still started to get a headache by the end but in the first half I really enjoyed the repeating guitar chords on tracks like assassins and dracula mountain. I would still never listen to this on my own volition but I at least appreciated and got where this one was coming from. The album art is also very fitting because it's like a peak at real hardcore talent and interesting ideas behind mountains and mountains of overwhelming noise.
George Jones
4/5
I still love this type of bluesy country and I have no complaints about this album's contribution to that genre. She'll love the one shes with was a standout for me.
The Mamas & The Papas
5/5
Along with paul revere and the red raiders, I was introduced to the mamas and the papas through Quentin Tarantino and OUATIH and whenever I listened to the movie soundtrack, I always liked their stuff the best (that and neil diamond). This album was a fun deeper dive into their work as well as a chance to relisten to my old favorites straight shooter and California dreamin (before TikTok). The album as a whole is so quintessentially sixties but has also aged like a fine wine. It was a great listen with start to finish with no duds I can remember and some new hits like do you wanna dance.
Nas
5/5
It's nice to get two five-star albums in a row that couldn't be more different from one another. One is a very thoughtful and well-produced album about a specific coastal area of America at a specific time that became a landmark in its genre and the other is Illmatic. Lol jk but there's a reason that this album is widely regarded as one of the best albums of the 90s and one of the best rap albums of all time. It's a definitive East Coast rap album and you can see influences from it even today (TPAB comes to mind a bit). I wish Q-tip got used a bit more in his feature and it made the song a bit lame but the rest of the tracks, especially NY state of mind and the last two tracks, have proven to be timeless. I’m now on my second listen and I just wanted to note that he uses “nine” to make like 90% of his rhymes work yet it never gets annoying.
Elliott Smith
4/5
It doesn't really surprise me that tracks from this album take up most of his popular songs slots on Spotify because this is elliott smith music meant even more specifically for breakups and melancholy than the songs from Figure 8 and I can see this album being a comfort album for depressed millennials. Regardless, I still like Figure 8 a bit more with its bigger production and higher intensity since this was more low-key and singer-songwriterish but it's more a matter of personal preference than objective quality. The lyricism is still top notch and the production is still interesting and well crafted.
Grateful Dead
2/5
Is this really the band that people followed around religiously? I suppose I could see how it’d be fun in some of the later tracks (aside from feedback, which was also bad) but the early tracks were half hour long slogs that I found nothing good in at all. It’s not deserving of a 1 star but I still got barely any enjoyment out of this album whatsoever.
Jacques Brel
3/5
Well this is about as far apart as you can get on live albums back-to-back. Unfortunately, I don't have much to say about this one since a lot of it went in one ear and out the other (plus I got into a fight w/ my gf right before listening which couldn't have helped). It was cool to get more french music because I don't think I've gotten too much of that so far. Even the wiki blurb doesn't have anything interesting to say about this album. Also, "avec" in the 4th song is used so much it just started to annoy me; that hard consonant doesn't work with the vibes.
Sinead O'Connor
4/5
While this album started out slow I found myself really enjoying everything including and beyond emperor's new clothes. Her lyrics mostly hold up and even the lines bagging on Margaret Thatcher are still true. Combined with her excellent voice, the songs are all thick with emotion and weight. Obviously nothing compares is my fav but I also really enjoyed emperor's new clothes, black boys on mopeds, and the song that had Irish fiddles in it. My biggest takeaway was that she got far more hate than she deserved in her heyday because her songwriting and live performances were no more subversive and edgy than the grunge and metal and rap movements happening around the same time. Satanic panic won't kill your career but tear up one picture of the pope and you're fucked.
Jeru The Damaja
3/5
Holy shit this album cover aged insanely poorly lmao; I wonder what Jeru thought of this 7 years later. Anyway, I think at this point I'm able to give my personal opinion of 90s rap/hip hop without totally qualifying everything I say with "it wasn't my thing" or "maybe I didn't get it" now that I've gotten enough of them on this list to hear a pretty diverse collection of the genre. I still don't have much of the historical contexts behind these albums but even so I don't really see it being alongside Illmatic and 36 chambers as one of the albums that revived east coast hip hop. This one I thought was just okay; it had some cool beats and perfectly fine lyrics but overall I just wasn't very impressed. However, that could be because I just got illmatic and I'm still fully in recency bias mode with that one.
Emmylou Harris
4/5
This album was drastically different from the last emmylou album I got and it made me really appreciate how she evolved her sound over the three decades between the two albums while still maintaining her own unique voice. It's still singer-songwriter folk but has some really interesting electronic production on quite a few tracks. Everything else was a bit of a blur but I enjoyed one big love and boy from tupelo.
Beck
4/5
My thoughts on this album are very similar to my thoughts on odelay in that it all sounds like beck but dabbles in a multitude of different genres, namely pop and electronic this time around. I liked this album about as much as odelay except in a completely different way given how different the music is. Broken drum was my favorite track and was an excellent memorial to elliott smith and go it alone and emergency exit were my other, more electronic-inspired favs.
Dagmar Krause
2/5
This album got a special disclaimer on the list for its inaccessibility but I found it on youtube in its entirety. While it was interesting to hear a native german artist tackling the remnants of WW2 that still remained in the late 80s, I found this whole album painfully boring. Her voice is good but the sparse instrumentation and switching between english and german made it impossible for me to really fully engage with any of it.
Beastie Boys
3/5
I was really excited for this album mainly because of sabotage but honestly I was slightly let down. The eclectic genre mixing is cool at first when they go from hip hop to punk to soul but then it skips around for another 50 minutes and I was just tired of it at the end. Flute loop was pretty good and sabotage is obviously great but everything else just felt too scattered to put together a cohesive sound. Also, some of the songs like the update sound almost exactly like kid rock with the heavily altered vocals and kind of aggressive tone/flow.
Lucinda Williams
4/5
At first I thought this was going to be another inoffensive album that was going to go in one ear and out the other for me but about 5 songs in I was really engaged and fully enjoying it. It's a fun singer-songwriter album that doesn't get super slow or wistful (for the most part) and instead delivers a lot of neat 90s country/rock sounds especially on tracks like joy and drunken angel. I spaced out during some of the tracks so I might relisten to some of those but the first listen was still super positive regardless. I listened again and everything was on par with a 4 but nothing that elevated the album beyond first impressions.
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
I wasn’t a huge fan of this album overall but by the end I was wondering why I liked selected ambient works so much but not this. I think it’s because that aphex twin album has a perfectly soothing quality that this record lacks. There were definitely some decent tracks on here but nothing stood out a lot except for the first track that had a bit that sounded like a sample I’d heard somewhere before. Maybe if I only listened to it as long as I needed instead of in its entirety, like I did with aphex twin, I’d have liked it more.
KISS
3/5
For some reason, I was obsessed with kiss as a small child despite only ever listening to two of their songs, one of which is one this album (shout it out loud). However, I never really stuck with them as I grew up and haven't listened to them in quite a while so I found my nostalgia levels to be minimal. If it had also included rock and roll all night it would've been a perfect kiss album for me. As it stands, however, this was a cheesy glam rock album that has the meatloaf energy (though not as fun) of always feeling like charismatic rock anthems made specifically for 14 year olds. As a 21 year old, I now get why 5 year old me liked it so much because the lyrics and sound are a completely inoffensive shiny object that sounds nice if completely shallow. Crazy that weirdos in the 70s and 80s thought this was too evil and inappropriate for the general public when it's actually suitable for ages 2 and up.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
This might be one of the first albums in this genre that I didn’t at least think was generally fun and pleasant. Idk how many of these songs were covers but most of the tracks on this album have been far surpassed by other versions, leaving behind a pretty generic sounding 50s jazz album. It might be a “the cliche came from somewhere” thing but honestly wasn’t impressed especially compared to the much more raw and unique in the wee small hours album.
Paul McCartney
4/5
I can see why this album was so hated when it came out since everyone basically expected another Beatles album and also blamed Paul for the breakup, but this was a really great standalone album. It’s admirable that Paul decided to go so far in his own direction with a lofi, one man production that still has the trademark Beatles songwriting but in Paul’s own way. Every night was the standout for me.
Neil Young
3/5
This wasn't as good as the last neil young album I got and no I'm still not over the fact that none of his music is on spotify anymore. Overall, it was fine though.
Van Halen
3/5
This was far far better than the other van halen album I've gotten so far. It's still the same blandish 80s glam/yacht rock with cringe song subjects (hot for teacher) but jump and Panama are rightfully classics and mostly save the album.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
4/5
I had never heard of this band so as soon as I heard Damon albarns voice I guessed that it was another one of his projects just like the gorillaz or blur or something but apparently it’s the 2000s art rock version of blues traveler, which is pretty cool. I had the same reaction to this as I normally do to Frank Sinatra/big band stuff in that I thought it was totally fun and pleasant all around even though nothing really stuck out to me. The first track and Herculean were my favs.
Khaled
2/5
It's cool to get an Algerian album but I really wasn't a fan for 90% of it. The first couple of tracks leading up to the imagine cover sucked and then it wasn't terrible for a little bit but then I just got sick of it after about 45 minutes. Combined with how much of a pain in the ass it was to listen to this album even on YouTube, this album is lucky to get a 2.
Stephen Stills
3/5
This felt like an almost textbook definition of a white artist aping black music. Almost every song but especially black queen and church might as well be copies of Black gospel music of the mid 20th century. However, the lack of originality doesn't mean it's bad and I thought this album was fine on its own merits. Nothing super notable except maybe love the one you're with but I would feel bad giving it the same rating as that shit algerian album I just got.
The Specials
3/5
I had fun listening to this album but I was simultaneously ready for it to end at any point. I'm not a huge ska fan but I like it well enough and there were a couple fun tracks on here (rudy, stupid marriage) but also a decent number of duds (too hot). In all honestly will probably completely forget about this album about three albums from now.
Radiohead
5/5
Much like bat out of hell and tpab (and ok computer when I get it) I didn’t really need to listen to this album again to know my thoughts on it. In my opinion, this album is the peak of radioheads turn into more a electronic sound that started with kid a. Ok computer feels like a transition between more traditional rock and synthetic/electronic music and this feels like a transition between the electronic sound and the more overtly orchestral vibe of some of the stuff on moon shaped pool. It’s a tight album with no weak points and a great mix of sadder tracks like and more upbeat stuff like jigsaw falling into place and 15 step. Disc two is also really good.
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
The first track for this album really put me off but by the end I realized that I enjoyed more songs than I disliked from this album. I’m pretty sure I’ve had another album on this list from this artist but I can’t remember what it was at all (apparently it was if you’re feeling sinister and I thought it was good). Regardless, Electronic renaissance was my favorite and everything else was good enough that I’ll give this probably the weakest 4 I’ve given
Elvis Presley
4/5
This is about as lame as Elvis gets but it's impossible for me to hate classic doo-wop music like this. There aren't any iconic elvis songs on this and it's not as interesting as the 50s or 70s stuff but its still a good listen even if every song except fever blends into one another (and fever is one of the bad kinds of covers that sounds basically like the original). He might've just been a white guy singing black music but he did it really really well.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
5/5
When I saw the 2 hour length, the confederate flags on the cover, and didn't see fishing in the dark anywhere on the track listing I was extremely pessimistic going into this album. Against all odds, however, this album rocked. While I wouldn't ever listen to it in one sitting again, nearly every track was at least good and most of them were exemplary nashville country/folk. I loved all of the first disc and most of the second disk, with tracks like the title track, the first two tracks, losin' you, I'm thinking tonight of my blue eyes, plus many more being the biggest standouts. Apparently, the nitty gritty dirt band was attempting to unite multiple generations of Tennessee country and essentially make an Avengers of country music; it's amazing that the result was this successful and sustainable for a two hour album. You really do get the vibe that every song is a showcase of one or two out of like 20 artists performing out of their mind and working together seamlessly.
Gang Of Four
2/5
What a shame to follow up such a surprisingly good album with a bland, boring punk album. This sounds just like all the other ones and unsurprisingly also has a bunch of political commentary in the lyrics. It has just enough funk to avoid a 1 but it chose a really bad time to be generated on this list.
Sleater-Kinney
4/5
This album wasn't as memorable as some of the other albums in the same vein, but it still hit the soft spot I have for female-led hard rock. I really liked little babies and the title track; heart factory is also pretty good but I might just be saying that because it's what I'm listening to as I write this.
Carpenters
4/5
This album felt like the mashup of the mamas and the papas and late-60s beatles (despite covering one of their earlier hits) and I really like both of those things. It had the hippie vocals of the mamas and papas and the production of a more orchestral beatles song. I can't really call it original but I still enjoyed listening to it.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
More pleasant music from Simon and Garfunkel that also sounds very similar to both of their solo albums (mainly Paul simons). This album was like a piece of bubblegum where it’s short and sweet but gets old after like 5 minutes (in this case 28). I liked homeward bound the most and the dumb silent night cover the least.
Radiohead
5/5
I already said a decent amount about this album when I got in rainbows so I’ll try not to repeat myself too much. This album was very important to me in high school and was highly influential in expanding the types of music I listen to. Without discovering this album on my own, I’d probably still be listening to the most basic classic rock that my dad listens to. Paranoid android remains one of my go-to songs whenever I’m angry or sad and I don’t think any finale to a song can ever top exit music. I even used SHA as an alarm for a year in college. Just as in rainbows felt transitional in radioheads discography, this feels to me like the beginning of the switch from alt/grunge rock to electronic music that was fully cemented with kid a. The themes of isolation and alienation run strong throughout every track and the abstract lyrics are both clever and thematic. At this point it’s somewhat cliche to call this one of the best albums of the 90s or list it as a favorite album but it’s cliche for a reason because it really is just that good.
TV On The Radio
4/5
I was excited to see that these guys have another album on this list. I listened to quite a bit of their music after I got dear science but was still unfamiliar with this album. It wasn’t quite as good as the rest of their music but still sounded like their signature (if a little rougher) sound that I liked so much before. This album had a couple duds (especially the bonus tracks) throughout but songs like dreams outweighed them.
Neu!
3/5
This was very reminiscent of Kraftwerk, and I have very similar opinions on both in that I'm very indifferent to them. Kraftwerk is slightly more interesting but both just feel like cutting edge 70s projects that other innovations in electronic and rock music have left behind. This album in particular sounds like a very prototypical version of 2000s radiohead where the building blocks are there but it hasn't been developed enough. I'm sure this was highly influential to German dance music or something in the same way Kraftwerk practically invented electronic/computer rock but I don't think it really holds up anymore. However, this made me go back and listen to man machine which I think I have a better appreciation for now; feels like the progenitor to all of 80s synth wave. Really liked the model off that album.
The KLF
3/5
I was reluctantly preparing for another terrible British electronica album but I actually enjoyed this one quite a bit. Disclaimer: I listened to the director's cut version of it because it was the only version available on spotify, so I'm assuming it's the version the KLF wanted everyone to hear. I was wondering what made this one so different from all the other Eurotrash that I've heard (even though this is still pretty eurotrashy) and I realized that this is basically the unironic version of the Planet of the Bass song that took over twitter for like a week. The best tracks like build a fire and no more tears have boring whatever male vocals and a standard dance sound until some female comes in (Biljiana Electronica) and makes it really catchy and fun by belting out some vague thing about unity. "they're gonna build a fire" might as well be "all of the dream, how does it mean?" and it completely justified this album being good for me.
Manic Street Preachers
5/5
Besides maybe when I got dummy, I don’t think I’ve ever been as drawn in by a vocalist as I have by this guy on this list. He struck the perfect balance between yelling and emotion and range and it’s great. The first half of this album is excellent, especially Enola/alone, and I enjoyed the second half too. Overall, non British UK music delivers another a banger of an album that I hadn’t ever heard of before.
Drive-By Truckers
4/5
I’m not a huge fan of double albums and I still wasn’t a huge fan of it here but overall I liked the sound and vibe of this album. It felt similar to the black keys but with worse vocals and went on 45 minutes too long. I was also a lil drunk when I listened to it which may have biased me but the couple of songs I relistened to I still mostly enjoyed. It gets a very qualified 4.
Shack
3/5
To be fair today and yesterday were probably the least engaged I've been with this list in quite a while. I vaguely liked both this album and the previous one (moreso the last one) but I can't really pinpoint anything I liked besides the overall sound and maybe one or two songs between the two. I liked comedy and I liked some of the genre changes of this album but in general it just sounded like a bland 90s britpop album.
Sabu
2/5
I’m usually very lenient on old non English music but this was the worst one I’ve gotten in recent memory. It’s a lot of annoying call and response with not a lot of interesting instrument work. At this point I think I’m more engaged with the albums again but I’m just in another rough patch.
Since this album was so lame, I decided to relisten to southern rock opera and the generally positive 4 turned into a confident 4 because I really enjoy the overall themes of the album on top of the garage blues sound. Southern history and politics were some of my favorite topics in college and I really liked hearing a non-academic, non-literary perspective of the South and segregationism. I especially liked the three great Alabama icons spoken word thing (which is crazy for me) and the song about George Wallace that followed. I have no idea if everything was true but I found Wallace's portrayal as a blindly ambitious demagogue as opposed to hateful segregationist (which he still embraced) to be a really interesting perspective.
Digital Underground
5/5
I went in expecting a 3, halfway through was entertained enough to make it a four, and by the end I'm somehow considering giving it a five. The concept of the album was funny and entertaining with the peak being packet man near the end but it was backed up by fucking great beats and production that makes it relistenable. The "main theme" beat on the sex packet song and reprise is super sexy and catchy r&b while other songs like the way we swing and doowutchyalike are just straightforwardly good hip hop tracks. I'm also really glad that there's more outwardly comedic albums on this list (still hoping for weird al).
Looking into the wiki more and this launched Tupac's career??? I guess I see where he got the inspiration for Temptations lol.
William Orbit
3/5
The first minute of this album had me really on board for the one hour runtime but I don't think it could quite keep up that momentum. I felt similar to this as I did to selected ambient works in that you only really need to listen to it for as long as you want to instead of trying to force yourself through a full hour. However, selected ambient works far, far outclasses this album in pretty much every way. That album has tracks that I'd listen to on loop regardless of mood while this album is strictly for studying or relaxing and most tracks blend together with the exception of the very start and Deus ex machina.
The Clash
3/5
I think the clash are a band that I really want to like but can't quite get there. Between this and london calling I've heard what are widely considered their best albums and they still haven't clicked for me. I appreciate everything from the lyrics to the production (less so the vocals) but I just can't engage with it the way I want to. It might just be punk fatigue from this list but they don't stand head and shoulders above the rest for me. I liked police and thieves but otherwise it thought it was pretty similar to London calling just thankfully shorter.
The Bees
4/5
When I saw that this album was a early 2000s indie album I went in expecting at least a decent album and it exceeded my expectations. This album started off really strong and mostly kept up the momentum throughout the whole thing. I liked the first song and I was really surprised by the cover of A Minha Menina like I never expected to hear that anywhere beside that os mutantes album. It was also weird and fun to hear a waltz come out of nowhere near the end. I loved the overall vibes but some of the songs near the end kinda let me down so I'm not quite sure if this gets a 5. I listened to this the whole day and I still not idea if I should give it a 4 or a 5 but I’m giving it a really solid 4 only because I didn’t get that excited feeling that I get when I’m listening to most of the other albums I’ve given a 5 to.
The Darkness
4/5
I'm just going to cut straight to my thoughts on the two main talking points of this album: The screechy Freddie Mercury vocals were terrible at first but they really grew on me by the time I got to I Believe... and yeah its a decade and a half too late for this album but hey it's still better than a lot of hair metal. It's hard not to respect them for confidently slamming all of their shallow 80s rock cards on the table--even down to the naked woman on the album art--in the midst of the golden age of nu-metal, especially when the result is as fun as they managed to make it. I can just imagine how much fun karaoke I Believe in a Thing Called Love would be at like 1 in the morning at some shitty local bar. Also, the production sounds like guns n roses in quite a few tracks which I was totally fine with since I grew up on their music.
Ryan Adams
3/5
This album wasn't bad by any means and I can still appreciate it to an extent but I was honestly really bored for most of the longggg 70 minute runtime. The vocal work was good and the writing was fine but compared to Heartbreaker it just wasn't interesting to me at all. I'm assuming that this was so popular because it was a mostly slow and sad album with a couple upbeat songs that came out like two weeks after 9/11 and everyone latched onto it. Who wouldn't connect with new york, new york, or when the stars go blue in the rally around the flag patriotism post-9/11; even the album cover gives post-9/11 vibes. Unfortunately, it's been 22 years and I wasn't even born yet so the tracks probably don't hit quite the same. Tina Toledo's... was the only track I even sort of engaged with.
Doves
4/5
I liked this album enough to go back and relisten to the last broadcast, which was one of my earliest albums on this list, and between these two albums doves should've been the main British rock export of the 2000s instead of Coldplay (and I like Coldplay). Lost souls has such a good ethereal yet overbearing atmosphere running throughout the entire thing and it's everything you could want from an early 00s indie rock album. I couldn't pick out as many individual tracks that I really liked except for the man who told everything but there was never a point in the album where I wasn't enjoying myself.
The Birthday Party
1/5
I always underestimate the extent to which shit albums like this can really ruin my mood for the night that I listen to them. Not that I was in a crazy good mood before starting this but my god by halfway through I realized I was physically uncomfortable and felt angry and irritated even though I was just casually playing stardew valley. It's a god awful post-punk album but I have to commend it for how quickly it elicited a visceral reaction from me; at least it got a reaction I guess. Also, reading though the other reviews I found out that this was Nick Cave's first band, which as soon as I found that out I instantly heard it in the vocals unfortunately. He's so much better than this.
PJ Harvey
3/5
I remember being positive about the last PJ Harvey album I got and I feel like I'm gonna have a similar opinion on this one because they sound pretty similar in my head. I'm still a fan of this type of music but this one did start to wear on me by the end, so maybe my single listening session limit is sub-40 minutes. Either way I enjoyed how raw and angry this felt and rub til it bleeds was my favorite; the highway 61 revisited cover was cool too.
So I looked though my history and I totally forgot that I've already gotten two of her albums so far. Dry I vaguely remember being more alternative but I don't remember anything about the other one.
Randy Newman
3/5
This was one of those in one ear out the other type albums except for all the satirically racist stuff that hasn't aged well. I'm sure randy newman knew what he was doing and was just trying to shit on "good old boys" in the South but that still doesn't fix him using the hard R quite a bit. I think it mainly starts to fall into the pitfall of becoming a bit like the thing you're satirizing. I liked his other album a lot more.
Anthrax
2/5
Metallica albums and rust in peace are the high water marks for me in this genre and this one fell far far short of the mark. It had some of the most annoying vocals of any of these thrash albums—which is saying something—and there weren’t any songs where the guitar work/production stood out to me
LTJ Bukem
1/5
Seeking out and listening to this album gave me another philosophical moment on this list. It wasn't on spotify, plus there's an entirely different version that I had to avoid in order to find the original on youtube. Moreover, I think it's the longest album I've gotten on this list so far (until I get 69 love songs). All of these factors made me question what the point of even finishing the album was. I wasn't enjoying it as a fully engaged listener, I can't add any songs--even if I did like one--to my playlist so I can revisit it, and it's too long and inaccessible to have the same quality as aphex twin where I can just use it as ambiance for a little bit; so what would I even get out of finishing the whole 2.5 hour runtime in the long run? This might just be rationalizing because I didn't like this album specifically because there are a couple good beats and ethereal sounds and the wiki explains a little cultural significance, but it did make me start to wonder about where the line is for an album to be totally worthless to me. However, this album got me to think these things which demonstrates that it has some unintentional worth I suppose. If I go any farther I'll start talking in circles so I'm just going to give it the 1 star and move on.
4/5
I was expecting a really boring rock album but I was pleasantly surprised by some really unique and interesting production that used classical instruments and some electronic sounds. I especially enjoyed why can’t I be free.
Stereolab
4/5
I don't really have strong feelings toward this album and wasn't super engaged the whole time but I thought that it was pretty unique and interesting in terms of vocals and its electronic alt-rock sound. Not something I'd listen to regularly aside from the first and last track but it has a cool title and was perfectly alright for an hour of listening.
Scott Walker
3/5
This was another really unique album, albeit not quite as fun to listen to for a full hour. It's like a mix of frank sinatra and neil diamond singing in some western musical or something. I liked the orchestral production and scott has a killer voice but the lyrics are a little cringe/dated at certain points. I generally liked it but was kinda bored of the novelty by the second half. However, I suppose I'd check out Scotts 1, 3, 4, 5, etc.
Holger Czukay
4/5
I was very worried about this album when I read the wiki description but I ended up enjoying it quite a bit. I'd put in the same category as oxygene (but not quite that good) of late 70s proto electronica/ambient music. I think it comes down to the fact that this avant grade experimental album actually turned out to be good.
Beth Orton
4/5
This felt like the 90s version of Joan Baez but even though I didn't really enjoy Joan Baez that much, I thought that this was pretty good. It was a nice mix of singer-songwriter and 90s indie that I think blended together better than I thought it would. The last track was good but overall I don't really have a song that stands out above the rest.
Yes
4/5
I was expecting a really boring rock album but I was pleasantly surprised by some really unique and interesting production that used classical instruments and some electronic sounds. I especially enjoyed why can’t I be free.
Hugh Masekela
2/5
This was yet another fine enough jazz album but I'm really starting to get fatigue from jazz just like I got fatigue from punk. It also doesn't help that I had a really shitty day today and ended it with this lame album.
Afrika Bambaataa
2/5
I’ve gotten into old school hip hop quite a bit—especially grandmaster flash—but this really didn’t click for me. The production was super simplistic to the point being bad and none of the lyrics really grabbed me.
Wild Beasts
3/5
I really liked the production of this album but honestly the breathy vocals kept me from enjoying this album for the most part. It had a nice late 2000s, early 2010s indie vibe but deerhunter did it much better (even though I don't really think that album deserves a 5 anymore)
Meat Puppets
3/5
First off, this cover looks almost exactly like Since I Left You by the Avalanches in my brain. The actual music I was mostly surprised I didn't hate because I got real offput by the vocals at the start. Fortunately, it grew on me and I liked the variety of genres they went through from song to song. It wasn't anything amazing but I wasn't itching to turn it off by the end. Only other note is that I swear I've heard plateau before but maybe it's because it sorta sounds like nirvana.
Green Day
4/5
I was excited to listen to this album all the way through since I'd only heard the two really popular songs off of it (which are definitely the top two songs) and it was mostly a good listen. The ending skit was a wet fart of an ending and some of the songs in the second half dragged a bit but the energy of the first half in tracks like longview and burnout more than makes up for it.
Bob Dylan
4/5
While it doesn't quite compare to Highway 61, I still enjoyed this as a precursor to the best Bob Dylan album that has some great folk-rock songs in the first half like SHB and Maggie's Farm before returning to long, acoustic, mildly boring, but well-written folk songs for the last 20 minutes. While this is a good album on its own, it's hard not to compare it to its successor because that album is pretty much a fine-tuned and perfected version of this album. It's amazing that Bob got pushback for going in a new direction that ended up being so influential and--in my opinion--vastly superior to his older stuff.
Big Star
4/5
I didn't go into this album with any expectations, which thankfully meant that I was pleasantly surprised by yet another 70s rock album and wasn't holding it in total contempt. This sounds like every single pop rock band of the 70s from steely dan to tom petty to the eagles but still delivers enough fun songs to be worth the listen despite falling off somewhat in the second half. I really liked feel, in the street, and thirteen. I'm assuming that this is the unknown progenitor of the entire pop/power rock movement in the 70s and 80s which would make a lot of sense just based on the music. Another surprise was hearing the origin of the That 70s Show theme song, and they were smart to cover a song from the most 70s-sounding album ever.
Dead Kennedys
3/5
I listened to this high so I might’ve enjoyed it more than if I had been sober but I still got a little tired of it by the end. I’m sure this is an important album for punk just judging from the sheer number of t shirts and pop culture references originating from this album but that doesn’t fix the mostly annoying vocals that are on par for this type of punk album. The viva Las Vegas cover was odd but I suppose it somewhat fit with the rest of the album. Overall, this sounded like the most stereotypical punk album ever but is probably what a lot of people think of when they think of punk alongside the Sex Pistols so I suppose they get a pass unlike all the other endless punk albums on this list.
Faust
2/5
I know I was talking about warming up to Kraftwerk somewhat recently but this album has completely soured me on krautrock for a while. The sparse vocals sounded like they were recorded with the mic outside the recording booth and the rest of it was just really boring. It's not good enough to be ambient music and it's not interesting enough to listen to fully engaged. It doesn't deserve a one but it does deserve to be immediately forgotten about by me within an hour.
Ray Charles
4/5
Ray Charles does country at the height of his popularity and it’s about as good as you’d expect. I don’t have much to say about this album except that it didn’t sound as country as I was expecting and was still mostly soul and blues to me. Regardless, I listened to both volumes and everything started to blend together after a while but teardrops in my heart and the first few songs were standouts for me.
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
My only standard of comparison for this album is songhoy blues and it pretty much holds up under that standard, which is saying something. It's a lot slower and stripped down than what I've heard from songhoy blues which is neither good or bad, just a different style. I didn't enjoy this quite as much as music in exile but it was still pretty good overall. Desert blues continues to be a good genre for me that I only know about because of this list. I especially liked yer bounda fara.
Baaba Maal
2/5
Although the last album was desert blues, I still felt a bit fatigued by African music once I got done with this album. But that could also be because I thought that this one was overlong and a bit boring. There were a couple of tracks that had some cool instrumentation and if it were a half hour shorter it’d probably get a 3 but unfortunately I was getting that irritated feeling I get from 2 star albums by the end.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
2/5
Apparently the theme for this week is me getting gradually lower quality albums of African origin each day. If I end up getting the African version of Kollaps on Friday I'll be convinced that the guy running this site rigs more than just Christmas albums and albums on days when English royalty dies. This doesn't deserve a 1 because it was good a capella I guess but I didn't enjoy listening to it really at all. I didn't feel like the tracks held up with only a capella and even at 36 minutes it still felt really long; plus I had to listen to this one youtube which is another ding against it.
Cowboy Junkies
4/5
This album had a little bit of almost every genre that I love but the whole didn't quite live up to the sum of its parts. It had the sound of a slower, bluesy black keys album and the sultry, haunting vocals of Beth Gibbons from Portishead, and while I really really enjoyed this album, there was something about it that kept me from unconditionally loving it like I do Dummy or Brothers. It might just be that there weren't many energetic songs to keep things fresh but I also liked each of the slower songs. Either way, if I was going through a breakup or setting a sexy mood in a rural Southern town, this album can cover both. Between these guys and The Band, Canada really did produce some great country/blues/folk artists.
Red Snapper
2/5
I'm sure I'm not the first to make this joke here, but I was really not satisfied while listening to this album. The wiki said it was a more energetic massive attack, which sounds shitty since massive attack is supposed to be slower and trippier, but production-wise it was even more stripped down than the massive attack stuff I've heard. For some reason, I didn't hate this album despite being very annoyed by quite a few of the songs, the rough and the quick being the worst culprit. The only thing that saved the album were a couple decent beats and ambient electronic sounds but even those I'll probably forget by this time tomorrow.
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
Dinosaur Jr. sounded vaguely familiar but I was still surprised to see that I had already gotten one of their albums because I hardly remember a single thing about it. In my review I said it was another case of shit vocals and decent sound, which can also be said of this album but I definitely don't have as hard of feelings toward this one as I did toward bug. I'm not sure if my tastes have just evolved to like the style or if this one was just straight up better but I mildly enjoyed it overall. Really good guitar work and felt like proto-screaming trees alternative type thing.
Orbital
3/5
This was pretty much a less good aphex twin. It had a couple of tracks like halcyon and maybe the lush tracks I’d throw on an ambient playlist but the intro and outros were so insanely stupid and bad I would never really listen to it from start to finish again.
In other news, I relistened to power in numbers by Jurassic 5 and while what’s golden is still a banger I’m not sure I’d still give it a 5. I think I’ve listened to enough old school hip hop that’s been better so it didn’t quite hold up on relisten. It’s still a strong 4 overall though
Leonard Cohen
3/5
This album title is fitting because I am beginning to love and hate having to listen to more Leonard cohen albums. As I've said in previous cohen reviews, I prefer his newer, gravellier, sadder music and I'm sticking to that for this album because this once again just sounds like if early Bob Dylan used more than one guitar and had a less nasally voice. It's not bad by any means but it sounds just like the other three and it doesn't do much for me. I did like diamonds in the mine though.
American Music Club
2/5
A boring album that I had to sit through on YouTube. Very slow and everything sounded the same. Nothing else to really say.
Dion
4/5
This was much different from everything else I've ever heard from Dion (The Wanderer and that's basically it). It was interesting to hear his voice used more for Elton john style ballads as opposed to 60s doowop music. I liked pretty much all of the songs and even listened to the extra tracks on Spotify but nothing stood out too much to list here really.
Oasis
4/5
Since I only really know oasis through what's the story morning glory, I really appreciated getting another album of theirs. This is definitely safer and more straightforward than morning glory since it's pretty much rock all the way through without any champagne supernova type songs. Fortunately, it never got boring for me and each song was super fun even if there wasn't a ton of variety. Liam's voice sounds like he's at a live show and is belting everything out despite being in a recording booth and the overall vibes are reminiscent of the beatles (except for the goofy writing). I especially liked supersonic and married with children and every song would go crazy at a party. Also, I always find it fascinating that this is what became huge after Nirvana broke up because it both makes sense to me since it's like second wave Beatles-ish britpop but is so different from grunge that it's a little surprising.
Bad Brains
2/5
For about the first half of this album it was the exact type of hardcore punk that I hate before it became okay 80s pop rock for a couple songs, then went back to being shit for the last couple songs and I got that irritated feeling of just wanting it to end. I can't say I hated it enough to give it a 1 but it's really fucking close.
The Go-Betweens
3/5
I was hoping that this would be another 80s new wave, prefab sprout type thing that I'd really like but it was unfortunately pretty forgettable 80s pop rock stuff. I liked streets of your town and everything else was listenable but I've honestly forgotten most of it and it's barely even been an hour.
Killing Joke
5/5
It might just be because I listened to this at work while drinking a bang energy, but I really really liked this album. At first, I thought it was going to be a 2 at most but each song grew on me more and more until I was listening to all the bonus tracks and restarting the album from the beginning. I think this album shows that I would really like all the other punk/post punk albums I've gotten if the production had anything interesting going on at all aside from shitty guitars because this had the usual shitty vocals but each track had interesting stuff going on production-wise. Requiem almost has a rave electronica type beat, complications has fun bass guitar work, tomorrow's world has a cool keyboard chord, and the rest is what you imagine is playing when you walk into a seedy biker bar where there's a perpetual fight happening over a disgusting pool table.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Once again Neil Young not being on Spotify loses him what might've been a very weak four from me and instead gets an indifferent 3. This album wasn't as good as the last one of Neil's I got and definitely felt more hippyish with tracks like mother earth that just kinda made me roll my eyes.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
I could've sworn I had already gotten this album because the cover looked really familiar so I went through my history and found that I've had not one but two of Echo's albums before. I vaguely remember like one song total from those two combined and won't remember anything about this one either aside from the killing moon, which basically saves this album. It's very similar to the a-ha and soft cell albums in that this had basically nothing going for it aside from the one song that's really good and was super popular. Boring post-punk/new wave trash then like 4 minutes of good shit then trash again. Unlike Take on me, though, killing moon isn't good enough for the entire album to get a 3.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4/5
I don’t have much to say about this album except that it was a nice 40 minutes of smooth, peaceful jazz. Take five was the only real standout since I’ve heard that in different places but never really knew its origin. Plus it’s the most fun of all the tracks.
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
By sheer coincidence, I went down the sex pistols wikipedia rabbit hole shortly after I saw I got this album and was shocked to find out that this was johnny rottens next thing after the sex pistols. Once I listened to the album I could immediately tell it was him even if I hadn't come in with that background knowledge but it added context to why this was even on the list. I didn't like it very much but it's one of the most literal post-punk albums I've gotten since it's the face of punk making an album after he leaves his punk band. It's also very post-punk just by being punk but slowed down and heavier since the lyrical content is just as edgy as ever. I didn't hate this but it wasn't super fun to listen to. Killing joke helped me appreciate this genre a little more but still pretty grating.
Roxy Music
3/5
I didn't love this album but there were quite a few interesting qualities about it that I liked. The warbly lead vocals sounded a lot like deerhunter or something and the whole album had sound that at times was either super 70s and even psychedelic or it was proto-synth, mainly on virginia plain which was also the highlight of the whole thing.
Sigur Rós
5/5
This was another album that really reaffirms why I've spent over 700 days listening to albums from this list because this album was totally unique and came out of nowhere. Like, where else would I have started to listen to Icelandic indie electronica or whatever. This album sounded beautiful and I could just imagine how cool a concert with a light show or something would be for this. I have no idea what the lyrics are but it sounds peaceful/maybe sad and was super relaxing for me especially paired with super intricate production. I was gonna give this album a 4 but then I realized that I've given 5's to worse, more forgettable records than this and I've never heard something like this so it's more than deserving of a 5 even if I won't listen to this as regularly as an album like Illmatic.
Little Richard
4/5
Gotta love early rock and roll. I don't have much else to say other than it was a fun half hour and tutti fruitti is still a fun song. This is one where I'd have more to say if I listened chronologically because then I could see the development of rock from here to Beatlemania etc.
The Stone Roses
4/5
This was a very pleasant 80s indie rock type thing. I really enjoyed the first couple songs and then the rest blurred into each other but I was still vibing with it by the end. It reminded me a little bit of steve miller band and the smiths but mixed with like 2010s indie rock while still being made to sound like it's from the late 80s. Very unique and very fun.
Girls Against Boys
3/5
I honestly thought that this was gonna be another female led 90s indie rock thing but it was actually just an average male 90s indie rock album. It felt like a less memorable queens of the stone age thing where I had no strong feelings while listening to the album and will probably immediately forget about it as soon as it ends. It was by no means bad or grating, it was just whatever.
Jerry Lee Lewis
5/5
This album flies by but also packs a hard punch in just over 20 minutes. Jerry's belting it out and singing all the hits that are still played at karaoke and piano bars despite a lot of people probably not knowing the origins of bangers like money and great balls of fire. It's impossible to not start to at least tap your foot listening to this. It's so fun it'll make you forget how awful jerry lee lewis actually is and also that this was all probably stolen from black people.
Napalm Death
2/5
I only really know this album from the global stats page of the generator, namely it being on the worst reviewed albums and the legendary review about a guy fucking a fat goth chick in Dresden to this song. I can't really articulate the vibes of this album any better than that guy did but I will say that I didn't think it was unlistenable trash. Obviously I wouldn't listen to it more than the 33 minutes (with 28 songs lol) I had to but I was fine with the hardcore punk/thrash metal guitars and the unintelligible vocals weren't as grating as I've found them to be on shit Sepultura albums and the like. I also liked that they really hammered home the anti-capitalist messaging using comedically gothic song titles and cover art since you can't understand the lyrics
David Bowie
4/5
I was glad to get this album as more of a historical listen than something I fully enjoyed from start to finish. This and the Berlin trilogy more broadly are more interesting to me as cultural touchstones of both the revolutions beginning to happen in the ussr at the time and the entrance of electronica into the mainstream than as music to listen to without context. That’s not to say there aren’t bangers, mostly heroes, that make it a fun listen but a lot of the songs aren’t super memorable other than the fact that they helped electronica music become the major genre it is today. I definitely liked Low more than this but I’ll probably still give it the same rating because it doesn’t deserve a 3 if only because heroes is one of the most inspirational songs ever.
Motörhead
4/5
I wasn't encouraged at the start with ace of spades sounding mostly identical to the album version, but my fears were quickly laid to rest as the next 40 minutes were everything a live rock album should be. Kinetic, fun, and loud. Getting hammered and going to this concert in 1981 had to be a life-changing experience as in you either had tons of fun innocently jamming out or got the shit kicked out of you during one of the epic guitar solos. Motorhead was probably my favorite since it was the original closer of the album and they went all out. Plus, the album was good enough to make me want to listen to the expanded edition songs which is always a good sign.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
So I finally get one of the seminal dad rock albums of all time. It's definitely not the worst bruce springsteen album I've gotten on this list but it still didn't do much for me aside from a couple of nice songs, obviously including the title track as well as backstreets and jungleland. The rest is by no means bad but it kind of blurred together for me since I'm not a huge boss fan in general. It's also odd that the guitar is so prominent on the cover because most of what I remember from each song are pianos and saxophones more than any guitar. I'll give it a 4 but its the weakest 4 I can remember giving an album.
Genesis
3/5
Even though this was waaaaay too long, I was still pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I know about Genesis through cultural osmosis but never really listened to much of their music despite hearing a lot of peter gabriel growing up. I knew it was prog rock but I wasn't expecting it to be as bombastic and eclectic as it was. Every track felt like a showstopper with entire orchestras (or whatever other random instruments) going all out at almost every moment which unfortunately still got a little stale at points throughout a 90 minute run time. It reminded me a lot of moving pictures by Rush but was much better than that album IMO. The gold standards of long albums remain the nitty gritty dirt band and aphex twin so far and am still dreading 69 love songs
Bob Dylan
3/5
This is still the era of Bob Dylan that I like but goddamn it really felt like it dragged on. None of it was bad, I just got sick of it like halfway through the 70 minute runtime. Highway 61 was just under an hour and that felt like it flew by but something about this one made it feel 2 hours long. I don't know if it's just this album or it's because I'm getting sick of Bob Dylan albums on this list like I was with the Who. Stuck inside of mobile was my favorite and everything else I already barely remember.
The Blue Nile
4/5
It's ultra 80s, it's ultra new wave but it also sounds very unique within that genre for some reason. A lot of new wave albums on this list use a variety of orchestral instruments and electronic sounds but I guess I hadn't ever heard them put together in this way. There are a couple dull spots like the last track and rags to riches but there are also quite a few bright spots like tinseltown in the rain. To be honest, I wasn't super engaged by this album overall but the production was so interesting I enjoyed it for that alone.
Blood, Sweat & Tears
3/5
I felt like this album should have worked better than it did for me because it was fun jazz mixed with a little rock but it felt like something was missing. It picked up a little bit with god bless the child but everything else was just mediocre to me. Maybe if it was made like a half decade later and there was more of an Issac Hayes influence I'd have liked it more idk. Side note: it was weird to hear the sunshine of your love chord come out of nowhere at the end of an 11-minute song.
Moby
4/5
I love getting albums that were apparently super popular that I've never even heard one song from once because they're usually pretty good and mostly interesting. I'm still a little high so I'm not sure how biased I was but this music was great for the mindset I was in at the time and also felt like really solid electronica that was a different take on the repetitive daft punk/fatboy slim type stuff that was contemporary at the time. I liked inside, south side, and honey the most but the whole album was solid throughout with few to no duds.
Edit: It was still a good album the next day and it was especially nice walking through the park as the sun set.
Gorillaz
4/5
I’ve always loved Clint Eastwood and liked 19-2000 but never fully listened to this album so I was excited to get it. It’s not music I would really listen to a lot on my own but would still enjoy if I happened to hear a song here or there, if that makes sense. 5/4 and tomorrow comes today were pretty good but overall I didn’t come out of this with new tracks I enjoyed in the same way I enjoy Clint Eastwood.
Pearl Jam
4/5
I liked this album. Even flow, alive, and garden are all great songs and the rest of it is really well made, even including the weird ending of release. But for some reason I just don't vibe with it as much as I do. I enjoy early 90s alt/grunge type stuff and eddies voice doesn't bother me like it irritates some other people but for some reason Pearl Jam jsut isn't a slam dunk home run artist for me. This should be a 5 for me but I jsut can't get past a 4.
Baaba Maal
2/5
I think this might finally be the album that broke my enjoyment of African albums on this list. It started out great with music in exile but since then no other album has lived up to/surpassed it and I finally felt totally fatigued by the genre with this one. It isn't objectively bad but it was just miserable for me to sit through another 70 minutes of similar sounding music even if the production was alright.
The Slits
2/5
At first glance, I thought that this album was going for punk stereotypes bingo. Shitty cover? Check. Tits on the cover? Also check. Half hour run time? Yep. Each song is like a max of 2 minutes? You bet. So I was pretty much right about it being a stereotypical punk album from the start and it got even worse with a shitty white reggae sound mixed with lame punk production but the two small bright spots were the lead singer, who sounded familiar but I couldn't tell from where (maybe it just sounded really generic) and the heard it from the grapevine cover which was really good. This seems to be a really influential album on some bands I like but I really don't think it's aged well.
Lana Del Rey
3/5
I was hoping for NFR since that's the Lana Del Ray that I know and really like but I suppose this is a pretty important album in her discography at this point. Aside from wild at heart, not all who wander are lost, and especially dark but just a game, I was mildly bored by this album. Even those tracks, though are all somewhat similar. It was well produced and lana has a great voice but I just don't vibe with a lot of it, even the title track was pretty mid. Dark but just a game was really good but it was still no NFR or Doing Time. It's weird because this is pretty similar to the lana stuff I like but it just isn't doing it for me in the same way.
The Dictators
3/5
I'm surprised that this is considered one of the first examples of punk rock becasue it sounded more like the metrosexual rock sounds of the early 70s with kiss and especially new york dolls. I guess I can kinda hear some punks progenitors in the drums but I feel like I've heard 60s albums that are more punk than this. A cover/original? of the song from groundhog day also doesn't really scream punk lol.
Side note: I gave both this and the lana album a 3 despite them being totally different and it got me thinking about when I finish this list and look back through all my scores and have an aneurysm from various equivalent scores. like the lana 3 and this 3 and the meat puppets 3 are so different I'm not gonna know what to make of it by the end.
Janis Joplin
3/5
I’ve really never understood the hype of Janis Joplin. Even though this is better than her more aggressive stuff and isn’t terrible on its own, I just don’t see the staying power she’s had. Her voice definitely packs emotion and the songs are well put together tracks that borrow from quite a few genres but it isn’t *that* good.
Robert Wyatt
2/5
I've never heard an album devolve from a totally average opening track to a completely shit avant garde music so quickly. The second song was so bad that I was about to give this a 1 but the rest wasn't quite bad enough to go below a 2. Just weird, boring rock; I can't even be bothered to describe the sounds.
Elvis Costello
3/5
I knew I wasn't done with Elvis Costello but it doesn't make it any better when I get another one of his albums. I get why david bowie and the beatles get like 8 albums, even the who makes sense, but why this guy? It's not bad; and he's definitely evolved his music from the first album to this one unlike the who which is basically all the same but I don't get the cultural impact like I do with the others. I'm glad it's "Elvis Costello does the 90s" rather than "Elvis Costello clings to the 70s and 80s in the 90s" but it wasn't anything special and definitely didn't beat the fatigue.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
It's funny that this band is known for their weird, grating, experimental album that most people ironically talk about instead of this totally normal and functional blues rock debut. Autumn child was good and while it might not be as interesting as trout mask replica it's sure as hell easier to listen to.
Soul II Soul
3/5
I got really excited by this album for the first like 10 seconds but after that I was a bit let down. It was fine overall but there was nothing that's really making it stick in my mind. There's cool production stuff here and there but other than that I doubt I'll remember this in like 2 days. It sounded like my jam on the surface as a mashup of soul and club music but it just didn't fully work for me. I feel like I’ve been in a 2-3 star rut album enjoyment wise
John Lee Hooker
4/5
Each album I listen to while I'm high tend to get more favorable reviews since I tend to enjoy music more in general that way; but this one definitely deserves praise sober or not. It's one of my favorite types of blues rock and has a surprising amount of high profile features from santana to bonnie raitt to George Thorogood. It might not hit the same spot on relisten but it's definitely well produced and well written.
Genesis
3/5
I didn't like or dislike this album except for the fact that I had to spend another hour listening to a mostly boring genesis album. This one felt aggressively British in the same way that arthur by the kinks does but wasn't as good as that album. The cinema show had some interesting stuff going on but otherwise a flatline for me. However, broadway melody of 1974 from their other album came on right after and I definitely should've put it on my playlist back when I got that album.
Radiohead
4/5
It's always a welcome surprise to revisit another radiohead album (I didn't expect this one to be on the list) especially one that I haven't listened to a whole bunch. I listen to 2+2=5 regularly, which is still my favorite after this listen, but there are only a few other bangers--backdrifts, there there, and sorta wolf at the door--that I really enjoy. The rest just feels like a kind of middle of the road between electronic Kid A and electronic rock In Rainbows. I'd put it slightly below the bends but way above pablo honey or king of limbs even though backdrifts kinda sounds like a king of limbs song.
U2
4/5
I was ready to be done with U2 after I got joshua tree but I had totally forgotten about this album. While I think the quality steadily declines after new years day, that song and sunday bloody sunday are both really good. The rest kinda just blurs together into the usual U2 sounds for me. Still better than their new stuff at least.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
This was my jam. Isaac hayes sound plus marvin gaye songwriting made this a great listen that still holds up sonically and in what it was trying to say. There wasn't a standout track for me at least on the first listen but I have a feeling I'm going to listen to this quite a few more times. On second listen though, the fact that there weren’t many hits made it less enjoyable because I wish there was one song I could come back to rather than the whole album. Makes me wonder how many albums I’ve given 5s just because there was one awesome song and the rest was just alright.
Robbie Williams
4/5
This sounded basically exactly like oasis/every other male 90s britpop rock artist but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. I liked a number of tracks--lazy days and killing me--and enjoyed the album overall despite it feeling pretty derivative. A lot of the lyrics also sounded really goofy even though I can't remember what they were exactly and the 10 minutes before the dumb poetry hidden track was pretty cool back in 1997 I'm sure. I sound like I'm roasting this album but I actually did like most of it I promise.
Gary Numan
4/5
I felt like I had seen this album cover somewhere before even though I was totally unfamiliar with the music until Cars came on and it made sense since that's the hit song everyone knows. Fortunately, this album broke the 80s (even though this is 70s it feels like 80s) new wave mold of having only one good song by delivering a really cool sound in each song. It's pure, glorious synths layering over each other constantly and it sounds great. Cars was my favorite but I also liked conversation and I think films but I'm not sure.
Sister Sledge
5/5
Aside from maybe maggot brain, this has to be the funkiest album I've gotten on this list. Pure 70s soul/funk stuff that I love and he's the greatest dancer is the greatest song on the record. It's so easy to listen to and so iconic sounding to me it's impossible to not at leat enjoy every song even when there are momentary lulls.
Jeff Beck
2/5
Every time I think I've heard the blandest, most unmemorable album on this list I'm always surprised by the depths of boring I have yet to listen to. This album is about as forgettable as 60s rock gets and I'm assuming it's only here because it's apparently how ronnie wood and rod stewart got their start.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
I really wish I could be done with non-spotify albums now because not only is it annoying with ads and having to find the right playlist and everything, but I also won't be able to relisten to tracks I liked because I'll never remember it outside of today. With most of these types of albums they aren't my jam anyway and it's not a problem but I really liked the title track of this album. Fortunately the rest and especially the last two songs kinda suck but even still it just discourages me from revisiting it so much.
Black Sabbath
5/5
I don't have much to say about this album that hasn't already been said so I'll just reaffirm that it's still an absolute banger that goes insanely hard from end to end. War Pigs is the rare song where all of its covers hit as hard as the original song, especially the Cake one; Paranoid and Iron Man are some of the most hype songs ever and Hand of Doom is also a standout among standouts. Even Planet Caravan is a nice change of pace after two super energetic songs. I've always wondered how they came up with the cover art.
Mylo
3/5
This was another very unique album that I found more interesting than enjoyable. The house beats and electronica sounds were fine but not mindblowing, but this album uses some of the oddest samples I've ever heard. The list of "deviant" bands on destroy rock and roll made sense thematically but the earlier one about some hippie that rode their bike to eureka california was just weird. It sort of worked with the song but it was just so goofy to me. I thought Otto's Journey was a nice bit of ambient music though.
Sonic Youth
3/5
I don't think this was as good as Teenage Nation but it's still Sonic Youth which means it's at least decent. Sounds like this was kind of a precursor to that album and is somewhat transitional between sounds. I liked hotwire my heart and schizophrenia while the rest kinda blended together but not in the same way that most albums like this normally do. It has enough of a melodic sound on stuff like schizo to keep the more hardcore no wave stuff from becoming grating. It's the second best album with a naked baby on the cover that I've heard.
Looking back at my old sonic youth reviews, i really was not that kind even though somewhere along the way I really started enjoying their music. Maybe I just listened to teenage riot too many times but their sound is anything but standard.
Ride
4/5
I'm glad I got this album when I did because I feel like a was able to appreciate it a lot more than if I had gotten it before my shoegaze epiphany with mbv. This was shoegaze mixed with British pop vocals which I wasn't sure about but it grew on me after a while. I especially liked seagulls, vapor trails, and taste. There was a stretch I probably missed because I was distracted trying to find parking at work but I still liked it overall.
I also recently saw a reddit post about the 4chan /mu/ list of music and how lists like this don't allow you to fully experience an album and associate it with events in your life (e.g. me with radiohead) and only serve to allow you to tick boxes on a list. It really made me think about all the times that I said an album was good but kind of blurred together and wonder how much I've missed out in fully understanding these albums. On the flip side, I thought about all the times I listened to an album I got from this list on a certain point and it really affected me (e.g. Moondance by van morrisson or selected ambient works). I think I have gotten quite a bit more than just exposure out of this list but I do think that I've probably missed out on quite a bit by listening to a new album every single day, which makes me want to go back through a selection of the albums and relisten once I'm fully done with the list; because the Reddit post was definitely right about one thing: there's nothing better than actually discovering a new album or genre and having an associated memory with it.
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
So I tried to listen to this one more intently than I have the last few albums and I definitely feel like I got more out of it than I would have otherwise. Unfortunately, it was still a mostly unnotable 80s English rock album. They did some interesting stuff with the keyboard on dumb waiters and pretty in pink I'm pretty sure is the hit I've heard before. The rest was just fine but even though I listened closer I don't think I'll remember it any better.
John Lennon
4/5
John Lennon may have been a pretentious piece of shit but he really did make good music. I've always really liked hold on (especially the cameo by the cookie monster) and the blue rock middle of this album plus the more power balladish isolation were all great. It loses me a bit at the end with his usual pretentiousness on tracks like god but overall it was pretty good.
The Incredible String Band
1/5
I was surprised to see this on the lowest-rated list at first because it was a band that played Woodstock and probably had a big cultural impact or something but in reality it makes total sense that everyone hates it because it's the embodiment of the worst stereotypes of psychedelic/hippie music. From shittily recorded shitty vocals singing shitty nonsense lyrics to grating instrumentals made from whatever the band had lying around in the shed they were recording in, I just couldn't make it to the end. There's about 2 minutes at the start of A Very Cellular Song that I liked (goodnight) but I couldn't take any more when i got to the water song and saw there was another 5+ minute song queued up. The only other positive??? is that it really does give off the vibe of being recorded in a dirty commune somewhere in southern California while everyone was on mindblowing amounts of LSD.
Hole
4/5
My getting this album today sparked a really intense (albeit dumb) debate with my best friend about pitchfork rating this album higher than nevermind and while I don’t think it’s quite that good-and even think it’s the lesser album compared to celebrity skin-I still really enjoyed this. Violet was a great starter and it was a rocking good time from start to finish.
The Fall
4/5
Between this and killing joke, I think I'm really starting to get fully into post-punk. This is less hardcore than killing joke but I think I might like it even more. The bass in each song is killer and the production blows the vocals out of the water throughout the entire runtime. There's also an interesting country/western vibe on a couple of the tracks which was fun. Barmy was probably my favorite but most every song was at least pretty good, spoilt victorian child and rollin dany were also standouts. Even though I think I like this more than killing joke I'm not sure if I'm going to give it a 5 because looking back killing joke was probably only a solid 4 and I got overexcited because I finally liked a post-punk album.
The Offspring
5/5
It’s really exciting for me to see this album on this list because it’s another one my dad had that, along with rise and fall rage and grace, are pretty nostalgic for me. I’ve listened to this front to back plenty of times but back then I only really listened to bad habit, self esteem, and maybe come out and play. Now, I really appreciate the thing as a whole from skits that aren’t annoyingly long, genocide and nitro, and the electric vibes from this album that never get exhausting at really any point. Might be biased but I still think this 5 is well deserved regardless.
Cornershop
3/5
I was instantly interested by this album since it started off with a cool accordion but was progressively let down once the sitar got introduced. There are a handful of decent songs, especially brimful of asha, the second half really lost me with extended boring instrumental parts and the heavy Indian influence. It was honestly kinda confusing since it's apparently a British indie band but after a certain point doesn't really sound anything like what I think of as late 90s British indie. Definitely gets points for uniqueness. Norwegian Wood cover was also alright.
T. Rex
5/5
This album was so much better than the last T. rex album it’s mind blowing. It’s the glam rock that they’re known for but I didn’t realize how good the whole thing was past get it on and life’s a gas. Mambo sun and planet queen were probs my favorites outside of those two but the whole thing was packed with super sick electric guitars.
The Saints
2/5
Another shitty punk album like this couldn’t have come at a worse time. Having to go from an actually fun 70s rock album to a shitty one really sucks because I was just desperate to go back to T. rex after every single one of these ass songs that all sounded the same. The fact that it sounded a bit closer to 80s post punk and used a couple of unique instruments are the only silver linings to this album.
Nick Drake
4/5
It was shocking to hear an instrument that wasn’t an acoustic guitar on a nick drake album and even more shocking that it retained and even elevated his usual style. This was a solid album that really felt like someone let nick have full control over an entire orchestra and he used it really well. Hazey Jane 2 and northern sky were my favs
Slayer
4/5
Slayer is still probably one of my least favorite thrash bands in terms of vocals (except maybe early megadeth) but this album far surpasses peace sells and is easily in league with master of puppets and rust in peace for me. I immediately added the title track to my hype playlist and honestly I could probably add every other song on the album as well.
The Verve
4/5
Once I got over the fact that there was a Verve album on here that didn't include Bitter Sweet Symphony, a song I hate but is like the only thing I know the Verve for, I thought it was just a discount Oasis album and nothing more. While it kind of still is that, I actually really enjoyed this album. I loved the bombastic production, especially on This Is Music, and the vocals basically sound like a Gallagher but whatever; more Oasis isn't bad. This is definitely one of the most surprising albums I've gotten recently.
Nanci Griffith
4/5
Even though nothing really stuck out to me on this album, I really want to remember it because it had an overall great vibe. Perfect music for driving through the heartland, especially last of the true believers, and is just a real pleasant listen all the way through.
The Thrills
4/5
I was in a really bad mood while I was listening to this today and it only made my mood worse when I realized that I would actually really be enjoying this if I was happy. It's a fun 45 minutes of early 2000s indie pop and the lead vocalist sounded a lot like the lead for the flaming lips. Even though I was upset, I really liked santa cruz and don't steal our sun.
Syd Barrett
3/5
I always disliked the Pink Floyd music that Syd Barrett had a hand in making relative to the rest of the band's more Roger Waters heavy records but I actually didn't mind this one. It felt like a very anachronistic album in a lot of ways to me because it floated from 60s psychedelia that I know barrett for all the way to proto-80s rock but also included 70s sounds as well. I'm writing this a day after listening and I've already forgotten quite a few of the songs I remember liking but I still remember it being a positive experience overall.
Raekwon
3/5
Aside from Tical (which I probably didn't give a fair review at the time) this is probably the least favorite Wu-Tang album I've gotten, not because it's bad but because I think the rest are just so much better. Between 36 chambers, Fishscale, and liquid swords this album just can't compete even though the production is still good and all of the features are solid, especially the Nas one. There also felt like an excessive amount of skits which got annoying after a while. I liked criminology and guillotine the most.
Black Flag
2/5
Oh yay another hardcore punk album. I was hoping I'd like this more since I've been enjoying post-punk recently but I was still pretty irritated with it by the end. I will say that I didn't mind the first track and didn't hate it as much as some of the other hardcore punk albums I've gotten but it's far from standing out as a diamond in the rough in the genre for me.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
I don't understand how there's more dexy's midnight runners on this list. I didn't even know they made more music than just come on eileen and now I'm expected to believe they made two entire other albums neither of which have that song on it? This was mildly boring and sounded pretty much like the non-come on eileen songs from the other albums. I tried to give it a fair shake to break the one-hit-wonder allegations but it's just not there
Christina Aguilera
4/5
I was expecting another really poorly aged early 2000s pop album but this is closer to survivor by destiny’s child than some Mary j blige album in more ways than one. Not only because it’s aged well but also because it once again makes me feel like a bad bitch when I listen to some of these songs, mainly walk away and fighter. There are a couple songs in the second half that all sound the same, slow, and Amy winehouse esque and make it feel a bit overlong but overall it was a really solid listen. Christina has an excellent singing voice and I also really liked beautiful.
Django Django
3/5
This might be one of the only 2010s indie rock albums I didn’t overwhelmingly enjoy. It wasn’t bad in any way but there were only sporadic moments on songs like default and life’s a beach that really engaged me in any way. Maybe it’ll get better on relisten but currently it’s just average modern art rock with vocals that occasionally made me think of The Beach Boys for some reason.
The Residents
1/5
I knew I was in for a bad time after the first 5 seconds of this album. It got better in the second half of that first song but the rest was just as terrible as my first impressions. I thought it was unique enough to carry me all the way through to the end but I had to tap out with about 5 songs to go.
Rod Stewart
3/5
Although as sick of rod stewart on this list as I am of the who, this is probably my favorite of all of his stuff I’ve gotten on this list. I’m still not a huge fan of his voice but there were some solid blues rock type tracks on here. Not super memorable on first listen but still good.
Kate Bush
3/5
Once again no one was doing it like Kate bush in the 80s and once again it isn’t clicking with me. I definitely appreciate her music more than I like it because it really is unique and fun but it’s not something I want to listen to more than once. I liked hounds of love a lot more but this was still alright.
M.I.A.
4/5
I had really high hopes for this album because I’ve always loved paper planes ever since I heard it on far cry 3 when I was 11 and I really was not expecting what I got. Its a very unique album compared to the one hit song and features aggressive production choices along with vocals ranging from fun to grating. Sometimes it hits and some times it doesn’t. Unlike aha or soft cell, the best song elevates an uneven album instead of saving a shitty album. Basically, mia walked so that remi wolf could run.
Ramones
4/5
There’s not much to say about this album because it’s the ramones, the lasting name in American punk and the entire concept of garage rock. Each song radiates teenage energy in the 70s with blitzkrieg bop still being the top track. It was also interesting to hear let’s dance on here because I only know that from the animal house soundtrack and can’t tell which one is the cover.
Astrud Gilberto
5/5
This was a perfect album to get after an exhausting new years. I was still high and laying bed and this easy listening was perfect for relaxing. Plus this is just the music I love to listen to when I’m toasted. I registered the next day and it mostly held up aside from the circus song and the song near the end with the kid singing.
Arcade Fire
4/5
While I didn't love it in the same way that I loved the Suburbs, I still thought this album was excellent. It still had the same bombastic, almost operatic production but was a little rougher around the edges and never reached Sprawl II levels. My body is a cage came very very close though.
Liz Phair
3/5
I honestly wasn’t in a huge music listening mood today but I still gave it my best effort and it was ok. This was ultra 90s in the best and worst ways from confidently trashy lyrics to lame slow songs and extremely 90s production. Mesmerizing was the standout for me. I’m sure this was groundbreaking from a general sound and writing perspective back in the early 90s but for me it was pretty forgettable.
N.E.R.D
2/5
I feel like I really like this album in theory. It has a unique sound that crosses a lot of genre lines with even some 2010s level production near the end and Pharrell is in his prime but for some reason I just couldn’t get into it. I honestly thought I was listening to the same song for the first like 20 minutes and I was just mildly bored for the rest of it. The second Lenny kravitz feature was probably my favorite but I doubt I’ll remember this album by tomorrow.
Jack White
4/5
I always love when artists try to expand/branch out from what they’re most popular for even if it means losing some of that popularity. This won’t be remembered the same way that elephant is but it’s just as worthy of recognition in its own way even if I personally liked white stripes music slightly more. Jack took some of his white stripes sounds and made it funky and bluesy which I think worked really well. I’m shakin was probably my favorite track and sixteen saltines was also a standout.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
I was excited to listen to this album once I got it and it definitely didn’t disappoint but honestly my expectations were so high I probably couldn’t help feeling slightly let down. It’s an incredible feat of guitar work and the pinnacle of psychedelic blues rock in the 60s but it still couldn’t keep me fully engaged for the entire hour. Obviously purple haze and foxey lady and the title track are all great plus the last handful of songs are super fun too and I liked it more than electric lady land but for some reason I can’t give it a 5.
The Replacements
3/5
At first I was gearing up to bitch slap this album in my review for being another boring 80s post punk album but it really beat the hostile expectations by mixing the best parts of 80s and even 90s pop rock. Even though I didn’t really love any of the songs except androgynous I heard some Billy Joel and some offspring type sounds at various points which is enough from giving it the same fate as the minutemen album.
Green Day
5/5
Objectively, this album is a little cheesy and dated, but I can't help but be subjective about this one. Boulevard of broken dreams has been a nostalgia track since I was like 5, american idiot followed not long after, and then by middle school I was listening to Jesus of Suburbia and Wake me up when september ends all the time. The rest of the songs are all fine but virtually irrelevant to me because it could just be a 20 minute album of the first 3 (technically 4) songs and wake me up and still get 5 stars from me.
MGMT
5/5
Back to back nostalgia albums is nice. Although this is one is a bit more recent for me, it’s hard not to eventually get nostalgic for kids and electric feel when it’s played at every high school and college event. Even though this album is basically a shitpost about pop music it continues to blow most pop music out of the water. In addition to time to pretend and the youth, this also has stronger non-hit tracks that make it a better 5/5 album than American idiot
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
I tried to listen to this high and it was one of the few albums I've gotten that didn't sound better baked. Fortunately, I ended up enjoying it the next day despite the earlier misgivings. It took me a while to warm up to but then I realized that it was basically the prodigy but slightly more ambient. By the end, I was totally vibing to this and wanted to relisten from the start despite the song near the end that finishes with like a lawnmower engine. Piku and elektrobank were probably my favorite.
Leftfield
3/5
Well this album sure came out of the dugout…. Anyway this was one of those days where I had to crowbar in an hour of my day to listen to this when I wanted to do other things which made it difficult for me to fully enjoy it, especially after getting a similar ambient electronica album yesterday. Fortunately I found bright spots on tracks like the original but this prog house stuff doesn’t work for me the same way that electronica can.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3/5
Well I guess it was worth listening to this once but it really is cruel to make people listen to an hour long album that starts with a 13 minute long song and includes a Bruce Springsteen cover when all anyone has ever cared about is relax. There were a couple of other interesting points but overall its just another 80s synth pop album that tries a bunch of stuff and it mostly sucks except for the one lasting hit.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
I liked Curtis mayfield last album and what it was trying to say but I thought this one was much more my jam. There are plenty of parallels to be drawn between this and the shaft soundtrack by Isaac Hayes but this was just an all around solid r&b soul album with plenty of good instrumental tracks to mix things up in between great tracks like little child runnin wild.
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
The bass work on this album is the only positive I got out of it but that really doesn’t save it when everything else is so fucking terrible. Might be good background music at the most sleazy biker bar ever but that’s it.
Sly & The Family Stone
4/5
I listened to this song while playing elite dangerous for hours on end so although I listened to it multiple times I probably still didn’t get the full experience. However, I’m not too worried because the experience I did get was a pretty fun soul/funk album that all ran together without many standout songs except family affair and maybe luv n haight.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
I think this is closer to kid rock music than a lot of people would want to admit. The lyrics were goofy and it was more a mix of hip hop and 90s rock than country but close enough. Interestingly, I already don’t really remember most of this album despite enjoying it but I still remember quite a bit of devil without a cause despite it being corny trash.
Duke Ellington
4/5
Pretty much every actual song on this got added to my dinner party playlist immediately. It was cool to hear the "skits" in between songs since it was basically just a recording of the entire set which made me feel like I got the whole experience of being at Newport 70 years ago.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
3/5
On its own, I’d say that this just another classic dad rock album that I’m not super interested in but there are worse ways to spend 40 minutes. Unfortunately, probs because of Neil young, 4 songs were missing and there was no way I was gonna try to find them somewhere else off Spotify so this album gets a maliciously indifferent review from me instead of an aloof one.
Marilyn Manson
2/5
Despite this being the pinnacle of cringey, crass, white boy trash that’s rivaled only by limp bizkit and kid rock, I honestly had high hopes for this album. Beautiful people is a nostalgia track for me and the album starts off well with great production in spite of the asinine lyrics but it very quickly devolves into the worst of the nu metal stereotypes and just becomes a chore to listen to. Really doesn’t help that it’s almost 80 minutes long.
Christine and the Queens
5/5
I feel like I’ve been in somewhat of a dry spell for albums that actually excited me in some way so I’m really thankful for this one that got me to listen to both the French and English versions of the album because it was just so much fun from start to finish each time. It’s a perfect mix of 80s synth with 2010s pop to make a dance record that was endlessly relistenable for me throughout the entire day. I’d love to listen to this either on a beach or while high. Doesn’t matter and make some sense were my favs.
Ms. Dynamite
4/5
I think of all the 90s/00s female hip hop I’ve gotten this and Lauryn hill stand as the only two that really grabbed me. This was like a mix of missy elliott and Amy winehouse with a dash of destiny’s child and it made for quite a few banging tracks with a lot of great lyrics. The second half isn’t as great except for the last song but dynamitee and any way u want it were the standouts of the first half
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
Even though I’m never excited to get more of his albums, I never really have a bad time with them anymore. Even though that junkyard album was catastrophic to my opinion of his musical talent, it’s hard to deny that he’s a seasoned vet when it comes to rock operas and meat loaf esque bombastic drama.
Deep Purple
4/5
This was definitely better than that lame ass Mount Rushmore album or whatever and is even really good by general 70s classic rock standards. It’s a little bluesy and rocks pretty hard. Smoke on the water goes without saying
Cee Lo Green
2/5
Did I really need to listen to over an hour of Cee-lo Green before I died instead of Fuck You repeated a couple times? Probably not but it wasn't totally without positive aspects. Those aspects were somewhat scattered around each track except for Die Trying and the more negative aspects tended to be pretty glaring dated lyrics and production but it wasn't unlistenable; I just didn't want to have to listen to it for a full hour.
Hookworms
4/5
What can I say I’m a sucker for 2010s indie rock and this one was no exception. Sometimes it felt like part of the social network score and sometimes it had a more mgmt vibe and sometimes it just had weird production choices. But I liked it pretty much all of the time I listened to it and especially enjoyed negative space opener and shortcomings.
SZA
5/5
Glad the list listened to my review from yesterday and gave me more 2010s music I’m a sucker for except it’s low fi r&b instead of indie rock. This particular itch hasn’t been scratched since way back when I got heaux tales like 2 years ago and while nothing on this album beats price tags, I think it’s a stronger album from end to end and also has standouts like drew barrymore and go Gina.
Rufus Wainwright
4/5
I am in shock that there’s a vocalist that exists who sounds like thom yorke and Julian casablancas simultaneously. I loved this guys voice and the music was pretty good overall but I didn’t connect with it like I would a five star album. If it sounded like a mix of Radiohead and the strokes instead of Elliott smith type 00s alt rock I’d probs consider it the greatest piece of entertainment media of all time tbh. Favs were oh what a world, I don’t know what it is, and 14th street.
Brian Eno
3/5
This is pretty much exactly what you’d expect from a collab between David Byrne and Brian eno. It has all the funky autistic sounds of the talking heads and all the weird samples and ambience of Brian enos stuff. It was definitely an interesting experience even if I’d rather listen to stop making sense or music for airports more. Regiment was the standout for me.
Madonna
3/5
I always knew that Madonna pretty much reinvents herself every 7-10 years in reaction to whatever is popular at the time but I didn't realize that she did it so well in the 90s. This is a generally solid electronic, pop, and 90s psychedelia album that I felt was a kind of jack of all trades of Portishead, sinead o connor, and [insert any 90s electronica artist here]. I started to get a little fatigue about 40 minutes into the album but none of it was bad except for that weird buddhist song that hasn't really aged well. Ray of light was really good though.
The Cramps
2/5
This wasn’t as grating as some other 80s punk rock albums I’ve gotten on this list but it still gets a two. Just because it wasn’t *that* bad doesn’t mean I’m not still sick of getting these types of albums. The mad daddy was a good song.
Linkin Park
3/5
This pure, unfiltered corny nu metal and I don’t think I can even give this a nostalgic/ironic 4. All of the lyrics are so self serious and edgy and even as a teen when I first listened to linkin park I thought it was a bit much. In the end and crawling are both still great; one step closer didn’t age super well for me; and everything after in the end is what keeps this from getting a 4. It was so bad compared to what came before it and a place for my head literally sounds like it would have been designed for guitar hero
Ice Cube
4/5
Blah blah hasn’t aged well blah blah cringe lyrics whatever. This was as fun as any of the other ice cube albums Ive gotten and keeps up the characteristic great sampling and features. It was a good day is obviously the main standout but when will they shoot and now I gotta wet cha were also great. There were maybe a few too many “inserts” but at least they were interesting news clips.
The Electric Prunes
2/5
This album did literally nothing for me. Sounds like if Woodstock needed elevator music.
Tom Waits
4/5
You either live or hate Tom waits and with this album I’m somehow in both categories now. I hated some songs but loved others and also hated other albums of his but half loved this one which I truly never expected. Despite shit like shore leave I loved the 80s influenced jazz vibe on this. Super unique but probs best in small doses
PJ Harvey
4/5
I've generally liked what I've gotten of PJ Harvey's so far and this is no different but I didn't realize how diverse her discography was before this one. I know she's done slower stuff and more hardcore stuff but this is straight-up 2011 British indie folk rock that's both operatic and ethereal and it's just as good as her older stuff.
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Listening to this was exactly what I remember the last Pet Shop Boys album sounding like. It's super 80s new wave with very preppy voices and it also sounds pretty much the same.
Beastie Boys
4/5
Somehow, this might be my favorite beastie boys album despite having never heard of it before now. Licensed to ill is great but this one feels a lot more experimental and quirky with endless random samples making each song sound distinct from each other. I don't have much else to say except that I really liked johnny ryall, a year and a day, and hello brooklyn.
Kanye West
5/5
I was doing so well not listening to Kanye ever since his little outburst of naziism but oh well. Sure a lot of the songs on this album drag on for 30 seconds-2 minutes too long and the tone is all over the place but then you hear a trademark electric guitar solo and everything is forgotten. Every song could be 20 minutes long and the production could still carry it to a 5 for me. Gorgeous power and devil in a new dress are probably my favs in an album packed with bangers.
Aretha Franklin
5/5
I never realized that this was Aretha's breakout album and she was kind of obscure before this. Anyway, I think it's illegal to not like this album so I'll just give it a 5 and move on. Everyone knows what the best song is so I shouldn't have to spell it out.
David Bowie
3/5
This is probably the least memorable Bowie album on this list and its inclusion is somewhat questionable like he already has 6 other insanely good and culturally significant albums on this list, what does this bring to the table that ziggy stardust doesn’t?
TLC
4/5
This album immediately went to the top of my sex playlist. Every song was super horny but I especially liked creep and red light special.
John Martyn
4/5
The first few songs on this knocked my socks off—especially over the hill—but after that it was just a mildly pleasant album that I don’t have much to say about. It was like a mix between nick drake and Paul weller or something. Very folksy and jazzy but also rocky and psychedelic in places.
The Cult
3/5
This feels like the dad version of that a-ha album where there’s one famous song and then the rest is just ok. I don’t really have anything negative to say about this but I already barely remember anything about it despite listening to it this morning.
Taylor Swift
4/5
This album sounds like it was created from the hands of a cottage-core goddess. Between this and folklore Taylor Swift expanded her sound to appeal to wider audiences. I kinda get it, cuz it’s not a bad album and it’s refreshing to hear a departure from the overly produced pop anthems of her and Jack antoff. The storytelling is a vivid continuation of the fictional Folklorian universe, with themes of messy, young adulthood at play. touché, swift, touché. My favorite songs were Willow, No Body No Crime, ‘Tis the Damn Season and Ivy. Great addition to Taylor Swifts other albums on this list. Also love the features.
This has been a Chloe and Rolf joint review thank you.
Iggy Pop
4/5
I don't think any of the songs on this quite reach the song lust for life but nevertheless this was a really interesting album. It felt like David Bowie does post-punk Kraftwerk and the wiki says that's pretty much exactly what it is to the point that people just consider this to be another David Bowie album I guess. It even sounds like David Bowies voice in parts. Regardless of who made it, it was a good listen and I especially liked sister midnight and nightclubbing.
Marvin Gaye
4/5
It definitely feels like this is another album that I got today for a specific reason since it’s so horny. And he’s got a point like this, 69 love songs, and that tlc album from a week ago are great candidates for a Valentine’s Day album but this one is probably the most iconic of the bunch. Marvin’s voice is just so silky and sexy even as a straight guy. However, I still think is that enough is sexier sounding even if the lyrics are the opposite of this album.
Skunk Anansie
4/5
First off, love the title even if there isn’t much chill about this album. Second, this was a great mix of more hardcore and more mainstream rock of the 90s and it was a fun time the whole way through. Secretly and we don’t need who you think you are were my favs.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
4/5
It’s been a while since I’ve gotten a 4 star album that was as unmemorable as this. I like this band and this type of music but I can’t name a single song that I thought stood out.
Culture Club
3/5
This had really strong potential to be another tainted love soft cell album where there’s one classic banger and the rest is lame trash but it managed to rise above that if only barely. Every song is still super simplistic and catchy but there was just enough for me to not want it to be over after karma chameleon. There was a great guitar solo in miss me blind but other than that it was just fine. Karma chameleon isn’t enough to get it above a 3 in the same way take on me got its album above a 2.
Bill Callahan
4/5
Yet another not-super-memorable solid album. It had a very the national type vibe going but also early 2010s bedroom pop. Faith/void was probs my favorite track but the radio that came on after the album was almost even better.
Christina Aguilera
5/5
I was fully expecting this to be the lesser known and less good album from an artist whose good album is already gotten but goddamn was I wrong. As a gen zer who only knew Christina Aguilera from moves like jagger and sorta genie in a bottle, I never realized that she has probably the best voice of the 00s maybe the 21st century. She can pull off the most operatic and full throated vocals as well as the slower and quieter tracks. She was going for a tribute/theme of old 50s/60s icons and she actually managed to pull it off without sounding out of her league. Candyman and nasty naughty boy were my favorites but I can’t really think of a track I didn’t like.
Pulp
3/5
I know I’ve had a pulp album on this list before but I couldn’t for the life of me tell you anything about it without just comparing it to this one. If I was a British teen in the mid 90s this probably would’ve been on repeat but for me it’s just totally average 90s Brit rock.
Ute Lemper
3/5
This felt like female nick cage music which makes sense given that he was a featured artist. Gonna get the same rating as average nick cage stuff too. Fav song was the Beth gibbons song that came on after the album ended.
The Temptations
3/5
This was totally fine but it really didn’t scratch that 60s soul itch for me. I’m sure this is seminal to Motown and black music and the 60s music scene but I guess I just didn’t find it quite as fun as Smokey Robinson or Barbara Lewis. By no means a bad album I can’t stress that enough.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
2/5
This was simultaneously the most generic prog rock album ever and the weirdest prog rock album ever. It’s a 7 song, 40 minute album with a 20 minute track that sounds like it could have been made by nearly any prog rock band of the 70s; but it also references the holocaust instead of fantasy or psychedelic etc. type stuff and ends with a completely out of place up tempo rag time type thing. Totally bizarre.
David Crosby
3/5
This seems to be the dad rock equivalent of the Wu tang clan with one member making an album that features all of the other members at some point which is the only interesting thing I can see in it. It’s completely fine music I just cannot bring myself to give a shit about Crosby stills and Nash in any serious way.
The Auteurs
2/5
Nasally 90s Brit rock that was mostly lame. Not much else to add.
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
This review isn’t going to be anything super original but it really is one of the hardest rocking albums ever and also one of if not the best politically charged albums ever. Despite being about specific issues of its time the messaging and themes have aged really well. The album cover, however, hasn’t quite as much. Its a striking picture and I get the oppression connection but idk about using it for an album cover other than for shock value. Also, since this is an album that helped create nu metal it really is a bummer that the shitty nu metal of the 2000s aped the sound of this but never really had anything nearly as interesting to say and ended up being one of the most derided eras of American music instead. Anyway, I’d pay an arm and a left nut to hear this band live in their prime and my favs are the first two songs but the whole thing is great.
Herbie Hancock
4/5
I totally thought this was going to be another boring prog rock album once I saw the 40 minute, 4 song lineup but was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be funky jazz. The first track was great, I thought the second one was annoying but my gf loved it because “the start is what her inner monologue sounds like”, and the latter two were both fine but didn’t quite keep the momentum going and bordered on being too much for me.
The Undertones
3/5
Not grating by English punk standards but also not amazing by those standards either. Pretty average and only thing I’ll remember is that one of the songs was sampled in a one direction cover of one way or another by blondie.
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
This album could’ve either gone the “has one banger and the rest sucks” or the “it’s a good album that also has an all timer on it” route and thankfully it was the latter. If Mr brightside didn’t become the phenomenon it is now back in 2004, take me would’ve been right there to take its place. That being said hot fuss is by far the superior album; the rest of this album wasn’t mind blowing but was still solid. I also liked dark of the matinee.
Dusty Springfield
4/5
It’s impossible to not love this kind of 60s pop soul but overall this one was a less memorable one aside from you don’t own me. It might also just be that I wasn’t super in the mood for this one today.
Ministry
2/5
I seriously considered skipping this album after the first 2 minutes and I probably wouldn’t have been kicking myself if I had, but I also am marginally glad I didn’t. There were some cool instrumentals sprinkled here and there and I never got the anger halfway through that I usually get with albums that I hate. I think the main problem was that I started it shortly after seeing dune 2 in imax, which made for a night of a lot of loud and grating noises.
The Fall
2/5
The wiki said that this album was recorded in one day at the studio and I’m assuming that’s because the owner of of studio didn’t allow them back after hearing this.
Jkjk it wasn’t THAT bad but I still wasn’t a huge fan and I could definitely see this band fucking around in the studio for a day, making this, and calling it good since it could be plagiarized from 50 other post-punk albums and I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.
Nina Simone
4/5
Nina Simone has both the most masculine and most feminine voice ever but it still sounds great. This was a pretty laid back and overall unremarkable album but I still enjoyed it all the way through even if I can remember the titles of any tracks I liked. I’m also drunk while writing this despite listening to the album earlier in the day.
Barry Adamson
4/5
This album wa impressive because it oscillated between funky fun 90s music and some of the most unsettling and eerie tracks I’ve ever gotten on this list. Like vibes ain’t nothin but the vibes was fun and then business as usual made me turn on all of the lights in my house. I was dozing off in the second half due to sobering up but I remember enough to give this a 4 comfortably.
Coldcut
3/5
I had to go to YouTube to listen to this and I’m very conflicted about what to rate this. On one hand, I thought this got very obnoxious after over an hour runtime but on the other there were some really catchy beats that I really was enjoying while I played video games. However, even if I did enjoy it I usually dock a star for making me go out of my way to listen to a kinda lame album, BUT it didn’t bother me as much since I wasn’t using my phone while I listened so idk if it deserves a 2 or a 3. Guess I’ll be generous.
Kacey Musgraves
5/5
I forgot how much of a sucker I am for Kacey musgraves. I typically abhor new country but between her voice and her lyrics I totally love it. Butterflies and high horse has always been a fav of mine but happy and sad and velvet Elvis are the two I have stuck in my head the most this time around.
Yes
2/5
Why the fuck do I need to listen to more of this boring ass prog rock band when the roundabout albums already been on here and I didn’t even like that one. I’ve seen good people can’t carry an album like how roundabout apparently could. Bring back Kacey musgraves.
Hüsker Dü
2/5
This might be a top 3 most forgettable album I’ve gotten so far, which is saying something. I can barely even describe it because there truly was nothing for me to latch onto. Just 70 minutes of rock noise. Maybe like if REM had no defining characteristics? Idk.
Radiohead
5/5
For some reason I thought I’d gotten all of the Radiohead albums that’d be on this list so this was a very pleasant surprise today. Of all of the “good” Radiohead albums this one is probably the one I overlook the most for some reason. I don’t know why because it’s fucking great. It not only proves that kid a wasn’t a fluke but that they knew how to do even more with their new electronic sound by making it more aggressive, more futuristic, and even more orchestral in some places. I’ve always liked knives out and you and whose army while being generally positive about pyramid song but this listen I really gained a new appreciation for the first track and I might be wrong.
Morrissey
2/5
I encourage artists to tackle big issues in their work but this was preachy as fuck in the worst, most pretentious way Jesus Christ. Really comes across as the product of morrisseys massive ego thinking he’s the most prescient human being who ever lived. Not only that, but there wasn’t a memorable song for me on the entire thing. It never sounded bad production wise but nothing ever outshone the annoyjng faux-intellectual lyrics.
The Notorious B.I.G.
4/5
This is another classic album I’ve never listened to so it was fun to finally get it despite hearing big poppa all the time in various settings. After hearing this, I’m definitely more of an east coast over west coast 90s rap fan because I prefer this much more than the Tupac albums I’ve gotten so far. Some of the skits go on for too long (the intro 3 minutes jesus) but they can also be really funny (fuck me interlude) but the real star of the album is the brutal songwriting paired with really chill production. Things done changed, one more chance, big poppa, and juicy were my favs.
Joni Mitchell
4/5
I hate to say it but I loved this album. Even though I had to listen to like 7 YouTube ads this was probably the best joni mitchell/non-spotify 1001 albums experience I've had. It was a lot more upbeat and catchy than other albums I've gotten from Joni and it's made me want to go back and give blue another try since I remember being bored by it. It's a bummer I can't add all the songs I liked from this (help me, free man in paris, raised on robbery) onto my spotify playlist and this is the closest I've come to giving a YouTube album a 5.
Michael Kiwanuka
5/5
The sound of this album was like the exact middle point of Jon batiste, sault, the black keys, and thundercat; all of which I love, so naturally I really loved this album. It was so funky and bluesy and soulsy and jazzy and folksy that I wouldn’t be able to listen to it critically even if I tried. Final days, hero, and you ain’t the problem were my favs.
Eels
3/5
I’ve only ever heard novocaine for the soul and if you ask me about this album in a week and a half I will probably say that I only remember novocaine for the soul. The rest was decent 90s alt but really nothing to write home about.
James Brown
3/5
James brown is great but this wasn’t the greatest live album I’ve gotten on this album. There were some fun bits but it never really felt like it crescendoed to songs that blew the roof off the venue. Like lost someone and medley are both fine but they still feel like tracks early in the setlist before you get to the crazy stuff. I might just be scrounging for rationales instead of just saying this didnt do it for me but whatever.
Ella Fitzgerald
4/5
I feel like there’s a disconnect between the lost and the generator here. I’m assuming the list wants me to listen to the 3+ hour box set but the generator sent me to a 50 minute best of which I feel isn’t really in the spirit of this list but I was already 40 minutes in by the time I realized there was a discrepancy and didn’t wanna try to restart with the long one, so this is a review of just the hits.
Ella Fitzgerald has a great voice and it’s instantly disarming and relaxing to listen to. Feels like a nice cozy blanket or a warm crackling fire in the background with great orchestral arrangements to match.
The Fall
4/5
This was one of those albums where I was settling in for a shitty hour in the first couple seconds but the album won me over shortly after. The production on this album is simply excellent and the vocals REALLY let that shine and make it sound even better by comparison. It basically had the cake balance between music and vocals. Also, I heard like a million other 80s and 90s artists in this and I’m not sure whether this album is a progenitor or a watershed type thing but either way it was pretty cool.
Fugazi
3/5
I feel like this the type of album i would've savaged if I had gotten it in the first 500 but I actually enjoyed this one a decent amount. It's the typical aggressive hardcore of the late 80s and early 90s but I didn't get sick of it halfway through as I tend to do with this genre.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
I’ve always loved pale blue eyes but after hearing all of the other Lou reed/velvet underground albums on here I really thought I’d have a pretty tepid response to this one as well, but I was pleasantly surprised. I really liked what goes on and overall it was good listen but as I’m trying to write this review I literally don’t remember how to describe the music which probably isn’t a great sign. Oh well.
Common
3/5
I only really know common through his acting career so it was interesting to hear his singing/rapping voice since it’s so different from his gravelly acting voice. My main takeaway from this album was that goddamn Kanye really is such a good producer but past that I’m already forgetting a good bit of it. If I had relistened I’d probs have given this a 4 but whatever.
Mariah Carey
2/5
Mariah has a great voice but this was nothing more than her crooning for an hour with hardly any variation in tempo or production which made it a less than interesting listen.
Van Morrison
3/5
I can’t tell if this was too much of a good thing or just a live album I didn’t particularly like because I love van Morrison but this album ended up just being another in like a weeklong string of albums I’ve been almost completely ambivalent about. It wasn’t bad and there were a couple good songs but by the end of an hour and a half I was just exhausted.
Incubus
3/5
I was sleepwalking through this album thinking this is the lamest nu metal shit ever (and I somewhat like my metal) until drive came on and something in my brain supernova’s. It’s one of those songs I’ve heard everywhere throughout my entire living memory where it’s good enough to remember but not good enough to seek out and listen to intentionally so my first reaction to hearing it was shock more than anything. Like I’m not supposed to hear this anywhere but a mall.
The xx
4/5
This must be one of the only albums where the intro track is more popular than any of the actual songs-and for good reason. There’s something just so great about the intro that I can’t even describe. Just a certain calming euphoric vibe. The rest of the album is pretty good early 2010s music (a couple years ahead of its time ig).
Joanna Newsom
3/5
This album wasn't on Spotify and it was a bit more annoying than usual because I wanted to use my phone for other things while I listened but had to keep YouTube open instead. However, the album was at least interesting if not my preferred genre. Its vocals and writing gave a cross of Bjork and Sufjan Stevens, respectively, to me and while I liked it, it's not the easiest to listen to for an hour. Fortunately, it had unique enough vocals and instrumentals paired with very poetic lyrics. This is a positive 3 rather than an ambivalent 3 thankfully.
Animal Collective
5/5
Big fan of this one. Just some great 2000s indie electronica pop type stuff. I think I've gotten other albums by animal collective on this list but I think this'll be the only one that lasts with me because every song is excellent. My girls, summer time clothes, and bluish were my faves.
The White Stripes
4/5
I know it's an undercurrent in all of their albums to some extent, but the faux incestuousness in this one started to become a bit too much. That aside, it was still a great folk rock album with the white stripes signature sound. I liked blue orchid and little ghost and not to contribute to another talking point, but there were couple tracks that I really disliked and I realized it was because the production, mainly drums, sounded worse than all the other tracks.
The xx
4/5
Well I wasn’t expecting another album by this band on here but I’m definitely not complaining. If the last one was pure early 2010s indie electro pop type stuff this is pure late 2010s indie electro pop type stuff. It really does feel like these two albums bookended and defined the decade for the genre. Lips and replica were my favs
Brian Wilson
4/5
I know the basics of the Brian Wilson/beach boys story so I get why this album is historically notable and I can definitely tell that it was made by a semi crazy person at points but I probably don’t have the full context. Either way, it was fun to hear 60s music that actually came out in 2004 and as far as the craziness goes, it was fascinating to hear some of these songs. Like Mrs o learys cow sounds completely different from everything else and could only come from one persons wild idea for a song. Good vibrations is still a banger and the intro is also a standout for me.
Spiritualized
4/5
I remember almost nothing about lazer guided melodies because it was like a pre 200 album for me but if it’s anything like this I’m probably going to give it another listen. Apparently this is their most popular album and I can see why because it’s so bombastic and melodic whereas I vaguely remember lgm being more aggressive and experimental (could be totally wrong). It’s a great mix of rock, blues, electronica, and orchestra to that made it endlessly listenable for me. Unfortunately, Alabama shakes butted into my music listening for most of the day because I finished rewatching fleabag and had to revisit the sound and color album so didn’t listen to this one as much as I wanted to.
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
It was refreshing to get another African/international album but it was even more refreshing to hear songhoy blues type music again. This one wasn’t as energetic and exciting as music in exile, maybe because I heard that one second, but it was at least still fun to listen to for most of it.
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
This was one of the most unpleasant experiences I’ve had on this list but it was still at least interesting unpleasant. To me it was like a more sophisticated kollaps but without the fun gimmick of using power tools which made it both more interesting and less fun. It’s also hard for me to judge this since the band is clearly musically talented just based off ab/7a, which managed to be actually good, but I think they just decided to make one of the most grating albums possible. Probably getting a 1 based off personal enjoyment but at least it’s still worth talking about at some length.
The Coral
4/5
Even after reading the Wikipedia page for this album I still have no frame of reference for this album so I might be totally missing some context but regardless I thought this was pretty good. It’s one of those 00s rock throwback albums (I think of are you gonna be my girl by jet for some reason) and this one gives 60s/70s rock at least vocally. Shadows fall and calendars and clocks are my favs.
Morrissey
3/5
I think this is definitely my favorite morrissey solo album but I still want to protest that there have been way too many of his on here. I totally understand a bunch of smiths albums but why should I give so much of a shit about these solo ones. There's some good stuff on each of them but nothing that warranted like 4 of his albums. I liked the first couple tracks and the last track on this one.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Aside from Daydream Nation, I think this is my favorite sonic youth album on this list so far. It was a perfect balance of their no wave experimental stuff and their more mainstream later stuff that really worked for me. The first two tracks were my favorite and while the second half of the album wasn't quite as interesting, it was still fun.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
This was definitely the stones going blues rock before they nailed it on sticky fingers. It’s mostly fine but it’s definitely carried by sympathy for the devil and street fighting man more than anything.
k.d. lang
4/5
This was both pretty similar and very different from the last kd lang album I got. It had that signature country twang but was also much more sultry and cocktail bar-ish than her other stuff which I appreciated. This would be a great album for just relaxing on a Sunday evening with wine and homemade dinner or something. Miss chatelaine was my fav.
The Gun Club
2/5
If this was in the 400s this would’ve gotten a 1 out of spite for being a boring ass, annoying punk album with like one interesting thing throughout the whole 40 minutes; but it’s been a while since I’ve gotten one of these stinkers so I’ll be generous. The one interesting thing was cool drink of water blues.
New Order
4/5
Even though it sounds very stereotypically 80s, it still felt fresh and unique to me for some reason. The whole thing feels like it’d be played over a breakfast club esque montage and there’s plenty of synths to go around but there’s something about it that’s setting it apart in my mind from all of the other 80s new wave type albums I’ve heard on this list. The first two tracks and the last one were the standouts.
The Magnetic Fields
4/5
What a ride. I've been mentally preparing myself for getting this album since the first couple hundred albums knowing that it's the longest album on the list by far and it's essentially a rite of passage for completing this list. Going into it I was expecting an uneven experience with a couple bangers and a ton of shitty songs that make whole sections drag, but I was immensely pleased to find that all 3 hours were pretty good. Of course there were still some points here and there that felt like filler but overall every song was well written and had some characteristic that set it apart in some way. I think disc one was my favorite followed by disc three and while there are a plethora of songs I liked, all my little words, fido your leash is too long, and experimental music love were the most memorable. I'm sure there's a song that fits every romantic and tragic mood possible.
Traffic
3/5
This was a pretty standard 60s psychedelic/prog rock album and it had some good tracks (who knows what tomorrow, medicated goo). Don’t have much else to say but it’s hard to decide between a 3 and 4.
Willie Nelson
3/5
This album was like eating popcorn. It didn’t last very long but was pleasant while it lasted, some pieces were tastier than others, and I’ll stop thinking about it as soon as I finish it (except for the one song that turned into ragtime piano).
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Obviously son of a preacher man is the standout from this album not only just in terms of quality relative to the album but culturally in general. The rest of the album was a fun and smooth soul/folk experience that didn’t really have any weak spots. Really great from start to finish.
CHIC
4/5
At first I rolled my eyes because I didn’t really think that there was a point to another chic album on this list since le freak was on the other one, but I was totally wrong. Not only did I forget about good times (although I’m not a huge fan of that song) but the rest of the album was far better than the rest of the le freak album. I felt like it had more variety in the disco plus a warm summer night was a banger.
R.E.M.
4/5
This is one where I kinda felt bad while listening because this is undeniably a good album and had I been listening to this in the 90s I probably would’ve loved it but since I passively listened to it at 11 pm while playing video games I probably only got like half of what I could’ve from this album. Regardless, it was good and stand was the standout.
Pentangle
2/5
Of all the 60s folk rock albums packed to the gills with sitar this was one of the more bearable ones I suppose. Instead I listened to Paul’s boutique by the beastie boys and I think I appreciated it quite a bit more than when I was listening to it for the list. Really great production and genius use of sampling.
Frank Zappa
5/5
I always thought of Frank Zappa is a musically talented shitposter but I never really internalized the talented part until now. This was a wonderful instrumental album that combined so many differed genres throughout each song. Some jazz, some big band, some soul, some funk it really was impressive and sounded great high.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
I only remember a couple of songs from the last album I got from this artist because it was so long ago but I looked at my review and it was pretty positive which may have informed my opinion of this album. Not much, though, because I’m pretty ambivalent about this one overall. Maybe because I’m a little buzzed/drunk and it’s been a long night or maybe just because it’s a pretty bland Brit rock type album overall.
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
I think this is my favorite Janis Joplin project I’ve ever heard and that’s in large part to ball and chain. What an epic song with epic electric guitars. The rest of the album was pretty fun and I didn’t find Janis’s voice as annoying as I normally do. Piece of my heart was also a standout.
Parliament
3/5
I was really hoping that this would be more fun to listen to on 4/20 than it was. Felt like late stage funk meaning it was just less fun than the Isaac Hayes funkadelic golden age for some reason. P-funk and we want the funk were both good and it was listenable overall, it just didn’t have the juice that my favorite funk albums have.
The Young Gods
3/5
After 952 albums, I had still never heard weird French Ramnstein industrial music until now so this album has that going for it if nothing else. I couldn’t tell if I was entranced by this because I actually enjoyed the music or if I was just trying to process what the fuck I was listening to. I think I mildly enjoyed it at the very least but still not sure.
The Temptations
4/5
I don’t remember the other temptations albums super clearly but this one has to be up there with my favorites. It’s was funky and soulsy and R&B incarnate and the lyrics had some great social commentary in them. Papa was a rolling stone was my fav.
Serge Gainsbourg
3/5
Im sure that this would be very interesting if I spoke French but since I don’t I only really have the sound and the wiki description to work with. Going off of that, I’ll take the wikis word for it on the subject matter and legacy fronts but all I heard was mildly interesting French music that was enjoyable for 40 minutes at least. Already forgetting a lot of this and it’s been like 2 hours since I listened.
CHVRCHES
4/5
This album has everything that I should love about 2010s music and while I still enjoyed quite a few tracks from this album, something about it didn’t fully click with me. It’s somewhat similar to arcade fire but even more synthy and that might be what didn’t work for me. It was almost TOO 2010s synth pop for me which is saying something. Regardless, the first two tracks and you caught the light were the standouts
Talking Heads
4/5
Can I just get speaking in tongues already? Like this album is funky, fun, endlessly creative, and great in its own right but hearing this just makes me want to listen to naive melody again. Yes the back half of this album starting with once in a lifetime is excellent and I really loved houses in motion but it doesn’t have naive melody and I’m starting to worry that that album won’t show up on here. I’d also take the stop making sense soundtrack but I doubt that’s on this list.
Wilco
4/5
Another album I’ve heard tons about through pop culture osmosis but never listened to, this one was really solid. I don’t have much to say about it but it was a great fusion of Wilco sound with more mainstream 2000s sounds. War on war and Jesus etc were my favs.
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
It’s been a while since I’ve had to listen to lame 80s music so I guess it was refreshing in that way but otherwise I got no enjoyment out of this. Maybe it was because I got remain in light recently idk. Also not sure why I didn’t give that album a 5.
Björk
3/5
I think this is my first bjork album since the sugar cubes one and that’s definitely changed how I think of her music because I used to think it was all depressing all the time but now I realize that there’s more to it than that. The production is very Radiohead-esque but the lyrics are more romantic and sexy instead of being about killing yourself or whatever. I still couldn’t fully get into it except for hidden places but this was definitely the most interest album I’ve heard from her.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
This was more classic swamp rock and bad moon rising is obviously a banger but I think I liked the other CCR album more than this. Bayou Blues felt like a non-stop airboat ride through gator-infested waters while this one was more seedy bar with a tv playing Vietnam footage in the background. Both are great in their own way but I think it comes down to personal preference.
Pink Floyd
5/5
I haven't listened to pink floyd since the last album of theirs I got on this list, which was quite a while ago, so despite having listened to this album countless times it still felt refreshing when I got it today. It's probably the best concept album ever and even the "interludes" have replay value before you even get to classics like comfortably numb, another brick in the wall pt 2, and young lust. Every time I listen I feel like I get something new out of the story and this listen was no different. Also makes me wonder what Pink Floyd would have made if Syd Barrett hadn't been insane since at least 3 of their most famous albums are based on him in some way.
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
I don’t have much to say about this album except that it was a really fun international album. It was funky and jazzy and had some great backing vocals and production. Ponta de lanca Africano and xica de Silva were my favs.
Nine Inch Nails
5/5
Along with the wall, it’s been a good week for concept albums. While probably not quite as good as the wall, it’s definitely top 3 for concept albums that I can think of off the top of my head. I can just imagine this entire track list playing all at once in the final moments before the narrator shoots himself at the end of fight club. From disillusionment to depression to anger to horniness to brief glimpses of happiness back to even deeper sadness to a beautifully sad ending, it really does feel like you’re on the spiral too. It starts with the overwhelming mr self destruct and never really lets up except for a warm place. Closer and hurt were my other two standouts.
The Dandy Warhols
5/5
This was a fun 90s alt/indie rock album. There was nothing super memorable about it but it passed an hour pretty pleasantly and was a nice palate cleanser after listening to an album about killing yourself all day yesterday (also wanted to add that the combos of metal, industrial, and synth on downward spiral were awesome). Reminded me a lot of mainstream sonic youth stuff and I love you was the only standout for me but all of the songs were at least decent.
However, I listened to it again today and a lot more of it really stuck to me and was enjoyable to the point where I might give it a 5. Gained a lot more appreciation of like the first three track and a couple more throughout. And it passes the weed test.
Maxwell
4/5
This is definitely going on the sex playlist like I don’t know if I’ve even gotten a steamier album than this besides that Marvin Gaye album. It’s also pretty good to listen to high apparently with all the jazz bits. First songs is the standout for me.
M.I.A.
3/5
At first I thought I was gonna be in for a rough time with this album. The first three songs were incredibly grating to me and there was no smash hit saving grace in sight like her last album. But my attitude towards this one became very similar to the paper planes one by the end in that both of them grew on me after about half an hour. This one was definitely even weirder but it still had the same kineticism and social commentary (albeit occasionally dated) even without a more mainstream track or two which made it feel like a less accessible Remi Wolf. I liked Amazon the most I think but I enjoyed the whole last half.
I wonder how MIA feels to be known for the one song that sounds nothing even remotely close to anything else in her discography.
The Associates
2/5
I think this is the first album that emphatically DID NOT pass the high test. Boring repetitive 80s new wave that had a couple of interesting moments but nothing fun or memorable at all.
Dirty Projectors
4/5
For some reason this gave me a more wholesome bjork vibe mixed with like talking heads and it was great. Off beat 2000s indie rock with some absolute bangers (stillness is the move, useful chamber) but also kinda peters out after useful chamber.
Pere Ubu
2/5
This album wasn’t enjoyable to listen to but I also can’t say that I hate it enough to give it a 1. There are some things to like with this it’s just buried under like 20 layers of obnoxious post-punk/noise rock. Like the first song wasn’t terrible but the first 20 seconds almost made me nauseous and my gf had to leave the room.
Marty Robbins
5/5
Literally impossible to not love. Basically every song is a banger and is rivaled only by Johnny Horton for this style of western music. Not much else to say it’s just 40 minutes of pure joy.
The Byrds
3/5
This was average 60s music but honestly it’s been a while since I’ve gotten slop like this so I’m not at hostile toward it as I would be otherwise. Plus after sweetheart at the rodeo I’ve come to enjoy the byrds more over time. Wild mountain thyme was my fav.
Neil Young
3/5
Not the best but not the worst Neil young I’ve gotten on this list. Just glad it’s back on Spotify honestly.
Love
2/5
So glad to have to listen to more folk psychedelia before I die. Once I heard the harpsichord at the very beginning I knew I was in for a bad time. At least there was no overuse of the sitar I guess.
The Doors
4/5
This is an album I appreciated a lot more than I liked. It's a classic filled with plenty of memorable tracks and I liked it a good amount but something about it just doesn't get me to a 5. Break on through, the end, twentieth century fox, and light my fire are all great and the psychedelic/bluesy sound of every track is great plus it's a super influential album for modern rock but something about it doesn't get me excited like my favorite albums from this list have.
Bebel Gilberto
5/5
She might be a nepo baby but she definitely has the same sauce as both of her parents. Some of the most soothing singing you’ve ever heard over some excellent chilled out and sultry bossa nova. Loved the first track and the whole album. Correction: Astrud is her stepmom but her actual mom is a singer too so I’m sure my first point is still accurate. I’m drunk so why not a 5
Astor Piazzolla
2/5
I’m not one to hate on ambient music like this and it was interesting to hear tango for the first time but this was to the point that it basically sounded like royalty free music that would be on it’s always sunny in Philadelphia or something. Not bad to listen to but I could barely pay attention to any of it before my mind sought out other stuff to engage with.
Bon Jovi
4/5
Yes this album is dated. Yes it’s completely corny. Yes it sounds like it was written by a 14 year old that’s only ever watched the movie road house. And yet, it still rips somehow. It’s fun to sing along to and makes for great karaoke; what more do you need? Sure it gets old after one listen and gets by on more than a fair bit of nostalgia but hey if, like me, you haven’t heard the big hits in a couple years its fun to revisit
Elvis Presley
3/5
I’m generally a fan of Elvis music but I’ve realized that he is not an album artist. He could crank out hits but, at least with this one, there’s one true hit and maybe one decent one then 20 minutes of boring crooning which only serves as background music for when two 50s high schoolers fuck in their car in lovers lane or whatever. If you’re going to steal black music you might as well make it interesting in some new way. This is literally the exact same sound even down to the vocals.
Boards of Canada
4/5
This was one of those “landmark classics” that I was expecting to have never heard a track from despite it being hailed as the most important film of all time or whatever. Fortunately, I was surprised by this album because it has more than one track that I really liked and one I even recognized. Roygbiv feels like such a universal song to me that whenever I see it I don’t associate it with any artist or band. However, do NOT listen to this high. It was definitely interesting to listen to but the first half was very unnerving to listen to alone in the dark in that state of mind.
The Triffids
3/5
Every individual song I thought was pretty decent but as I was nearing the end of the album I looked back and could only remember a nebulous blob of 80s generic music
Grizzly Bear
4/5
Two weeks is such a 2010s era indie pop song to me that it’s weird to know it came out in 2009. And even weirder that it came from this album because it’s definitely different (but not drastically) from the rest of the album. It’s definitely a standout track along with all we ask and I love with you but the whole album was exactly the kind of indie music I grew up with in high school and college so I enjoyed it all around.
Soundgarden
5/5
Two weeks is such a 2010s era indie pop song to me that it’s weird to know it came out in 2009. And even weirder that it came from this album because it’s definitely different (but not drastically) from the rest of the album. It’s definitely a standout track along with all we ask and I love with you but the whole album was exactly the kind of indie music I grew up with in high school and college so I enjoyed it all around.
Jungle Brothers
3/5
Two weeks is such a 2010s era indie pop song to me that it’s weird to know it came out in 2009. And even weirder that it came from this album because it’s definitely different (but not drastically) from the rest of the album. It’s definitely a standout track along with all we ask and I love with you but the whole album was exactly the kind of indie music I grew up with in high school and college so I enjoyed it all around.
Fever Ray
5/5
I have no idea who Karin dreijer is but they make some great electronica. Heavy, oppressive soundscapes mixed with other more groovy tracks made it a awesome listen all the way through. I get the bjork comparisons but something about it worked for me that I don’t get from bjorks music. If I had a heart is by far my favorite but I also liked when I grow up and triangle walks
The Beta Band
3/5
Struggling to find anything interesting to say about this album. It was definitely unique but even still literally none of it stuck with me in anyway. It has an indie rock electronica kinda thing going on but beyond that idk.
David Bowie
4/5
I may be getting David Bowie fatigue at this point in the list but I can still appreciate this album at least. Not as crazy and innovative as others of his but still enjoyable with changes and life on mars as the standout.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
Okay now talk about an artist I actually am sick of on this list. Elvis Costello deserves 2 maybe 3 albums on this list, not like 6. He’s had some good music on here but this one just felt like more of the same with nothing interesting to break up 40 minutes of his stuffy nasally voice.
Small Faces
2/5
Love the album cover. Did not like the music at all. Aggressively British skits breaking up generic late 60s rock music and that was it. Cutesy at first but just got annoying honestly.
G. Love & Special Sauce
2/5
Not at all what I was expecting based on the album cover but the “sloppy” sound was not the special sauce for me and makes this album the third in a row that was just kind of irritating. Has like 40 seconds worth of fun moments on it.
Marvin Gaye
5/5
I’ve been expecting this album for a while and I’m glad to finally listen to it as part of this list. It manages to hit that sweet spot of dealing with some really heavy shit while being insanely easy on the ears at the same time. From Vietnam to racism to urban struggles it’s all there and each song perfectly tackles each issue it’s aiming at. What’s going on and inner city blues are my favs.
The Zutons
4/5
This was an ultra early 2000s indie rock album and that’s all it really needed to be. Every song was fun with a bunch of different instrumentation in each track and you will you won’t and railroad were my favs. Solid all around album.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
This was a lot less energetic, less reliant on samples, and a lot more house than the other fanboy slim stuff I’ve listened to. This also makes it not quite as fun as those other records. The weekend starts here was fun though.
Roni Size
2/5
According to the wiki, the original album was over 2 hours long but the only options I had were an hour long or 5 hours long. Unfortunately I could barely even stomach the hour long short version. I’d say that I don’t like drum and bass that much but I swear I’ve reacted positively to this type of electronica before—even the radio after the album wasn’t bad. This one just happened to suck balls and was incredibly annoying to me despite being considered the opus of the subgenre apparently. Very low two
The Black Keys
5/5
I thought I already got this album but honestly I don't care if it's the second time because I could listen to this album on loop endlessly. The first four tracks are each all-timers and the rest of the album keeps up the momentum to make my favorite black keys album and one of my favorite albums in general. This also sounds great live.
Todd Rundgren
4/5
I was extremely intimidated by the 90 minute run time of this album especially after that shitty 60 minute drum and bass album and even more so after seeing that it’s 70s psychedelic rock/pop but all of my fears were allayed. This is the fun kind of 70s psych pop that’s catchy and energetic and while it might’ve still been a little long for me I still had positive feelings toward it by the end. I saw the light and dust in the wind were my favs.
Tom Waits
3/5
It was interesting to get Tom waits and the black keys in the same week because they’re both in the same musical vein at different points in time but the latter I really love and the former I try to at least appreciate even though it never quite works for me. This one was better than a lot of his other music since it had actual music and singing but I still wasn’t super engaged with it.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
One of those albums where I knew I was listening to a 3 the entire time. Completely unremarkable unexciting alt rock/britpop. First song was closest thing to a standout.
Air
4/5
There aren’t many soundtracks on this list so I was surprised to see that this one made the cut. It definitely worked as a 40 minute lowkey, ethereal electronic album aside from the last song but I feel like I won’t fully appreciate this until I watch the movie. Just like how I think of lost in translation whenever I listen to sometimes by mbv. Also this being on here over the daft punk tron legacy soundtrack is a robbery.
Suede
3/5
There were times while I was listening to this album that I got pretty into it and enjoyed it a decent amount but those moments came and went. Now I’m left with the feelings I had at the start of the album, mainly that it just sounds like a cure/smiths/david Bowie album smashed together with very few defining characteristics. Maybe the combo *is* the unique selling point but I didn’t find it terribly impressing.
The Icarus Line
5/5
So this is my 1001st album.
Although there was never really a time that I seriously considered quitting this list it’s still somewhat mind blowing to actually be at the 1001st album. There’s still about 80 albums left so I’ll save all the reminiscing and reflecting and highlighting for the real end but even now I’m starting to get that bittersweet, college graduation feeling about something that’s been a part of my life for years coming to an end.
As for the actual album, the more I listened to it, the more I enjoyed it. Thought it was going to be annoying nu metal at first but it turned out to be a really fun mish mash of rock subgenres. Rage against the machine and the whole grunge movement were the biggest influences but I also got early 00s alternative vibes. Big sleep, virgin Velcro, and party the baby off were all standouts but none of the tracks really stood above the rest; was more of a full album experience type thing.
Eminem
4/5
I really loved my name is and guilty conscience when I was 12-15 and while those songs are still fun, this album is best left in your puberty years. I get that the crassness, questionable morals, and posturing about violence was eminem's whole bit at this point but it really wears thin after the 3rd reference to the OJ Simpson murders, and like 80th skit (like, it feels like they're half the runtime of the album). Listening to this after the Marshall Mathers LP I didn't realize how many songs he's devoted to murdering/raping Kim in various scenarios and have a greater appreciation for Stan because it's like his first song that's about something more than wanting to throat fuck Hillary Clinton or whatever. Despite all of this, though, you can't deny that he really brought the juice technically. From the flow to the beats it all sounds great but it's like inventing the calculator only to use it to write boobs upside down over and over and over again.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
I could be misremembering but I think this is my first and likely only salsa album I’ve gotten on this list. It was fun enough to listen to alone but this really felt like it should only be played at a massive Hispanic social event like a quinceanera or something. Don’t get quite the same effect when listening to it on my couch as I play balatro at 1 in the morning.
Kings of Leon
4/5
Finally got the sex on fire album and as I suspected it’s my favorite kings of Leon album I’ve gotten out of the 3 or 4. Sex on fire is an all timer plus use somebody and closer are also great. The whole thing is just great for having on at a campfire that’s winding down for the night.
Metallica
5/5
This is gonna be a tough one to be unbiased about. I loved this album as a kid and listened to enter sandman and unforgiven endless times in my formative years. As an adult, I think it still holds up and strikes a good balance between the thrashier stuff Metallica is became known for and the lame alt stuff they would (rightfully) be reviled for later on by slowing things down while still being energetic and interesting. I get that a lot of purists consider this their “sellout” album which is probably fair but if the music is good who cares. And the music fucking slaps. Sure there are some repetitive song structures here and there but it never stops being fun to listen to. Along with the two I already mentioned, nothing else matters, wherever I may roam, and holier than thou are also my favs. Hardcore metal heads can hate on this all they want but even for all its faults I think it’s a great time.
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
While none of the tracks really stood out, I had a good time with this album. It’s been a while since I’ve had this type of edm on this list and since this is a debut hopefully surrender, their most popular album, is still ahead.
Just checked my history and I also got their sophomore album and totally forgot about it. I relistened to a bit of it and honestly it basically sounded exactly the same as this one but for some reason I’m enjoying dog your own hole more. Might just need more time to pass in between both albums.
Jeff Buckley
4/5
As someone that loved hallelujah in middle school it was fun to hear the album that song is from finally. Jeff Buckley has a killer voice and quite a bit of range that works on a pretty eclectic mix of tracks on this album. I was honestly expecting it to be slower like hallelujah but songs like eternal life really subverted that expectation while also exceeding it. Also really liked grace.
Chicago
3/5
This has negative vibes when listening high but the next day it got better when I realized it was largely instrumental jazz rock before it got worse again when it turned into noise rock for like 5 minutes and then played clips from Vietnam protests/the 68 democratic convention (I think). The protest clips were somewhat interesting but felt pretty different totally from the lighter rock at the start.
The Zombies
3/5
I think I’m getting senioritis with this list because while this is by no means the worst psychedelic 60s album I’ve gotten. It’s actually a pretty good one that I’d probably like with enough time separation from this list but I had much less patience with this one than I probably would have had if it had been before the 1000 mark. I couldn’t help but just zone it out while I played balatro.
The Louvin Brothers
4/5
I didn’t really hear anything special in this album but I love this kind of country folk blues so it ended up being a nice way to spend 45 minutes. It even had a standout track in Knoxville girl which is unusual for a broader experience-type album like this where every song sounds basically exactly the same except the lyrics are different.
Madonna
4/5
This is an interesting one because I always knew that Madonna went through a bunch of reinventions in the 90s and 00s through pop culture osmosis but I’ve never actually listened to an example of it. This was an interesting first time because it’s wildly different from her 80s music and is just unique in general since it tries to fuse both country and electronica. Sometimes it really works (paradise) and sometimes it really doesn’t (American pie cover) but it was a surprisingly fascinating listen either way.
Pink Floyd
5/5
I think this is the last of the really big headliner albums on this list for me and it was a great one to end on. Plus, this one proves the randomness because I got like all 8 Bowie albums and 1000 others before this. Anyway, I didn’t really have any new revelations on this latest relisten but that’s probably more due to the fact that I’ve listened to this more times than I can count. There’s no skips and it deserves its spot among the best albums ever with my favs being time and brain damage/eclipse.
Don McLean
4/5
This is definitely in the running for one of the whitest white people albums on this list. As a white person, American pie is obviously great but the rest was just average 70s stuff to me. Sounded like an amalgam of all the 70s rock and folk singers to make a completely indistinguishable album aside from one all timer.
Buffalo Springfield
3/5
This isn’t the type of music I really associate with Buffalo Springfield at all and after the first song or two I start to really vibe with it because it became more like blues with a little psychedelia and not vice versa. I also enjoyed it much more listening to it high than sober and good time boy was probs my fav
Joni Mitchell
4/5
It’s crazy how much more I enjoy Joni Mitchell now that she’s back on Spotify and I can use my phone while still listening to her music ad-free. This is one of her more upbeat albums I’ve gotten and is well written as usual. Think I’m gonna relisten to blue since I remember (probably unfairly) shitting on that album when I got it.
Neil Young
3/5
For the second day in a row, I'm glad this music is back on spotify but this didn't hit me in a different way like yesterday's joni mitchell album did. Just very average to me and I think that's because rust never sleeps and parts of his other albums before this one stood out to me a bit more.
The Beta Band
4/5
I had no idea what I was in for with this album and while I wasn’t totally blown away by it, it was still a pretty good time. Funky, electronicish, and mostly 2000s indie Brit rock. Not too memorable except for space but still solid.
lol I just searched for beta band in my history and said pretty much the exact same thing about their last album (which I have literally no recollection of)
Gram Parsons
4/5
I managed to listen to this while on a multi day bike ride and it was so relaxing at the end of a day of riding. The first song is great and the rest is fun but I gradually lost enthusiasm as the album went on. Maybe a couple more listens would put this over the top to a 5.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
5/5
This is one of the few times where between a debut and famous album the debut was actually better. It’s blitz was also great but this album just ripped with so many bangers like tick, pin, and maps. Felt much more punk and less poppy than it’s blitz in general.
Can
3/5
This felt like a precursor to aphex twin at points and it was pretty alright. Nothing wildly interesting but I enjoyed listening for half an hour or whatever. 70s ambient/super psych rock.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
I thought this was going to be Peter Gabriel does Brian who at first but it turned out to be Peter Gabriel doing David Bowie which was generally bland to me. Not much to get excited about with this one. More like Peter Gabriel 3/5
Throwing Muses
4/5
It’s a bummer this isn’t on Spotify because there were quite a few songs I’d revisit if I didn’t have to go on YouTube for them and it was a fun album in general. Turned out to be a blend of sleater Kinney type 90s alt rock and country that I enjoyed enough to not get pissy that I had to waste time on YouTube for it. Rabbits dying and fear were my top songs.
Robert Wyatt
2/5
I didn’t really like shleep and I didn’t really like this either. His irritating vocals over overwhelming, overlapping psychedelic folk stuff is just so annoying to me.
The 13th Floor Elevators
3/5
This was so stereotypical of 60s music that I spent the whole runtime imagining it being played over a Woodstock montage or at some point in once upon a time in Hollywood or throughout a 1968 counter culture documentary. The music being this broad is both fun to listen to but also gets a little bland after a while. I enjoyed the more bluesy stuff in kingdom of heaven but overall it was all fine.
The Sonics
3/5
This was so stereotypical of 60s music that I spent the whole runtime imagining it being played over a Woodstock montage or at some point in once upon a time in Hollywood or throughout a 1968 counter culture documentary.
Fairport Convention
2/5
Okay three mediocre 60s albums in a row is starting to make me think the end of this list isn’t randomized and is just loaded with all of the lamest, most forgettable albums. This one was definitely worse than the last two because it was stereotypical folk instead of stereotypical psych/rock.
The Monkees
3/5
Okay three mediocre 60s albums in a row is starting to make me think the end of this list isn’t randomized and is just loaded with all of the lamest, most forgettable albums. This one was definitely worse than the last two because it was stereotypical folk instead of stereotypical psych/rock.
Calexico
4/5
This passed the high/sober listening test largely because of a strong first half but then it became a lot more instrumental and less fun but still quality. Had quite a variety of genres which was also pretty well done but overall I’m just glad I’m out of the rut of lame 60s music. Quattro and woven birds are my favs.
Brian Eno
4/5
It’s hard to review ambient albums like this sometimes because it’s music that’s meant to be in the background so I’m doing other stuff while I listen but then by the end I only remember a vague pleasant feeling and can’t say much more about the actual music because I was zoning it out by design. Going off that feeling, though, I enjoyed this a decent amount plus the title track was memorable in its own right.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
I’d never heard of this album before and while this was good in its own right I can see why electric ladyland and are you experienced are his two classics. It’s less intense on the guitars and none of the tracks stood out as much as some on his other works but it still has the signature psych blues vibe throughout. Lowkey a sophomore slump but for Jimi Hendrix that still means the musics pretty good. Maybe if I had gotten this on one of the days I was high I’d have enjoyed it more.
Okay I listened to this again a bit more actively and enjoyed it a lot more. Still not as memorable overall but a couple more tracks stood out to me like little wing and one rainy wish.
Travis
3/5
Imagine talking shit on Wonderwall and Oasis for your entire album despite basically copying them and then you lose best British album of the past 30 years to the Wonderwall album. Fucking hilarious also the music was completely uninteresting except maybe the first song.
Tortoise
4/5
I got worried by the first track because it was *ambient* ambient. Like vaguely harmonic noises ambient. But as it introduced actual instruments and real musical sounds it got a lot better and by the end I was having fun especially since the last track was my fav.
10cc
3/5
My only knowledge of 10cc is from the guardians of the galaxy soundtrack so my expectations were pretty ambivalent to low which turned out in the albums favor. It started out pretty lame but gradually got more interesting as it went along even if it was only in brief moments and not any single song was a banger from start to finish. Baron samedi cane the closest though.
Justice
5/5
My only knowledge of 10cc is from the guardians of the galaxy soundtrack so my expectations were pretty ambivalent to low which turned out in the albums favor. It started out pretty lame but gradually got more interesting as it went along even if it was only in brief moments and not any single song was a banger from start to finish. Baron samedi cane the closest though.
Fairport Convention
2/5
Oh wow more boring English folk music from the 60s.
The Rolling Stones
4/5
This stones album felt more pub anthem-ish in a very American way which was both fun and somewhat exhausting by the end. No particular song stood out, it just felt like an overall crowd pleaser album to put on at a family reunion or something.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
It’s only been 12 hours and I remember not a single thing from this album. I vaguely remember it being very bland 90s music and that’s already a fleeting memory at best.
Rufus Wainwright
4/5
Rufus still has one of the best voices I’ve discovered on this list and while the last album of his might have had better instruments to complement that voice, this one was still a pleasure to listen to on the vocals and lyrics alone. Peach trees was my fav.
John Martyn
4/5
Definitely judged the book by its cover on this one and was proved somewhat wrong by the end. I was expected another boring 70s rock album and instead got a nice and pleasant sounding 70s chill album with a very soothing vibe. One world was my fav.
Guns N' Roses
4/5
It’s been a while since I’ve listened to this all the way through (like I was probably single digits in age still) so it was at least interesting to hear as an adult. For the 3-4 classics on here it’s a pretty uneven album overall with most of the non classics being incredibly lame and forgettable. This has rightfully been relegated to the pits of dad rock but if you haven’t heard it in a while sweet child and you’re crazy at least still pack some punch, paradise city and welcome to the jungle maybe less so for me.
David Ackles
4/5
I can see why this is considered a great album that didn’t find an audience because it has all the components of a hit 70s singer songwriter album but it’s very orchestral and the lyrics arent about the Vietnam war or whatever. While I wouldn’t say it’s *great* it’s still pretty solid by my singer songwriter standards in that I normally don’t like them and I liked this one. Another Friday night was my fav and I just generally liked the guys voice.
Ananda Shankar
5/5
By simply having talent and incorporating more than just the sitar into the production, this album instantly rockets ahead of any stupid western psychedelic albums as well as most Indian albums on this list. Both high and sober, this shit slapped from start to finish. The mix of Indian and Western rock music was perfectly balanced and made each track interesting even without any vocals at all until the final song. Even though some of the songs are covers it still feels fresh and interesting.
Pixies
4/5
Despite not having where is my mind on it I think I enjoyed this album more than surfer Rosa. It’s just pure 90s alt that’s enjoyable from start to finish and has multiple fun songs (here comes your man, hey, debased) rather than just one memorable banger
Michael Jackson
4/5
It’s so interesting to hear pre-thriller Michael Jackson because it’s really good but is more of just a solid addition to a genre or mix thereof—in this case disco and r&b—as opposed to the era defining height of his powers that came 3 years later. Thriller and bad are timeless opuses and this is a really solid addition to his earlier discography that has some enduring hits on it like don’t stop… and off the wall.
Tim Buckley
3/5
I got scared seeing 70s singer-songwriter but honestly I’m just glad it had actual sounds in it and wasn’t just some fuck with his guitar singing about the usual 70s stuff. It was some fuck with multiple instruments singing about being a sex addict and picking up street hookers.
Giant Sand
3/5
This is such a 90s alt rock album to the point of parody. Okay music playing behind some of the blandest mumble vocals ever. I remember some of the lyrics being funny but already hardly remember them at all. Also didn't listen to the bonus tracks because I really couldn't be bothered.
Radiohead
5/5
I honestly thought I had already gotten this album lol. I even mentioned it when I reviewed hail to the thief so that review looks pretty dumb now. Anyway, this album is awesome and is rightly hailed as one of if not the best genre switch ever. Seamless transition from punk/alt rock to electronica without even losing any songwriting prowess. Kid a is the only song I don’t really like from this album.
Steely Dan
3/5
I normally love steely dan but this album was so boring I didn’t even realize I had already finished it and it was halfway through the second loop before I noticed. Just so light as to basically not exist.
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
3/5
More music white people stole from black people but while that’s nothing new I did begin wondering at what point music like this started being cliche since no one really thinks of any 50s music being tired and cliched. Like at what point did people get tired of hearing yet another ___ ___ Blues song? It was still good with Johnny cash in the 60s but this feels so much less inspired than that. This is a pretty long way to say that I thought this album was lame despite liking this type of music but I had to think of something while the “o brother where art thou” version of elevator music was playing.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
I really liked the first couple songs on this (even the talking one) and I was starting to think that it was one of my favorite velvet underground albums until sister ray hit and I realized I wasn’t built for 17 straight minutes of proto punk noise rock. Kinda turned me off listening to the rest of the deluxe.
Orange Juice
2/5
This was basically white noise to me. Of all of the mediocre post punk I’ve gotten this is the most blandest and boringest of them all which is really saying something after over 1000 albums. Like I can’t even articulate how uninteresting this was.
Dennis Wilson
4/5
Turns out you don’t have to have a mental breakdown and worry your entire family to make great music. This had some great tracks and used a ton of different instruments and even made me want to keep listening through the deluxe version.
Scott Walker
2/5
In my Scott 2 review I said I’d be open to listening to 1,3,4,5 kinda as a joke but now that I actually did get another one of his albums I want Scott 2 get the fuck off the rest of this list 4 I am tired of it now. This one wasn’t really fun at all despite it having duchess and old man’s back again because it had no quirkiness or uniqueness. Just some music ig.
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
4/5
Honestly thought I was gonna hate this when it was described as British proto punk but it actually took me by surprise. I can see some of the punk origins with the goofy and crass lyrics and stuff but that just made it a fun 70s comedy rock type thing to me instead. Gang bang was my fav.
Soft Machine
1/5
Even though it’s not the worst thing ever I’m 1050 albums in and trying to have a brat summer so forgive me for not giving a 75 minute long psych jazz prog rock album much of a chance. Just don’t have it in me right now or maybe ever.
Portishead
4/5
I love portishead and while Beth gibbons can carry any album on her vocals alone I was mildly disappointed by this one. It seemed a lot more experimental and less cohesive than something like dummy in a way that didn’t quite work for me. Deep water was my fav.
Lupe Fiasco
4/5
Had low expectations for this because I’ve always associated Lupe fiasco with trashy 00s hip hop relegated to nostalgia playlists but this was surprisingly good. Great lyrics and generally good production, a couple songs were a bit lame sonically but you can definitely feel the Kanye jay-z influence. Daydreamin and emperors soundtrack were my favs.
I wrote this midway through the outro and as it kept going on and on it’s actively ruining all the goodwill the rest of the album built up because it’s 12 minutes of him just listing off every single person he’s ever met I think. I guess if it’s his debut he’s thankful to everyone who got him here or whatever but I really don’t give a shit.
1/5
So I got two albums back to back that both had obnoxiously long and irritating outros but the difference is that this album sucks ass. I’m a sucker for nu metal every once in a while and rollin is a guilty pleasure classic but that song is probably the only bright spot. Everything else is just so whiny and shallow to the point of parody like how does Fred durst feel this persecuted by Christina Aguilera or whatever. At least break stuff is catchy and angry, every song on this is just pure 90s white male rage and insecurity.
Merle Haggard
4/5
A nice half hour of good ol country music. Can’t complain.
Dr. John
2/5
At least it was a weird psychedelic album with a voodoo, New Orleans creole kinda thing going on instead of just plain lame psychedelic rock. Not much else to say except that I will immediately forgot about this album by the time I fall asleep tonight.
Stephen Stills
3/5
And finally I have completed all of the Crosby stills Nash and young solo albums (I think). It wasn’t easy and involved sitting throught mostly bland dad rock albums with limited exceptions but I’m glad I did it just so I can say it’s all boring with some authority. This album was not one of the exceptions.
2/5
Skylarking was one of my first albums on this list nearly three years ago and I remember that one being pretty forgettable too but at least it was on Spotify.
John Cale
3/5
It was nice to have an album from the early 70s recently that wasn’t totally unremarkable. This had some fun tracks like Macbeth to counteract being somewhat forgettable overall.
Ash
4/5
As of writing, I’m high as shit and this album rocked for the whole hour. I’ll see if im still feeling it tomorrow morning.
My thoughts the next day are that I was expecting some lame mid 90s pop rock album but as soon as Goldfinger and girl from mars came on I was sold. They’re both still super 90s but they’re the type of dated hits that are still good in spite of their cultural age. The rest is fun and still has a couple standouts like kung fu but nothing as good as the two main hits.
Everything But The Girl
4/5
As soon as I heard that stereotypical lo fi electronica sound at the very start of this I knew I was gonna at least enjoy most of the album regardless of how engaging it was and I was right. Flipside stuck out to me but overall I was just along for a nice ride.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
2/5
At this point I think I’ve heard enough Indian music before I die and now I’m just interested in the context of these albums more than anything. Looking at the wiki makes me think qawwali music like this is meant to only be heard live because I’m not really getting the acclaimed endurance and range that the wiki page talk about but it’s fascinating to read about how this guy is considered one of the greatest singers ever and his influence stretches from Jeff Buckley to Eddie vedder to Zayn Malik to mick jagger. I’ve never heard of him even though he’s basically Elvis and Gandhi in one person (although he seemed to really take after Elvis in his later years) which is so wild to me and as I learn more about him the music even sounds slightly better but it still feels like a grind as I hear the end of the second disc.
Simple Minds
3/5
I have literally never heard any other simple minds song other than the breakfast club one and while I understand that they’re mad no one paid attention to their other work, after listening to this I kinda get why they got relegated to one hit wonder status. This is just more 80s music with no discernible uniqueness.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
I’m normally pretty ambivalent about Bruce Springsteen stuff but this combined the best aspects of all of his past work into something I actively enjoyed. Well written with great vocals plus the production is pretty bombastic which is more in my wheelhouse than anything from Nebraska or stuff like that. Waiting on a sunny day and counting on a miracle were my favs plus a couple others I don’t remember which ones cuz I was high (sounds great that way too)
Justin Timberlake
3/5
This was ultra 2000s in both the best and worst ways. Justin’s vocals are good enough and the r&b sound is pretty alright enough to make for quite a few catchy songs but between dated lyrics and the overall vibes this album just oozes early 2000s cringe in a way I can’t fully quantify. Cry me a river and rock your body are still fun at least.
Malcolm McLaren
3/5
Based on the first track, I was getting ready to slap 5 stars on this album. Based on the second track, I thought this would be an interesting album even if it isn't a five.
After I finished the last track, I barely knew what the fuck I just listened to.
It starts out as an ambient African kinda thing then becomes very very early hip hop before just spazzing out with a million different influences in the final half. On top of the hip hop, there's stuff that sounds pure 80s, stuff that sounds ahead of its time, Spanish stuff, jive stuff, you name it. Very eclectic but not much of it totally stuck for me. Obatala was the standout ambient track thing. Also the "round the outside"sample was fun to hear in the wild.
Butthole Surfers
3/5
Of all of the lowest rated albums, I think this is the one I personally enjoyed the most. Yes it’s crass and abrasive and the kuntz song is insanely culturally insensitive (I think, still a fun song) but it never felt like an endurance test unlike almost all of the other low rated albums. Maybe that’s just because it’s only 32 minutes and is super fast paced but idk. I liked Kuntz and sweat loaf the most.
King Crimson
5/5
I was vaguely aware that this album was on here and was excited to listen to it for the first time for this list. I expected a really good prog rock album given how basically everyone gushes over it but it somehow still exceeded expectations by being almost anti prog rock. No 15 minutes of fucking around before the good shit, no weird noises really at all just 45 minutes of all killer no filler jazz rock fusion that has the bare bones of prog rock elements. Also blew my mind that the sample from power by Kanye west came from 21 century schizoid man which was also my fav track but the whole thing was great.
Gotan Project
3/5
As another review put it: top tier phone hold music. Elevator music, ambience, whatever you wanna call it; it was nice in the background for an hour. There were some points that stuck out but honestly couldn’t tell you what songs those points were on.
Muddy Waters
4/5
It’s nice to have some good ol fashioned, mainline, no frills blues sometimes. Just such pure music that’s endlessly enjoyable to listen to. Also funny because I thought he was saying put a tiger in my taint for the first minute or so.
4/5
Similar to the muddy waters album I got recently, it was nice to just have a straight up no frills soul/funk album. A bit more instrumental than I expected after hearing the first song but the second half of the album brought some heat with four cornered room and world is a ghetto.
UB40
3/5
While this is definitely in the running for my favorite album cover of all time the actual music was just some nice pleasant West Indies British reggae. Fun to hear more non bob marley reggae but other than that nothing super memorable.
The Divine Comedy
3/5
Normally this guys great voice would’ve been sent to the new wave gulag in the 80s so it was nice to hear it be used for a more unique type of pop even if the music itself still wasn’t super memorable.
Mott The Hoople
2/5
Shitty glam rock without the bombasticity of kiss nor any of the traits that make David Bowie good. Doesn’t even rise to New York dolls level.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
5/5
Reaalllllllllllly love me some big band. It’s just so fun to listen to and this had a good mix of big and small stuff. After supper was a great little mix up and might be my fav.
Joy Division
3/5
I always lowkey thought this album was overrated. Yes it has a t shirt worthy album cover but past that and a select couple of tracks like disorder I was never super engaged by this album like other people. I get that it’s very influential and important in certain ways but that doesn’t help the fact that I get bored listening to this.
Air
5/5
I’m glad I got at least one more album that rocks equally hard when high or sober. Super catchy French electronica and first two songs plus last one were my favs.
The Libertines
4/5
At first I really didn’t like this because it sounded like generic irritating Brit rock the album looped on accident and I found myself enjoying it a lot more for some reason. I’m not even sure what really changed but songs like music when the lights go out were a lot more fun.
Goldie
3/5
At first I really didn’t like this because it sounded like generic irritating Brit rock the album looped on accident and I found myself enjoying it a lot more for some reason. I’m not even sure what really changed but songs like music when the lights go out were a lot more fun.
I think it’s these types of albums that u2 critics point to when they say they’re bland and kinda cringe. Beautiful day is good but even that is pretty boiler plate sounding and the whole thing makes the band feel stuck in the early 90s at the turn of the century. Some good moments near the end but nothing I’ll remember.
Jimmy Smith
4/5
Some nice ambient jazz kinda stuff here. Reminded me of booker t and the green onions and the Dave Brubeck quartet.
Burning Spear
5/5
I haven't gotten a reggae album this good in a while. Political as ever but catchy as hell, there weren't too many boring spots on this album. Marcus garvey and red, gold, and green were my favs.
Also I listened to the first half of this while high as shit riding in a car on a summer night so the lasting memory attached to this album automatically makes it a 5. I am beginning to internalize that reddit post I talked about a while ago regarding how lists like these don't allow for each album to fully stick. Like this would be a soft 4 if I was sober and listening to it in my house in the middle of the day.
Britney Spears
5/5
I think the reviews for this one are a good poll of who uses this website because this album is undeniably an influential one but the appeal is lost if you were born before like 1980 and/or are pretentious. As a zoomer that loves girl pop this shit is like crack and also makes me remember that max martin is responsible for the success of basically every female pop artist in the 21 century. The title track is an all-timer and I'll never stop loving you is also great. Also, a lot of the tracks still hold up but overall its dated in the best way because of songs like email my heart which I'm sure was the 1999 way to slide into DMs but now it's just hilarious. "Let's circle back on these nudes after Labor Day" vibe
Alanis Morissette
4/5
When I first discovered that I loved you oughta know I listened to this album for the first time and tought it was pretty lame. Now it’s like 6 years later and I found it a good bit more enjoyable. There’s a couple songs where her voice starts to get annoying to me but for the most part it’s solid 90s music that deserves its status.
The Pogues
4/5
Wasn't expecting another Pogues album on here but I'm glad it's here because the Irish folk-rock vibe from them, especially on this album, is excellent. My St. Patrick's Day playlist is fully decked out now. Really liked a pair of brown eyes.