Really enjoyable. Reminds you how little has changed in politics since the 70s. (Could not find on Spotify, YouTube link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnkDjMDD3JQ)

Honestly just the blandest thing I've ever heard. If a yogurt made a sound this would be it.

Ridiculously fun and energetic, a missing link between metal and dance. Like throwing a box of firecrackers into a bonfire. One of the best discoveries I've made here, I just wish I'd been into them at the time.

If I had a time machine, my priority would be making my 16-year-old self listen to this absolutely masterful recording. After that I'd go back and kill Hitler etc.

I've come to the conclusion that I really hate Elvis.

Pretty much different variations of the same song over and over again. Mixing is very flat. Got bored.

Perky jazz. Very NYC.

Wanted to like it more but it's a bit too indulgent and tuneless.

Joyful!

Really enjoyed this. Mrs Robinson still sounds fresh. Was not expecting synths!

Flamboyant and beautifully produced. Joyous.

Enjoyable. Wish I hadn't listened to the album with bonus tracks though as it's far too long.

Very samey, hated that sound effect they used on most songs.

My flatmate at uni was a big fan of this, but I have only a vague recollection of it. Enjoyable, though, very raw and aggressive in places, in a good way.

Occasionally very cheesy and soap opera-like, but fun and funky nonetheless.

Aggressive, noisy, raw. To start with. Slides into mediocre lager rock which is alternately boring and annoying.

I want to like U2, they just make it so difficult sometimes! After an epic start it nosedives into Bono at his most indulgently awful, punctuated by a few decent singles.

A silly but perfectly formed blast of death metal. It sounds like there are too many lyrics for each song. Can't believe it came out in 86, it still sounds fresh.

A carnival of musical styles that has much more range than the lead single suggests.

Bouncy, fun, silly.

Perfectly formed psych-folk-pop.

On a Neil Young trip at the moment! He seems to be one of the few artists whose live performances live up to the recorded versions.

What I love about SOAD is that the vitriol is coming from a genuine place. They're not just overgrown teenagers ranting against their parents.

Debauched jazz; runs the gamut of emotions while being sonically perfect. Fuckin a.

Production and assembly is great, and it's a (rightly) angry album, but the shameless sexism is not a good look now.

So much funk. Very ahead of its time.

Oh my god this goes on forever. He's not a great lyricist, is he? Will this ever ennnnd...

Punky, upbeat glam pop, definitely an influence on Supergrass and Franz Ferdinand. Irresistible.

The height of 80s slick production contrasts perfectly with her powerful voice. I wasn't keen on the covers though.

Hmm yeah, kind of not really my thing. I remember it being very fashionable to like this though. Maybe I need to see the film.

Honestly just the blandest thing I've ever heard. If a yogurt made a sound this would be it.

The Cure before they discovered the playfulness that gave them hit singles.

Boring 80s pop

Very much of its time, still quite fun though.

Very late-90s; watery.

Solid

Short, sharp bursts of funk. I'm generally not a fan of live albums, but this one's worth a listen just to hear the sheer amount of fervour Brown generated.

Great country music for Lego building with my son on a Saturday morning.

A nice sound, but it gets a bit samey after a while.

Very chilled out folk, occasionally dark and deep.

Dour

Great fun

Very Tim Burton-esque soundscapes. Their formula wears a little thin in the middle, but the album is better than I remember it.

Finally! I've found a U2 album that doesn't make me want to stab my ears out.

Incredibly entertaining.

I always assumed this came out in the 80s, but it makes sense in the mid-70s, exactly halfway between Dylan's folk heroism and swaggering stadium rock. Born to Run is a terrific ode to the small towns where the American dream has come to die.

Jazz-blues, blues-jazz. Definitely an influence on Led Zep. Annoying bonus tracks on Spotify.

Lovely jazz, less showy than Miles Davis.

Bouncy folk-rock with an charming roughness. But I had to skip Fairytale; I've heard that song far too many times and I hate how overexposed it is. It's probably the weakest track on the album as well.

I was enjoying this until I got to "Teacher's Pet," which made me barf. Scarier than all the naff black metal stuff.

Loved every minute of this.

A bit too chill for me. Prefer Nick Drake if I'm going down that route.

Bjork at her most Bjorkish. Wears a bit thin in places, no real standout tracks, and it was about this time that Goldfrapp took it to a more interesting place.

Some decent singles, but his voice is still way too annoying.

Sweaty. Basically lots of different versions of Two Tribes (no bad thing!) and some utterly redundant cover versions which ruin the tone of the album and stretch it out too much.

Knew the theme from \"The Exorcist,\" but wondered how Mike would fill 50 minutes of record. But he does and it works well, with surprising range and depth.

Doors-esque psych-rock. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida is a sleazy, slinky classic.

Very well-produced with a distinctive, unique sound. Sags a bit in the middle, but the dour, haunting singles make up for it. Much better than the town it's named after.

Pretty good, but very much of its time.

I'm beginning to realise that Belle and Sebastian aren't quite as twee as I first thought. I liked this, but I get the feeling there are better B&S albums.

Not bad! Couldn't find any stand-out tracks though.

I was sort of dreading this after her more folksy albums, but it's kind of perfect. The sort of thing Air were trying to do, minus the tongue-in-cheekness.

Absolutely perfect in terms of consistency of tone, never outstays its welcome.

Slightly farty prog rock. Great fun.

Puerile, cheesy, and raucous. Love in an Elevator is fantastic though.

Not sure if music from this period is bad or if I just didn't like it. But I did not enjoy this one bit; bland, pretentious, and needy. The early-00s equivalent of easy listening.

Exactly what the future sounded like from the perspective of 1982. Technically impressive and ridiculously sexy.

Another not-great album from the early-00s. Schmaltzy and overwrought.

Definitely growing on me, it has a whimsical charm.

I remember this sounding like the future when it came out. It still sounds fresh, but time has tamed it. Runs out of steam and becomes irritating in places.

A bit dull.

So much texture, enthusiasm, and charisma. Moves so fast, freewheeling and joyously so. Made me smile so much.

Surprisingly croonerific. Not all albums from this era are that good.

I remember my muso mates turning their noses up when they saw my copy of "Iowa." They were wrong. "All Hope is Gone" is better than "Iowa;" less childish and more range. What sets Slipknot apart is the contrast between the crunching, wall-of-sound death metal and the smoother, more melodic elements. A bit corny and overlong, but enjoyable nonetheless.

A weird, spidery album that delves further into the late-night freakiness that Lou Reed initially tapped. Love it.

In which Dwight advocates killing unfaithful women. Maybe they'd have more respect if you weren't such a murderous shithead, Dwight.

Women were so much better at punk than men.

Somewhere between Radiohead and MGMT. A nice sound and great vocals, but I couldn't find any standout tracks.

A match made in heaven — or hell. Metallica's overblown songs meet Kamen's OTT orchestration. Ridiculous fun and hugely impressive technically and logistically, hits its grunty nadir with "For Whom the Bell Tolls."

TV on the Radio were one of the more interesting bands of this era, and I liked that the indie genre became a bit more diverse. But this album seemed to have quite a lot of filler.

Just wow. Every verse is a surprise, but it also manages to work in some tender moments. The best CSN&Y album I've heard. So far.

Really enjoyable. Reminds you how little has changed in politics since the 70s. (Could not find on Spotify, YouTube link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnkDjMDD3JQ)

I find Elvis Costello a little annoying. This was ok.

Loved the singles from this at the time, but I never had the album. They were so different to everyone else at the time, the kind of rock and roll Primal Scream road tripped, but with a hint of ska. Loses a bit of momentum after the first three tracks, but still one-of-a-kind.

So talented! Every song sounds like a blueprint for Bonkers, but without its overexposure and catchiness.

Fun

Angular post-punk, probably very influential but it felt a little slight to me. One track sounds like Seinfeld slap-bass made into a song.

Great title! Dull and predictable album.

What a slog. The Smashing Pumpkins barely have enough material for one song, let alone a 2-hour plus album.

Went for the stereo version. So many good songs it's hard to pick a highlight. Beautiful, genre-bending music that was way ahead of its time but also nostalgic.

Grunge was a reaction against stadium rock, and this is a reaction against grunge: small-scale, personal, lo-fi; with an air of reluctant self-pity replacing anger.

Terrific voice, but the songs all start to sound the same after a while. It's a shame we never got to hear her doing more experimental and interesting stuff. And we missed out on a Bond theme!

I like the way he rhymes "friend" with "end" and "fire" with "fire."

Probably should have listened to this before Christmas! Good though, a nice change from the heavy rotation Christmas songs of the 70s/80s/90s.

One star for the "Money for Nothing" intro. The rest is insipid, cringeworthy music for 80s dads to listen to in their Ford Cortinas. Not sure why a band from Newcastle are trying to sound like they're from Nevada too.

My favourite Beatles album is "The Best of the Beatles" (from the ages of 7-11 it actually was because it was the only one we had on tape). I was excited for "The White Album," and the crescendo of "Back in the USSR" followed by the melancholy crush of "Dear Prudence" (my favourite Beatles song) is a hell of a way to open an album and set its tone. But there are some duff tracks here too: "Ob-La-Di" and "Piggies" have dated awfully, and I'm sad to say I found the whole thing more irritating than enjoyable.

50% decent hip-hop with a touch of trip-hop, 50% utter cringe wannabe gangster. It gets a star for being a welcome antidote to the bland indie that dominated UK airwaves at the time.

Ushered in a new era of bland, limp-wristed, badly sung indie. Too many songs about stars. Did not like one bit.

Love it. Boundary pushing indie pop; jaded romance.

I never got on with Elbow's first album, and it out me off listening to their later stuff. But this is phenomenal and I wish I'd given them a second chance at the time. The only track I don't like is "One Day Like This," which EE used as its hold music and I'll forever associate with stressful calls.

Feeling ill, so I'm listening to this and reading Dickens. Somehow they go together!

One of those albums that seems a lot scarier than it is.

My knowledge of The Doors is embarrassingly poor, but this seems like a step away from psych-rock and towards noodley blues.

Wonderful, mournful 60s blue-eyed soul. You Don't Own Me is chilling and perfect.

Razor-sharp, unpretentious heavy metal.

I'm guessing there probably wasn't much like this when it came out, and it still sounds fresh and vibrant. Occasionally gets a bit Muzaky, but I don't think this detracts from the album overall.

Just the most lost-sounding album in the world; distant vocals amid swirling guitars. Occasionally a little too discordant, but impressive and influential overall.

What an unexpected delight. I love the way "Without You," probably the definitive modern love song, is followed by the playful absurdity of "Coconut," then "Jump Into the Fire" takes us on a psych-rock odyssey. And it does all this without ever losing its focus or missing a beat.

Jazzy trip-hop with a distinctly Parisian twist. Has not dated nearly as badly as other music of this era, moves along nicely, but it is too long.

Not quite as coherent as III, but it makes up for it in the heavenly heights the songs hit.

Big Mouth Strikes Again is probably The Smiths' best song (and yes, that includes How Soon Is Now?), but Frankly Mr Shankly is probably their worst.

When I first listened to this about 10 years ago I wanted to like it more, but found it too schizophrenic and irritating. On relistening Rundgren's genius really shines through. I love the fact that it doesn't sit still and changes direction so many times, but still manages to work in some decent tunes.

Groovy.

If you can't listen to this without at least tapping your foot, you're not alive and probably a zombie or vampire.

Love the diversity of the samples, the bravura of the production. I think the way it pushed things forwards just about overcomes the nasty, dated lyrics.

It's like someone put The Beach Boys in a blender, then baked it. Love the texture.

60s music was really good, wasn't it? This is powerful but effeminate without ever being cloying.

Exactly what my brain needed on a stressful Wednesday morning. Orbital are at their best when they're doing more chilled-out stuff.

My Dad had this on vinyl, so it got some heavy rotation when I was about five. Now, the tentpole tracks (Born in the USA, Cover Me and Dancing in the Dark) lack the punch I remember, but I'm on Fire is an absolute masterpiece; Springsteen baring a vulnerable heart underneath his gruff exterior.

Listened to Sticky Fingers a lot at uni. It makes you feel dirty just by listening — and it's all the better for it. The remastered edition on Spotify is a bit unnecessary, I prefer the heroin-fuelled rawness of the original recording.

Not usually a fan of live albums, but this one is essential. Its acoustic nature strips Kurt of his electrified anger and softens Nirvana's rough edges, revealing something more tender. The covers, in particular "Man Who Saved the World," fit in perfectly too.

One of Eno's best collaborations, with David Byrne and the entire continent of Africa adding a vital funk injection.

Stirring.

There's something very sweet about Gary Numan, he was a musician who was unafraid to embrace his inner nerd. This album is a little underwhelming, probably because other artists have remixed and amped up his songs.

A less weird Kate Bush. Some decent tunes, especially Little Earthquakes, but there are some boring ballads too.

I've always been put off KISS by the way they look. But I realised that this is quite judgemental of me and these poor people must have suffered throughout their lives due to their unusual facial pigmentation, incredible hair, and malformed feet. Anyway, this album is decent; well-rounded and nicely paced with tight production. And it doesn't sound like I expected a KISS album to sound.

My Mum played a lot of Baez when I was growing up, but, being 10, I never really saw the appeal. This album really clicked for me, though; it's very straightforward, but her pitch-perfect voice and skills as a guitarist elevate it to stratospheric levels. What's more is that it has a level of authenticity and sincerity that's sorely missed in modern music.

Girl From Ipanema is very good, it feels bright and sunny. Lost interest after that though.

Started listening to this yesterday, found it nightmarishly horrible and had to switch it off, but I was not in a great place. Picked it up again today and enjoyed it a lot more; despite Sinatra's reputation, there is something heartfelt and sincere about his songs and the way he sings them. I like the way it tells a story as well.

A confession from someone who considers themselves a Pixies fan: I only ever had their "Death to the Pixies" compilation, and I always thought it was enough. Then I saw them live in Cardiff in 2016 and did not enjoy them one bit, there was no audience engagement or energy. But this album has reaffirmed my love of Pixies; it's nice to hear the classics from "Death to..." alongside some songs I've never heard before, all of which are good.

Somehow I'd never heard her before, but she's got a unique voice paired with intelligent lyrics.

I'd heard this before, thanks to The KLF and Primal Scream. It really is phenomenal, lightning in a jar energy. Wish I'd been there, dude.

Given my recent Talk Talk revelation, I thought I might like this a bit more. But I didn't. Bland, unchallenging, meaningless music.

Sorry, I just don't see the attractions.

I'm always wary of albums with the tracklisting on the cover, but this one's pretty good. Read the Wikipedia page and the guy was a scumbag. Next.

No fucking clue what he's singing about, which is a good thing as I didn't get distracted by the lyrics. Technically impressive for a live album too.

Try as I might, I always find Queen more irritating than interesting.

Promising to start with, but overlong and occasionally horribly misogynistic in a "hey I'm playing a character" way, which seems even worse.

Relaxing and soothing; could have been recorded any time between 1965 and now.

Liked this a lot, feels (and looks) like a very 90s alt-rock album even though it was recorded in the 80s.

Enjoyable gentle rock.

Dynamic, engaging pop rock. Well ahead of its time. One of my new favourite bands.

God I wish I still did drugs

Unexceptional blues rock

Easy to see why they were such a hit: a set of punchy pop tunes that wouldn't upset your mum too much. I think I prefer this to their more experimental work.

Hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey hey

I'm old enough to remember when this came out, and was absolutely everywhere, and I absolutely hated it at the time. Listening to the whole album reveals it's not too bad; it has a certain ADHD energy and Kleidis is a surprisingly sharp lyricist. But every song relies on the same formula, which wears a bit thin, and it's far too long.

I enjoyed this more than the Simon and Garfunkel albums I've heard; more meaty diversity and texturally superior.

A machine gun of hits.

Interesting to start with but soon became almost soporifically boring. Just platitudes set to music.

The standout tracks just about overcome some horrible midi sounds.

So it's not "Coming in Jamaica."

I had an annoying, unidentifiable song permanently lodged in my head from 2013 - 2019. It turns out it's "Rock the House." Good to have some closure. I like the album otherwise, a nice halfway house between trip and hip hop. "19-2000" is a forgotten gem.

A lot more depth and breadth than I was expecting from "There She Goes" and Cast's output. A northern REM.

Somehow, I'd never listened to this. Really liked it; raw punk, but with cerebral credibility.

Funky folk by funky folk. Reminds me of Alan Parsons.

I like the concept, but parts of this have dated awfully, especially the "humourous" bits.

Decent.

I did listen to this, but I forgot to review it. The singles are good, from what I remember.

"Dreamin'" is so, so bad. But "The Message" is so, so good.

Not what I expected, soul with a hip-hop edge. Much more subdued and subtle than her sister's more bombastic work.

Steady rock. Not quite as flamboyant or emotional as their later work

Nicely laid-back songwriting from a racist prick.

Loved this. Eastside rap was a lot more cosmopolitan than west, and I preferred its sound. Mama Said Knock You Out still sounds great, while Milky Cereal is great fun.

My expectations were low, but this album is stunning. Sounds as if it could have been recorded in 2001, alongside The Strokes et al.

Never really got this. His cover of "Hallelujah" is heavenly, but the rest is messy and unfocused. It's better in its quieter moments, the louder bits are sub "Pablo Honey"-era Radiohead.

Decent 70s chill.

This kind of music seems to be in a no-man's land between classic and modern. At the time of writing, it's cringeworthy heartfelt saccharine pop-folk without a hint of irony or authenticity.

Irresistible jazz with an electronic edge. Groundbreaking and essential.

Better than most other albums of this era, less whimsical and more muscular.

A halfway house between The Clash and Rage Against the Machine, that refocuses hip-hop's anger against the establishment and corporations. Still as relevant today as it was 30 (!?) years ago.

Decent, but I'm getting a bit bored of blues/folk live albums.

An interesting album, at least 17 years ahead of its time.

Decent but not essential.

Good lord this made me want to drink beer in the sun.

Great fun.

Astonished by how much I enjoyed this, it was never not interesting. Still not sure if they're racist though.

I had this at the time; I sold it (when that was a thing!) because The Prodigy just felt like one-trick ponies, with very little muscle behind their aggressive sound. Now, the singles (Smack My Bitch Up, Firestarter) just feel quaint and cute and kind of funny. But I was surprised at the depth of the rest of the album, there are some decent tracks on here, especially the Crispian Mills collab. Which is something I never thought I'd say!

So many hits here. Unbelievably good.

Made me feel uneasy, but I'm not sure if it was because I was feeling uneasy anyway.

Indulgent and slightly irritating. Not entirely convinced that this list needs more than one Bjork album.

The cover of "You Really Got Me" got me, wasn't quite so keen on the rest though.

Remember when it was funny to pretend to be a wife-beating, drug-addled psychopath? No, me neither.

So smooth and enjoyable to listen to. Love the way each track builds the elements.

I was listening to this yesterday and I thought it sounded very familiar. Checked my Spotify history and it turned out I'd listened to it the day before without realising it! It was a stressful day. Still a good album though.

Loved this, especially its more psychedelic odysseys, which reminded me of Circle and Pharaoh Overlord.

Reminded me of My Life in the Bush of Ghosts a little bit. Sting really fancies himself though.

Interesting music that just about covers up the terrible lyrical content.

Loved this

Probably my favourite album of all time. Still holds up, so completely alive

Ah, this was brilliant. So laid-back and enjoyable.

Nice to hear a female voice in hip-hop. Occasionally discordant and a little too long, but I liked it, especially the first track.

One of the most incredible musical moments of my life was hearing "Intro" echo across Glastonbury's fields at the close of the 2013 festival. It was a fitting coda for a weekend of excess. The rest of the album can't quite match the lofty heights of "Intro," but it the XX certainly had a unique sound and pushed things forwards a little bit.

Not really a fan.

The title track is a mainline injection of pure late-80s nostalgia; neon socks and fake Wayfarers. The rest never hits those lofty heights, but it's enjoyable and slickly produced.

Not as gothy as I thought it would be. Still a unique voice and sound though.

So Täp

Just so many hits here! What a great album.

I don't think famous means what Leonard Cohen thinks it means.

I think their greatest hits would have been a better option here. It includes the Father Ted theme song.

His best album. Into Your Arms is just the prettiest song.

Great stuff

Faith is great, but Father Figure is the real highlight here, such an awe-inspiring love song. The rest is a bit hit-and-miss.

This list really doesn't need this much Springsteen!

I've come to the conclusion that I really hate Elvis.

Interesting, but I don't feel it adds much to her output with The Velvet Underground.

A bit overlong, but still an interesting album. It has more in common with Beastie Boys/Money Mark than their Britpop neighbours.

Probably the best Public Enemy album.

The fuck is JK worth $70m for producing this dirge. Some bloke singing over a thrift shop jazz record. If you want to stop the Emergency on Planet Earth, stop landing your fucking helicopter on wildlife.

Ranty, arty music.

This isn't an album, it's a fucking ordeal.

I bought this when it came out, at the time house music seemed adventurous and mysterious, but Basement Jaxx gave it a geekier and more accessible edge. I think because Felix wears glasses. There are some duff tracks, but there's just enough intelligence and sophistication here to elevate it above the standard Ibiza floor fillers.

Astonishing

Still great

I hate "Come on Eileen," but I was expecting to be pleasantly surprised by this album. I wasn't.

I love the way Abba have gone from brilliant in the 70s, to cheesy in the 90s, and back up to brilliant now. Every song is perfectly written and flawlessly executed.

Surprisingly varied

As much as I like Bjork's solo work, this indie pop is a better match for her fiery vocals. An absolute treasure.

So enthusiastic and light and breezy.

The Beatles: 50% the greatest songs of all time, 50% chintzy whimsy that makes you want to thrust chopsticks into your earholes.

So very, very 90s. A man screeching over a drum.

People in the 60s clearly didn't know how to clap properly.

Not really my cup of tea, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Many tracks missing on Spotify, but what I heard was decent.

Love the way the tracks merge into one another, perfectly executed.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting to be a huge fan of this based on the overplayed "Superstition" and "You Are The Sunshine of my Life," but it really is an incredible album, flowing between moods and genres with ease. It sounds great and his voice is terrific.

I had to wade through almost an hour of boring indulgence before I got to "Paper Planes," and even that song is basically a cover.

The NME always put me off Soundgarden, presumably because they weren't British and ugly and terrible. But I feel like I missed out now, I love the range of Cornell's voice and the power of the production. It does outstay its welcome a bit though.

For the past 35 years, I honestly thought that the lyrics we're "shot through the heart, and you're too late, you need lovin', and band-aid." I thought this was very clever and ironic because, obviously, a band-aid wouldn't do anything for a bleeding heart. But it turns out I was wrong, and this album sucks.

I remember this being a thing. Not overly keen though, there's little variety.

Like being wrapped in a blanket. Wonderful.

Pretty good. "The Man Comes Around" is a total rip-off of "The Claw" by Ten Benson though.

Very good, terrific in places, but I still prefer Talk Talk in terms of London bands with repeating-word names.

Good, very Sex Pistols, completely unsurprisingly.

Groove is in the Heart is a great song, full of life and musically diverse. The rest of the album is the opposite of this; moribund, repetitive, and completely absent of ideas. It's forgivable as the genre was still finding its feet, but I don't think this album should be on the list.

They're having such a great time and I just want to be there with them.

So this is where the Blade Runner soundtrack got most of its ideas.

Occasionally patchy but decent overall. I was surprised at its more electronica elements.

Not sure this is essential, but it's an interesting time capsule of hippie-era San Francisco.

In the no-man's land between metal, soft rock, and grunge. Utterly cringey in places.

Gave me flashbacks to a really awful trip I had in the 60s. I've never taken acid and I wasn't even alive then.

Prog rock with a dose of 80s cynicism. Pink Floyd without the irritating bits. Absolutely loved it.

I think Perfect Day is a perfect song. So bittersweet. The rest of the album is great as well.

So many juicy samples for other artists to pluck from the Incredible Bongo Tree. Great to hear the originals.

Justice did Daft Punk when Daft Punk stopped doing Daft Punk. I like this album; it's coherent. But the French Touch sound was wearing a little thin even at the time of release.

Cash is funny and charming, but I'm not sure two live prison albums (San Quentin is the other one) are needed here. It's a bit niche.

Better and more varied than expected.

I had no idea this was a thing. It's quite well-formed and catchy.

Enjoyable prog.

I loved Smoke on the Water, until my guitar teacher pointed out how mundane the subject matter is (there was literally smoke on the water!). But this album has rekindled things between me and DP. It's proper, straightforward rock that never becomes too cheesy or indulgent.

Any album that features Iggy Pop singing "Aisha, I'm viiibraaatiiing" gets five stars by default.

Definitely growing on me, it gets more interesting every time I hear it. Love the unpredictable key changes and the way the whole thing is out together. I listened to this on YouTube Music, with ads. Totally respect Neil's decision to avoid Spotify.

Absolutely loved At The Drive-In, so I'm not sure how this passed me by. It's great though, lots of scope and variety on top of ATDI's distinctive sound.

Very much a nostalgic album for me. I have a bizarrely specific memory of driving to Hartland Point with my parents while listening to this. Which isn't to say it's good. Beetlebum is better than I remember; Song 2 is worse, time has softened its grunge punchiness. The rest is patchy as hell, often irritating, and low on ideas. Still better than Oasis though.

This is great, not sure how I hadn't heard it before. Reminded me of George Michael in a lot of places.

Very middle of the road trucker music.

30 minutes of Elvis. Doesn't outstay his welcome.

This was a few days ago. Obviously didn't make much of an impression.

I've always liked PJ Harvey, but never enough to listen to her albums. This changed my mind, in a good way.

Two PJs in one day! This one was great, grunge with a distinctly British and feminine twist. Absolute legend.

This was massive in the UK for a bit, but somehow it completely passed me by. It was better than I expected; the connective tissue between Oasis and Elbow.

So far ahead of its time that I don't think its time has come yet.

Almost 60 years old, but you just get an immediate sense of BB King's power and what he was doing differently.

Gets points for somehow straddling riot grrl, grunge, and britpop; loses them for some truly dreadful album filler tracks. "Queer" and "Vow" are their best songs.

This was the first album I ever bought. Eight years old, WHSmith in Barnstaple. It terrified me (I was a sensitive kid). I rediscovered it about 12 years ago and appreciated it more. It's anthemic stadium rock delivered so slickly that you don't realise how moronic the whole endeavour is.

Is Kate Bush always this prog? It's great!

If I had a time machine, my priority would be making my 16-year-old self listen to this absolutely masterful recording. After that I'd go back and kill Hitler etc.

Found this a bit meh. Just sounded like Dylan.

I have no recollection of this woman or her album. But it's pretty good.

How is this 12 years old!? Definitely a 21st-century album that deserves its place here. Delightful and texturally unique.

I was fully expecting to hate this, but it was better than I expected. What's interesting is how Skin kind of kick-started UK hip-hop artists such as Stormzy and Dizzee Rascal, even if the genre is different.

This is the only album I've skipped so far. Yes, Eminem is talented, but then you could say Hitler was a talented politician.

If you had a drink every time someone says the word "space" on this album, you'd basically end up evaporating. It's great, though, surely an inspiration on Star Wars and Flash Gordon and other sci-fi of the era.

I had the special edition of this, where the CD was contained in a blister pack, like a giant paracetamol. We listened to it on the way back from an Unbelievable Truth gig, it sent my dad to sleep and he crashed into a hedge. It's still a great album. I was 16 when I first heard it, and it sounded how I expected love and drugs to be. The album can't quite maintain the starburst of its first three tracks, but it still switches between heartracing and heartbreaking. It's the album Primal Scream, The Verve, and Kasabian wish they made.

I could never quite bring myself to like Muse, they always struck me as a Radiohead clone with greater technical ability but less heart. This album is pretty good though, it's ambitious, progressive, and very Queen in places.

Interesting that this should come up so soon after Spiritualized's "Ladies and Gentlemen...," which nabs some lyrics. I like this as well, it's country rock with a venomous streak of 'nam-era cynicism and a biting sense of humour.

I like the way 70s-era Stones is seeping into this one.

Far too indulgent and proggy. Every now and then it threatens to have a nice melody, but soon turns back into egocentric dirge that probably seemed like a good idea at the time. And then Phil Collins starts singing about erogenous zones 🤢

I was into this album after it was released, but before Stranger Things made it popular. Doubling down on hipsterism. Is hipsterism still a thing? Anyway, album is good.

Good, but a little dated in places.

Finally, a Beatles album I can get behind. Very few of the dated, cloying songs that I hate so much.

Every song sounds like it's going to be "Relax" by Frankie goes to Hollywood, but they always turn out to be better.

Honky tonky

Understanding Pink Floyd's origin story made me like them a bit more. And then Bike ruined everything.

I have no recollection of listening to this album and I wasn't even drunk

EVERYTHING IS SO DRAMATIC AND HOW DOES ADELE GET THROUGH A DAY WITHOUT WARBLING

Can timelessness be a bad thing? This sounds like it could have been recorded any time in the past 40 years, but not necessarily in a good way, just in an unchallenging way.

Ridiculously fun and energetic, a missing link between metal and dance. Like throwing a box of firecrackers into a bonfire. One of the best discoveries I've made here, I just wish I'd been into them at the time.

Split up with boyfriend, throw troll at 14-inch TV with built in VHS recorder, watch Friends, have terrible hair, get shot by your brother's supersoaker, listen to Alanis Morissette. Because it's great. Especially You Oughta Know. And the typewriter font everyone used everywhere.

Just absolutely grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go.

She's great fun and very charismatic, but I'm not sure why all hip hop albums of this era needed to be so long.

This was so boring I actually died. When the paramedics resuscitated me they told me I was the third person that day who'd died of boredom while listening to Nixon.

This is exactly what I imagine a 1980s arts college in northern England would sound like. Amazing in its own way; it almost verges into hip-hop in places. RIP MES.

Enjoyable and full of heart. Could not find the full album on Spotify, YouTube link here: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lPdfiWy1WS-WR8Fwg3GAGWZKKYB3tngiU&feature=share

Reminds me of summer 1954, when I cruised around the Amalfi coast in my convertible Fiat, wooed beautiful Italian women, and did other stuff I completely made up for the purposes of this review.

Incredible. The more I listen to music of this era and genre, the more I realise how unoriginal The Strokes are.

Variations on a theme, but it's a great theme (and one you've heard everywhere).

Actually not bad. Very much of its time, but it's easy to see why they were so popular; Fred Durst's cartoony, juvenile persona matched with punchy, compressed guitars and flawless production.

This album is so tight that it made me pass out.

Not bad, not great. Bit dated.

This just has such a nice vibe that it gets away with sounding like the soundtrack to The Jungle Book/The Lion King.

I had this at the age of about 21 as part of the Peel Slowly and See boxset. It's still amazing, a gritty backlash against the staid pop that dominated airwaves in the 1960s.

This was not what I expected, but then I didn't really know what to expect. I quite liked it though.

Still not a huge Elvis fan, but I appreciated how fast this moves.

This is great, very Led Zeppelin, maybe with a little less variety, but Ozzy's charisma makes up for it.

This doesn't look like a Neil Young album, and there are places where it doesn't sound like one. In a good way! Very enjoyable. YT music link here: https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n1S9ljyNSBHJ-FKC5l44V500jlmEBtt-0&feature=share

Green Day are another band the NME made me hate. This is great, raw and aggressive, and I feel sad that I missed out.

Surprisingly experimental and electronic, and quite raunchy.

Graceful and soothing.

This is the third PJ Harvey album I've been recommended by the generator, and it made me wonder if the list really needs three PJ Harvey albums? And the answer is yes. Yes, it does.

This is better than the other Costello albums on here. I'm still not a fan, but I'm beginning to understand why people like him.

Here's a fun fact I probably shouldn't admit: I used to think Utero was a city in America, and that this was a live album. This is still an absolute kick in the balls of an album, more aggressive and weird and artistic than Nevermind; Cobain's recorded suicide note. If Nevermind reflected teenage angst, In Utero is about adult anxiety.

AKA Cool Bass Sounds: The Album. This definitely pushed dance music forwards and it's better, and less cringeworthy, than The Prodigy's output at the time. But the production sucks. It sounds like it was mixed more like a rock album than a dance one, and the drums sound especially washed out and lost in the mix. It makes you realise how much the French Touch improved the genre by applying a lick of polish.

Why are all the hip-hop albums of this era so long? They're always an hour plus, and there are inevitably a few obvious filler tracks. The tracks that aren't obvious filler tracks are good though.

Annoyingly, I only listened to Ray of Light a few weeks ago. Too much Madge! This album perfectly encapsulates the late-90s tech-spiritual zeitgeist, something Moby would build on. Some tracks are great (Ray of Light, Nothing Really Matters, Sky Fits Heaven), others seem to have been recorded by a 12-year-old girl with access to a studio.

This reminds me of a classic southwestern UK joke about Simon & Garfunkel having engine trouble over the Somerset town of Bridgwater. It's a terrible joke. But the album is good! Too many good songs to choose from, some that I didn't even realize were performed by Simon & Garfunkel. Don't ask me for specifics. I just liked it.

Linkin Park's sound is very well-polished, but I found this album relentless and exhausting. Maybe that's the point; I just wish it let off the gas for a little bit. I hate to say it, but I think Limp Bizkit are a better nu metal band - at least they knew how to have fun and injected some variety into their albums.

I remember owning this at the time and selling it after the first listen. But time has been kind to it. It helps that the songs aren't played literally everywhere, all the time, like they were in '99. (I'm currently sitting in a Caffe Nero in Bristol and a man keeps trying to make conversation with me, which is distracting.) Anyway, I really, really love "Honey" and "Run On," and I did at the time. They're doing something interesting and unique with folk and blues. "Porcelain" can fucking do one though, namby-pamby spiritual advertisement shite.

Music for overweight truck drivers in the 1970s and no one else.

I enjoyed the bits that weren't weird.

Just exactly what blues should be. Frantic, convivial, frenetic fun.

I've never been massively into reggae, but I enjoyed this. Absolutely, convincingly doing its own thing while being tuneful and accessible.

Definitely standing on the shoulders of the Beatles, but it has just enough baroque touches and acerbic humour to make it a bit different.

I feel like taking part in this project has changed my Spotify recommendations algorithm to the point where it's started pumping out tracks from albums on the list. Case in point: "Heatwave" by The Blue Nile, which I've definitely heard before, very recently. The album is good though, its percussive soundscape still sounds great and ensures it hasn't dated as badly as music by The Blue Nile's peers. I also assumed they were from downtown New York, not the highlands of Scotland.

I think this was the point where I realised Radiohead had completely ran out of ideas, other than novel internet distribution methods. "All I Need" is OK, the rest is bland, indulgent, forgettable twaddle. Thom Yorke's lyrics are just interlinked platitudes.

This is the Taylor Swift album you've been looking for. Less strummy folk, more polished bubblegum pop, and "Shake It Off" has to be her best song. I do still wonder how Taylor's had her heart broken so many times without dying though.

Intelligent folk rock, pretty good.

Never not fun. The volume is oddly mixed though.

Seems that Syd was as bored singing this album as I was listening to it.

My son summed it up well when he asked, "Does this band have any good songs?" It's mostly intensely irritating clown music, with a couple of soppy melodramas. "Girls and Boys" is a definite highlight, but it's downhill from there.

POV: It's the 90s and you've just moved into a new house, so you put on "Moon Safari." You're making a television program about moving into a new house, so you put "Moon Safari" on the soundtrack. You're having a bath, so you listen to "Moon Safari." You want to imagine what it's like to be stoned, so you put on "Moon Safari." Or you put on "La Femme d'Argent" and "Sexy Boy" and "Kelly Watch The Stars" and skip the rest. When it's good, it's great, but tracks like "You Make it Easy" are hard to like. "10,000 Hz Legend," Air's follow-up, is better, even if it sounded worse at the time.

I used to love Duran Duran, but I've realised that almost all their songs have the same structure and production.

Not a bad album, but not an exceptional one. There is too much Costello here.

Great, well ahead of its time. Felt the influence on REM, as well as another band that completely escapes me. Another 1001 gem.

I just always thought of 808 State as the Pacific 202 band, and little more. But this is a great album, and Pacific 202 actually proves to be one of the weaker tracks.

I remember first listening to this about 15 years ago and enjoying it. Sumner's not the best lyricist or vocalist, but his boyish charm makes up for it. It sounds great as well.

Good, but not as good as I thought it might be with that line-up.

I only got into Sonic Youth quite recently, and I couldn't quite get through Goo because of its more artsy, angular bits. But now I love those bits as well. "Tunic" has got to be one of the saddest songs ever.

I loved Goldfrapp's first album; it was retro and modern in a way that hadn't really been done before. The follow-up went in a new electroclash direction that was just as good. Somehow, I never heard this, but it doesn't feel quite as adventurous as the first two albums. Instead, it plays it safe with Radio 2-friendly pop.

Very likable and an interesting sound, just not entirely convinced about their abilities as songwriters. "Been Caught Stealing" is the exception that proves the rule.

Good fun, but, like a lot of 80s metal, it's a bit quaint now. "Run To The Hills" was the soundtrack to many drunken nights in rock bars in my early 20s.

Really liked this. Hip-hop from this era seemed to soften a bit, in a good way. Appreciated the 45 minute length as well, just right.

Ya like 12-bar blues?

I feel bad for saying this because I've grown to like Metallica, but "...And Justice For All" should be called "...And Boredom For All." Never has metal been more unexciting.

Just enough rock to outweigh the annoying folk.

Started out ok, but progressively grew more annoying. If I had a time machine, my priority would be to go back and tell Annie and Dave to cut it short.

The thing I love about this album is that, like the best movies, it's a world you're just plunged into. Prince doesn't care if you know nothing about it and don't understand the rules, he just gets on with it. It's playful and silly, an utterly charismatic blend of genres. I think I finally get Prince.

If I was 16 and drunk on cheap lager this would be the best thing ever.

If Motörhead didn't exist, it would have been necessary to create them. Some huge Norwegian blacksmith hammering the band out of Marlboro reds, Jack Daniels, gunmetal, and heroin.

I like Iggy Pop, but I did find this a bit meh. Nightclubbing is a highlight.

This was the PJ Harvey I was into. It's good, but I don't think it has the venomous bite of her earlier work. Also, Thom Yorke's cameos in this era just consisted of him repeating the lyrics (see also: El Presidente by Drugstore).

Quite an important album to me. I was 17 when "OK Computer" came out. It was quite unlike anything I'd heard before, and it stood in stark contrast to the tedious Britpop that dominated the airwaves at the time. It was weird and geeky, the sound of uncertainty in a world where technology was taking over, and believing in conspiracy theories was fun and silly and not causing the collapse of civilization. Fast-forward 25 years and I still know it inside-out; it's been engraved on my synapses forever. But it's also kinda patchy. For the initial sting of "Airbag" there's the literal let down of "Let Down," "Paranoid Android's" layered despair gives way to "Karma Police," which I never really liked. It's a good album, but, looking back, I feel like "The Bends" is more consistent and coherent.

To be honest I was dreading another Bruce Springsteen album. But this is decent; more sombre and stripped-back than his other, more work. I think I like Grumpy Bruce more than Hollerin' Bruce.

I can imagine this as being pretty popular in 2000. In 2023, not so much.

Little Richard! An album! Little Richard! An album! Whoop whoop whoop! ^ basically every song

Nicely done, very chill, reminded me of Japanese pop in places.

Just Anthony Kiedis singing about a blowjob he once had.

I'm totally biased, but I love Eno, and I think I even prefer this arty pop rock to his ambient works.

I love the first three or so tracks of this; the false starts, the growing menace of the throbbing bass drum. It's like trying to find a party at 3am, and then it finally kicks in. I think the rest of the album isn't quite the best party in the world, it's a bit too long, but it's still pretty damn good.

This somehow works in Neil Young-does-Goldfrapp kinda way. Love the orchestration, and it feels smarter and more polished than Odelay.

I listened to this on Friday and now, on Monday, I can't say I remember a single thing about this album. I think I liked it?

I loved this album about 10 years ago; I remember playing "Fascination Street" at a Halloween party and it went down a treat. I think it's got even better in the intervening years; it's beautifully desolate. Had I been born 10 years earlier, I would have been the biggest Cure fan.

I was initially worried this would be a bit too groovy, but then I heard the killer line: "I hate you baby with a passion, you know I do." And all was OK with the world. Nice to have a streak of cynicism and surging electric guitars among the bop.

This is fun and he has a nice voice.

The songwriting is a little bland, but this album grew on me. The production here is superb; one of those albums that you'd use to demonstrate your expensive CD hi-fi in the 90s. It also sounds like this is where Justin Timberlake got a lot of his ideas.

Brilliant.

So solid you could build a house on it.

I can imagine exactly what her house is like. There will be at least one cat.

"Alright" is such a blast of nostalgia for me, it just nailed the carefree optimism of the UK in the 90s. "Caught by the Fuzz," "Mansize Rooster," and "Lose It" are all pretty decent, too, in a gobby, cartoony way reminiscent of Blur. But it runs out of tuns towards the end, which is surprising for a 40-minute album.

Very of its time, not bad though.

Just the right amount of psych.

I think "Sorted for Es and Whizz" was the first cassette single I bought. I remember listening to it with my Dad at the Barnstaple tip. I don't think either of us really understood what it was about, but I do now! I'm not sure time has been kind to this album as a whole. Lyrically it's great, but the music sucks.

I hate it when people use the phrase "true gem," so I'm going to refer to this as an "unfalsified jewel." And it really is. It's stripped-back and raw, but it largely avoids the constant anger of hip-hop in favour of a more varied and open-hearted approach. "It's Like That" is one of my favourite hip-hop tracks ever, and the original version sounds just as good as the Jason Nevins remix. A "verifiable precious stone."

This was pleasurable, thank you Roxy. It manages to be experimental and strange without ever veering into unlistenable territory. Reminded me of Mansun a little bit.

Just wasn't feeling this.

I think I had Hendrix's greatest hits. This makes more sense as an album, though; it's long, but you can get absorbed in the trippy guitars. I like the way the best tracks (All Along the Watchtower and Voodoo Chile) are saved for last.

Kind of fun, but also kind of noncey.

A little silly. I like "Come Out and Play," but it definitely feels like a riff on "Love Buzz" by Nirvana (and whoever did that song originally).

Slightly surprised to see this come up. Jacques du Cont was doing the whole 80s throwback thing before Calvin Harris made it cool. That said, quite a few tracks on "Darkdancer" seem to be crowd-pleasing late-90s house that don't quite live up to the perfectly executed pastiche of "Hey You" and "Sometimes."

Just lovely.

Def Leppard's appeal is rapidly diminishing. They're AC/DC-light, zero sense of irony, utterly inane and puerile.

Gets my vote for best album of the 80s. "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" are perfect pop, and the rest of the tracks are great too. At 45 minutes, it never outstays its welcome.

Rod Stewart looks like a Muppet and sings like a Muppet.

Every track sounds like an embryonic version of "Ever Fallen in Love With," apart from one where the swear a lot.

Appreciated how short this was!

Soothing and lovely.

Not a huge fan, but I can see the appeal of this as a live album.

I love this album and it really did set the scene for experimental, introverted music in the 90s. It was super cool to see Kevin Shields noodling away at a Primal Scream live session in 2000-ish as well. But it's a bit much, isn't it? Once you've got over that initial wall-of-sound blast, it becomes a little bit boring. I know that might be the point.

Never quite got The Stone Roses. Ian Brown's lyrics aren't great and this album is just way too long and indulgent. The only place it would make sense is on a stoned comedown after a big night at The Haçienda.

Just insolent noise.

Two tracks, 40 minutes, kind of perfect.

This is just the happiest album.

The band that put me off music and caused me to lose faith in the human race.

My friend Huw recommended this to me at least 15 years ago. Great stuff, punk, but melodic.

Wasn't a Weller fan at the time, he was the Palpatine behind Noel Gallagher's Vader, and together they built a bowl-cut Death Star of dull mod music (OCEAN COLOUR SCENE). But I understand the appeal a little more now: Wild Wood is a British, post-punk take on singer-songwriters like JJ Cale and George Martin. As such, I think it just about stands on its own merits.

I found this bland and forgettable. I think I prefer Bowie when he's doing more cringeworthy stuff, because at least he's trying something new.

Who's your favorite? I like Mr Wind best.

Starts out so tight, but totally goes off the rails towards the end. Gets top marks though for being so, so far ahead of its time.

Very grating in places, and Kevin Shields can't sing, and it lacks the punch of Loveless. But it's still MBV and it's still head and shoulders above everything else at the time.

Wayne Cloying more like.

I love how quiet this is in places.

Largely forgettable save a few moments.

Music for Airports - and generally quiet environments. I tried to listen to this in a busy cafe with loud, terrible music (KLAXXONS) in the background, and it kind of ruined the serenity. But it's definitely a great album, and a very influential one. I love the repetition of motifs and the way it builds up layers. Hypnotic.

Total snoozefest. Sunshine of Your Love is OK, but totally overshadowed by Hendrix's version.

Vaguely interesting but by no means essential.

So good. I love stumbling upon stuff like this that I'd never usually listen to, and Femi's family history is nothing short of incredible. It's an uplifting, energetic, politically switched-on and occasionally very funny album.

I haven't enjoyed most of the Tom Waits albums I've listened to on here, but this turned out to be an exception. It's definitely Waits, but it's less indulgent and more accessible than his later works. PS

Radiohead before Radiohead, Floyd before they made up their mind.

OK

The Cardigans and The Wannadies did indie better than the Brits thanks to the innate Swedish understanding of how to write great pop songs. The sweetness of Nina Persson's voice makes up for the insipid nature of some of the songs here.

Interesting to hear this immediately after Notorious B.I.G. Hip-hop just evolved so much; the sound and production here is incredible, almost Rundgren-esque in places, and I really like it. Such a unique voice, in both ways, as well.

I usually like hip-hop, but I'm not keen on this. It's noisy, discordant, and ultimately pretty boring. It's the kind of thing Kanye built on and improved greatly.

I've come to adore David Crosby, but this was too dated and too jangly for my tastes. I did enjoy the occasional dashes of mysticism, though.

"Another Girl, Another Planet" is one of those songs you've heard everywhere but always attributed to someone else (probably The Buzzcocks). It's a great tune and the rest of the album ain't bad either; I like its soporific, heroin-tinged take on punk rock.

This failed to make much of an impact, but there's something awkward and geeky about Echo And The Bunnymen that makes them likeable.

Admittedly, I'm not the biggest Green Day fan, and I remember finding the songs from this album pretty trite when they came out. But in the context of this album, they become part of a larger whole that ebbs and flows organically. I love the idea of a punk concept album as well.

Licensed to Ill is definitely a debut: The Beasties' sound isn't as refined or experimental as later releases, and there's a vein of casual misogyny. But you can feel the freshness, the energy, and I love the way it moves so fast. It's like being machine-gunned to death by rhyming couplets.

I went to Solsbury Hill once and it was shit.

This is hilarious, and knowingly, intelligently so. Post-irony before it was even a thing.

I love how damn tangible and chunky this album is, like a colorful toy from the 1970s that's been cleaned up and made better.

I saw Dylan live last year, some 56 years after this was recorded. Nice to have another live album to compare and contrast with; his voice may be a little more crinkly and he spent most of his time hiding behind his piano, but it was still undeniably Dylan and brilliant. This album is also great.

Another day, another Dylan album! Despite being released some 30 years after his heyday, this is still great, bluesy, tuneful, and wise.

A bit dated, but never not interesting.

I'm so relieved this doesn't sound how it looks.

A lot better and more interesting that other music of the era.

This has really grown on me. Giant is incredible.

A little patchy, but good overall; the sleazy funk of "Work It" more than makes up for the dire "Back in the Day." She reminds me of Prince in places. I think she helped reclaim hip-hop from misogynist assholes as well.

At last, a hip-hop album that isn't too long! And some of the tunes, especially "It's Tricky" and "Walk this Way" are terrific, and I guess they helped open up rap to a wider audience. It's just a shame that some of the lyrics are a bit dodgy.

This didn't always hit for me, and the remaster on Spotify is weirdly mixed. But I just can't help but admire Prince for making a completely insane one-hour 20-minute album that keeps the same crazy level of energy all the way through.

An unstoppable Bowie meets an immovable Eno.

I'm not massively into nostalgia, but this whisked me back to 2000, when I'd just left home and started uni. "Since I Left You" is still one of the most upbeat tunes you'll ever hear, and I love the way The Avalanches added hip-hop to the hideous "chill" genre; it gives it more texture and backbone.

I didn't want this in my head.

It just always sounds like Shane MacGowan has written too many words to fit in with the music.

Never really got NIN. Until now!

This was so insipid that I don't even remember listening to it.

I don't think I've ever heard an album that so perfectly captures being in your early 20s. Alternately drunk, angry, energetic, worried, stoned, political, melancholy, and frequently hilarious. It made me realize that, with Dylan, it's good to start at the beginning.

I do love this album, and I never really realized how much Kim Deal adds to The Pixies sound. But the remastered edition on Spotify is cack! I had to bump the volume up to hear the details and it just made it sound like complete trash. Give me shitty 80s production over this weirdly spiky mix any day.

Weirdly, I had Helplessly Hoping running through my head this morning, and then it turns up here. It's so good! I love the way that this album takes the infectious pop of The Byrds and adds a dash of cynical folk rock to the mix.

Moss Side Story is pretty good, but I'm not sure it fully works. Film music is always about being good but not drawing attention to itself, but these tracks feel more like conventional "songs." Great production though.

I thought this might have been a bit too much to start with, but it's just right. Still sounds fresh and exciting even though it's over 60 years old.

I think one Supergrass album is enough, and that one Supergrass album shouldn't be this one; it should be the brattish "I Should Coco."

NO.

Neil Young definitely went electric for this one.

I see what they did there.

You can totally feel how this changed the gear of electronic music.

Hey kids let's make an album that sounds like Phil Collins B-sides.

FCKN SHT

Some of these riffs are just too much.

Just those amazing melodies, like birds against a blue sky, but with a lower chance of getting pooped on.

In 1973 David Bowie recorded a song about wanking and that's all.

Basically Benny and the Jets 17 times.

Great production, slightly bland songwriting though.

For the longest time, I thought JJ and John Cale were the same person. But they couldn't be more different. This is great, building and surging nicely, and definitely an influence on Belle and Sebastien.

I get a bit lost with all the Nick Drakes and Tim Buckleys, but this is good.

Indulgent and spread a little thin, but I like the way that this is a bit more trip-hop-pop than her later, more big-band works, and I admire the honesty of her lyrics.

This is beautiful, magical soul with an indie slant. I was really enjoying it, but then it just ended at what felt like the halfway point. Unusual to find an album that's too shot here.

Sounds a little conservative by today's standards, but it's easy to underestimate just how important this was at the time. Johnny Rotten's sneer still sounds as fresh as ever though.

Fucking "Yellow Submarine" can fuck right off piss-stained submersible twat.

Got into this about 20 years ago, then went off it. It's all over the place! I think it's at its best when it's going in random folk-psych directions, like "Go Down Easy." Not so keen on the faux-Americana bits.

More silly than intimidating now, apart from the homophobia, which is downright terrifying.

Totally T-boned by Fishbone! Bonin' in the Boneyard is boney.

The Spotify link is correct here, even if it seems wrong! "In A Doghouse" is a compilation of early Throwing Muses work, and the first 10 tracks are actually "Throwing Muses" (the album). And it's great!

I want to like Willie Nelson, but this album just strips all the songs of their energy and replaces it with dopey country. Sorry, Willie!

Not as bad as I thought it was going to be. RHCP without the hubris.

I have no recollection of listening to this, but I also know it was great. I'm not entirely sure how I know this, but it is completely true.

I do feel a bit sorry for Snoop. Here in the UK, at least, he's become a novelty act, appearing in ads, in a way that feels just a teeny bit racist. I guess he's making lots of money. So it's easy to forget how he started out. This album just hits; that synth bass, the way his voice is mixed, the songwriting, it's all just so good, and it keeps moving and never feels too long. Admittedly, it's puerile in places, and Snoop does love rapping about his balls for some reason, but it's a reminder that he's one of the west coast's most talented rappers and not just a caricature used to sell fast food delivery services.

Me during "Alive:" Pearl Jam must have been the most incredible band of the 90s, neatly segueing stadium rock and grunge, this track is amazing, this album has got to be a 5/5. Me towards the end of "10:" Pearl Jam must have been the worst band of the 90s, awkwardly straddling boring and indulgent, this album has got to be a 1/5.

Just totally doing their own thing. Essential.

The repetitive sample tracks on this are a little annoying, and please tell me I'm not the only one who thought I was having problems with my headphones to start with? But the central sonic voyage of "Orbital 2" is mind-blowing, and I prefer it to the overrated "Insides."

Shit music.

Not a huge fan of Portishead's 90s albums, but this blew my socks off. You can feel the influence of Radiohead and Goldfrapp (both of whom were probably influenced by Portishead), as well as the beginnings of Geoff Barrow's work with Beak > and his soundtracks. I admire the way it doesn't sound like other music of this era, too.

Would have loved to have heard this at the time. Talking Heads just totally did their own thing, didn't they?

"Let's Stay Together" is obviously a classic, the rest of this is pretty great, and I like the way it didn't outstay its welcome.

A Funky Space Reincarnation blew my tiny little mind.

Never realized this is essentially a b-sides album, but even Led Zep's b-sides are better than most bands a-sides. I found Kashmir a bit too pleased with itself, but In My Time of Dying more than makes up for it.

Purple Haze is such an uplifting way to start another dreary week. And the song isn't bad either. It's so easy to think of Hendrix as a guitarist, but there is so much more going on here. The arrangements are so layered and swirling and synaesthetic; it's what I imagine clouds sound like.

What I really like about this is that the Sex Pistols and The Clash were pretty aggressive, but then X-Ray Spex took the same format and just had fun with it. I can't think of any genre that's so willing to take the piss out of itself so quickly.

For the first time ever, I 💚ed track number one on an album. The rest is a bit dated and bawdy though.

Surprised at how upbeat this is, I like it a lot. Gets a bit Led-Zep bluesy in places.

Great. Love "Shot by Both Sides." Definitely feel that nihilism and how it rubbed off on bands such as the Manic Street Preachers and Mansun.

Apparently, if you stand in front of the mirror and say "indulgent" three times, Ute Lemper appears and starts screaming this album in your ear.

Here's a thing: I don't like live albums, especially when I'm listening on headphones, because when you hear the audience applause I immediately imagine they're clapping for me and I feel a bit silly. Am I strange? Anyway, this live album is good because you can't hear the audience (much). Also, The Who are a lot better, and more Led Zeppy, than I remember. They really knew what they were doing.

Someone gave Elliott a budget! I was afraid higher production values would detract from Smith's tender, heartfelt songwriting, but it works. Miss you dude.

I always felt a little embarrassed that I described myself as a big Pixies fan, but I'd only listened to "Death to the Pixies," their 1997 best-of. But I think I was right - some of the tracks here just aren't that great. Having said that, a bad Pixies song is still better than most songs. The perfect Pixies song is goth-rock, very short, and features Kim Deal.

I like the 70s funk/soul vibe of this, and how soft and calm it is. But I was glad when it was over, it became a total slog towards the end.

Slightly shocked to find that Dusty Springfield recorded both "You Don't Own Me" and "Son of a Preacher Man." And "The Windmills of Your Mind" is just the best version of it, even though Dusty apparently hated it.

Somehow this passed me by at the time, but it's good. Very much in the Kanye West mold, which is no bad thing - I might be wrong, but it seems like West helped hip-hop break out of its gun-totin' misogyny and become more tender and inward-facing. "He Say, She Say" is heartbreaking, while "Daydreamin'" takes a sharp satirical knife to hip-hop culture.

LCD Soundsystem should have been my perfect band: edgy, self-deprecating dance/rock. But somehow we never clicked, and I understand why. Every song is the same, build-up of elements, which is initially impressive, but soon becomes tiring. They also sound like they were made on someone's bedroom PC. And I feel like the singer is trying too hard to be hip and missing a genuine emotional connection as a result. That said, I liked it when he sang about people thinking he was English.

So this is where Kula Shaker got all their ideas. "Rising Above Bedlam" is patchy as hell, but you can see how its east/west fusion pushed things forwards.

On the one hand, Morrissey spoke out for sensitive introverts with songs such as "Big Mouth Strikes Again," "Ask," and "How Soon Is Now?" But then he has to go and spoil it all with "You're the One for Me, Fatty," and being a big racist bellend.

Probably the only album I've listened to where a discussion about sandwiches is the best track.

Pretty much a hip-hop concept album, I love how textured and layered this is, plus its scattershot pop-culture references. Despite its length it never gets boring. An awesome achievement.

An album from the past decade that I've actually listened to before! And I still like it. Very post-Goldfrapp with a touch of Kate Bush.

I've enjoyed a lot of the punk I've heard on here, but this felt unexceptional.

For obvious reasons, I always assumed Violent Femmes were a feminist hardcore punk band and never realised they were the guys who did "Go Wild" from the Grosse Pointe Blank soundtrack. Now I know! The album is pretty good too, I like their more laid-back and fun take on punk.

Pretty much what I was expecting; Leonard Cohen-esque moody singer-songwritering. Not bad though, and he does have a unique voice and some of the subjects are right on. I do wonder how someone who uses the N-word and sings about cocaine ended up writing "You've Got a Friend in Me," though.

Here in the UK, boring appliance company AO has vampirically suckered on to Blitzkrieg Bop for its own capitalist means. I guess the logo t-shirt royalties were going to run out eventually. But the impressive thing is that none of this can deflate this album, which deftly blasts you with perfectly formed punk pop gems like a faulty hairdryer. Let's go!

I wanted to like this, but I found it a bit grating and annoying. You can feel their influence on later bands though.

I mean, this is an album named after some herbs, performed by someone called Garfunkel, with a track called "Feelin' Groovy," so it would be pretty easy to dismiss it as the height of 1960s cheesiness. But there's a lot more going on here; the album is permeated with a haunting aurora that lingers long after you've finished.

Nice to hear Slade songs that aren't that bloody Christmas song.

An interesting curio from the time before techno became mass-marketed and saturated. The music is interesting and experimental, the lyrics are absolutely awful and sound like they were written on a cigarette packet at 3 AM. "Move Any Mountain" shows up three times on the album, which is a shame (n) because it overshadows some of the better instrumental tracks here.

I was really into this about 15 years ago; I loved its combination of Spacemen 3 psych, shoegazey rock, and baggy tunes. Not a fan of The Verve's later work ("History" feels like a dry run for "Bittersweet Symphony"), but this is great.

Not sure if we need more than one Beck album on here, especially when every song sounds like it's about to become "Devil's Haircut."

Just listen to an Eno album of this era. The production is pretty much the same, but Eno's tunes are better and his albums are shorter.

Just the noodliest thing.

This is an asbolutely perfect example of the awful, boring, slow, bland pop that was popular in the 80s and 90s. It should be on the "1001 Albums That Must Die" list.

Looks like jazz, sounds like boring country, then goes in a very cool and experimental direction, which reminded me of Alan Parsons, and then goes back to boring country. A rollercoaster!

I'm still not sure how Wire did a post-mortem of punk while punk was still very much alive. But it's amazing, desolate and snarling and bleak and beautiful all at once.

I find it impossible to not like Led Zep. Those riffs are so solid and erect that you can reach out and touch them, but it's the quieter, tender moments that really stick with you. They are the masters of drama, the rise and fall, the sustain and release.

Just how are these people so popular. Boring and depressing. Even the name sounds like something your grumpy next-door neighbour would say.

Another album that I regret not listening to at the time because I was brainwashed by the NME and probably listening to Dodgy instead. "Antichrist Superstar" probably doesn't pack the punch it did in '96, and it comes across a bit silly and cartoony now, but there are still some decent tunes on here and the production is incredible.

Never heard of this guy, but, despite a couple of duff tracks, I really like his scrappy, laid-back sound. Beck without the weirdness, or Fun Lovin' Criminals without the cringe, or Beastie Boys without the boyish aggression.

Halfway between Led Zeppelin and boring drivetime rock ballads of the late-70s/early-80s.

Just the sheer fucking density of the sound. Insane and incredible and awe-inspiring. Never moves like you think it's going to. At once utterly jarring and soothing, a Hell's Kitchen nightclub and a Bali beach at the same time. Music that makes you feel alive.

Wasn't paying a huge amount of attention to this, but it seemed decent. You can feel the ecstasy beat starting to penetrate indie music.

This was exactly what hip-hop needed; child-like wonder replacing guns and bitches.

Loved this! I'm old, but I really liked the late 2010s sound, that kind of dark synth influenced by that OneOhTrix guy. But her voice adds another layer.

Dirty and vampiric songwriting with a rockabilly edge. Great to hear a band with the confidence to do their own thing.

Wasn't hugely impressed with this, but I guess it introduced RnB to clubs. Keep on Movin' is OK.

Pulp's "In Utero." Dour and uncertain after a cult classic. What it lacks in Nirvana's vitriol it makes up for in cinematic grace, especially on the title track.

The aural equivalent of a stuffed toy with a hand grenade in it. I'm not sure where I'm going with this, but that sentence seemed to make sense when I wrote it.

Is it terrible that I guessed the singer was already dead from the moment I heard the first song? It seems like it might be. This is terrific though; it still sounds fresh as hell.

One thing I like about this project is that it allows you to join the dots: I had no idea CCR did "Proud Mary." The rest is pretty good; solid and consistent like a nice poo.

Caught Tom Tom Club at Glastonbury a few years ago and they were one of the most energetic and enthusiastic bands I saw, despite also being one of the oldest. This album transfers that feeling well; it's like you've been invited into their home and they're all giving you a big hug.

Interesting as a concept album, but I just hate his voice. Sorry.

Not a huge Prefab Sprout fan, but Thomas Dolby's production elevates this a little. About 10% of the lyrics contain nuggets of wisdom as well.

Nothing really hooked me or drew me in here; it felt flat and overlong. You do get a sense of Tupac's magnetic charisma and his troubled life, but there are no tunes to carry it.

I had low expectations of variations on the theme of "American Pie," and that's pretty much what I got. What was surprising was that it didn't turn out to be a bad thing and McLean's brand of cornfield melancholy doesn't outstay its welcome. Edit: I've got to stop looking at the Wiki pages for artists on here. What a dick!

I liked this in a very calm and non-threatening way. There are some nice sounds here. It makes you realise how much this genre needed Aphex Twin and Boards of Canada though.

The immature absurdity of Ozzy's lyrics combines with bang-on arrangements and the faintest whiff of stoner rock. Rare to find such a perfectly formed debut album.

Enjoyed this. Short, sharp songs on side-A, a psych freakout on side B. Who could ask for more?

Just far too jangly.

Some good tunes buried among the gravelly arthouse flatulence.

Hey look I've found a Queen album that's kind of OK! Two things I liked: Brian May can sing, and She Makes Me (Stormtrooper in Stilettoes) basically invented the shoegazing genre.

"Fouling" it up put a smile on my face. We like people for who they are, but we love them for their mistakes. So tender and beautiful, a natural performer, and her voice carries it with so much grace.

This album does not sound how it looks. I was expecting exuberant psychedelic rock, I got the most amazing laid-back rhythm and blues. What a pleasant surprise and a great start to a shitty Tuesday.

Talking Heads did "Rip it Up" and Queen did "This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us."

I liked this to start with, but it soon became cloying and annoying. Like The White Stripes if they didn't know what the fuck they were doing.

Confession time: "Punchbag" and "A Minha Menina" were the first MP3s I ever downloaded, probably illegally via Limewire. I listened to them a lot, in the same way that I watched "Spaceballs" a lot because it was the only VHS tape we had. So I was kind of dreading this album, but I actually liked it. It has a lot of variety and it's definitely straddling multiple genres without losing its balance. Still not sure why some white middle-class guys from England are trying to be Mexican though?

Not sure why the government is investing in nuclear reactors when this album has enough energy to power the country.

The epitome of everything that was wrong with the 80s. About as much substance as a balloon.

Probably would have liked this at the time; now it's just a bit numbing and not hardcore enough.

Radiohead for people who don't want to be challenged.

I like David Holmes, but I'm not sure this is his best record. It's edgy, but not in a good way, and the mix is muddy and flat. The remixes on the "Don't Die Just Yet" EP are far better, and "Bow Down to the Exit Sign" is a more coherent and mature album.

Between this and the Laura Nyro album I listened to yesterday it's pretty apparent that women have done far more than men to push music forwards.

50% Fleetwood Mac pop, 50% punk attitude.

Acceptable. I am the grand juror of music.

Warm and comforting.

Just that sound, the sheer onslaught of the whole thing. Surprisingly compact for a hip-hip album too.

🕴

TIL Steve Albini had a band, and it was absolutely incredible. So filthy and lo-fi and layered and nasty but just perfect really, I love the harshness of the guitars and the cleanness of the drum machines. YouTube music link: https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCqGF7gRwC9ZFxWIv0uWUl_g But this should really be listened to on a dog-eared vinyl or a smashed cassette tape.

Starts out nicely but loses focus and starts borrowing heavily from other songs.

There's something so sweet and uncynical and almost naive about this, it's like a music lesson and an album in one.

Not exactly the hard punk I was expecting, but not unenjoyable either. Reminded me of Half Man Half Biscuit quite a lot.

Slow and boring in a 90s smoky jazz way, but it does come together in "Constant Craving," which is somehow really great. Just listen to that song instead of the whole album.

Stupidly good.

I like the concept, and Meat Loaf was obviously a larger-than-life character, but I feel like this has dated. The idea of buying an album and putting it on to "experience" it is something people don't really do anymore, right?

Unconvincingly haunting the no-man's land between Dylan and Bowie.

A fascinating little slice of history. Weird to think that this album was released closer to when Marco Polo discovered America than today.

Stupid clown music.

REM for people who don't like REM. Just love the structure of the songs and Bob Mould's introspective sadness, which feels a bit more genuine and less showy than Michael Stipe's.

Not so hot on the folk stuff, but I liked its unexpected slips into psychedelia. "Hippie Boy" felt a bit hypocritical, coming from Gram Parsons, but maybe that's the point. Hippie-critical.

Very likable and progressive, but I'm not sure if I'd listen to this again.

Crazy and infuriating, but occasionally a nice melody or rhythm shines through. I was expecting more spy music. YT link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCHB5LLPQ3s

Did people forget how to make albums in the 2010s? This starts well, very post-Scissor Sisters, but with a unique folkiness and sense of humour. But after 40 minutes it runs out of steam and becomes such a drag.

Just when you think it can't get any better than "Buffalo Stance," it hits you with "Manchild." Although the rest of the album can't quite top that opening double act, it still has an aggressive hip-hop streak that took female pop out of the 80s and into the 90s.

This feels like it was made when people were still working out how to use samples. It's interesting and I'm sure it pushed things forward a bit, but it's just not always that listenable.

Maybe not an essential Sonic Youth album, but still very good.

This made me like The Doors. A subdued Heroin fog of an album.

A strange album that can't quite make up its mind of what it wants to be, but gets really good when it goes full jazz.

This feels like the missing link between punk and Pixies, just without any of the excitement of either.

Great lyrics, with a nice touch of feminist wit and a heartbreakingly honest sadness in places. But the trite, predictable arrangements let it down.

One can never have too much reverberated screaming of a Monday morning.

Not sure how Lauryn Hill found the time to record an album when she was so busy paving the way for Beyonce.

I feel like so many of these 80s bands just flew under my radar. Probably because I was like four years old when this came out. But I think even my four-year-old self would have liked this. It's whimsical and light without ever becoming cloying, with some great tunes and lovely noodley little guitar bits. Just a perfectly formed album.

I wanted to like this, but it actually reminded me of My Bloody Valentine in that every track is soo epic and overproduced that it becomes kind of numbing and loses its impact. I listened to all one hour and 33 minutes of this though, so that's a thing.

Never really answers the question as to why birds suddenly appear when that person is near. "They long to be close to you," is not really an answer. If birds suddenly appear, the person must be a magic saint or an evil wizard.

Great artwork! The album is OK, still a bit nascent.

Sounded a lot like Swans. Surprisingly genuine.

Just so energetic and trashy and fun and unable to take itself seriously. It's a totally American take on punk-rock and it's all the better for it.

Enjoyed the ebbs and flows of this one.

I'd always written off McCartney's post-Beatles work, but this is more interesting than I thought it might be, adding an experimental, electronic edge.

Every song just sounds like a variation of "Suzanne." Five stars.

This was the soundtrack to my summer in about 2001. 22 years later (!) and it takes me straight back to being high in some field somewhere. I know Spiritualized found success in love songs, but it's the longer sonic voyages that really stand out here. Just absolutely unlike anything that was around at the time (shoegaze? stoner rock? ambient?) and unlike anything since. Sway slow. Stay low.

A lot better than Moss Side Story, Adamson's slightly too on-the-nose concept album. A little bit MIDI and dated in places, but this has a seedy, smokey atmosphere that perfectly suited Lynch's movies of the era. The Big Bamboozle is such a torpedo; comes out of nowhere and hits you with its John Barry swagger.

My second Cohen this week! This one is a bit more varied than "Songs of," but it does get a little bit corny in the more Western-influenced tracks.

So it turns out that "Connected" and "Step it up" are two different songs.

Duran Duran on downers. Melancholic and angular.

Unexpectedly brilliant.

Enjoyable and powerful, but lacking tunes. It feels like she's one song away from become a global superstar.

I'd never heard of them until now, but having listened to the album everything suddenly makes sense. A definite missing link in psych-rock, and they seem pretty influential too.

If I could play guitar well and be in a band this is what I'd play.

Laid back but also just kind of a bit melancholic and soporific. It feels like they ran out of ideas and just started making random noises.

"Protection," "Karmacoma," and "Euro Child" are incredible, building up layers and constantly adding motifs. You can just feel how they pushed electronica forwards by slowing it down and saying, "hey, this can be intelligent and tender and meaningful." It's just a shame that the rest of this album sounds like keyboard demo modes, and the awful "Light My Fire" cover is so unnecessary and incongruent.

It's interesting that SFA are referred to as alt-rock on Spotify, rather than Britpop. But I think it's also correct as the Welsh band probably has more in common with Pavement than Shed Seven. The album still holds up; short, sharp and sweet. "Something For The Weekend" is still killer.

Unusual for pretty much every song to work on an album. I always forget "It Ain't Easy" is on here, and it always catches me off guard like a sonic hitman.

This might have been funny at the time*, but it sure as hell isn't now. Although admittedly it captures an irritating and cringeworthy side of the hippie dream that is probably best forgotten now. *I doubt it was funny at the time.

I remember the Yeah Yeah Yeahs being a thing, but never really paid them much attention. This is good though. One of the few albums where I liked the acoustic tracks towards the end as they reveal and more tender side to the lead singer.

Great arrangements and I usually like weird stuff, but I found this irritating as hell. She sings like Bjork and Kate Bush in a joint constipation therapy session.

This was exactly the point at which U2 and Coldplay became indistinguishable. Feel-good stadium rock that doesn't challenge and completely falls apart upon close examination. Although, having now listened to a bunch of U2, I concede that there is always one really good track among the dross on every album. In this case, it's "Elevation." Complete turd otherwise.

Expecting shallow rockabilly, but this is pretty good, kinda deep-south AC/DC. Did not outstay its welcome despite its length.

This is such an 80s endeavour. Interesting, but not entirely listenable. Feels like it might have influenced Bjork in places.

So light and yet it has so much substance. Like Tom Waits without the gravelly gruffness. I could honestly listen to this forever.

It's insane how quickly singer/songwriters matured during the 60s. This is just phenomenal; switching from awe-inspiringly dramatic and cinematic to deeply introverted and experimental in a short space of time.

Treads the fine line between good high-production 80s jazz and annoying dissonant 80s jazz. Loved the closing track though.

I hated this to start with, and then it suddenly just clicked into place. Insane and brilliant in equal measure; I can't think of any other album that keeps you on your toes so much. FAST AND BULBOUS

Funnily enough, I was just looking at this last night and thinking about listening to it, but then I thought "this is bound to show up on 1,001 albums." And look, here it is! And, I don't know, it's kind of boring? Maybe I just know it too well - I listened to it incessantly when I was 16, and now it just lacks a certain something. It's still a five-star album for what it did, and what it meant to me at the time, but tracks like "Polly," "Territorial Pissings," and "Breed" just don't really do anything for me, although "On A Plain" shines through as one of their best songs. "In Utero" is a better album; it's more jagged and less listenable, but also more coherent.

Bleak and pessimistic, kitchen-sink Radiohead. There are the germs of some good tunes here ("Writing to Reach You" is interesting), but it becomes repetitive and ultimately just a spiral of devastation without any redeeming features. I swear "Driftwood" is the single most depressing song ever written.

I remember this coming out, I believe it was the first release on DreamWorks records, and it sounded like it - experimental, but on big production budget, sort of Smashing Pumpkins' grand-scale midwestern Goth meets Pavement's introversion. It can be a little annoying in places, but it's still a unique and challenging album.

Did not like the other M.I.A. album on here, but this was OK, especially when it was contrasted with the mid-00s bland indie that was playing in the cafe. I mean, there is something going on here that's a bit more interesting and edgy; Neneh Cherry-ish, and it doesn't outstay its welcome.

I quite like The Police! Don't hate me!

Somehow completely brilliant in how unexceptional it is. A band finding its feet and its confidence and delivering a series of completely flawless tracks.

Just absolutely grabs you by the balls and never lets go. So much rage and, depressingly, it feels just as relevant now as it did 30 years ago.

So incredibly rough around the edges, but you can feel Cave's whole shtick coming through. The musical equivalent of Max Max 1.

This didn't catch my attention, but it sounded like Springsteen when it did.

The soundtrack of my teens. I remember listening to the line "Talking to my girlfriend, waiting for something to happen," and thinking I'll never have a girlfriend. Now all I do is talk to my girlfriend and wait for something to happen. Radiohead were the band for the weird kids who didn't dig Oasis. A little trite in places, but the crazy arrangements hide so much. "Just," "My Iron Lung," and "Street Spirit" are still incredible, and not quite like anything else at the time, almost grunge, semi-Britpop, 90s prog, but something else also. Better than OK Computer in terms of consistency.

A novelty cover album that actually works and does its own thing.

Definite mummy issues here! But also surprisingly solid, it's interesting that Lennon went inwards while McCartney went ... wherever he went.

Was not expecting to like this as much as I did. It really rocks out in places. A nice reminder of what folk music was before it became a pastiche of itself (fucking Mumford!).

Their good songs got better, but their annoying songs became more annoying.

I remember my flatmates hating Kravitz as a kind of faux-Hendrix, but he's really not is he? He's just doing his own thing, and I really like it. Lyrics are occasionally a little cheesy but all good otherwise.

Taylor Swift has a lot to answer for and none of it is good.

I'm beginning to come to the conclusion that I was completely wrong to hate Paul Weller with his stupid hair. The Style Council is not what you'd expect from Paul Weller with his stupid hair: it's much more soul-oriented and it doesn't sound anything like The Jam; in fact, I thought "You're The Best Thing" was a Lenny Kravitz number. And then Paul Weller with his stupid hair did Wild Wood, which successfully veered into singer-songwriter territory. You have to be both brave and sure-footed to pull such career u-turns off, but Paul Weller with his stupid hair is one of the few who can do it.

Not the most challenging listen, but this really opens up once it gets going. Graceful and tender.

TIL Soft Cell didn't write "Tainted Love." TIL Soft Cell made a one of the best and goofiest albums of the 80s and it's stupidly brilliant.

Halfway between Def Jam and De La Soul.

Jackson's immaculate vocals contrast with crunchy, aggressive electronic pop to amazing effect. The complete opposite of the rather bland and unchallenging pop of the 70s and 80s. And you can just feel how this was produced from the ground up to sound great on a CD hifi.

Just different enough to be interesting but just commercial enough to be successful.

I'm not sure I've ever heard any album with this much energy before. Riding the glam wave but very much in their own way.

Suddenly Nick Cave makes sense for me! A proper album, Old Testament-thumping American Gothic that peaks and troughs perfectly, with "Where the Wild Roses Grow" as its tenderly beating heart.

A great texture, interesting arrangements, and it's always nice to hear music from different cultures.

I always thought of the Bee Gees as a late-70s band, but it turns out they actually formed in 1642. This sounds like modern indie in places, but very dated and weirdly patriotic in others.

I actually enjoyed the radio jingles more than the songs themselves.

Very of its time, but this actually hasn't dated too badly. A more aggressive and dance-oriented take on the chill genre.

Very 90s alt-rock, nice to listen to but not the most challenging thing. Judging by his images, he only recently learned how to make eye contact.

There something really sweet and loveable at the core of this. Liked it a lot.

Are soundtracks a regular thing on this list? I'm not sure I've heard that many. I guess Air's work verged on soundtracks anyway, but if we're going there I'd want to include some of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross's work as well. Not to say that this isn't really good. It takes the texture of "Moon Safari" and turns it into something more coherent and less patchy. It's hard to imagine the film without the soundtrack.

I used to hate the way this album sounded so rough and underproduced, but I think it's part of the charm now and it adds authenticity.

It was all going so well until Eminem showed up.

A sweet and optimistic lil' album.

Razor-sharp and witty in some places; puerile, immature, and absurdly misogynistic in others. Some of it is just talking and it's far too long.

"Gang Bang" is kind of horrible, and some of this is a bit cheesy, but the rest of this is gleeful and enjoyable. Swaggering operatic glam rock with a hard edge, and you can feel its influence on what came next.

I'm not sure if I like this because it's good, or if I would have been the target demographic for this material when it came out. I think it's OK though? Maybe it loses its initial inertia about halfway through. This is such a vague review. Sorry.

Gosh this is good.

I loved the bits where it sounded like "Supersitious" without being as overplayed as "Superstitious." I even liked the soppier love songs.

Taylor Swift without whatever makes Taylor Swift great and I don't know what that is.

All over the place apart from the singles, "Ready or Not," "Killing Me Softly," and "Fu-Gee-La." Somehow it's charming and it has a unique perspective, despite its scattershot approach. Basically a drunk driver of an album but with fewer road casualties.

Gosh this is so good. I just love the way that UK hip-hop went from being the most cringeworthy thing in the world to stuff like this, which is so raw and feisty and just such an insight into that world and culture. "Shutdown" is amazing. Scary that this is getting on for 10 years old now! I am so old.

My second Wonder this week. I was intimidated by its length, but I shouldn't have been. Pretty much every track just hits so hard and sounds so good, that layered detailed electro-funk never gets old. It's like being at the best party ever. Even when it's awful jazz it's brilliant. Also, this seems to be where 90% of 90s hip-hop stars got their song ideas from.

Apparently I listened to this whole album, and the only thing I remember about it is the first track. I'm not even drunk.

Summer Breeze has just come on and this meeting can wait.

I got really into editing a script while I was listening to this, and didn't pay it much attention. What I heard sounded good though, reggae that doesn't sound like a Bob Marley clone.

This is just the sexiest album.

Never really got it? I mean Shaun Ryder is iconic of that era and genre, and a working-class hero, but he's not a great lyricist and the music just isn't good enough to carry it all. I guess if you were there at the time it would have been great, but this one should probably be consigned to the dustbin of history.

Sounded so Australian!

The boost I needed on a crappy Monday. Prince-like funky soul with a shot of hip-hop and a slick electronica layer of polish.

Brilliantly weird and slightly silly industrial rock that doesn't focus on guitars. A little annoying in places and a bit too long, but you can feel how it influenced bands like NIN and Metallica.

Great production, and that sound is so evocative. Just a shame most of the lyrics seem to have been written and performed by a 14-year-old boy.

I'm not sure how an album can sound at once ahead of its time and before its time, but this manages it. Not a bad thing in itself, but it feels like it influenced any number of bland country-tinged alt-rock bands of the 90s. At least this has a backbone though.

Comedown folk-rock. I like the way they did their own distinctive thing when there was so much bad music in this era.

I couldn't hate this as much as I wanted to. A natural progression from the Beastie Boys merging of punk and hip-hop, but this time with country-tinted grunge. The lyrics are absolutely horrible in some places but very sharp in others.

They obviously had a unique sound, but this is just so basic, like someone took The Strokes and aged them by about 30 years and made them much more boring. And The Strokes were already pretty boring.

Delightfully dirty and trashy and sleazy; an oily puddle in a back alley. Must have been nothing short of revolutionary at the time.

Better than "Transformer." Sweeps from cabaret act to soaring orchestral movements without dropping the ball.

This was probably the only era of this album that me and my dad could agree on. He loved the film "Vanishing Point" and it was great to see him engage with the album. And it's still just great, really unlike anything else at the time, and Primal Scream finding the confidence to do whatever the hell they wanted. Thanks, Bobby.

Halfway between Mogwai and Boards of Canada, but with its own jazz thing going on. Another one I should have been listening to at the time.

The more psychy bits of this are so good. The rest isn't that good, but the psych bits make up for it.

Not too folky, not too 80s-cheesy, just right.

You can literally just hear however many millions they spent on this. The production is incredible, and it hides some of the cracks on the weaker tracks. "Music" is just so perfectly arranged, "Don't Tell Me" is, I think, my favorite Madonna song, and the cover of "American Pie" is just hilariously weird and doing its own thing, such a brilliant little oddity.

My son listens to this all the time, so I was expecting to be sick of most of the songs. But it's testament to AC/DC that I wasn't. They're probably the only band that managed to make each of their songs completely unique structurally, while being utterly catchy and accessible to a mainstream audience. However, the Dandy Warhols cover of Hell's Bells is better. There, I said it.

Never quite got this, but I do now.

I hated this when it came out because it didn't have enough guitars on it. Now I love it because it doesn't have enough guitars on it. I think Radiohead's best album exists in the gray space between this and Kid A; they're both a little patchy but some really good songs do the heavy lifting. Here, it's "Pyramid Song," which breaks my heart a little more every time I hear it.

Solid but unexceptional folk. The music is OK too.

This isn't on Spotify, so I had to buy it via Bandcamp (you can also listen to the album there): https://americanmusicclub1.bandcamp.com/album/california-digi-only-release And it was worth it! Reminds me of Radiohead and Talk Talk, and a little Elliot Smith. Digging those chord progressions.

This has grown on me. Thinking of it as Eno art-rock instead of pop has helped. It sounds great. I can't think of much else to say about it. Sorry.

I've never quite got Bob Marley, but I think I do now. This album is just so immaculately consistent. Nothing about it particularly stands out, but there's nothing bad about it either. It just is. It exists to function and functions to exist. But somehow brilliantly so.

You know those in-game radio stations in GTA? Listening to this album feels like I've tuned into a sad-alt-country-rock one. Not particularly bad, just interminably long and better as background music.

This is what Stevie Wonder's dreams sound like.

"Big Ten Inch Record" has got to be the absolute worst attempt to hide what it's really about. But this is OK, otherwise, it's easy to forget that Aerosmith started small as a pioneering rock/blues band, and a lot of the tracks here ("Sweet Emotion," especially) could fit in with late-80s/early-90s alt-rock.

Just two guys and some instruments and drum machine. The flipside to My Bloody Valentine, the British Sonic Youth. It's rough around the edges but kind of beautiful in its sheer brutality.

I'm a big Eno fan, but somehow I've never heard this. And it's so good, one of the few albums on here I listened to twice. Just immaculately produced and tuneful and whimsical and somehow not as dark as his other work but still breathtaking.

This caught me off-guard. A quick and angry recoil to Cobain's suicide, and every bit as good as Nirvana's output. But there's something more here: a tender take on grunge, honesty replacing irony with a mid-Western drawl, but still as loud and as raw as hell. Every song just hits so hard and sounds so good, even if the production isn't great, but that's part of the charm. I never realised what a place this held in my heart though. It's just so perfect and ugly-beautiful and unique as an album. Grohl wore his heart on his sleeve and it paid off massively for him.

"Orange Crush" is clearly one of the best REM songs, but the rest of this album can do one.

I do have a soft spot for The Verve, especially their earlier work. This album continues some of the shoegazing sonic philosophy of their first two albums, but mixes it with crowd-pleasing maudlin tracks. 50% of this is really good, and 50% of it just isn't.

Drum and bass perfection, the production is so clean and it's so well-mixed that it doesn't feel like it's dated at all, especially when compared to Roni Size's more crowd-pleasing but less even "New Forms."

Nothing jumped out at me.

I know Morrissey is a dick etc, but I don't think anyone has ever nailed that balance of depression and ironic humour in quite the same way.

The jangly and bland stuff that would inspire the absolute worst Britpop. But then there's a track on here called Satan and it's kind of insane.

Remember when Bono had something to be angry about? For one song?

Surprised by this, it's pushing country about as far as it'll go.

There's something very sweet and naive at the core of this.

Messy and lo-fi and chaotic, but you have to hand it to Jack and Meg for not letting the fame and money from "Seven Nation Army" go to their head, and just carrying on with what they do best.

Gets pretty dark in places!

The audio equivalent of being slapped in the face over and over again for 30 minutes.

The only thing I can recall about this album is that their work got worse as they got older.

Charming and cock-er-nee, but also dated. Waterloo Sunset is still great though.

I think this was the first like proper "album" I owned, on cassette, in 1996. I subsequently got into the Manics in a big way, then found them a bit depressing and trite. My declining interest was nailed when I had a very drunk and absolutely hilarious conversation with Elbow's Guy Garvey about them at Glastonbury 2013. I won't repeat what he said, but it was not complementary to the Manics. So yeah, a bit of a strange one to revisit. I can totally see why it gave the band some well-deserved time in the spotlight, replacing the macabre, almost lo-fi production of "The Holy Bible" with a confident Britpop sheen. But this is also its weakest element; the extra layer of strings always feels unnecessary and waters down the songs, especially the title track. "Girl Who Wanted To Be God" is the strongest track here, it's perfectly placed in the album's ebbs and flows.

A new-ish album I've actually heard! Not sure if anything quite matches the cynical energy of the first track, but they've got a unique sound and the tunes are there.

Never trust albums with the track listing on the front cover.

A great album that really gives a sense of Tricky's character.

This is never not interesting. Kind of Celtic folk-psyche in places, unfortunately U2-esque in others, utterly mediocre and boring in its quieter moments. "It started up in Fife, it ended up in tears," are genius lyrics, "The Stolen Child" is awful and weird. Felt like it lasted forever.

Exactly at the midpoint between Beastie Boys and Nirvana.

Basically, this is British kids doing silly posh voices at school made into a whole album. No idea why it goes full Prince at one stage, and it's genuinely creepy in places. "Something for the Weekend" is admittedly quite a clever song, though.

Do you want to listen to an album that sounds exactly like Prince, but with none of the bite?

All albums should be 25 minutes and 59 seconds long.

A more psychotropic and funky take on Martyn's slightly farty folk which reminded me of Alan Parsons' sonic voyages. Love the artwork as well.

Kind of perfect. Me and all my uni friends loved this album. Davis' sax is his voice.

A juxtaposition between the positive energy of country and jet-black lyrics that tackle male mental health issues with admirable, almost heart-breaking honesty.

Bowie at his absolute peak is also him at his most humbly strong. Or something. Never not interesting to listen to.

ANOTHER Elvis Costello album. Pet theory: he ghost-wrote "1001 Albums." "Oliver's Army" is pretty good. The rest is twee and boring.

The thing I love about this album is the way you can picture the ideal listening locale: a beige 70s lounge with a lava lamp and a record player and a pack of Gauloises. It just moves.

There's no "Jolene" or "9 to 5" here, but I could listen to her voice all day. I'm not sure how someone can sound so innocent and yet so world-weary.

MBV carry on doing what they're good at with zero attempts to update the formula. Soaringly beautiful in places, discordant and unlistenable in others.

This triggered some very weird, specific memories for me; the last time I heard it was probably 20 years ago, and I was probably baked. As I should have been! This was the album that legalized stoner rock, taking the filthy bong water of Kyuss and diluting it into something that would play nicely on radio waves. It's long, but there's enough variation here to ensure it never outstays its welcome.

I'm increasingly convinced that people just forgot how to make and enjoy good music sometime around the year 2000.

Arguably more important than "Nevermind" in influencing the future of alt-rock, and obviously a massive, almost plagiaristic influence on Mogwai. Holy shit.

I've tried so hard, but this record is impossible to dislike. At once reassuringly traditional while gently pushing rock in interesting directions, and utterly avoiding 60s cringe. "Sinister Purpose" sounds so much like "Psycho Killer" by Talking Heads.

Five stars for the cover of "Comfortably Numb" alone, which is just a completely crazy mash-up of the original song, 70s funk, 80s electro, and 90s house. It really shouldn't work, but it's just so damn good. I think this album made me gay for a bit in 2004, as well; the soundtrack for my kiss-guys-on-molly phase. Which was a total blast, and this album being so unabashedly, joyfully out - and such a massive hit - felt like a defining moment.

Fun and silly.

Sometimes I just really miss smoking weed.

A kind of weird mash-up of Radiohead and Louis Armstrong, with a distinctive LGBT twist. Deserved the Mercury Music Prize.

This should be a total mess, but somehow it works by virtue of moving fast and not hanging around. Loved the surprising psych-dub bits.

My former flatmate was a huge Flaming Lips fan, and this album brings back hazy memories of a magic-mushroom-powered summer of 2003. Of course, two reviews down I said how much I hated music of this era, but this gets a pass for its psychedelic highs and melancholic lows.

I remember "Just The Way You Are" being played almost constantly on Radio 2 in the UK in the 80s. I was only about five years old, but I hated how boring and bland it was. And I still do!

Very easy to dismiss as a beardy novelty band, but holy crap ZZ Top were ahead of their time. I guess it was like Dylan going electric, but the simple addition of synths gives every track such a malevolent, hard edge. Did Nirvana use synths? Did Guns 'n Roses? Oasis? No! THEY CAN ALL DO ONE.

So soft and light that it teeters on the edge of even existing at all. But it's also a lot more authentic than some of the other "chill" artists of the era, and the minimal nature of the tracks makes them ideal for remixes, such as the Layo & Bushwacka remix of "So Nice," which I had on a L&B compilation. Just a shame there's not much to it in the first place.

"The Humpty Dance" is silly and great fun, but the novelty shtick wears a little thin and it's hideously misogynistic in places. Again, no idea why all albums of this genre/era need to be one hour plus.

I knew "Everybody's Talking," but this album really does go in some unexpected directions. I honestly thought the final track was some random modern band I'd randomly started playing on Spotify.

This guy was huge, wasn't he? I managed to ignore him at the time, but now the dust has settled it's not bad; shiny, druggy folk pop that could have been recorded in 1975.

Surprisingly but also unsurprisingly bluesy in places.

This blinsided me a bit, in a really good way. The thing I love about French hip-hop is that I can barely understand a word they're saying, which shifts the focus onto the beats and turns the voice into just another instrument. And this is absolutely the best place to start; accessible and interesting without ever being cheesy or trashy.

I've always hated Simply Red with a passion, but I actually understand where they're coming from now - blue-eyed soul with an electronic edge. I still hate them though.