Never heard of them before this, never will again. Pish, which should never be in this list, or in end of year top album lists. Not one song I liked, or would be happy to hear again. Rubbish

Brilliant, classic, hear its influences all over the place. I was a bit surprised how may of the songs I knew, but they released SIX singles, and one of the other songs is one of the singles backwards! Really enjoyed it, but now frustrated they didn't kick on from here.

Brilliant, moving, heart-breaking at points, but also with an eye on recovery and the future. One of the most astounding and memorable pieces of music I have heard in a very long time.

Very eccentric, impressive vocals, not always catchy songs but always arresting and interesting. Clear influence on Lorde, Sia, Marina and the Diamonds, and Florence + the machine. Pull out the pin, suspended in gaffa, and get out of my house were my top tracks

Really enjoyable, a mix of genres and styles, with echoes of Ooberman, Blur, Nirvana, the Clash, ELO, The Beatles, and many more from across the whole of music. I'd only heard a couple of songs before, but loved wish I was skinny, barney (and me), Lazarus, and the white noise revisited.

Great album, perfect start to this insanity! One (obviously) and Frayed Ends of Sanity were particular highlights

Enjoyable, if a little one paced. First band in this that I have seen live, albeit 5-6 years after this album. First Scottish band too, and quite a change of pace from Metallica! You're just a baby and I could be dreaming were my favourites after one listen

Great voice, great songs, and only a few of them that I knew before listening. Oldest album so far, and first solo artist and female vocalist

Great album, in some alternate universe they are bigger than anyone in the game. Wonderful variety of samples and guests. Thin line, Hey, and Freedom my top tracks, along with Kool Kieth's DDT freestyle

Classic. More instrumental songs than I would have guessed, brilliant samples and guests

Great album, wonderful vocals and instrumentation. Do you realize and Yoshimi ... (part 1) probably my favourite individual songs, but makes most sense as a while piece.

Best song is the hidden track "blue flashing light", perhaps because it has not been overplayed; the drumming is unusual at points, but not in a bad way; Fran can really sing, this is especially obvious on "as you are"; not sure why there is a song half in French?!?

Not for me, too art for art's sake. Very 80s sounding, but not in a good way. No thanks

Great album, didn't know as many of the songs as I thought I would. Night prowler, shot down in flames, and, of course, the epic title track were the highlights. Funny to think that some people used to think that this was as heavy/fast/extreme/metal as music would ever become - if they only knew!

Not my kind of thing, but good background music and very chilled out. Sounds like the work of one man with a clear idea of what he wants to do

Good album, but a bit samey. Not a huge fan of the organ being so prominent on all the songs, but that happens when you have an organist. Good vocals, often bizarre lyrics, largely unexciting music

Really enjoyed this, only knew one song well, but it wasn't even the one I liked most. My favourites were son of a gun, doledrum, timeless melody, and the absolute best was looking glass. Just wish they had done more, but better one 5 🌟 album than five 1 🌟 ones!

As a Scot, the idea of english folk music sounds a bit strange to me - who do they sing about being oppressed and invaded by? Or do they sing about doing the invading and oppressing? Turns out it's like Scottish and Irish folk music, but with less politics and more soap opera stories! Tunes are good though, and I enjoyed the album even though I would probably never have chosen to listen to it. Matty Groves and Crazy Man Michael were my favourite tracks.

Really good album, not sure why j didn't get into it at the time. Title track, come together, and electricity were my favourite songs.

Sounds very dated, although probably in a nostalgic way for anyone who liked it at the time. I only knew 2 songs before listening to the album, and didn't really feel connected (!) to them or any others afterwards

More of the songs than I expected were ones I knew. A wide variety of styles and vocal range. The guy is clearly a genius, both in songwriting and in picking his cover versions to sing. Gotta get up, jump into the fire, and coconut were my favourite tracks

Not my kind of thing, but can hear its influence in loads of stuff. Instrumentals with only electronic sounds get very repetitive very fast.

Only about half the songs are on Spotify, which was a shame. Really enjoyed the songs I did hear. Not sure why they were not huge, or why they have been forgotten if they were a big deal.

Great album, loved every song, from hugely famous (walk this way) to the fun ones (you be illin) to the serious ones (proud to be black). Proper hip hop, still relevant today. Love it love it love it!

Old, very old, country, more my dad's taste than mine. God example of this genre though, and I did enjoy it. Really surprised to find In The Pines, covered by Nirvana as Where did you sleep last night, turn up

Ok, with a couple of great songs - Frozen and The Power of Goodbye. Sounds expensive, well produced, designed to be a hit, and slightly dated

Really good, if a bit samey. Politik, the scientist, and the title track were stand outs for me. Kind of odd to listen to it just as their new album is released.

Good album, was everywhere for a while, but the songs stil hold up. Very relaxing, very chilled, very enjoyable in a low key way. Svefn-g-englar probably my favourite, along with the title track

Sounds very much of its time - the line between dated and nostalgic is thin! Not a band I knew well, due to my age, and my parents' ages, when they were big. Lazyitis (too short) and Wrote for Luck (too long) were my favourites

Very short album, but still with a couple of very long songs. All sound similar, although with a few different voices popping up. Run Charlie run has some lyrics you would not expect to see in a pop record nowadays! The First time ever I saw your face is my favourite of these songs

Good songs, great lyrics and production. Kanye West clearly heavily involved.

Brilliant voice, brilliant songs, properly stopped me in my tracks at points. The title track, A Change is Gonna Come and, of course, Respect were highlights.

Never heard of them before this, never will again. Pish, which should never be in this list, or in end of year top album lists. Not one song I liked, or would be happy to hear again. Rubbish

Nothing like what I expected, since by the 90s they had gone into dance music. The cover of i don't wanna talk about it surprised me, but was good, the sax turning up was less enjoyable. Decent, but not one I am likely to come back to

Brilliant, classic, hear its influences all over the place. I was a bit surprised how may of the songs I knew, but they released SIX singles, and one of the other songs is one of the singles backwards! Really enjoyed it, but now frustrated they didn't kick on from here.

Classic

Odd. Very odd. Story / lyrics interesting (which does not mean good), music varies with the story. Concept albums have come a long way!

Really enjoyed this, hadn't heard of them before but will check out some of their other stuff. Red dress and love dog were the stand out tracks for me.

Amazing. Not what I, or anyone else, expected after Different Class, but really really good. Probably suffered at the time from how good their last few albums had been. A little soul, help the aged, & the title track stand out, but every song has something interesting

Not my favourite, but one I'll probably come back to, might not it more after a couple of listens. Very modern, hip hop without the rapping

Brilliant.

Solid, but unspectacular. He can really sing, but all felt a bit restrained for me.

Not one I would ever have just chosen to listen to, but I quite enjoyed it. Look forward to hearing more jazz, and learning more about it

Knew fewer than I expected of the songs, but really enjoyed visiting early 90s London. For tomorrow, chemical world and intermission were top tracks

Sounded familiar even though I had never heard any of the songs before. Think too much (b) and The late great Johnny Ace were my favourite songs

Rubbish lyrics, terrible vocals, horrible instrumentation, and no drums at all! The worst album I have ever listened to, and I never will again. Virtually a crime against humanity, and I can only assume that some reviewers (who likes it) have no ears, or taste, or were afraid to admit it should be nowhere near this list

Meh. Ok, and mercifully short, but not great. Hungry like the wolf and save a prayer the best songs, but still no better than average.

Good, but no better. Live album was interesting, and loved the introduction he was given. Didn't know many of the songs, but all pretty catchy. Will come back to when I'm not driving, so I can listen more fully

Meh. Very shiny, over-produced, bland lyrics. Pretty good voice though, and not unpleasant to listen to.

Brilliant, moving, heart-breaking at points, but also with an eye on recovery and the future. One of the most astounding and memorable pieces of music I have heard in a very long time.

Brilliant vocals, unique (and brilliant) lyrics, wonderful instrumentation and production. Loved it, and would probably not have listened to the whole thing unprompted. 4.5 🌟 rounds up to 5 🌟

Very eccentric, impressive vocals, not always catchy songs but always arresting and interesting. Clear influence on Lorde, Sia, Marina and the Diamonds, and Florence + the machine. Pull out the pin, suspended in gaffa, and get out of my house were my top tracks

Classic

Really enjoyed this, only knew a couple of songs beforehand. If I die tonight, fuck the world and, of course, dear mama are standouts.

Enjoyable, but not super catchy and very long songs. Ginger Baker was a hell of a drummer, and so versatile!

Better than I expected, but not really my kind of thing. Happy when it rains is a cracking tune, and they get a wee extra 🌟 just for being Scottish!

Very jangle-pop uk 80s, some of the songs sound like Echo & the Bunnymen, or The Smiths, or Deaon Blue, or The Associates, or even Inxs. Wasn't expecting much, but really enjoyed it, and will listen to it again. One thing though - Spotify has the (very) extended version, with more than twice as many songs, some of them demos/outtakes.

Awesome, almost unfair that someone could be such a good singer AND guitarist. Every day I have the blues, worry worry worry, and woke up this morning were the best songs

Better than I expected, influences of/on the clash, manics, ultrasound, maybe even the jam. Didn't know they were Finnish before this, makes them 77% more interesting!

Very noisy, but solid tunes in there somewhere too. Clear influence on royal blood and the white stripes, hints of the strokes, queens of the stone age, and plenty of grunge. Not one of the best 1001 albums, but an interesting one I would never otherwise have heard

Really good, like a country tinged Bob Dylan, but with a sense of humour!

Sloppy and unfocused, but ozzy's voice is still startling (in a good way) on virtually every song. Changes is my favourite track

Shite. Shite singer, shite songs, shite production, shite lyrics. The guy sings like he has been kicked in the plums, but I don't think we are that lucky. Turns out he is a nazi too, so fuck him. Would give it zero, or even less than that if I could. Absolutely pish

An absolute masterpiece. One of the most quotable albums ever, with lyrics by two of the very best to ever write. Songs are lyrically heavy, musically appropriate to the words, with flashes of genius every few seconds. Almost unfair that one band would have two such poetic lyricists, and two genius all-round musicians, and one of the very best vocalists ever, and a drummer who is such a good all-rounder, and as a band they would even design covers/videos/artwork. That that they would combine to collaborate with such a clear vision is almost unbelievable. Favourite tracks are ... All of them! We miss you Richey

Meh He can really sing - obviously, but it all feels a little polished and stilted for me. Decent background music though, and reminds me of my grandad, so that's nice.

Ok, I guess, like a better version of The Smiths. Very 80s, very jangly, rubbish lyrics, annoying vocals, not my kind of thing at all. One extra star for attending attending same uni as me!

Not my kind of thing, but probably not meant to be. Some interesting ideas, musically ad lyrically, but feels a bit unfinished. Not terrible, but not great. The ind of songs you would hear on BBC 6music, and then something better would come along.

Genius

Decent enough, I guess, but disco sucks.

Very influential, on a wide variety of bands and singers. Must have seemed like it was from the future, cos it doesn't sound dated at all!

Very distinctive voice, but this means a lot of the songs sound pretty similar. Really good songs though, lyrically and musically, with production that lets them shine. Enjoyed it more than I expected, even though I knew enough of the songs to be confident it would be good.

Interesting, challenging, different to anything I generally listen to, not my kind of thing, but could be. Keeping it in mind for future listening

An absolute masterpiece, with some of the greatest prog rock songs ever written. Enjoyed the story more by listening to it in full and in order. Comfortably numb and run like he'll were my favourites before, and still are, along withe the three "movements" of another brick in the wall

Very enjoyable, well written and well sung

not my kind of thing. lyrics, music, Instrumentation, vocals all just pretty bad. not one i will come back to

Very polished, slightly bloodless, over-produced, completely lacking any sort of edge, only emotion is a soet of general whining about "feelings". However, all of my heart is one of the best pop songs of the 80s, and the other two big hits (poison arrow & the look of love) are better than I remembered

Very funky, and very good

Brilliant

Very good, and an extra star just for being Björk. Hidden place, cocoon, and unity were my favourites

Not really my kind of thing. Relatively interesting, musically at least, and can hear the influence on loads of bands and artists. Sounds very 80s, which I guess means it was ahead of its time

Perfection, from the first note to the last. Pretty much every song is a timeless classic, with some all-time greats mixed in as well. Absolutely loved it; would give it 6 🌟 if I could!

Really inventive, very of its time, very interesting

Pretty good, not one I would have heard without taking on this list. Family affair and spaced cowboy were my favourites. Did not enjoy the instrumental/alternate versions as much

Clear influence on lots of bands I love, but doesn't resonate the same way, probably because I didn't hear it when I was younger. Really enjoyed it, hope to hear more from them

Brilliant. Lots of clever samples, lyrically magnificent, great flow, politically engaged, clear purpose and aims. I loved it.

Really enjoyed this, title track, bottle of smoke, thousands are sailing and, of course, fairytale of new york, were my favourites. Really good to listen to it in Mid-december too, a strange coincidence of the list

Pretty good. Jazz is still not my favourite genre, but the African influence was clear to hear and very enjoyable. I didn't pick up the names of any songs, so don't know which were my favourite, other than ingoo pow pow (children's song), which was great

Awesome album, maybe the first five star that I hadn't listened to all the way through before. My favourites were nightswimming and drive, but even the instrumental was brilliant. I'm definitely going to explore more R.E.M. when I get a chance, to see what other wonders share albums with songs I know!

Would have rated it higher on the memory of loving it 20 years ago, but it is not quite a five star record for me now. Still really enjoyed it though, and hope more sfa comes up in future. Favourite songs were the (sort of) title track, juxtaposed with u, and run! Christian, run!

Even as a drummer, I found this too much drums - not by much, but just a wee bit too much. Enjoyed it a bit, and spotting samples that were used elsewhere was great fun.

Absolutely awesome! One or two songs sound so 80s they border on pastiche, but still enjoyable. Title track, walk of life, latest trick, so far away, and of course, money for nothing are all-timers. What an album.

Never really heard of them before, now I'm not sure how! Sound like an Australian clash-influenced proto-nirvana - I was astounded to find they were from the USA. Really enjoyed it, and was nice to see what the rock kids were listening to when the pop and indie kids were in charge of the charts. Definitely going to listen to more of their stuff, and read more about them too. Wonderful

Awesome! Short, but catchy and a few classic songs. More time to listen would probably mean I gave it 5, but even once through it's a high 4.

Meh. Very nice, very impressive, but just doesn't move me in the way that guitars and vocals do. Interesting story behind it though, with the wrong piano being brought, and then needing tuned, and then ... just read the Wikipedia page!

Really enjoyable, a mix of genres and styles, with echoes of Ooberman, Blur, Nirvana, the Clash, ELO, The Beatles, and many more from across the whole of music. I'd only heard a couple of songs before, but loved wish I was skinny, barney (and me), Lazarus, and the white noise revisited.

Very extravagant, overblown, and eclectic. Too many songs, but most are good or great. Better quality control (and less drugs) could have made a tighter, shorter, more consistent album, but that was not the way at that time!

Classic. Not a bad track, although of course there are some good and some great. Drive in Saturday, let's spend the night night together, jean genie and the title track the best known, and most immediate for me because of that. Look forward to hearing plenty more from one of the best artists there ever was.

Not my kind of thing, very repetetive and mostly instrumental.

Not my jam

Very modern, very expensively produced, a bewildering array of guests. Sounds like flylo fm from gta v, which is not a bad thing.

Not as awesome as I expected, given his reputation, but I suppose there had been less music back when this came out. All the songs were pretty similar, but bird on a wire stood out as really good, rather than just quite good.

Solid, but unspectacular. He can really sing, but all felt a bit restrained for me. You ain't the problem is far and away my favourite track

Classic. War pigs, paranoid, and iron man are right up there with the best rock songs. Amazing to think it was only a few months since their debut.

Samey all the way through, Pacific 202 is probably the best song, but all the rest are nearly as "good", or "half decent" to be more accurate

Awesome, and really surprised me how awesome. Hints of influence on or by an eclectic range of artists, including Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Radiohead, Lenny Kravitz, Slash, Avalanches, Royal Blood, Jamie T, and many more. I absolutely loved it, with my favourites being ... actually, all 7 tracks on the original album! An extra star for being so unexpectedly wonderful makes it my first 6 🌟 album!

I can hear why people would like it, and the moments of behind the scenes where she "forgets" words or speaks to the crowd are very cool. Love her voice, but all the "American songbook" songs sound like relics from a bygone era, which I suppose they are. Enjoyable enough, but not one I will come back to

An interesting album with diverse influences including folk, prog, hippy rock, and Eastern music. Perfectly pleasant, but not likely to live long in the memory. Pretty much the definition of three stars for me!

Very odd, which is not a bad thing! Some songs sounded like rammstein covering Kenny Loggins, others like David Bowie fronting a particularly gloomy Echo & the Bunnymen, and one sounded like a piano ballad from some schlocky horror movie. I would never have found this on my own, and would not have expected it to sound like this based on what I had heard of the band before. Loses a star for not having a proper drummer.

Three stars. Good, but not great, best song last for some reason, not their best album

Very short, but full of good songs. Pretty much what I expected from them, although "At the zoo" was a lot more whimsical than I thought. That song, hazy shade of winter, America, and Save the life of My Child were my favourites, along with Mrs Robinson

Very psychedelic, very 60s. Enjoyable, although not sure it needed (at least) two versions of each song!

Another all time classic, one of my favourite albums before this, and it still is. A masterwork, best listened to as a whole, but Money and Eclipse are my favourite "movements"

Brilliant album, one of my dad's favourite artists. Folsom prison blues, give my love to rose, the hilarious flushed from the bathroom of your heart, and, of course, Jackson are awesome songs that I just keep coming back to

Never heard the whole album before, which is the point of doing this! Singles were clearly the catchiest songs, some of the filler was fairly silly. He was a great singer, but I would have liked to hear him sing more rock than pop

Sounds pretty much like it could have been made at any time in the last 40 or so years, other than the production being a bit tighter than in their very early days. Stuck in a moment and walk on were two very good songs that I had (just about) forgotten existed, beautiful day and elevation are basically classic rock staples at this point, and in a little while might be my favourite of the whole record.

I don't speak the same language, but I can still appreciate the gorgeousness of her voice. I deliberately didn't read much about the album either, but really enjoyed it. Didn't catch the names of any songs, or any of the guest vocalists, but a solid 4 ⭐ for me

Good, but not great. Good background music, but another where I don't speak the same language. I enjoyed it a lot, but will probably not come back to it

Classic, one of those albums where pretty much every song has popped up in my life a few times before. Title track, Took the words ..., and two out of three ... are my favourites, but they're all awesome!

I love the Beatles, so his will score well, but it is so early in their career that they hadn't quite developed into the band they became. Lots of cover versions, which is odd when they had three of the best songwriters (and Ringo). Thus does include the first Harrison song on an LP though, which is interesting. All the songs are good or great, and all are pretty much part of life in Britain. I prefer their later stuff, when they were exploring the fringes of modern music and developing the future, but still love this. It is both good in its own right, and an interesting snapshot of the biggest band in the world, ever, just as they claimed that title.

Sounds like a bunch of clever clogs trying (and nearly managing) to sound like Pink Floyd. Bloody well right and dreamer are the catchiest tunes, but it probably works bets as a whole album.

Only 4 of the songs are on Spotify, which is far from handy, but I found versions of the rest on other albums or compilations though. Side 1 very different to side 2, and much better, but neither is really up my street. Title track and heard it through the grapevine are my favourite songs

Good splid indie album, if they had been a few years earlier they would have sold thousands more copies. Fills the space between the Las and Embrace, which I never knew needed filled. Natalie's partly and beautiful ate my favourites, with an honourable mention for lend's some dough

All the songs sound basically the same, which is fine, because I like it, but it does mean that the album drags a bit towards the end. Very english, so I'm not sure how it would go across further afield - I'm scottish and don't always get all his references! Help save the youth of America is the best song, I also liked the hoke front and ideology

Pretty bad

More varied than I expected, but hampered by a not very good singer. Geno is the best song, burn it down is pretty good, and the rest are fairly forgettable

Loved it! An early forerunner of lots of stuff I like, and one of the first power trios. Every song was great, but their version of summertime blues was greatest for me. Really intrigued to hear more of their stuff.

Sounds even more like The Killers than I would have thought, clearly one they spent a long time studying. Thunder Road, jungleland, and the title track were the best songs, but it probably works best as a whole piece. I'm sure it won't be the only album from the boss on this list

What a wonderful surprise, an album i would never have listened to but absolutely loved. The range of genres and influences is mind-blowing, and the variety in the vocal performances makes it hard to believe it was one artist (with guests) responsible. I love a concept album, and this is as high concept as anything, but the songs stand up individually as well. Dance or die, faster, tightrope (with big boi), wondaland, and my new favourite song Come Alive (War of the Roses) are so good I can hardly believe I hadn't heard them before. What an album, and this is exactly the reason I wanted to do this!

Classic

Great album, if a little samey throughout. All songs have a slightly arch quality, which works better in some than others. Songs of love and frog princess are my favourites, but all tracks are very good

Classic hip hop. I was surprised how few tracks I recognised by name, but knew more of the songs when they came on. NY state of mind and the world is yours were stand outs, but the whole album works well as a piece

Old people's music, hippies trying to make money but pretend they're not. Songs all sound the same, and only ok. Not for me; just sounds like so many other albums from that time.

Brilliant album, from a band I had never even heard of. Loved every song, but "do you compute" and "sinews" were the best ones. They remind me of late Nirvana and/or early Biffy Clyro - two of my favourites of all time!

Good, but not great. They were such a god singles band, and so prolific at albums, that it's not a huge surprise that there's a fair bit of filler at points. Start! and Monday were my favourites favourites

This came up in my feed a few days after he asked Spotify to remove his music. Joe Rogan sucks. This album however, does not suck. It is pretty samey, and would probably have scored higher if I had listened to it a few more times.

Nah, not for me

The laddie can clearly sing, in whatever style he/his people want. Ranges from disco to balladry, with hints of funk and rock. First two tracks were the big singles, but she's out of my life and the title track were more enjoyable for me.

Not their best work, but still better than most other bands can do!

5 🌟

Weird, but in a good way! Really odd to hear songs in English, but intended for a German/non-anglophone audience. Lots of influence on lots of bands I like, even though I had never heard of them before

Very prog, very odd instrumentation at points, very enjoyable for the most part. Roundabout mostly famous from GTA V, which made it odd hearing it in its original context

Good, but not great, aside from brass in pocket of course.

Sounds very much of its time - the line between dated and nostalgic is thin! Not a band I knew well, due to my age, and my parents' ages, when they were big. Lazyitis (too short) and Wrote for Luck (too long) were my favourites, along with hallelujah

The worst album I have ever listened to all the way through, still not sure why I bothered. It was clear early on that there were no musicians involved! Not even any good as background music, unlikely to be enjoyed by anyone with ears. Just wish I could give it no star, as even one is way too generous

Better than average, love the folk infuence

Classic

Muddy sounding at points, but the songs and performances are awesome. Had to find the deluxe edition, as the regular was missing a few of the songs for some reason.

Nonsense, but pleasant enough. Didn't realise before that Greg Lake (from ELP/Xmas) was in King Crimson. Schizoid man and the title track were the highlights for me

Not at all what I expected, but not in a good way. Nothing memorable or catchy here, after the first track, and nothing especially bad either. The definition of mediocre.

Very varied, very seventies. Proto-prog, and all performed and produced by one guy. I really enjoyed it; it could have handled being a bit shorter, but I'm not sure what I would remove! Saving Grace and Black Maria were my favourites, but it was all pretty good

Pretty good, catchy and varied, and before a lot of the things it sounds like (which shows its influence). Roadrunner, astral plane, and she cracked were my top tracks

Only four (very long) songs. Still not my thing, but I can certainly appreciate the skill of the musicians involved.

Too much prog, not enough rock. Three songs for a whole album?!? No thanks! Even the extended version is only 7 tracks (but still over an hour long!)

Five songs in 43 minutes, means it must be either jazz or prog-rock! Jazz it is, which I still don't really get. Very impressive musicianship, even if it doesn't move me like some other music does.

Really good, like a country tinged Bob Dylan, but with a sense of humour!

Nah, not for me thanks. Influenced a lot of stuff I do like, but I just can't get past the weird vocals and droning backing tracks.

I always thought I didn't like bon jovi, but it turns out their worst songs are their biggest songs! "Let it rock" was the stand out for me, although listening to the whole album made me appreciate "wanted dead or alive" a little more.

Very good, but mot quite great. Even though I was 17 when this (first) came out, I had never heard any of these songs, probably because September 2001 had more important events happen the week before. I will definitely come back to this though, and explore their other albums when I get a chance.

Awesome, one of my favourite artists, and one of his best albums. Best songs are Crosstown traffic, voodoo Chile (both versions), and, best of all, all along the watchtower

Genius

Classic hiphop, from one of the greatest, but not enough variety in soind and subject matter in my opinion. Also, the last track on the remaster, "just playing (dreams)", is so sexist and misogynistic it meant the album finished on a very sour note

Awesome album, one of the ones I enjoyed most so far. Equally capable of being background music or being the focus of attention. Safe from harm and the majestic unfinished sympathy dominate, but all tracks work really well as a piece.

Genius, really lush and diverse, with lyrics that tell a story and work as a whole piece. Loved it.

Perfect, or close enough. Bit of a shame Spotify didn't have the couple of bonus tracks on the UK cd version, but still one of my favourite albums of all time. Loved it!

Surprisingly good, but not quite great. Much better than I expected, and much rockier and louder too. Bonus tracks on the Spotify version are actually longer than the original album, for some reason.

Great album, loved every song, from the hugely famous ones (it's tricky, walk this way, my adidas) to the fun ones (you be illin') to the serious ones (proud to be black). Proper hip hop, still relevant today. Love it love it love it!

Better than I remember it being, really enjoyed it. Not quite five stars, but pretty damn close! There goes the fear, pounding, and Friday's dust were my favourites

Classic hip-hop that I had never heard before. I loved it though, and will definitely hunt out more of their stuff. Execution of a chump, and the meaning of the name were my favourites first time through, but I will revisit it to pick up the lyrics and flow of some of the denser tracks too

Only four tracks (plus some bonus material, including an odd interview, on Spotify), but all good. Not sure any of the songs really needed to be quite so long, but didn't mind it. "Walk on by" was virtually unrecognisable, and "by the time I get to phoenix" lasted about a week!

Really good album, probably helped to such a high score by the fact that I listened to it a few times through. Reminds me a lot of some of my favourite bands, but in a way that doesn't feel like they are just copying anyone. For example, they sound a bit like a younger, American, version of Elbow. Terrible Love, Lemonworld, and Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks stood out for me

Really enjoyed this, title track, bottle of smoke, thousands are sailing and, of course, fairytale of new york, were my favourites. Would have been better to listen to it in December though, given the clear association.

Sounds like a soundtrack- for good reason! Lots of instrumental tracks, or ones with only a few lyrics. Title track is obviously well known and an all time classic, but most of the others are pretty forgettable. Decent background music for doing something else, I guess.

Not my favourite, but one I'll probably come back to, might not it more after a couple of listens. Very modern, hip hop without the rapping

A lot of the songs sound like tiny dancer, which is fine, since I like that one. Wide range of lyrical themes, surprisingly, and pretty consistent quality throughout. Only three stars though, can't be much higher since even the best song is ony OK!

Good background music, no more and no less. An extra point for being (very surprisingly) Scottish!

Definitely not background music - this grabs you by the ears and forces you to listen. Still sounds like nothing else; it sounded like it came from another planet at the time! Firestarter and breathe are the two big hits, and as close to catchy as the album gets, but it probably works best as a whole piece

Weird and awesome, just how I like it.

Weird and wonderful, but one I would probably enjoy more given the chance to listen through a few more times. Clear influence on lots of bands I love, maybe just a bit too out there for me to properly adore.

Brilliant

Really interesting, and good, with funny songs, important songs, and catchy songs. Not all uk hip hop is this good. Favourite part was the (possibly coincidental) nod to Akala when she spoke about escaping the "fuckery" - in a line with a very 'Akala' flow to it

Terrible. 0 stars

Weird, but good. Pretty sure it works best as a whole piece, given the songs all meld together. I would love to have more time to listen a few more times through

Brilliant vocals, unique (and brilliant) lyrics, wonderful instrumentation and production. Loved it, and would probably not have listened to the whole thing unprompted. 4.5 🌟 rounds up to 5 🌟

Awesome, especially in the current mini heatwave here! Love a bit of reggae, and using it to tell the story of one of my all-time heroes is genius. Hard to pick a best track so I'll say Al of them!

Decent but forgettable pop music. Sounds like it was recorded quickly, but none the worse for it. Honey are you straight or are you blind, and I hope you're happy now were my favourite songs.

Samey, noisy, good but not great. Really surprised to hear the cover of Helter-skelter, and obviously knew Hong Kong Garden, but nothing else really grabbed me.

All the songs, except ...rolling stone, sound like demos to just get something on tape before recording it properly! He's not a great singer, which has been said before, but I'm also not sure his lyrics are as good as the reputation would suggest. One of the more disappointing albums for me, since I have always heard how it it is, but it just wasn't

Not my jam, music largely devoid of emotion, with lyrics that sound rushed and uninspired. Not the worst Mancunian band of the 80s (that is the smiths) but disappointing and unimpressive.

Really good album, with a few brilliant songs. Another girl, another planet was the stand out for me, with The whole of the law, Creature of doom, and As my wife says, all very enjoyable. Not sure it's quite a five 🌟, but a solid 4 🌟 effort. I loved it

Awesome! Short, but catchy and a few classic songs. Glad I was able to give it a few listens through; it meant even the "lesser" songs were able to shine

Good album, influences are clear, and much of their sound has influenced a bunch of other people. Truckin' was my favourite, but it was pretty solid all the way

Better than I expected, influences of/on the clash, manics, ultrasound, maybe even the jam. Didn't know they were Finnish before this, makes them roughly 77% more interesting!

Not really music, more like a showreel for advanced production techniques. Could be used as background music for some sort of sci-fi movie set in the future, where the director doesn't want the music to distract from the dialogue. Interesting, but only rarely enjoyable, not one I am likely to come back to. Still far from the worst album on this list (*cough* Nico *cough*)

Landfill indie, made mildly more interesting by being American landfill indie. Like an NYC version of Doves, if they had listened too nothing but Hail to the Theif. Not really my thing, not bad for chilling out with glitchy guitars and engaging time signatures.

Not really my kind of thing, but interesting. Many of the songs last much too long, but I guess that works in the clubs and/or makes it easier to create remixes. Inner City Life (part of the 20 minutes opening medey) was the big breakthrough hit, and probably the best "song". Plenty of other enjoyable music though, just not much that is as catchy or memorable

American Brit pop, which is odd as a concept! Good, but not great, with the title track and the cover of Mrs Robinson being the most immediate tracks. Plenty of other decent songs too though. One other thing: the audio quality of some of the bonus tracks sounds like a cassette taped from a vinyl record that had been left in the sun - so much hiss and pop!

Very interesting, a clear influence on loads of bands I love. Some tracks sound like a heavier version of The Doors, other like the Sex Pistols with wierder lyrics. Overall, great, but not quite 5 🌟 for me.

Absolute genius

Genre defying, in a good way! I wasn't sure when this was from, and surprised to find out it was a 60s album. Not my favourite on this list, but interesting and experimental.

Intelligent, engaging, mature pop music. Not really my thing (not loud enough!) but really good. Kiwis get an extra 🌟 too!

Good songs, great lyrics and production. Kanye West clearly heavily involved. 4 🌟

Background music, for some sort of dull sci-fi movie. Influential on lots of artists I do like, but I didn't massively enjoy this. I'm torn between giving it 2 or 3, so will be generous!

Not on Spotify - Joe Rogan still sucks! All the songs and pretty similar, and not in a good way. She can really sing, and the lyrics are good, but it didn't quite grab me. Very enjoyable, but not especially memorable

Like a Texan Biffy Clyro - which is intented as a massive compliment! I loved At The Drive-in, but hadn't listened to much of The Mars Volta before - I am now regretting that. Added all their albums to my list off the back of this one. Loved every second of it, wish I could give it 6 (or 7) stars!

Classic

This was everywhere for a few years! He's taken a bit of a back seat since, but I suppose he made so much money that he'll never have to work again. Hard to pick a stand out track because so many are so well known, and because they are all pretty similar.

First Bollywood soundtrack I have listened to all the way through. Really enjoyed it, found the wee references to "western" music sprinkled throughout very interesting. Hard to pick a favourite track, other than to mention that "one two cha cha cha" is probably the most immediate

Decent background music, but not super engaging or memorable. They were everywhere for a while, back in the day, but that is not always a mark of quality! Enjoyable enough, but that doesn't translate into a very high score. They get another star for being Norwegian though!

It turns out that I love afro beat! Really fun, engaging, and interesting to listen to, and not as dense or challenging as I would have thought. Brilliant, hope to hear more from Fela and his various bands. P.s. read the Wikipedia page to see how his government reacted to the success of this album - showing why it was needed.

Brilliant album, tells a story but with songs that stand alone as well. Some of the skits were arguably unnecessary, but they give the songs room to breathe. Production of all wu-tang (and wu-tang solo) albums is always spot on.

Best song is the hidden track "blue flashing light", perhaps because it has not been overplayed; the drumming is unusual at points, but not in a bad way; Fran can really sing, this is especially obvious on "as you are"; not sure why there is a song half in French?!? Extra point for being Scottish!

Middling hair metal. The best song is probably 'photograph", but I prefer the Santana version of that as well. I was very surprised to hear the sample from "pretty fly for a white guy" at the start or "rock of ages", but mostly because there is not other obvious influence on the offspring by Def Leppard

Great, with a couple of benchmark punk tracks and the others all very very good.

Fabulous, if a little one-paced. Brilliant vocals, decent lyrics, passable music. Very easy to listen to, or to have on in the background. Good, but not great.

An absolute classic. One of my favourite albums growing up, and listening again showed me why. Only change since 20 years ago is that I enjoyed the longer, gentler, more contemplative songs more than when I was younger. Loved it, from start to finish

Boring, the epitome of the bland, formulaic, guitar-less nonsense being produced in the UK in the 80s. Instantly forgettable - and I mean *literally* instantly: it must have been (based on the length of the album and how long I had had it on) at least the fourth play through before I recognised any of the songs that I had just heard 45 minutes ago! Also, after listening 4 or 5 times to this record, I still only know one Talk Talk song (it's my life), and it's not on this album! One extra star for being able to sing well (i.e. not being Nico).

Brilliant, and exemplifies why I was keen to do this: I would probably never have listened to this album otherwise. The click song and a couple of the covers were the only ones I recognised on first listen, but I loved pretty much every track. Wonderful

The most prog of anything ever to happen. Good though, just dense and lyrically impenetrable. It seems to tell some sort of story, but without doing any background reading it is hard to tell what it is about.

Not my kind of thing, but probably not intended to be. As Scroobius Pip says "You don't have to like everything, and not everything is meant for you to like!" Some interesting ideas, musically and lyrically, but feels a bit unfinished. Not terrible, but not great. The kind of songs you would hear on BBC 6music, and then something better would come along.

Nah, not for me. Perfect Day was better as a cover by loads of different people, none of the others are particularly memorable

Interesting, not super catchy or exciting, but pretty pleasant and enjoyable. The Dolphins and Everybody's Talking were my favourite tracks

Exceptional. I obviously knew the duet with Kylie, but I loved pretty much all the other songs too. Not quite a concept album, but with a clear theme, and musically really interesting

Brilliant and odd, and really fun. Reminiscent of Sgt Pepper's and Pet Sounds, but more tongue in cheek.

Hard, heavy, and repetitive. A clear influence on loads of bands I love, but a bit sterile and underwhelming for me. Would listen again, but mostly to have another go at picking out bits that went on to be "borrowed" by bands I like more! Also, NWOBHM is possibly the worst genre/movement name in all of music history!

Really enjoyed this, only knew a couple of songs beforehand. If I die tonight, fuck the world and, of course, dear mama are standouts. 4 🌟

Meh

Very 80s, which is not a compliment! Bets song is Reward, which wasn't even on the original version. Enjoyable enough, but not great. Definition of three 🌟 to me!

Very enjoyable

Very good, of perhaps a bit self indulgent at points. Works well as a full album, with sunshine of your love and strange brew as clear stand out tracks.

Great album, in some alternate universe they are bigger than anyone in the game. Wonderful variety of samples and guests. Thin line, Hey, and Freedom are my favourite songs, along with Kool Keith's DDT freestyle 4 🌟

Brilliant, one of my favourites before, but even more so after listening in full again. Jesus Walks is an absolute classic, Spaceship is a rare 12/8 rap song, and All Falls Down is masterful pop music. Couldn't be less than 5 🌟!

Exceptional, uncomfortable, repetitive, draining, occasionally enjoyable, but mostly awkward, and always always moves the listener. One of the most starling albums I have listened to, and still sounds as fresh and unsettling as it always did. Awesome, in every possible sense of the word!

Very, very good, a clear influence on loads of bands I love. Full of energy and attitude, and fills the gap between garage rock and grunge perfectly. Some songs are a little bit "older gent trying to sound like his younger self", but that's no bad thing. Not on Spotify, but that meant I saw the videos for the songs that have them. Joe Rogan still sucks!!

Unique, eclectic, mesmerising, fascinating and engaging. A great mix of samples & interpolations, and some intriguing guests appearing.

Amazing, startling, arresting, wonderful, complex, emotional, and brilliant.

How to disappear completely might just be the best song ever, and more than half of the others are in contention for a place in my top 100. I loved this album after the first couple of times I heard it, and have loved it ever since. Maybe my favourite Radiohead album, although there is plenty of competition! Could be 10 out of 5 in my book!

Surprised by how many songs I knew, seems to have been everywhere even more than I noticed at the time. Gangster Trippin is still my favourite, but the album as a whole is so good, and so consistent, that it works best as a piece.

Perfect, unimprovable, magnificent, interesting both musically and for its cultural resonance. Absolutely wonderful

Decent, but very samey and full of sloppy (but still pretty fun) live versions of a few of the same tracks at the end of the remastered edition. Really fun, and surprised me how many songs I knew. Tres hombres, tres 🌟

Wierd and wonderful, but not really an album of actual songs. Sounds like an audio showreel of production techniques, which it kind of was. Bits of some songs sound like later Radiohead, which is again no bad thing!

Brilliant

Not my kind of thing, but good background music and very chilled out. Sounds like the work of one man with a clear idea of what he wants to do

Brilliant. The drums are really interesting, and the rest of the music and lyrics really good too. Not the best Weller album, but very very good

Meh, sounds like early Metallica b sides with a worse singer and half finished lyrics. Sorry Dave!

American landfill indie, like The Strokes' younger brothers listened to too much Editors and Doves (and not enough Elbow or Radiohead) before being let loose in a studio to produce their own album. Good, but not great, and not a band I am likely to explore further

Very distinctive voice, but this means a lot of the songs sound pretty similar. Really good songs though, lyrically and musically, with production that lets them shine. Enjoyed it more than I expected, even though I knew enough of the songs to be confident it would be good. 4 🌟

Very impressive, and enjoyable, and creative. Instrumentals rarely move me as much as songs with lyrics.

Brilliant, awesome, wonderfully funky, almost perfect (and yet funkadelic still just hits better for me!)

Messy, impenetrable lyrics, odd choices of cover versions, and yet, there's something there. Not the best, but one my younger self would probably have liked a lot.

Good album, was everywhere for a while, but the songs stil hold up. Very relaxing, very chilled, very enjoyable in a low key way. Svefn-g-englar probably my favourite, along with the title track. 4 🌟

Nope. One of my most hated bands, and they still are. The world does not need Brummies (doing cod reggae). An album so bad it is practically a hate crime! Listen to the music they claim to love, not this piss poor facsimile. 0 🌟. Seriously, not even the 1 I had to give it.

Very good. A bit rambling at points, but pleasantly rambling. Sounded more like Dylan than I had expected, and lots of influence from The Clash too. Clear distinction from his work with the Pixies, which I was kind of not really thinking it would be. Oddly, it made me want to listen to Pixies rather than more of his solo stuff though - just cos I know it better.

Classic, I loved it when I was 17, and I love it still. Funny, dark, conscious, and silly (at different points!)

Not on Spotify - Joe Rogan sucks! Pleasant enough, but pretty old sounding and very samey all the way through.

Classic, but with more instrumentals than I would have expected and only one song I knew beforehand. Really enjoyed it though, sounds like a band at the top of their game.

Decent enough, but a bit dull.

One of my favourite albums by one of my favourite bands. Lyrically, musically and vocally flawless. My favourite lyric is the first verse of "Some Riot". Heartbreaking at points, and arguably even more so when you read the story of his friend who it is dedicated to. 5 🌟

Awesome, almost unfair that someone could be such a good singer AND guitarist. Every day I have the blues, worry worry worry, and woke up this morning were the best songs 4 🌟

Very long opener, album as a whole very prog. Not great, but can appreciate the skill involved in making it

Decent, with one outstanding song (sympathy...) and a few other god ones. I struggle to see why they were such a big deal though - there is very little innovative or exciting here. Maybe they were already past that point of their career.

Not all songs on Spotify, which is not hugely helpful! The ones that are there are pretty sludgy and dull, and not very exciting. Decent enough, but plenty of room for improvement. Influence on a bunch of other bands is fairly clear

Very different from anything I would previously have chosen to listen to, but a genre I can appreciate much more now. No lyrics can make it tricky to engage, but also allows the music to speak for itself.

Flawless vocals, note perfect guitar playing, and yet it all feels a bit bloodless. I still really enjoyed it though! Would probably benefit from being listened to a few more times.

Flawless

Bizarre

Pleasant and enjoyable without being obtrusive. Could easily be a movie soundtrack, or a cool advert.

Brilliant. I'm not sure why I didn't listen to them before, other than my disliking for jangle pop. An extra star for being Scottish as well means that it has to be 5 🌟

Very good, not exactly what I expected, but I really enjoyed it

Nah, not for me. "You suffer" is decent, but too long, and most of the others sound similar (if less focussed). Still, at least it's not Nico or PSB, so they can have another 🌟 for being interesting - even if I genuinely never want to hear this album again!

Heavy as hell, but with tunes and lyrics. Catchier than I expected, with no compromise on their aims.

Wonderful, not quite the Marley that gets played on the radio in Scotland, but probably more authentic because of that. The version of 'no woman no cry' is very different to the famous version on the "Legend" album, but still very impressive. For clarity, I loved it!

Very bad. Nein danke from me!

Brilliant and important, must have been startling at the time. Probably the shortest album on this list - 25 minutes! I loved it.

Fabulous

Over produced and over worked, but with a few gems in there as well. Takes me straight back to the time it was released, when the singles were everywhere for a while.

Jangle pop nonsense, with lyrics about nothing and some really bizarre production choices. The use of a sitar is an insult to the whole Indian subcontinent, and the bonus tracks include band members swearing at each other to "do it properly". Not great, but better than Nico or PSB!

Brilliant