What a stunning voice, and what a beautifully ambient album. I'm not familiar with vocal jazz in general, and this makes me want to explore the genre more. My top pick is 'Willow Weep for Me', both for the lovely melancholic sound and the interaction with the crowd.
A very middle-of-the-road album - it seems like Rod Stewart was made to play in the background of a shop? My top pick is 'Country Comfort' but upon looking it up, it's an Elton John original (who did it way better). I have nothing good to say, nothing bad to say.
Bowie introduces some electronic sounds! I'm a Bowie fan but have never listened to this one, so this was a treat. I enjoyed the exploration of new sounds, and you can definitely see the influence this had on subsequent artists. The second side was particularly interesting and unexpected. My top pick is 'Sound and Vision', but I also really liked 'Be My Wife' and 'A New Career in a New Town'.
Didn't enjoy this one, which is disappointing as the last krautrock album (NEU) was great. This was just a bunch of noise. The best of the bunch was 'The Sad Skinhead', as it was a bit more 'normal'/palatable in style.
Brown Sugar and Bitch are standouts, but overall this was a relatively easy listening experience, good for the background.
An interesting concept album with lots of sampled 'advertising' sounds. It went on a bit too long with the added 1995 tracks however (I stopped listening at Melancholia). I did like 'Sunrise' though.
Sometimes and Peaches are highlights of this punk meets new wave selection. As is often the case with punk, I found the music too repetitive but it was interesting listening.
A classic - not my normal listening but very good when you need something a bit loud! I liked The Unforgiven, and Enter Sandman and Nothing Else Matters of course
Funky and upbeat, a nice change! I liked Summer Breeze especially.
This is actually the 1956 album - please note! :) I'd never heard of Fats before but you can tell he's a classic class act. Love it!
Still slaps hard. Who can resist Livin' on a Prayer?
Some chill country - I enjoyed 'Colorado'. I haven't listened to Stills or Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young before so glad to find something new.
Britpop has never been my cup of tea as a rule, and this was really no different. I liked 'Wait for the Sun' the most, it was a bit more chill than the rest of the album's sound.
I had never heard of The Flaming Lips before! This album was sonically interesting and enjoyable but not very "catchy", which is my usual preference. I liked "Feeling Yourself Disintegrate" the most.
Very funky and smooth - I liked the title track and Strawberry Letter 23 a lot, and Rainy Day was a lovely chill instrumental.
The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world that disco is bad! What a collection of smooth groovy bops. I only previously knew the title track, but recognised many of the others from later sampled songs. I enjoyed 'Thinking of You' the most, as well as 'He's The Greatest Dancer' and the title track of course.
One of those ones that I can tell is good but it just isn't for me - too depressing! But I did enjoy a few of the tracks, especially 'Disorder'. Ian Curtis can really sing too, what a loss.
Very chill blues rock - gotta love 'Sultans of Swing'. And man, Knopfler can play!
"I am a victim of a hate crime!"... I hate The Doors. I like some other blues rock but The Doors are so repetitive and I hate Morrison's voice. Riders on the Storm is ok though.
An interesting concept album, different than I was expecting from Bee Gees (who I mostly enjoy for their greatest disco hits). Almost Beatles-esque, I can see why it's compared to Sgt Pepper's. The touches of country and psychedelic vibes were interesting too. The whole album really took me by surprise for the style and tone. Great choice! My top pick is 'Marley Purt Drive' - feels more like CCR than Bee Gees!
Being Kiwi myself, I often make the mistake that Madness are a Kiwi band. I guess they sound similar to Split Enz and Crowded House at times because of the new wave vibes. It's about what I was expecting from Madness, having only heard their top hits before, but the sound was a bit too close to ska at times for my taste. Of course my top pick is 'Our House'.
This was so much better than I was expecting! I already knew ‘It’s Tricky’ and ‘Walk This Way’ of course, but I really enjoyed a lot of the other tracks, especially the title track. I kept thinking, “Oh this one is my top pick! No wait, this one!”. I think the album was a bit let down by the opening track but it really picked up after that. Do they use a fairly basic kick beat? Yes. Are they absolute classics? Yes.
My first modern album from this project! It was definitely musically interesting (and clearly politically powerful) but I'm not sure I'd come back to listen again. I enjoyed the soul vibes. My top pick was the popular 'Wildfires' - a beautiful and serene protest song #BLM
I only really knew 'Walk On The Wild Side' before listening to this one - and reading the Wiki, I'm not surprised that it was produced by Bowie. It feels like a dirtier, less polished Bowie/glam rock. I definitely prefer Bowie, this felt like it needed a lot more fine tuning for me. But I can see how it was key to the glam rock scene. My top pick is 'Satellite of Love'.
Another day, another Britpop album that I don't really rate. Am I not getting something about the sound in general? I guess I like music you can sing/dance to, and this isn't it, but wasn't bad. The album title certainly is a misnomer... I enjoyed the opening track 'The Fear' the most.
I wasn't very familiar with Massive Attack, but I like the downtempo hip hop vibe. I think Daddy G put it well when he said "what we were trying to do was create dance music for the head, rather than the feet". It seems I also agree with the masses here with my top pick 'Unfinished Sympathy'.
An interesting 80s art pop album, with a pretty good lead singer. I can see how it was overlooked at the time, there's no real 'hits' here, and it was a bit too chill ans musically disjointed at times. I did enjoy a few of the tracks though, especially 'Stay' which has a great baseline.
Very dreamy! It was a bit same same at times, but I still enjoyed it. I especially liked 'Iceblink Luck' and the title track - great basslines and use of synths.
Madonna reinvents herself again! I'm used to the OG pop Madonna but enjoyed this alternative electronica vibe. I would have personally chosen one of her earlier albums, but reading the Wiki it seems this album was groundbreaking at the time (I'm too young to remember!) As others have said, it was a tad too long, but who am I to argue with the Queen of Pop? I liked 'Frozen' and the title track the most.
Salt 'N Pepa meets Prince?! Hell yeah. The sound is definitely of it's time, but we all need some cheesy hip hop in our lives! My top pick is of course 'Buffalo Stance' but I also really liked 'Manchild', 'Love Ghetto'. and 'Outré Risqué Locomotive'. This is more of a 4.5 - I think a 10 star scale would be better!
A bit of good reggae, a bit of chill rock... I'm not surprised that this did well in New Zealand! It makes me think of Fat Freddy's Drop. Not quite my vibe but it's pretty good for what it is. My top pick is 'Supreme I Preme' but I also liked the title track and 'Your Love Gets Sweeter'.
A great 'easy' soft rock album, but it's too cheesy and corny for me at times. My top pick is 'Only the Good Die Young', I like that it's bit more upbeat than some of the other tracks. This is more of a 3.5 really, but it's not quite for my tastes.
Another day, another Britpop album! Surely you don't have to hear ALL of them before you die... admittedly this album was better than some others in the genre. My top pick is 'Blue Jeans', a nice slow song for a change, but I also liked the opening track 'For Tomorrow'.
A very middle-of-the-road album - it seems like Rod Stewart was made to play in the background of a shop? My top pick is 'Country Comfort' but upon looking it up, it's an Elton John original (who did it way better). I have nothing good to say, nothing bad to say.
Not my cup of tea at all - inherent lyrics and punk(ish) vibe aren't for me. I hesitate to call it bad only because it's clear that it's well done for what they're trying to do. My top pick is 'Blueprint', I didn't mind the bassline.
Very chill indie, it was enjoyable but not really a stand out for me. 'Lover of Mine' would be my top pick, the synths were very reminiscent of 80s pop.
What a strange album... it reminded me a bit of the musical Hadestown at times. What an interesting voice! I don't think I'll return, but it definitely made for a change. I liked 'Jockey Full of Bourbon' and 'Downtown Train', but my top pick is 'Gun Street Girl'.
What a great choice - I loved the funky upbeat tunes. I felt like Carmen Miranda boogieing along. Hard to pick a favourite, but my top pick is 'El Cayuco'. I also liked 'Mambo Gozon', 'Cuando Te Vea', and 'Varsity Drag' as an instrumental ¡Mambo!
Some peaceful folk - nice for the background but I probably won't return. he has a nice voice though, and my fave track 'Buzzin' Fly' really shows that.
Some good girl angst! Very of it's time but I enjoyed most of it, in difference to some other punk/grunge which I find too repetitive. My top pick is 'Doll Parts' but I also liked 'Jennifer's Body'.
A little taste of synth pop new wave, which I wish they'd taken further. I guess it was early days for that genre - I think bands like Duran Duran probably took this vibe and ran with it much better. I did like the title track and 'FalIing Love With Me' though. This is more of a 2.5 really but it falls into the 'ok but forgettable' category.
This is like 70s classic rock in a bottle (maybe because half of the album is their greatest hits). Overall the sound was a bit too bluesy for me. However I liked 'Tuesday's Gone', and 'Simple Man' is my top pick.
Not as heavy on the disco vibes as I was was expecting - just some smooth funky soul. I would have preferred a few more upbeat tracks. The title track is more top pick, but I think the whole album has a nice flow that would be great for some background litening.
A truly excellent and interesting rock album. I was only familiar with ‘All Along The Watchtower’ but I enjoyed the whole album, especially ‘Crosstown Traffic’ s as well. I might have to do a Hendrix deep dive!
And now for something completely different and unexpected! This was like listening to two different and short albums - one almost modern electronic and softly melodic, and one with some really great unconventional psychedelic jam rock. I really enjoyed both sides, especially ‘Seeland’ and the opening track to the second half, ‘Hero’. I can definitely see the influence on Sex Pistols and Bowie.
I was so excited to get this album, as it's definitely one of my top all time favourites. I'll be the first to admit the The Boss doesn't exactly re-invent the wheel with his sound, but he does what what he does brilliantly. This album is no different, and it's equally an ode to the saxophone and to the American working class. I wish I could give it six stars! It's so hard to have a top pick, but it's gotta be 'Thunder Road', with honourable mentions to 'She's The One, 'Jungleland' and of course the title track.
What a stunning voice, and what a beautifully ambient album. I'm not familiar with vocal jazz in general, and this makes me want to explore the genre more. My top pick is 'Willow Weep for Me', both for the lovely melancholic sound and the interaction with the crowd.
Great genuine, authentic outlaw country - I love it. My top pick is the opening track, but I also like 'Jackson', and 'Green, Green Grass of Home'. Loved the audience interactions - "This show is being recorded for an album release on Columbia Records, and you can't say 'hell' or 'shit' or anything like that."
I’ve never listened to any non-top hits Michael tracks, and I guess this is why. Other than the first two tracks this was a fairly non descript soft disco album, which is fine but I was expecting a bit more wow factor. My top pick is of course ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’
Stripped back folk Springsteen isn't my favourite, as I really miss the E Street Band. But this is still a great album, of course, and it really showcases Bruce's writing prowess. My top pick is of course 'Atlantic City' - an excellent song despite starting with the lyric "Well, they blew up the chicken man in Philly last night" which always makes me giggle even though I know the more serious meaning.
Crab rave! Not my vibe to be honest. This makes me feel like I'm in a club in The Matrix (makes sense, one of the tracks is on the soundtrack). Fittingly then, 'Minefields' is my top pick.
This is a very accessible and easy listening chill country album, but nothing too remarkable. I assume, looking at the Wiki, that it more notable in this time and context. I don't think I'll pick it up again. My top pick is the opening track 'You Ain't Goin' Nowhere'.
Much better than I was expecting after 'Off The Wall' recently. I enjoyed every track except 'Speed Demon'. You can definitely see his impact on modern pop. Sometimes the drum reverb is too much, but hey, it was the 80s. 'The Way You Make Me Feel' is my top pick, and my fave Michael Jackson song.
Celtic woman, is that you? I liked this at times, but I don't think I'll return unless I need some background music for a medieval themed dinner. By top pick is 'Once I Had a Sweetheart', I enjoyed the vocals and lyrics of this track.
CCR in a bottle! Their vocals are so distinctive, I think I'd know them anywhere. I enjoyed this one, and 'Run Through The Jungle' is my top pick (I also quite like 'Who'll Stop The Rain'. This is more of a 3.5 but it's not my normal vibe or distinctive enough really.
This is not what I was expecting from title, artist name, or album cover! I guess that one's on me. I wish there was more back story available on the Wiki, as that's one of the best bits about an undiscovered album for me. I assume the original book that lists these albums has descriptions. I'm sure that there's some political motivation behind this album. Anywho... this was a nice jazz album, but jazz isn't really my thing so I can't comment too much. My top pick is 'Song for Sathima', where the tenor sax (I believe) really shines. Beautiful!
If The Beatles didn’t polish themselves - ok but not as good as they good be. My top pick is ‘Sunny Afternoon’, it’s cute.
This was a nice chill album with some good musicality, but not really a standout for me. I liked the track 'All And Everyone' the most, the interesting beginning grabbed me.
This album has some really good guitar, but overall it doesn't stand out as some of it's contemporaries. I enjoyed 'Over Under Sideways Down' - a good boogie track!
I'm happy I'm listened twice to this one - the first time it faded into the background a bit when playing on my speaker as I worked. Really interesting sound, I especially liked the use of sax and synth (early for it's time I believe). I found it hard to pick a top choice, but I'm going with 'If There Is Something'. As an aside, I really like the album art too!
Dreamy indie pop - a nice choice for my first day of back to working from home in a while. The mood was a bit low for me, but the sound was still enjoyable. My top pick is the closing track 'Caught By The River', and I also enjoyed 'Words'.
I was expecting more from this, coming in knowing the main hits. I think the (especially now, outdated) sexism, homophobia etc let it down. Some of the rhymes and lines were also amusingly bad (I don't give a hoot!). I did still enjoy the beats, and my top pick is the title track.
Bowie introduces some electronic sounds! I'm a Bowie fan but have never listened to this one, so this was a treat. I enjoyed the exploration of new sounds, and you can definitely see the influence this had on subsequent artists. The second side was particularly interesting and unexpected. My top pick is 'Sound and Vision', but I also really liked 'Be My Wife' and 'A New Career in a New Town'.
My stepfather is a huge Floyd fan, so I've been exposed to a lot of their music, but not their early stuff as much. No family road trip was ever complete without listening to The Wall from start to finish (usually twice). This feels different to their later works, as their sound clearly got more distinctive and 'prog rock' as they went on. I'm definitely more fond of their later sound. There's more whimsy and focus on the lyrics in this album I feel. This is still obviously a good dose of psychedelia though. It's probably a very good accompanying album to fellow 1967 release 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'. As they were recorded at the same time at the same studio, that's hardly surprising. My top pick from the album is the opening track 'Astronomy Domine' but I also liked 'Lucifer Sam'. This is more of a 3.5 but I didn't enjoy it enough to be a 4. As an aside - what a cool album title! Thanks Kenneth Grahame.
'Generals gathered in their masses/Just like witches at black masses'... what a kick-off! This is one of those albums that transcends whether I normally like that kind of music, it's so good. One of the, if not The, greatest metal albums of all time I'm sure. My top pick is 'War Pigs' but I also enjoyed 'Paranoid' and 'Fairies Wear Boots'. Another time I wish this a ten star scale as this is really a 9.
This is much tighter than I was expecting! Some great punk rock for sure. This one is really a 7, but here we are with the 5 star system. My top pick is 'Janie Jones'.
This album was better than I was expecting from the objectively awful band name. There's some pretty but melancholy indie here. My top pick is 'Grounds For Divorce' - great gritty lyrics and riffs!
I only knew 'Into My Arms' before this album - I expecting more of that vibe. The gothic rock took me by surprise! Not for me, but I can see what they were going for. I enjoyed 'There She Goes, My Beautiful World', it was more upbeat than the rest. 2.5 stars, really but I doubt I'll return so 2 stars it is.
Smooth. My top pick is the semi-instrumental of 'When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You' - some great sax
I won't claim to know much about rap, but I know 2Pac is good. I enjoyed the gangsta hip hop sound. It's clearly an album from a dark place - some of the lyrics were pretty hard hitting. My top pick is 'So Many Tears', an almost prophetic track sadly (And fuck the world 'cause I'm cursed/I'm havin' visions of leavin' here in a hearse)
Couldn't make it the whole way through this one - the shoegaze and noise pop vibe isn't for me (and I'm not a Britpop fan on the best of days). 'Wish I was Skinny" was my fave track.
Sure is glam metal! I liked the cover of 'You Really Got Me'.
Some great big band blues standards - my top pick is 'It Had To Be You'.
You know that bit in the movie 'Yesterday' when it turns out that Jack also wrote 'Wonderwall' and it's barely noteable? That's how I feel about Oasis - what's the big deal? They're fine, but clearly quite derivative and I'm not a huge fan of the vocal styling. In general I'm not a fan of Britpop though. That being said, I did like a few of the songs, and my top pick is 'She's Electric' which I'm not sure I'd heard before.
I liked the debut album much better - this is definitely sonically interesting but I didn't really enjoy it. I think they can get a too avant garde for my tastes. My top pick is "In Every Dream Home a Heartache", I enjoyed the instrumentals in the second half.
R.E.M's greatest hits was often on rotation at our house growing up, but I've never listened to one of their standalone albums. I enjoyed listening, it really shows the baroque music and unique vocals that might get a bit mixed up in a compilation. My favourite track is 'Nightswimming', but my top pick is 'Sweetness Follows' because that track was new to me and I thought it was lovely but sad.
Trip hop isn't really my thing, but this is perfectly fine for the background. 'Glory Box' was the best track by far.
Weird and avant-garde! One of those albums that was probably really wave making at the time, I'm sure. 'Hungry Freaks, Daddy' is my top pick, mostly for the good bassline (but a lil bit because it makes me laugh).
Too dark for me! I only really listen to upbeat hip hop, and even then it's not my favourite, so I'm not surprised that I didn't enjoy this one. Mary J. Blige came in at the end and saved it a little with 'I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By'.
Proto-Eagles! One of those ones that's on the list because of their influence more than the actual album I assume, as it's like classic country rock in a bottle. My top pick is 'Do Right Woman', a good soul vibe number!
Same same same, like a lot of 90s alt rock it seems. But it was fine! I think my top pick is 'Rudderless'
Yawn! I kept waiting for something interesting to happen, and it didn't. Just more chill vibes, which is fine I guess, but you can definitely skip this one. My top pick is 'Memory Boy' as it's the only track which made any impression.
I only knew the title track before listening to this, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it! Really great sound and some good lyrics, kudos to Love. I enjoyed the title track the most (what a bop) but my top pick is Awful because it was new to me and the lyrics about the treatment of teen girls really resonated - Swing low, sweet cherry, yeah, it's awful/You're ripe for the picking, it's so awful (I also really enjoyed Boys on the Radio).
I love some good new wave synth, so it's no surprise that I like The Cars and this album. I was only familiar with the 'greatest hits' from this album, but that's half the album! My top pick is of course, 'Just What I Needed' but my favourite track I didn't know before was 'Bye Bye Love'.
Pretty generic Americana rock - not sure what the fuss is about. Also apparently he's a dickhead? My top pick is 'Gonna Make You Love Me' - the backing track of synthy keyboard (?) was interesting.
I only knew Waterloo Sunset from this one before listening, and I'm not surprised. The sound is very of the time, with admittedly some interesting lyrics and writing here and there. My top pick is 'Two Sisters', for the lyrics and the fun use of harpsichord!
Now that's some dad rock! I liked the first half and the percussion especially, and my top pick is 'Midnite Cruiser'.
Better than usual for Britpop, with 'Bitter Sweet Symphony' obviously being my top pick. The rest of the album was fine after that, but I doubt I'll return.
What a stellar live album - so clean! I only really know Smoke on the Water as well, so what a great introduction. My top pick is 'Highway Star', truly amazing playing and energy!
I only knew 'Blister in the Sun' before this, so I expected more of that - the rest of the album is more folk punk than I expected. An interesting listen, my top pick is 'Kiss Off' - I liked the bass work and energy.
Really interesting - I liked the medley between rap and jazz. Definitely not what I would normally go for but I can tell it’s good. Top pick is ‘These Walls’ but I also enjoyed ‘i’ and ‘The Blacker The Berry’
A more varied sound than I was expecting! I liked 'Lady Jane' but of course 'Paint It Black has to be the top pick.
A bit too punk for my tastes, but still enjoyable - my top pick is 'Maps'.
Some okay standard American classic rock, pretty forgettable really but no real complaints. I thought I would like it more, as I'm a fan of Springsteen. My top pick is 'American Girl'
I've never listened to Björk before - I'm not sure what I was expecting. This was fine, but I'm not sure what they hype is about. My top pick is 'Big Time Sensuality' which feels boppy in a funny kind of way.
Some good atmospheric flow in the sound here, but not interesting enough to be memorable. My top pick is 'This Must Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave'.
Smooth as! What a joy to listen to, very atmospheric. My top pick is 'Candela', pure vibes.
Really enjoyed this one, it has some amazing instrumentals. I'm a fan of Yes but have never listened to Rush before, I'll have to check more out. My top pick has to be 'YYZ' but the album as whole is definitely worth a listen. Another 4.5 star!
Didn't enjoy this one, which is disappointing as the last krautrock album (NEU) was great. This was just a bunch of noise. The best of the bunch was 'The Sad Skinhead', as it was a bit more 'normal'/palatable in style.
Some pretty good Americana country, but nothing very notable really. The best track is the opener, 'Right in Time' then the rest is much of a muchness really. 2.5 stars.
Some glam rock in need of a polish, assumedly here because of it's influence rather than because it's particularly brilliant. 'Drivin' Sister' is my top pick, a nice classic rock bop.
Wow, not what I was expecting! I think I’ve only listened to ‘My Girl’ before so I thought I was in for a album full of do-wop. Instead, some really great soul/funk! My fave is the opening track ‘Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On’.
Really impressed by this one! I was only really familiar with '1979' so I was expecting more of the laid back alternative vibes, but I really enjoyed the grunge. 'Cherub Rock' was my fave but I also loved 'Disarm' and 'Geek U.S.A'.
Some good classic rock sandwiched between 3 iconic excellent tracks. Can't go past 'Baba O'Riley' for my top pick, but I also enjoyed 'Love Ain't For Keeping' of the ones that were new to me.
Some ok jam rock here, but it definitely dragged on a bit for me. The first track taking up a whole third of the run time was insane, and the track 'Feedback' was unlistenable. 'St Stephen' is my top pick, as it's a bit more lyric-focused.