I have a weird relationship with rock music. The majority of my favorite albums EVER belong to rock and its subgenres. I love rock!! However, a lot of the biggest rock bands ever are bands I don't enjoy in the slightest. When you say you like rock, a lot of people think of these arena bands from the 80s, like Def Leppard or Bon Jovi. But this is EXACTLY what I DON'T mean when I say I love rock. These 80s pop hair-metal bands do not sound good. The way they overproduce their music is sickening; it's really too much. It's irritatingly poppy. The music is engineered to be sickeningly cheesy and sweet. These bands are obsessed with their cool image more than anything, and it shows. Every single song is a painfully cliché and cringeworthy "anthem", and they're all indistinguishable from the others. The lyrics are uninspired. The formula is so overdone here. It's exactly like Halloween candy: a piece of candy is fine once in a while, but once you grow out of adolescence, the thought of eating a bucket full of candy in one night makes you want to vomit. This album is a bucket full of cheap, over-processed junk candy, and it was really hard to enjoy more than a minute of it, let alone a whole hour of it.

I gotta be honest, I’m pretty tired of the incessant racial propaganda in America in 2022. Our culture worships black people. It doesn't take a genius to notice that blackness is ONLY praised, and whiteness, we're told, either doesn't exist, or is inherently evil. Every media outlet portrays blacks as empowered and every movie/show portrays whites as dumb, weak or evil. Every corporation glorifies blackness. BLM protestors unironically think they’re fighting the system when every news source and company and TV show and advertisement and CEO “coincidentally” say the exact same things they do. This racial tension only benefits the ruling class, and distracts from real issues of economic inequality or climate change. All over the internet it’s normal to hate white people for their color. Hell, even the week I’m writing this, a black man who had talked about killing white people online went and shot up the NYC subway. 15 years ago few people even THOUGHT about race, and we were on track to a world where race didn’t affect how you were seen. But today, everyone is rabidly fixated on race, and people’s entire personalities are centered on the color of their skin or their sexuality. People aren't proud of their accomplishments, no, somehow they are proud of their skin color. Years ago MLK promoted peace and harmony, but today, blacks are told to be perpetually angry and bitter. It reminds me of the constant war machine in Orwell’s 1984; if the people are consistently angry, their anger can be harnessed. Today there is a “forever war”, a constant stream of manufactured outrage. SJWs scour the internet to find ANY tiny example of oppression, usually in the form of 10 year-old tweets, so that their sad worldview remains intact. But the demand for racism is higher than the supply, so isolated events are blown out of proportion and used to justify dismantling everything about society. There is no aspect of life that isn’t viewed through the distorted lens of oppression. Our culture’s fatal obsession with identity has caused rifts that will take a century to heal. Identity politics only divides us all; it’s thinly veiled tribalism. Identity politics has destroyed honest political discourse among groups: every person is viewed mainly as a member of a group and not an individual, and it’s not the truth of what you say that matters, but whether you belong to the right group. Anyway, I didn't vibe with this album. “Black lives matter” is completely true as a STATEMENT, obviously, but as a MOVEMENT, it is destructive and counterproductive. Identity politics is a complete disaster. A post-racial world was within our grasp, but instead we are more divided today than we have been in decades, and it makes me sad. The music was 3/5. -1 point for the fact that a third of the tracks are just cringey racial affirmation ASMR. 2/5

Easiest 5 I'll ever give. A truly stellar album. The last four tracks on it are pure ecstasy for me. Definitely more than the sum of its parts, this album must be appreciated as a whole. Flawless production, the instruments and vocals blend tremendously throughout. Thought-provoking existential lyrics, from before it was popular to do so. Stunning dynamics, with loud and quiet sections perfectly juxtaposed. The explosion of sound in the chorus of Us and Them gives me chills. Amazing solo guitar tone. I didn't know about this album until i found it on my own 2 years ago as a 20 yr old. Went into it blind, had never even heard of the band. I never had a parent or friend who raved about it beforehand; i experienced it without any preconceptions of its greatness. And yet, it made quite an impression on me. Anyone who dismisses it as "dad rock" is tragically misguided. It is a soaring masterpiece. This album holds a special place in my heart: it was my gateway into progressive rock, a genre that has captured my heart and my imagination. This album helped show me the artistic heights music can reach when it is in the right hands.

I really enjoy this style of 60s rock. Reminds me of Odyssey and Oracle by the Zombies. Superb vocal harmonies throughout, each of the songs has complexity to its composition, hard to find a song that doesn't have a key modulation of some sort. Great playing by the band, especially the drums.

*deletes student demonstration time* Ahhh a perfect album

I liked it a lot more than I thought I would! I enjoy this much more than most pop out there, especially pop from the last few years. It's much more than just autotuned 4-chord bs. Lots of nice soulful jazz and alt influences here. It had lots of chord progressions that interested me, and many songs had a lot going on in the background i appreciated. Her voice expresses real emotion very effortlessly. Would recommend, I will definitely return to this one

cool and fun, but not really my cup of tea. I found it hard to tell songs apart at times. Many of the songs were much too repetitive for my taste; just a simple backing track looped over and over. cool cover art. Lyrically it was fun but musically it didn't do much for me. Favorite lyric was about columbus thinking the world was a square.

groovy, i like the organ nothing mind-blowing, just some classic funky jam music. good for its genre. I give a 2.5 but round up to 3

Great metal album; has some songs I love, and no songs I dislike. Definitely not my FAVORITE album by Judas Priest, but still great. I've been a fan of them for a little while and prefer some of their other work. I love their unique, sleek metal sound; they were pioneers of the genre for sure, and this album definitely deserves a listen imo. This album has great vocal performances and catchy riffs, and the percussion is quite fantastic. I definitely like them better than the other the pop hard rock/metal bands of their era, like ACDC. I loved "The Rage." This one could grow on me a bit more perhaps, but for now I think I'll give it a 4. Almost a 5. Its a 5!

There were some moments I actually really loved, and some I didn't care as much for. Very classy and soulful. A lot of excellent piano that impressed me. Worth a re-listen. Lilac wine is a classic

Thought it was fine. Some good moments I liked. I can see why some might enjoy it, but it's not really for me.

A fascinating listen. Innovative. I don't think it really stuck with me but I definitely respect jazz/fusion. Might take some time before I truly appreciate this stuff.

I thought it was a cool genre blend; I appreciate artist that have albums with lots of variety. A few songs I thought were quite great, but some I didn't like, including as the club dance-sounding music or some of the slower trance songs. The songs that were good, were really good. Bit too much electronica for my taste. Singer sounds like a mix between Mick Jagger and Thom Yorke. i think my favorite was Come Together. Not a fan of the 80s/90s-sounding drum machines, but that's just a personal preference.

Classy, great vocals throughout. Feels like good music for lovin.

I liked it for the first 2 songs! Each song was repetitive and didn't change enough to warrant their length sometimes. I thought the vibe was cool.

Really, really great! So much variety; I was impressed! A bit too much religious imagery for my taste lol

Fun music. Some interesting musical complexity with the brass instruments that I enjoyed. It was not very compelling as an album to me, but it was a nice classy collection of songs.

I thought it was great and artistic, i can respect her vocals a lot too. I like the different themes of the songs. I'm not the biggest fan of this brand of alternative rock, but this was cool and worth a listen

Easiest 5 I'll ever give. A truly stellar album. The last four tracks on it are pure ecstasy for me. Definitely more than the sum of its parts, this album must be appreciated as a whole. Flawless production, the instruments and vocals blend tremendously throughout. Thought-provoking existential lyrics, from before it was popular to do so. Stunning dynamics, with loud and quiet sections perfectly juxtaposed. The explosion of sound in the chorus of Us and Them gives me chills. Amazing solo guitar tone. I didn't know about this album until i found it on my own 2 years ago as a 20 yr old. Went into it blind, had never even heard of the band. I never had a parent or friend who raved about it beforehand; i experienced it without any preconceptions of its greatness. And yet, it made quite an impression on me. Anyone who dismisses it as "dad rock" is tragically misguided. It is a soaring masterpiece. This album holds a special place in my heart: it was my gateway into progressive rock, a genre that has captured my heart and my imagination. This album helped show me the artistic heights music can reach when it is in the right hands.

I really enjoy this style of 60s rock. Reminds me of Odyssey and Oracle by the Zombies. Superb vocal harmonies throughout, each of the songs has complexity to its composition, hard to find a song that doesn't have a key modulation of some sort. Great playing by the band, especially the drums.

Really cool guitar, very interesting chord progressions. Songs were engaging and interesting. Pop -punky but a bit edgier

Charming and quaint. Leagues better than modern country music imo. I enjoy the old twangy smooth slide guitar sound. I personally wouldn't choose to listen to this but i appreciate its charm.

fun and classic

Fantastic voice!! Vincent makes me cry. American pie kicks ass. I also liked the last two songs a lot. He's good at the slow tender acoustic songs. A couple of the slow songs sounded a bit too similar imo (especially empty chairs and vincent, for example); wish he cut out a slow song or two and added a more upbeat one, perhaps. that's just me. but still deserving of a five i think.

Really good!!

Even though there is a LOT of hard rock and heavy metal I love, I really don't love much pop metal or glam metal like this. I vastly prefer British rock to American rock, I must say, even though I'm American born and raised. The cheesiness is slightly sickening to me at parts. I do love the solo guitar work and tone, I hear some Van Halen influence there I think. The vocalist is talented but the voice does get on my nerves a bit. Didn't hate the album, didn't love it. When I tell people I like rock and metal this isn't what I mean. I don't knock other people for liking it though.

Good. This one could grow on me, I’ll have to go back and listen more some time

The definition of classy music. Sublime instrumentation throughout. There's old-fashioned magic here.

I liked a lot of it musically and instrumentally, pleasant sounding strings and flute and harpsichord-sounding thing. I really had a hard time enjoying his voice on this album; sometimes I liked it, but often it pierces my ears and was too loud in the mix. He sings with much passion though, I must give credit for that. Some of the songs were a bit too long without enough change imo (I love a good long song, but not as much if it doesn't change much the whole time). Fav song was "The Way Young Lovers Do". I appreciate it aesthetically, there is tenderness and sweetness.

Punk can't hold a candle to the hard rock and prog rock that came before it, but I found this album alright. Drums were very tight and technical, engaging to listen to. Good bass guitar. There were a lot of interesting chord progressions i enjoyed, but the guitar is mostly power chords the whole time, so not all that impressive to me. I appreciate the anger and vitriol, though I never knew what the singer was saying the entire time. I def prefer thrash metal over punk when it comes to "angry" music. Favorite song was Manimal, probably.

Easily a good album in its own right, but not my style, so I probably won't return to this one. Some fun groovy motown 80s-ness, but also a bit of excess cheesiness that described many 80s songs. Love the singer's voice a lot; sorta a mix between Phil Collins and George Michael and Elton John?

Very easy 5. All 3 of these guys are masters of their craft. Neil Peart is one of the greatest drummers of all time, AND Geddy is one of the very greatest bassists of all time. All the instruments are endlessly interesting to listen to. I really like the songwriting on the album. I think the synthesizers mix quite well with their brand of rock. Geddy's voice is quite interesting; there are songs where I love it, and moments where it kinda irks me lol. YYZ is one of the most badass instrumental tracks I've ever heard. I like Witch Hunt and Limelight a lot. Many of the prog bands I adore from the 70s diminished in the 80s; there are a select few that didn't just fade away, but their popularity even increased in the new decade: most notably Genesis and Rush (and perhaps Yes to a smaller extent). My very favorite Rush albums are from the 70s, but this is an 80s staple.

It's like rock but more theatrical. Cool

I didn't like it a ton during the first few songs: I found the songs' composition to be very simplistic and not that interesting. But as the album progressed, I became hypnotized by some of the darker songs. I REALLY enjoyed the mood of a lot of the songs here. Though I didn't find the music as complex as I tend to like; it was very slow at times and not very technically impressive. But the album flows very well. Some really enjoyable soundscapes. One of the best 80s albums I've heard that doesn't fall under rock/metal. I really struggled with whether to give a 4 or 5, it was close.

I like psychedelia. I think weird and unorthodox music like psych/prog rock is vastly more interesting than anything that's been on the pop charts for ages. I like nontraditional song structures, with strange chord progressions and time signatures. I really enjoy the 1967-1975ish era when rock musicians were really pushing the boundaries of music, creating cohesive mind-expanding albums instead of cheap radio pop singles. Modern popular music bores me to DEATH; it loses my interest quickly. Maybe that's an ADHD thing, who knows. Even though this album is aged it still comes off as much more inventive than anything I knew growing up in the 21st century. I find it fascinating that music like this ever sold, back in the day. It's the opposite of radio-friendly. I will say that this album is not a great intro to Pink Floyd, imo. Their 70s output is definitely the reason they are beloved far and wide. So I hope this album isn't the FIRST Pink Floyd album anyone hears, otherwise they may get frightened by its quirkiness and immediately dismiss the whole band.

they're jammin. bluesy with a country twang. nice lead guitar work. a bit psychedelic at times. i liked the keyboard sound. I liked the track Bass Strings a lot. Section 43 was a cool instrumental. At first it was a little too country for me but i liked it as it progressed and got more psychedelic

I love metal but somehow I just can’t get into most grunge. Grunge is like metal but with less talent and more whining. I was pretty bored with this one. I can see how it would be a classic for diehard grunge fans though. My favorite part was the drums, they were great throughout

Elegantly composed music, sung by an exquisite singer

I found a lot of the songs on here dull and unimpressive. Some moments were alright, but those were the minority in my opinion. I liked some of the lyrics. I don't love the vocals. They're not bad, just so very average, and the singer often sounds bored. I feel like this is the kind of music people make when they want to express themselves, but aren't actually talented in any way.

It’s refreshing to hear such pure talent and skill. Sublime

Extremely pleasant throughout. I liked the jazzier parts a lot.

Lots of interesting stuff here! Parts were very charmingly folksy, some parts felt a touch country, some parts sounded like the Beatles. There were songs made me feel warm inside, like Lamplight and First of May. I loved the opening track, full of drama. Really liked the tracks without words too, especially the album closer. Lots of magic here; sometimes I even got Christmas vibes somehow. A lot of the tracks blended together for me. I think I'd need more time with this album to properly appreciate it, but there's a lot here to love.

Weren’t any parts I actively disliked, but a lot of it just didn’t musically do it for me. Cool vibes, but the music itself is quite simple and uninteresting to me, and repetitive.

Thought it was decent, I liked some moments.

Great. Timeless. Slightly overrated, but stil fantastic.

I actually enjoy the aesthetic and lyrical appeal, but musically it's just not interesting or impressive whatsoever. 2nd and 7th song were my favorites here, probably? I like what the artist is going for but it leaves me wanting so much musically. The lyrics are never the reason I LOVE music; the music must be good first.

Good throughout!

I love this. Adding orchestra makes most music better, this is just super classy and happy. I got this album on Christmas Eve; did that happen to other people or is this a divine coincidence? Also, fuck anybody who says this album should be canceled because of phil spector. This album was the work of all these great singers and instrumentalists, not just mr. spector; their wonderful work shouldn't be thrown away for the sins of one guy.

Pleasant but slow imo

I don’t think I liked a single song on this album. Some I didn’t mind, and some got on my nerves extremely. Songs were simplistic. So was the guitar playing: very boring. In fact no one in the band could play very well on their instrument except maybe the drummer. A lot of annoying moments. This is what music sounds like when untalented people want to be cool. Liked the last two songs’ vibes, but the underlying music was just soooo boring.

This is exactly the kind of album where I can 100% appreciate its greatness without it being my style of music, really. A lot of inspirational-sounding songs that are cheesy but not in a bad way. Great backup instrumentalists, there’s some technical proficiency that I appreciate. Also this guy enjoys the saxophone a lot haha.

Really great. This album helps to salvage my opinion of 90s rock music. Kinda like punk/pop punk at times, except they are actually good at their instruments and can write songs that involve more than just four basic-ass barre chords. Side question: why is UK rock music astronomically better than US rock music? I grew up in the wrong country

Musically i thought it was very innovative and fascinating to listen to. I can appreciate that Trent Reznor is a master of his craft. I didn't necessarily enjoy all of it, but it was never boring. Each song feels meticulously crafted. Each song has so much going on in the background that I like. I like how a lot of the songs build really well too. A lot of the lyrics were atrocious though lmao. i didnt mind a lot of the edginess but there were so many mindless references to dicks and fucking and so on; i just thought the cool music couldve used cooler lyrics. A few of the songs did have more interesting lyrics, thankfully. I don't mind somewhat sexual lyrics as long as they are actually interesting, like in "Reptile". I feel like it could grow on me, so i should return eventually.

Authentic tenderness accompanied with varied and interesting fingerpicking guitar

Enjoyable throughout. Great vocals and guitar work. Fun energy. Laid the foundation for much rock music to come, i bet. A lot of the songs use the simple 1-4-5 blues chord progression

Pleasant throughout. Bluesy at time, folksy at others. Some sweetness here too. Very nice album. Cute cover art. Last track was actually my favorite, felt psychedelic and full of ominous energy. If I were escaping the country while hiding on a train, this song is what I'd play.

Quite lovely throughout. Not my favorite Sinatra work, but that's alright. Jobim is a great songwriter. A few songs a really liked, and some I could be fine without. I'll always admire how the stuff Sinatra sings has so much more complexity than the average sappy song today. It legitimately baffles me how difficult it is to find a modern popular slow song or love song that uses more than 4, MAYBE 5, chords. Like yes we get it you copied the same 4 I-IV-V-VI-chords that have been in every song for eons. It's maddening. I don't even love this album, but at least from an artistic, technical standpoint, it's quite great. There are chord progressions here that you'd never DREAM of hearing on the radio anymore.

Fantastic. Musicians today truly don't strive as high as they used to, huh. So much truly magical music from the 60s/70s that makes me feel a way no music from this century ever has. Prog music has such an effect on me. This one genre contains a large chunk of the most spiritual and magical music I have ever found. Side note: I love this album, I really do. But after listening to his 2003 re-recording I can never go back to this version. I wish everyone who rated this album low would've gotten to listen to that version instead. Mike Oldfield himself felt the original version had a lot of flaws that bothered him. Mike Oldfield is fantastic. If you liked or even kind of liked this album, you HAVE to listen to Ommadawn. I like it more than Tubular Bells; it feels more ethereal and magical. People who dismiss this album as "tedious musical wankery" lack imagination and heart. This album is grand.

Nice energy and vibes throughout. I enjoyed it more than i expected; i dont listen to lo-fi indie rock very much. I liked Gold Soundz.

Great throughout! Never a dull moment.

A good listen

I don't mind aggressive songs in general, but this album just was a miss for me. Most of it was not very interesting to me. Some of the lyrics were decent, but a lot of the lyrics here were just lame. I think that punk is one of the worst subgenres of rock, and that's coming from someone who listens to a lot of rock. The guitarist barely plays anything besides power chords. At least some songs have interesting chord progressions, i will admit. The drums were definitely on point and constantly interesting, though; that was the main reason i didn't give a 1. I've reviewed nearly 60 albums and still haven't given a 1. I'm really not sure what it will take; most albums have at least some saving grace that prevents them from being a 1. Am I being too easy on them?

1971 sure was a good year for music. So much really, really good early hard rock and prog rock. This isn't anywhere close to my favorite record of the year, but it's still great. The more I listen to, the more I'm convinced that the Brits are astronomically better at making rock music than Americans. Seriously, most of the greatest rock bands, I had assumed were American, only to find out they were British. The Rolling Stones especially have a lot of music that feels like homegrown American rock but ain't.

Not really my genre, but nonetheless I was VERY impressed. Lots of really interesting, funky, groovy moments. Lots of talent. I’ve heard tons of stuff like this from the 80s, but from what I’ve listened to none were able to rival this. Many imitators and wannabes that wished they could have made this album.

I wasn't interested. Not my cup of tea. A lot of bland and simplistic songs. There were too many songs just lazily shuffled between 2 chords the majority of the time, such as "Something's Wrong". and WHY ON EARTH is there so much ear rape on this album? A large fraction of this album was too painful to enjoy. The music wasn't nearly good enough to warrant the ear-ache. Best experienced at a low, low volume. I was hoping it would be like the Cure or Depeche Mode or something but I enjoyed it much less. I kinda liked the vibe of the singer's voice, but the music was just boring and/or painful and got in the way. If ur into 80s alt or goth rock there are definitely better albums than this. Only decent song imo: "Sowing Seeds"

Enjoyed it throughout! A pleasant listen. The Eels have a very dependable chill vibe.

Singer has great variety: he sounds smooth and pleasant in his middle range, but he's also got a ton of power and grit when he sings high. I mostly like it; there are a few times where he has an American twang that gets on my nerves a bit. I also like the way the album is produced/mixed. The bass is powerful but not overbearing. Definitely feels very 90s. A bit heavier than I expected from a band that's not really classified as metal. Sometimes I'm surprised that music with such heavy distorted guitars could have ever been top of the charts; these days you NEVER see heavy music on the top of the charts. I was gonna give a 3 since I probably won’t return much to this, but I was impressed enough to give a 4.

Cool

Sensational voice. It's a fun album, but the songwriting isn't all that interesting to me, so I'm torn. A lot of the songs are the the band jamming between 2-4 chords in the same order for the entire song. The medley was a bit more interesting, with dominant 2nd and 3rd chords. All the tracks are good on their own I'd say, but they're all so similar to one another that as an album it doesn't have much impact on me. My verdict: fun, enjoyable music to dance to, but not impactful to me as an album. I really liked the sax solo in Twistin' Even though I didn't love this album I'll always love his song "A Change is Gonna Come"

Wasn't expecting to like it, but this is a gem of its genre! It sounds a lot like R.E.M. The strings were a wonderful touch throughout. I loved the songs that felt a little shanty-ish/adventurous/folksy, like Streets of Kenny or Daniella. At times a bit too cheesy, but it never was unenjoyable. The best songs I loved, and the worst songs were still very nice.

YAASSS SLAYYY QUEEN. a girlboss ICON. she rlly ATE. sheeeeit y'all. PLS the way this album is literally sooo fierce and stunning and brave and empowering byeeeee i-

Enjoyed it, wasn't bad per se; not really my thing though. I don’t super love the semi-upbeat, feel-good pop-rock aspect of the album. A lot of it kinda felt like generic filler, but I kinda liked a couple tracks, like Acrobat. Wish they spent less time making boring cheesy songs. U2 has some rockin tracks in their catalog, but this album didn't have much of that. People say the Edge is a great guitarist, but i don't really hear much technical skill from him, at least on this album. My dad likes this band so I feel like it’s rude of me if I don’t love it lol.

Cool and creative

I don’t usually like punk all that much, but I liked this album more than other punk I’ve heard. A couple songs I really liked a lot, such as Plan 9 Channel 7. The majority of the songs I thought were pretty enjoyable. Great drums and lead guitar. I’m torn between 3 and 4.

Pleasant. Great lyrics. I liked it more as it went on. Harmonica I like in theory, but it practice it usually really hurt my ears.

Wasn't expecting to really like this, but this album cast a spell on me; it has a certain magic to it. Made me a bit emotional I really liked all the songs in minor keys, especially The Partisan. That song is pure enchantment to me

The way she sang kinda irked me at times; there was this kitschy, overly dramatic quality to her voice. She sounds the way I imagine a melancholy Cruella de Vil would sing while reclining on a long leather sofa in a dingy Paris nightclub smoking from a classy cigarette holder. If Cruella ever wrote a musical it would sound like this. Still, some of the music was pleasant and well-written, I can respect the work and creativity that went into the album. It sounds like a 1980s popstar decided to write a 1940s cabaret album. I didn't dislike it too much, but I probably won't return to this one.

I have a weird relationship with rock music. The majority of my favorite albums EVER belong to rock and its subgenres. I love rock!! However, a lot of the biggest rock bands ever are bands I don't enjoy in the slightest. When you say you like rock, a lot of people think of these arena bands from the 80s, like Def Leppard or Bon Jovi. But this is EXACTLY what I DON'T mean when I say I love rock. These 80s pop hair-metal bands do not sound good. The way they overproduce their music is sickening; it's really too much. It's irritatingly poppy. The music is engineered to be sickeningly cheesy and sweet. These bands are obsessed with their cool image more than anything, and it shows. Every single song is a painfully cliché and cringeworthy "anthem", and they're all indistinguishable from the others. The lyrics are uninspired. The formula is so overdone here. It's exactly like Halloween candy: a piece of candy is fine once in a while, but once you grow out of adolescence, the thought of eating a bucket full of candy in one night makes you want to vomit. This album is a bucket full of cheap, over-processed junk candy, and it was really hard to enjoy more than a minute of it, let alone a whole hour of it.

Country rock usually doesn't resonate with me as much, but this album is super great! There are a lot of varied influences. The album flows well but each song manages to sound distinct. It has aged well. Favorites: Expecting to Fly, Bluebird, Sad Memory, Broken Arrow

Hip-hop is a genre that requires very minimal musical talent; all it takes to "write" a typical song is to make a 2-second beat and loop it for 3 to 5 minutes. And more often than not, the beat isn't even made by a person; it's just made by a drum machine or a computer. Like wow nice job guys, you have invented the most repetitive genre in history. Lyrically the album is cool; there are many talented poets of hiphop. But musically, it's uninteresting and unimpressive. I think that if hip-hop weren't a predominantly black genre, nobody would care about it. But the sad thing is that hiphop is sooo boring compared to other cooler genres of music black people pioneered, such as jazz or soul or reggae or disco or funk or blues. The list goes on. I liked some of the bits where they were singing instead of rapping, like "Killing Me Softly." "No Woman, No Cry" was pretty good.

I like the dark atmosphere of this album. Definitely worth a listen. Good bass. I liked Interzone.

Reminds me of living in California as a kid Pretty fun but not my style, as is most hip-hop.

Fun nostalgia. Good variety. Surprise epic guitar on the last track lol

Really great. Their fuzzed guitars create some immersive soundscapes. I felt hypnotized at times, which is something I quite like out of music. Sort of a punky mix between Joy Division and the Velvet Underground, perhaps? This is the kind of album one could have a nice dissociative episode to.

I liked the other sonic youth album more; just had it yesterday. Maybe I was just in a different mood then lol. This one had much more screechy noise, too much, but was still good at parts.

I like some alt rock, but a lot of this album either bored me or made me cringe. The album felt bland to me, especially considering its runtime. It seems like the singer is trying to win a contest called "How many songs can I worsen with my awkward ugly voice." It wasn't all bad, but I don't want to sift through this album again to find the few moments I didn't mind. I thought it got a bit better towards the end. I seriously doubt a real human has ever said "Wow I really feel like listening to some Husker Du today"

A super fun listen

It’s fun and quite nostalgic. Wake me up when september ends is one of the first songs I remember learning on guitar. I don’t really love pop punk as much, largely because the guitar playing is uninteresting to me. It has great energy though.

This album oozes style. Sounds WAY ahead of its time; parts of this sound just like a lot of 21st century indie rock. Other parts felt very glam of course. I was charmed

I actually like that I had to listen to this. I can see how stuff like this inspired the early blues rock and early hard rock I like. It's like tracing a lineage. Some stuff on Led Zeppelin's first album for example, like the keyboard solo in You Shook Me, are reminiscent of this style. Keys are an underrated component of rock. There’s not really anything I dislike about this album, but based on my personal rating system this probably one falls into the 2 category. The songs are long and each song isn't varied enough to merit their length. Not bashing it, just is how I feel. There are some nice guitar/brass bits sprinkled throughout. And he's a good keyboardist. As an album it didn't inspire me, but I can understand why this list has a few albums of this genre.

This is one of the best pop albums I've ever heard. This kinda thing is why I do this 1001 album challenge; to find albums I'd never find otherwise. I don't ever listen to music like this, so I never would have found this alone. It's fascinating how so many songs are so catchy and yet so unpredictable; the melody often wanders to places you don't expect. It's quite refreshing to hear pop music that's actually interesting. reminds me of The Seeds Of Love by Tears for Fears

It was pleasant and relaxing enough. I understand the appeal, it feels very lo-fi dreamy. I was into indie rock and indie folk my freshman year of college, but I've never heard of this. I had a couple friends that would've liked this a lot, I bet. First song was cool. I really don't see how this album got onto this list though. I feel like there's a ton of this style of music out there that's more well known/influential. I do wonder what people will remember of this genre in 50 years; for some reason this music doesn't seem like it will stand the test of time. I usually have given 3's to albums I enjoyed just fine, but don't need to hear again, which describes this album perfectly.

Nice and serene music. I love the dreamy guitar sound, and the nice bass playing. A lot of the songs were a bit slow and long for me. I'm having trouble remembering any of the songs specifically, but the vibe was nice. Wish she hadn't joined the censorship bandwagon and taken her music off Spotify.

Title track is awesome, of course. Anyone who disagrees has just been overexposed to it. The rest of the album is nice, their harmonies are very good. It's pleasant easy-going rock, which is nice at times but isn't exactly my style.

What were his criteria when it came to choosing the 21st century albums to make the list?

I found it a bit underwhelming. The singer does not sound very confident in himself I probably could enjoy a couple of these songs on their own, but as a collection it's just a bit too much Also what a lame cover of Femme Fatale lol

Very nice voice. Very chill. Smooth jams. It was really well done. I respect it,. A few moments I liked, but it's not my style and resonate with me personally. songs: join the boys, people, like fire

Oh wow this is awesome. I enjoyed it thoroughly! Infectiously catchy and feel-good without being simplistic and trite. It's so solid throughout. A bit bloated in size but there are so many highlights. The voice sounds just like Don McLean, but this music is way better than most Don Mclean stuff

Definitely worth a listen. High-quality blues. Blues is a respectable genre The song with Santana had epic guitar, as one would expect

I'm very intrigued. This is a kooky album

Hiphop obviously isn't for me. I try, but idk how I’m supposed to like this without completely shutting my brain off. Hiphop comes off as so pretentious and egotistical; the majority of lyrics are like "yeah wassup, im da coolest guy my n*ggas, i fuck bitches and make da big bucks". So lame. And the lyrics are the only thing going for it since the music is basic too. I’ve already gone over it in my other album reviews so no need to re-hash it ig I didn’t hate every second of it, but still, blegh

It was alright, don’t need to hear it again though I bet my parents would like some of this

Not bad, enjoyed it. Cool. I like PJ more than most alternative rock I know of. Some songs/chord progressions felt very Nirvana-esque (a term that doesn't mean much during the age of grunge, because everything sounded like that). Plants and rags was nice, a more unique track on the album I think I liked this more than the other PJ Harvey album I had a few months ago.

Probably the greatest metal album of all time. Not MY favorite personally, but objectively the greatest. This album makes Metallica's best work look like child's play.

This sounds like Zumba music for sexually repressed homosexuals of color. It would be perfect background music for a 1980s porno.

Delightfully idiosyncratic

When I think of quality, classic 70s music, ELO is one of the very first groups to come to mind. They take the fun vibe of 70s soft rock and elevate it with wonderful orchestration and tasteful synths and keyboards. So many of these songs are just so fun and catchy and make you wanna dance. Fun listen I hadn’t paid attention to Sweet is the Night before, but I think it’s one of my very favorites of the album

LOVE Johnny's dreamy guitar sound. "Barbarism" is such a cool song. The guitars on the title track are downright spooky. Solid rhythm section too. Morrissey's voice is quite nice (although there were a couple moments it irked me a tiny bit on this album) The Smiths >>> The Cure I like the album, but it doesn't feel QUITE on the same level as the "Queen is Dead" for me. A few of the songs feel a bit too long for what they're worth, but they're all pleasant. The more that internet warriors call Morrissey a terrible person, the more I like him. I'm so fatigued by ppl calling artists pRoBLeMaTic that I think the controversial ones are the coolest ones after all. I'm bored of all the tame basic celebs who tailor every single thing they say to fit the current zeitgeist of socially acceptable opinion. The internet is full of self-flagellating losers who spend their time searching for outrage instead of contributing to society if you look up "i love morrissey" all the top search results are explaining why so many Latin Americans love Morrissey?? What lmfaooo

What do you get when you combine the most creative and deft drummer in rock, the most phenomenal bass player in rock, the most nimble and unique guitarist in rock, the most masterful keyboardist in rock, and the most pure and beautiful tenor to ever front a band? You get Close to the Edge! What a soaring triumph of an album! :) Seriously though, these guys are all complete MASTERS of their craft individually. It's ASTONISHING! The fact that they all managed to be in the SAME BAND is practically a miracle. Yes' bassist was more integral to the band's sound than any other bassist of the 70s; the sound he got out of his bass is unreal; so visceral and punchy. Steve Howe's guitar work is insanely original; he plays so swiftly in a way I have never heard any other guitarist play, and I listen to a lot of guitar! Bill Bruford could play ANYTHING on the drums. Sure, he wasn't as loud as other famous 70s drummers, but he could play more intricate, complex rhythms than all of them by FAR. The keyboardist has literally written symphonies, so that should tell you something lol. And who in rock could belt out high tenor notes so beautifully and sweetly as Jon Anderson?? No other band of the 70s of the world could've written this album. None! The sheer creativity and technical skill it must've taken to write this album boggles my mind. As someone who plays several instruments and knows a good amount of music theory, this album dazzles me. This album is rich in complexity, and each new listen unearths new secrets. Even if you don't like it personally, if you are not exceedingly impressed by this composition then you aren't paying attention... While Yes, for some, symbolizes the excesses of progressive rock, I truly think the highs of Yes' music are among the very highest in ALL OF MUSIC. Period. I never knew how magical music could be until I found this group.

I LOVE YES!!!!!!!

I knew virtually nothing about this band, but this was an impressive introduction. The quality here is better than many rock studio albums. None of the songs blew my mind at all, but it was solid and fun

I didn't hate it at all, but since I gotta compare it to all the other albums on this list, it falls into the 2 category for me Had some cool vibes at times, I liked the darkness of it Parts to remember: the 2nd half of The Rip, the guitar hook in We Carry On Machine Gun was very reminiscent of NIN

Extremely pleasant throughout. In the grand scheme of things though it feels like a 3

Fantastic. Magical. Huge shame they broke up so soon

i can see how someone would like it but it's not quite my thing

I didn’t really care for it, torn between 2 and 3 Fav was Sworn and Broken It got a bit better towards the end

Nice, not bad On the Peter Gabriel to Phil Collins vocal spectrum, his voice is dead center between the two. There's some very tasteful keyboard work here. But sometimes the keys made it sound like Mario Kart online lobby waiting music

I don't think 90s music is my thing. So many people say the 90s were the best decade for music, but I'm really not seeing it. Maybe the 4th best decade. A lot of it sounds like music you're supposed to listen to with your head out the window of a car, feeling your youthful angst being washed away.

Sounds like Pete from Mickey Mouse wandered into the studio after going a whole week without a glass of water. It's a shame because the songwriting is there. But based on my enjoyment it's a 2. Each song feels like it would be the obligatory slow, plodding villain song in a kids' movie. He'd probably give a mean rendition of the "Oogie Boogie Man" song Some of the songs felt sweet and tender, which I did appreciate. I liked the last song at least

Thoroughly boring and forgettable. Sounds like royalty free music composed for the SUV commercials that run after an episode of Pioneer Woman. The fact that this is Rolling Stone Magazine's 98th best album of all time shows what a complete disgrace that magazine is. Some albums get onto these sorts of lists not because the MUSIC is good or impressive, but because of their cultural context. Like wow a country woman lazily singing about “Broken down shacks, engine parts”, this album must be so heckin culturally significant!!! As if that's what makes a good album I like old folksy country music quite a bit, from the 1970s and earlier. But modern country utterly disgusts me. The way she pronounces "Pierce the skin and the blood runs through" in the first song makes me vomit.

Some parts were kinda cool; some parts I hated. Prince is phenomenal at guitar but WOW does he underutilize his guitar playing. His songs are totally not for me, I wish he spent more time shredding and less time rabidly obsessing about sex The ratio of "how much I enjoyed this album" to " how acclaimed it is" is extremely low

Nice, definitely worth a listen. I like the mood of a lot of the songs. Stylish. I liked it a bit more than I thought I might. Perhaps the most easily recognizable voice of the 21st century so far? She was a talent

Ok wow this might be the best indie music ive heard. i didnt fully digest it on first listen so i definitely need to return to this one, it has serious potential to grow on me

Weird, in a cool way

I think this is my favorite Beatles album. There's just so much good content on it. John's voice sometimes gets on my nerves. I love Dear Prudence but John's voice really irritates me on that one; the Beatles discography would be improved if John was only allowed to sing one or two songs on each album. I don't see how people can hate the Beatles. The Beatles aren't even in my top 30 favorite bands but they're so quality. They've got a good balance of accessible and weird.

Nice, would listen again I liked it a lot; extremely torn between a 3 and a 4 Didn't enjoy the vocals though; they felt much too lazy and dispassionate for the really good music. I have a hard time remembering any specific songs after listening, but I remember it being pleasant. I'll come back one day

Pretty droning and repetitive for a band that claimed to be bigger than the Beatles lmao I was just underwhelmed. How do all the tracks sound like the exact same song? All the instruments sound uninspired. The guitar work is lazy and lame; the lyrics don't help either. The vocalist can't seem to stop doing his teenage John Lennon impression for a single second. The way it's mixed doesn't appeal to me either; all the sounds muddle together in a bad way. Listening to the whole thing just felt like a chore. I can at least stand their best songs, but none of them were on this album anyway. One of the most monotonous albums I've had in a while. Again and again 90s music underwhelms me lmao. SO many people say it's such a great decade for music, and I've yet to see why

Instrumentals are great throughout, the guitar is present in a good way. The vocals weird me out a bit at times but not too badly. I think it's among the better 90s music I've heard so far

It's charming I don't dislike it but it doesn't compel me much either It’s not bad but compared to other albums I’m going to give a high 2 for now

Fun and cool. I did like the other T-rex album better I think, but there are some tracks on here I will return to

Mesmerizing. This album sounds like I'm trapped inside a kaleidoscope. I listened when I was really tired and was hypnotized the whole time. Cool listen. It feels more innovative and interesting than other indie artists have dared to attempt.

shoe gays Didn't mind, didn't care for

A nice listen Johnny Cash is unfathomably cool and based Is there a single celebrity from this century that is as cool as Johnny Cash was? The answer is emphatically no

It reminds me of the band Renaissance, except not quite as good. Nevertheless it is very pleasant and enjoyable throughout. This music ignites my deep desire to live in an isolated pagan Nordic mountain village hundreds of years in the past. I wish the industrial revolution never happened. Globalism has destroyed everything that made the world beautiful and awe-inspiring Will definitely return

Well it definitely sounds like it was made in 2020. I'm not just trying to be contrary to everything popular, but it is really obvious to me that pop music in our era is not very original or inventive. They're not daring with their song structures or chord progressions. I've heard way too many songs that sound just like this album, and the most the songs on this album are indistinguishable. Props to "closure" for being in 5/4 though. Yeah sure it's produced well (usually TOO well). But it's bland. The actual music behind her voice is usually so simple; it sounds like a default backing track on Garage Band or something. Once in a while there's a guitar part in the background that's more than just strumming, but it's mixed so quietly. Actual musical talent is NOT what gets you popular in today's world, but that's what I admire. The themes are just as basic too; how many "love going wrong/being hard" songs or "girl coming-of-age type" songs can one person write before it's too much of the same? All the songs sound like they're made for crying or listening to while looking out a rainy window. But they just do not resonate with me at all. I never hated it at any point but it's just soooo meh. It's a reminder of why I don't like today's pop music. And there weren't any bangers here like on her early albums; it's all just "sadgirl hours" songs. Even though her early hits weren't interesting, at least they were fun. P.S. I'm curious who the first sadgirl was to make all her song titles lowercase. Why does everybody do it now?

Roger Taylor sounds JUST like this guy; see "Fight From The Inside" by Queen The album was fine; nothing wrong with it. But I didn't find it very interesting or memorable to be honest. By my personal rating system this one is a 2: where I put the ones I didn't enjoy much but didn't dislike much either. Favorite song was "Mandolin Wind". The last 2 songs weren't too shabby either

very quality!! Jazz is very impressive, both in the skill needed to play it, and in the imagination required to compose it

I actually liked the majority of it. Not every song, but a lot of them I can see why it was a hit, it's quality. Phenomenal vocal control she's got It makes me nostalgic, they don't make music like this anymore.

Super quality! The strings and backing choir add so much magic to it

Way too much of the same. I think the guitarist didn't bother to learn ANYTHING besides the one basic power chord shape. Plus that voice really grates after a couple songs. Punk is soooo lame compared to the hard rock that came before it and the heavy metal that came after it. The music is boring and you can tell the guys are all about the "cool" image instead. This album has the lowest amount of talent and songwriting ability I've heard in a while. I don't mind the hits, really, but as it album it sucks

I was really into this today

Sounds a bit corny for an album made by inner city black dudes. I can get behind this oldie hip hop better than a lot of stuff I hear now, I guess

A few really great songs, and a few too many languid bluesy type songs imo. Even though the album has a lethargic chill feel, it's extremely solid, and produced perfectly. I enjoyed it throughout. Not a bad moment. Favorite song was easily "Let it Grow". Also liked the last song, the first song and I Shot The Sheriff. And the vocals in "Please Be With Me" had that perfect 70s harmony feel Clapton's guitar mastery is indisputable, but I feel like there's only so much original songwriting you can do within the framework of slow blues rock. I'll be sure to return to this album my next lazy beach day.

This album cover is sooo empowering <3 trans visibility is soooo important <3 <3 These guys did punk before it was cool, and it seems they were better than the punk rock bands that followed, too. This album is better than anything the Ramones put out. I don't like punk as a genre but this could be the best punk record I've heard. A funny and energetic listen. There are some good guitar solo bits in here too

Unique blend of thrash metal and industrial music. I think anyone who liked NIN would love this album. I liked the heaviness a lot actually, but most the songs felt little bit too repetitive for me. An enjoyable listen, but I probably won't return; I've got plenty of heavy music that is a little more interesting to me. But the musical chops were there; the rhythm section is awesome. I thought the second half was better. I think my favorite song was Scarecrow, that song felt apocalyptic. Also Psalm 69 was worth remembering, those "Oh Fortuna" style vocals at the beginning with the metal guitar was fantastic; didn't like the sexual lyrics at all though, just the music. I can get behind devilish lyrics but I've never liked sexual lyrics. This song would horrify my parents.

Wacky but fun story-driven album Very unique

Good for what it is: ambient/background dance music. I definitely wouldn't mind having it on while I studied or worked or something. Relative to the albums on this list it's a 2/5. It reminds me of the music that played when I worked a laser tag arena at a in 2018 I've learned to appreciate that the 1001 list isn't necessarily the same as the 1001 best albums of all time. (Most "best albums of all time" lists are lousy anyway). This 1001 list is meant to be a survey of important/influential music, as well as include some greatest albums of all time. That's why I like it. I can appreciate that this is probably an album that inspired a lot of modern electronica music.

I gotta be honest, I’m pretty tired of the incessant racial propaganda in America in 2022. Our culture worships black people. It doesn't take a genius to notice that blackness is ONLY praised, and whiteness, we're told, either doesn't exist, or is inherently evil. Every media outlet portrays blacks as empowered and every movie/show portrays whites as dumb, weak or evil. Every corporation glorifies blackness. BLM protestors unironically think they’re fighting the system when every news source and company and TV show and advertisement and CEO “coincidentally” say the exact same things they do. This racial tension only benefits the ruling class, and distracts from real issues of economic inequality or climate change. All over the internet it’s normal to hate white people for their color. Hell, even the week I’m writing this, a black man who had talked about killing white people online went and shot up the NYC subway. 15 years ago few people even THOUGHT about race, and we were on track to a world where race didn’t affect how you were seen. But today, everyone is rabidly fixated on race, and people’s entire personalities are centered on the color of their skin or their sexuality. People aren't proud of their accomplishments, no, somehow they are proud of their skin color. Years ago MLK promoted peace and harmony, but today, blacks are told to be perpetually angry and bitter. It reminds me of the constant war machine in Orwell’s 1984; if the people are consistently angry, their anger can be harnessed. Today there is a “forever war”, a constant stream of manufactured outrage. SJWs scour the internet to find ANY tiny example of oppression, usually in the form of 10 year-old tweets, so that their sad worldview remains intact. But the demand for racism is higher than the supply, so isolated events are blown out of proportion and used to justify dismantling everything about society. There is no aspect of life that isn’t viewed through the distorted lens of oppression. Our culture’s fatal obsession with identity has caused rifts that will take a century to heal. Identity politics only divides us all; it’s thinly veiled tribalism. Identity politics has destroyed honest political discourse among groups: every person is viewed mainly as a member of a group and not an individual, and it’s not the truth of what you say that matters, but whether you belong to the right group. Anyway, I didn't vibe with this album. “Black lives matter” is completely true as a STATEMENT, obviously, but as a MOVEMENT, it is destructive and counterproductive. Identity politics is a complete disaster. A post-racial world was within our grasp, but instead we are more divided today than we have been in decades, and it makes me sad. The music was 3/5. -1 point for the fact that a third of the tracks are just cringey racial affirmation ASMR. 2/5

Didn't mind it, a few songs had me bobbin my head. I liked Lovesick and Execution of a Chump Although, as is the case with most hip hop, the song structures are extremely repetitive, so it bored me sometimes. I felt the album was too long for what it was worth, with a lot of fluff.

The songwriting is more basic than on Hunky Dory, but it is still great

The music behind the vocals was pretty interesting at times I still don't love hip hop though, but this is my favorite i've heard

As good as the The Cure!

Okay I usually think punk is really boring and lame, but this one was great

Yeah I can get behind this. I liked that there were a few spooky moments. Some sparkly magical moments too. Favorite song was probably the first or the last one My parents LOVE this group; my mom has said it's her favorite group of all time. So it has some nostalgia bias for me

Simply brilliant! Magical and mesmerizing

quite dreamlike and peaceful. good music to dissociate to. perfectly produced but by halfway through it had reeeally started to drag on. This album might be better if you classify it as "poetry" rather than "music" I was feeling 3 about halfway through, by the end it was a 2.

I like the songwriting on this album. ...but the mix is unforgivably terrible. Lars disgracefully turned the bass down to zero to get a specific drum sound. But it was a lose-lose, because the drums sound extremely terrible too; they sound so flat and lack oomph. It's such a shame. It perhaps could've been their best album otherwise. There's just so much good metal out there besides Metallica that I don't bother with this album much. Also it's hilarious how much fans seethe that Jethro Tull beat this album for a Grammy in '89

Part psychedelic, part baroque pop, part classic 60s soft rock: really nice! Would definitely listen again

Quality heavy grunge album

It's very solid, but I don't like it as much as their first few albums. I enjoyed it but was a bit fatigued by the end. I was surprised how similar it sounded like the heavy grunge of the decade, like Alice in Chains.

Some really, really great vibes on this one

It's good and I can totally see why someone would like it. She's got cool raw energy but it's not really for me

It’s quality for a modern indie rock album. Had good vibes. I definitely would recommend it to someone who likes low energy indie rock. Last song was great. But I was pretty bored for a lot of it. The first song really made me cringe when he started singing.

Cool 80s party , a worthwhile listen

Great vibes Very enjoyable if you're in a chill mood

Can't complain at all! Extremely pleasant and lots of creative melodies and progressions

How can any other band compete?

Enjoyable listen. Reminds me of the Talking Heads It's crazy how much post-70s rock music rips off sounds that were already explored in the 70s. So much 2000s rock that sounds like this

GREAT drums And some great riffs sprinkled throughout Worthwhile listen Spotify inexplicably flagged every song here as explicit..? Even the drum solo?

It's great, everyone knows that. Although I didn't enjoy the last few songs as much. I really dislike when people judge music based on the artist's character. Some just love to spend their time being outraged. Can't relate. Not that I specifically care about MJ though

Look it's pretty good for a hiphop album, but man, i just do not enjoy hiphop

This is not a bad record, some fine moments! But compared to the rest of this list I feel I have to give a 2.

My favorite jazz album thus far. Very cool

Definitely not as concise as their subsequent albums, but I love it anyway. Not a 5/5 compared to their own discography, but I say it's a 5/5 on this 1001 list Full of killer, catchy riffs

I don't really enjoy the talk-singing throughout this album

Plodding, dull and dreary

Metallica WISHES they could've made this album. Better guitar work, better bass work (and the bass is actually audible), and WAY better drums (Lars is so overrated) I really like everything about this album except the vocals, but I'm getting used to them The 2nd half of the album is a lot better imo

There's just too much to love on this album to give it a lower rating

Amy is such a smooth soul sistah that she deserves an honorary N-word pass She's one of those musicians I respect plenty, but somehow don't find myself enjoying all that much.

Cool

Wow this was boring Every song consisted of a simplistic 6 second rhythm that looped the entire track without changing at all, while he sang over it. You hear one of his songs, you've heard em all

bleghhhhhh

I liked Pitche Mi a LOT The rest I didn't mind

Music for wandering

I liked the first song a lot, and a few others. I also disliked several songs and thought a bunch of the lyrics were dumb. But overall it was good enough for a 3 Gotta give props to a white dude who’s brave enough to say the n-word in this century lmfao

Cool dark vibes Favorite was Pimpf

I enjoyed a few songs, but a lot of songs I didn't care for, especially the "shoe" song. Sounds like a knockoff of classy 50s/60s music with an old timey country touch at times. He doesn't have as remarkable of a voice as the great crooners he's LARPing as. Maybe I'm too harsh. I can see why others could like it. Favorite song was Born Under a Bad Sign. Last track was very pleasant too

I sAid wAiT a MiNUtE ChEsTer

Endless quantities of horrible lo-fi indie bedroom music have come out since the mid 2010s that sound just like this. Yuck. It comes across as so devoid of soul and talent. The entire album could've been written by selecting default backing tracks in GarageBand. The girl's voice is basic and bland, but it's nothing compared to the cringe-inducing terror that is the guy's voice. Plus the guitar is so simplistic it hurts, literally the most basic guitar playing I've heard on this entire 1001 list.

SO pleasant to listen to, it soothes me. I don't usually listen to music like this, but I felt like this album cast a spell on me that makes me want to return. Good American folk music makes me yearn for earlier American days. America used to have this whole mythos and majesty surrounding it. There was a unifying American spirit. Now, everything that once was sacred and beautiful has been destroyed in the name of progress. I'm not patriotic at all but the loss of such a sense of awe and majesty makes me mourn, in the same way Nietzsche mourned the "death of God". There's nothing inspiring to believe in anymore. All that's left to find meaning in is phony social justice and vapid consumer culture

First track wasn't interesting enough but I liked the rest. I like psychedelic music

Overall quite nice, a couple songs I didn’t care fo

Very pleasant, worth a listen

The first minute of the album really fakes you out, you think it's gonna be a funky disco thing It's still nice though, although it's hard to tell the songs apart, they all sound the same, so the album felt a little repetitive I enjoyed it because of its relative novelty. The motifs and themes of this album aren't present in many other genres. Classy musicianship throughout, too.

It was nice. Interesting. It was slow and sometimes repetitive, but for some reason I didn’t mind. I don’t get why these guys are so acclaimed but I did like it

Sometimes influential music doesn't equal good music But hey I enjoyed the frenzy that was this album enough to give a 3. Don't plan to ever come back to this one though

Some really nice heaviness at times There were quite a few moments that made me heavily cringe, especially towards the beginning, but overall it was decent. So I guess a low 3/5

Great! There were enough songs I wanted to return to to make this album a 4/5 for me

This album has the power to change boys into men

A few 3/5 moments, a couple 1/5 moments. Overall I didn’t care for it. It is very reminiscent of Nick Cave

Nice, enjoyable. Great vocal chops.

It’s very pleasant and definitely worth a listen. Good for relaxing to. Great lyrics as always. I could never complain if someone out this album on in the background. Although, it does feel somewhat bare compared to his later albums, as it’s just acoustic guitar and harmonica on this one. There’s a lot of Bob Dylan I like, especially Bringing it all Home and Highway 61. This album doesn’t compare all well to those ones imo. Definitely a few gems worth returning to though

Idk why but I wasn't feeling this one much. Also it's almost all covers, which aren't quite as good as their originals. I can see why people would like it though

If this is punk, it's definitely one of the best I've heard. I had fun listening to it

I found it repetitive and uninteresting, sorry not sorry. It's not the worst thing I've ever heard by ANY means, but compared to the other albums on the 1001 list it's pretty low I don't think anybody would care about hip hop if it didn't come primarily from black people.

Reminds me of Eric clapton’s ocean boulevard album a bit. This album obviously has great guitar, and a couple definite 5/5 moments. I listen to Sultans regularly. But I wasn’t really entranced by a lot of the songs.

Ya know I thought it was pretty interesting, for a hip hop album anyway. Of course the lyrics are lame most the time, but it was cool enough. If I ever see gonna relisten to a hip hop album it might as well be this one

Nice, would listen again

It’s so nice. The sound is fantastic, love the quality of the background vocals. Hearing the production on this album makes me wish my favorite albums from the 60s and 70s could’ve been recorded with today’s better sound equipment. Feels so fresh

ELP were crazy and fantastically original. They got famous as a folk rock band; slow acoustic songs like Lucky Man and From the Beginning are their most well known tunes. But anyone who ACTUALLY knows ELP knows they epitomized keyboard-driven prog rock. Keith Emerson was the most skilled keyboardist of the 20th century. Easily. It's easy to arrive at this opinion after listening to ELP's first 4 studio albums, which showcase much better keyboard/piano work than this even this album does. I don't even listen to Pictures at an Exhibition all that much. What an insane mind he must have had to compose ELP's discography. And Carl Palmer was a MONSTER of a drummer. Crazy dexterity. I find that prog drummers (Bill Bruford, Phil Collins, Neil Peart) tend to be way more impressive than the traditionally chosen greatest rock drummers of all time. Plus ELP almost singlehandedly inspired the majority of 90s videogame music. Listen to Tarkus or the Karn Evil 9 suite if you don't believe me. If I had a nickel for every turn-based RPG battle theme that sounded like ELP... I can definitely understand why not everyone would enjoy this album. It's weird. But I dig it. Not nearly as good as Brain Salad Surgery though. I REALLY wish Pictures at an Exhibition WASN'T on this list, and that Brain Salad Surgery was instead. I don't love this one as much, so I was unsure whether to put 4 or 5. And because I was unsure I decided to put it as a 4/5 for now.

Everly Brothers but country. Don't need to hear it again but it's a nice listen. It makes me a little sad that the culture that produced this music has long since been destroyed. The world in which you were raised no longer exists.

Wow my ears were already super fatigued of listening to that voice after 2 songs. And then I had to listen to the rest of the album. Actual pain, not just dislike. Had to listen at lowest possible volume. Even HER voice sounds fatigued the whole time. It sounds like the b52s tried to make a punk album. Best lyric was “I’ve dreamt that I was hitler, ruler of the sea, ruler of the universe.”

This might be the most tedious album I've ever heard. Most of these songs are indistinguishable because they're mainly comprised of two chords: a root chord and then its major 4th chord, which they switch between ad nauseam. Once in a while there's a major 5th chord. Those are the 3 most basic chords in all of history. And they're played so lazily too. This album just oozes mediocrity. The singing is lackluster and the guitar playing is so dull; a below average 9 year old guitar student could've have written this music for all I know. I think I'd rather have no guitar at all than have to listen to this unimaginative, unimpressive trash. These guys have MORE THAN ONE album on this list, which is unfathomable. There is better alternative music from the 80s than this.

I didn't find it QUITE as memorable as the other Bowie albums I've heard. But perhaps it's not fair to compare to compare this to his other works. I've just heard too much Bowie that I like more than this, maybe if I had heard this album before his others it would've had a bigger impression on me. I'll spend some more time with this one in the future Whoever played piano on this album killed it, btw I liked Time and really liked the last track

I enjoyed it

I didn't like it as much as their other music I've heard

This is definitely one of those indie albums that makes alt kids feel soul-searchy or appreciate life more or something. I enjoyed it well enough, but it doesn’t really affect me in that way. The always-wavering vulnerable vocals that are omnipresent in indie music aren’t my favorite thing ever. But there were good moments. I think I liked the last two songs the most.

Not bad, but I didn't care for it Great drum work from Ginger

Better than the other Bob Marley album I’ve heard but still I found it a bit boring

Is it wrong to say that I find the usual big, loud "black attitude" just so tiresome? Today, arrogance and sassy loudness is celebrated, so long as it comes from a black person; people seem to think being "empowered" means being self-obsessed and obnoxious. Every song has this overblown, forced, pompous swagger that just gets irritating. Much hip hop suffers from this. It doesn't feel genuine, it really feels like the whole purpose of the music is to seem cool. I really think hip hop has to be the most pretentious genre out there. The definition of pretentious is: "attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed." Hip hop is all about style and attitude, not about substance or talent. By that I mean that it is usually not musically complex/deep to compose, nor does it take any technical skill with a musical instrument to perform. Sure, the lyrics take effort to write, but that's the only thing it has going for it. Since when was good music about lyrics? You might as well stick to poetry. After all, the music itself is often so simplistic; a 3 second beat is looped over and over for a whole 4 minute song. Wow, so impressive, guys. The music isn't even played by people, it's played by a machine. It doesn't take a musical genius to push buttons on a drum machine. Today a lot of hip hop is performed by computers; the only piece left for a person to do is rap. I'm sure someday soon computers will be able to convincingly rap, and all popular hip hop will be procedurally generated by AI. I love to listen to music that is written by skilled composers and/or performed by talented instrumentalists. Hip hop is the antithesis of this; simple repetitive music, no impressive instrumental work. Usually, anyway. I’m sure it’s enjoyable to many but I just don’t like it at all

Couldn’t get tired of it

Doesn't get much more American than this. Today America is a shattered land of sissy babies but back in the day Americans were strong and unafraid, and this music captures that cool 70s American energy well, I'd say.

Nice, definitely worth the listen. Will return. This could grow on me. I really liked the synths on this album when they appeared. Really liked the last two tracks There were a lot of artists in this era with that dramatic talk-singy vocal style (like the talking heads and the cure)

Hip hop was a mistake, and is likely the cause of most of society's ills

Okay this isn't my usual style, but wow this album was fantastic! It's so rare for me to be so impressed by an album that isn't my style, that I knew nothing about. I was dazzled by the diversity of styles here. A+ for creativity. This could be the greatest pop album of the 21st century. This album is better than anything I've heard from other female mega popstars. Better than Mariah Carey, better than Madonna, better than Whitney Houston, better than Taylor Swift, better than Olivia Rodrigo. I didn't like the second track, so I was doubtful for a sec. But basically every other track was great, and some were just plain fantastic. I really thought it got better as it went on.

It was good for what it aims to be, but I just was not into much of it A couple songs I liked I think

Not for me but I could see its appeal to some

Superb

Kinda liked some bits, other bits made me cringe. Overall it was worth a listen but I won't return

It was good for a hip hop album but I just cannot get into hip hop. There were a few good choruses sprinkled throughout but there was so much annoying rap you had to get through.

Fun throughout Best song was Whiskey Woman. The chorus sounded a lot like knocking on heavens door but I think this song is older than that one

I liked it better than Bob Marley. Nearly half of the songs I thought were too boring/repetitive but there were some that I did in fact enjoy. So a 3/5 fits nicely I think

Really great alt rock

A cool, unique brand of soulful funky glam metal. Props for creativity. I did think it was too cheesy for my personal taste. It’s one of those albums I admire but don’t super enjoy

There’s some Bob Dylan I like a lot, and some I think is fine. Highway 61 is by far my favorite album of his

Folk country > pop country. There were a lot of moments I liked, especially the instrumentals. There are some quite talented musicians here. A loooot of the songs sounded almost the same. They tend to use very, very similar chord progressions and song structures. I was disappointed by how repetitive the album was. I did find it pretty charming but I never want to hear it again, except for a few tracks. Except it's hard to know WHICH tracks I'd want to hear again, since they're so similar. I think I'm just barely gonna give it a 3 because I enjoyed the vibes and fun banjo/fiddle parts. I liked the instrumental tracks I did find it fascinating how old some of the collaborators on this album were. This album is like a historical artifact

I don’t like hip hop. The only reason I’m giving a 3 is because some of the lyrics were pretty hilarious.

Man I get so bored of hip hop. I did sorta like the few more soulful R+B tracks. No disrespect but it ain’t for me

There was some cool funk moments underneath, but overshadowing it a bit was that cheesy 80s synth pop that does sound quite dated. I think I’ve enjoyed some synth pop, but this one didn’t quite do it for me. I can see the appeal though

The King of Pop's most 80s-infused album yet. Objectively, it's an impeccable, world-class pop album. Subjectively, I enjoyed the listen plenty but I have no desire to listen to the album again, which is how I classify my 3/5's. I liked Dirty Diana and the last track

I do admire the happy, free sound of Irish folk music. There is no modern music that feels as liberatingly joyful as good irish folk. As far as the album goes, I think I enjoyed it but so many of the songs sounded quite similar.

Every single song is a 3-4 second loop that repeats for 3-4 minutes

Thought it was great! Favorites were Deja Vu, Our House, Country Girl

A really nice, flawlessly produced indie album. Uplifting but not TOO cheesy

Cool

Quirky

A bit underwhelming/uninteresting, but still enjoyable. Never need to hear it again though

I liked it, it was great. They sure sound like the year this album came out. Some parts reminiscent of The Beach Boys. Some old-school soul influence. Amazing drums.

Not a great album, but perhaps a hint of greater things to come. Favorites were Under my Thumb and Out of Time. The first 15 seconds of Out of Time sound like Banjo Kazooie music

I definitely enjoyed this one a lot more than the previous Neil Young albums I’ve heard (the one where he’s against the tree and the beach one) First side was like perfect; reminded me of John denver at times for some reason

250 albums in and I think this is the most entertaining hip hop album I've had so far. Hip hop isn't my style but Eminem may be my favorite

Fantastic voice. Pretty fun Every song uses the same 3-chord progression, it seems. So musically and compositionally I didn't find it interesting at all.

Fine, for an old school hip hop album. I was pretty bored to most of it, but there were a few alright moments. I liked the occasional jazzy instrument.

This album feels just as much like punk as it does like metal. There is some metal I really love (e.g. Opeth) This album I thought was just fine but I don't desire to hear it again. Not a particularly bad album. I can understand why some would think the lyrics are dumb, but for me lyrics usually only play a small role in the quality of music. Favorite track: Countess Bathory

Ya know, this probably is the perfect pop/alt rock album. It's not very intricate or impressive but it has fantastic energy and is very catchy. It’s not really my cup of tea, but it’s perfect for what it strives to be. Several of the songs were pretty uninteresting to me; I think that once you’ve heard a few of their songs, you’ve heard em all. But their formula works. Wonderwall is a better song than I remember.

Pleasant. Sounds quaint now. Some songs have very interesting chord progressions, like She Knows Me Too Well. Favorites included kiss me baby, when I grow up, help me Rhonda, in the back of my mind

Jack White is no guitar virtuoso, and Meg White may be the most unimpressive drummer to ever have been in a famous rock band. BUT, I really enjoy this album. The songwriting is great and it oozes style. Favorite tracks: Ball and Biscuit, Hypnotise (which probably had the best drums of the album), I just don’t know what to do with myself

Good indie pop album, but what the cringe kinda title is "Dear Science"? A lot of great lyrics A couple songs that made me cringe a bit, but many moments I appreciated A bit too modern poppy for me, but it was pretty unique and creative

At times high energy punky, at others funky groovy. Despite his extremely British voice, I found myself a bit charmed by the quirky grooviness of it.

I think my main problem is that is just feels like background music. Feels like trance music, so by nature it’s repetitive. There were some cool moments sprinkled throughout, but I didn’t like the majority of the album. Really don’t like any of the tracks with vocals

I was just kinda bored and/or annoyed the whole time. I'm having a hard time thinking about the few moments I may have enjoyed because all I can remember are the parts I cringed at. If I had to choose a track to re-listen to, I might choose Homemade

Some pretty cool songs, some pretty boring ones. The dark goth aesthetic is pretty cool, it’s probably their darkest album Favorite songs were The Figurehead and Cold

I don’t think it’s fair to completely write off this album as just stupid edginess, but I definitely don’t enjoy this angsty industrial late 90s brand of metal as much as darker, bleaker metal or NWOBHM or prog metal. It felt a bit repetitive and I personally would have liked some more dynamic changes. Obviously I respect the technical skill these guys have. I didn’t hate the album but I didn’t care for it. But now that I’m thinking so much about metal I just wanna go listen to Judas Priest or Opeth.

Maybe it’s cheesy boomer rock, but it’s just flawless. I’m constantly amazed at how FANTASTIC male singers were in the 70s and early 80s. NOBODY sings like this in popular music these days. I love guys who can sing crazy high and still sound like guys.

Listen, I totally get that this album has poetic value, and that he was trying a new style. But WOW, this was one of the dullest albums I’ve had in months, musically speaking. The songs are SO simplistic, the majority of them use the three most basic chords (1,4,5) and are just plain indistinguishable. There is no talent displayed here, his voice is a bit annoying, and the harmonica pierces my ears. Compared to the rest of the 1001 list, this one is surely a 1/5

This album is godly, probably my 2nd favorite Led Zep album. Music literally does not get more based than Led Zeppelin. Immigrant Song: One of the coolest songs of all time. No question. There was this really cool ascending bass line during the “on we sweep” bit that I hadn’t noticed before. Friends: SO cool. Love the weird main riff that has both the sharp fourth and the flat third. The strings add this fantastically foreboding, ominous energy. Celebration Day: Weirdly funky, great underrated tune. There’s a cool nimble bassline during the chorus here too. Since I’ve Been Loving You: Dear God this is the SEXIEST song of all time. It is dripping with tension and passion. I LOVE this song. I wish the electric organ was louder in the mix. Out on the Tiles: AMAZING drum groove. I like the parts during the verses when he throws in these awesome polyrhythms. I love drummers who don’t just keep time, but change up what they’re doing constantly and add intricacy. Some dull people think that less is more, but they are so so wrong. Love Bonzo’s interesting grooves. Gallows Pole: Amazing. I love, love the folksy sound on this one, and when the drums come in it is impossible not to get excited. Led Zeppelin wasn’t even a folk band, but they do folk better and more fun than virtually every folk band of their time. Tangerine: I like the guitar tone on this one. This song feels nostalgic to me. That’s The Way: Again, Led Zep’s acoustic songs are top tier. I adore when a heavy rock band can write a good acoustic song. Bronyaur Stomp: So fun! The guitar-playing is very interesting on this one. Hats off to Roy Harper: cool sliding bluesy guitar. Nice lyrics lol

If there's a such thing as progressive indie, it's this. I was pleasantly surprised! Every song interested me because they were constantly surprising me by changing in ways I didn't expect. It was very impressive and felt very creative and fresh. This one could definitely grow on me more, I will return

90s alt rock, some hip hop influence perhaps? psychedelic at times, but in a more modern, urban-sounding way than early psychedelic rock Didn’t mind it but I didn’t care for it I can imagine why someone might think this was cool

This might be the most "ahead of its time" album on this list. During at least half the albums, I couldn't help but think there were Strokes and White Stripes songs that sound JUST like these. Is 2000s alt rock just a ripoff of 70s post punk? I was very pleasantly surprised with this album. Catchy and cool throughout.

*deletes student demonstration time* Ahhh a perfect album

I feel pure joy when I listen to the kinks. They are really great at making catchy songs that are also deceptively intricate. Almost none of their songs are simple 4 chord songs like every pop song today. Their songs often change keys or have interesting chord progressions; it’s pop perfection but it’s substantial enough to keep me interested. I love their vocal harmony sound (Their following album is better than this one)

Really great. Encapsulates so much of what was so great about the 60s :) Will return

Awesome cover art. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Quirky british new wave 80s music; reminds me of XTC.

Imagine naming your whole album after a song you're just covering. The few songs I recognized, I think I prefer the original versions (especially Stardust and Unchained). In principle, I don't respect albums that are just covers AS much as original songs. But the album was still very enjoyable to me, and I could see myself peacefully and pleasantly listening to this album again. It does have a magic to it. Adding an old-timey country touch to these classic adult standards works well.

Woah what an opener One of the best Motown soul records I’ve heard, definitely worth returning to Way better than their other album I’ve heard

A pleasant indie album. Lots of tender, catchy songs that have that cozy energy that good indie albums have. I wouldn't mind listening to a song or two here, but an entire album of this stuff was just a bit too much of the same for me. Nothing wrong with it, but just not mind blowing. If I need some nice sentimental indie songs I’ll be sure to return to this one.

I don’t have anything witty to say about how horrible his voice is, like all the other reviewers try to do. I just didn’t derive any enjoyment from this album, except for the times I laughed at how goofy and clunky it was. Even if his voice were good I don't think I'd care about the music. There were some good lyrics but I don't factor that in much when I think about whether I liked the music

Some nice, sorta goth, post punk alt rock with female vocals. There was cool dark energy on some of the songs. I liked it more than I expected to. I thought it was just as good or even better than similar contemporary albums, like The Cure’s Pornography.

I thought i was gonna like it but I didn’t really care for it. I found it fairly forgettable and not very unique. It’s not as energetic as punk but it’s not as interesting as glam rock. The Wikipedia says “New York Dolls was an influential precursor to the 1970s punk rock movement as the group's crude musicianship and youthful attitude on the album challenged the prevailing trend of musical sophistication in popular music, particularly progressive rock.” I will never understand this. yeah I get that the point of punk rock was to make oversimple, unimaginative music just to stick it to the old rock gods. Just because that was the point doesn't somehow make the music worthwhile. Punk rockers wanted to be cool but they didn't have any musical ability or understanding, so they tried to convince everyone that having talent and songwriting ability was pompous and arrogant. Sophistication is super cool, if you can also write good music. I know this is somewhat tangential to my thoughts about this specific album, but why should I care

Definitely worth a listen. This music inspired much of the music that followed for decades. Listening to music from this era makes me feel a bit strange; the culture and values that produced this music has long since been destroyed and supplanted. It’s a artifact of a bygone time. That makes me a bit sad somehow. RIP Buddy

I really disliked when the guy sang/talked but wow I was really into bjork’s voice, never listened to her before. I can see how she was influenced by that early 80s new wave alt rock female vocal style, but she totally builds on and surpasses it. I don’t usually like this genre but bjonk makes it cool

Unexpected but a welcome surprise. Classy old fashioned country with a unique twist Great vocals

Uninspired, insipid, and derivative. I know it’s easy to be a critic, but I really think all these words apply. Nothing about this album feels new for its time; every aspect of it is a worse version of a previous band’s work. Pretty boring. I might have given it a 2, but the lead vocals were the most lackluster I’ve ever heard, so I feel justified giving it a 1.

Pretty good post punk album, but ultimately a bit forgettable

You guys ever experience hip hop fatigue? Cool beats but I wasn’t interested or engaged. Hip hop be the most repetitive genre fr fr Best song was La Musique

Two words: rhythm section

I listened to the first half while studying, and it was just great. But I listened to the rest while driving and actively listening, and I gotta say I got pretty bored. It's hard to compare music I like as background to music I like for purposeful listening. Here's the thing; I do actually respect this genre; I know its purpose is not the same as traditional music. But I just don't value it as much as music that I can listen to actively and enjoy it still.

HAHA this is the most hilarious sounding opening track I've heard out of the last 200 albums. The beat sounds like its tripping over itself and his rapping is so strange and funny. The chorus is so bad. the "it was s'posed to be so easyyyyy" was another epic highlight. And that's just the first song. Y'know, at least 85% of my favorite music is from the UK. But UK plus rap just doesn't seem like a great combo... Definitely worth a listen if you want to laugh. He's about as good of a rapper as Ed Sheeran There were a few tracks I didn't hate, but the overall effect of the album for me gives a 1/5

Nothing wrong with it; it was pleasant and had chill energy. But the songwriting was just pretty simplistic and didn’t surprise or excite me. Didn’t like nor dislike

Reminds me of The Jam, and a bit of The Cars. Vocalist somehow sounded like Thin Lizzy’s occasionally I liked the keyboard work Some songs bored me but some songs I liked quite a bit. Oat first I thought I wasn’t gonna care for it but I liked it more as it went on. Stuck between 3 and 4.

Greatest voice of the 90s (if not the greatest album of the 90s)

Lots of interesting sounds here. Got more experimental and ambient as it went on. Really great; stuck between 4 and 5. Will return

Very fun and funky. Worth a listen for sure

Radiohead is always a treat to listen to. This album was quite experimental (as always) and trippy and cool. I’m definitely glad I listened to it but I don’t think I care to return to this specific album

I've always liked this album. Songwriting is great and catchy, the guitar work is cool too. Their upbeat songs are fantastic and so are their melancholy songs which they do so well. I like Morrissey. I could not relate LESS to people who hate him because he's a nationalist. American social media normalizes anti-white hatred and tries to censor all attempts to resist it. Victim mentality and bitterness are lauded as virtues. After growing up in perhaps the most left-wing US state, where so many white people I know have been guilt-brainwashed into hating their culture and ancestors, it's refreshing to know there are still a FEW people out there who like white people and the West.

I REALLY liked the guitar work/solos The singer’s got a great unique voice. This album does grunge better than a ton of grunge bands. And BEFORE all those grunge bands. The album does feel a bit juvenile at times but I still liked it

A couple decent songs, some mediocre songs, and the worst cover of Just Like Heaven possible

One of the greatest voices ever. This is objectively a good album, but by my own rating system i think it’s a 3

Enjoyable throughout. I liked it more than I expected to. Lots of catchiness. Could listen to again. My mom would like this album. It sounds like it influenced a lot of big 80s music. Kinda sounds like New Order.

Very silly and fun. Great, great bass tone But I think a lot of the songs were pretty repetitive compared to how long the songs were. Like there’s a really killer riff, but then that 6-second riff repeats for like 7 minutes. I’m definitely glad to have listened though Favorite was Handcuffs and the Thumpasorus one

Way more straightforward and poppy than other Radiohead stuff I've heard. It's funny that there are several Radiohead albums that are definitely better than this one, but this album still does 90s pop alt rock way better than all their contemporaries anyway. Oasis WISH they could've made a record half as good as this one

Listening to this one felt like a chore. It’s just very bland, very unexciting, very plain; it sounds like royalty-free music for low budget commercials.

I suffer from terminal hip hop fatigue. Every track is mind-numbingly repetitive and indistinguishable from all the others. Music for edgy delinquents who think being black is a personality trait.

I’m a bit torn, the first majority of the album I was definitely feeling a 3, but I liked the later parts more on average It’s quality for what it is, but it’s not so much for me Favorites: fall at your feet, fame is, all I ask

It's a diverse, funky, soulful album. Prince's best album for sure. Deserving of being on this list. I can appreciate the genius behind it. I just don't enjoy it much at all. Not for me

Hip hop was a mistake. I can’t believe it got MORE popular after this boring album came out

Better than I was expecting. A diverse album with funk and soul

Majestic genius. Opened the door for the most magical and fantastical genre of all time: prog rock. A fusion of high art with rock music, taking inspiration from classical, jazz, psychedilia, and rock n roll. I love so much about prog: its themes, its complexity, the unorthodox musical forms, the high degree of technical skill involved, the long tracks that each feel like self-contained journeys, and so on. Prog musicians in the early 70s reached incredible artistic heights; when was the last time a genre even AIMED that high, let alone reached it? Nobody strived for majesty like these guys did. Modern music feels empty and cheap in comparison to this. First track is just insanity. Robert Fripp is a twisted mad genius; anyone who knows anything about King Crimson knows that much. The drums are just outstanding for 1969. Everyone is playing at a high level on this track. Second track is serene and gorgeous, reminds me of halcyon days long since past. I feel like I'm in an enchanted forest meadow. The third track is apocalyptic and tragic: "The fate of all mankind, I see, is in the hands of fools." The Mellotron adds so much richness to the sound The first few minutes of the fourth track are hauntingly beautiful. Obviously there's too much noodling, but I at least like part of the ambient section, specifically the guitar-driven parts. In defense of the noodling, I would at least say that it perfectly primes you for the impact of that final track. The final track mesmerizes me. Its sounds are lush and overwhelming. The lyrics confuse and entrance me. It is almost too majestic to describe with words. It is otherworldly. It sounds like heaven and hell colliding.

Quality mellow feel-good oldies

I ended up kinda liking it. Reminds me of prog metal at times, like Dream Theater. But more edgy, like Slipknot or Rage Against the Machine. Also had some strong pop punk elements? Like MCR? I don’t like rap at all, but it’s at least cooler when paired with heavy metal guitar

Utterly magnificent. Shine On You Crazy Diamond takes me into the astral plane. For my funeral I just want everybody to listen to all 9 parts of this song.

If you your favorite song is “Livin La Vida Loca” you are gonna love this album Favorite part was the transition between Dona Isabelle and the following song

A big long psychedelic jam session. Felt like Wild West music at times. I liked the lead guitar tone a lot; and the bass guitar when it appears for a sec on “Which” Favorite moment was probably midway through “Cavalry” I enjoyed it enough; don’t need to hear it again though

Quirky cool soft rock

Classy and fun and wholesome. Obviously this guy was hugely influential. The songs kinda become indistinguishable by the end of listening, but it's still thoroughly enjoyable. Great listen.

Pretty good. Post punk but still punk at times I liked Lovers of Today and Mystery Achievement; I don't remember which others I liked

Oasis but much better. Has a touch of pop punk.

Okay I liked this one. But I thought the first 5 songs were better than what followed. I especially liked it because of the quality of the background vocals, whenever those appeared; just magical. See "Holilili" At times it reminded me of the Tiki Room show at Disneyland lol Also "Mbube" was definitely on that Classical Baby show I used to watch as a kid

Queen's best album. It's got the band's best guitar work, and probably their best drum work too. There are still a few silly Queen songs, but there's so many hard rock moments throughout. I love diverse albums like this one. Their vocals sound so tight, as always. Brighton Rock is awesome, my favorite Queen guitar solo for sure. In the Lap of the Gods is just crazy and magnificent. Flick of the Wrist is a favorite of mine too. Queen was basically my gateway into both hard rock and prog rock, so I'll always have a soft spot for this album and for Queen II. I'm convinced the only people who hate Queen have just been severely overexposed to their music, or hate Queen's annoying fanbase.

Best story behind an album I’ve heard in ages. Cool music. Reminded me of the band Magma a couple of times

Sounds like perfect music for a somber episode of Miami Vice, or maybe for a cheesy 80s porno. Meant for the background, not really the kind of music I want to actively listen to. I appreciate the nostalgic slick retro vibe this album gives off, but I'm not into the music

I don’t like reggae but I enjoyed most of the post punky stuff. Reminded me of the B52s sometimes. Props for being a fairly diverse album I don’t understand the difference between ska and reggae

Fine in its own right, but I got kinda tired of a whole album of melancholy, sickly-(bitter)sweet piano ballads. I don’t care for this genre. She should make a rock album, her voice has the power. I think I recognized 4 songs. Maybe 5.

I appreciate the heaviness. There is some metal I like a lot, but for some reason I don’t like Nu Metal that much. I liked this album more than slipknot, but a little less than the linkin park album.

Now this is real music

Not bad, but definitely not as good as Meat is Murder or The Queen is Dead. “Last Night I Dreamt” is a totally awesome song though

Quality. Diverse and interesting songwriting.

I enjoyed it as peaceful background music

I feel cozy now

Thoroughly enjoyable. First two songs were really cool

Sounds like Brian eno took over on the second half of this album

A very pleasant listen, but the songwriting didn't really interest or impress me at all

I appreciate the originality

Pretty good, for a hip hop album anyway

I think the songwriting is good but those 80s effects make it hard for this album to feel timeless. I enjoyed it just fine anyways

Now this is what I call feel good music. Probably the most "rock opera" sounding album I've ever heard.

Really nice. Captures so much of what is good about 80s/90s alt/indie rock, without any of the bits that I don't like so much. Reminded me of The La's

Off brand, basic blues rock It's pleasant and fun but it’s not very original or interesting in any way; I don't think this deserves to be on the list

This album is so great. Greatest blend of hard rock and folk ever realized (besides their even more folky albums like TAAB and Songs from the Wood). These old rockers have such a clever, witty take on rock music. They are very down to earth, self-aware, silly, and unpretentious compared to other prog rock bands, while still having the talent and complexity that prog is known for. Anyone who thinks there is too much flute here should give this album another listen after they've pulled the flute out of their anal cavity

Timeless

Just awesome. Even if you removed Bohemian Rhapsody and You're My Best Friend I still would love it. Queen got me into prog and hard rock, so I'll always have a place in my heart for their 70s albums Favorites are Death on Two Legs, '39, Seaside Rendezvous, The Prophet's Song, and Love of My Life. Their deep cuts are better than their hits.

The quintessential indie album. It has that uplifting, life-affirming feeling that good indie albums are known for Favorite was probably The Tallest Man, which was in 11/8 incidentally. I actually thought it was a great and interesting listen, but I don’t know if I desire to hear it again, so I’m not sure what to rate it.

Pretty good, but it’s not the best metal can offer. Sounds like a mix of the other Big 4 bands

I can see how this would've been really influential Crunchy guitars. Cool angsty sinister vibes

It’s not bad by any means but it didn’t really compel me At times sounds like the Doors, at times sounds like Jack Johnson. It does sound fairly ahead of its time.

Really good, as far as hip hop goes, which isn't say much I suppose It got better towards the end

It's just too much

Great. It hit me in the right mood. Good mix of modern indie electronics and psychedelia

About as straightforward as hard rock can get. AC/DC is fun enough but they’ve just got the least interesting/diverse catalogue in all of rock music. I enjoyed it for a while but eventually every song sounded exactly like the previous one. To be fair, AC/DC is leagues better than the punk rock that was also popular in the late 70s.

Nice Latin music

Funky and chill. For the first half of the album, I thought that there were a lot of sections that felt passive and weren’t as engaging, like background music. But as it went on I started liking it more. I thought the second half was great.

To be fair, you do need an incredibly high IQ to understand the nuance and depth to this album

Blegh I was just so done by the time this album ended

C'mon Neil, it's time to put your music back on Spotify. Joe Rogan ended up being kinda justified in his skepticism anyways, so you just look like a huge pussy for throwing such a huge fit. Why is everyone so authoritarian these days?

I’ve always liked this record. One of the most influential albums ever. The Nico songs are definitely my favorite of the bunch. I think the only thing I don’t like about it is how sloppy the guitar solos often are. But I know that’s part of its uniqueness, so I can get past it

Greatest alt rock album ever

Partway between glam rock and glam metal. Pretty fun

Each song is an explosion of angst and dissatisfaction. I can see how music like this led right to crazy screamy metal like Slayer. Favorites were TV Party and Life of Pain

He definitely sounds like a Portland, Oregon dude lol. I ended up liking it more than I thought I would. His songwriting is very interesting, lots of cool chords progressions. Although I sometimes found his voice a bit annoying Torn between 3 and 4

Mmmm milk……. Actually very quality, it’s right up there with the other big heavy grungy albums of the 90s

Awesome

Indie rock with symphonic elements. It sounds like Nick Cave joined Arcade Fire. I didn’t super enjoy it. The vocals are a bit of a let down, ESPECIALLY the awful falsetto songs, and they were sometimes too quiet or indecipherable.

Actually pretty fantastic. Not only is he the greatest male pop singer of all time, but this album actually has some interesting and varied songwriting. Favorites were They Won’t Go When I Go and Cowboys and Angels

New wave / post punk rock. Sounds a lot like The Jam. Pretty good

Timeless and cool

Lou Reed just epitomizes art rock. Definitely worth a listen. Could grow on me with further listens Favorites: perfect day, satellite of love, I’m so free

Bob Dylan is unlike anything else

It’s fine, but I didn’t think the songwriting was as interesting as the other album I’ve heard from him. Also his voice annoyed me on quite a few tracks. I did like how some of the songs that started quiet picked up partway through and the drums came in Favorites were Pictures of Me and Say Yes

A few songs I kinda enjoyed. But I really think rod stewart is just the most average rock star out there

Cozy album. Sparkling keyboard and piano work. The vocals were soulful (but occasionally were a bit imperfect) Very enjoyable on the whole.

Actually pretty cool. Hypnotic psychedelic hip hop. I definitely appreciated that there was hardly any rapping

Music for vapid self-centered "bad bitches" who derive all their life's meaning from sex (see Amanda's Tale lmfao that one was funny). The music was usually irritating and the words were worse. The album is only here because it's empowering n sheeit Sure, she's got a good voice. But often it's the people with the "best" voices that make the most cringey music of all

Cool slick nighttime music

I actually liked this one! Sounds like a mix of the Doors and the Moody Blues. Late 60s heavy psychedelia with cool proggy keyboards

Diverse and interesting punky Brit pop album.

Guns N Roses came late to the party. They didn’t bring much that was NEW to the table; the ground they trod had already been explored by previous bands like AC/DC, Aerosmith, Van Halen, Judas Priest, and maybe some of the hair metal bands. But the album is very quality rock, and does basically everything right. It’s good fun

Kooky diverse unusual post punk with some fiddle

I liked a few of the more folky songs, but I didn't care for the songs that sounded like basic somber female singer-songwriter stuff. Favorite was Blood Red River or Devil Song

Soothing 80s soft pop

Perfectly enjoyable but not very memorable on this first listen. I liked “Slipping Through”

Not bad, but definitely wasn't as interesting to me as their previous album; it was poppier and less heavy, iirc. I can see why Kurt Cobain liked her I liked Dying and Petals

Quality American blues/folk/country rock

Never listened to these guys before but this was awesome

Nice

So annoying. She’s got a powerful voice but I don’t enjoy this music in the slightest.

I've had 3 nick cave albums previously, and disliked them all. But I actually thought this album was pretty great. Powerful music. The sonic quality of the album was very good

The songwriting or the performance isn’t that interesting. kinda bland. It’s mainly 40 minutes of a Bri’ish chap trying to inspire an uprising with his anti-establishment poetry

Soothing and pleasurable to listen to

Serene and happy. It would be nice as background Sunday music, but this is just about the last album I would choose to actively listen to

One of the best 90s alt rock groups

Very interesting blend of influences on this album. Post punk, new wave, punk, reggae, world music. Worthwhile listen

It’s not the worst thing I’ve ever heard, but I just think it doesn’t deserve to be on the list

Pleasant soft country rock, but it’s not all that special to me Hippie boy was funny

A lot of 5/5 songs and it’s all quality. But by the end of the album i was kinda fatigued of all the piano ballads that were starting to sound the same. If I listened in smaller chunks maybe that would’ve been better

Pleasant and calm

Crunchy Southern bluesy rock. Enjoyable listen. I definitely wouldn’t mind listening again. Although I don’t know if I’ll return to this one because there are just so many rock bands I like better. This album wasn't THAT good. Listening to this made me want to go listen to the first Blue Oyster Cult album.

It’s not unpleasant but man I was just so bored

Pretty good alt/indie rock Noisy at times and catchy at others Got kinda annoying by the end

This album would be perfect to listen to if you ever found yourself lost in the swamps of Louisiana

Cool feel-good funky soul music Favorite was Summer Breeze Giving it a 3/5 because I probably don’t care to hear it again

Funky jazz fusion-y. Pretty cool I think I liked vein melter the best

Actually very nice! Will definitely have to return; this one could become a 5/5 for me with a bit more time. Great drum sound. Lush album.

I can't respect her anymore since she hopped on the Spotify censorship bandwagon with Neil Young. It baffles me, it truly does. Today liberals dominate all forms of media. Skepticism and dissenting opinions are not tolerated in mainstream discourse. In 2021, if you questioned the vaccine you were met with social outcry, bans from the internet, and you could even be doxxed or fired from your job. Today, it's obvious that the vaccine actually does hurt some people, and that it doesn't even prevent COVID in many cases. Joe Rogan is literally the most chill, moderate, open-minded celebrity out there; he has had people from all walks of life and with all sorts of political views on his show. The fact that the entire internet tried to have him silenced is really telling of how stupidly insane the modern world is. I still hold many liberal beliefs, but it's terrifying how authoritarian and vengeful leftists are in these times. Anyways, I'm not rating this album based on her as a person. It's a very pleasant and soothing album. She has great vocal control. Although I didn't find the album extremely interesting a lot of the time; I wish there were more dynamics in her music, more variation.

It kinda sucks at times but I didn’t hate it enough to give a 1/5. Sounds like what Leonard Cohen would have written if he were born in Ohio in the late 70s. Favorite was Transylvania blues, because it sounded cool and also because there was no singing

Lots of weird textures and flavors, interesting throughout Frenetic and nervous Makes me want to go listen to Discipline by King Crimson

Fun catchy poppy post-punky.

This kind of indie can get cheesy and nauseatingly sentimental, but I did like this album a good amount. I enjoyed it on first listen better than their more popular album. I used to like this kinda stuff my freshman year of college. When it comes to indie rock my favorite is probably the Shins; their first album deserves to be on this list.

A lot of cool moments. Funky and brassy with plenty of Kuti's African influence. The rhythm section is fantastic, steals the show. Hard to choose a favorite track. This would be fun party music. One of my favorite "world" albums I've heard on this list, if this falls into that category

This album is vapid and tedious. Every "song" is indistinguishable from the rest. Hip hop is just so bad. Music for posers by posers

A lot like early talking heads, perhaps with some B-52s energy in there too. This album was a bit polarizing for me; there were a few songs a liked a lot, and a few tracks I didn't like much at all. "A" for creativity I think I liked Space Junk, Mongoloid, Gut Feeling, and I also kinda liked Shrivel Up

Neil has become an authoritarian sissy bitch in recent years. The censorship culture we live in these days is absurd. I can't respect anyone who agrees with silencing honest skepticism and dissenting opinion. Freedom of thought is vital to a healthy society. I liked "Harvest" a lot but this album was pretty flavorless and uninspired. It wasn't unpleasant though. The guitar playing was pretty lackluster; I kept wishing a talented guitarist was playing instead. I don't think Neil Young deserves as many spots on this list as he has

Tony hawk game type music Pretty cool at times. Awesome beats. Hypnotic at times

There's so much to love about this album. The nimble basslines, the monstrous drums, and man do I love young Robert Plant's voice. Plus, y'know, the crunchy awesome guitar work. This album is so heavily seeped in the blues that it's probably the most American sounding album to ever come out of England. I'm so glad that England appropriated American musical forms, because the majority of the best rock bands came out of England (Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Floyd, Sabbath, Uriah Heep, Judas Priest, Jethro Tull, Yes, Queen, etc). Musicians have been borrowing from each other since the dawn of time, so anyone whose enjoyment of the album is hindered by Zeppelin's alleged plagiarism is an uneducated stuck-up fool. This album is better than virtually all the hard rock albums that came after it. And this isn’t even Zeppelin’s best album. For all the decades to come, no one could top what Zeppelin had done; no greater hard rock band has emerged since. I love rock bands whose members are all ACTUALLY GOOD at their instruments. There are far too many boring poser rock bands that lack any talent or songwriting skill whatsoever (like basically all of the punk bands of the late 70s) The only thing I don't care for are all the sexually charged lyrics. But it never gets in the way of the enjoyment -- lyrics are mostly irrelevant to the greatness of music (otherwise, why not just read poetry?). Favorite track -- Bring it on Home

Scientists: Behold! we found baby alien life on another planet! Abortionists: Uhm ackshually it is just a alien fetus therefore it is not alive or significant and we should kill it for convenience. You are racist and phobic. Scientists: NOOOO oh my science this is too woke! *dies of cancel culture* Abortionists: *dies because they are really just grown up fetus* ---------------------------------------------- Moral of the story: Fetus life matters<3

Nice, catchy and engaging Favorite song was the first one or the last one

Probably my favorite jazz album on the list, so I'm just gonna go ahead and give it a 5

I have the same feelings towards this album as I did about Tom Waits and most of Nick Cave's work: I appreciate the artistry but I am not into the music very much. I can see why someone else might like it I like Cohen's early work

Okay wow this was one of the greatest surprises I’ve had yet! This was awesome and wacky in all the right ways. It’s just genius progressive pop rock. So many clever and interesting hooks. I can’t believe I’d never heard it before. The production is so good I can’t believe it came out in 1974. Awesome album. I am surprised it is ranked as low as it is

I thought a few of the tracks were pretty cool, but I also thought several of the tracks weren't my cuppa tea

Pretty alright 2.5

Noisy and energetic. I only listened to the original 22 minutes version, but I enjoyed more than I thought I would. I liked it much better than their later album I've listened to. I usually find this kind of rock too simplistic but in small 22 minute doses I can dig it. This dude can totally scream better than Kurt Cobain

Nothing bad about it, but not particularly special-sounding to my ears. I bet my mom would like it though. It's like Pet Shop Boys plus Oasis but sadder

I appreciate the attempt they made but I just feel the album wasn't as cool as they wanted it to be

Very straightforward classic rock. Enjoyable enough I suppose. I do prefer my rock to be less simple than this. When I say I love hard rock I do not mean this. I bet my dad would like this; he likes a lot of the arena pop hard rock acts of the 80s, like Scorpions, Foreigner, or Bryan Adams. So in that respect, I'd say Bad Company were ahead of their time, just cause they remind me of that music in a lot of ways 2

Nice, better than I was expecting Torn between 3 and 4

Holy **** I just love this album to death. Definitely my most listened to album of the 60s (and I really like the 60s). It's just so perfect, each track makes me feel happy or pumped up (except the one or two sad ones). Each track is just perfect, criminally underrated on this website. Glad it’s rated way higher on RYM

This album is, sonically, very interesting. You can definitely hear the combination of the Talking Heads' strange Afro rhythmic textures, and Eno's lush ambient soundscapes. Worth a listen

If I had to rank the genres of music, this 80s smooth neo-soul would be pretty low of the list Sure, she’s got a great voice. But I often find that people with the best voices write some of the most boring music

I really like the first song a lot. I have listened to the first song several times and was excited to listen to this album, hoping there would be more of that dark punk sound. Instead the majority of the album is happy and almost silly at times The rest of the album was still good, even though I didn’t like the ska (is that what it is?) type songs as much. Still easily one of the best punk records, if not the best. Probably better than the Sex Pistols, and definitely way better than the Ramones This album could grow on me still, so I should listen to it again sometime

I don’t listen to these guys much anymore, but this is a solid album. Their first four albums are all pretty great. But when I compare these guys to other metal bands, I usually am left unsatisfied. When I DO want to listen to metal, I want to listen to more technical/complex or dark stuff. My favorites rn are Death and Opeth. I also like Megadeth and Judas Priest plenty. My least favorite thing about Metallica is Lars’ drum sound (especially on 'And Justice For All': great songwriting but dear god what a horrible mix). The drum sound is really harsh and piercing in a bad way, but at the same time it sounds so flat. And it's much too loud in the mix in my opinion. I want to be able to hear the guitar and bass without my ears being destroyed by the annoying drum sound. Favorite track: Orion

I’m cataloguing this under “great music tarnished by annoying vocals” I will return to this one someday to give it another chance. I thought the music was great, good performance by the band, plenty of well written stuff, but the vocals bugged me often

Yeah I can definitely see the appeal. If I were an 18 year old girl leaving home for the first time, I bet this album would have such a life-affirming, eye-opening effect on me. Euphoric The songwriting is within pop music boundaries, but the album sounds REALLY good, as far as production and quality goes Favorite track: The Louvre, Liability, Perfect Places

Pretty good for its genre Favorite: Vow, Milk

Total mom-rock A bit of spicy guitar work here and there coupled with some outrageous male vocals. You can tell the songwriting is from the 2000s but the style sounds like an old glam pop rock kinda band 2