Journey Complete!
Finisher #526 to complete the list
1089
Albums Rated
3.15
Average Rating
100%
Complete
Since I Left You
The Avalanches
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Rating Timeline
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Ratings by Decade
Which era do you prefer?
Activity by Day
When do you listen?
Taste Profile
2020s
Favorite Decade
Hip-hop
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Balanced
Rater Style
55
5-Star Albums
10
1-Star Albums
Taste Analysis
Genre Preferences
Ratings by genre
Origin Preferences
Ratings by country
Rating Style
You Love More Than Most
Albums you rated higher than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yeezus | 5 | 2.77 | +2.23 |
| What's That Noise? | 5 | 2.79 | +2.21 |
| I Am a Bird Now | 5 | 2.84 | +2.16 |
| D.O.A. the Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle | 4 | 1.87 | +2.13 |
| Kala | 5 | 2.91 | +2.09 |
| Music Has The Right To Children | 5 | 2.91 | +2.09 |
| The Dreaming | 5 | 2.96 | +2.04 |
| Ghosteen | 5 | 2.97 | +2.03 |
| I See You | 5 | 3 | +2 |
| Duck Stab/Buster & Glen | 4 | 2.03 | +1.97 |
You Love Less Than Most
Albums you rated lower than global average
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marquee Moon | 1 | 3.5 | -2.5 |
| The Undertones | 1 | 3.26 | -2.26 |
| The Real Thing | 1 | 3.2 | -2.2 |
| Double Nickels On The Dime | 1 | 3.12 | -2.12 |
| Reign In Blood | 1 | 2.96 | -1.96 |
| Copper Blue | 1 | 2.96 | -1.96 |
| The Contino Sessions | 1 | 2.91 | -1.91 |
| Mask | 1 | 2.85 | -1.85 |
| Dookie | 2 | 3.8 | -1.8 |
| Metallica | 2 | 3.79 | -1.79 |
Artist Analysis
Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Stevie Wonder | 4 | 4.75 |
| Kanye West | 3 | 5 |
| Björk | 4 | 4.5 |
| Beatles | 7 | 4.14 |
| Kendrick Lamar | 2 | 5 |
| Radiohead | 6 | 4.17 |
| Bob Dylan | 7 | 4 |
| The Cure | 3 | 4.33 |
| Brian Eno | 5 | 4 |
Least Favorite Artists
Artists with 2+ albums
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| The Undertones | 2 | 1.5 |
| Elvis Costello & The Attractions | 4 | 2.25 |
Controversial Artists
Artists you rate inconsistently
| Artist | Albums | Variance |
|---|---|---|
| Billy Bragg | 2 | 1.5 |
| The Clash | 2 | 1.5 |
5-Star Albums (55)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Dirty Projectors
4/5
Bitte Orca? More like Bitte More-ca! I need more colorful, playful, quirky albums like this and much less stale, bland britpop. 8/10
8 likes
Björk
5/5
Gosh dang do I love this. Each song is so well crafted and incorporates different aspects of electronica, jazz, hip-hop, and world music. Such a interesting and entertaining listen. 9/10
5 likes
Mj Cole
4/5
Hella good. Nice beats with pretty good vocals all the way through. Super danceable which is always a plus. Overall, a pretty cool old-school UK garage album! 8/10
3 likes
The Birthday Party
2/5
The album art is an accurate representation of the music - a total mess. 3/10
2 likes
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
You can call it experimental and influential and groundbreaking all you want but for me this was a pretty boring hour of my Saturday. 3/10
2 likes
1-Star Albums (10)
All Ratings
The Cure
5/5
Pretty great album. Recognized a lot of songs from it and those that I didn’t were also great. The Cure are just a good vibe all around.
Revised: This was my first album and I didn't know what I had in it... love this one. 9/10
Beck
2/5
Meh. A lot of the songs sounded the same and didn’t contain enough emotion. 4/10
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
Pretty cool album. Love the guitar work on a lot of the songs. 6/10
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Enjoyable listen. Some nice little bangers, but overall not 100% my favorite sound. 5/10
Creedence Clearwater Revival
3/5
Another nice CCR album. A mix of slow, repetitive songs (Graveyard Train & Chooglin) and harder faster cuts. I enjoyed it a little more than Green River. 6/10
Eagles
4/5
Enjoyed it. Lots of good songs! 7/10
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Fantastic. Loved this album and hearing all the songs I hadn’t heard from Bob before. 8/10
The Byrds
3/5
It was nice. Pretty much a Beach Boys and Beatles kind of sounds. 6/10
The Cars
4/5
Really good! A lot of the unknown songs where kind of funky and different, not just straight forward classic rock. Also reminded me of Talking Heads a little bit. 7/10
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
It was okay… A little slower than Exodus and not as many catchy songs songs. 5/10
ZZ Top
3/5
BLUES. Its a nice nice sound. I wish there were a little more soul in the tracks, and even more guitar solos as well, instead of the steady rock sound. Top Tracks: Jesus Just Left Chicago, Hot Blue and Righteous, La Grange, Have You Heard?
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Pretty dope! Funky and dancy with some weirder indie cuts. Pretty fun listen! 7/10
Traffic
3/5
Enjoyed it quite a bit. Kinda jazzy/folksy rock ballads all the way through. 6/10
Metallica
2/5
Kind of got old after 56 mins of hard rock. To be fair, it’s not my favorite genre so I don’t have a huge interest in it, it’s not the work. Definitely could see the influences to bands I used to listen to like Avenged Sevenfold. 4/10
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Quite a nice record. Lots of fun songs and good songwriting. 6/10
The Undertones
1/5
Couldn't get through all of it. Feels like you're listening to the same generic punk rock song over and over again. 26 songs of that... nein danke. 2/10
Animal Collective
4/5
Awesome album. Really good songs with big synths and drums. Only real problem was that most of the time the lyrics are difficult to understand because they're drowned out by the instrumental, but still great. 8/10
Deerhunter
4/5
It’s a nice album. Quite short but many of the songs are really pleasant and kinda catchy. Some don’t make much of an impression though. 7/10
Super Furry Animals
2/5
Ehhhh not great. Such a struggle to get through the whole thing. Aged political lyrics and a lack of quality Melodie’s makes it a tough listen. 3/10
The Electric Prunes
3/5
I Had too Much to Dream, Onie, Are You Lovin’ Me More, Sold to the Highest Bidder 👍🏼 BANGERS. Very plucky guitar work which is kinda fun. The rest feels kind of gimmicky, almost like childrens music. 5/10
Billy Joel
4/5
Great listen. Fun and interesting songwriting and Billys singing is fantastic as well. 7/10
The Mamas & The Papas
2/5
It was fine. Nothing incredible outside a few songs (e.g. California Dreamin’). The rest kind of just sounds like so many other artists at the time. 4/10
The Specials
2/5
This album got a little annoying after a few songs. Some sort of catchy melodies and beats but it got old pretty quick. 4/10
The Doors
3/5
Some good ol’ ramblin’ rock. Songs sound quite similar to each other, but it’s definitely not a bad sound. Just nothing too memorable. 5/10
Crosby, Stills & Nash
2/5
Another typical ‘60s album. Nothing to groundbreaking but not unpleasant either. A few memorable songs but tbh mostly forgettable unfortunately. 3/10
Fela Kuti
4/5
Nice jazzy after-beat album. Just 4 songs but each has a pretty unique sound and the lyrics get straight to the point of what they’re trying to say. The horn work really made this album for me. 7/10
Mj Cole
4/5
Hella good. Nice beats with pretty good vocals all the way through. Super danceable which is always a plus. Overall, a pretty cool old-school UK garage album! 8/10
Nirvana
3/5
Pretty good album. It has some of the classic Nirvana songs and the others were hit or miss but still some really good ones in there. 6/10
Minutemen
1/5
The Never Ending Album. 2/10
Louis Prima
4/5
This is a really fun album. Love the classic jazzy pop sound of the sounds and the topics of the lyrics keep it an interesting listen. 7/10
Sisters Of Mercy
2/5
It’s not unpleasant music, but also not very memorable at the same time. The songs kinda of blur into a cloud of hazey guitars and moody vocals. 4/10
Steely Dan
4/5
This album was quite good. Very chill and relaxing songs with really good instrumentation to keep them interesting. 7/10
3/5
Classic album. Outside of the three extremely popular songs I already knew quite well, I found the rest to be about on par with those. One or two not so great ones (looking at you, She's Electric) but not enough to ruin the album in any way. 6/10
Bobby Womack
3/5
Some good stuff on this album. The last few songs specifically were really good and soulful. 6/10
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
Super fun listen! Many many good songs, but WOW is Mr. Blue Sky just an incredible feat of music. Turn to Stone, Sweet Talkin' Woman, Summer and Lightning, just to names a few others. The incorporation of strings and backing vocals really makes the songs on this thing so different from typical 70s pop rock. 8/10
Alice Cooper
2/5
I feel quite meh about this album. Was there anything memorable about it besides a song about getting out of school for summer vacation? Probably not. Also some weird lyrics scattered across this thing. 3/10
Curtis Mayfield
2/5
It was alright. Nothing too too memorable about it, and not much variation from song to song. Definitely a few good songs but too few and far between to make the album worth more listens. 4/10
Lorde
4/5
Finally an album I've heard before! :D I loved it when it came out and I love it now. Lorde's vocals and songwriting on this album are just top-notch. A few songs that don't quite hit, but they are still far from unlistenable. 8/10
CHIC
4/5
This album kinda slaps. Not much to say about it since it’s disco, but it’s still super fun and doesn’t get old for the 40+ minute runtime. 7/10
The Temptations
3/5
A really good album! Run Charlie Run and Papa was a Rollin’ Stone are standouts but other songs on the album are quite groovy. 6/10
The Smiths
4/5
Very enjoyable album. The song topics are quite creative, even while being often depressing or self-deprecating. The humor in the songs really makes it an enjoyable listen for me. 8/10
Black Sabbath
4/5
Dope album!! Of course the classics are great but the other 5 songs are still great. Rat Salad might be the exception, but it’s almost like an instrumental interlude. Big fan of this. 8/10
Bauhaus
1/5
What the f*** are these songs about? Sounds like someone told an AI to create music and it just spat out some nonsense. I really don’t see any redeeming qualities to this album. 1/10
Basement Jaxx
3/5
Decent. A few really innovative bangers that are really fun, but much of the rest of the album falls a little flat. Nothing really stands out too much for a lot of the songs, but they also aren’t bad by any means. 5/10
JAY Z
4/5
Awesome album. Great lyrics that touch on a bunch of topics throughout Jay’s life make every song stay interesting. Some standouts for sure, and some songs that don’t hit quite as hard , but it’s all quite good. 8/10
Hole
3/5
Not bad. Punk rock always gets a little stale for me after a few songs, but this album does do a good job of switching up the sound of each song, instead of each just being a wall of guitars. 5/10
Various Artists
4/5
Definitely above average Christmas tunes. I look the old school sound of the album which makes the holiday feel even nicer and cosier than usual. A nice listen for the holidays! 7/10
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
Found it quite plain. Pretty much all around, the vocals and instrumentation don’t leave much of an impression. 3/10
Ice T
3/5
Pretty cool album. It's a huge jump from today's hip-hop, or even anything in the 2000s but its still a good listen. Great lyricism and swag from Ice-T. 6/10
William Orbit
3/5
A very pleasant ambient album. I don't know much about the state of electronic music in 1993, but maybe this was quite different back then. Sounds like a movie score and is very easy on the ears. 5/10
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Nice chill album of indie/jingle rock. At first I thought it would be a rather dark and theatrical album, but the second half is classic alternative. The lyrics are pretty fun to read along with as well. 6/10
Gang Of Four
3/5
An enjoyable minimalist punk record. Antiestablishment lyrics that are interesting and the instruments don't go overboard and get annoying. 6/10
Erykah Badu
4/5
This! It's a great album to experience in its entirety. The singing, the rapping, the jazzy instrumentals all just hit the spot. 8/10
Earth, Wind & Fire
3/5
I thought it was pretty decent. I think the instrumentals were pretty good and the lyrics as well. Unfortunately I thought many of the songs lacked a solid, unique melody though. 5/10
Metallica
2/5
Another Metallica album that isn't bad, just not a style of music I can appreciate too much. I felt this was a little more enjoyable compared to Master of Puppets, though. I can see how it would be appealing to other people, but just not my cup of tea. 4/10
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Quite a fun album. I love the rich instrumentals and the lyrics are actually quite beautiful at times too. Only complaint is that there wasn’t much variation in the overall sound from each song. 6/10
Iron Maiden
3/5
It's a pretty run of the mill rock album. Some of the song topics are quite unique which is nice. 5/10
Nine Inch Nails
2/5
Heavy. This album is so heavy. Not really my style, but Hurt is a great song. 3/10
The Who
2/5
I feel very 'meh' about this album. The first thing I noticed was how underwhelming the vocals are. Not on every song, but on many of them the singing is just not good. I like the little chatting interludes (since it is a live album), but not much going on besides that. 3/10
The Black Crowes
3/5
Fun little album. Bumpin' tunes all the way through. 6/10
Sam Cooke
4/5
Such a fun listen. Even during the songs you can hear the crowd hooting and yelling. It makes it feel more authentic and not just a worse quality recording of the actual studio songs like many live albums sound like. 7/10
Television
1/5
Uuhhhhh meh. Pretty bland album. Some of the instrumental work it’s kind of cool but besides that not much to remember from this. 2/10
Jethro Tull
3/5
Cool record! Nice storytelling throughout the songs that connect and keep you invested. Jethro Tull have a unique sound as well which is refreshing. 6/10
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
Easy listenin'. The album plays like you're sitting in a jam session with the band since the songs kind of just goooooo. Overall pretty cool, but nothing crazy. 5/10
Jefferson Airplane
3/5
Nice sunny, folksy jams. Not much to complain about, but nothing too groundbreaking at the same time. 6/10
Dusty Springfield
2/5
It was fine. I liked the positive, 'spread the love' attitude of the album, but couldn't get into many of the songs, especially in the second half. 4/10
Ramones
3/5
It was kinda fun. I feel like it had a bit more 'flavor' than the other punk records I've listened to through this project. 5/10
Nirvana
4/5
Great album. The grooves are awesome and the lyrics deal with meaningful topics of depression and ostracism. 8/10
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
I have mixed feelings. The songs are quite catchy and well written, and Terence's singing is quite fantastic and almost carries the entire album. On the other hand, it seems like the album is afraid to commit too much to one single genre and hops around. The lyrics are also a little cheesy and gimmicky. 5/10
Peter Frampton
4/5
Pretty dope album. Although outside of the 'hits' it doesn't make much of an impression. But the high points are very very high. Capping it off with 'Do You Feel Like We Do' is fantastic. 7/10
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
A nice little album. Sarah's voice is pretty incredible and the jazz accompaniment is very pleasant, although a bit too minimal for my liking on some songs. Definitely a nice listen though. 6/10
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
5/5
What a great album. Great vocals, lush instrumentation, catchy little rifts throughout. Each song feels so warm and sends me right back to a beach in Mexico. 9/10
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Pretty fun. Some lyrics sound a little strange but it’s just because the album was released in the 50s. Only complaint is that there is not much variation for the 15 tracks. 6/10
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Decent album. First two-thirds was quite good and then it felt like it fell off a little bit. It has a good pace and mixes up the sound of the songs which I enjoyed. 6/10
The Sonics
3/5
Just some rambunctious rock n roll baby. The album is just so fuzzy that it became quite grating, and some parts actually made me cringe in discomfort. Not the songs’ fault, I think it just hadn’t been transferred to the digital format too well. But the tunes are there. 6/10
Jacques Brel
4/5
Quite a nice, fun album, but slightly disappointing. After the first song Amsterdam, I was hoping most of the songs would share this same energy, but many ended up being piano ballads instead. I still enjoyed these songs, but they didn't quite have the same punch of Amsterdam. Overall, it's definitely worth a listen, though. 7/10
Public Enemy
3/5
Bumpy beats, record scratches, boisterous rapping. It's a good time. The whole album feels very in-your-face, which kept me engaged with it. My main complaint is a lack of variety, though. I could see myself going back to listen to it still. 6/10
Prince
4/5
So I appreciate the different themes in each of the songs on this album. Each one feels like it’s trying to achieve its own thing, or is separated enough to not get old. Most of them have decent grooves, but not incredible. It feels like the hits from the albums were the hits for a reason. Still a fun and interesting listen. 7/10
Green Day
2/5
To me, the consistency of this album is a bit annoying. There are a few breaks in the “I’m fucked, you’re fucked, we’re all fucked” narrative which are very necessary, but even with those it still gets old. There are instrumental high points as well, particularly near the end of the album, but many filler tracks just have a typical pop-punk rhythm. 4/10
The Avalanches
5/5
Goddamn this was magnificent. There are so many different genres coming together on this thing, and even on individual songs. The samples are really fun and can be super random to add some spice, too. Jammy. 10/10
The Byrds
2/5
Ehhhh it's some twangy folk-rock. Some of the songs topics are quite fun but the instrumentals and overall tone of the record really get old by the end. Not my favorite type of music to begin with anyways, but probably will not be returning to this one. 3/10
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Pretty awesome record. Pretty much every song on here is beautiful in some way, and Plant’s vocals have a lot of passion which makes it all even batter. 7/10
Carpenters
4/5
Hella pleasant. Everything about this album is just soft. Karen’s voice is angelic and the sounds are just so nice and comfortable. A few strange ones within the track list but still a very chill listen. 7/10
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
I think I’ll need to give this album another listen at some point. The songs are quite nice, and the lyrics are very positive and optimistic. My complaint is that so many of the songs sound very similar, but I’m hoping with more listens that I can hear the differences. 6/10
The Smiths
3/5
Enjoyable, but slightly disappointing compared to The Queen is Dead. The songs are still very lyrically intriguing and keep everything fresh and fun, and the instrumentals are a little more varied and adventurous. But the melodies are quite as catchy and ear-wormy as TQiD. 6/10
Cocteau Twins
3/5
This one took some time but it really grew on me. Once I stopped trying to understand the lyrics and just accept the vocals as 'instrumentation', the record became really beautiful and blissful. 6/10
MGMT
4/5
Pretty dope album. Outside of the really nostalgic classics on this thing, the other tracks are equally as creative and interesting. I’ll def be coming back to it 8/10
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Quite good. I enjoyed the positivity of many of the songs. 6/10
Carole King
3/5
It's alright. Pretty much every song is quite pretty, but they are all just so one-dimensional. Like each one could be summed up with a single sentence and you wouldn't be missing anything. 5/10
Merle Haggard
2/5
Eehhhh the songs aren’t bad, but just very much not my type of music. I think in certain settings the honky-Toni sound is really nice, but for just listening on my own it’s not my cup of tea. 4/10
Kanye West
5/5
I mean this has been one of my favorite albums since it was released. Almost every song on here is a beast (or, dare I say, Monster) in its own way. The beats, the rapping, the features all just work so well and create a masterpiece. 10/10
The Stooges
3/5
A few songs grew on me the second listen to bump it from a 2 to a 3. It’s a bit more thrashy and experimental compared to other albums I’ve heard from this time which was a nice surprise. 5/10
Elton John
4/5
Pretty nice album. Great songwriting from Elton on this one and the vocals are also really forward and passionate. 7/10
Ian Dury
4/5
Silly little record, that verges on creepy at many points. The singing is not particularly good but has a certain charm that makes the songs sound sort of playful, which I ended up enjoying, and the song topics are pretty hilarious to begin with too. 8/10
Billy Bragg
2/5
A little bland, but the songs topics try to make up for that. Seeing as though I don't have must stake/interest in England's political situation, much of the songs do not have much of an impact on me. 4/10
The La's
2/5
Feels like The Beatles reincarnated in the 90's, but lacking originality. I found most of the songs quite bland or pointless unfortunately. Probably only a handful or less of them are worth a listen, but those ones are indeed pretty good and even great, but just too few to make it a worthwhile listen for the whole album. 4/10
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
2/5
I just couldn’t really get into it. I don’t think it’s all that bad, I just wasn’t too interested in the style of music. 3/10
Deee-Lite
3/5
Fine, but not great. A few of the songs are pretty cool and innovative with samples or unique instruments brought in for the beats, but many are also just funk/synth wallpaper filler. I think the airy, spacey vocals don't help with this as they don't drive the songs much and kind of just melt into the sound of the beats, which are sometime bland. 5/10
Ramblin' Jack Elliott
2/5
Quite boring tbh. Only 1 or 2 songs worth coming back to and one of them was a Sarah Vaughan song (cover?). 3/10
Fleet Foxes
4/5
Ironically I did not enjoy this as much as other Fleet Foxes albums - Helplessness Blues and Shore are both incredible IMO. This is still pretty great, and the best qualities of FF still come through, namely the pounding drums, plucking guitar, and airy, layered vocals. It seems to not quite have the (very soft) 'bite' of their other records, though. 7/10
Aerosmith
4/5
Rather surprised by this one. I was expecting just some crude, tasteless rock, but there’s actually some good stuff here. A nice variation of quick-paced tracks and slow-burners. Steven Tyler brings some fun and catchy vocals that really make the songs pretty special. 8/10
Green Day
4/5
Compared to Dookie, this feels like a huge step up in creativity and songwriting. Still a few classic punk rock cuts that don’t really make much of an impression, but a few of these songs are masterpieces. As someone who grew up in an American suburb, and knowing how bland they can be, the overall concept of this record resonated with me. 7/10
Def Leppard
2/5
Feels like a "Ya had to be there" album. I could see this album really being fun in 1987 if tons of people were listening to it, but dedicating an hour to this thing is not worth it anymore. It is also kind of everything I dislike about classic rock - big arena choruses and lackluster instrumental play. 3/10
Marvin Gaye
3/5
The concept is better than the execution of the album. The songs are tragic and heartbreaking at times, but I struggled to stay invested in the story throughout the whole album. Perhaps it simply needs more listens, and I definitely see myself coming back to this album because it was still a pretty nice listen. 6/10
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Pretty phenomenal. Catchy and beautiful instrumentals and incredible vocals + lyrics, not much more I could ask for. 9/10
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Don't love it, but don't hate it. It's some pleasant, simple single-songwriter tunes, and Joni's vocals really do add a lot. 5/10
TV On The Radio
4/5
It's a neat record. Each song is so lavish and dense with instrumentation that it was kind of an exhausting listen, although I was also just quite sleepy when I started listening to it. The track of complete silence was justified, and the band definitely knew what experience this record would give. The lyrics are beautiful, poetic and kind of cryptic, but my biggest complaint is the vocals of one of the singers is not that great. 7/10
Slint
3/5
I found it to be pretty interesting. The songs have a way to pull you in and keep you engaged, even with them being quite long. The instrumentals complement the themes of the songs as well, being harsh and mysterious at the same time. The mix of soft spoken and shouted vocals plays very well too. 6/10
Pantera
2/5
If I enjoyed metal or rock music more, I think I would find this album amazing. I appreciate the emotion in the singing and lyrics and the instrumentals aren't awful, but just not my type of music at all. I'm kind of out of my depth with metal music, but I didn't dislike it as much as I expected. 3/10
David Bowie
3/5
I like the funk/soul sound of the record, but found that most of the songs did not hit too hard on any sort of emotion. Feels like decent beats with some sort of vague, generic lyrics sung over and repeated. 5/10
ABBA
4/5
Rather somber for being ABBA, which considering the timing of this album it is not too surprising, but the music is still quite good. I think I enjoyed the darker tracks more than the typical poppy style ones, but I can't say I disliked any of it. Unfortunately only a few tracks that really are worth coming back to, though. 7/10
The Clash
5/5
Really really fun album. I was surprised by the variation of influences that went into this thing, and The Clash pulls them all off so well. No complaints here. 9/10
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
Very cool album. Simple but fun beats and really good lyricism/delivery. I think some of the songs drag on a little too long without much change in the tone of the song, but that's a minor complaint. 7/10
Steely Dan
4/5
Definitely a fun listen. I will need to come back to it since I didn’t listen too closely, but I’m excited to return to it nonetheless. 7/10
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
Ended up being okay. I think the songs are well written and quite creative lyrically, but I don't think the melodramatic vocals did them much justice. I think a little variation in the tone of the songs would've done this album a lot of good. 4/10
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Very good little album. Absolutely beautiful songwriting, instrumentation, and vocals. A few of the faster cuts felt too aggressive for the tone of the album, but they are still good as stand-alone songs. 8/10
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Decent high-energy punk rock. A bit too in-your-face for me I think, but I could see how it ended up on this list. Also Maps is just one of the best songs ever made so that helps. 5/10
The White Stripes
4/5
This album kinda slaps. Not much more to say besides that - all the songs just jam so hard and it works so well. It also has a good flow throughout the whole thing so it's not too exhausting to listen all the way through. 8/10
John Coltrane
4/5
Pretty nice album. I don't know too much about jazz but I definitely do enjoy it when I hear it, so this was a good time. I don't know enough to say what specifically makes me enjoy it, but all I know is it's good. 7/10
Supertramp
3/5
Pretty cool album with a few very good songs. Only a few songs on here were a little lackluster but most were quite awesome. I love the mix of influences and the instrumental variation. Super creative composition on here! 6/10
Booker T. & The MG's
2/5
To be honest, I am a bit confused how this ended up on this list. It's kind of just fine to listen to, but most of the songs are instrumental covers of better songs. 3/10
The Yardbirds
2/5
Don't love it, don't hate it. Many of the songs are too short and simple to feel like they explore any topic well, or they just repeat a simple line over and over for 80% of the runtime. 4/10
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
Decent album. I liked the 3-part concept of the album, which gave it enough variety to keep it interesting. It’s hard to explain what I enjoyed about it since it’s so simple, but somehow it ends up being good. 6/10
Alanis Morissette
3/5
It's fine. My main problem getting through the album was just that all the songs sound so similar. In terms of the song topics, Alanis is just so bitter (except for like Head Over Feet), but the rest is just pure angst from her. WHO HURT YOU, ALANIS?! Yeah, it's fine. 5/10
Peter Tosh
3/5
I thought it was okay. Nothing groundbreaking, but still some pleasant, chill reggae. 5/10
The Shamen
3/5
Fun collection of some big beats/remixes. Probably you really have to be in a dancing mood to enjoy this, in which case it’s pretty good. But outside of that environment this becomes a pretty tough listen. It verges on trance music at times with how repetitive it is, but I have to say I am impressed that it’s 30+ years old. 6/10
The Charlatans
2/5
I'm staring at my blank wall listening to this, and the wall is more interesting. It scores a few points for a not being totally impossible to listen to, but it sounds so generic and basic and safe that I can't see many redeeming qualities. 3/10
Blur
3/5
Decent album. I guess I hadn’t ever listened to much Blur, but it wasn’t as hard as I was expecting which was a nice surprise. Well-written songs and everything, but not 100% my type of music. 5/10
Beck
4/5
Sweet album. So completely unpredictable makes it really fun to listen to, and even with the mix of genres and random noises popping into songs they are still super enjoyable. 7/10
Weather Report
3/5
Some nice chill jazz fusion. It has a good mood to it that is energizing and upbeat which I like. 6/10
Kinda of everything I dislike about classic rock manifested into an album. I found it quite boring and bland, but at the same time it’s very much not my kind of music. 3/10
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I have struggled to get into Joni’s music in the past, and this one too. I think a little to simple and stripped down for me, although there are a few exceptions on this record that caught my ear a little more. 5/10
Johnny Cash
3/5
A quality listen, just not my favorite style of music. Also they are mostly covers, where the original is just better. I mildly enjoyed most of it. 6/10
Syd Barrett
2/5
Sounds like a drunk Englishman performing karaoke... A massive lack of any melody in pretty much every song. Only redeeming quality might be that the silliness makes some of the songs kind of silly and memorable. 3/10
Iron Maiden
3/5
Not crazy about it, but I definitely enjoyed it more than I expected from the album cover. 5/10
The Divine Comedy
4/5
Pretty cool album actually. Super lush and dramatic instrumentation makes the songs really interesting and creative. 7/10
Silver Jews
3/5
Quaint little album. Feels very personal and intimate which I enjoyed, and the song topics are interesting and meaningful. Overall pretty decent for something that is not my usual genre. 6/10
DJ Shadow
4/5
Cool album! Lots of heavy HEAVY beats, while still simple. I liked the classical/piano bits mixed in as well. 8/10
Pulp
3/5
It’s an alright album. The singing reminds me of Kirin J Callinan with the humor swapped out for sensualness. Some fun tracks but then certainly some duds as well. 5/10
The Stooges
2/5
Mmmmmm not my favorite. I could see how it was groundbreaking in its time, but I just can’t get much from it. Also the recording or compression through streaming makes it sound pretty awful. 4/10
Incredible Bongo Band
3/5
It's just so looonnnngggg. There are a decent amount of cool songs/grooves here, but the album just goes on and on without a ton of variation. I enjoyed the overall sound though, since it made me feel like I was in a 70s cop movie. Cut out the duds and its a very cool album. 6/10
Radiohead
5/5
Awesome album. Definitely not a mood lifter, but it pinpoints so many topics that are still relevant today, or even more relevant today that they were 25 years ago. Radiohead always delivers. 10/10
ZZ Top
3/5
Semi-decent fast paced rock. I enjoyed the use of synthesizers on a few of the songs, which I wasn’t expecting from a ZZ Top album. Biggest turnoff we’re the lyrics consistently being creepy or just simply boiling down to “I want to have sex with this pretty woman”. 5/10
Funkadelic
4/5
Really fun album to listen to. Super dance-able and still has some meaning behind the creative lyrics. I just wish it was on Spotify so I could come back to it easily. 7/10
Arcade Fire
4/5
Super nice album. I wish I had gotten into this thing when it was released but somehow it passed me by. Really quality songwriting throughout and very relatable lyrics about find your identity in a world that can quickly push people into a box growing up. 8/10
Orbital
3/5
I enjoyed it quite a bit. Some of the songs really pushed my patience, but not because I wasn’t enjoying the beat, but just that it was quite repetitive. Wish I had some drugs for this one, though. 6/10
Joy Division
4/5
It’s a slow burn for sure. I thought it was decent on the first listen, but I’m pretty sure after a few more it will grow on me. Looking forward to coming back to this, so I’m giving a preemptive 4 stars. 7/10
Burning Spear
3/5
Decent album. I like the political aspect of this album, and the songs are quite catchy and less generic than some reggae music. 6/10
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Good googly moogly this is an awesome one. All the tracks except for Four Sticks were fantastic on first listen and I'm hoping that one still grows on me (although I had heard most of them before anyways, I guess). Loved the mix of sounds and themes on this. On top of that, the singing is incredible and the instrument work is top notch as well. 9/10
Sonic Youth
4/5
Loud, off-the-wall, quirky rock. I enjoyed the unconventional singing that gave a distant, nonchalant vibe to the songs. Quite a fun listen. 7/10
Goldfrapp
4/5
Pretty sweet little record. Tons of nice grooves and different genres mixed together on this thing, but ends up making a really fun listen. 7/10
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
I enjoyed it quite a bit. Brings me back to old school US with the country rock twang and ramblin’ grooves. Simple Man and Free Bird are truly masterpieces but the others aren’t bad either. 7/10
Songhoy Blues
3/5
Decent blues album. The African influences are quite cool to hear combined with the classic rock/blues. I just wish I knew what the lyrics were about, but I can’t knock the band for that. Overall pretty cool. 6/10
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
Definitely has a Sunday feel to it, I really enjoyed it. The live setting with the clapping at the end of each piece gives a cozy, small-room feel. The recording is actually incredible as well, all of the instruments sound so full and crisp and are played extremely well by the members of the trio. 7/10
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Very nice album. Super creative composition to the songs and the tone of the entire thing just feels heavy and emotional. My only complaint is that many of the songs drag on a bit long and makes the album a bit cumbersome to listen to continuously. 8/10
Fred Neil
2/5
Couldn’t quite get into it. Not unpleasant, but just not all that memorable of songs. I will say Fred’s voice is awesome though, as he switches between a sort of soft/breathy and then deep and rich. 4/10
Emmylou Harris
3/5
I enjoyed this album more than I expected. I feel like there are a handful of quite stand-out songs (Bluebird Wine, Boulder to Birmingham, Sleepless Nights, Coat of Many Colors), but the rest seem to not make much impact. Might come back to this one later still. 6/10
Aerosmith
2/5
Kinda meh. A few decent to strong songs in my opinion, but too few to make it worth coming back to probably. 4/10
Elvis Costello
2/5
Not the biggest fan of it. Only a few songs on here that I can say I actually enjoyed, while the rest were just too bland. 4/10
The Beach Boys
5/5
This was probably my most anticipated album when I began this project, so I'm stoked to have finally gotten it. It's such a innovative album with a fantastic mix of heartbreak and positivity, all wrapped up in the unique Beach Boys' sound. Will definitely have it on repeat for a while. 10/10
Johnny Cash
4/5
Such a neat album. The instrumentals are really nothing special, but the songwriting and storytelling of the lyrics on this thing are so interesting and kept me into it the whole time. Also the inclusion of the inmates cheering and yelling adds quite a bit of authenticity. 7/10
The Roots
4/5
Banger of an album. So many dense, DENSE flows from Black Thought on this thing makes me excited to go back and listen to try and get all of it. It has a really nice mix of heavy hitters and soul inspired cuts, as well as a lot of rock influence. As an avid RTJ listener I can 100% see the inspiration from The Roots. 8/10
The Beach Boys
4/5
I thought it was quite nice and interesting. The songs are super quick and their topics are quite simple, but the backing vocals and switch-up’s in instrumentation keep it from getting stale. 8/10
Massive Attack
4/5
Pretty decent at parts, but also seems to fall flat on quite a few tracks. Probably 5/9 of the songs I enjoyed quite a bit but the others didn’t make much impact on me. Might come back to it to see how it grows on me tho. 7/10
Prince
3/5
I’m lukewarm on it. The grooves are pretty fantastic but seem to just drag on for a little too long or are too repetitive. If I was dancing to it it’d probably be better but as a casual listen it’s a bit much. 6/10
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
I feel left wanting more from this album.. not in terms of length, but of ideas. There’s a lot of really interesting grooves and bits and pieces on here, but they end up being fleeting and quickly turn back to something more mundane. 5/10
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
It’s decent, but not quite what I wanted from an album that I’ve heard so much about. The hits really reminded me of middle school since my parents played them constantly so it was fun to hear those again. The rest felt too afraid to take risks and just stayed confined to a tried-and-true box for soft rock/pop. 7/10
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
3/5
It was fine. Most of the songs didn’t really stand out too much, but there’s still some nice stuff on here. 6/10
Adam & The Ants
3/5
Bizarre, funky, memey pop.. it has some really hilarious bits to it and a few songs are memorable just on uniqueness, but overall not totally my vibe. 5/10
X-Ray Spex
2/5
Not being the biggest fan of punk, I felt this was okay. The instrumentals are pretty sweet and the sax popping in is pretty refreshing. I found the vocals to be a little grating when she sung in the high pitch, aggressive tone. The calmer songs are cool though. 4/10
Dusty Springfield
3/5
Some bops for sure on this one. As with the last Dusty record I had, I’m always surprised with her ability to smoothly pull off the retro-soul sound. 6/10
Jeff Buckley
4/5
Pretty nice album. I can definitely hear the Led Zeppelin influence in Jeff’s music, and the songs end up being really well written. 7/10
Marty Robbins
2/5
I can see why it's on this list since it is just quintessential western music that is well done. A few songs are unique enough to make an impression but for the most part they kind of just mesh together. 4/10
Slipknot
2/5
I recognize the quality of the album but I just can’t get much enjoyment from this type of music. The drum work was a highlight of it, but just couldn’t get into it. 4/10
Pixies
3/5
Interesting mix of spacey and trashy rock music here. I tend to lean towards the former, so the record finished better than it started off for me. A few really decent songs on it, although most were too quick or one-dimensional to make me want to come back. 6/10
The Beau Brummels
3/5
I don’t think I’ve heard album lean so hard into this mystic/fairytale sound. I feels like I need to be in a forest surrounded by pixies and massive mushrooms while on some psychedelics as well. Definitely unique and fun. 5/10
The Pogues
3/5
At first I was worried that’d I’d be sick of the style of music by the end of the record but it grew on me quite a bit. If I was drinking in a pub in Ireland I would absolutely love to hear this stuff. 6/10
Fats Domino
4/5
Half the album is unavailable on Spotify :| besides that though, I really love the sound. It’s impossible to be unhappy while listening to his music. 7/10
Thelonious Monk
3/5
Decent, but I think a little stripped-back for my taste. Instrument playing is great, but they tend to isolate and perform solos often, which I think limits the cohesion between the members. 5/10
Joni Mitchell
3/5
I cannot seem to get into Joni's music. I think it's partially due to here nonchalant delivery which doesn't give much emotion to the songs. I liked the jazz influences incorporated into this record but still not great imo. 5/10
Tim Buckley
2/5
Not the biggest fan of this one. It sounds okay and has a decent groove but overall feels just generic. Don’t know why I’d choose to listen to this over many other funk/dance groups from the 70s. 3/10
Kacey Musgraves
5/5
Yeah this is fantastic. Even ignoring the title, this album just brings such a warm feeling and thorough comfort with it. Part of that is just what country music does (although it is not at all my favorite genre), but Kacey’s voice has a great delicate mess to it which amplifies that. Really creative song topics/lyrics and production stays fresh by working in elements of electronic, dance, and pop. 9/10
UB40
3/5
It is an interesting take on reggae for sure. Much more spacey and jazzy than the usual style which I enjoyed. The lyrics are potent political sentiments, but a bit too simple (often just a few lines over and over). 6/10
Butthole Surfers
2/5
Bizarre record. Not really my cup of tea, but the experimentation brings out some interesting ideas and songs on it, but too many just fall flat and don’t do much for me. 4/10
The Incredible String Band
2/5
Another wild one. I feel like I’m at a medieval musical theater show. Some of the songs were alright, some were barely listenable due to the vocals being kind of awful. Interrelating to say the least, but overall wasn’t really feeling it. 4/10
Grateful Dead
4/5
A really nice album. The whole thing has a very warm and sunny vibe to it. 7/10
Suede
3/5
Decent art rock album. Not too many of the songs stuck with me to make me want to relisten. 5/10
Depeche Mode
4/5
Really sweet album. Dark and moody and nocturnal while still being lush and full. I love the heavy synthwork and the deep vocals compliment it so well. Also the creativity in terms of electronics used is awesome to hear 8/10
The Kinks
3/5
I felt like it started strong and then died off after the first few songs. Very Beatles-esque folk rock with some silly songs mixed in. Decent but not fantastic in my opinion. 6/10
Tom Waits
2/5
Yeah ummm not the best thing out there, confused why it’s on this list. Every word he sings sounds so strained and tedious. The gruff vocals REALLY do not work on so many of these songs, and even the ones where Tom doesn’t sound silly are only decent songs. 3/10
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Pretty sweet album. I think it’s the first time I’ve listened to a Stones album so I was happy to get into it. A decent amount of variation in the songs, but still everything is so well written and executed. The slower cuts were more appealing to me but the heavier ones still were quite nice. 7/10
Mariah Carey
4/5
I decently enjoyed it. Very smooth r&b with some hip hop vibes thrown in. Mariah’s voice is perfection but on a few songs she only sings in a sort of whisper which I don’t find as great. Quite a few really good songs on here though. 7/10
Frank Sinatra
3/5
‘Twas fine. It could’ve used some switch up in terms of style since after a while they all seem to blend into each other, but I guess that is partially the nature of the genre as well. 5/10
Femi Kuti
3/5
I enjoyed pretty much every song while it was playing, but getting through the whole album is just such a task. The songs are so dense and energetic that it gets exhausting going through the process of building each track 9 times. Will give it a 6 for now because I do really enjoy the music, just if only it was 2/3 the length it’d be easier to get through. 6/10
Tom Waits
3/5
Two Ton Waits records in the same week? Lucky me!
This one was not anywhere as bad as Heartattack and Vine thank god. The vocals are much more bearable, but hardly discernible. 5/10
The National
3/5
I feel slightly disappointed with this one. I mildly enjoyed a lot of the songs but it felt like there was no payoff to any of them. Everything seems to stay confine in a melancholic box from which the vocals or the instruments don’t leave. It lacks some sort of emotional release and comes out a little bland because of it. 5/10
Queen
4/5
Damn I hella enjoyed this one. So many of the songs are so much fun and theatrical and in your face. Love the faster cuts and even the silly bits are great still. 8/10
Radiohead
4/5
A lot of good stuff on here. A few songs feel too bare/experimental for me, but the classic Radiohead sound and creativity are very much present. Minus a point for a lot of the lyrics kinda not making any sense. 7/10
The Adverts
2/5
Really not my type of music so I’ll just say I didn’t enjoy really at all and leave it at that. 3/10
Miriam Makeba
3/5
Fun album, but maybe makes too many concessions to trying to attract the English language market at the time. One More Dance is super strange too. I really like the guitar and deep makes backing vocals. 6/10
Thundercat
4/5
Quirky, silly, goofy, funky. I’m surprised I never heard this one m, but glad it came up on this list. Love me some Flying Lotus production. I think the vocals get a little old just staying in the falsetto, airy style, but the production and features do well in breaking it up. 8/10
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
Decent grooves, but many of the tracks just drag on for a bit too long. I found myself getting disinterested even with a few more minutes of the track left. 6/10
The Band
4/5
Pretty sweet record. Deals a lot with old themes which combine with the folk rock sound really well. 7/10
Gotan Project
3/5
It’s pleasant when it’s on, but doesn’t really blow me away in any way. Good to just kick back and relax to, but beyond that I don’t see too much. 6/10
Anthrax
2/5
Not awful but not really anything I’d like to listen to again. 3/10
Flamin' Groovies
3/5
Some enjoyable stuff on here, but too often just seems like musical wallpaper. Nothing too complex or risky which leads to a semi-bland record. I guess if I was a big fan of rock and roll then it’d be more appealing but alas… 5/10
4/5
Really great album. So theatrical and colorful in the mix of music. And the Ziggy Stardust concept adds to the history of it as well. 8/10
Pixies
4/5
Slappin’ record. Very in-your-face and loud, but not annoying somehow. 7/10
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
I really enjoyed it. It’s a quietly powerful record with quality songwriting and production. Has a very cohesive feel while still each song feeling unique enough to be memorable. 7/10
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Pretty bitchin’ album. The longer format of the album and the songs themselves could’ve made it a bit much, but the musicians are just fantastic at ‘improvising’ and keeping it interesting. 7/10
Saint Etienne
3/5
Not crazy about it but it was fine. Decent beats are kind of fun, but I prefer some other artists. 6/10
The Jam
2/5
Didn’t do much for me. Most of the songs just weren’t that memorable in terms of instrumental or lyricism. 4/10
Aimee Mann
3/5
Super easy listening when it's on, but once it is over I could hardly tell you a single song title. It just doesn't seem to leave behind any strong feelings or impression. 5/10
Buzzcocks
2/5
Mostly bland in my opinion. Not too much more to say, just generic pop punk. 3/10
Cheap Trick
3/5
Pretty cool one. Some absolute classics on this thing that are kind of throwbacks to my dads music growing up. 6/10
Public Enemy
4/5
Definitely slaps. A lot of really great songs on here. Public Enemy really throw thein agenda into your face and it makes for great music. Main complaint is that the flows by Flav are sometimes pretty bad and the others get a little stale while listening song after song. 7/10
Kraftwerk
4/5
Pretty incredible album. Sweet grooves and a nice flow to it. Can’t believe this was made almost 50 years ago and can definitely hear the influence it caused with synth pop and new wave later on. 7/10
Drive Like Jehu
4/5
Pleasantly surprised by this one. Off the bat the first song didn’t really rub me the right way, but after a few songs I started really enjoying it. The songs have a really good pace so each is a sort of experience. 7/10
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
Nice Little album. First half is tiny snippets of a life, while the second half is kinda just random songs (and very random at times). I at the least *mildly* enjoyed every song so looking forward to coming back to this. 7/10
Dire Straits
2/5
I think it’s too “easy-listening” for me. It ends up coming across as pretty bland but with a few exceptions. 4/10
Metallica
3/5
Enjoyed it more than I expected. A few songs really slap and have a nice groove to them. 5/10
Pretenders
3/5
Kind of indifferent on this one. I think the sound and style are pretty cool and having a female singer for pop punk is great but many of the songs didn’t hold my attention for all that long. 5/10
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Definitely a great listen. I think I could jam to pretty much all of these songs, Marvin’s singing is just enchanting. 7/10
Liz Phair
3/5
It was alright. For being quite simple instrumentally it still feels ‘loud’ with Liz’s angst and passion on each song. 5/10
Richard Thompson
3/5
It decent. Pleasant on the ears with some pretty nice guitar work and songwriting. 5/10
Tom Waits
4/5
Wholly unexpected. I was thoroughly entertained throughout the whole thing almost only based on Tom’s witty jokes and stories. He plays the jazz-cat character so well. The songs are kinda decent as well. 7/10
Sigur Rós
4/5
I found it pretty awesome. Each song is very meticulously constructed and builds so well. The vocals are both haunting and beautiful and really get the most out of the instrumental. 8/10
Roxy Music
3/5
A nice little listen! Lots of variety and quality experimentation. I like the slower, darker cuts over the high energy ones, but nothing too awful anywhere on this thing. 6/10
Santana
3/5
Disappointed by the length of the album, but it has some good music on it. With the into and out to tracks this thing is probably about 30 mins/7 songs so I just wanted a little more. 6/10
Elvis Presley
3/5
I enjoyed a good portion of the songs, but many still fell flat and I lost interest in them quickly. After 16 songs without a theme or common thread that the album is pushing, it gets a little tedious to keep listening. Still not bad by any means though. 6/10
Super Furry Animals
3/5
Definitely an improvement over the last Super Furry Animals record I had. I would say I *mildly* enjoyed most of the songs. Very 60s/70s vibe and they pull it off well. 6/10
3/5
A bit long, but I can definitely see the quality and appeal of the record(ing). Bob is best when you listen to the stories he’s telling through his songs, but after ~90 mins of this it was tough to keep that interest. I’m sure with more listens it grows though. 5/10
Common
3/5
It was tough to keep my attention going through many of the songs. The lyrics are decent, but not much in terms of hooks or catchy beats. 5/10
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
Not really my style, a little too slow for me. 4/10
Otis Redding
4/5
Really nice listen. Nice mix of bangers and slow cuts and the band covers the songs really well. Otis’ vocals are really good at conveying the emotion of these songs and he does the originals great justice. 8/10
Björk
5/5
Gosh dang do I love this. Each song is so well crafted and incorporates different aspects of electronica, jazz, hip-hop, and world music. Such a interesting and entertaining listen. 9/10
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
A lot of decent to very good songs on here. I’ll need to come back to get deeper into them, but on first listen it sounded like a lot of quality. 7/10
Queen Latifah
3/5
Kind of a cool album. 6/10
The Undertones
2/5
Not as bad as the first, but so many of the songs just feel too simple or underwritten. Not my genre to begin with but it’s compounded by the lack of interest anything in the music. 3/10
The Who
3/5
It was alright. Some weird random R&B cuts kinda threw me off but kept it interesting at the same time. 5/10
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
Mostly just formulaic Brit pop. Feels contained to a box of how it should sound which makes it quite mundane. 4/10
Donald Fagen
4/5
Pretty sweet little record. Definitely is a Steely Dan record but with a bit more pop influence. Some songs didn't quite hit but most were a good time. 7/10
Dizzee Rascal
4/5
This album goes HARD. Most of the tracks on here just slap and are a great time and luckily there are some switch-ups so it's not too overwhelming. Really good bars, from what I could understand of them as well. 8/10
Yes
2/5
Everything about this albums feels so awkward. I get that it’s prog rock it’s not supposed to follow much of a structure, but it all just feels so out of place. The vocals are often just cringey to listen to, the lyrics make almost zero sense, and many of the instrumentals seem like they’re out of a Nintendo video game. The actual instrumental work was the only reason it pops above a 1-star. 3/10
Siouxsie And The Banshees
2/5
It was meh. If I were more into the genre of post rock/punk I think it’d be a good listen, but it just didn’t do too much for me. 4/10
Tortoise
3/5
Cool little album. A few of the songs are very ambient to the point where there’s not much going on, but the other few kind of just flow and have some nice moments. 6/10
Bob Dylan
4/5
I found it pretty good. I often struggle to get into Bob’s music but the instrumentals are pretty lavish and fun on here so that kept me interested. I still gotta listen again to figure out the cryptic lyrics but looking for ward to that. 7/10
New Order
4/5
Very sweet album. Deep m, heavy house beats and good instrumentation to surround them. Only complaint is the vocals are kinda whack and awkward. 7/10
The Slits
3/5
Definitely enjoyed it more than I was expecting. I like that it’s so silly and quirky, but sometimes the singing gets a little too out there. Some decent cuts on it though. 5/10
The Doors
4/5
Very cool record. The songs feel really well structured and performed, but for me the organ really separates everything on this album from the typical ‘60s sound. 8/10
Judas Priest
2/5
Not my favorite type of music, but for being heavy metal it’s not all that bad. 4/10
Nirvana
4/5
This thing is such a fantastic listen. It basically is a live ‘Greatest Hits’ performance, with a few of the hits replaced with covers which are awesome. Will be coming back to this lots. 8/10
Aphex Twin
5/5
Wow I loved this. I’ve never been so happy to just close my eyes and have an album wash over me. Every song has its own bits of catchy rhythms or basslines that just keep them going, and somehow after ~80 minutes it doesn’t get old. 10/10
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
This thing is silly dumb. The songs make some decent arguments and are quite funny, but as soon as you hear any bit of the music itself, all the quality goes away. It pretty much sounds like they’re intentionally making awful Beatles rip-off’s. 3/10
Moby Grape
2/5
It is certainly music… not too much distinct between it and many late 60s groups, though. Not bad but not standout. 4/10
Cee Lo Green
4/5
This is a weird one.. on one hand the music is pretty great and CeeLo’s lyrics are surprisingly fantastic as well. But on the other it’s always hard to take CeeLo seriously when he’s rapping just cause it’s CeeLo and he looks and sounds so silly. Overall pretty cool record though, definitely reminds me of some other early 2000s southern hip hop. 7/10
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
3/5
I thought it was pretty decent. A few songs really stood out that were quite beautiful and haunting. 6/10
Fiona Apple
4/5
Really nice album. The songs feel delicate but still have a good direction and Fiona’s lyrics/voice are angelic and pleasant. Wouldn’t mind coming back to it. 7/10
Gillian Welch
3/5
A pleasant, although sleepy listen. 5/10
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Definitely lots of quality here. The songwriting reminds me of Bob a little bit, with songs that just gooooo and plenty of cryptic lyrics. Leonard’s voice is really beautiful throughout as well. 6/10
Queens of the Stone Age
3/5
It was kinda just fine. I feel like it could’ve used some variation in the general sound, as the heavy, crunchy guitars don’t really let up much. I enjoyed a decent amount of the songs, but overall not too much to hold on to for me. 5/10
Primal Scream
3/5
Decent. Some songs kind of just go on without much change in their sound, but they definitely aren’t unpleasant. Overall I like the sunny/druggy sound. 6/10
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
I enjoyed it a lot, but some of the songs still just feel like *noisy sound*. If you look at the album as just delivering a feeling/mood, then it is pretty awesome. 8/10
Gang Starr
4/5
I enjoyed this one a lot. Negative: the flows get a little tedious and after a while it’s tough to pay attention to all the raps. Positives: interesting subjects, great rhymes and lyricism, great beats. 7/10
Neu!
3/5
Kinda just alright. I think I enjoyed the first half of ambient songs over the alternative rock of the second. None of it too bad but none of it amazing. 6/10
Eels
3/5
An interesting one. The songs have some really nice ideas and melodies in them. A few duds in the track list as well tho. 6/10
Parliament
4/5
What a blast of an album. So dancy and catchy and fun the whole time. 8/10
The Crusaders
3/5
I think the jazz elements were really good, but when they stray too far from that I think it gets a little bland. Overall probably just an okay record. 5/10
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
I’ve listened to a lot of RHCP but never this whole record. Surprisingly quality lyrics that touch on a lot of deeper subjects, which usually isn’t their MO but it makes for good songwriting. Instrumental work varies enough to keep it interesting throughout as well. 7/10
Justice
4/5
After the first 4-5 tracks I was worried that I was gonna get worn out by the beats, but luckily Justice brought some variation and softer cuts in the second half. Really fun grooves on this one. 8/10
King Crimson
5/5
It’s like if a rock band tried to replicate classical pieces. I love me a good rock ballad, and this has 4 of em, with Moonchild being a bit of a breather/interlude. I love how cinematic and grand the instrumentals are, but the periodically fall away to just a single instrument. Very well put together and all around a fantastic time. 9/10
David Bowie
3/5
The songs are well written and have some interesting sentiments, but I can’t get over the old man vocals. I think I enjoyed his older records because of the emotion and energy his vocals brought, but that has all turned to a calmer delivery with age. 5/10
Dr. Octagon
3/5
It was fine, a little tedious to get through. Beats are decent but don’t have much variation as well. Some really funny moments which helped to keep it interesting tho. 5/10
James Brown
4/5
Pretty cool, quick live album. I love the energy that James brings for many of the tracks, and the songs are really catchy and fun. 7/10
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
It’s a fine big band album. I feel like big band doesn’t really stray too far from that classic sound, which is fine, but still won’t blow me away necessarily. 5/10
Common
4/5
Really nice album, this one. The early 2000s Kanye production brings a lot of nostalgia for me, even on my first listen of the record. It feels very warm and smooth and catchy. Only a few duds on here, but for the most part it’s very quality. 8/10
Raekwon
3/5
Pretty disappointed in this one. I found most of the songs to be quite bland and grating to listen to. Lack of any hooks or catchy melodies kind of just pulled me to sleep. 5/10
Billie Holiday
3/5
It has a nice feel to it. My complaint it that it’s hard to separate songs from each other since they all sounds so similar. 6/10
GZA
3/5
I’d say it’s decent. Still a little grating by the end, but the beats are pretty sweet and GZA’s lyrics/flows aren’t bad. 6/10
Anita Baker
3/5
I mildly enjoyed the few songs I heard from the album. Anita’s voice is good but not great, which is very apparent throughout all the songs. Decently catchy songwriting though. 5/10
Abdullah Ibrahim
2/5
I feel very meh about this album. Soft and pleasant jazz, but nothing at all unique or interesting about it. 4/10
Ray Charles
4/5
Not completely what I was expecting when I saw “country” even with it being Ray Charles. Pretty great time to listen to this though. Each song feels powerful and soulful and pushes its message well. 7/10
Kraftwerk
4/5
Was pretty stoked for this one after having The Man Machine a few months back. I wouldn’t say it disappointed because I still enjoyed most of it, but one or two of the tracks on the back half didn’t quite have much punch for me. 7/10
Leonard Cohen
3/5
I enjoyed it a bit more than the other Leonard Cohen albums I’ve had. Each song feels like it has its own style and uniqueness, which is what I was missing from his other works where everything kinda meshes together. Some strange lyrics imagery contained therein, but pretty interesting as well. 6/10
Turbonegro
2/5
Silly, irreverent, memey. I don’t really enjoy the songs too much but I respect the sense of humor and energy in them. 4/10
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
Cyndi can definitely write a tune. The singing gets pretty tough and awkward at points, but still quite a few jams on here. 6/10
The United States Of America
3/5
Real wacky one here. I enjoyed the variation and unpredictability of it, but sometimes the vocals or just overall structure gets awkward. Interesting listen tho! Wasn’t expecting to find a Mac Miller sample from this as well! 5/10
Stevie Wonder
4/5
After having Fulfillingness’ First Finale a few months ago and loving it, I had high hopes for this. I wouldn’t say I was disappointed because it is still great music, but not as initially catchy or impactful. 8/10
Supergrass
2/5
It's music, for sure. 4/10
Buffalo Springfield
2/5
Not too much that’s noteworthy on this thing. It’s not bad but it just sounds like generic folk/psychedelic rock. 4/10
The Hives
4/5
I really dig the straight energy coming off this record. The singers voice is killer and the lyrics can be both badass and hilarious sometimes as well. Only complaint is that a few songs feel to quick/incomplete or lack a catchiness to them. 7/10
Bad Company
3/5
Pretty straightforward classic rock. Nothing too noteworthy or incredible, but still some nice songs. 5/10
PJ Harvey
2/5
LMAO From the title I thought it was a dance album. Boy was I wrong.
I will give it some points for being an interesting listen, but I generally don’t listen to music to hear about how awful past wars were, even if I very much agree with the sentiment. 4/10
Q-Tip
4/5
I liked this a bit. Definitely feels like the old school 90s hip hop sound updated to the next decade. The rapping is pretty good although sometimes Q-Tip’s voice/tone is a little grating after some time. I feel it was lacking some hooks on a lot of the songs as well. Beats are nice too tho. 7/10
Pentangle
2/5
Definitely a bit of a change from the usual on this list. The range of instrumentation is enough to keep me just slightly interested, but beyond that I don’t think there’s much to come back for. 3/10
Elvis Presley
3/5
Most of the songs are pretty fun and entertaining. Some did not age well, with some sexist lyrics though. Majority are mildly good, with classics sprinkled in as well. 6/10
Roxy Music
3/5
Mama Mia pizzeria this cover art 🥴
It was fine, but I enjoyed the other record I had from Roxy Music a little more. I felt it had more unique tracks, while a few here seemed pretty straightforward alternative rock. A few really cool songs on here nonetheless. 5/10
Little Richard
4/5
This thing slaps! I love the energy in every aspect of it. Little Richard’s yells and adlibs give a great feel and excitement to the album. His swagger really comes through in the singing and lyrics. Looking forward to coming back to it. 8/10
Drive-By Truckers
2/5
Such a grind of an album. A few interesting songs around some interesting topics, but a strange fixation on Lynryd Skynyrd.. I get that they’re the quintessential southern rock sound, but sounds like they’re just mimicking. Also 94 mins of this :(( 3/10
The War On Drugs
4/5
Really good album. It’s often a mix of bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen instrumentation, if they were updated for the 2010s. I like the spacey feel of the whole thing. 8/10
David Holmes
3/5
It’s the repetition of electronic/dance music without too much memorable about it. Almost a tame, lame Endtroducing. 5/10
The Young Gods
3/5
The first track had me super excited, and then it went a little downhill from there. It’s definitely not awful. I think the vocals could be improved, but the overall bits of experimentation and creativeness are pretty awesome. Not really my genre, but I still got some enjoyment from it. 5/10
The Beach Boys
3/5
Very different from the other two B-Boys albums I’ve had. A bit more out there, with songs on a lot of different topics and in a lot of different styles. Feels all over the place in that regard but there are some gems on it still. 6/10
Sonic Youth
3/5
It was alright. Definitely not the run of the mill basic punk rock. Lots of drony, dissonant guitars which I felt kept it interesting. The drums were actual pretty awesome as well. 6/10
Blondie
3/5
I felt pretty lukewarm on most of the songs, with some standouts and some not so great ones as well. Overall it’s a fine listen but nothing I’m itching to come back to. 5/10
The Cure
4/5
Decent one from The Cure. The songs are very simple melodically and sometimes drag on too long while the melody or rift gets stale. I like the feeling and atmosphere created with the record though. 7/10
Rage Against The Machine
4/5
I definitely enjoyed it way more than I was expecting. I figured it would get old after a few songs or the songs would be too aggressive, but they are actually quite melodic. And that’s despite Zach yelling all over them (which is thoroughly enjoyed as well). Great vocals and guitar work and some good political commentary to boot. 8/10
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Pretty sweet album. So different from the last YYY album I had, and an improvement for the better imo. More chill with more focus on melodies. 8/10
Leonard Cohen
2/5
Kinda weird to me. I welcome the updated sound for Leonard, but he has such an old man voice that it makes a funky contrast. The backing vocals relieve this a bit though. A few songs just lack any sort of interesting elements to them unfortunately. 4/10
Teenage Fanclub
2/5
I really do not understand the appeal of this album. Almost everything feels so simple and dull and basic. The vocals are so low effort and the instrumentation is just boring for most of the songs. The last song is the only that stood out to me. 4/10
Dwight Yoakam
3/5
A fine country album. It’s a nice change of pace in terms of genre, but I still struggle to fully appreciate country. Some decent songs on here but nothing I’m loving. 5/10
Elvis Costello
3/5
Lots of just quick, catchy tunes. I don’t mind it but nothing to go crazy over. 5/10
The Boo Radleys
3/5
I would say it's just decent. Some cool songs with cool ideas, but a bit repetitive. The noise/dissonance is nice at points and also grating at points. 5/10
The Rolling Stones
4/5
A lot of really good songs on this album. I can’t say I was absolutely blown away with it but I still really enjoyed the album as a whole. Pretty much any type of influence works its way onto here in some way which keeps each of the 18 tracks fresh. 7/10
Paul Weller
2/5
It was fine. Nothing really unique about it so I’m confused what makes it so incredible or remarkable to be included on this list. 4/10
Fela Kuti
4/5
I enjoyed the first two songs over the second two. Pretty fun listen with lots of energy. 7/10
Adele
4/5
Ahhh a classic great album from my high school years. Like half the songs were massive hits and I loved them at the time and still love them now. only maybe 2 or 3 that didn’t quite jive with me. 8/10
Fairport Convention
3/5
A bit dry at times, and very upbeat and fun at times as well. The vocals are actually really beautiful throughout and carry a few of the binder songs. 5/10
3/5
Kind of a strange one. 25% absurd bangers, 25% pretty good, and 50% almost completely forgettable. 6/10
Tears For Fears
4/5
It starts and ends well with a bit of a lull in between. Some classic bangers which are fun and a few of the slower more instrumental tracks are cool as well. 7/10
Hole
2/5
I don’t really get the grunge genre. So often it’s the same tune of whirring guitars and intentionally sloppy vocals. Nirvana had some melody and venom in their music but that’s really not the case here. 4/10
Jane's Addiction
2/5
The majority of this I would solidly classify as “unlistenable and actively bad”. Jane Says is the only redemption and it’s only just decent. I think I hate the squeaky, whining vocals. 3/10
Haircut 100
4/5
This thing is pretty fun. I feel like it’s if Steely Dan made funk or new wave. The mix of jazz and funk is really fun and there’s lots of silly little bits throughout. 7/10
Wire
2/5
Most of the songs are super quick and simple and hard to understand the lyrics of. I would say only a handfull are actually memorable, but those ones are actually pretty good. Unfortunately the rest of the album doesn't reach that quality though. 4/10
New Order
4/5
Really really cool album! It’s like an upbeat/energetic The Cure. I love the heavy synths and spacey atmosphere of it all. The only drawback it sometimes the vocals are rough. 8/10
The Verve
4/5
Overall I found it pretty good. A few misses in the middle of the tracklist but other than that I like the spaceiness of the songs. They're all quite long but most don't really get old. 7/10
Faith No More
1/5
Thank god it’s over. This thing is awful. Each song is just a sloppy mess of instruments shoved together with this dudes miserable, whining vocals on top. It’s the bad RHCP knock off. 2/10
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
Really catchy and poppy, it’s so fun. 8/10
Nina Simone
4/5
Really nice album. The jazz instrumentals are on point and Nina’s voice over the top sets a nice vibe to the whole thing. 7/10
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
With the exception of a few pretty bad tracks near the end I thought this album was pretty sweet. The peppers sticking to more of a melodic and low key style is definitely their best sound. Lots of classics and even some of the lesser known songs were really good. 7/10
Def Leppard
3/5
I had a similar experience with this record as with Hysteria. I don't think it's bad by any means, but I don't think it has aged too well in terms of complexity. When this was released in the 80's if I were a high school or college student I think I'd jam hard to this, but now if feels a little one-dimensional. 5/10
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
I was so happy to see this album when I woke up this morning. I was in high school when it came out and I remember riding around my hometown or going to parties just banging this thing. Kendrick does so well at telling a story through the imagery of his lyrics and sound bits that pop in between songs. He also touches on a lot of relevant topics with blunt commentary that gives a good perspective to someone like me who hasn’t experience racism or gang culture. I love every minute of this record and hope I always will. 10/10
The Strokes
5/5
Is this what I think it is? Is This It?? There's no way... back-to-back 5's? I have been blessed by the album generator gods.
I suspected I'd love this album even though I've never actually fully listened through it until today. I'm a fan of the newest Strokes album and this one lived up to the hype. The songs are very simple and warm, but incredibly catchy and just fun to listen to. I also love the rawness that every song has, as if the band just casually walked into the studio and recorded each in a single take with little manipulation or engineering needed. My only complaint is minor and it is that I wish the vocals were not always so muffled. I would've preferred if they were more in the forefront I think. 9/10
OutKast
5/5
Wowza this things is nuts. Everything about this album is so creative and funky and wonky but it just works so well. The beats Go. So. Goddamn. Hard. It feels like you’re in a hip hop carnival there’s just so many crazy things going on. Andre and Big Boi are incredible lyricists and rappers. I think I could listen to Andre rap about anything all day. I’m absolutely blown away by this album. 10/10
Lauryn Hill
4/5
I was really excited to hear this full album since I’ve obviously heard the popular stuff from it. Lauryn is fantastic at everything she slides on this album from rapping to singing. I think I enjoy the slower R&B cuts a little more than the rapping, but everything is pretty good. I think the little classroom interludes are really nice and add to the theme of it all as well. 8/10
Underworld
4/5
I ended up enjoying this quite a bit. First song I was a little iffy on but the other more laidback tracks are really good and pretty impressive for 1996. Lots of danceable tunes on here which I had a good time with. 7/10
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
It’s fine when it’s on, but doesn’t really leave much to remember once it’s over. Part of that could definitely be me not understanding the lyrics though. The instrumentals are really beautiful and Bebel’s voice is decent but nothing incredible about this one. 6/10
Stereo MC's
2/5
A few decent songs but so many are pretty dang repetitive and boring. I don’t really enjoyed the lyrics just continuously repeating a vague, semi-political phrase either. Not much else to say about it tbh. 4/10
Van Halen
3/5
Not particularly my favorite genre of music. Pretty straightforward classic rock music. For the most part it just kinda bores me, but the guitar work is the only noteworthy aspect of it. Eruption is actually awesome, and the solos in some of the other songs keep the record from being complete waste. 5/10
Moby
4/5
Neat album. I feel like everyone knows this album without anyone actually listening to this album. The whole album feels almost like a cinematic experience, or simply the soundtrack of a film. Lots of relaxing and chill tunes here. 8/10
Bonnie Raitt
2/5
Well, that was boring. 4/10
Pixies
4/5
Really sweet album. I love the energy and creativity that Pixies always bring. The songs are very simple but catchy and some silly bits mixed in as well make it pretty fun. 8/10
Digital Underground
3/5
A little slow or repetitive at time with the songs being so long, but also really fun and hilarious as well. Pretty good flows and rhymes keep it interesting even with some sort of bland production. 6/10
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Semi decent I guess. I enjoyed the slower songs quite a bit more than the hard rock ones towards the end of the record. Overall I think it was fine. 5/10
Bad Brains
2/5
Not my favorite style of music, so it kind of started behind the 8 ball. I wouldn't say it's bad, but I struggle to get really any enjoyment out of harder punk rock. 3/10
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Overall a really nice listen. The beats are extremely simple but still well produced and do the job that they’re supposed to. The jazz mixed in is really on point and subtle. Rhymes by both Q-Tip and Phife are quality as well. 8/10
Gene Clark
2/5
Mostly quite bland to be honest. Definitely not offensive or difficult to listen to but just not too much to remember from it. 4/10
Arcade Fire
4/5
Pretty good! I definitely enjoyed The Suburbs on first listen quite a bit more, but this isn’t bad still. Biggest complaint is that the vocals are so hard to hear behind all the instrumentation. 7/10
John Lennon
3/5
I found it pretty decent. A little all over the place thematically and sonically, which keeps it from getting stale but also is a little weird at times. Lots of different influences and topics covered, all quite well tbf. 6/10
Sheryl Crow
4/5
This one surprised me actually. I expected a pretty run of the mill country pop album, and a few songs are kind of exactly that, buts there’s some really good stuff on here as well. Sheryl touches on some pretty heavy/taboo topics with quality finesse. I also enjoyed the R&B and jazz influences quite a bit. 7/10
Willie Nelson
3/5
It’s a mildly enjoyable album. A few standouts but for the most part it’s tough to find much memorable about it. I do enjoy the richness of Willie’s voice, and the lyrics are also really peaceful. 5/10
Fugazi
2/5
To be honest not my favorite. Sometimes even abrasive and difficult, but sometimes the individual instrumental work is really impressive. But the the song explodes into a hardcore mess and it’s not good anymore. 4/10
Steely Dan
4/5
More decent stuff from Steely Dan. I always seen to at least mildly enjoy their albums. The mix of smooth rock and jazz is so unique to them and is always a good listen. 7/10
Sufjan Stevens
4/5
A really fun one. It's totally all over the place lyrically, but sonically it really makes the most of using a similar sound for much of it. The lyrics are really beautiful and silly at times which keeps it very interesting as well. 7/10
Doves
2/5
Kinda just ehhh on this. A lot of it is very typical Brit pop with nothing that makes it standout whatsoever. A few different tracks that I found pretty cool m, but too fast and few between. 4/10
Depeche Mode
4/5
More quality stuff from Depeche Mode. Quite a bit more varied and different from Violator which I loved, but still pretty cool! Looking forward to coming back to it. 7/10
Brian Eno
4/5
Actually a really interesting album. I can’t say I loved every single song but many were super groovy with really fun samples. It feels like the much older, more pessimistic/depressed Since I Left You by The Avalanches, but a really good listen nonetheless. 8/10
Sleater-Kinney
2/5
This album could’ve been really good for me if the vocals did not have an EXCESSIVE amount of bravado/just shakiness to them. I like to female vocals over hard rock/punk, but this killed it for me. Songs have good grooves though. 4/10
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
I don’t know what I’m missing with Elvis’ music. It all sounds so basic and just not interesting. This one in particular was usually catchy while it was on but just left nothing memorable afterwards. It all just feels very formulaic to me. 4/10
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Really good stuff. A but too experimental/dissonant on the last track but everything up until then is a really interesting listen. 8/10
Skunk Anansie
2/5
Ended up being way softer than I expected. Not necessary my favorite style but a few songs have some interesting elements or melodies going on. 4/10
John Grant
3/5
Kinda a weird one. A few of the songs are really interesting with unique instrumentals and topics. 6/10
Beatles
4/5
Finally a Beatles album! I definitely enjoyed it for the most part, but a few are mixed really strange on the remaster or don't really do much for me. I plan to come back to it to let it grow on me though. 7/10
Leftfield
4/5
Overall I thought it was pretty cool. Songs incorporate a lot of different sounds or vocal samples that keep them fresh, and just in general they are pretty interesting h instrumentals. 7/10
Gil Scott-Heron
4/5
Really nice album. Perfectly combines jazz/funk/blues with political themes. Gil's lyrics and delivery are passionate yet poignant, leaving a sense of tragicness over the record, giving it more emotion. 7/10
Gene Clark
2/5
Kinda just fine.. some songs caught my ear and were slightly interesting, but many just didn’t do much in terms of lyrical or instrumental content. 4/10
5/5
Just an awesome, colorful, all-over-the-place album. Each song has it's own personality and character to it, with great topics and lyrics to support. I wasn't able to get the concept connection for a few of the songs, but I wouldn't say this takes away anything from the songs or album as a whole. 9/10
Sparks
2/5
Kinda just meh. Some interesting ideas but the vocals get pretty annoying with the overly dramatic/theatric style. 4/10
Janelle Monáe
4/5
Interesting… all over the place… mostly pretty cool though. The constant switching of genres is a little distracting but Janelle pulls quite a few of them off really well. I would’ve liked a few more straightforward pop cuts but can’t complain too much. 7/10
Big Black
3/5
Surprisingly decent! The grainy guitar fuzz sound can be grating at times but they work some really good melodies into the songs on top of that. Realy catchy and energetic. 6/10
Paul Revere & The Raiders
3/5
A fun, rowdy little album. Very upbeat with really quick and catchy songs which makes it a very easy listen. Almost feels like if The Strokes made music back in the '60s. 6/10
Ministry
2/5
Very much not my type of music. I did not enjoy it, but it's not fair to give it a 1-star since I think it does have some quality, just not really any that I can appreciate. 3/10
The Band
3/5
It was mostly just fine. A pleasant listen but not too many standouts. 5/10
The Chemical Brothers
3/5
A bit too dark/nocturnal/industrial for my taste with electronic music. A few brighter, sunnier jams along the way but just too sparse. 5/10
Röyksopp
2/5
Pretty indifferent on it. I slept like 4 hours last night so this thing kind of put me to sleep. 4/10
Elvis Presley
4/5
Started out strong and then ran a little dry. The songs on their own are all pretty decent but having them back to back to back on an album really overdoes the doo-wop sound a bit. Overall I still did enjoy it though. 7/10
Sex Pistols
2/5
I’ll partially blame the pot audio quality of Spotify for not enjoying this album more. So many of the songs sounded very flat and just plain noisy without any ability to distinguish between the instruments. On top of that it’s really not my favorite style of music so I don’t think I would’ve loved it either way. 4/10
The Who
4/5
Pretty sweet classic album. A few very popular bangers that even I knew, with still some gems hidden in between. A few disappointments that bring the track list down but all in all it’s quite good. 7/10
Suede
3/5
When I saw this was a britpop/glam rock mix, I anticapated really not enjoying it too much. To my surprise it ended up having some really good stuff. The slower/ballad cuts I enjoyed more than the more high energy stuff, though. It also dragged a bit towards the end - could've ended around the 35 minute mark and been a 4 but oh well. 6/10
Beatles
4/5
Another quality Beatles record. It feels more like a collection of random songs compared to their later stuff, as well as being much less experimental and just straight up pop/rock. Most of the songs I really enjoyed. 7/10
2Pac
4/5
So it’s my first time listening to a full 2Pac album and damn it was impressive. I love the low key west coast beats and Pac’s flows are to notch throughout. My complaint would be that the themes are quite repetitive and often individual songs don’t have any central idea but just a basic concept of “this world is hard”. 8/10
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
Quite a bit more smooth jazz in this than I expected, which was welcomed. It was nicely fused with the African drums and some synthesizers for the pretty cool I really sound. The longest song didn’t quite do much for me which made the album a bit of a disappointing listen. 6/10
The Pharcyde
4/5
This thing is pretty fun. Rambunctious while still somehow being casual and laidback. Love the humor and the silly personal stories from the different emcees. 7/10
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
The album cover is a 10/10, the music not really there though. It was a very classic country feel to it which makes it a cozy, comfy listen, but too few of the songs just don’t have much memorable to them. I like the interjections of fuzzy guitar on a few of the songs too. 6/10
Wilco
3/5
It’s hard to absolutely love this album if you’re not already a huge fan of the genre. I like the occasional alt-rock or indie album and this one is decent but I think it just runs too long. Along with the songs only being decent but not incredible. 5/10
Tori Amos
4/5
I appreciate and respect Tori’s ability to convey many different emotions so well in this record. Most are very somber and brutal while still being energetic in some way. It very much feels like the soundtrack to a musical in how grand the instrumentation is and how anecdotal or specific the lyrics are. Definitely surprised by this! 7/10
Milton Nascimento
4/5
This is a really neat album. It mixes really well a bunch of types of music and pulls them all off fantastically. Relaxing, island vibes all the way through, just wish I could understand Portuguese :( 7/10
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
5/5
So I really did not expect to love this as much as I did but goddamn is every song just a bop. This thing is such a mixed bag of genres but they’re each pulled off so well and beautifully. Love the tribute to Stevie and many of the lyrics are in his style as well so it makes perfect sense. Killer album! 9/10
The Kinks
3/5
It’s difficult to understand why something like this record makes this list. I really don’t think it’s bad but it just sounds like 100 different records that came before it or that came out around the same time, so what makes it so noteworthy? 5/10
Nick Drake
3/5
Instrumentals are immaculate but the drab vocals and lyrics kinda ruin it. Love the intermingling of the simple instrument use throughout, but I also wish more incorporated the jazz influence of the last track which was banger. 5/10
Bon Jovi
2/5
Damn, Bon Jovi really broke out their Big Book of Cliches for this one. I feel like it is only on this list due to its commercial success, and it only had commercial success because of three hits which are 'good' at best. The second half packed with cheesy, soapy love songs really put me off this album. 4/10
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Bruce definitely knows how to write a catchy tune with lyrics that kinda of bring you into the scene of the song. A really good mix in the style of the songs with some bangers and some ballads, all of which are done pretty well. And those sax and harmonica solos, my goodness! 7/10
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Just another casual banger of an album from Led Zeppelin. I’d rank it at fourth of the four albums I’ve had from them so far but it’s still so good. The guitar riffs just stick with you and it’s a bit more experimental than the others it seems. 8/10
Massive Attack
4/5
What a frickin cool album this thing is! I was a bit disappointed with the closer but everything else slaps. I love the mix of genres with some reggae inspired stuff, some beautiful vocals in some, and classical infused cuts as well. The beats on all of these are just smooth as hell and groove hard. 8/10
The Police
3/5
I’d say it’s a decent record. Only a few songs that really didn’t do anything for me at all dragging it down. Some creative ideas on the songs that do hit though. 6/10
The Rolling Stones
3/5
It’s like 4.5 really good songs and then the rest of just so forgettable… Like how were Street Fighting Man and No Expectations the singles for this when they’re so bland compared to the better cuts? 5/10
Sonic Youth
3/5
Most of it isn’t really too bad at all but doesn’t bring much memorable to the table either. A few are a bit too noisy for me though as well. 5/10
Goldie
3/5
Damn I forgot to take my daily dose of MDMA so I couldn't enjoy this to its full potential.
This feels like an exercise in how many different was you can work in a breakbeat into a song. The first few songs could've used some changes of pace that the end of the record brings since the constant barrage of breakbeat with heavy bass riffs and soft vocals gets old pretty quick. 5/10
The Rolling Stones
2/5
Somehow it hits the sweet spot of boring and misogynistic. I think only 2 of the songs are worth listening to and the rest of just so unnotable or straight up boring like the 11 minute (!!!) final track. 3/10
Tina Turner
3/5
A few bangers on here but the rest seem to fall flat. I think the synth-lead tracks work a lot better than the guitar-lead ones towards the end of the album. 6/10
Germs
2/5
I'm happy for you if you enjoy it, but not my thing. Dope album art, though. 4/10
The Prodigy
2/5
Heavy, driving bass with lots of Star Wars gun ‘pew-pew’ noises = music? I think the portion of this that sounded cool and futuristic in the 90s has not aged well at all. They went for loudness over any sort of melody or catchiness and it makes this record really boring and grating. 4/10
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
3/5
First half was a really good time, but I don’t understand the sequencing of ~10 consecutive banjo (or mandolin?) and fiddle tracks at the beginning of the second disc. The songs are almost indistinguishable from each other and just get old so quickly. Besides that complaint I really enjoyed it for the most part! Lots of interesting storytelling and then the bits of chatting and studio scenes are pretty cute as well. The title track at the end almost feels like a call to action trying to convince people to appreciate this old country sound and for artists to continue to create it, and the record up to that point serves as evidence to show how good country music can be. 6/10
Heaven 17
3/5
Very hit or miss for me. About half the songs are bangers and the group makes some really unique and catchy tunes out of some off-kilter beats which was a blast to listen to. The others just really didn’t do much for me unfortunately though. 6/10
David Bowie
4/5
Definitely lots of quality on here. I felt the closing track kind of let the album down but I’m hoping it grows on me. Was quite a bit more energy than I expected from David which was a really nice surprise! 8/10
Miles Davis
4/5
Pretty *cool* record here (see what I did there?). It's a very nice and relaxing listen with songs that kind of just twist and turn with instrument solos coming out of nowhere. I enjoyed it! 7/10
Bob Dylan
5/5
I am apprehensive to give this a 5, but I just find myself wanting to keep going back to it! The instrumentals are simple but still gorgeous and catchy, and Bob's singing has so much character. I think 'Meet Me in the Morning' was the first time I thought "Damn, Bob's got swag". The lyrics are pretty all over the place but still good storytelling, even if it doesn't make a ton of sense to me at the moment (and maybe it'll stay that way). 9/10
3/5
Some very straightforward 60s country music. Loretta has a really good voice and there's really nothing wrong with the instrumentals, just overall is very one-dimensional and doesn't entertain too much. 5/10
AC/DC
4/5
Unfortunately the band felt compelled to put extremely creepy (Givin the Dog a Bone) and rapey (Let Me Put My Love Into You) tracks on this album, which are really hindering this from being great. There are some flaws with a few of the other songs but for the most part everything on here slaps and is about just having a good time, complimented with some great riffs and solos. 7/10
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
My first thought was: Damn these people are losing their shit over this stuff!
I guess there’s a few standout highlights (mostly the tracks that sound like they could be from King Crimson), but a lot of it just feels like they had this new organ/synth instrument and wanted to mess around with it. 5/10
N.W.A.
3/5
It was aight. A handful of really good tracks surrounded by some rather forgettable ones. Loved the beats for the most part though. 6/10
Megadeth
2/5
Definitely more melodic than I expected for a thrash metal album. I can see it being great if you were into the genre but most of it didn’t do much for me. 4/10
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
Just feels like two guys messing around and making goofy tracks and I love that. The humor is on point throughout and the beats and bars are awesome too. Loved it on first listen and hoping it grows on me even more! 8/10
Ananda Shankar
3/5
It turned out to be a pretty impressive melding of western rock with sitar and traditional Indian music. I was disappointed in the two cover songs since they felt like Ananda sold out to add more sales to the record, but most of the others are pretty cool and groovy. 6/10
Amy Winehouse
5/5
Just a really really good record. Amy sticks to the classic 50s/60s jazz sound throughout with hints of some other genres like reggae or ska or hip hop. Her voice itself could probably carry most of the songs but the production surrounding her is fantastic and catchy as well. The lyrics stay pointedly on her detrimental relationship and bring some heavy moments, accentuated by her amazing vocal delivery which has a knack for conveying emotions. 9/10
Coldplay
3/5
Kinda just ehhhh. It’s a very easy listen with lots of catchy instrumentals and riffs, and Chris Martin’s vocals are also really nice, but the lyrics kind of make it not have any lasting impact. As soon as a song is off I forgot what it was even about or what emotion it conveyed. 6/10
Kanye West
5/5
So I think this was the first album I ever knew every song to and listened to consistently. Growing up the songs on this thing were everywhere for me so the nostalgia is just unbearable. I love every single bit of it - the beats, the features, and Kanye’s absolutely hilarious and creative writing. This will forever be one of my favorite records. 10/10
Lenny Kravitz
2/5
An exceptionally boring album. I really don’t think Lenny has that great of a voice and many of the songs rely pretty heavily on it. On top of that, the songwriting is boring as hell and so nondescript that I can’t tell the main purpose of most of them. 3/10
Everything But The Girl
4/5
So the band name is EXTREMELY misleading cuz there def is a girl in the band and she sings most of the songs like wtf (shes even on the cover SMH my head). Album was pretty cool, too. 7/10
The Cardigans
3/5
Kind of a fun one! Some really catchy stuff with super sweet production and vocals. I like the incorporation of random instruments into many of the songs as well. 6/10
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
I don't know what it is about this guy that just seems so boring and unimpressive to me. Every song just puts me to sleep and I can barely understand what he's saying to begin with. 4/10
Fishbone
3/5
Some interesting ideas and songs on here for sure, but probably not as consistent as it could be. 5/10
Fugees
5/5
Just a very impressive, quality record. Everything about the three of them clicks and sounds so smooth and casual. Love the covers as well! Only complaint would be that some of the songs lack a hook/chorus and I want one because all the others are so damn good! 9/10
Big Star
2/5
Pretty dang bland. 4/10
The Jesus And Mary Chain
2/5
Like 7000 nails on a chalkboard. 3/10
Air
3/5
Nothing to write home about but not bad either. Definitely a pretty easy listen but I don’t feel the need to come back to it. 6/10
Bob Dylan
3/5
Decent but a little too slow for my taste. I think Bob’s voice loses some of its charm and uniqueness with all the processing put on it. A few really quality standouts but not enough for me. 6/10
Iggy Pop
3/5
‘Twas alright. Surprisingly poppy and peppy which is nice but overall not totally my vibe. 6/10
The Temptations
3/5
Decent at best I'd say. The first side is very non-Temptations sounding and mostly quite bland. I think the vocals throughout also lack some emotion and soul which I would expect. 5/10
Gary Numan
3/5
The basic sound of it I really do enjoy, as well as Gary’s voice! I think almost all the songs are just underbaked and could really use more vocals. I feel like there could’ve been a really great album here if executed better. 6/10
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
Definitely a fun listen but I think Little Richard (and maybe some others?) have done it better. You play some old, classic well written songs with enough energy and it’ll turn out pretty well. 6/10
Bert Jansch
2/5
Bert Jansch? More like Bert Snoozefest! 4/10
Björk
5/5
Absolute pure bliss. The instrumentals are immaculate with tons of interesting sounds and textures and influences which make this thing just beautiful. Then Björk’s delicate and intimate singing fills each track with mysticism. It feels so organic and surreal at the same time. I loved the dance pop of Debut but this is another level. 10/10
Cat Stevens
3/5
It’s just fine. I would say most of the songs don’t do much for me, but a few were quite good and memorable. 5/10
Brian Eno
4/5
It lost me in the first half but the second half was such a switch up and ended up turning it around. I loved the gorgeous and haunting instrumentals in the last few songs! 7/10
R.E.M.
2/5
I felt like I was having a stroke with how similar all the songs are and how incomprehensible the singing is. I wanted to like it but it just brought almost nothing by to stand out for me. 4/10
Jorge Ben Jor
5/5
Really fun one! Feels like a bottle party with lots of good energy and interesting genre clashes.
Revised: Upon further listening... this one slaps! You've been upgraded Jorge! 9/10
Jean-Michel Jarre
3/5
Pretty hit or miss for me. Maybe two or three pretty decent songs and then the others are just too atmospheric/ambient or don’t develop enough of an idea to make them interesting. 6/10
KISS
2/5
This incited next to zero emotion in me. It’s super bland and generic and forgettable. I think the closing song encompasses the whole album where afterwards you just don’t even feel like you listened to an album and have no concrete memory of any tune. Also that one Great Expectations song is creepy as hell. 3/10
M.I.A.
5/5
What a frickin’ sweet record. Catchy and in-your-face and rhythmic and fun and fancy and just gooooood. It reminds me of how I felt after Stankonia - just in awe at the beats and wild production. 9/10
Blur
4/5
I’m normally not a fan of anything britpop at all, but this one has a lot of quality stuff on it. Lots of different genres mixed in which keep it from getting boring. Overall I think it was really good. 7/10
Taylor Swift
4/5
Certainly a really catchy album, but I think the lyrics are it’s downfall. They are mostly just very surface level and nonspecific that the songs don’t have much unique feel. The beats are really spot on for a lot of stuff from the early 2010s (reminded me of stuff like The Naked and Famous). Overall pretty good! 7/10
Killing Joke
3/5
Definitely not quite what I expected. Much softer and experimental than most post-punk I’ve heard from this list. Overall it wasn’t my favorite sound but an interesting listen nonetheless. 5/10
Eminem
3/5
A decent amount of good to great songs, but boy does the whole shock tactic of Eminem’s lyrics run dry by the end of it. Could’ve really left most of the second half out and it would’ve felt much better to listen all the way through. 6/10
Le Tigre
3/5
Pretty fun album! Super earwormy and lots of fun little diddies in there. 6/10
Janis Joplin
3/5
Decent but not incredible. I think blues/soul always sounds pretty nice but there’s certainly other artists who I’d take over Janis. 5/10
Beatles
5/5
There’s a ton of undeniable greatness on this album, including many classic not only Beatles hits but just songs that are essential to music, and simply for that maybe it deserves a 5. On top of that the less popular tracks were impressive as well - loved the blues influence on many of them! Then the medley on the back half just sends the listener through a maze of sounds and colorful instrumentation full of imagination. Such a great listen! 9/10
Tito Puente
3/5
Just a pretty fine listen. I think that Siembra record scratched my itch for this sort of music way better than this. Most of it sounds quite similar to me, without being able to understand the lyrics. 5/10
Screaming Trees
2/5
Meh, I’m not really too into it. As with a lot of grunge, any emotion in the lyrics and singing gets drowned out by the noise/droning guitars. 4/10
Ice Cube
2/5
One of the mant albums on this list where once you hear one song you pretty much know how the rest will sound and you just have to slog through it. Very one-dimensional and repetitive in almost every way. 3/10
Marvin Gaye
4/5
It’s certainly very very good. I think it’s reached the #1 spot on Rolling Stone due to it just be so timeless and unworthy of any hate. At the same time it touches on many sensitive topics which are still relevant today. I’ll give it an 8 for now but I won’t be surprised if I regret not giving it a 9 or 10. 8/10
3/5
I’d say it’s just fine. Not too much caught my ear but still mildly fun throughout. 5/10
Roni Size
3/5
I can’t say it’s bad… I can’t even say I disliked it.. but goddamn if it’s not an absolutely mission to get through this whole thing. Many of the songs could’ve used something unique to differentiate them from each other since it feels like you’re hearing almost the same 7min song on repeat 15 times. I did enjoy the more jazzy second half quite a bit more as well so I might come back to that. 6/10
The Who
2/5
To be honest I expected a lot more from this. I’ve heard it’s some grand, detailed rock opera, which I guess it was in the storytelling aspect, but the music that accompanies the story is just so bland and forgettable. It’s almost completely devoid of riffs or hooks that catch the ear and help you remember each song. 4/10
Frank Ocean
4/5
Although not every single songs hits 100% for me, I still definitely love this album with my whole heart. Another one from my high school years that I remember bumping while driving around with my pals. Very fond memories of this and will consistently come back to Frank forever. 8/10
The Offspring
2/5
To be fair this is not at all my favorite genre so it kind of started behind the 8 ball. Most of the songs are pretty one dimensional and sound quite similar to me, which I'm sure would change with more listens but not sure if it's worth that. The vocal delivery gets a little grating by the end as well. 4/10
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
It kinda slaps ngl. I never thought of CCR as being this bluesy and soulful but they really bring it on this record. 7/10
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
I listened to this yesterday and I don't really remember a single standout moment on it. That pretty much tells me everything I need to know. 4/10
Oasis
2/5
As with most Britpop I have my usual qualms with this record. It comes off pretty dang bland without many memorable bits to catch onto and get stuck in your head. The noisy guitars overwhelm any sense of melody and even make the lyrics difficult to understand sometimes, leaving you in a cloud of whining drone noises and basic drums. 4/10
The Soft Boys
2/5
I’d prefer to never hear this again. 3/10
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
3/5
It ended up being better than I was expected. Some heavy beats with actually very spot on political lyrics that are still (depressingly) relevant today. Gets a bit too ranty at some points still though. 5/10
Machito
3/5
Decently enjoyed most of it. A few of the faster songs didn’t really do much for me and the squealing horns sometimes got a bit grating. I did definitely enjoy the incorporation of African drums in many of the songs though. 5/10
Miles Davis
5/5
Jazz is a curious genre for me. Many times it doesn’t have much of an impact on me but every once and a while something just comes across as so elegant and gorgeous that it feels like I could listen to it on repeat for the rest of my life. Kind Of Blue gives me that sensation. Everything about it oozes class and creating a free flowing sound with little structure but a fantastic sense of beauty. 10/10
Foo Fighters
2/5
Just not my thing. 4/10
Ash
2/5
Who gave this man a microphone and told him to sing into it? It’s a worse Nirvana (who I don’t even like that much) with unintelligible lyrics, atrocious vocals, more noise, and worse melodies. 3/10
Beastie Boys
4/5
A pretty great listen. Lots of classics and fun songs. It is at times too derivative of the classic rap rock Run-DMC sound, but quality music nonetheless. 8/10
The Zombies
3/5
Sounds like The Beatles if their production cost was cut to 5% of what it normally is. Like many of these 60's albums, it's pleasant while it's on but doesn't leave a ton of impression once you're done with it. 5/10
Michael Jackson
4/5
This album really is so good in so many ways. Mostly on the production front, the instrumentals sound so smooth and polished that the songs just float by so nicely. Obviously the classics on here are awesome, but most of the other in-between tracks are pretty incredible, although maybe not as immediately poppy. 8/10
Slayer
1/5
Not only is this not at all a genre I enjoy, I usually don’t give 1-star just for that, but it is also just actively bad. Almost solely on the vocals which sound like the guy is constantly behind where he wants to be and is trying to catch up to get in rhythm with the instruments. Just overall not a good experience. 2/10
Country Joe & The Fish
2/5
Very just meh. Was there not already enough 60's psychadelic rock on this list when they threw this in? 4/10
Nitin Sawhney
4/5
For what the album is trying to be, it is really pretty good. Never gets stale since it's constantly switching between genres and sounds with quality guest vocals. The 'commentary' on nuclear arms is a little disappointing since it kind of just presents current events but doesn't critique or present any arguments for improving the situation. 7/10
Kraftwerk
3/5
So different from the other Kraftwerk albums I’ve had. A lot more ambient and experimental on here, which I don’t think suits my taste quite as well as something like The Man Machine. 6/10
The Kinks
2/5
This invokes no emotion in me. I could listen to it multiple times and still wouldn’t be able to give any details about any single song. 4/10
Rod Stewart
3/5
Not quite as bad as I was anticipating, but still pretty dry. A few memorably pleasant songs but most are ;dakshf;askhfwh;awhg 5/10
Van Morrison
5/5
Honestly, this just gives such comfy, authentic, heartfelt vibes. Like listening to it even on the second or third listen feels like I’m returning to my hometown during the holidays to see family and old friends. Just an overall really quality record. 9/10
Kid Rock
1/5
Noooooo Kid Rock, just nooooo. Some of the beats are kinda cool but as soon as this guy opens his mouth I’m out. There’s so much “me against the world” mentality when the dude literally grew up wealthy in a small Michigan town. You probably just earned that by being an asshole. 2/10
New York Dolls
3/5
More toned down than I expected, with a decent amount of fun little hooks and good energy. Don’t know if I’ll ever come back to it but an okay listen for sure. 5/10
Fever Ray
4/5
I think I need to give it a few more listens, since it sounds good when you’re paying close attention, but I was getting sidetracked waaayyyy too quickly. 7/10
Steve Earle
2/5
I listened to it at some point but I couldn't tell you anything about it. 4/10
Destiny's Child
3/5
Starts decent then really finishes poorly. The last 4-5 songs just drag the album out and don’t offer much. 5/10
OutKast
4/5
I came in with high hopes after giving Stankonia a 10/10 a few months ago. Unfortunately I was mildly disappointed with this one. A bit too long winded for me, and while the mix of genres that Big Boi and Andre pull off is pretty impressive, I found too many songs to be excessive. I'll continue to come back and hope it grows on me. 7/10
Nick Drake
5/5
Is it fair to give it 5 stars just for having a fantastic album art? Probably not. But on top of that it really is great music. The songs are delicate and soft yet imaginitive and really catchy. Nick had a knack for creating simple melodies with just his guitar and voice. I've already been coming back to this constantly and love it already. 9/10
The Byrds
2/5
Just some basic jangly 60's pop rock. Really not too much to remember from it. Semi catchy songs with very simple concepts. 4/10
Suicide
2/5
Music to lose your mind to. I’m surprised the band didn’t fall asleep while recording with how little variation there is in the instrumentals. On top of that the vocals are pretty awful and miserable. 3/10
Shack
3/5
A few fun songs but many just don't make much of an impression. I like the minor variations in instrument arrangements that they use, and I think they pull those off well. 5/10
AC/DC
3/5
Doesn’t quite have the bangers of Back in Black. Most of its is semi-jammy but I’d just take BiB any day over it. 5/10
The Fall
2/5
It’s an album, alright. An alright album. 4/10
Throwing Muses
3/5
Good riot grrrl energy from it with some catchy hooks. 5/10
Portishead
3/5
About as non-fun as electronic music can get. The combination of listening to this and having a dreadfully rainy afternoon legitimately put me in a sour mood. I really do think it’s quite good music but it’s just so heavy that I don’t know when I’ll be in the mood for it again. 5/10
Brian Eno
4/5
A surprisingly fun album! A lot of funky sounds with the altered instruments that Brian employed on the songs, and each of the vocal/less ambient tracks are refreshing as you move through the track list. 8/10
The Velvet Underground
3/5
I think their previous is head and shoulders above this. More interesting songs (although The Gift is pretty hilarious) and a bit more for the ear to latch onto instead of just noise/fuzz and dissonance. 6/10
The Afghan Whigs
3/5
For being grunge-like rock, it’s more my style than some other stuff I’ve had on this list but still gets pretty rough by the end of the record. 5/10
Blood, Sweat & Tears
3/5
Decent bluesy rock. Most of it kind of drifts on by without making much of an impression though. 5/10
Joan Baez
3/5
Decent little album. Joan’s voice and lyrics are pretty incredible throughout, but the lack of variation in the overall sound made it a little tedious on first listen. 5/10
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
3/5
With a lot of these 50’s albums you pretty much know what you’re getting and this is exactly that. It’s never unpleasant on the ear and the songs essentially revolve around a single line/idea. Fine for a single listen but not catchy/dancy enough for be to be any more interested in this. 5/10
Scissor Sisters
2/5
I had no clue what was up with this group before hearing this and was surprised at how poppy it was. Lots of Prince, MJ, and Bowie influence here, but I think those artists just do it much better. 4/10
fIREHOSE
4/5
I expected to hate it but this was shockingly really cool! I love the free flowing nature of all the songs, and the variation of genres throughout. 8/10
Eric Clapton
2/5
Really quite boring. It’s blues music devoid of almost all passion and genuine feeling in the delivery. 4/10
Rocket From The Crypt
4/5
Another album I’m shocked that I enjoy so much. The hooks are just so catchy and earwormy that it makes up for it not being one of my favorite genres. 7/10
Rahul Dev Burman
3/5
Kind of a fun listen, pretty much what you’d expect from an Indian film soundtrack. 5/10
Lightning Bolt
2/5
An album that really sounds like it’s album cover. You’re trying to make sense out of the chaos, with some glimpses of something really beautiful under the surface. 4/10
James Taylor
3/5
I wanted to like it more than I did. I really like the sounds of James' voice and the simple acoustic instrumentation in most of the songs is very pleasant. Unfortunately so many of the songs just feel underwritten and don't really develop into much. 5/10
Happy Mondays
2/5
I guess it's music.. 3/10
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Was decent. I don’t really have anything to critique about it but it’s also not really a type of music I’ll constantly listen to. 6/10
The Only Ones
2/5
I did indeed listen to this about a week ago and don't remember a single thing about it so I think that gives a good synopsis of my feelings on it. 3/10
Some sleepers and some bangers. I was on a 6AM flight listening to it so I can't say too much about it. 7/10
De La Soul
4/5
What happens when a bunch of talented goofballs get together to make a record? You get a really fun album with just good vibes all around. 8/10
The Fall
2/5
Sounds pretty much identical to 100 other albums on this list so I guess they just said "Fuck it throw in another hella british post punk album the world really needs to hear this one". 4/10
Madness
3/5
Another one of those “Oh hey! It’s that one song!” albums. The rest of it is kinda fun too tho. 6/10
The Divine Comedy
2/5
The instrumentals feel way too lush and extravagent for how simple the lyrics are. It is also at times much too soapy and just focused on showing love without any details at all. 4/10
Astrud Gilberto
2/5
Very easy listening but almost nothing to make it too memorable. I wish less songs were in English since the Portuguese is much nicer to listen to. 4/10
Finley Quaye
3/5
A few bops throughout, and the overall style I do enjoy as well but it just runs dry by the end of the album. 5/10
Jane Weaver
3/5
Sounds like they wanted a few more modern albums to put on the list but didn’t want to put any effort in choosing them so they picked it out of a hat. 5/10
Bee Gees
2/5
For as grand as the instrumentation is a times, so many of the songs end up being totally forgettable. Not at all what I expected from the Bee Gees, but I've never heard their earlier stuff before this. 4/10
Supergrass
3/5
Some interesting stuff every once and a while. 5/10
John Cale
2/5
Reminds me of the Bee Gees album I had two days ago. Lots of lush production without much interesting going on with the lyrics. The historical references throughout is an cool concept for an album but I think John's delivery didn't keep my attention all that much. 4/10
Willie Nelson
4/5
Some good ol’ Willie! Ended up being really quite nice with the story interlacing through the tracks. That on top of Willies vocals made it a really enjoyable listen. 7/10
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Really an album of two sides of Peter, and even in just the first two songs you hear the them - the first full of mysticism and drama, the second of funk and pop genius. He balances the two really well to where neither gets too old. 8/10
Patti Smith
4/5
Not at all what I expected from the Wiki article. It is so much more delicate and thoughtful than so much punk rock that I loathe so much.. Great imagery in the lyrics just add to the dark and heavy vibe of the album. Very excited to have found this one! 8/10
Ice Cube
3/5
Pretty standard for 90s west coast hip hop/gangster rap. Too long and really not enough variation throughout to keep me wanting to listen. 5/10
2/5
I respect the effort but this is just very much not my type of music. It reminds me of a less artsy VU, with way more attitude than I think any other band from the 60s that I've heard. 4/10
50 Cent
4/5
This was actually quite a bit better than I expected. I figured it would have the hits and not much else but most of the tracks are decent to good. I think the production does a lot of the work but 50 has songs quality lyrics/flows throughout. 7/10
Holger Czukay
3/5
It's some music alright. Good for a single listen since the songs just meander into different shapes and forms, but not much to bring me back to it. 5/10
The Jam
3/5
Not at all what I was expecting which was a very good thing lol much more melodic and thoughtful than most punk-ish music from these semi-obscure British bands. 6/10
The Libertines
4/5
I didn't listen too close to it but I enjoyed what I picked up. A lot of it reminded me of an updated The Cure or something (specifically Just Like Heaven), with very quippy lyrical delivery and hazy production. 7/10
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
Other 2-star snoozer from Elvis. I’m convinced this man was an editor of the 1001 albums book and just forced his albums into it. 3/10
The Cramps
3/5
Decently fun rambling rock/punk. Not something I'd necessarily come back to but for a listen is was kinda cool. 5/10
a-ha
4/5
Just a very solid piece of synth-pop from a-ha. Of course the opening Take On Me is an absolute classic but almost all of the other tracks bring a good energy and have catchy little rifts and beats to make them really dancy. 8/10
Grizzly Bear
4/5
I file this under the title of 'Adventuring Through the Woods Music' along with like the Fleet Foxes. Some of the songs are pretty slow to get up off the ground but after a few listens I think they've grown on me quite a bit. 7/10
Korn
2/5
Nah I’m good. 3/10
Morrissey
4/5
Pretty decent from Morrissey. Definitely feels like The Smiths brought into the 90s with maybe a bit less humor and jangle. Overall the album features really good songwriting, specifically in the second half with some heavy hitters. 7/10
Solomon Burke
3/5
About what you’d except from an early 60s album. Lots of simple love songs with cute little melodies and whatnot. I felt there was more pop than rock or soul on the record which was a letdown. 5/10
Donovan
3/5
The album features some fun bits here and there but many of the songs for me just fell flat in the songwriting and were a little bland. 6/10
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
A bit too dad-rock in the first half and not much of note in the second half. 5/10
Michael Jackson
3/5
TBH it's really really bad.
Okay pun out of the way - I think it falls short of Thriller by quite a bit. A lot of the songs just aren't all that catchy or just have a very strange subject it's written about. 6/10
Talk Talk
3/5
Something interesting for sure. Lots of cool influences coming together to form just a mash of sounds that is a decent listen. 6/10
Fiona Apple
5/5
I remember trying to get into this album when it came out due to so many positive reviews from every website/critic but I just couldn't properly appreciate it. On this listen I think I've wrapped by head around the clangy production, and where the album really is interesting is the song topics that Fiona chooses. In addition her vocal delivery on each song is so quirky and unpredictable it keeps it fresh the whole way through. 9/10
Adele
4/5
I'm so torn on this album. It starts off absolutely incredible with the first few heartbreaking tracks full of so much drama. The final three songs really were bland in comparison and especially the final track Sweetest Devotion seems so out of place with how sad the rest of the album is. It was so very nearly a 5-star. 8/10
Sebadoh
2/5
Y tho? 4/10
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
3/5
Kinda interesting and fun. 5/10
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
Pretty boring all around. 3/10
Radiohead
4/5
It tough to judge a Radiohead album I'm not familiar with since a few others I know so well are will be instant 5-stars for me. The Bends has the same dread and drama of their other releases, but tends to be too non-specific or repetitive to really grasp me for the full runtime. 7/10
Scott Walker
3/5
Definitely super lively and dramatic just not really at all a style of music I would enjoy on my free time. It really exudes the lavish, European elegance which is impressive and awesome at points, but I feel like one listen is enough. 5/10
Kate Bush
4/5
A bit too abstract and out there for me to love it, but I did enjoy most of it. It is incredibly powerful and haunting at some points which builds a grand atmosphere for the whole album. 7/10
Radiohead
4/5
Radiohead's foray into ambient/electronic infused art rock is pulled off so well on this album. After hearing Aphex Twin through this list I now absolutely can appreciate the influence on this record on so many of the songs, which are simple and just experiment with atmosphere and texture. 8/10
The Smiths
3/5
It’s like The Queen is Dead but not as catchy or funny or well written. 5/10
Jeru The Damaja
2/5
Was just alright. There’s much better east coast hip hop. 4/10
The The
2/5
This record ended up being way more upbeat and poppy than I expected. I thought it would be heavy and depressing but it was almost new wave, with lots of synths and funk vibes. Nevertheless it was quite boring for me. 4/10
Missy Elliott
3/5
It’s pretty decent. I enjoyed the switch up in genres between hiphop and R&B and Timberlands production is really quality at points. Unfortunately it felt a bit bloated though. 6/10
Brian Wilson
2/5
Soooo it really is like children's music adapted to adult tastes, but unfortunately in that process it didn't mature too much. I like the lush instrumentation and more atmospheric songs, but it really was just too children/christmas music vibes for me. I think the story behind this record is better than the record itself. 4/10
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
2/5
The wiki says most of the songs were unfinished/demos and that really sounds about right. Many feel underwritten or just kind of fizzle into nothingness, of the recording quality is pretty awful. Some interesting bits here and there but not much else. 3/10
Bob Dylan
4/5
Enjoyable. 7/10
Don McLean
3/5
It’s a real bummer it starts off with an absolute classic because every song afterwards feels like a letdown. Maybe one or two more really good songs scattered throughout the rest. 5/10
Venom
2/5
Not for me, but at least it’s not actively bad like Slayer. 3/10
Slade
3/5
How deed thay take the Rolleen Stones and ackshually improof the sownd? I lyke how rowdee and energetic this album is.. the nock-off Stoenes butt better! 6/10
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Not everything hits on it, but there are a handful+ of really quality songs on here. May come back to it to see if the others grow on my as well. 6/10
Al Green
3/5
It has the classic soul sound all the way throughout, but really feels confined to that box. Al makes the most of that box but it is still pretty repetitive. 6/10
Hot Chip
3/5
A bit too squeaky clean for my electronic music taste. Hot Chip plays it very safe without going too crazy or experimenting with anything new. It makes for a few fun dances songs but quite a few are too slow for dancing and too upbeat to be ballads. 6/10
The Go-Betweens
3/5
Some decent jangle pop. Lots of cute little melodies and lyrics. 6/10
Mylo
4/5
Shockingly great! Just all around good, unique, jammy beats. Feels like a late night out at a club on a Mediterranean island. 8/10
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
You can call it experimental and influential and groundbreaking all you want but for me this was a pretty boring hour of my Saturday. 3/10
The Birthday Party
2/5
The album art is an accurate representation of the music - a total mess. 3/10
Iggy Pop
3/5
It’s okay, lots of Bowie influence but not much here to set it apart from more memorable music from this time. 5/10
Circle Jerks
4/5
Well wasn’t that just the cutest little album ya ever did hear? 7/10
Daft Punk
4/5
Tbh this went way harder than I expected and probably harder than anything I’ve heard on this list (for electronic music). Not much to say from me except for lots of really cool beats that helped me pass the time on an 11-hour flight. 7/10
Crowded House
2/5
There was a ton of construction going on right outside my window when I listened to this so maybe it is not a fair listen but oh well. Rather bold of them to incorporate the jackhammer and drill noises for a soft rock record. 4/10
The Lemonheads
3/5
Pretty cute little pop rock songs. Starts out better than it finishes though. 5/10
The Flaming Lips
5/5
I love a surprise 5-star and here we are! It’s percussive, wonky, off-the-wall, psychedelic magic and incredibly catchy. The lyrics can be silly (A Spoonful Weights a Ton) or remarkably poignant (Feeling Yourself Disintegrate) and are sung in such a charming style. On top of that the little electronic hooks and synth incorporations are pure bliss and compliment the raw rock instrumentals really well. 9/10
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
Easy listen. Lots of meh tracks on here though. 5/10
Jazmine Sullivan
4/5
Really sweet little album. The concept is really interesting with the anecdotal interludes and most of the songs are really good. 8/10
The Icarus Line
2/5
Probably takes the cake for the most obscure artist on this list. Never heard of em and looks like very few other people have as well. Music was too noisy for me. 4/10
The Monks
4/5
It’s crazy to think this was made in the mid-60s. Protopunk and even ska vibes throughout and just a pretty fun time all around. Definitely glad I got to hear it. 7/10
Pink Floyd
4/5
Definitely a nice listen. The instrumentals are pretty awesome with tons of good solos from various instruments, including quite a bit of jazz influence which I enjoyed. I wasn’t mind blown like I wanted to be from this one though. 7/10
Mudhoney
3/5
Some pretty good early grunge. Most of the songs have a really good groove and the performances are quality. 6/10
Dire Straits
3/5
This album is like that guy you meet who seems really cool at first but then you realize he’s just super agreeable and doesn’t actually bring anything new or interesting or controversial to the conversation. 5/10
Method Man
3/5
Lack of hooks kills it. I appreciate the lyricism and rapping ability but there’s very little to latch onto to make me want to come back to this. 5/10
Stan Getz
4/5
Was stoked to see this pop up yesterday. Such a beautiful classic album that just puts you in a good mental space. 8/10
Sister Sledge
3/5
Probably as good as disco gets for me. 6/10
Mercury Rev
3/5
Definitely had a flaming lips feel to it, but disappointed after the first track (which I loved). Beyond that and maybe one or two others not much stood out to me. 5/10
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
3/5
Top notch album art and name. Everything else is just fine. 6/10
Napalm Death
2/5
Is it an album I’d like to listen to again? No. But is it actively bad like some of the albums on this list? Definitely not. You Suffer was the greatest 1.316 seconds of my life though. 3/10
Throbbing Gristle
4/5
I’m perplexed how this album is currently the second lowest ranked on the whole list. I get that industrial is not for everyone, and I’ve never considered myself a fan, nor do I now, but this thing is actually just a captivating listen. Throughout D.O.A. the band creates so many moods ranging from confusion to discomfort to tranquil to overwhelming, and each is executed really quite well. I may not come back to listen a second time but I’m damn sure happy to have heard this album at least once. 7/10
Kendrick Lamar
5/5
Just such a juggernaut of a hip hop album. Kendrick is so dynamic throughout switching through different rapping styles as if they’re characters and the lyrics to match are just incredible to read through. I’d say my favorite aspect is the instrumentals on here, which are pure jazzy deliciousness. On their own they could stand alone as an impressive jazz piece but together with Kendrick’s rapping and songwriting it’s everything you could want from any album. 9/10
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
If you like blues rock guitar solos then boy do I have an album for you… 5/10
Barry Adamson
2/5
Simultaneously interesting and uninteresting by throughout. 4/10
Charles Mingus
4/5
Really interesting jazz piece. A bit too hectic for my taste maybe but still a fun listen with tons of funky brass tones and great performances. 7/10
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3/5
Kinda fun. 5/10
Morrissey
3/5
A bit less jangly and more straight pop compared to The Smiths which is cool, and the varied instrumentation was nice as well. A chunk of the songs just don’t do much for me though. 6/10
Boston
4/5
Classic dad rock album, and a pretty decent one at that. I think my dad had this CD on repeat when I was growing up so I surprisingly knew all the songs. Most were decent to good and only one or two weren’t memorable at all. 7/10
The Gun Club
3/5
Unique and fun. 6/10
3/5
Better than the rating would suggest for sure… kind of a minimalist, percussive noise rock with some catchy little bits here and there. 6/10
Jungle Brothers
3/5
Some decent songs but a bit lacking in variety or hooks. 5/10
Metallica
3/5
Probably the most listenable Metallica will be for me. For a few songs it’s really awkward with the symphony and on others it really brings up the guitar and singer performance. I could imagine the concert being epic though. 6/10
Hookworms
3/5
Sounded like a less creative, less fun, less hooky Animal Collective. 5/10
The Killers
4/5
Pure pop rock fantasticalness throughout. The Killers do wear their influences (mostly The Strokes) on their sleeve, but do inject tons of energy and great melodies into this formula. 8/10
SZA
4/5
Super enjoyable all around. Highlights are definitely SZA’s voice and the production is INCREDIBLE on this thing. I’m expecting the songs to grow on me so may need to bump this up to 5 stars at some point but for now… 8/10
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
4/5
I love the bizarreness of this record. I’m just trying to figure out how these guys had the ideas to put all the different parts of this album together, and knowingly form a jumbled mess of music. I don’t understand how one can hate this album since it’s constantly taking interesting turns and telling intriguing stories - it’s a fantastic experience to have. Looking forward to coming back to this one and letting it soak into me and to allow me more time to have the strangeness of it all become more familiar. 7/10
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Actually a pretty sweet album. It was often a bit too abrasive and noisy but under that the songs are pretty interesting. The record just sounds heavy and feels like it’s just pushing against you constantly, so the album art is really a great depiction of that. The Wikipedia mentioned the influence on Nirvana and MBV and it’s 100% noticeable in the music. 7/10
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
I enjoyed it. 6/10
Travis
3/5
Super easy listening, either Oasis without the rock or Radiohead without the dread, but decent enough I guess. 6/10
David Ackles
2/5
Strangely theatrical for a singer-songwriter album. Not much else to say about it. 4/10
Sinead O'Connor
3/5
It was alright… it often feels dramatic for drama’s sake and the weight of the lyrics can’t match the instrumentation. I like the Irish influence being shown instead of just straight up art pop. 5/10
Beastie Boys
4/5
So off the wall and unpredictable but really just an absolute party to listen to. Much of the jazz and Indian influences are pulled off really well. My biggest complaint is the overuse of distortion on the Boys’ voices makes it nearly impossible to understand the lyrics sometimes. 8/10
Spiritualized
4/5
Pretty frickin’ sweet record. It goes all over the place but always brings you back to some calming sound bath to make up for any discomfort it has caused you (very considerate!). 8/10
3/5
Very chill, a few really cool ideas sprinkled in. 5/10
Cornershop
3/5
Interesting to head Indian music mixed into such a familiar indie rock sound. 5/10
Dolly Parton
3/5
A rather heartbreaking record with simple instrumentation and great singing performances. 6/10
Johnny Cash
3/5
A few cool little diddies. 5/10
Sugar
1/5
Toothless, safe rock music… yay, paired with some of the most annoying vocals I could imagine being sung on top of it. 2/10
Bob Dylan
5/5
I think I love it. Simple, but touching acoustic instrumentation and the lyrics really are beautiful or scathing or depressing or whatever Bob wants them to be. 9/10
Neneh Cherry
2/5
Oooooffff was this rough. I couldn't get through 30 seconds without visually cringing. It's so 90s, trying-too-hard-to-be-energetic since the execution of almost everything is just bad. 3/10
Harry Nilsson
4/5
Really good! It really has a Broadway musical feel to it but not in a try-hard or overdone way. Really catching and I loved the incorporation on brass into a few of the songs. 8/10
Beth Orton
3/5
Pretty nice and relaxing. Vocals are really good the strong Irish inflection which was refreshing. 6/10
Spacemen 3
2/5
Flip flops between being way to minimalist space rock and way to dull and brute-forced noise rock, and no melodies to be found whatsoever. 4/10
Neil Young
3/5
A few decent cuts sprinkled throughout but quite a few sleepers surrounding those. I think of all the Neil Young I've heard, this is the most enjoyment I've gleaned from him, but still not amazing in my opinion. 6/10
Dr. John
4/5
Love me a good spooky, voodooy psychedelic rock album. It really is quite different from anything else I've heard before, and some really fun quirky songs throughout. 7/10
Tom Waits
4/5
Is... is this actually happening? Tom Waits is growing on me?? After two pretty atrocious albums from the list, the most recent two have been pretty.. dare I say.. enjoyable. This one is just experimental enough to keep me intrigued but still has some really nice songwriting and jazz bits. 7/10
Doves
3/5
It provided a baseline enjoyment all the way through. Probably with more listens the songs would start to differentiate themselves but on one listen it seemed really monotonous. 6/10
Talking Heads
4/5
I wanted to love it but ended up just liking it. It won’t smack you over the head with hooks or Melodie’s but the production is really interesting and the vocals are the classic quirky Talking Heads. 7/10
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
Heavy, repetitive, sometimes good and sometimes pretty boring. 4/10
TLC
3/5
The highs are really high, but just too many lows in between to make me want to come back to it. Could’ve cut some filler songs and probably didn’t need 34 interludes and would’ve given it more replay value. 6/10
Marianne Faithfull
2/5
Ehhh just not for me. 4/10
Robert Wyatt
4/5
Just a freaking cool. way-out-there, off-the-wall type of album. Somehow the combination of incorporating grand instrumentation with an ambient and experimental style ends up in such in interesting listen. 7/10
Fairport Convention
3/5
Kinda nice, kinda interesting with all of the traditional folk songs, kinda boring. 5/10
Buena Vista Social Club
4/5
Has a nice atmosphere to it, and it really varies from track-to-track which style of hispanic music you'll get. Not as much energy as something like Siembra which I love, but still very listenable. 7/10
Wu-Tang Clan
3/5
More East Coast rap that I just can't get into enough. I know how much of a classic this thing is but so many of these Wu-Tang and respective member albums just don't do much for me. It feels like a brutal word salad being thrown at me without much the firmly hold onto in terms of hooks or catchy flows. 6/10
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Mostly pretty cool. The songs build and build into these jazzy soul ballads. 6/10
Arrested Development
4/5
Some real high points which make the whole thing definitely worth a listen. They real do sound so similar to De La Soul (down to the flows even) to me that it makes it hard to see them as ripping off DLS a little. Still a good album in its own right though. 7/10
Suzanne Vega
3/5
Was alright. 5/10
Klaxons
3/5
Don’t remember much of it tbh. 5/10
Julian Cope
2/5
Feels like the writers were grasping at straws to fill the book and asked random people on the street what the final albums should be and one of those people happened to be Julian Cope. 3/10
Elbow
5/5
I've listened to this a few times now and it really is incredible every single time. First off, the lyrics are fantastic - imaginative, playful, poetic, and sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes uplifting. The band behind frontman Guy Garvey play with a delicateness and at times brashness that conveys so much emotion and builds great tension. Overall, the album feels like you're transported into a childhood fairyland with equal parts light and dark that juxtapose each other so well. 9/10
Soundgarden
3/5
As far as grunge goes it’s better than most tbh. Many of the songs have strange interjections or influences from range genres (psychedelic, jazz, blues) which makes for some pretty interesting, although still not amazing, songs. 6/10
Ozomatli
3/5
For being a fusion of American and Hispanic rock/rap, it is actually pretty decent, but I think the downfall of the combination is just the perceived lack of authenticity. Any attempt at serious commentary, particularly on a few songs, is just hard to be taken seriously with the latin rap/rock combo. The band certainly knows how to write a hook and finds really catchy melodies to make this a really easy listen. 6/10
Radiohead
4/5
I'd say probably the most accessible Radiohead album I've heard on this list. The genres are kind of all over the place which keeps any of it from getting stale, but many of the songs just don't really build to anything or create any tension or make much of a statement on the state of the world and politics, which after all is pretty much what this record wants to be about. 7/10
The Rolling Stones
3/5
I guess decent enough. I always struggle to get into Rolling Stones as they always just sound like a generic classic rock/blues band that doesn't want to sound too passionate or experimental or make any kind of bold music. 5/10
Mott The Hoople
3/5
Catchy. 5/10
Dolly Parton
3/5
A little disappointing with how the album started out, with two great storytelling tracks. It quickly falls off into a series of love or heartbreak songs, never to return. 6/10
Devendra Banhart
3/5
Some very decent and some not too excited songs mixed in. It feels very Bob Dylan-esque with the poetic lyrics with tons of imagery. I enjoyed it for one listen, but may or may not come back to it. 6/10
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Unfortunately the organ use in jazz really does not do much for me, so much of this album lost its appeal for large chunks. I did enjoy the saxophone bits quite a bit though. 5/10
Boards of Canada
5/5
Just a great listen all-around. The album ebbs and flows with really good pacing, mixing really chill IDM beats with some harder, more normal electronic songs. I feel like I could wake up and play this album every day and it would be a great start to my day! 9/10
Prefab Sprout
3/5
Not too crazy about it. 5/10
Stan Getz
4/5
Love the vibes, super relaxing and pleasant! 7/10
Magazine
2/5
Okay. 4/10
The Darkness
3/5
Very much playing off the classic 70s/80s rock of Def Leppard or Boston, but does a good job of bringing it’s our campy, theatrical flair to each song. 6/10
Meat Puppets
3/5
Kind of decent! An interesting combination of country rock and punk and early grunge. A few songs really sound like Beck and a few more were covered by Nirvana so this thing definitely had some influence. 6/10
Laura Nyro
2/5
Such a shame where the focus of most of the songs are the vocals, and the vocals are not that great.. I think Laura relies too much on her falsetto region way too much and it gets really straight up annoying, bro. Feels like I'm getting shouted at by a sick woman for 45 mins. 3/10
Kings of Leon
4/5
Decent enough. Quite a bit different from what I expect from Kings of Leon, almost a mix between the garage rock of The Strokes and the silliness/funk of RHCP. I think the biggest letdown is the lyrics throughout the album since, like RHCP, they’re really all over the place and head scratching. 7/10
Ryan Adams
4/5
Very very decent country rock and singer-songwriter tunes! Ryan finds a beautiful melancholy in both the tone and the lyrics of these songs. 8/10
Talking Heads
5/5
Probably just a perfect album. To sum it all up in one single word, that word would simply be INFECTIOUS. The album just makes you want to get up and move around and flail your arms and legs and head in all different directions, it's fantastic! 10/10
Elliott Smith
3/5
Was alright. 5/10
N.E.R.D
3/5
One of the more bizarre records I’ve had on here for sure. I’ve heard some of N.E.R.D’s stuff before, but not too much of this record. It’s just so off the wall and strange and the lyrics get a bit weird in some parts too. I think the production is pretty sweet though. 6/10
Joan Armatrading
3/5
Decent enough. Joan’s voice is really a pleasant listen and the songs feel well written. Just a little too “not my type of music” for me to love though. 5/10
David Bowie
4/5
A very very enjoyable listen. It was pretty much a sure fire 5-star for me until the final two songs which didn’t strike me as being too interesting. 8/10
The Stranglers
4/5
Groovy one. Easy-going and silly for being punk rock and actually has tons of catchy hooks or riffs throughout. 7/10
The xx
4/5
Ahhh yes, the greatest Intro of all the intros throughout the world of music. Beyond this gem the album gleams with simple, yet catchy and moving pop songs sung by male or female (or neither) vocals. It is a lesson in building momentum through tiny, almost unnoticed introduction of a new beat that crescendos into a final, gorgeous, pounding drum of emotion. 7/10
The Human League
3/5
It’s indeed new wave… but not much more to say about it than that. 5/10
Madonna
4/5
I’m very surprised how much I enjoyed this one. Mostly on the production side the songs are really pretty groundbreaking for 2000 with glitchy synths and a lot of vocal effects that make it a pretty fun listen. 7/10
The Beta Band
2/5
Feels like a real shot in the dark by the editors tbh. Somehow a combination of creative and boring at the same time. 4/10
The Police
3/5
Felt quite same-y with not much at all to differentiate the songs. A handful of nice little catchy tunes but I’m not crazy about it. 6/10
Everything But The Girl
4/5
Very chill. 7/10
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Rather disappointed in this one. The mix between folk and hard rock in interesting, but many of the songs are so one-dimensional and don't really develop into much more than they start with. Also, the mixing on the final track (in the remaster) is atrocious. 6/10
Elliott Smith
4/5
Pretty good little album. I think I prefer it over the last Elliott Smith I had about two weeks ago.. the songs just seemed to make more of an impression on the first listen. On the second listen I think it grew on me with recognizing the melodies a little more. 7/10
Soul II Soul
3/5
A few jams in the mix. 5/10
Randy Newman
4/5
Randy coming in hot with the hottest diss track of 1974! Made me chuckle quite a bit how tongue in cheek and over the top some of the southerner POV lyrics are. 7/10
Chicago
3/5
Tons of energy! Possibly too much for a 76 minute album, but a fun listen nonetheless. 6/10
Stevie Wonder
5/5
Those sweet, sweet, squelchy synths are just pure bliss to my virgin ears! 9/10
Scott Walker
2/5
BOOORRRINNNGGGG. 3/10
2/5
Good god nu-metal is just the worst shit ever. I really wanted to give it 1 star because of how up-it’s-own-ass the final song is, but the rest of the album wasn’t absolutely atrocious, more just annoying. 3/10
Ride
3/5
Pretty decent! Sometime could be a bit too noisy for my taste, but the more delicate songs and melodies are pretty sweet. 6/10
Paul Simon
3/5
Was a lot more playful and colorful than I expected based on the Wikipedia article. 5/10
Shivkumar Sharma
3/5
Very pretty music, definitely a westernized version of Indian music which I think lets it sit better and not feel as grating as some can be. 6/10
Black Sabbath
3/5
Ehhh, it’s some heavy metal with a few softer cuts sprinkled in. Can’t say I was super impressed by too much of it, but I did still really enjoy Ozzy’s vocals. 5/10
John Lee Hooker
2/5
Seemed to be blues without the passion that I'd usually expect from blues. I understand that Hooker was a bit older when this released so perhaps did not have the same youthful energy of Otis in the 60's, but it does make the whole thing feel pretty mundane. 4/10
The Mars Volta
2/5
I listened to this about 2 weeks ago and don't really remember too much about it tbh.. 4/10
Pink Floyd
3/5
The concept is intriguing, and Pink Floyd certainly has the talent to pull it off, but many of the tracks, particularly at the front end of the album are just straightforward arena rock without much interesting about them. Towards the middle of the record, once Pink's 'wall' is complete the songs become more spacey and creative, but it's a long time to reach that point. 6/10
Afrika Bambaataa
3/5
An okay funky little early hip hop album. Ends up being pretty repetitive to fill the time but the dancy grooves are there. 5/10
4/5
On first listen so many of the songs just sounded awful/awkward to me.. and I'm sure that is partially intentional, just since it's Devo, but after a few listens it really grew on me. Super goofy, wacky, bizarre and mechanical but still has bops. 8/10
Morrissey
4/5
Actually quite a nice album from late-stage Morrissey. The songs and lyrics are potent with scorching lyrics on the US and British politics. When the more modern production comes in I think it is really well done and suits Morrissey well. 7/10
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Definitely a classic record. Hard to harp too much on any of it since I do love me some old-school soul and Aretha brings tons of energy and passion to the songs as well. 7/10
Cypress Hill
3/5
I get a little more out of this compared to some of the older rap on this list. It's in your face, but not obnoxiously so, and still holds a good sense of hooks to keep it memorable. 5/10
Thin Lizzy
3/5
Decent enough, but sometime it's a bit uninspired with really basic rock songs. I really do enjoy the lead singers voice though. I also think it starts off really strong and fall off big time around the 3/4 mark.. unfortunate, since if they just cut a few tracks it would've been a much better listen. 6/10
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
Just a really chill album, with great musicianship from both parties. A few songs are more afrobeat/traditional African sounding and a few are more westernized blues style. The singing on particularly the African sounding tracks is a really good listen and could almost always put me in a great mood. 8/10
Van Morrison
4/5
Having given the last Van Morrison album a 5, I must say his default sound is something I will always enjoy. This album keeps that em I’ve going while working in some covers and some classic blues, with great work from a large backing band of brass. It all sounds good when it’s on but I think only a few songs are really standouts and made it want to return to the album. 7/10
Nick Drake
4/5
Compared to Pink Moon, which I had about a year ago and become my most listened to album last year, the lush instrumentation definitely doesn’t suit Nick’s style as well in my opinion. Maybe I just like sad music though, I don’t know. Still very good and the songs are well crafted for sure. 7/10
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
A little more palatable than almost every other of his albums on here since some of the hooks are decent and he’s not always really annoying sounding, but I still dislike Costello’s music with a passion. 5/10
The Zutons
3/5
Starts much stronger than it ends. Very punchy and catchy pop-punk/rock. Unfortunately it seems the band just ran out of steam towards the end.. 6/10
Dead Kennedys
3/5
Goddamn did these guys just not give any care about offending anyone and everyone they could (see track “I Kill Children” as reference). The band can often sound repetitive like they’re using the same riffs in multiple tracks, and thank god Spotify has the lyrics to tell me what the hell this dude is saying, but nonetheless a pretty entertaining listen. 6/10
Stevie Wonder
5/5
A truly classic album from Stevie here. It is a bit of a slow burn compared to the other three albums from this 'classic period' of his, but still so much quality throughout this thing. It stays interesting through the whole 100+ minute runtime, although with one or two songs that maybe don't add much. 9/10
Barry Adamson
2/5
It's certainly an interesting idea for a debut album.. showcasing your soundtrack writing abilities for a dark noir murder mystery film, but without any plot of this made-up movie the music just doesn't do enough on its own. There are a few snippets of the story being told but they are completely without context and therefore don't have much of an effect. 4/10
The Coral
2/5
It may not technically be directly in the ska category but dagnabbit I'm calling this a ska record and no one can stop me. It's funny that almost every professional review runs in a similar way - "One fantastic song (Dreaming of You), among other decent tracks", when there's not much to make that track standout between so many of the others here. It's not especially catchy or profound or anything, just another decent funky ska song. 4/10
Amy Winehouse
4/5
Really cool record. Certainly not quite Back to Black but it's going for a different vibe. The instrumentals are both more jazzy at points or more trip-hoppy, which is a really amazing and smooth combination with Amy's singing. 7/10
Talking Heads
4/5
Kinda slaps. I've had the records before and after this and seems the closer in the discography to Remain in Light the more I enjoy the Talking Heads. This one has some really hilarious bits and I love David Byrne's vocals throughout, just so much character. 8/10
Badly Drawn Boy
2/5
A truly "bewildering" record... never heard anything like it and never will again... 100% unlike any other music that has come before it.... 4/10
Joanna Newsom
2/5
Oldschool Runescape soundtrack goes harder. 4/10
American Music Club
2/5
Generic music from a generic band name on a generic album name. 4/10
Laibach
3/5
Now this is some gourmet Soviet-era sounding s***. 5/10
Miles Davis
4/5
Definitely a really cool listen. I think the first track is a bit too all over the place for my taste but still pretty good. The second track 'In A Silent Way' is just a masterpiece, though. I never expected to find a beautiful ambient song on a Miles Davis record but here we are. And the complementary middle section of the song is amazing! 8/10
Madonna
4/5
I respect Madonna for having the gumption to make a whole pop record founded on trip-hop and electronica in a time when that idea wouldn't have been on anyone's radar. And she pulls the ambitious effort off really quite well, with lots of futuristic tracks on here. 7/10
Serge Gainsbourg
4/5
Actually really impressive what Serge does on this album. The sly spoken word (with a heavy helping of mouth sounds) is just so very French, but like in the good way. Just a really sweet and interesting listen. 7/10
Yes
3/5
It's prog rock... not totally my thing was a fine listen. 5/10
Hanoi Rocks
2/5
Was this really necessary? 4/10
Linkin Park
4/5
The nostalgia hits real hard with this one... I think I grew up solely on this album and College Dropout. It didn't quick keep it's shine after these 20 years like CD did, but still a really fun listen for me. One of the reviews mentioned on Wikipedia criticized it's 'boilderplate-aggro lyrics' which I think sums up my problem with it. Also, a few tracks are clearly much more superior to the other handfull. 7/10
Paul Simon
5/5
Honestly, it's fantastic. The meshing of rock with the punchy South African sounds is just so spot on and perfect. I had so much fun listening to this the first two times and I'm sure it will just keep growing on me. 10/10
Paul McCartney and Wings
3/5
A handful of standouts but the rest doesn't live up to that level. I don't dislike it one bit but really nothing too special at the same time. 6/10
The Verve
2/5
Yeeaahhhh... non-specific, melodramatic lyrics with really noisy and hazy guitars is not a recipe for enjoyment in my book. 3/10
Lou Reed
4/5
Mostly pretty sweet! I definitely lean more towards the VU sounding tracks over those that are what I'd say are more Bowie sounding. The quirky, awkward, deanpan vocals really do just work well for Lou and makes that album a really interesting listen. 7/10
Sonic Youth
3/5
If every track was like the leadoff song then I'd be in love with it, but just quite a bit too noisy for me. Most have some cool little guitar licks that meander behind the noise so thats a good time. 6/10
The Dictators
4/5
Honestly, one of the funnier albums I've had on this list. Starting it off with a guy boasting about how much money he already has and how he's only doing the crowd a service by showing up is just peak comedy for a punk album. Feels like punk with just very rounded edges. The covers keep it rather interesting as well. 7/10
3/5
Decent enough for britpop, although I wouldn’t necessarily classify it as that anyways. Lots of catchy little riffs and quirky vocal bits makes it a fun listen. 6/10
The Blue Nile
4/5
Actually a pretty dope album! It’s simple and delicate but each sound and note feels very intentional to create a really catchy and interesting record. 8/10
Paul Simon
4/5
Perhaps I have unrealistic expectations for this Paul Simon record since I just had Graceland a few albums before it, and although it doesn’t live up to the creativity and fun of that one it is still a quality listen. Some cute song topics mixed with effective political takes as well, and just a very lighthearted and innocent sound throughout. 7/10
Duke Ellington
3/5
Pretty decent jazz, with some fun announcing and crowd-noise bits. Love hearing a jazz festival riot, just sounds so silly to me. 6/10
Justin Timberlake
3/5
Starts out decent to great (mostly on the instrumental front) but drops off quite a bit in the second half. For being a JT pop album I could hardly recall any song from the backside except for the one that sounds EXACTLY like a Stevie Wonder song (random). 5/10
Stephen Stills
2/5
Simple, harmless folk rock but nothing that hasn’t really been done better by Simon + Garfunkel or similar. 4/10
Kanye West
5/5
Just kind of an insane record for an artist like Kanye to drop at the top of his popularity after MBDTF. Fuses so many genres with the hard industrial hip-hop sound (shout out to the Bon Iver feature!), and just makes pure bangers from it all. 9/10
Ryan Adams
2/5
Just not really at all as good as Heartbreaker, which I really did enjoy. This one just feels so longwinded and doesn't pull really any emotion into the songs. 4/10
The The
3/5
Like Pet Shop Boys but experimental, kinda cool! 6/10
The Young Rascals
3/5
The more 'classic' love-song-type tracks are fine but basic, but I enjoyed the psychedelic songs quite a bit more. Definitely very hook on either style the band pursues which makes it a real easy listen. 5/10
Björk
4/5
So I have loved the previous (earlier) Bjork albums I've had from this list, but this one is really pushing the limits of how much I enjoy her experimentation. I do not think it is bad in any way and I truly appreciate the concept of a fully human record, but it simply can be an awkward listen at times. 7/10
System Of A Down
4/5
Really pretty cool. System of a Down has a knack for doing what few metal acts do (although I’m sure they could, but just refuse to) and that’s to actually write a catchy hook or guitar riff. This album uses a lot of great shifts in pace to keep it interesting too. 7/10
Megadeth
2/5
Just… not my thing. 3/10
Richard Hawley
3/5
Started off much stronger than it finished in my opinion. I was actually enamored by the first track, with its lush strings and Richard's deep baritone voice smoothly floating on top of it. This continues but not as effectively on the next few tracks (maybe The Ocean being the exception). By the end it's just a few older styled country ballads that don't really have much emotion in any way. 5/10
Tangerine Dream
3/5
Often times a bit too abstract and minimal for me, as if it's simply noises without creating any sort of atmosphere or soundscape, but at other points it does this quite well and makes for a very nice listen. Not my favorite ambient record I've ever heard but certainly decent and probably very influential since it's such an early release in the genre. 6/10
Motörhead
2/5
After about 20 minutes I realized I hated the dude's voice and couldn't recall any individual song since they all sound extremely similar. 3/10
Slipknot
2/5
Rather unsettling, which is probably an intended outcome, but not exactly what I want from my music. 3/10
Maxwell
3/5
Quite a hit-or-miss typa album in my opinion. About half the tracks don't do really anything for me, but the other half just have something small (e.g. a baseline or guitar plucks or something) that totally transform the sound into something really good. 6/10
Sepultura
2/5
Play guitar and drums fast and throw in a bunch of lyrics invoking hate or sadness or the seven deadly sins and repeat nine times to make a classic metal record? 3/10
Christine and the Queens
4/5
Much more subdued and restrained than I expected, but Chris(tine) pulls it off pretty decently. The instrumentals are extremely atmospheric and airy and the vocals on top of nice and chill with some really good hooks. I think where the album falls short is the lyrics which maybe I just need to read into more, but I just didn't catch what some of the songs were about or were just very surface level. 7/10
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Okay okay okay, I know this is like lower-common-denominator classic rock that is appeal to the masses and doesn't necessarily have the most interesting concepts, but something about the feeling of listening to it just makes me feel like I need to eat a plate of fried chicken and run through the city with an American flag. It conjures an image of America with total freedom and bliss which of course isn't the case at any point, but can't we pretend for just these 39 minutes? 8/10
SAULT
3/5
I appreciate the message more than the music, and the music is mostly fine in my opinion. I know I'm probably not the target audience for this album, but I was enjoying the affirmation and validation that the album provides and I hope it reaches the ears of those that need to hear it. 6/10
Randy Newman
3/5
Another interesting little listen from Randy. I mostly enjoyed the lush production on some tracks and the satirical songwriting (Burn On, God's Song, Political Science). A few songs really don't amount to much outside their title which leaves something to be desired. 6/10
FKA twigs
4/5
I'd say it's fine. The production is certainly the highlight and sounds really fantastic listening with quality earphones. I think what the album lacks is any sort of cohesive songwriting (a lot of repetition, probably to leave room for the production to shine) and really just weak hooks (the songs just ain't that catchy). 7/10
Pere Ubu
3/5
What a silly one! Reminded me a lot of Talking Heads but even more off-the-wall. A handful of really good tunes that are definitely worth a listen, but the other 5/6 are just not doing much for me, including the two rather long 4-5 minutes instrumental interludes. 5/10
Les Rythmes Digitales
2/5
I would say the producer deserved to be on the list more than this solo album. Turns out he has worked on and produced some of the best pop music in the last ~20 years (Dua Lipa, Rina Sawayama, Jessie Ware) so just for that I won't hate on this album too much.
A few really cool songs but many verge on annoyingly repetitive. I like the punchy synths on a few or the spacey closing track. 4/10
Culture Club
2/5
Only about two songs worth relistening to on the album, seems like the other ones are just trying to repeat something to the point that is gets catchy. 4/10
The Isley Brothers
2/5
Kind of a sleeper. It’s almost too smooth to really keep my attention and rarely has anything catchy or interesting lyrics to make me want to keep listening. 4/10
George Michael
3/5
Eeehhhhh it's like if you took all the catchiness out of pop and replaced it with sad, mediocre balladry. 5/10
Pavement
4/5
Pretty into this! It comes across at first as super slapped together or low effort but on the second listen you start to hear the details and little melodies throughout the songs. Just a really fun listen. 7/10
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
Pretty much straight cookie-cutter classic rock with a little haze and grunge tossed in there. Not really anything I need again though. 4/10
Big Brother & The Holding Company
4/5
Flippin’ sweet little album. Love the heavy soul sound and Janis’ vocals just absolutely carry the whole thing as she brings so much uniqueness and passion to the music. 8/10
Steve Winwood
2/5
It's, like, too chill... 4/10
Kate Bush
5/5
WOW. Kate seems totally unhinged and unrestrained on this album, and just so over-the-top theatrical and dramatic. I love so many aspects about this album including the wild orchestral instrumentation, mix of Kate's and deep male (almost chant-ish) vocals and just how raw it all feels. Since starting this list I've gotten quite a bit into Björk and I can absolutely see this as a huge influence. Crazy fun! 9/10
The Velvet Underground
5/5
Being the second VU album I've heard, I expected the dark, experimental style of Velvet Underground & Nico. There is a bit of that in spots here, but this record seems to be much more straightforward psychedelic rock and I still welcome that. Really nice mix of a bunch of different sounds that make just a beautiful album. Extremely listenable! 9/10
The White Stripes
4/5
Although I can't say I enjoy it as much as White Blood Cells from a few years prior, I do appreciate the duo's ability to change up their sound and experiment just a bit with some funky new instruments. I don't think there's a bad song on this album, but many just do not hit as hard as those off WBCs. 7/10
The Saints
2/5
Kinda fun, kinda annoying. 4/10
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
4/5
Like a less Britpop Blur, so therefore a better Blur. 7/10
Japan
2/5
One or two of the darker, more atmospheric songs were decent but the rest is just pretty run of the mill synth pop. 4/10
Todd Rundgren
3/5
Slut right at the end really threw me for loop on the vibes of this guy. Quite a few jams but quite a few forgettable tracks as well, probably could've been reduced to just a single album. 5/10
Eagles
3/5
More country than I expected, I must say, even with the country-rock label of this thing. Super chill and easy listen which is fine, but a few songs just float by without making any impact, which isn't great for only a 10 song album. 5/10
Wilco
4/5
Great little melodies or instrument riffs with a really nice mix of different sounds and styles. I think where it disappoints for me are the lyrics which are either just partially nonsense or too poetic and vague for my peanut music brain. 7/10
Peter Gabriel
3/5
Just so all over the place... I can definitely see the prog-rock roots for a few of the songs with Peter coming straight from Genesis, but then you also have a song like Solsbury Hill which is mostly so pop-y and conventional and catchy (love this one). A very strange listen indeed. 5/10
Dennis Wilson
2/5
Probably on here more for the artists and his story than the music itself because the music itself is super generic. 4/10
Talvin Singh
4/5
I was gonna make some dumb joke like "This album was OK lolol" but honestly it's too good to not write more about it.
After the first track I was hoping it'd stay in this electronic/classical mix (this entire track is euphoric). I was only mildly disappointed that it didn't not revisit the string section often. That being said, the rest of the songs are really quite a nice listen and perfect for enjoying a walk in good weather. 8/10
Frank Sinatra
3/5
Bossa nova is probably the safest genre for avoiding any hate, and this is no exception. Hard to hate on it too much since it sounds generally nice, but nothing crazy new or groundbreaking about it. I think Getz + Gilberto did it better. 5/10
The Clash
2/5
It’s all just so similar and so simply written it doesn’t leave anything interesting unless you really like the straightforward punk sound. 4/10
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Truly a breathtaking record. In the final days or his life Leonard put together this collection of beautiful songs bursting with tragedy and accepting of the fate of death. This album really is a masterpiece in complementing instrumentals with lyrics/vocals, as both are stunning. 8/10
Van Morrison
3/5
A decent little listen here. I think my brain needs so sort of chorus or hook or storyline to latch onto when I listen to music and this album is unfortunately completely devoid of any of those with the flow-of-consciousness songwriting. Much of the time it just comes off as rambling, but I still enjoy the vibe and instrumentals. 6/10
Jack White
4/5
I would say it's definitely on par with the other White Stripes albums I've had on the list. Jack seems to have a very acute knack for catchy songwriting and riffs and always delivers quite a bit of variation throughout his records which I appreciate. I'll file it under albums I could come back to if I need something random to listen to. 7/10
Cowboy Junkies
3/5
My parents love Cowboy Junkies so I'm not going to hate on it too much. The songs are very pretty and pleasant and the vocals quite angelic. 5/10
Radiohead
4/5
Pretty confident this is Radiohead's most listenable and accessible album. I don't want to deduct points for lack of experimentation, since many albums take an already well-known sound and do amazing things with it, this album just doesn't give me much to think on. It's easy listening and decent enough when it's on but there's very little to pull me back to it. 7/10
Elastica
3/5
Slightly better than I expected since it's more electro-pop or new wave-y than straight britpop which seems to be the bane of my existence. 5/10
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
A few okay-ish songs, but the usual evil-deeds sound from Nick hasn't so far been my style. Not bad for sure, but just not really for me. 4/10
John Lennon
3/5
‘Twas fine. 5/10
Kelela
4/5
The production is really really nice, but very often overshadows the vocals, which I'd say are decent but not amazing. I think it goes for creating a specific chill/sexy vibe over truly making content with a message. I know that is for some people but it's a negative aspect for me. 7/10
Missy Elliott
3/5
A handful of highs with really interesting and fun production and often times the guest features add a lot to Missy's raps as well. Outsides of these though I think many of the songs are a little forgettable and just don't make much impact. 5/10
Morrissey
3/5
COYG! 5/10
The Louvin Brothers
2/5
Probably the darkest record I've heard from the 50s, which isn't really saying too much but still. 4/10
The Replacements
3/5
Kinda cool. Definitely goes beyond the basic punk or pop-punk sounds which I really enjoyed about it. 6/10
Lucinda Williams
2/5
Too often is this just listing off what she is seeing or observing on a simple drive through the country. 3/10
Quicksilver Messenger Service
3/5
Definitely more interesting than I expected. The first half medley is pretty decent with various solos or breakdowns which is nice. The second half might get a little dry at points. 6/10
Bee Gees
3/5
Really a nice variety of sounds and each are executed quite well! A bit slow for my taste but it was a nice simple listen. 5/10
The Rolling Stones
3/5
A fine, basic little record from the Stones. Can’t say it’s incredible considering other artists (usually the original songwriters) have done more with most of the songs, so yeah it’s just fine. 6/10
Sonic Youth
2/5
Like the many of the Sonic Youth albums I've had (this in #4), it's just a bit too noisey/anti-melodic for me. They do tend to tone it down for a few songs on each record though and those are always nice. 4/10
Jamiroquai
3/5
Who let Stevie Wonder get his hands on a didgeridoo?! 5/10
Spiritualized
3/5
Not really as immediately catchy or awe-inspiring as the Ladies and Gentlemen... album. I would say this one is quite a bit more ambient and therefore kind of just meanders through many of the songs for 6-7 mins. 5/10
Beastie Boys
4/5
I don't think it has the hooks or "in-your-face-ness" of the other few Beastie Boys albums I've had, but still a very quality listen with tons of hilarious or silly lyrics from the Boys. 7/10
G. Love & Special Sauce
4/5
A cool one! Just a really cool vibe with the straight funk mixed with rap aesthetics. Wouldn't mind coming back to it tbh. 7/10
Orbital
2/5
Rather repetitive (I know that's much of electronic music but this is repetitive in the boring way) and dated sounding. 4/10
Guided By Voices
2/5
I went to go pee and missed 13 songs from this album. 4/10
The Stone Roses
3/5
A fine, easy listen. Very Beatles-esque at points and very The Smiths-esque in other points, both whom I enjoy. 6/10
Lupe Fiasco
4/5
It really made my day to see Lupe made this list. He's one of my favorite artists ever, despite not having the strongest commercial performances from his records. I have loved his ability to take a subject and craft a whole song around it (see Kick, Push and Daydreaming as perfect examples). As for this one in particular, I wouldn't say it is his best but still great (I'd take The Cool over this). I think the highs are incredible while the other tracks are pretty good but not amazing. 8/10
The White Stripes
3/5
DAAAAA-da-dá-da-da-DUUUHHHH-DUUUHHHH. 6/10
Deep Purple
3/5
Starts with three bangers, but quickly devolves into long, drawn-out solos or rambling nothingness. 5/10
Michael Jackson
3/5
Decent listen. I appreciate the Stevie influence on many of the songs, and the whole thing comes off very smooth. 6/10
PJ Harvey
3/5
Was fine. Listened to it a while ago and just now getting around to writing the review but I remember it being decent! 5/10
Aretha Franklin
3/5
Pretty cool. Gotta respect Aretha's tunes. 6/10
Peter Gabriel
2/5
A fine album, quite imaginative but not much to keep me locked into it. 4/10
Kings of Leon
4/5
It's decent enough. From past KoL albums I think they're at their best when they are irreverent and blunt and crude, which pops up every once in a while here but really gets soft by the end of the album, as if they were trying to gentrify their sound. 7/10
Fatboy Slim
3/5
At its best it’s chill and pleasant and a nice sound to hangout to, but too often strays into annoying synths or too aggressive for my taste. 5/10
3/5
Some silly dilly songs in here! 6/10
Sabu
3/5
Feels like sitting in on a jam session which is okay but the songs just lack any sort of structure so each becomes kind of old after some time. 6/10
Ray Charles
3/5
I think the in-your-face big band sound only works for the first song, but luckily the middle and end of the album works really nicely with beautiful love ballads and great arrangements behind Ray's voice. 6/10
The Pretty Things
2/5
It's like the Beatles but in rock opera form and it's fine. 4/10
The Doors
3/5
Nice classic blues from The Doors. Only maybe 3-4 standouts throughout the whole thing. 5/10
Arctic Monkeys
5/5
Yeah it's a banger of an album. Love the rawness of it and the "don't-give-a-wankers-bum" (Is that what the Brits say?) attitude! 9/10
John Prine
4/5
One of the most interesting country albums I’ve had on the list. Feels very unconventional in its themes while still relying on the old country sound from the 70s. Could see myself coming back to it when I’m in a mood for country music! 7/10
Frank Zappa
3/5
Kinda cool, very jammy and experimental makes it a really interesting listen at least. 6/10
Kings of Leon
4/5
Decent album. Kings of Leon’s early stuff I have enjoyed a little bit just with how raw and unpolished it is and this falls right into place there. 7/10
Bill Callahan
3/5
I enjoyed it more than expected. I really like the simple yet beautiful guitar, some hints of horns, and the deadpan vocals were a little off-putting at first but ended up growing on me. It definitely shines most in the poetic lyrics which are usually pretty tragic but find a beauty in the sadness, and often leave room for much interpretation. 6/10
T. Rex
4/5
Just a really fun album. Tons of fun rifts and melodies throughout, although I think it falls apart a bit on the second half, with many of the songs not making much of an impression. 7/10
David Bowie
4/5
This is a really interesting album. I think the jazzy instrumentals do a lot of the carrying, but David's performances are still really good too. Sometimes the lyrics can be a little simple or too all-over-the-place for me. 7/10
4/5
Definitely more interesting than some of the 60s rock on this list. I think it made more of an impression on me than any other Kinks record has as well. Some basic critique of I guess English culture at the time but the songs that accompany this critique is a pretty good listen. 7/10
Tricky
3/5
Starts very strong but doesn’t end as interesting as I’d hope. The beats are at the same time sparse but layered with a lot of really cool ideas. 6/10
The 13th Floor Elevators
2/5
Very unremarkable psychedelic rock (doesn’t matter if it’s the first to label it that). Best part of it is the album art. 3/10
Leonard Cohen
3/5
It's fine. A bit too poetic and abstract in the lyrics to where it's not totally clear what he's talking about on first listen and I don't really need a second listen. 5/10
Ghostface Killah
3/5
A few standouts. Probably with a closer listen I would get more from it so might come back to it. 6/10
Os Mutantes
4/5
Super rad album! Wacky and off-the-wall and creative and catchy. Will really enjoy coming back to this. 8/10
Christina Aguilera
4/5
Actually a good record. Definitely could've been cut down a bit but a lot of good performances and decent enough song topics to keep it all interesting. 7/10
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Come on 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, Come on! 6/10
Pink Floyd
4/5
Obviously a bonafide classic. I think it perfectly balances accessibility with the space rock and prog rock tropes. Truly epic at points and truly catchy throughout. 8/10
Pere Ubu
2/5
Pretty wonky and strange, but at least unique and interesting at times. 4/10
Dirty Projectors
4/5
Bitte Orca? More like Bitte More-ca! I need more colorful, playful, quirky albums like this and much less stale, bland britpop. 8/10
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
2/5
Supremely bland. 3/10
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
I found it hard to stay focused on the album. The songs all have a similar sound and the vocal aren’t jumping out at you. That being said the songs I listened closely to were nice but I don’t necessarily need to hear it again. 6/10
Isaac Hayes
4/5
Pretty sweet album! Just jammy and funky and soulful with tons of swagger. 7/10
Mekons
3/5
At least it’s a little different… 5/10
Prince
3/5
A very slow-burn of an album. Pretty decent if you're focusing on it but I tended to get distracted throughout. I think a few more listens would bump it up. 6/10
Nanci Griffith
3/5
Pretty cute and sweet. Simple country vibe and Nanci has a pleasant voice. 6/10
Small Faces
2/5
A rather strange one, I like the Happiness Stan storyline! 4/10
Beatles
4/5
A bit disappointed with this one. I've heard so much about this album but never given it a full listen until now. There' a decent amount of very good songs on here, but the rest feels so unnecessary or simply songs that should not have made the cut. Probably at least 10 songs feel like filler and kind of drag out the experience of the record. 7/10
Paul McCartney
2/5
Really a strange choice from a music perspective for this one. Feels like half of an album at best with most of the songs being bland instrumentals, and the other half being pretty boring. Was it only included because of its infamy? I don’t get it. 4/10
Aerosmith
2/5
Can’t say I enjoyed any of it… 3/10
The Mothers Of Invention
4/5
Very surprised with this album after really not enjoying the "We're Only in Tt for the Money" one. But this one is so fun and wonky while still keeping great melodies and mixing in a bunch of different musical styles. Wouldn't mind coming back to it. 7/10
Alice Cooper
2/5
Nahh brother. 3/10
3/5
Long and drawn-out but the band is talented enough and has enough ideas to keep it pretty good. 6/10
John Martyn
5/5
Honestly I love it. I usually don't get much out of these random singer/songwriter albums but damn is this a nice listen. The opening title track is incredible with wistful jazzy bits and then each track after is just nice and simple and catchy. Really surprised by this one! 9/10
Rush
3/5
Lots of good ideas and songwriting, but to be honest the high-pitched voice of the lead singer kind of gets at me. 6/10
George Michael
3/5
A handful of jams with some that perhaps haven't aged great. Definitely will be listening to it again at some point though. 6/10
Big Star
3/5
Ironic it’s called #1 Record and the record company struggled to distribute it. Sounds very agreeable and simple but nothing crazy. 5/10
Elis Regina
3/5
Not confident I listened to the right music, but tbh I liked what I heard either way. Quite a few jams, and I just love Brazilian vibes. 6/10
Fun Lovin' Criminals
2/5
It was okay, but very forgettable. 4/10
Pulp
3/5
Better than expected. Quite a few genres getting mixed on this one and its mostly pretty fun. 6/10
Sly & The Family Stone
2/5
Surprisingly mild.. I expected more energy in either a positive of negative directions here (considering the group was having many internal struggles at this point). The album ends up just being kinda repetitive and not all that interesting. 4/10
Solange
4/5
Pretty good record! Much softer and subtler than I expected in sound, and I think the features add quite a bit. The interludes give some good context for the album as well. 8/10
Black Flag
2/5
Just not for me.. 4/10
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
Okay. 5/10
TV On The Radio
3/5
Kinda cool. A lot of different ideas working into this record and I think they’re executed well. 6/10
2/5
Meh. 4/10
Neil Young
3/5
Enjoyed it a bit more than the few other Neil Young albums I’ve had. Simple and cute and pleasant, and his voice might just be growing on me? 6/10
The Byrds
2/5
Some basic americana sounding stuff. Not much noteworthy but easy enough to listen to. 4/10
Meat Loaf
3/5
Feels like many contradictions, first and foremost the dude's name is Meat Loaf and makes (silly?) heavy metal or hard rock. The music is okay and jumps around quite a bit but none of it is too exciting in my opinion. 5/10
XTC
4/5
A nice one, with lots of fun little melodies and recording tricks. Will look forward to coming back to it. 7/10
David Bowie
3/5
Slightly disappointed from this record. The instrumentals on the backside are probably the highlights from it, while the first half doesn't do much for me. 6/10
Dr. Dre
3/5
A bit bloated and the skits are not that entertaining, but definitely more than a handful of solid to really good tracks here. 6/10
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
4/5
Should have just called it after the first song, with how good it is. The rest is decent but the seven-part Tarkus is just fantastic. Love the silly armadillo tank Tarkus he's just the coolest. 7/10
Public Enemy
2/5
Why did I just get yelled at for 63 minutes?
Interesting to juxtapose this album with The Chronic to see the two distinct styles of 90's rap. I think the more laid back sound of West Coast is more my preference. 4/10
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
The slower songs were highlights, as the heavier metal ones are just not my style. I think a lot of really good material on here though, and doesn't really feel bloated like many double albums tend to. 7/10
Muddy Waters
3/5
A fine album. Fun and catchy, nothing outside the box though. 5/10
Grant Lee Buffalo
2/5
Just okay. 4/10
Coldplay
4/5
Extremely high highs (The Scientist & Clocks) and the rest is decent. Kind of a lull in the middle for a few songs but still finishes well. 7/10
B.B. King
3/5
With these old blues records you kind of know what you're gonna get, so not many surprises here. Still a decent listen but feels like I've heard it 5 times before. 5/10
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
2/5
Like 2 memorable songs but the rest is so washed out and hazy and not so catchy. 3/10
Happy Mondays
3/5
Fun little album. Pretty dancy in the 90's kind of way. 6/10
Genesis
4/5
Feels quite ahead of it's time for being '73 and for being rather... medieval themed. One or two tracks that don't do much for me, but the other few have their moments. Often the tracks drift and flow into different forms and styles and every once in a while the band finds a sound that just SLAPS and I'm like "Oh shit" but then after a minute or two it's gone again. So for those fleeting moments it's still worth it. 7/10
CHVRCHES
3/5
Mostly decent, but can get boring here and there. Song meanings are really pretty vague as well. 6/10
Khaled
2/5
Fine for about 30 minutes but then gets a little grating. Considering the album is around 1 hour 15 it just drags soooo long. 4/10
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
5/5
Really just a gorgeous record all around. I think understanding the context of what was going on with Nick when he wrote this record is essential to fully appreciating it, but even without that context it’s still just a beautiful sounding album. 9/10
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Just not dancey enough for the PSBs... I don't really listen to them for the sentimentality, I listen for the hooks and the grooves. 5/10
The Flaming Lips
4/5
I had high hopes for this one since The Soft Bulletin is one of my favorite finds from this list. I think it carries on from that record well but doesn’t quite have the same creativity or hooks. It just feels a little more toned down in comparison. I would say it’s still a good listen but not quite the ride of Soft Bulletin. 7/10
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
I can’t say I really enjoy this genre of 60s music anyways so this doesn’t do much for me. 5/10
Shuggie Otis
4/5
Pretty cool record. A few chill instrumental pieces that are really nice and the other songs are pleasant and catchy too. 7/10
Frank Black
3/5
Rather longwinded and doesn't have the same 'in-your-face' energy as most of the Pixies stuff I've heard from this list. 5/10
Soft Cell
2/5
Pretty meh. Not catchy enough for pop and not experimental enough to be anything else. 4/10
Love
3/5
I think this album by the band Love is simply a fine little listen, gosh darn it. Some silly little horns sections bring the spice and flair while the bocals have nice little melodies mixed in. 6/10
Queen
2/5
Didn’t make me feel anything, really. 4/10
Lambchop
2/5
An easy listen, with some good variation and lots of instruments in the mix, but somehow it feels so devoid of any emotion of sticking power. Either the lyrics are just too cryptic or it was hard to stay tuned in for the whole song, but the whole thing just feels so melancholic. 4/10
Dagmar Krause
1/5
You have to be a truly sick, twisted human being to give this album a 5. 2/10
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Pretty fine. The more optimistic songs are probably the highlights since I think a Good Times Bruce is way better than a Aww I'm Sad Bruce. 4/10
Hawkwind
2/5
It’s music, I guess. 3/10
Guns N' Roses
3/5
The three hits from this really carry my enjoyment of it. Those three are very good, but generic, heavy metal or rock songs, while the rest of the album stays generic but is just unmemorable, using the most basic classic rock tropes. 5/10
Beck
4/5
Cool record. Tons of variation and grooves in here, and still has enough for some surprises at the end. 8/10
Robert Wyatt
3/5
A pretty silly and wonky one here. I enjoyed the previous Robert Wyatt album I had (Rock Bottom) a bit more but this one is also really interesting. I really enjoyed the free jazz bits but I think often times the songs rely on Robert’s vocals which are… how do I phrase this… bad..? 6/10
Baaba Maal
4/5
A good listen. I think by the end, Baaba's voice becomes slightly taxing to listen to with a lot of wailing, but still a really quality record. 7/10
Ray Price
2/5
Okay. 4/10
Jane's Addiction
2/5
The singer’s voice is just nails on a chalkboard to me so no way I was ever going to enjoy this much. 4/10
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
3/5
Just about fine, some catchy tunes in there but some forgettable ones as well. 5/10
Duran Duran
3/5
Mostly just okay. Don't remember much from it. 5/10
Joe Ely
2/5
Three or four nice songs but the rest are pretty run-of-the-mill and non-memorable. 4/10
The Residents
4/5
This album is straight up anti-music if I've ever heard it, even more so than something like Captain Beefheart. Supremely strange but so intriguing and unsettling at the same time. I didn't know I wanted this in my life but will most likely be coming back to it. 7/10
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
I'd say it's an overall okay album. Not quite as dramatic as Loveless, but still can't really say it 'stripped-back'. I think these shoegaze records really require many listens to find the rifts and melodies in the chaos but I don't really have time for that... 6/10
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
3/5
Snappy and catchy and energetic. Pretty fun album! 6/10
Portishead
4/5
Mostly pretty cool. Definitely can be rather same-y throughout but the beats are decent and the vocals add some tragic emotion which matches the instrumentals. 7/10
The Beta Band
3/5
Decently fun at points but still has periods of just not-so-interesting melodies and such. 5/10
Air
4/5
A pleasant listen with mostly very simple but quality songs. A few do not make me feel like I need to come back to them, but are still rather nice while they are on. 7/10
Simply Red
2/5
It’s fine, it’s just fine. Why the cover look like Frodo though? 4/10
Skepta
4/5
Oi issa mostly enjoyable an' straightforward album frah Skepta, innit? Bare bangers throughout ya 'ear but the bloody mobile call tings are making meh softer than a fresh baked biscuit in tea, eh! 8/10
Antony and the Johnsons
5/5
This album is absolutely incredible. The opener is possible the most beautiful/haunting song I've ever heard, but the vocals have a timbre that I don't think I've ever heard and just grabs a hold of me every time. The rest of the record can be seen as journey through finding one's identity and continues in this understated and gorgeous tone. Truly a unique and amazing album. 10/10
The Stooges
3/5
Definitely quite different for the time period, as to be expected from The Stooges. Too often though the songs get pretty dry and uninteresting by the time they’re over. 5/10
Björk
4/5
Another good record from Björk. Feels like the heavier, darker sister album to Vespertine. Only complaint is by the end it feels like you’ve just been berated with synths for a bit too long. 7/10
MC Solaar
3/5
Kinda cool. I can only judge the flows and beats so I think I’m missing a good chunk of what usually makes hip hop so great, the lyricism. I don’t speak any French but oh well, Say la Vee or whatever. 5/10
Deep Purple
2/5
Already had the live album with most of this on it... don't understand why it is imperitive that I hear both of these? 4/10
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
2/5
Some freaky stuff going on here... 4/10
Taylor Swift
5/5
It's funny, I've always thought that I enjoyed Folklore more than this record, but after relistening to both today I think Evermore is simply superior is almost every way. Folklore has the song of the two (exile) but Evermore wins everything else. Catchy but not poppy, and so many emotions throughout it as well with really good storytelling and topics explored. I know I enjoyed this one but didn't expected to come back to it and love it as much as I do. 9/10
Eurythmics
4/5
Figured this might be one of those One hit Wonder albums where everything else is bland, but it's a little better than that. Some pretty fun other songs beyond the title track, although it is still a straight banger. 7/10
Nico
3/5
I don’t really mind Nico’s voice; I think it’s simple yet quite pleasant. My problems with this album come from the instrumentation either being bland or too over-the-top dramatic and sounding like something out of the medieval period. 5/10
Lana Del Rey
4/5
Another one I actually am familiar with, what a treat! I've always mostly enjoyed this album. It is quite subtle in it's beauty and won't hit you over the head with it, but a really nice listen nonetheless. Lana's vocals are incredible here and nearly solely carry the whole record. 8/10
Alice In Chains
3/5
Definitely more accessible/commercial than I was expecting, and since grunge is really not my favorite genre that means it was better than I was expecting as well... 5/10
The Vines
2/5
Really just doesn't do much for me. The songs are super generic and repetitive. Maybe one or two songs worth coming back for but certainly not enough to justify the placement on this list. 4/10
D'Angelo
4/5
Good but not great I'd say... Very listenable over all and just by the nature of the genre I think it's tough for the songs to be perfectly gripping or catchy, just because of how lowkey it all is. Still a really nice album! 7/10
Arcade Fire
4/5
Really took a few listens for me to appreciate this one. On first listen it really is just so "arena-rocky" and noisy and even overproduced. With subsequent playthroughs I was able to get past this and hear some nice melodies, with decent lyrics as well. 7/10
Buck Owens
3/5
Fun little country album. A nice mix of styles for the most part and touches on some interesting or funny topics. 6/10
Keith Jarrett
5/5
I might intentionally inflate this rating since this is my mother's favorite record ever and she had told me about it many times. I really did enjoy it as well, though. Keith is a master of improv on the piano and keeps it engaging throughout with changes in the tempo of finding an interesting little rift to 'vamp' over (new vocab learned from the Wiki). Truly an impressive performance! 9/10
Stephen Stills
2/5
Bland folky bluesy country rock. 4/10
Orange Juice
4/5
Really wasn't expecting much but this one is really cool! Super sunny and fun and even has a few songs with like an African influence. Really looking forward to coming back to it. 8/10
Bob Dylan
4/5
A straight classic from Bob! Might not be my favorite from him but still a very good record. 8/10
Norah Jones
4/5
Hella pleasant and listenable. A bit more jazzy could've made it a little better but actually a very timeless and classic debut. 7/10
Little Simz
5/5
Hard to express how happy I am that Simz is getting recognition on a list like this. I'm tons of people will be unimpressed and not understand her inclusion but she's one of my favorite musicians so I am going to celebrate it.
This particular album is simple, concise, but still has a feel all its own with just very high quality in every aspect - instrumentals, lyricism, and performance. I would say it's pretty subtle in most of these aspects; it won't hit you over the head or might not be mindblowing at any point, but just undeniably fantastic. Simz truly is a Boss in a f***ing dress. 9/10
Roxy Music
4/5
Decently interesting. I don't think I've ever really appreciated Bryan Ferry's vocals until this record, but they really are pretty fun and unique. Very percussive and fun instrumentals as well. 7/10
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
3/5
Really just such a mix between dark, The Cure type vibes, then some poppy, Pet Shop Boys stuff, and then a little really minimalist synth ambient something another.. all in 9 tracks? Overall its decent. 6/10
Neil Young
3/5
Was decent. I think Neil’s nasally voice is growing on me a bit at this point and this album has some fun tunes. 6/10
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
Very quaint and cutesy. 6/10
Dion
3/5
Surprisingly very enjoyable. Could imagine myself driving down an interstate somewhere in the US listening to this. 6/10
Traffic
2/5
Very very meh. 4/10
The Sabres Of Paradise
2/5
A small handful of decent songs but the rest really do just sound like extended interludes that just keep going and going and going. Also calling this a 'concept album' is pretty silly IMO, since there is really just a general vibe and no storyline. 4/10
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Just okay... outside of the three really popular tracks, one of which isn't even all that great, there's maybe one or two more tracks worth listening to. 5/10
Primal Scream
2/5
Quite a mixed bag but not too much of it does much for me. 4/10
Kate Bush
3/5
Didn't give me the same thrill as the last two Kata Bush albums I've had. It starts slow in my opinion and improves towards the end, but still mildly disappointed. 6/10
Baaba Maal
4/5
A really good listen. Super pleasant and full sound, with Baaba's voice not too much in the forefront (which was my qualm with the other record I had by him). He lets th guitar and drums interplay and do most of the work, nice! 7/10
The Cult
2/5
Every songs sounds familiar because they all sound like every other glam metal/hard rock song ever. 3/10
Talking Heads
3/5
Decent and fun but they have much better albums that I'd rather listen to. 6/10
George Harrison
4/5
A loooonnggg boy, but a goooood boy! 7/10
The Sugarcubes
4/5
Pretty rad little record. Björk is fantastic and the second vocalist is a great contrast to her as well. Love the strange subject matter and variation in sound throughout. 8/10
The Waterboys
3/5
Some good songs with a few snoozers mixed in. A lot of unique production choices with the combination of Irish and American country sounds makes it really quite interesting at points. 6/10
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
Reminds me of a more thrashy Talking Heads or something. The sound is okay but doesn’t do much for me. 4/10
Minor Threat
2/5
Meh. When’s it’s more melodic and not just out-of-sync yelling it’s pretty decent but that’s not much of the record. 4/10
Pink Floyd
3/5
Oh yeah, some drugs were consumed in the making of this record. 6/10
Mike Oldfield
3/5
Even though I only found the album decent, I appreciate the editors for including stuff like this in the list. 5/10
Pearl Jam
3/5
Just... fine. It's just... fine. 5/10
Nas
5/5
Yeah it's awesome. It doesn't sound all that groundbreaking, and I'm not sure it was at the time in terms of being a new sound, but holy cow is it just quality. In the past I've struggled to get into some older hip-hop that don't have choruses or hooks, but I could listen to Nas rap for hours on end without any problem. Just so smooth and the lyricism just fits like a glove. The jazzy instrumentals are top notch as well. 9/10
Snoop Dogg
4/5
A fun little comparison having this and Illmatic back to back. Illmatic is for sure superior but Snoop holds his own on this too. Mostly by pure swagger and flow, although it is often times a bit cringy how demeaning it is or just surface level the themes are. 7/10
The Streets
3/5
Actually one of the more interesting albums from this list. The storytelling is definitely a bit slow paced at times but it accomplishes two tasks quite well - being goofy and funny, and getting you to have some compassion for the central character. When he finds out Simone is cheating on him with Dan (bastard), I genuinely got a little down for him.. 6/10
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
This guy really writes half of his songs about cars and highways, huh? Bruce always makes me feel more American than I'm proud to be and this albums a decent listen. 7/10
Scritti Politti
2/5
Yeah it's pretty annoying. 4/10
Cream
3/5
Simple, groovy, and still unique for the time. The blues guitars are great and the vocals not being as boyish as many of groups at this time give it a lot of energy and soul. 6/10
Can
3/5
Perhaps a bit too abstract and long-winded to hold my attention, but also many cool ideas coming from this one. 6/10
Django Django
3/5
A very Animal Collective sort of sound. Didn’t do much for me but not bad either. 5/10
Iron Butterfly
2/5
I think it’s solely on here for having one decent song… 4/10
Robbie Williams
3/5
Pretty meh. Crazy how much less Angels hits when it’s not being sung at karaoke. 5/10
R.E.M.
3/5
Definitely an improvement over the formless mumble of Murmur. I like the jangle pop direction and I think REM pull it off well. 6/10
Janet Jackson
4/5
A bit of a whirlwind this one. Flips between heavy social/political commentary and just straight love/pop ballads. I think it could've done without the last one or two songs, but still some good music here. 7/10
The Pogues
4/5
Bangers on bangers on bangers. 7/10
Genesis
2/5
There is a decent single album somewhere in these songs, but for being 90+ minutes the whole thing gets very old pretty quickly. For many of the songs, the vocals just get washed out by the instruments, or the whole song just sounds like noise without much groove. 4/10
4/5
Starts HOT, with three spacey, atmospheric ballads that really help to get you in the sound of the album. For the most parts the songs sound really nice, although some are rather forgettable. My other critique would be that for trying to be political on many songs, the lyrics are sometimes too abstract or simplified or just don't give much detail as to what the song is about. 7/10
T. Rex
2/5
A rather forgettable outing from big ol’ Tyrannosaurus Rex. 3/10
Red Snapper
3/5
A pretty obscure album, so much so that I don't think Spotify has the album title correct. But ended up being a fine album. Nothing that I feel I need to come back for though. 5/10
Deep Purple
2/5
I’m bored, boss. 4/10
Malcolm McLaren
4/5
What a rollercoaster of an album. But honestly is super fun and silly and just interesting to listen to. I didn't know I needed African mixed with South American mixed with dosido all tied together with a hip hop radio channel MC, but here we are, and I am happy about it. 8/10
Elton John
4/5
Another really good one. Starts with one of the best few songs for an album I’ve ver heard, and the songs after are pretty good as well. 7/10
Queen
4/5
A good album. Beyond the greatness of Bohemian Rhapsody, this album still has quite a few gems. Plus even when is messing around and being goofy it still sounds pretty cool. 7/10
Cocteau Twins
4/5
Definitely an album to experience. I’ve adjusted to the Cocteau Twins dream pop or early shoegaze sound and it’s a really pleasant time. Ahead of its time and a very nice listen. 8/10
Christina Aguilera
2/5
I feel it doesn’t commit enough to the throwback sound of replicating classic singers like Billie Holiday or Ella Fitzgerald. The concept has been tried and executed better by many other artists and this album is just bloated as well. 3/10
The Black Keys
5/5
A special album for me. I remember randomly torrenting this when it came out when I was in eighth grade and loving it. Probably one of the first full albums that I got into and really made me realize there’s good music outside of the Top 40.
The music itself stills hits pretty hard and is just jam packed with bluesy rifts and really good complementary drumming. Love it! 9/10
Beach House
4/5
Beach House always bring a solid 8 for me. I'd never listened all the way through this one, but it's a bit more straight synth pop compared to their more modern stuff which is more hazey. The overall sound is nostalgic to the early 2010's for me as well when there was a lot of this innocent indie pop floating around. Good Vibes! 8/10
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
A fine little album. Can get a bit same-y by the end, but none of it is by any means bad. 6/10
Tom Waits
4/5
Lots of fun stuff here. I enjoyed the mix of slow, genuine ballads and then the wild circus-like extravagance of many other songs. 8/10
Girls Against Boys
2/5
When they stop making so much noise and actually use some finesse they're not bad... 3/10
Beatles
3/5
A bit too much of the usual early ‘60s simple love song style songs for it to be amazing. A decent amount of pretty solid tracks here too though. 6/10
The Auteurs
2/5
Lackluster. 3/10
The Damned
2/5
I don’t really think I needed that. 3/10
Einstürzende Neubauten
3/5
Gar nicht so schlimm wie die Rezensionen ausmachen. Es fängt mit den schwersten Lieder an, aber die zweite Häfte ist eigentlich geil. Die Songtexte geht hart und es gibt viele coole Ideen da. 6/10
Dinosaur Jr.
3/5
I love the slacker rock, loose vibes of the whole thing. Love the vocal delivery too. 6/10
Waylon Jennings
3/5
Yee-frickin’-haw. 5/10
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Mixed bag of nice vibes and some rather forgettable songs. 5/10
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
4/5
Really just a perfect style for Nick Cave to make. Pretty haunting at times but still has a perfect, random hint of humor as well. Really enjoyed this one. 7/10
Eminem
3/5
Damn, I got this just after Nick Cave's Murder Ballads.. I think the generator is trying to make me want to kill someone?
The album is meh... I've never had much of an affinity to Eminem's horrorcore lyrics and whatnot, so the ceiling could only be so high here. 5/10
The Who
3/5
It's a very consistently decent record, but nothing more than decent. 5/10
Hugh Masekela
4/5
Pretty sweet jazz record. The songs meander around and reach some very cool sounds. Hugh adds a good bit of variety as well which keeps it fresh. 8/10
Madonna
3/5
Rather non-poppy for being a pop album. Not always a bad thing, but some songs here are just weak and don't give much emotion, or only briefly touch on deeper topics. 6/10
Goldfrapp
3/5
Seems I forgot to rate this one right after I listened to it, but I think I mildly enjoyed it all. The softer, more chill songs fit the groups sound the best of everything here. 6/10
U2
3/5
Much last atmospheric than the last U2 album I had (Joshua Tree), about I enjoyed it to about the same degree. 6/10
The Go-Go's
4/5
A fun one! A good consistent energy and tons of solid hooks throughout. Can start to all sound a bit the same but probably ends before it becomes too much. 7/10
Can
4/5
This is probably as close as I can get to fully enjoying such an out-there experimental rock album. First few songs are awesome, but I think Aumgn and Peking O cause it to lose some steam. Still worth a listen and something I will gladly come back to. 8/10
Billy Bragg
5/5
So much good stuff here! The lyrics written by Woody Guthrie are at times beautiful and at times tragic and at times goofy, and it’s all very charming in the end. The songs crafted by Billy and Wilco around the lyrics are fantastic as well. 9/10
John Martyn
3/5
The vocals are a bit strange at times but the productions is very interesting for being from mid-70’s and John creates some really beautiful songs here. 6/10
White Denim
2/5
Much like the album art, the music is a bit of a mess and it’s hard to discern much from it all. 4/10
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
An album that is both difficult to hate but difficult to absolutely love. The a cappella is done very well and creates a lot of depth to the point were I often didn’t even realize instrumentation was missing, but inevitably leads to many songs sounding similar. 5/10
Curtis Mayfield
2/5
Just doesn't do much for me. The album name is genius though. 4/10
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Overall it's decent. A few songs are forgettable and a few have really good hooks or subjects that make them stick in my brain. 5/10
Britney Spears
2/5
Appears to be on here more for its commercial success than critical acclaim. Which tracks because overall as a full record its pretty lackluster. Britney sounds quite mature for being just 17, but the songwriting plays way too much into the "desperate girl longing for a man in her life" trope which in general I dislike. 4/10
King Crimson
3/5
It just gets to be a bit too abstract at many points. Very few if any ‘grooves’ throughout the entire thing. Definitely not a bad listen but not my favorite as well. 6/10
Brian Eno
4/5
On top of being influential and essentially creating a new genre of music, it’s pretty nice ambient music as well. 7/10
3/5
I can't hate on it too much. It's pleasant on the ears and dramatic and pretty, but I couldn't really tell you what any of the songs are about. 6/10
Gorillaz
4/5
Not quite perfect but still a goshdarn good album. A good bit of variety to keep it fresh through the 1hr+ runtime and just a lot of fun and interesting beats and vibes. 8/10
Van Halen
2/5
It’s really just 2.5 good songs and the rest filled with “girls girls girls” rubbish and some decent guitar playing. 4/10
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
Felt like the songs go on for multiple minutes too long, and of the seven, a few hardly qualify as actual songs too. Pretty forgettable all-in-all. 4/10
Mudhoney
2/5
It just ain’t that good, man. 3/10
Soft Machine
3/5
Starts off with the most abstract of the four tracks, which I can’t really get into too much, but luckily improves quite a bit from there. The more ethereal or jazz bits are pretty sweet. 6/10
Grateful Dead
3/5
Never seen the genre jam rock listed in the Wiki for an album but this 100% fits the bill. Really flows wherever the bands wants and only rarely finds a groove that stay around for some time. 6/10
Tracy Chapman
4/5
Decent but I wasn’t blown away. I’ve always loved Tracy’s voice and she does really well on this album with that. Songs topics are political and interesting, but I think the lack of catchiness/melodies let the album down a bit. 7/10
The Thrills
3/5
A fine little album. Like a less weird Flaming Lips sound. Slacker/surfer rock fits the vocals well and the songs are pretty cute. These people were certainly born on the wrong coast though. 6/10
Joy Division
3/5
Struggled with it. Ends up being quite monotonous and the faster, more punky songs really don’t do anything for me. Expected to really enjoy it but I think Closer is just better with way more emotion. 5/10
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Not quite what I was hoping for with all the hype I've heard from this album, mostly from my parents tbf. A few too many forgettable tracks for being such a huge pop-rock album. Perhaps it got carried by the singles which are decent but Born to Run is better in almost every way. 6/10
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
4/5
Pretty sweet record. Super catchy! Reminds me of a rawer Brothers. 7/10
Manu Chao
3/5
Kinda fun kinda repetitive. 5/10
The Modern Lovers
5/5
Came in with zero expectations and got blown away. Very similar to Velvet Underground's self-titled and every bit as good. Fun, catchy, not too serious, and so very simple in the instrumentation (it doesn't hit you over the head with volume), which allows for the vocals to really shine. Loved it all! 9/10
Black Sabbath
4/5
First half is basically flawless and drops just a wee bit in the second. Black Sabbath always find ways to create so much space and atmosphere for being heavy metal and Ozzy’s voice just fits so well into it all. 8/10
The B-52's
4/5
Who’s out there doing the Shy Tuna?! 7/10
3/5
Pure jazz chaos. Coincidentally I was watching a video about Jackson Pollock right before listening to this and it’s basically the musical equivalent. It really exudes the energy and feel of New York City without giving anything tangible. Pretty cool! 5/10
Neil Young
3/5
Definitely not unpleasant but quite a few of the songs don’t make me feel anything. Wouldn’t hate to come back to it but there’s other stuff I’d rather listen too. 6/10
The Associates
2/5
Album #1001! And the last one from the global worst list.
The music is pretty jaunty and awkward, even for off-the-wall pop music. I’m surprised anyone was dancing to any of this. 4/10
Stereolab
2/5
Some interesting production every once in a while but a lot of talk of 'society' without much detail, just repeating shit over and over. 4/10
Lou Reed
2/5
Nah, this ain't it bruv. 3/10
ABBA
3/5
Decent enough! A few weird ones mixed in but it's all pretty fun and catchy. 6/10
LL Cool J
3/5
A handful of bangers with decent lyricism and flows. Could’ve benefitted from a few slower cuts tossed in to break it up from just constant rhymes which kind of wears me down. 6/10
Emmylou Harris
4/5
The modern production for folk is really pretty nice, while still going for many of the classic folk styles in lyrics. A super pleasant listen. 7/10
The Monkees
2/5
Pretty standard 60s pop. Was surprisingly super commercially successful without really any legacy or lasting hits… ? 4/10
David Crosby
2/5
A very meh album. 4/10
Beyoncé
4/5
Mostly pretty good. A ton of variety throughout and Beyoncé does it all quite well. Production is also very cool. 7/10
Sepultura
3/5
Took some adjusting mood-wise to get me to be up for this one, but by the middle and end I was mildly enjoying it. 6/10
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
Some duds for sure but a decent amount of fun, funky songs in here. Reading that the band had influence from the Talking Heads definitely makes sense as well. 6/10
Death In Vegas
1/5
Just so very unnecessary… 2/10
Todd Rundgren
2/5
When the production isn’t so smashed together into a colorful, hectic mess this album sounds okay. Particularly on the second half it’s decent, but the first half is just a struggle to get through. 3/10
Steely Dan
4/5
Fun stuff! At points it somehow reminds me of Mario Kart music (bangers). Probably a bit more mainstream and poppy than their later albums but I can't help but enjoy Steely Dan no matter what. 7/10
U2
4/5
Pretty good stuff from U2. Feels a bit more subdued and subterranean and dark compared to some of the arena rock sounding albums. Lyrics are really quite pretty here too. 7/10
4/5
A really nice, jazzy, funky, soulful record. Each song feels pretty unique to all the others and the long-form style of a few of the songs I think fits the bands sound really well. 8/10
Hüsker Dü
2/5
Hella same-y all the way through. Almost nothing to distinguish any of the songs, for 20 songs... 3/10
The Specials
3/5
Different and fun styles with the band coming up with some pretty catchy earworms. 6/10
Violent Femmes
4/5
A solid record. Simple, but fun and often wacky or silly which I always appreciate. 7/10
The xx
5/5
This overcomes what held back the first two xx albums, namely being too 'chill' or lacking exciting. Not to say that this is stuffed with bangers, but there is certainly more life here. Lots of solid hooks and a bit melancholic at points but still really good. Production from Jamie is basically flawless as well. 9/10
R.E.M.
3/5
Was fine. 5/10
Coldcut
5/5
This shit groovy af. Just jam after jam after jam. On top of that this seems to be one of the earliest sample-based records, which opened a genre of electronic music that I am quite partial to. 9/10
Love
3/5
Upon closer listening I'm sure I could come to enjoy this more, but on first listen it's pretty good but not incredible. 6/10
CHIC
4/5
A very solid mix of classic disco and soul/r&b songs. 7/10
The Everly Brothers
2/5
Just bland and boring and formulaic. I'm glad music quickly progressed on from this stage of songwriting and really makes me appreciate someone like my homie Bob Dylan. 3/10
Beatles
4/5
In my opinion the Beatles are best when they are experimenting and trying new ideas (which happened shortly after this album in their discography). Rubber Soul is a fine listen but might stick to the classic 50s and early 60s pop formula too much. 7/10
David Bowie
4/5
David appears to be a man of very few words on this record. Instead he lets the music drift and flow, very much in the style of Brian Eno perhaps. Mostly always pleasant all the way through, but the ceiling for ambient music is only so high. 8/10
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
I will not knock it points for the shear length, since I'm positive it was not made to be listened to in one sitting, but instead just as a comprehensive cover of all the Gershwin songs. With that out of the way, I'd say the songs are very good for the most part. Many are creatively written and Ella's voice really does not get old even after 3 hours. 6/10
Brian Eno
4/5
Interesting album. An eclectic mix of glam rock and instrumentals and some other random stuff mixed in and Brian finds a way to make it work pretty well. 7/10
David Gray
3/5
This is possibly the best uninteresting music I've ever heard. 6/10
LTJ Bukem
2/5
I'm curious under what circumstances they expect someone to thoroughly enjoy 2+ hours are rather similar sounding DnB songs... 4/10
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
Typical hipster shit, not bad. 6/10
The Magnetic Fields
3/5
Boy, the combination of this and the Ella Fitzgerald record in the same week had be struggling to keep up, but I made it through! This one is also a really quality listen with plenty of interesting topics and a heavy dose of humor. The songs explore nearly every side of love, with ignorant bliss and crushing heartbreak working side-by-side. 6/10
The Bees
3/5
Well now I’ve heard The Byrds and The Bees. 6/10
Ute Lemper
2/5
I found it to be pretty hit-or-miss. A handful of pretty interesting songs with lush, orchestral instrumentation mixed with some snoozers. 4/10
The Prodigy
3/5
'twas an okay time indeed... 5/10
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3/5
Kinda just okay. 5/10
k.d. lang
3/5
Some classic oilin’ yer boots, blow dryin’ yer cowboy hat, spinnin’ yer spurs honky tonk. 5/10
The Fall
4/5
Didn't expect post-punk to be so dancey and fun but The Fall really make it work. Reminds me of some LCD Soundsystem stuff, which can't be such a bad thing. Pretty dang solid record! 7/10
Gram Parsons
2/5
Just did not do much for me. 3/10
Living Colour
4/5
Sweet album. Tons of variation with heavy metal to straight up pop to more soulful cuts. Lots of energy and hooks on here so looking to coming back. 7/10
Marilyn Manson
2/5
I’m a bit uncomfy, man. 3/10
Jeff Beck
3/5
Decent. Definitely not the usual sound for a british guy in the 60s so good for him. 5/10
Funkadelic
3/5
Over half of it ends up being instrumental, so wasn’t really expecting that from a funk record (that doesn’t end up playing too much like a funk record). 6/10
A Tribe Called Quest
4/5
Mostly a very good project from the Tribe. Flows are quality and beats are fantastic. Only place it lacks could be hooks and lyrics being a bit nonsensical much of the time. But still a pretty cool record to chillax to! 7/10
Garbage
4/5
This was a really fun listen! Super poppy and hook-filled while keeping some of the edge of noise rock and punk rock. Also some trip-hop tracks mixed in was unexpected but pretty sweet. 8/10
Simple Minds
2/5
Kinda a big ol' snoozer... 4/10
Tim Buckley
3/5
The jazzy elements keep it from being another run-of-the-mill 60's folk record luckily. 5/10
10cc
4/5
Certainly a pretty goofy and colorful sound from this one! It's like a if Queen made only Bohemian Rhapsody for a whole record, and with some very wild and obscure and even political song topics. Enjoyed it for the most part. 7/10
808 State
3/5
Super frickin’ retro. Could not imagine something like this coming out of any other time period, and even though it’s dated as hell, still slaps for the most part. 6/10
Wild Beasts
4/5
A nice little album. Reminds me quite a bit of that Elbow album, but if the lyrics were pretty nonsensical. Fun though! 8/10
k.d. lang
3/5
I enjoyed it more than the last one from her. Less country twang and more lush instrumentation and hooks. 6/10
Caetano Veloso
2/5
Can't say I enjoyed it too much. The vocals are just okay and the production is super jumbled and hazey, to the point were it's hard to decipher individual instruments. 4/10
The Style Council
3/5
Pretty eclectic. The instrumental songs don’t do a ton for me but those with lyrics are definitely a bit better. Nonetheless I’m not sure if counseling the Brits on style is the wisest choice… 5/10
Miles Davis
3/5
Can’t say it was my favorite from Miles. It’s very abstract to the point where there’s hardly anything in terms of groove or rhythm keeping a song going, whereas in previous listens I’ve had from him there’a usually something to catch my ear and hold on to that the music dances around. 5/10
Koffi Olomide
2/5
Was okay… 4/10
Franz Ferdinand
4/5
Mostly fun but a few very forgettable tracks throughout. 7/10
The Byrds
3/5
I can never seem to see the brilliance in much of what The Byrds did. It’s always just fine and dandy. 5/10
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Might be the most I’ve appreciated Joni from all the albums on the list. Production sounds great and lyrics are usually pretty intriguing, although I found it easy to space out with more melody or flow to the singing. 6/10
The Cure
4/5
Started rough but brought it around quick. Some of the doom and gloom of Robert’s lyrics becomes tiresome, but the performances of the whole bad as well as some good variation in sound makes it worth a listen. 7/10
David Bowie
2/5
This one felt like it didn’t have the originality of the better Bowie albums. Like I could see many of the songs being made by so many other artists at that time. 4/10
The Triffids
2/5
I don't get it.... 3/10
Giant Sand
2/5
Does not feel too worthy of being on the list. A handful of okay to decent songs but just pretty forgettable outside of those. 4/10
The KLF
4/5
The White Room kinda bops! A few misses in the slower songs but the dancy, house-y tracks are bangers. 7/10
Rod Stewart
3/5
A nice, easy listen. The songs are really pleasant on the ears and Rod's voice is simple and raspy. 6/10
Tom Tom Club
4/5
Super fun and silly and goofy and memey I'm kinda a big fan. Outside of Genius of Love which I'm sure everyone and their mother would recognize, the rest of the record is a decent listen with some funky detours and styles. 7/10
Rush
3/5
Every song was just slightly above bland and boring. Love the storyline to the opening song though. 5/10
Herbie Hancock
4/5
Enjoyed this one quite a bit! Songs are long and it’s easy to get a little lost and distracted in them but the music is still really pleasant and innovative. 7/10
Ravi Shankar
2/5
I thought it was just okay… by the end my ears were just fatigued from the super metallic tones of the instruments, I was craving something smooth and warm to listen to afterwards, so ended up going for some D’Angelo. 4/10
Tim Buckley
2/5
Really just didn’t do much for me. 3/10
Sade
3/5
Only a few songs that I really enjoyed from it. The rest is pleasant but doesn’t incite much of anything. 5/10
Faust
3/5
It really feels ahead of it's time in terms of the production. Some drone/ambient/electronic stuff, mixed with a whole bunch of other genres. Outside of the experimental songs, it seems the band does have a knack for writing something catchy and even poppy. 6/10
The Youngbloods
2/5
I can't say it's bad, but it didn't do much for me for the most part. Probably 3 or 4 songs that are actually worth listening to, but the rest is kinda plain. 4/10
Mike Ladd
2/5
"There's nothing more middle class than dying of applesauce"...... huh?? 3/10
R.E.M.
4/5
I would say it’s stronger on the second half than the first. Initially I thought it was a little bland but most of the songs toward the end picked it up for me. 7/10
Jurassic 5
4/5
A pretty dope one! Definitely gives a lot of the '90s sound of hip-hop a la A Tribe Called Quest or De La Soul, but more modern production. Flows are great and easy to bop to and lyrics aren't necessarily groundbreaking but good enough to keep the whole thing interesting. 8/10
Blue Cheer
2/5
I can't really see it... people saying it sounds like Black Sabbath but it's more like Cream or something and I just don't find it too interesting. 4/10
M.I.A.
4/5
Not quite the brilliance of Kala, but still a really fun and intriguing record. 8/10
Incubus
3/5
Just a wild amount of variety in genres going on here, almost to a concerning degree. Some of it is decent to very good, but quite a few duds that are just noisy guitars for me. 5/10
Motörhead
2/5
Mostly very meh, it just all sounds really similar with just a wall of guitars and thrashy drums. 4/10
Muddy Waters
3/5
It's a good listen. Same ol' blues sound as always but not in a bad way, just really nothing surprising on here. Performances are passionate and mostly stay interesting throughout. 6/10
3/5
A confusing one... Instrumentals were simultaneously pretty but gimmicky, kind of in a theatrical or children's music kind of way. I think the combination of the orchestra with the more nature focused songs worked well but the rest was forgettable. 5/10
The Notorious B.I.G.
4/5
Really dang good... but not quite a 5 for me. No real complaints with it, just that after looking through the tracklist, a few songs haven't made a huge impression after a few listens. 8/10
Ms. Dynamite
3/5
After the first few songs I was rather impressed. Goodnlittle hooks and nice performances from Ms. Dynamite for the most part. Then it started to get quite dry and dull, with only a few noteworthy songs from there onward. 5/10
Calexico
3/5
Not bad in any way, all the songs are nice and pleasant, but a ton of them feel like half-realized ideas and end up just sounding like interludes. 6/10
Pavement
4/5
I enjoyed it for the most part! Give's shades of Velvet Underground or something like that, which can never be a bad thing. 7/10
PJ Harvey
4/5
I liked a lot of the elements from this LP. PJ sounds maniacal and unstable which makes the lyrics an interesting listen. To go with that, the raw, thrashy production (most notably the drums) complements this perfectly and makes for a really good album. 8/10
Rufus Wainwright
2/5
The grandiosity is a bit obnoxious. Combined with my distaste for Rufus' voice and this was a chore to get through. 4/10
George Jones
3/5
Well it’s been a fantastic journey for me with this project, as this album is my last honky that I will tonk.
This one is safe but has a few moments where it’s genuinely moving and effective. 6/10