446
Albums Rated
2.92
Average Rating
41%
Complete
643 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950s
Favorite Decade
Metal
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Critic
Rater Style ?
28
5-Star Albums
47
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Trio
Dolly Parton
|
5 | 3.13 | +1.87 |
|
Sweet Baby James
James Taylor
|
5 | 3.24 | +1.76 |
|
Kenya
Machito
|
5 | 3.27 | +1.73 |
|
Fragile
Yes
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
The Yes Album
Yes
|
5 | 3.31 | +1.69 |
|
Deep Purple In Rock
Deep Purple
|
5 | 3.33 | +1.67 |
|
Court And Spark
Joni Mitchell
|
5 | 3.35 | +1.65 |
|
Eliminator
ZZ Top
|
5 | 3.38 | +1.62 |
|
Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park
|
5 | 3.39 | +1.61 |
|
Bat Out Of Hell
Meat Loaf
|
5 | 3.44 | +1.56 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Kid A
Radiohead
|
1 | 3.71 | -2.71 |
|
Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Clan
|
1 | 3.61 | -2.61 |
|
Sound of Silver
LCD Soundsystem
|
1 | 3.42 | -2.42 |
|
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
|
1 | 3.42 | -2.42 |
|
Amnesiac
Radiohead
|
1 | 3.41 | -2.41 |
|
Music for the Masses
Depeche Mode
|
1 | 3.38 | -2.38 |
|
Juju
Siouxsie And The Banshees
|
1 | 3.33 | -2.33 |
|
Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
|
2 | 4.3 | -2.3 |
|
Fever To Tell
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
|
1 | 3.29 | -2.29 |
|
Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim
Frank Sinatra
|
1 | 3.27 | -2.27 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Led Zeppelin | 5 | 4.8 |
| Green Day | 2 | 5 |
| Yes | 2 | 5 |
| Queen | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Sonic Youth | 5 | 1.4 |
| Brian Eno | 4 | 1.25 |
| Tim Buckley | 2 | 1 |
| Björk | 2 | 1 |
| Frank Sinatra | 2 | 1.5 |
| Tom Waits | 2 | 1.5 |
| Radiohead | 5 | 2.2 |
| PJ Harvey | 3 | 2 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Yeah Yeah Yeahs | 1, 4 |
| The Stooges | 1, 4 |
| Pink Floyd | 2, 5, 2 |
| Radiohead | 1, 4, 3, 2, 1 |
5-Star Albums (28)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
LCD Soundsystem
1/5
So obnoxiously repetitive. “North American Scum” might be one of the ugliest songs I’ve ever heard. Trying to sound 80s without the authenticity.
16 likes
UB40
2/5
I loved the sax added to the reggae vibe. I thought that was cool and unique.
Otherwise it was awfully redundant. I could have Listened to the first 30 seconds of each song and still gotten the same experience musically
15 likes
Underworld
1/5
This is the kind of music you hear in those goth techno underground parties that is truly the stuff of nightmares. I will never recover.
9 likes
The Clash
4/5
What’s so cool about this album is that it bridges 70s rock and 80s punk almost perfectly. There’s some elements in here of early Ska music too, and I can even hear where current ska and punk get their sound. Overall enjoyable, some songs are skips but it’s hard for every song to be a hit.
5 likes
Pink Floyd
2/5
I’m sure I fall victim to listening to this album too late, but I really don’t understand the Pink Floyd hype. Vocals aren’t great and the instrumentals aren’t anything overly impressive. I think for the time it was released it was a Revolution, but I can’t say this is an album I’d ever care to listen to again.
3 likes
1-Star Albums (47)
All Ratings
Al Green
4/5
Such a solid soul, R&B album with heavy background jazz instrumentation. Love the brass! Has a great recording of How Do You Mend a Broken Heart original to The Bee Gees. Smooth is the best way to describe Al Green’s vocals.
Wu-Tang Clan
1/5
It’s a no from me dawg.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
1/5
Lots of noise, not a whole lot of musicality for me.
The Stooges
1/5
Honestly the first song was alright, then the album just kept going and sounding the same. And it wasn't a good "same" sound. This music is not for me, would rather listen to my son's musical toys on repeat.
The Pogues
3/5
I love the Irish jig sound, and I liked the mix of fast paced songs with slower paced melodies. The album itself got a little redundant for me, and would I listen to it over and over? No.
Living Colour
3/5
I really like the funk rock sound of this album, a really good listen, some of the guitar riffs (while strong) were a bit redundant for me personally, but a really solid album from the late 80s.
Nina Simone
3/5
The instrumentals of this album are so so good- smooth, relaxing. This is not an album to listen to when you want to get amped up, but definitely to relax. It’s not an album I would listen to over and over but still a solid album.
Grateful Dead
3/5
The music of this album is not complex by any means, which makes it to be an easy going listen. It gets a bit boring at times but overall a good album to relax to.
The Dictators
3/5
A good listen! I know this album & The Dictators is considered early punk, but I got a lot of Stones/Who/KISS vibes from this album, all bands I like. Overall an enjoyable listen that I would listen to again.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4/5
Such simple instrumentation with complex melodies. I love this jazz album and that’s coming from a trumpet player who loves brass. This is a staple in an jazz household but also to anyone who doesn’t like jazz, give this one a try.
Def Leppard
3/5
The epitome of hair metal. This album has some great hits (Animal & Love Bites are great) but also some meh songs. Can’t forget their drummer has 1 arm. That blows my mind.
Faust
1/5
This album actually gave me anxiety and stress, I was more calm after the songs were over. To me this was a lot of noise and not a ton of musicality.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
I know this album is from 1996, but given I am listening to it for the first time in 2021 I can’t get past the lyrics. I was actually creeped out by many lines throughout the album (no means yes? Come on). It’s too bad because the background orchestration is cool and the lead vocals were very crooner sounding. This would be a 3 if not for the lyrics.
TV On The Radio
3/5
This is good music to have on in the background when cleaning. I also liked the diversity of the album, and the songs didn’t all sound the same.
Queen
5/5
This album has so many good songs. I had honestly never heard ‘39 and it might have become one of my favorite Queen songs out there. While not every song is great, this album as a whole is.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
Really nice harmonies, simple in its musicality. I thought it had a lot of Buffalo Springfield vibes which I then learned Neil Young was in!
Richard Hawley
3/5
You would never know this album is from
the 21st century. Very easy to listen to and love the crooner style voice.
Manic Street Preachers
3/5
Many of the songs on this album sounded like they should be on movie soundtracks of movies that came out between 96-99. Which for me, is a good thing. I don’t think I’d go back to this for multiple listens but it was enjoyable.
Serge Gainsbourg
1/5
The orchestral instrumentation is awesome on this album. The concept of the album is not. I wouldn’t care to listen to this again.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
4/5
Rolling Stone has Flea as the 22nd greatest bassist of all time. That seems criminal to me.
This album has one of my favorite RHCP songs ever (Under the Bridge) and least favorite (Suck My Kiss). But I do enjoy this album as a whole, love the funk/punk vibe of it.
Fleet Foxes
4/5
There are some great harmonies in this album, reminiscent of Crosby, Stills & Nash. Simple in its musicality, this album is a great listen for relaxing or background music. I think I found a new album to add to my library
I also had no idea White Winter Hymnal was their song originally! The Pentatonix cover is great but the concept originated with Fleet Foxes.
XTC
3/5
This album had some major hits and major misses, much like the entire 80s musical genre. Season Cycle gave me major Beach Boys vibes which I loved. 10000 Umbrellas had me confused. I would listen to a few of these tracks again but not the entire album.
Frank Black
2/5
I found this album to be fine but very forgettable.
ZZ Top
4/5
I have vivid memories of hanging out in my basement in HS playing La Grange on Guitar Hero. This is a truly fun album with great guitar riffs, I’m more of a Revolver fan when it comes to ZZ, but still love this album.
Beatles
3/5
This is nowhere near the Beatles best. Many of the songs sound the same, very simple melodies. I totally understand the significance of the Beatles in music over the last several decades, so I appreciate this album for that reason. “Can’t Buy Me Love” is about the only standout song on this record. Nice to listen to, but nothing of major note.
David Bowie
2/5
David Bowie has some iconic songs and I guess this particular album would be considered an iconic sound with a lot of synth. However, I found this album to be rather boring with a lot of repetitive noises playing. It’s not something I would listen to again.
N.W.A.
2/5
“ If ya fuck wit me I'll put a foot in ya ass” is such a great line.
A lot of lines throughout disparaging women which I don’t love to listen to. But I also can’t help but notice the anger in this album about police treatment towards black men and how 30+ years later not much has changed. I also have to recognize the influence this album has on so much musically today- not sure Hamilton would exist without NWA! I have to give this 2 stars mainly because I wouldn’t choose to listen to this again but I do appreciate it too
The Shamen
2/5
I felt like I was either in a European nightclub in 1990 or a Benetton. Regardless, the album seemed like one giant song that was never going to end which could mean the album works seamlessly together or it’s redundant. I say redundant.
Fishbone
4/5
I loved the funk/soul/ska/rock vibe of this album! Each song had a little bit of something different to it. A very fun listen, some great brass moments throughout which is always a plus.
Jane's Addiction
3/5
They have a pretty standard grunge alternative sound that is neither outstanding nor terrible. I’d listen to them again just probably not the whole album all at once
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
I was waiting for something exciting to happen on this album and it never did. I certainly didn’t mind listening to it, I don’t think I’d go back to the whole album though. Darklands was good and finished up nicely with About You.
Tim Buckley
1/5
Anything that is labeled as psychedelic folk makes no sense. Which is exactly how I felt about this album, just simply didn’t like it and could have gone through life without knowing this existed.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
I thought this album was SO much better than Fever to Tell. Had highs and lows throughout the album and I actually enjoyed it overall. Heads Will Roll is fantastic.
Hüsker Dü
4/5
Gave me some major R.E.M. vibes mixed with Barenaked Ladies. I actually really liked this alternative album a lot and didn’t feel like I was listening to the same song over and over on the album.
Various Artists
3/5
This is a classic and has a lot of sentimental value for me and my family. A good listen every year at the holidays
Don McLean
4/5
This album is kind of beautiful, simple instrumentation and vocals but really calming, pretty. American Pie is a multigenerational song, don’t sleep on Vincent which is absolutely gorgeous.
Funkadelic
2/5
Sparks
2/5
The songs were repetitive so this might be one better heard in smaller doses.
Miriam Makeba
3/5
Miriam Makeba’s voice doesn’t belong in this century. It’s really cool, some of the songs reminded me of the Broadway Lion King soundtrack. Her cover of House of the Rising Sun was haunting, and neat that the focus was almost 100% on the vocals rather than the instrumentation.
Janelle Monáe
5/5
Janelle Monaé is so much cooler than I’ll ever be and I’m kicking myself for never having listened until 2022. This album is somehow orchestral, soul, jazz, pop, hip hop, rock, rhythm and blues, it’s a really fun listen that I absolutely will come back to again. Cold War and Tightrope are BOPS.
The Temptations
3/5
This album was fine. Some solid doo op sound then throw in a less than mediocre cover of Heard it Through the Grapevine. This album was also lacking in some of their all time hits which is a disappointment.
Kanye West
3/5
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I appreciated the variety in sound throughout the album, for me I’d probably give this a 3.5 if I could. Some songs I wouldn’t listen to again but some I would.
Beth Orton
3/5
This album was nice to listen to but I wouldn’t say was anything special by any means. It’s very mid to late 90s female artist sounding. Something nice to listen to and relax, but nothing really grabs me as special.
Iron Maiden
4/5
There’s a lot of mediocre rock that came out of the 80s but man Iron Maiden isn’t one of them. Their guitar is insane. Phantom of the Opera is so cool
Frank Sinatra
2/5
This album is a snoozer. I’m not a big Sinatra person but these songs all sound really similar to me. Won’t be adding anything to my library.
Radiohead
1/5
Lots of dissonance that was in no way pleasing. This album is very cohesive. Cohesively bad.
Massive Attack
3/5
There were some cool percussive elements here otherwise it was a pretty basic sounding early 90s album.
Syd Barrett
3/5
This album gave me Beatles vibes in some spots, definite Pink Floyd vibes, and some Doors vibes. I found the album overall to be boring but I liked Octopus a lot, and have to appreciate Syd’s impact on Rock n Roll
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
I grew up in an extended family that worshipped the ground Bruce walked on so I’m a bit biased. That being said, for me Bruce is a rock star. Not necessarily the most talented vocalist in the land but he sings with his heart, and his band is outstanding. Born to Run is of course a classic, but I also loved Tenth Avenue Freeze Out and Thunder road, of course.
ZZ Top
5/5
This is ultimate ZZ Top. As my dad puts it, “ The great Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill along with Frank Beard….Created a great Blues-Rock fusion unparalleled in modern rock. Turn it up, open a cold beer and ENJOY!!!!”
This is so true. Of course you have 3 of their biggest hits on this album (Sharp Dressed Man, Gimme All Your Lovin, and Legs” but “I Got the Six” and “Bad Girl” are so fun.
The Yardbirds
2/5
Parts of this album are nice, and Jeff Beck is a great guitarist. But some of the songs I found myself distracted by confusion, trying to determine if the sounds I was hearing actually worked or not.
Also a day later I’m finding this album was mostly forgettable.
The Clash
4/5
What’s so cool about this album is that it bridges 70s rock and 80s punk almost perfectly. There’s some elements in here of early Ska music too, and I can even hear where current ska and punk get their sound. Overall enjoyable, some songs are skips but it’s hard for every song to be a hit.
Country Joe & The Fish
3/5
This album is fine. Not bad, not great. Some great guitar licks though.
Femi Kuti
3/5
Unexpectedly really fun listen. Great jazz grooves, some of which were reminiscent of some 70s soul/funk but with the African chanting thrown into it. Found some of the songs to be a bit too long with lots of repetition but a fun album nonetheless.
The Doors
3/5
Jim Morrison’s voice was so unusual and haunting, it always makes me sad that he died young and we couldn’t see where he would go. Not my favorite album but I love the use of keyboard in their music.
David Bowie
3/5
I thought this album was really solid. Young Americans is an excellent opening to this album and I would add Somebody Up There Loves Me to playlists of mine to listen to every now and then.
Ray Charles
3/5
This album is nice easy listening I suppose but nothing really stands out, and if you want true Ray Charles I feel like this isn’t it.
3/5
The first few songs on this album gave me very late 90s/early 2000s teen movie vibes (which I LOVE) but then it got redundant. I would listen to a few songs here and there again for sure, but the whole album is a bit of a chore.
The Undertones
2/5
Far from exciting. A nice album to have on in the background perhaps? But it’s kind of a monotone undertone.
Fatboy Slim
3/5
Some fun beats and this album holds so much nostalgia for me- takes me back to roller rinks and 90s teen dramas during sleepovers. But to listen to the album in full is…. A lot.
Queen
4/5
The first minute of this album was super chaotic and I was worried the rest of the album was going to have the vibe. I’m glad that wasn’t the case. Love how you can hear their solid harmonies through the classic rock of the album! Not my favorite from Queen but still great.
Slayer
3/5
I have to appreciate the technicalities of the guitar riffs and drums in this album. But it is not my genre at all. Very heavy metal, would be great to lift heavy weights to.
Electric Light Orchestra
3/5
I love ELO’s hits a lot. Like if they come on the radio or a playlist I never skip. However listening to all of Out Of The Blue in one sitting was a bit of a chore because a lot of the songs sound the same! It’s a great sound and I love the orchestration, but I don’t know that as an album this is an all time great. I will never tire of Mr. Blue Sky.
UB40
2/5
I loved the sax added to the reggae vibe. I thought that was cool and unique.
Otherwise it was awfully redundant. I could have Listened to the first 30 seconds of each song and still gotten the same experience musically
Pink Floyd
2/5
I’m sure I fall victim to listening to this album too late, but I really don’t understand the Pink Floyd hype. Vocals aren’t great and the instrumentals aren’t anything overly impressive. I think for the time it was released it was a Revolution, but I can’t say this is an album I’d ever care to listen to again.
The Crusaders
4/5
Really great vibe to this album. I actually wish there would have been more vocals on the album but otherwise this is great jazz/soul for the soul.
Brian Eno
2/5
I did like the ambient feel with a lot of piano throughout rather than the synth sound. But I would’t say this is a “must-listen”.
SAULT
4/5
At first listen this album has a great groove but it was repetitive. As I thought about it, I realize the repetition was to drill the very important messages about being black into our brains. Powerful.
Eagles
5/5
There is not one bad song on this album for me. There’s some better than others but what the Eagles do musically with their harmonies and simple instrumentation will always impress me.
Hole
3/5
This album felt like two different albums to me. The first half I loved, the second not so much. Overall I really like the album though and enjoyed its sound.
Coldplay
2/5
In general Coldplay is not it for me. This album is no exception. The Scientist is a fantastic song. That’s about as far as this album goes on excellence. I find their sound very drab and Chris Martin’s voice ain’t it.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
You can’t deny the impact this group had on Rock n Roll but I also credit their sound to a lot of the country rock that plays today. I enjoy this album for its rough-ness but simplistic tone as well.
Lou Reed
2/5
Unimpressive vocals, odd subject matter for the lyrics, his “hits” I liked but his non-hits were big misses for me.
Screaming Trees
4/5
I genuinely enjoy this album. The first few songs are very grunge meets alternative of the mid-90s, but at Dying Days it starts giving me 70s rock vibes so I like the shift in tone! Super easy to listen to. I’d say the opening song is my least favorite.
Bob Dylan
2/5
I get that Bob Dylan is a renowned lyricist (and for good reason) but his vocals are atrocious. There’s some cool bluesy vibes to this but otherwise I will never listen to this again. Or any Dylan for that matter.
Cheap Trick
4/5
The best and most iconic recording of “I Want You to Want Me” ever. I could do without the screaming fan girls but Cheap Trick live is a treasure.
CHIC
2/5
This album would be a lot more fun if the songs were all about 2 1/2 minutes long. So repetitive. But such fun melodies too!
Standard classic rock sound of the early 70s. It’s one of my favorite genres and this album was no exception. Solid listen and I actually think I liked this better than Rod Stewart’s solo stuff.
1/5
This album belonged in the 80s. I don’t mean that as a compliment. Truly the worst cover of (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction ever.
The Pharcyde
1/5
This album has a really cool beat to it, very reminiscent of the early 90s hip hop. I honestly hadn't heard of this album until it came up on this list. That being said, lyrically I was offended as a woman and I won't be listening again.
Gang Of Four
3/5
This has a cool punk funk groove. The vocals aren’t great but I do think that it fits the vibe of the album overall
David Holmes
1/5
I listened to this while on a walk and it actually worked well for that with the steady and repetitive rhythms. But nothing about this stood out to me nor impressed me.
Elis Regina
3/5
Such a cool eclectic variety of sounds on this album. Jazz, funk, soul, Latin, and 90s alternative all in one. A unique listen!
Sonic Youth
1/5
I don’t know how to describe this album other than it is all ugly
Burning Spear
2/5
The first song or two I really enjoyed, elements of early ska were intertwined with the reggae that were really cool. Then it all started to sound the same. Not great to listen to as an album.
Michael Jackson
3/5
This album feels like 2 different albums between the 1st and 2nd halves. The first half is iconic. The second.....is fine. I always have a bit of a gross feeling listening to MJ because the guy creeped me out.
Steely Dan
4/5
Steely Dan has so many cool harmonies and great use of keyboard in their sound. It’s relaxing but also complex. The definition of Yacht Rock which is right up my alley.
Elvis Presley
3/5
I generally enjoyed this album, I don't know if I'd ever listen to 40+ minutes of Elvis in a row again but I understand why so many adore him - he's a crooner with simple blues sounds.
I can't listen to In the Ghetto without thinking of New Girl so that's always a plus.
Merle Haggard
3/5
Music is simple but refined, and Merle’s voice is so calming. This is right where big country music began.
4/5
I thought I didn’t like Muse. I think I was wrong. Their sound on the album varied a lot instrumentally which was cool
Bon Jovi
4/5
Bon Jovi is IT when it comes to hair metal in the 80s. Their music has transcended to every wedding and company party in 2022. Richie Sambora is a great lead guitarist for Bon Jovi and it’s too bad he left the band.
Love the album as a whole, but there are a couple misses “Let it Rock” and “Social Disease” don’t stand out. But 3 of his greatest hits ever come from this album, there’s a reason it’s on this list.
Björk
1/5
My personal disdain for Bjork is very high.
Paul Simon
3/5
I enjoy Paul Simon’s smooth and simple sound, and I enjoy the variety of instrumentation through this album. However none of these songs I really loved, it was just fine to me.
Happy Mondays
2/5
I have to give the album credit for having a good variety of sound to it. However I only think a couple of the songs I would choose to listen to again. There’s a lot of psychedelic funk sounds in the album that are unnerving to listen to.
Badly Drawn Boy
4/5
I genuinely enjoy this album. I like that some songs were indie folk sounding, some more indie rock and pop. The first song had me hooked, not every song was outstanding but there were some excellent instrumental moments featuring the piano in this album. The orchestral opening I could have listened to for a long time.
Deep Purple
4/5
Live, this would be 5 stars. Deep Purple is a masterclass in the OG heavy metal. This was long though. I had to go 4 stars with this.
Sonic Youth
2/5
I just have a hard time enjoying an album that’s half dissonance. This album was a bit more musical than E.V.O.L. but I still had a hard time getting through it.
The Monks
1/5
This album is a mix of obnoxious and repetitive.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
4/5
Great groove! I loved that this album came out in 2010 but had sounds of the 70s funk, 90s R&B, and more modern sounds.
Sade
3/5
While I didn’t see much excitement with this album, I thought the vocal was unique and I enjoyed listening to this as an easy listening type album.
Meat Loaf
5/5
To me, this album is a masterpiece. All of the elements of rock you’d want in a rock album- soft, tender moments in Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad, zany ridiculousness that is Paradise by the Dashboard Light, a display of the powerhouse Meatloaf was in every note. Brilliant album
Fiona Apple
3/5
Not great, not bad. I was very conflicted listening to this because my mood regarding each song could change 14 times within the song, times it sounded so cool, mellow, pretty. And then she’d start yelling at me and I was put off.
Belle & Sebastian
2/5
This is an easy going listen without anything too offensive. I just think it’s kind of forgettable.
The Zombies
3/5
This album is really interesting. The band split up before they were ever able to perform the album live which has to be a rarity for albums. Very late 60s psychedelic sounds, simple melodies but some complexity in the background. It reminds me of the Beatles.
Eric Clapton
3/5
A cool mix of blues and reggae sounds. Clapton is one of the greats in rock n roll guitar history, but it’s cool to hear him with other genre sounds. Pretty easy listen!
LCD Soundsystem
1/5
So obnoxiously repetitive. “North American Scum” might be one of the ugliest songs I’ve ever heard. Trying to sound 80s without the authenticity.
Korn
3/5
Korn was really popular when I was like 7/8 years old so I grew up scared of them. I think I’m still scared but they are definitely a very musically inclined heavy metal band and that, I appreciate.
Radiohead
4/5
I think I just became a Radiohead fan? This album is full of musical highs and lows and is super comprehensive in the early 90s grunge alternative sound. Really great listen.
Foo Fighters
4/5
I’m biased as a huge Foo Fighters and Dave Grohl fan, but this is a solid debut album for any band. The fact that the whole album instrumentally was done by Grohl makes it that much cooler. Not my favorite Foo album but still has great tracks like Big Me & Good Grief
The Temptations
3/5
This album started so strong with powerful vocals and brass, then the rest was hit and miss. “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” was too extended of a version, but “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” is a beautiful song.
Air
2/5
As far as movie soundtracks go, it’s no Hans Zimmer.
Public Enemy
2/5
The beats are heavy but repetitive. I found myself getting bored with this album somehow. I will not however take away from the fact this album is a foundation of hip hop.
Tortoise
1/5
This is not something anyone really needs to listen to.
Stephen Stills
3/5
Traffic
4/5
“Psychedelic rock” albums don’t usually do it for me but man, I thought this was a good album. The use of so many different instruments (I heard harpsichord and some brass!) along with cool harmonies, I genuinely enjoyed this.
The Doors
2/5
This album is kind of mopey and made me sleepy.
George Jones
3/5
I liked this. It’s old school country, George Jones has such a smooth calming voice. Would have liked more pick me ups in the music as most of the album is pretty slow moving. Don’t listen if you don’t like country, you will hate it.
Judas Priest
4/5
“Just a grinder looking for meat” is one of the funniest lyrics I have ever heard.
I think this album is great. Very early signs of hair metal, but still some elements of classic rock. I wonder if Metallica got some of their sound influence from Judas Priest?
The Go-Betweens
3/5
This album is fine but I’m confident I’ll forget about the entire thing in 24 hours.
The Kinks
3/5
Most of the time I couldn’t tell if I was listening to the Beatles, the Doors, or the Kinks. It was a good listen but it kind of lacked originality
Tears For Fears
3/5
This is the epitome of the 80s sound. Which to me means there’s a few good songs and a few really weird ones.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
I truly believe Led Zeppelin will stand the test of time for forever. Brilliant guitar licks and unique vocals paired with Bonham’s drums. Something I can listen to over and over again.
Bauhaus
2/5
This is a forgettable, generic 80s album for me. It’s fine but not special.
Santana
4/5
Carlos Santana is an unbelievable guitarist but I don’t need to tell you that. His riffs are incredible but personally I can’t give this a 5 only because listening to this straight through wasn’t my ideal jam. Still, a great album!
Eminem
3/5
Man, I struggle with this album. On the one hand, Eminem creates imagery with his words that is unreal, you can feel his anger and hatred through his raps, and his beats are solid. On the other hand some of these lyrics are disgusting (don’t get me started on Guilty Conscience). I could see it being a 5 for genius or a 1 for not aging well at all, so I’m in the middle.
The White Stripes
5/5
Kicking myself for never giving the White Strips a chance. This album is awesome, a great mix of highs and lows. Opens with a banger in 7 Nation, has some songs that made me soon (I want to be the boy…) I just genuinely loved this album and will be adding it to the rotation.
Solomon Burke
4/5
Such easy listening! Enjoyed this a lot with smooth vocals
The Jam
2/5
If “generic sounding British band of the 70s” is your thing then give this a listen. Otherwise I find this album very forgettable, almost a B group Who.
The Chemical Brothers
2/5
To listen to this album straight through would require some sort of sorcery. The music gave me anxiety honestly, although I could 100% see this work well on like a TV show as background music.
Jamiroquai
3/5
Cool vibe! Liked the jazz undertones mixed with the very distinct 90s hip hop sound.
Radiohead
3/5
Super hot or miss album for me. Some of it was good and enjoyable, some sounded like Muse who I do not care for. I liked this album instrumentally but the vocals weren’t always my favorite.
Todd Rundgren
2/5
This album had some really cool things to it but then it would run over to the psychedelic sounds that I’m not crazy about. Liked some of the slower songs, this album was also too long.
Green Day
5/5
What I love most about this album is that even though it was released at a time where there was political turmoil in the US due to 9/11 and the Iraq war, it is still 100% relevant today. It’s an album that young people will always relate to, and my generation will always feel nostalgia with. I’m biased because of my nostalgia with this album but it is also a masterclass in pop punk of the 2000s.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
This album was an attempt at reinventing late 60s/early 70s rock and while it didn’t fail miserably it wasn’t great. I thought the first 3ish songs were enjoyable and then it lost me a bit.
Miles Davis
5/5
I am 100% biased when it comes to this album being a trumpet player. But this album is smooth, it’s calming, it’s technical. The addition of Coltrane amps this up to even further. Love, LOVE this blues record.
Ramones
2/5
Blitzkreig Bop is a BOP. Then the rest of the album basically sounds like variations on Blitzkreig. It’s very repetitive and suffers from no variety whatsoever.
Carpenters
4/5
Karen Carpenter can SING. Such a simple sound with some easy to listen to harmonies. I loved the cover of Help! and Crescent Noon was a standout for me. I wouldn’t listen to this to get fired up but definitely had me relaxed!
The Magnetic Fields
3/5
I’ll be honest in that I cannot finish this album just because it’s so damn long. But, I actually quite enjoy the concept as well as the lyrics of the songs themselves. Minus 1 star for length.
Sebadoh
1/5
I never need to listen to this again. Cliché was the only song worth anything. If I could give this zero stars I would, honestly. So much ugly.
The Beach Boys
4/5
The thing I love about The Beach Boys is that they were doing something very different from what so many boy bands were doing in the early to mid 60s. Pet Sounds took that to a whole new level with their instrumentation and harmonies. Upon listening to this album all the way through for the first time in a long time there are a few songs that aren’t top notch, but Wouldn’t It Be Nice and God Only Knows will always be in my top favorite songs of all time.
Brian Wilson’s mental struggles definitely created some of the greatest music of an entire generation.
Crowded House
3/5
As background music while cleaning the house I think it’s good. It’s got a 60s classic sound with the 90s grunge so it’s interesting
Motörhead
2/5
Every song sounded the same and then within each song it was a lot of repetition. I didn’t mind listening to it necessarily but don’t need to ever listen to it again.
Thundercat
3/5
Had some cool vibes to it. I won’t be adding this to my regular listens by any means but it gave me some 70s funk sounds with the modern hip hop which was fun. Overall a bit monotonous and I don’t know that I’d want to listen to more than a song or 2 at a time.
Iron Butterfly
2/5
They should have called themselves The Mediocre Doors.
Hole
2/5
There was too much repetition within each song and I didn’t enjoy the vocals much.
Billy Bragg
4/5
I genuinely enjoyed the simplicity of this album so much that I would absolutely re-listen at a time I needed to unwind or relax. Cool bluesy blue grass sounds, I really like this.
The Mothers Of Invention
1/5
I viscerally hated most of this album. So dissonant, such generic British Invasion sound. The bright spots were clouded by my hatred.
Funkadelic
3/5
Cool funk and vibe. But not something I’d listen to again by choice.
Faith No More
3/5
This album does a neat thing of bridging the sound of 80s hair bands and early 90s grunge. Nothing blew me away but Epic is a great song and I overall liked the album.
Metallica
4/5
Honest to God thought I could smash through a brick wall listening to this album.
The bass and drums are heavy throughout and there’s a reason Metallica is notoriously one of the best in the heavy metal genre. Highly recommend listening to this when mowing the lawn- you will think you can mow 20 acres no problem.
The Waterboys
3/5
This was a nice album but after about halfway through I got tired of the musical sound. I would listen to this band again, I’m just not sure I’d seek out listening to it.
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
Love Crosby, Stills and Nash for their constant harmonies throughout their music. I will never be mad about listening to their music.
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
Whiny slightly out of tune 80s. Not my thing.
Morrissey
2/5
Whiny and flat is the best way to describe this album.
Frank Ocean
3/5
I am not cool enough for this music but it is fun, some great lyricism too.
Black Sabbath
3/5
Guitar was incredible. Ozzy’s voice just isn’t it, even for a metal album such as this.
Ryan Adams
1/5
Ryan Adams is a garbage person and I refuse to acknowledge him.
Willie Nelson
4/5
This album was able to be truly beautiful while being so simple. Even if you’re not an older country fan you have to appreciate the messages of Willie’s lyrics and his ability to keep his instrumentation and vocals concise and clean. Loved listening to this.
Black Sabbath
4/5
This album instrumentally is a 5. Vocally ozzy is not.
Beatles
3/5
The best way to describe this album is that it’s “nice”. Tame, non-offensive, but nothing that blows me away.
DJ Shadow
3/5
I really respect what they were doing here with creating music by arranging existing music into this album. It was a lot of noise to me personally, but I did think it was artistic.
T. Rex
3/5
This album is overall an enjoyable album with some cool rock sounds. Nothing outstanding but solid
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
You can hear the influence of this album in decades of hip hop after this was released which is so cool. Beats are solid, just more repetitive which made the album overall less interesting.
Pink Floyd
5/5
This is a complete album, with excellent musical qualities and really solid vocals to go with it. This is an album meant to be listened to in its entirety and there really isn’t a disappointing song. So surprisingly good.
4/5
If all of Bowie’s stuff had this vibe I’d be a fan. Starman, Moonage Daydream and Lady Stardust were major highlights for me.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
I’m sure there are people out there who think Led Zeppelin is overrated or mediocre but those people are wrong. Not one song is bad and comprehensively it’s brilliant. John Bonham’s drums are iconic as always.
Iggy Pop
3/5
I would equate Iggy to Black Sabbath. Cool instrumentals but not good vocals.
The Divine Comedy
2/5
This album seems like something my grandmother would like - May she Rest In Peace. It’s croon-y with instrumentation from the 40s. I don’t hate it but I don’t need it in my life.
Stan Getz
3/5
This album is pleasing to the ear but a bit boring. Nice to relax to with a great samba sound, but more saxophone than I care to hear.
Dire Straits
4/5
I don’t feel cool enough to listen to this album. Sultans of Swing is incredible but I also enjoyed Down to the Waterline and Six Blade Knife. Very funky rock vibe that I think was ahead of it’s time.
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
I had a lot of fun listening to this album. Come On Eileen is an iconic song that I love, but I thought the rest of this album held up to its status pretty well. There were a lot of dramatic elements in the music that sometimes gave me Queen vibes.
Alice Cooper
3/5
Alice Cooper is rock n roll nonsense but Blue Turk? So jazzy!
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
This album suffers from too much synth, too much sing-talking, and too much of the same sound in every song. Too 80s for me to ever listen to again.
The Youngbloods
3/5
In some ways this album is brilliant because every song is a different genre of music and it’s done well. But I also found it a confusing mixture rather than a cohesive album.
Cypress Hill
3/5
Cool west coast hip hop vibes. Repetitive but fun.
David Bowie
2/5
I was enjoying this ok until the weird synth stuff at the end. I didn’t think it went with the album at all. When I hear “Heroes” I always think of the end of The Replacements. That movie is 5 stars. This album is not.
Randy Newman
3/5
PSA to read about this album a bit before listening. It’s meant to be commentary on some societal issues.
This album is not bad but not great either. I appreciate what Newman is doing with his lyricism in regards to the working class man in American and life in the poor south, but there were times I felt like the lyrics sounded very “cocky white man” that I couldn’t genuinely enjoy the music.
The Specials
2/5
I was enjoying this and its use of an early ska sound with the brass and then I started getting annoyed with the album at Stereotype Pt 2.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
I genuinely enjoy this album for Neil Young’s unique voice and some really really pretty acoustic guitar playing.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
I cannot say anything bad about this album. The songwriting is 5 stars alone. Fleetwood Mac capturing falling in love, being in a relationship, and horrible breakups all in one album and it’s brilliant, relatable. I always enjoy this album.
Bob Dylan
2/5
I know Bob Dylan is one of the greats in terms of music but I really don’t get it. There’s nothing about his music that stands out to me other than his less than mediocre voice.
Brian Eno
1/5
This was obnoxious noise that I hated but weirdly my 1 year old enjoyed.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
John Fogerty could sing anything and I’d love it. CCR has a unique sounding vocalist but I also love their bluesy rock n roll sound. Lodi is one of my all time favorite CCR songs!
Love
2/5
The first 2 songs I really enjoyed. Classic 60s sound. Then it got more psychedelic than I prefer and they lost me at “Oh the snot has caked against my pants”
2Pac
3/5
The first half of the album was so angry and hard to listen to for me. It got a lot better in the second act with Lord Knows and Dear Mama.
Erykah Badu
4/5
I loved the vibe of this album! Pretty chill and really enjoyed Erykah's voice.
Roxy Music
2/5
I didn’t HATE this but there’s no way I would listen to it again. Weird lyrics, a lead singer of a rock band with a vibrato? It was odd.
Frank Sinatra
1/5
There was not one exciting song on this album. Next time I want to be put to sleep I’ll pull this up.
Antony and the Johnsons
3/5
This album is quite beautiful. It also has way too much vibrato which is something I think used sparingly is stunning but constantly is overdoing it. Pretty poetic lyrics with really good instrumentals. 4 is too high but 3 seems too low. 3.5 stars.
Leonard Cohen
2/5
This album creeped me out and I don’t really love all of the sing-talking. Some cool lyrics though.
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
This Big Band sound is everything to someone who loves brass. Minus 1
Star for Splanky being a terrible song.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
I can say with 100% certainty I had no idea what Elvis Costello sounded like or what his general vibe was. He reminded me of more 90s music, like Barenaked Ladies, rather than an early 80s group. This isn’t a bad thing.
Television
2/5
This was very drab generic 70s rock. Minus 1 star for a creepy album cover.
The Mamas & The Papas
4/5
I can’t believe this was their debut album. What a way to begin a career.
Blondie
4/5
super fun album overall. I love the drive of the music, some iconic songs mixed with some unknown gems.
B.B. King
3/5
I’m not a big blues person and I thought this was sometimes chaotic but B.B. is sort of the gold standard of the genre.
Hookworms
3/5
this sounded a bit experimental to me and at times it worked and at times I found the album annoying.
Prince
3/5
Today I learned I only really enjoy Prince’s radio hits. Wtf is Darling Nikki???
Prince
3/5
Why is there another super gross Prince song out there? What is the hype.
The 2 songs from the radio? Solid. Otherwise meh.
Tina Turner
3/5
This album was fine. I have zero feeling towards it whatsoever.
Dire Straits
4/5
I think this is a cool album. Love the instrumentals although sometimes the interludes were a bit longer than necessary. Love the song Why Worry. And today I learned Walk of Life is not by Bruce Springsteen.
Supergrass
3/5
Interesting album. Sofa of My Lethargy sounded like it was from the 70s, I’d Like to Know from the 80s, and Alright is peak 90s. I don’t know that I’d ever listen to the album straight through again, but a few good songs
Violent Femmes
2/5
I struggle with this album because I either really liked a song or despised it. From Add It Up to To The Kill i was annoyed by the whining and creepy rapey music (begging for a fuck isn’t my thing). But their radio hits were fun and I enjoyed the opening of the record too.
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
I felt like I was at a baseball game with the organ playing quirky music, then it dawned on me Green Onions was in The Sandlot. So it made a lot more sense.
Weird album but I appreciate its uniqueness.
Pretenders
4/5
Chrissie Hynde is an absolute kick ass vocalist. I love the drive of this album from the rhythm guitar and drums.
James Brown
2/5
A lot of the songs sound the same and there was too much shrill screaming for me to actually enjoy this album.
The Electric Prunes
2/5
Generic 60s music
Aerosmith
4/5
Amazing Joe Perry guitar and Steve Perry’s vocals are iconic. This isn’t my favorite from Aerosmith but I still enjoy this record.
The Beach Boys
4/5
I love that they took their music style and heightened it with this album’s orchestration and harmonies. I also like that they did something different from their usual surfing and sunshine songs and wrote a young love album.
PJ Harvey
1/5
I thought this album was obnoxious. The vocalist was talented but chose to flip and flutter her notes in an ugly way. The moments that were nice were overshadowed by my hatred for the rest.
Harry Nilsson
3/5
Kind of easy listening, nothing exciting but nothing offensive. It was fine!
Tim Buckley
1/5
While there were flashes of okayness, most of the vocals in this album unsettled me. There aren’t enough drugs on the planet for me to actually enjoy this.
Ravi Shankar
2/5
To listen to this straight through is a chore and a half. I 100% appreciate the talent required to perform this music, but it’s a lot. One song at a time is more
Tolerable, but I’m not sure I’d listen to this genre much in the future.
Spiritualized
2/5
The noise this album created made me anxious.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
3/5
Not my favorite from this group, but I am always impressed with their crisp harmonies and simplicity in their sound.
MGMT
4/5
I was really only familiar with MGMT’s radio hits which I liked, but the album itself is a cool vibe.
Louis Prima
4/5
Shockingly delightful! I tend to find the 50's crooners boring but this was so jazzy and fun!
Yes
5/5
This is an instrumental masterclass. I don’t know how they mixed classical with rock and synthesized keyboard. But they did it.
Neu!
3/5
What a weird album. To me this was more of a musical score album than anything else, which isn’t a bad thing, it just wasn’t what I expected as a Krautrock album. A lot of it was quite pretty, although repetitive
The Smiths
3/5
Led Zeppelin
5/5
While this album maybe doesn’t contain their absolute greatest hits, I still love it. Heavy beats and still ridiculous musicality.
Norah Jones
3/5
This album came out during my skater phase being obsessed with Avril Lavigne so I HATED Norah Jones. As an adult I appreciate her coffee house style but it’s still my not my favorite.
Fugazi
2/5
More grungy sounding than I prefer. It was okay to listen to in the background but I certainly won't be coming back to any of this album.
Blue Cheer
1/5
If you like unnecessary guitar noise, this album is for you!
Tom Waits
2/5
Instrumentally solid guitar, with some cool keyboard moments. Vocally Tom Waits is a mixture of Bruce Springsteen, Louis Armstrong, and Fat Albert and I didn’t enjoy that even a little.
R.E.M.
4/5
I don’t think I’ve ever given R.E.M. the time of day but I love their sound.
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
2/5
This album felt like it was 4 hours long.
Ella Fitzgerald
3/5
Ella is a legend. But this album is very fairly dimensional which makes it less exciting.
Beck
3/5
Beck is not within my scope of listening, but I appreciate his musicality, especially instrumentally. At times I found his voice to be drab but there were songs on this album I did overall enjoy.
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
Homeward Bound is outstanding. The rest is very mediocre for Simon & Garfunkel standards.
Massive Attack
2/5
Nothing about this stood out. A lot of repetitive phrasing which in this genre is common but is one of the reasons I don’t care much for it. The first track Protection stood out due to the female vocalist. The rest was ok at best.
Steve Earle
3/5
Very standard 80s/early 90s solo country male sound. I enjoy this kind of music in pieces, the entire album itself got to be a bit much. But I do like the songwriting.
Brian Eno
1/5
I’d be ok if I never listened to any Brian Zeno ever again. I just think his sound is annoying.
Nirvana
4/5
While there were a couple songs I found unenjoyable (Territorial Pissings no thank you) I really like their sound as a whole. It’s dark and eerie but pleasant, and the simplicity of the instrumentation mixed with the complexity of the sound is pretty damn impressive.
The Black Keys
3/5
I loved the first half of this album but then it fell a little drab for me towards the end. I also wasn’t sure I was crazy about the distorted vocals.
Johnny Cash
3/5
Johnny Cash has a really unique voice and the concept of this album is very cool. My problem with it is everything sounds the same so it gets redundant.
The Band
3/5
This is a nice album, was nice background music. But nothing really stood out other than Night They Threw Old Dixie Down.
Neneh Cherry
4/5
Great lyricism in this album and it was clear to the listener what her messages were. Loved her vibe!
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I love a classic rock blues sound. Their music has survived decades and that’s pretty remarkable
Alice In Chains
4/5
This album was heavy without me feeling like I was being screamed at, so I really like it this. Would be good to listen to while at the gym or cleaning the house. They lost me a minute for “Godsmack” and “Untitled” but brought it back for “Hate to Feel”. Great bass and drums in this!
The Who
3/5
I think this is meant to be viewed/listened to live, straight through. Just sitting on my couch it’s not exciting me, nor is it unpleasant. It’s just there.
Pinball Wizard 10/5 stars though.
The Cure
2/5
Lovesong is fine but the rest of this album is so 80s with its sound, too much new age synthesizer sound or something for me to ever need to listen to any Cure stuff moving forward.
Gil Scott-Heron
3/5
Could only find 1 song of his, it was fine.
Echo And The Bunnymen
2/5
Generic, unforgettable, bland
3/5
This is discount recycled Beatles, which isn’t necessarily bad but it’s not that special to me. I think Shangri-La is a standout.
Hugh Masekela
4/5
Such a great vibe! I loved the production quality, keeping in the fracking and imperfections. I felt like I was sitting in a coffee shop with a live jazz band playing.
Brian Wilson
3/5
This album is certainly experimental, but hard to listen to at times knowing the abuse he suffered as a child. The child-like melodies were purposeful which is brilliant and heartbreaking. There’s touched of the signature Beach Boys sound that I really liked, and a song full of farm animal sounds that my 18 month old enjoyed.
3/5
Wonderwall is nowhere close to the best song on this album. I really enjoyed half of this album, Champagne Supernova and Don’t Look Back in Anger are standouts. The songs I didn’t like I really didn’t enjoy.
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Not a very exciting jazz album but pleasant enough.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Good Stones album but I feel like there’s a reason there’s not as many mega hits on this album as there are on others.
Fats Domino
3/5
Fats Domino is pleasant enough to listen to and a staple to the doo op/blues genre of the late 50s. However for me there is nothing that stands out as exceptional with this album, it’s pretty straight to the point.
Cocteau Twins
3/5
This gave me late 80s Spice Girls vibes and I wasn’t mad about it
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Good bass lines through this album. I found myself bored by the same sound over and over though
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
The beat and groove of this album are unmatched. Lyrically it’s dark, but hopeful. I struggle with the lyrics at times because there’s only so many N-words I can handle in a given time. That’s a me issue more than anything else. I’m really glad I listened to it as I better understand the hype and respect around Kendrick as an artist, I just know it’s not something that I’m ever probably going to listen to again.
James Taylor
5/5
I first fell in love with James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain” when I was 10 years old watching Remember the Titans with my parents. After that I listened to more and more of his music and was amazed at his clean vocals and acoustic guitar. He mixes singer-songwriter with blue grass and blues. Even “Oh, Susana” he makes interesting. This is a near perfect album for me.
Common
3/5
Great groove but I was a little bored at times. Common is a really good lyricist and I think if I enjoyed the hip hop genre more I’d have given this a higher rating.
808 State
1/5
All I could think of while listening to this was “Cheesy background music for a cheap budget 80s movie.”
Fugees
4/5
Lauryn Hill is *chef’s kiss*. This album lyrically and rhythmically is much more my taste when it comes to 90s hip hop. I want to say it’s a more refined, sophisticated album than others at the time.
Minor Threat
2/5
I thought a lot of this album was chaotic BUT I could hear a lot of punk influence in later albums, like Blink, Green Day and Sum 41 so that I appreciated. I would have liked more variety to the sound overall.
Neil Young
4/5
This might be my favorite Neil Young I’ve heard. It’s simple and artistic. I don’t always love his voice but it worked for me on this album. Borrowed Tune especially stood out to me.
Wire
1/5
I don’t know what this album was trying to be but I hated it.
Ian Dury
1/5
Obnoxiously British and the lyrics grossed me out.
Deep Purple
5/5
I would almost put this on par with Zeppelin. There’s so many heavy metal bands from the late 70s to today that owe Deep Purple for their sound.
Talvin Singh
3/5
Such a strange sound - strange meaning different from the usual western sound. I don’t think I’ll come back to this, but I really appreciate the uniqueness of this record. I would probably like it more in smaller doses.
Portishead
2/5
This was tolerable to a point but I’d never listen to it again.
This album tries to have that Indie beat vibe but suffers from repetitive melodies and a mediocre at best singer.
Arrested Development
3/5
Cool vibe and groove, this is the fun 90s hip hop I really like. However I felt this album was about 15 minutes too long. Liked the reggae vibes!
Orbital
1/5
This is one of those records, for me, that shows that someone who isn’t that talented musically, but good with technology, can make a record and sell it as music.
Nothing stood out, nothing wowed me, this could have been video game music for some children’s game.
a-ha
3/5
This is a fun new wave pop album from the mid-80s thats a bit one dimensional. Take On Me is an absolute banger, obviously. The rest kind of fails to live up to their hit.
Nitin Sawhney
4/5
One of the more unique albums I’ve ever listened to. The varying genres throughout, the storytelling. Immigrant might be one of the prettiest songs I’ve ever listened to?
John Lee Hooker
4/5
For coming out in 1989 this certainly had an old jazz feel which was cool! I enjoyed this!
Pink Floyd
2/5
I’m not sure Pink Floyd would have become as famous as it did if it hadn’t come out at the height of hallucinogenic drugs
M.I.A.
2/5
Cool beats but repetitive to the point of annoyance.
Love
3/5
Something on Spotify described this as “Baroque pop” and that’s actually quite accurate. This is a very mid 60s British sound with the Baroque twist.
Ash
2/5
I did not enjoy the lyrics or the vocals of this. Instrumentally it was fine but it’s forgettable
The Stooges
4/5
It got a little chaotic at the end but I really like this album. The classic guitar sound of the late 60s/early 70s rock shines in this record.
The Damned
2/5
This is fine but nothing stands out to me as special or unique. It sounds like many other punk bands of the time.
Steely Dan
3/5
Steely Dan isn’t the most exciting band ever but I generally like their light rock sound. This album is not their best, personally. It’s a bit drab.
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
Great balance of dance numbers, jazz and soul. I think this is a fun album.
Sonic Youth
1/5
As Juno once said, “ Oh and you know what? I bought another Sonic Youth album and it sucked... it's just noise.”
Curtis Mayfield
2/5
Other than some nice background vocals and instrumentation, this album fails for its repetitive sound and can Curtis Mayfield only sing in falsetto?
Joni Mitchell
5/5
Flawless songwriting and her vocal range I always loved.
Paul Simon
4/5
Simple sound, wonderful storytelling. Very relaxing yet fun listen!
Peter Tosh
3/5
Great reggae rhythm and beats in this, reggae is something I typically enjoy in small doses because it all starts to melt together. As an album it’s repetitive. But if you love reggae this is great!
The White Stripes
4/5
Elephant is a better album. This album has a more grunge sound to it that I’m not as fond of. But I still like what The White Stripes did.
The Jam
3/5
I think a third of this list is generic British rock. And while I don’t mind it, it just all starts to mush together. This was fine.
Blur
2/5
Debt Collector was incredibly fun but otherwise, this is meh.
Bonnie Raitt
4/5
I grew up on the singer songwriter sound, and this is pretty top tier as far as that goes. She’s able to cover the 80s powerhouse female while also venturing into the early 90s almost country sound, like Amy Grant. I like this album a lot and think it’s great listening.
R.E.M.
4/5
I just thoroughly enjoy REMs sound. They’re simple in melody but their lyrics are strong. I always forget what a heavy hitter Everybody Hurts is!
Simon & Garfunkel
3/5
As a whole this is an underwhelming and strange album by two very incredible artists.
The Last Shadow Puppets
4/5
This gave me a theatrical, dramatic feel that I kind of loved.
Björk
1/5
I think Björk is the reason we have so many airy breathy female artists today and I’ll never forgive her for it.
The Boo Radleys
4/5
This was a huge surprise. I enjoyed the variety in vocals (although not always top tier), instrumentation and genre in each song. I heard lots of good guitar lines and loved the brass and woodwind moments! Wishing’ I Was Skinny really hit home. Lol
Elvis Presley
2/5
Elvis has to be on this list. His influence is unmatched in music as we know it today. That being said, this album being on this list makes no sense. I think it’s boring and not even close to his best.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
2/5
This is super politically charged so I appreciate the artistry but as far as a must listen it’s not for me at all.
The Police
2/5
I’ve never understood the appeal of The Police. Sting’s voice is not for me personally. King of Pain was great and I think Every Breath You Take has aged poorly. The rest of the reggae rock sound just doesn’t do it for me.
Green Day
5/5
When I think 90s pop alt rock Dookie is always the first album that comes to mind. Still today it’s Green Day’s best and one of the best albums of the 90s.
The 13th Floor Elevators
2/5
If this album were 45 minutes long I think they would have been onto something but it just draaaaaaags. 1 point for producing the psychedelic rock sound that was so popular in the 60s, I do respect that.
Pixies
2/5
Extremely jarring album when you think Pixies are a female rock group….anyways, I felt like i was being yelled out and it made me uncomfortable. Some good rock guitar sound at times though.
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
I had higher expectations for this. Everyday People and I Want to Take You Higher are great, which I expected from the rest of the album. The rest was only fine.
The Kinks
3/5
This album is perfectly fine to listen to while I figure out how to embroidery stitch.
Yes
5/5
I don’t think we talk enough about how brilliant Yes is/was. Their harmonies are insane and the way they use their various instruments just blow me away every time.
Carole King
5/5
Im biased towards this because Carole King is my mom’s all time favorite artist. BUT. She’s a brilliant songwriter. I love her deeper voice. And she is responsible for writing so many songs that have made people famous. An absolute legend in music and this album is full of excellence.
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
1/5
I liked the diversity of songs on the album. That doesn’t mean I liked it at all. Vocals were unbearable at times and the sound within each song was repetitive.
Jurassic 5
4/5
Really cool feel to this! Poignant lyrics that matched the rhythm perfectly, and I didn’t feel like I was being screamed at. Different than what I’d normally listen to but I enjoyed it!
Eels
3/5
This album dragged a bit but I do love the generic 90s.
I almost gave this 4 stars because My Belovef Monster was in Shrek.
Linkin Park
5/5
On nostalgia alone I would give this 5 stars.
However I can’t do that so I give it 5 stars for Chester’s haunting vocals and defining a generation of alternative rockers.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
3/5
This is incredibly bizarre but a cool listen nonetheless. I think them taking orchestral music and making it rock is really cool. Highly recommend familiarizing yourself with the orchestral before listening to this.
Underworld
1/5
This is the kind of music you hear in those goth techno underground parties that is truly the stuff of nightmares. I will never recover.
Madonna
2/5
I remember Ray of Light coming out on the radio and thinking it was bad. This whole album suffers from a sound of overproduction. Madonna of the 80s was so good and this just isn’t good.
Elton John
4/5
Instrumentally this album is flawless. Overall there’s a few skips but what an iconic album, sound, and man in Elton John.
The Rolling Stones
3/5
This album is all over the place. Paint it Black is one of their best, then they’re misogynists, then they write a love song. Such a roller coaster
Dr. Dre
2/5
The beats are so good but I just have a really hard time listening to the n word so many times. I have the utmost respect for Dr. Dre for his contributions to music and his collaborations, they can’t be ignored.
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
I thought this album was fun, had a funk R&B rap vibe that I liked! I don’t think I’m dying to listen to it again but I would at some point for sure.
Moby Grape
3/5
Pretty standard but pleasant 60s sound. I hadn’t heard of this group before but I did like it.
The Smashing Pumpkins
3/5
Instrumentally fantastic. Billy Corgan is an incredibly polarizing vocalist, one which I can only handle in small doses. I can listen to a song or two of Smashing Pumpkins and be done, so it’s hard to rate this album any higher than a 3.
The Replacements
3/5
I was surprised this was done in the 80s because it sounded very 90s to me. Either way this was fine, I enjoyed listening to it, but I didn’t find it all that special either.
Little Simz
4/5
“Never givin’ credit where credit is due Because you don’t like pussy in power”
These are great lyrics put to great beats. I am very impressed by Little Simz especially when I’m usually grossed out by female rappers (sorry Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion)
Weather Report
3/5
As a former high school and college pep band trumpet player, Weather Report is iconic for Birdland alone. That being said the rest of the album all blurred together
Muddy Waters
4/5
I love Muddy Waters! His clear yet rough vocals I enjoy and there’s small moments throughout that stand out in a powerful blues album.
Garbage
3/5
I would have liked this a bit more with more refinement to the sound (although I think their sound is more unrefined). Either way, signature 90s sound
Depeche Mode
1/5
When people say they hate 80s music it’s because they listened to Depeche Mode and realized what trash it was.
The Who
5/5
This album is flawless. It has its big moments and softer moments. Opening with Baba O’Reiley and closing with Behind Blue Eyes? My god.
Beatles
5/5
5 stars based on the technical guitar achievement of this album alone. I don’t know that I’ve heard every album the Beatles have ever done but this is going to be hard to ever beat for me. In My Life is a PERFECT song
Iron Maiden
4/5
I’m so confused am I becoming a metal fan?
This album is technical and punches you in the mouth. Plus I felt like Jack Black could be the frontman of Iron Maiden which is a cool visual.
Iggy Pop
2/5
This album as a whole was fine except the song Sweet Sixteen creeped me out so much that I almost didn’t recover.
Public Enemy
3/5
I almost gave this a 4 if the beats within each song had more variety but they did get a bit redundant. However, this is a really cool album. I think it speaks to racial injustice in America without yelling constantly which for me is a more pleasant sound, while still getting a point across. Great beats, a tad long. Terminator & Party For Your Right to Fight were standouts.
The The
3/5
Generic forgettable 80s music
Radiohead
2/5
There is so little to like about this album for me. It’s noisy and not nearly musical enough. Radiohead is one of those bands I truly don’t “get”.
Ice T
3/5
I like Ice T’s vocal through this, I’ve always liked his distinctive sound. Great beats, solid early rap/hip hop album. I don’t know that I would listen to it much again but it was good
Billy Joel
4/5
This is essentially a Billy Joel’s greatest hits. So many classics with poetic lyrics and piano.
Radiohead
1/5
Pull/Pull Revolving Doors is the ugliest song I’ve ever heard. The rest of the album is tied for 2nd worst song.
The Cars
4/5
I really like this! the first 3 songs are by far the best (and we’re very popular singles) and even though the rest of the album wasn’t quite up to their caliber, still a great enjoyable sound of an album that knew when to end.
Lana Del Rey
3/5
Ugh, Lana has a great vocal until she gets super whispery and breathy and then she completely loses me. This is a pretty album but I don’t see myself listening to it anymore
Pixies
2/5
I wanted to like this. It had sounds of early ska at times. But it was noisy and not a very pleasant sound overall.
Buffalo Springfield
2/5
It’s a snooze fest that would be best enjoyed under the influence of some psychedelic drug.
Metallica
3/5
I love an orchestra mixed with metal. I think it sounds awesome and mixing genres is a cool concept. I think if I saw this live I’d lose my marbles. But in an album it falls flat and all kind of mushes together.
John Martyn
4/5
At first I thought this was going to be a weird as hell album. I was right. But, it had great variety of easy listening and very much kept my interest. Go Down Easy and Man In The Station stood out to me the most. I appreciated this a lot and I’d definitely listen to some of the songs again.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
There’s a reason she’s the Queen of Soul. This album is full of it and damn she can sing. I was bored at times but that’s a me thing, cannot deny this woman was talented as hell.
Rufus Wainwright
4/5
Kind of a strange variety but I really appreciated the artistry of this and I genuinely enjoyed most of the album. Easy listening voice from Rufus Wainwright. A couple of songs gave me Coldplay vibes (ugh) but I would listen to most of this again for sure.
King Crimson
2/5
This album was like if you took the weirdest Pink Floyd stuff and made it weirder and worse. A couple songs I jammed to but otherwise this was chaotic.
Dusty Springfield
3/5
I like the simplicity of this album and Dusty’s tone is wonderful. Nothing wowed me about this album but it’s a nice listen.
The Sabres Of Paradise
1/5
The best part about this album is that you only have to listen to the first 20 seconds of each song and you’ll know what the rest of the album sounds like. Incredible!
Ghostface Killah
2/5
Albums with lyrics like “I shot one of my bitches, she wasn’t trick enough” tend to just drop really low on the chart for me. Cool instrumentation for a rap album. That’s all I got.
PJ Harvey
2/5
This is one of those bands that was like “underground” in the 90s that I never would have nor will understand because I was much more focused on the Spice Girls and NSYNC at that time
Sonic Youth
1/5
No matter how much this list shoves Sonic Youth down my throat, I will never get it. The female vocals were NOT IT.
Prince
2/5
I think I’ve decided that my beef with Prince is his vocals (which are whiny) and his lyrics. What is the song It anyways?
The guy can very much play anything on the guitar. But the rest is not for me. I did like some of the funk elements of this particular album though.
Sonic Youth
2/5
Noisy. Flashes of cool instrumentals from the drums and guitar but overall not pleasant to listen to.
Simple Minds
3/5
This gives Talking Heads vibes which is weird but I don’t dislike it. I wish it would have done something to set itself apart more from that standard early 80s synth sound.
The Verve
1/5
If I wanted to listen to whining and weird noises I’d listen to my toddler complain.
Johnny Cash
2/5
Johnny Cash is fine but for me he’s just kind of boring. I like his deep singing voice but there’s nothing about him musically that blows me away.
Gorillaz
3/5
My Gorillaz experience growing up was Feel Good Inc and Clint Eastwood. The rest of the album was fine enough to listen to but there’s probably a reason nothing else they did was a commercial success.
Shuggie Otis
3/5
Cool vibe but I grew bored. It didn’t need to be almost an hour long.
Funk/soul is a genre I like in small doses.
Dolly Parton
5/5
Where has this been all my life?!?!
I am a sucker for good harmonies so right off the bat I loved this. But the songs themselves are beautiful lyrically and musically. Nothing crazy just pleasant listening and I would be lying if I said a couple songs didn’t make me tear up thinking about family members of mine who have passed or aren’t in the best health. Bravo to these 3 ladies who put together a masterpiece of harmonies.
Christine and the Queens
3/5
This music reminded me of the cool unheard of songs played in American eagle when I was in high school.
I liked it. It’s a cool vibe. Not something I’m going to listen to straight through ever again but I liked it in small doses!
Teenage Fanclub
2/5
This music could have been written, performed and produced by high school boys in a garage. This is not a compliment.
The lyrics were incredibly juvenile.
Beck
2/5
Beck is an artist that reminds me of Coldplay in that I can’t put my finger on it, but I really don’t love it. Summer Girl is a good tune and the rest I didn’t enjoy vocally and the instrumentals are extremely repetitive.
Skepta
2/5
Cool beats and vibes to this sound. But I can’t get behind lyrics talking about blasting someone’s face off. I just can’t.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
2/5
Bob Marley is the first person most people think of when you think Reggae. He does the genre well, I like the instrumentation more than the vocals in this.
Janet Jackson
2/5
I don’t get the hype and love of Janet Jackson. She’s not nearly as talented as her brother. All the interludes in the music are distracting from music in general, and when I listen to a music record I want to listen to music, not random sound bytes.
New Order
3/5
For being a very 80s album I really liked this. Not quite 4 stars but I appreciated the variety of this album and the bass lines were fun.
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
This is the kind of music that makes me wish I knew how to salsa dance
Led Zeppelin
5/5
This album is SO GOOD until the last song which I hated :\. BUT- an album of comprehensive genius. Out On the Tiles just became one of my favorite songs of theirs ever. They combined blues, rock, metal all together to make a brilliant record
The Adverts
2/5
Well this is an album that exists in the world of music.
Very generic early punk sound which is fine, but nothing about this stood out to me, lots of one note singing.
Billie Holiday
2/5
Billie Holiday is a lovely singer. This album however is so one dimensional it gets very boring very fast. I wish it had more pizzazz, more tempo changes, more….something.
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
Such a cool jazz trio sound. A little boring at times because I love brass, but it’s calming, fun and carefree.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Loved this album! It gave blues rock, southern soul, standard rock, and it all meshed together so well as a record. This is probably my favorite Stone album I’ve listened to to date.
Donovan
3/5
This was fine, nothing really stood out from the generic 60s sound that started with the Beatles. I liked the organ in there though.
My Bloody Valentine
1/5
There was truly nothing enjoyable about listening to this album. It’s very noisy, terrible production quality, and unpleasant in sound, instrumentation and vocal.
The Cardigans
3/5
This album is a quick listen with some fun melodies. Lovefool is ALWAYS a jam.
Led Zeppelin
4/5
This is an amazing debut record that Zeppelin was able to build upon for success after success in their repertoire. It sets the foundation for their future and probably deserves more credit than it gets. As a personal preference it has a few songs that fall a bit under the “outstanding” level, but a great album nonetheless.
Marvin Gaye
2/5
Marvin Gaye is so smooth but from a personal standpoint, he’s kind of bland. I much prefer Al Green to this.
Alice Cooper
4/5
I felt like the last few songs dropped in quality but for the most part this album was great. I felt like this was more refined in sound than Alice Cooper’s previous stuff.
George Harrison
4/5
This is full of great music but trying to get through a 2 hour album is a chore. It has great variety with the heavy and the soft, and it features wonderful songwriting. I could have given this 5 stars if I didn’t want to rip my hair at the length.
Gang Starr
1/5
The sound within each song was incredibly redundant and not particular pleasant to listen to. I don’t really think I’m the right person to rate this genre as I generally don’t care for it, but this album bores me more than other rap/hip hop albums
Siouxsie And The Banshees
1/5
Unattractive loud women’s punk/80s group
Miles Davis
4/5
Not the most flashy, exciting jazz album out there but Miles Davis does jazz trumpet so damn well.
D'Angelo
2/5
I’m sure for people who enjoy this sound and genre, this album is great. It’s not a genre I generally steer towards, and while I appreciate the soul/funk vibes of a mid-90s R&B record, I was glad it was over. I could handle one or two songs at a time of this.
The Everly Brothers
3/5
Didn’t know Love Hurts was originated by the Everly Brothers.
This is simple, nice harmonies. Standard sound for the time. Nothing bad, nothing great.
David Ackles
3/5
This album was confusing. I certainly appreciate the uniqueness of the album itself compared to much of the rest on this list. I was confused why an album called American Gothic written by an American singer songwriter was recorded in London.
This gave me Broadway vibes. It was weird and I’m not sure this is an accurate rating, I neither loved nor hated it.
R.E.M.
3/5
If you’re a die hard R.E.M. fan I’m sure this is well-liked. It’s their standard sound. I didn’t find it all that exciting/thrilling, and generally like their later stuff better. But I can appreciate this is the album that set their course in the music industry and I still liked it.
Doves
2/5
At times this album works, but the vocals are very monotone and uninteresting. I also got vibes of Dave Matthews and Coldplay at times which are not my jam at all. As a background, it was sometimes fine.
Brian Eno
1/5
Once you’ve heard one Brian Eno album you’ve heard them all. It’s bland and weird, not pleasing. I’d be better off on shrooms listening to this (and maybe that’s the point?).
Kate Bush
1/5
I think this is album I 100% do not “get” but either way I thought it was trash.
Machito
5/5
When I want jazz, I specifically means THIS. Fast-paced, heavy brass, loud, rhythmic. So much good stuff out of this album. I’ll be coming back to this anytime I want to listen to this genre.
The trumpet solos A+++
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
I remember listening to this as a kid a lot and liked it a lot more than I do now. I still enjoy it as a whole, but the non-hits are not that great.
Pavement
3/5
I enjoyed this at first, then I think their sound got old to me.
The Charlatans
3/5
I enjoyed listening to this as far as being a genre I enjoy, but it’s forgettable and I don’t think I’ll be coming back to it.
Suicide
1/5
Vocally this album is terrible, why was there moaning in this?
The instrumentals were incredibly repetitive and they weren’t that great to begin with.
TLC
4/5
They do their genre so well. Basically an all female version of Boyz II Men. I could have done without some of the voice interludes that I didn’t think added anything, but it’s smooth, rhythmic, and lyrical.
White Denim
4/5
This was a very cool surprise! Great concept of revitalizing the late 60s rock sound, short and to the point.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
I personally hadn’t heard a single song off this album before but man this is good. Cohesive soul/funk sound and Stevie’s vocals are always so smooth.
Public Enemy
3/5
This was good and I overall enjoyed it for the genre, which is not usually something I gravitate towards. Awesome beats and rhythm too.
Les Rythmes Digitales
3/5
I didn’t LOVE this but I liked parts, especially the sampling of other late 90s radio hits. It’s pretty repetitive (which most electronics albums are) but it wasn’t bad.
Cream
3/5
If I liked psychedelic rock more I know I’d enjoy this more. Nothing but respect for Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker and Eric Clapton, but overall I thought this album was just fine. I needed more jams like Sunshine of Your Love to bump it up a notch.
Nick Drake
2/5
If John Mayer and Jack Johnson melded together they would be this guy, which I guess means Nick Drake was ahead of his time, but seeing as I dislike both of those guys this album didn’t do it for me at all.
Willie Nelson
4/5
Simple and beautiful. It’s odd to me at first there’s an album full of covers on this list, but this is done so well.
Django Django
2/5
I appreciated how unique this album was, and that each song really sounded different from the previous one. I thought within the songs themselves they were far too repetitive and the album as a whole didn’t mesh for me at all.
Big Star
2/5
If I were depressed and high all the time I think I could vibe with this.
Charles Mingus
3/5
This falls into the experimental jazz category that I find too chaotic at times. Still brilliant jazz, just personally not my favorite.
Moby
3/5
Parts of this album are cool but the repetition that comes out of this genre just bores me.
Queen
4/5
This album reminds me that Queen had some weird stretches musically. But the drumming on display here was top notch.
Rush
4/5
Rush is just really, really good at what they do. I love the distinct voice of the lead singer
Jack White
4/5
This is a COOL album. Jack White I’ve always found to be a little odd but what a cool vibe that put a modern spin on some classic 70s rock.
U2
2/5
I have a strong disdain for Bono. He’s got this airy tone to his voice that irks me, and short of a couple songs on this where I like the song instrumentally and lyrically, U2 can go away.
Kanye West
1/5
I’ve heard this album before and it’s good, like real good. But what an absolute trash human being. People still support and stand up for this man when really they should be pushing for him to get professional help. Or go live on an island in isolation, never to be heard from again.
Snoop Dogg
2/5
I love Snoop but this is redundant and boring.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
4/5
This isn’t music I typically lean to however the harmonies mixed with the rhythmic qualities are really, really solid.
Soundgarden
3/5
This album was 3-4 songs too long. I never understand the love for Soundgarden and I still think they’re a bit overrated, however some of this album are really cool, dark, and haunting, so I do have a better appreciation for the band.
Suede
2/5
The singer was whiny and the music was obnoxious. A few decent moments but nothing to put this album near mediocre even.
Bee Gees
3/5
If you would have told me that they had discovered never before released Beatles music and made an album, and this was it, I would have 100% believed you.
I forget that The Bee Gees weren’t just a disco group, and this was a nice reminder of that.
This album was good, nothing great, but I was impressed by how much they changed their sound in their career.
Ray Charles
4/5
Smooth and soulful. Ray Charles at his best in my opinion.
Sarah Vaughan
3/5
This is a nice album and I’ll be sure to listen to this the next time I need to lower my blood pressure. Nothing wowed me though.
Bob Dylan
3/5
I resent Bob Dylan for being a good lyricist and musician because he’s a terrible singer and I’m sorry I can’t look past it.
Big Black
1/5
Pretty confident Spotify banned this album from their site because it is TERRIBLE.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
As a personal preference I love this. I love the harmonies and the variation in soft, slower numbers with the faster paced sock hop songs. Buddy Holly was gone way too soon.
Marvin Gaye
3/5
I had higher hopes for this. On the one hand the social commentary was fantastic and Marvin Gaye is so smooth vocally. On the other I was a little bored and felt it was more preachy than I needed.
Queen Latifah
3/5
I prefer Motormouth Maybelle from Hairspray Queen Latifah but this is certainly a fun beat.
Michael Jackson
4/5
This could be reamed Michael Jackson’s Greatest Hits. So many hits!
Primal Scream
2/5
A couple of the songs gave me Wham! vibes and those I liked. Otherwise I was bored and pictured someone making this in their basement.
Calexico
4/5
Listening to this made me feel like I was listening to the soundtrack of Ted Lasso. I enjoyed this and would almost describe it as a modern twist on Yacht Rock if that’s possible.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
I would have never guessed in a million years this was a band full of white guys.
This gives psychedelic blues rock which I found super interesting.
De La Soul
2/5
While this is a fun album I didn’t really enjoy it. Lots of random vocal interludes and I don’t need a song about dandruff ever.
Morrissey
4/5
I felt like Morissey was speaking to me on a personal level in “You’re the One for Me, Fatty”
But also this gives me major Barenaked Lady vibes which I loved.
4/5
This album is a VIBE. The saxophone in The World is a Ghetto was unreal. Great heavy beat throughout. I was hesitant towards this album because it’s labeled as “Psychedelic” which is often too out there for me but this was awesome.
Duran Duran
3/5
The title track is a certified BOP. I liked this overall, had some cool harmonies but would be better enjoyed if I preferred the very 80s sound more.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
1/5
There might be an audience for this but it’s not on this planet. What in the heck is this.
Otis Redding
4/5
I liked Otis’ takes on some of these covers, as well as the heavy trumpet moments! He’s got soul and this was fun to listen to.
The xx
3/5
I appreciate this album for its artistry and unique quality but the vocals not being very strong hurt it for me a bit. A little more power I think would have added a variety to it- soft moments are great but it needs balance.
Caetano Veloso
2/5
This album is best suited as background restaurant music at a restaurant trying to be fancy. Or an elevator?
Bad Brains
2/5
You know how you have A list celebrities? This was like D list celebrity-esque metal.
Tom Waits
1/5
This is one of the ugliest and most unpleasant things I’ve ever listened to. Thanks, Tom Waits!
Q-Tip
4/5
I’m not sure I’d listen to this again, BUT it is a very good, cohesive record. Loved the flow and groove, was impressed with the melodic sound that I don’t always get enough of in this genre.
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
I quite enjoyed this more stripped down Bruce album. Partly because I needed something calming and this did the trick. I think this album did a great job of showcasing the lyricism and musicality of Bruce, rather than just the performer rock side of him.
N.E.R.D
3/5
Very hit or miss album for me. Some of the songs were fun and funky while others were weird and lyrically creeped me out. Pharrell as an artist tends to be hit or miss for me anyways
Steely Dan
4/5
I love a great yacht rock album. Steely Dan is fun and I love their instrumentation and harmonies on their songs.
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
Cool voice, relaxing vibe. It was fine.
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Yes! Stevie is so smooth vocally, great groove to this album. And a good mix of mega hits with some stuff I hadn’t heard before and it was all great.
George Michael
3/5
I wanted more from this album. I love George Michael’s voice, and while that definitely stood out I wasn’t loving the album as a whole. It was a little boring. A few really good songs but most were just meh.
AC/DC
5/5
This album is EPIC. I don’t really know what else to say about it. It just punches you in the mouth from start to finish and features some of the best rock n roll the world has to offer.
Daft Punk
2/5
I struggled through this album. Too redundant, not enough musicality and I was bored out of my mind. Ecstasy was needed.
I can 100% understand lovers of this genre liking this album though.
The Byrds
3/5
This album is pleasant enough. Nothing about it really blows me out of the water but it doesn’t change that it’s a pleasant sound.
3/5
I appreciate that this album was a turning point for the Beatles and the genre, but I generally don’t love it. Musically I find it weaker than other albums of theirs even with their experimentation with unique instruments. The opening is fun but some middle songs are snoozers. A lot of this is personal preference but it’s just not my favorite.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Nothing about Elvis Costello impresses me. He’s fine and at times I’m surprised that he’s not from the 90s. But it’s just not anything I’d ever listen to voluntarily.
Kings of Leon
3/5
There’s moments of some really solid guitar in this album and then some moments of chaos so I’m torn. I do like Kings of Leon’s later stuff a lot better.
The The
2/5
Very, very one dimensional 80s synth.
Elvis Costello
3/5
Another Elvis Costello album that is simply fine.