Journey Complete!
Finisher # to complete the list
690
Albums Rated
3.58
Average Rating
63%
Complete
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
2010s
Favorite Decade
Grunge
Favorite Genre
US
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
168
5-Star Albums
13
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Trafalgar
Bee Gees
|
5 | 2.63 | +2.37 |
|
A Grand Don't Come For Free
The Streets
|
5 | 2.67 | +2.33 |
|
m b v
My Bloody Valentine
|
5 | 2.72 | +2.28 |
|
Peggy Suicide
Julian Cope
|
5 | 2.77 | +2.23 |
|
Brutal Youth
Elvis Costello
|
5 | 2.82 | +2.18 |
|
Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge
Mudhoney
|
5 | 2.84 | +2.16 |
|
Gentlemen
The Afghan Whigs
|
5 | 2.9 | +2.1 |
|
Rhythm Nation 1814
Janet Jackson
|
5 | 2.99 | +2.01 |
|
Hot Shots II
The Beta Band
|
5 | 3.01 | +1.99 |
|
Exile In Guyville
Liz Phair
|
5 | 3.02 | +1.98 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Endtroducing.....
DJ Shadow
|
1 | 3.36 | -2.36 |
|
Murder Ballads
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
|
1 | 3.09 | -2.09 |
|
Oxygène
Jean-Michel Jarre
|
1 | 3.08 | -2.08 |
|
Talk Talk Talk
The Psychedelic Furs
|
1 | 3.03 | -2.03 |
|
With The Beatles
Beatles
|
2 | 3.66 | -1.66 |
|
Buena Vista Social Club
Buena Vista Social Club
|
2 | 3.66 | -1.66 |
|
Catch A Fire
Bob Marley & The Wailers
|
2 | 3.64 | -1.64 |
|
The Madcap Laughs
Syd Barrett
|
1 | 2.62 | -1.62 |
|
The United States Of America
The United States Of America
|
1 | 2.61 | -1.61 |
|
In The Court Of The Crimson King
King Crimson
|
2 | 3.6 | -1.6 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 7 | 4.43 |
| The Rolling Stones | 6 | 4.5 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 5 |
| Arcade Fire | 3 | 5 |
| Radiohead | 6 | 4.33 |
| Led Zeppelin | 5 | 4.4 |
| U2 | 4 | 4.5 |
| Kanye West | 3 | 4.67 |
| Michael Jackson | 3 | 4.67 |
| The White Stripes | 3 | 4.67 |
| Beastie Boys | 3 | 4.67 |
| Kings of Leon | 3 | 4.67 |
| Green Day | 2 | 5 |
| Taylor Swift | 2 | 5 |
| Red Hot Chili Peppers | 2 | 5 |
| Simon & Garfunkel | 2 | 5 |
| LCD Soundsystem | 2 | 5 |
| Elvis Costello | 2 | 5 |
| Oasis | 2 | 5 |
| Pixies | 2 | 5 |
| Echo And The Bunnymen | 2 | 5 |
| Beck | 3 | 4.33 |
| My Bloody Valentine | 3 | 4.33 |
| Aerosmith | 3 | 4.33 |
| David Bowie | 8 | 3.88 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 5 | 4 |
| The Who | 5 | 4 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Public Image Ltd. | 2 | 1 |
| Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band | 2 | 1.5 |
| Robert Wyatt | 2 | 1.5 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Joy Division | 5, 2 |
| Sly & The Family Stone | 5, 2 |
| Willie Nelson | 2, 5 |
| Goldfrapp | 5, 2 |
| The Velvet Underground | 2, 5 |
5-Star Albums (168)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
The United States Of America
1/5
My wife while listening to this album:
“ This sounds like the music that would play when a clown comes to murder you”
65 likes
Green Day
5/5
Expert witness account of this album incoming.
It is easy to forget how big this album was, and Green Day were after this one hit. Going into it though in 2004, popular culture had passed them by. Dookie had hit 10 years earlier and while the following Green Day albums were hits, they were never going to reach the heights their breakthrough did. At the start of the 2000s, Blink 182, Good Charlotte, Sum 41 and Simple Plan had taken what Green Day were doing in the 90s and replicated it (to lesser artistic success) and dominated the charts, MuchMusic airtime (yes I’m Canadian) and magazine covers. At the same time, a narrative had been going on in music conversations that rock and roll was dying, the pendulum had swung to pop and hip hop (very short sited and mostly perpetuated by people who only get music through TV and top 40 radio, of which I was mostly too) which had contributed to the overall decline in relevancy of guitar-bass-drum acts.
By time fall 2004 had come around there already were the next generation of popular rock acts coming up (The Killers and Frank Ferdinand had hit earlier in the summer, Arcade Fire would hit mainstream this fall). So here came Green Day with a new album, and it had been a few years since they had put out new music. I think there was some level of hype, and it was known this was going to be a concept album. People forget though, Green Day had changed their image in preparation of this album. For a band that had been at the height of their relevancy 10 years earlier, the refreshed look absolutely helped their appeal, as they somehow looked cooler and ahead of the curve than the other bands that had surpassed them. This was sort of a clean entry point for new fans too as they’re visually striking at this point, sound as good as they ever have and are riding this Anti-Bush wave that’s happening right before the 2014 US election.
So when the American Idiot single came out, I remember the music video had gotten a lot more play than singles from previous Green Day had been. But this album just kept growing with each successive single. Holiday, Boulevard of Broken Dreams and Wake Me Up When September Ends we’re all massive hits and had endless radio play. This album landed like nothing else in rock had. They stayed in the public spotlight for at least 2 years off the strength of this record. I remember seeing them on the cover of Entertainment Weekly in 2016 still promoting American Idiot, and the band won the Grammy a few weeks later which kept them going. Now this album has been adapted into a Broadway show and Green Day is the only other band that got a Rock Band game besides the Beatles (AC/DC had a disc, but that was just songs, no band representation)
So I say all of this because looking back at the 2000s decade because of when American Idiot hit, the case could be made Green Day was at the top of the rock pile, along with U2, RHCP, Coldplay and I suppose the Killers. So while people had this conversation that rock was dying in the 2000s we have to count ourselves pretty fucking lucky we had Green Day that rode the mainstream. You may hate this album but it’s better than most of the other slush pile the 2000s had to offer.
The album itself though; it is still absolutely killer and it’s obvious why they became the biggest band in the world again because of this. There’s nothing challenging here about the music; it’s immediate, every song is catchy, lyrics are great (if dated criticism of America in the 2000s). So many of the songs have been ridden into the ground (anything released as a single) so the real winners here are the longer concept album saga songs (Jesus of Suburbia, Homecoming).
What I have had to contend with doing this 1001 album project is putting into perspective when I would have been listening to this album before. American Idiot doesn’t seem like it’s that old. Im assuming this is because the songs in this have been played to death on the radio as well as movies and video games. I’ve also been thinking about Green Day lately as I listened to the excellent episode of the podcast Bandsplain did on Green Day a few months ago. But to place it, I would have been listening to this one when I started university. I would have listened to it on my 3rd Gen iPod (the one with the four red action buttons across the top and the first touch click wheel). I wouldn’t have even had a laptop yet, I would have still had my Compaq desktop PC.
In terms of where this lands in Green Days legacy I have the unpopular opinion that this is their best album. Still incredible that this is a comeback on the level it was considering how they had fallen out of fashion, but listening to the album, it seems obvious. Could Green Day make another comeback? Sure. Apparently Green Day is hot with teenagers. They make music that sounds like what it’s like to be a teen.
Among the best albums of this decade, deserved all of its sales and the success the band had from it.
60 likes
Foo Fighters
4/5
Who would have made the decision to have this be the Foo Fighters album on this list? It’s the Colour and the Shape that’s their definitive one. The rest of the ‘Foo Fighters’ aren’t even on this album
I listened to this record a few weeks ago when Taylor died (along with the other albums he played on). I think it’s really interesting as a fan of their work. It’s pretty scrappy compared the the relatively polished sound of what they do next.
Foo Fighters are one of my bands. I have heard every album, especially One by One, There is Nothing Left To Lose, Colour and the Shape and Wasting Light. I was lucky enough to see them twice, including in 2015 when Dave had broken his leg, and played from his Iron Throne of guitars.
I think Foo Fighters have been the most universally liked band over the past 30 years. Who else is there? U2 is one, but there’s enough people who actively hate them. Or Red Hot Chili Peppers but I don’t think they’ve been as consistent or have released music at enough of a clip. This band has Dave Grohl, one of the most most recognizable and affable front men of all time, Taylor an incredible drummer and occasionally Pat Smear from Nirvana. Along with their classic music videos this is just a band that has always seemed like they were having fun. They have always had respect for those that came before them, and all of the Foos have been involved with other legendary rock acts throughout the years. They are our generations North Star, you can always count on the Foo Fighters and they are a band that generally everyone likes.
It’s their choice now if they continue on given Taylor’s passing. I have to expect they’ll take a few years off then come back with a new drummer. If they decide not to, that’s ok too.
Rest In Peace Taylor
28 likes
1-Star Albums (13)
All Ratings
Beatles
5/5
Better than I remember
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
Ding ding ding
Paul Simon
4/5
Moby
5/5
If I had to list out the most important albums of the 2000s I likely would not have thought of this one. Listening to it now it’s pretty undeniable how pervasive this music was during that decade.
The bad take is this is the sound of car commercials. Realistically, this is the sound of cool for this era and everyone wanted to be associated with Moby. This album is so clean and so catchy it’s no wonder every song got put under any commercial or movie that would pay for it. 20 years later I think you have to call this the point when ‘selling out’ stopped being a thing.
Les Rythmes Digitales
4/5
I really dig this album!
Michael Kiwanuka
4/5
Ah so this is very good
I might have to listen to this a few more times because this is absolutely a masterpiece
David Holmes
3/5
A Tribe Called Quest
3/5
Air
4/5
Yes
3/5
Roundaboot
Johnny Cash
4/5
Johnny Cash is a lot funnier than I expected lol
The Jam
5/5
The Jam (and Paul Weller) is a band I know about; but don’t really know their music aside from a few songs. I mostly know them from influencing most of the bands I grew up listening to. Hearing this now you definitely hear where every Oasis song is ripped off from, but also the stems of New Pornographers and Paraquet Courts. For good reason too.
This album absolutely rips. A little over half an hour and doesn't overstay it’s welcome.
Killer tracks
David Watts
English Rose
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
JAY Z
3/5
Parliament
3/5
Pretty good, but most songs need to be 3-4 minutes shorter lol
Tracy Chapman
4/5
Rufus Wainwright
4/5
Ugh do I like Rufus Wainwright?
Culture Club
3/5
Happy Mondays
4/5
Pretty good album!
I’d like to use this time to ask ask the question; why is it that Spotify and Apple Music always put these remastered versions of albums up that double the songs of the original release? It’s always a bunch of B-sides or demos. Really kills the flow of an album or in the case of one like Bummed, I have no idea if this is a double album or just expanded. I have to assume because they're the latest version the studios have put out, so that’s what these services are able to license. I’ve noticed this trend more going through the list of albums and most LPs are usually only 30-45 minutes long, but the version that’s available is 2 hours long. It’s too much! It’s like if the only version of Lord of the Rings that was available was the extended editions. I would never watch them!
The Undertones
5/5
Honestly one of the best discoveries I’ve had going through these albums. This is absolutely my shit.
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
Röyksopp
3/5
Candidate for lo fi hip hop radio-beats to study/relax to
Not gonna say I didn’t enjoy it tho
The Pogues
3/5
Well not at all what I was expecting.
As someone with a passing interest in Dropkick Murphies this was pretty good. I’ve definitely heard this album in bars in Peterborough.
Stereo MC's
2/5
Oh this album is so of its time. And I’m (slightly) too young to have nostalgia for this one. I’m sure if I was in university in the 90s I would have loved this
The Byrds
4/5
Good vibes! Will likely listen to more
Sinead O'Connor
4/5
Um this album rips
Empowers New Clothes is very good
Joy Division
5/5
Little Richard
4/5
Whamp ba de lu bow
Derek & The Dominos
3/5
In high school my friends and I poured over this encyclopedia of Beatles history. In it, there was a full page photo of Patti Boyd and we were obsessed.
So I get it Eric Clapton.
Shame this guy has some bad options on COVID and wrote a protest song about having to wear a mask. The 2020s has really done a number on older pop culture icons lol.
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
Good album
The Kinks
3/5
I really like the Kinks but this album wasn’t doing it for me. Waterloo Sunset tho still great
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
This album is very good.
I feel like the only song that make it onto the radio or TV of Manic Street Preachers in the 90s was If You Tolerate This (very good song and terrifying music video). However I think I have heard most of these songs before. Australia and Design for Life are very good.
I think last time I had checked in with Manic Street Preachers it much have been in the early 2000s as Richey was still an open missing person. I spent some time reading the Wikipedia on the band and found he was declared dead in 2008. Really tragic figure and it’s important he was discussing depression and mental health in the 90s when that wasn’t a subject discussed in pop culture. Likely would have been treated differently had they been around 20 years later.
The Replacements
3/5
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
Doesn’t respect your time
Traffic
3/5
I wasn’t sure about this album but then they bought in the flute out Freedom Rider and then it’s like ‘blow on, brother’
Miles Davis
4/5
I put this on while making dinner tonight and I have never felt more classy.
Also I was making chicken fingers
Blur
3/5
I guess if you’re going to have a Blur album on this list it’s going to be the self titled one. I think The Great Escape and 13 both have better songs.
I have once heard that One Week by Barenaked Ladies is the most recognizable first second of a modern pop song. Song 2 is a very close second.
Tears For Fears
4/5
Oh man the vibes this record is giving off.
Most of this album was still in rotation in the early 90s when I was growing up and started hearing pop music. I have a lot of nostalgia for Shout, Everybody Wants to Rule the World and Head Over Heels
Jane's Addiction
5/5
What an absolute classic.
I got into Janes Addiction when they were gearing up for their comeback album in 2003. I remember I had purchased the Spin Magazine they were on the cover of, and the bands I love (RHCP, Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden) all had stories about how Janes Addiction shaped their careers. I’ve been trying to figure out now how I was listening to Janes Addiction as I just had my MP3 CD player at that time so uneless I had purchased one of their albums, I likely would have been reading about Janes Addiction for a while before listening to them. It’s crazy to thing how now a band you hadn’t heard you could pull up on Spotify or Apple Music and listen to everything from them. This was still the age when there was some ceremony to having new music, whether you downloaded on your PC or got the CD from a store. But then again, I realize I’m talking nearly 20 years ago.
It is wild how this album now sounds about 2 decades ahead of its time. Listening to some other 80s albums through this list they’re all so much of a time and place. Nothing’s Shocking is so different from everything else popular at the time, and it’s apparent why it doesn’t place in the 80s, as every alternative band writes songs like them and every album is produced like this one is.
Ocean Size, Mountain Song and Standing in the Shower Thinking are all so massive.
Summertime Rolls though is my favourite on this album. Probably because I discovered this band while on a family holiday I have so much nostalgia in this one. I’m listening to this one in February during the worst snowfall in like 10 years and this song sort of is giving the same vibe. I’m really going to have to put this one on again come June.
Stevie Wonder
5/5
On the list of best closing song to an album ever.
Pink Floyd
4/5
Dads favourite album.
Is great
Eminem
4/5
I mean it’s good.
I feel like a bad person for listening to it though. I can’t reconcile the violence against women, homophobia and I think racism. Even if he’s rapping about people who think like that, there’s not enough distinction in the text that’s what his intention is.
The talent is undeniable. The message is terrible.
Mylo
4/5
Someone else has said in here that they’ve already heard this album every time they’re on hold, which is accurate.
Also you you what, it’s pretty good!
What’s wild is this album came out in 2004 and had a remaster in 2005. I guess it’s because it didn’t come out in North America for a bit.
Ananda Shankar
2/5
The Doors
4/5
I always thought the Doors were being unnecessarily pretentious. This is pretty good tho!
The B-52's
4/5
Mudhoney
5/5
Talking Heads
4/5
This album gets 5 stars for Once In A Lifetime alone. The video also is completely a vibe I aspire to.
The rest of this album is pretty good. Born Under Punches has real ‘just discovered my computers’ soundboard’ energy
Green Day
5/5
Expert witness account of this album incoming.
It is easy to forget how big this album was, and Green Day were after this one hit. Going into it though in 2004, popular culture had passed them by. Dookie had hit 10 years earlier and while the following Green Day albums were hits, they were never going to reach the heights their breakthrough did. At the start of the 2000s, Blink 182, Good Charlotte, Sum 41 and Simple Plan had taken what Green Day were doing in the 90s and replicated it (to lesser artistic success) and dominated the charts, MuchMusic airtime (yes I’m Canadian) and magazine covers. At the same time, a narrative had been going on in music conversations that rock and roll was dying, the pendulum had swung to pop and hip hop (very short sited and mostly perpetuated by people who only get music through TV and top 40 radio, of which I was mostly too) which had contributed to the overall decline in relevancy of guitar-bass-drum acts.
By time fall 2004 had come around there already were the next generation of popular rock acts coming up (The Killers and Frank Ferdinand had hit earlier in the summer, Arcade Fire would hit mainstream this fall). So here came Green Day with a new album, and it had been a few years since they had put out new music. I think there was some level of hype, and it was known this was going to be a concept album. People forget though, Green Day had changed their image in preparation of this album. For a band that had been at the height of their relevancy 10 years earlier, the refreshed look absolutely helped their appeal, as they somehow looked cooler and ahead of the curve than the other bands that had surpassed them. This was sort of a clean entry point for new fans too as they’re visually striking at this point, sound as good as they ever have and are riding this Anti-Bush wave that’s happening right before the 2014 US election.
So when the American Idiot single came out, I remember the music video had gotten a lot more play than singles from previous Green Day had been. But this album just kept growing with each successive single. Holiday, Boulevard of Broken Dreams and Wake Me Up When September Ends we’re all massive hits and had endless radio play. This album landed like nothing else in rock had. They stayed in the public spotlight for at least 2 years off the strength of this record. I remember seeing them on the cover of Entertainment Weekly in 2016 still promoting American Idiot, and the band won the Grammy a few weeks later which kept them going. Now this album has been adapted into a Broadway show and Green Day is the only other band that got a Rock Band game besides the Beatles (AC/DC had a disc, but that was just songs, no band representation)
So I say all of this because looking back at the 2000s decade because of when American Idiot hit, the case could be made Green Day was at the top of the rock pile, along with U2, RHCP, Coldplay and I suppose the Killers. So while people had this conversation that rock was dying in the 2000s we have to count ourselves pretty fucking lucky we had Green Day that rode the mainstream. You may hate this album but it’s better than most of the other slush pile the 2000s had to offer.
The album itself though; it is still absolutely killer and it’s obvious why they became the biggest band in the world again because of this. There’s nothing challenging here about the music; it’s immediate, every song is catchy, lyrics are great (if dated criticism of America in the 2000s). So many of the songs have been ridden into the ground (anything released as a single) so the real winners here are the longer concept album saga songs (Jesus of Suburbia, Homecoming).
What I have had to contend with doing this 1001 album project is putting into perspective when I would have been listening to this album before. American Idiot doesn’t seem like it’s that old. Im assuming this is because the songs in this have been played to death on the radio as well as movies and video games. I’ve also been thinking about Green Day lately as I listened to the excellent episode of the podcast Bandsplain did on Green Day a few months ago. But to place it, I would have been listening to this one when I started university. I would have listened to it on my 3rd Gen iPod (the one with the four red action buttons across the top and the first touch click wheel). I wouldn’t have even had a laptop yet, I would have still had my Compaq desktop PC.
In terms of where this lands in Green Days legacy I have the unpopular opinion that this is their best album. Still incredible that this is a comeback on the level it was considering how they had fallen out of fashion, but listening to the album, it seems obvious. Could Green Day make another comeback? Sure. Apparently Green Day is hot with teenagers. They make music that sounds like what it’s like to be a teen.
Among the best albums of this decade, deserved all of its sales and the success the band had from it.
Tom Waits
2/5
Yeesh what a comedown after American Idiot yesterday
Dwight Yoakam
3/5
The Smiths
4/5
The only other Smiths album I had listened to was The Queen Is Dead because I think I had seen it on a list of best British albums. Besides the title track I really couldn’t connect with that album.
This one, upon listening to today I have heard a few times before. I did end up digging this one more. Paint A Vulgar Picture is really good.
The Avalanches
3/5
Does this boy really need therapy?
Nine Inch Nails
4/5
Pretty good! I’ll likely listen to it more
The Specials
4/5
I saw this band when they had just reunited in 2009 when I was in Scotland. This was at T in the Park (which I’m has now been reworked into a different festival apparently). First time I had seen someone skanking.
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
.
Little Simz
4/5
Bad Company
4/5
Peak dad rock
Johnny Cash
3/5
I’m just gonna say these boys in prison prob don’t want to hear a song about waiting to be hanged. Just play Boy Named Sue, John.
Also the last Cash album I got on my list I listened to on the way to get my third COVID shot. So that’s still working well!
The Lemonheads
4/5
Good 90s vibes
The Smiths
4/5
Ice T
4/5
I heard the ‘rock that shit homie’ sample then got sucked into listening to JSRF soundtrack.
This was really good tho! Better than I expected
Louis Prima
4/5
Taylor Swift
5/5
Bow down before your queen
Sly & The Family Stone
5/5
Everyday People is a song that never fails to make me feel better. Pure pop perfection
Kanye West
5/5
Kanye I know a lot about and not much about his music. The only one I’ve ever got into is Dark Twisted Fantasy, which would be among my most played albums of the 2010s.
I remember when this album came out and a lot of popular rap was pretty materialistic. Kanye (while I know was around for a while before this and had success as a producer) shows up with the rugby sweaters on is going to stand out.
This is an album I’ve heard pretty well all of through osmosis. This one is really good, and really funny at times.
Killer tracks
Jesus Walks
The New Workout Plan
Slow Jamz
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Son of a Preacher Man. Good song!
Jimmy Smith
3/5
Goes down smooth
Marvin Gaye
3/5
Appreciate that this man starts the record with getting it on, then has a mid-album check in to make sure you’re still getting it on. Thank you Marvin
The Offspring
5/5
A dirtbag masterpiece
The Offspring being one of the only groups to come out clean after that Woodstock 99 documentary
Iron Maiden
3/5
I mean we all look like the guy on the cover after the last 2 years
Green Day
5/5
This is the first album I thought of as ‘cool’. I remember when it came out none of my friends had it (we were 8) but their older siblings were huge into it.
What a masterpiece. This is the ideal for pop punk and so many bands have been chasing this high since.
Def Leppard
5/5
Such a good album. If only for Animal which is a masterpiece.
Most if my knowledge of Def Leppard (and this album) comes from the Classic Album episode about it where they walk through the making, Rick Allen and his drumming, and how they thought they messed up the order they put out the singles on this one. Really fascinating stuff and I’m definitely going to be watching that again after hearing the album through (Classic Albums I have found is free on TubiTV)
Guns N' Roses
5/5
So good
The Doors
4/5
Break On Through To The Other Side. Jammed out to that one on the piano in Rock Band 3
Everything else, goes on for way too long. Not that I didn’t enjoy it.
Nirvana
5/5
This is as good as it gets right?
I got into Nirvana when I was 16, when the Greatest Hits album came out in 2002 (I think I got it for Christmas, and proceeded to drink deep of their back catalogue). That fall there was also a new Foo Fighters album out, Muchmusic was rerunning their Nirvana documentaries and Kurt’s diaries were wrongly published. Nirvana were in a revival period and despite Kurt having died 8 years earlier, it felt a generation ago at that time.
Listening to this one now, it’s amazing that I had ever thought of this as gritty or non mainstream music. It’s pure pop perfection, I think it’s basically The Beatles in its specificity and catchiness. Part of this has been every popular rock band of the last 30 (!) years ripped this off, from Oasis to Arctic Monkeys, and Linkin Park to Royal Blood. This one is also short enough that it absolutely does not waste a single note. There’s nothing difficult to understand here, guitar solos are pretty much the chorus’ repeated again and Grohls drumming makes the music exciting even if you’re listening on iPod headphones. While a lot of the albums on this list I’ve played I love, this is one of the very few I would play again after it finishes. It’s so focused and still so raw. Probably about the most powerful album I’ve ever heard.
Nirvana were a gateway for me to the rest of alternative and indie rock. At this time my nascent CD collection would have been Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers and maybe Barenaked Ladies. I went into so much material on Nirvana I started learning about Pixies, Janes Addiction, Bay City Rollers and Mudhoney. I also started listening to Pearl Jam and Soundgarden at the same time. To this day I still have flannel button down shirts as part of my uniform. Likely the most influential album to my musical tastes and pop culture leanings. I also have no misgivings or embarrassment about my allegiance to it. I think this album is an essential part of growing up.
I suppose I will go into my thoughts about Kurt Cobain next time I get a Nirvana album. Maybe on Dave Grohl if there’s a Foo Fighters coming up.
Ghostface Killah
3/5
I appreciate this man’s love of Tony Stark.
The United States Of America
1/5
My wife while listening to this album:
“ This sounds like the music that would play when a clown comes to murder you”
DJ Shadow
1/5
Drum fills with some diffferent record samples playing.
Buzzcocks
3/5
In and out in 37 minutes. You love to see it
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
I had heard most of this album on the radio in the early 2000s. Likely as it was deemed safe to play while a lot of songs that had anything to do with death, flight or not loving America were deprioritized.
Lonesome Day and The Rising are pretty good. But this album as a whole has aged pretty bad. I guess this is considered a return to form for Springsteen, but I don’t think anything he’s done since Born in the USA has really grabbed me.
The Young Rascals
2/5
Rush
4/5
So I got this album around 2003 and it may have been during my class trip to Ottawa in grade 12. I had for sure got Everything to Everyone by Barenaked Ladies and Live Between Us by Tragically Hip (two bands who's absence on this 1001 list invalidates the whole endeavour).
I started getting into Rush around the time they were having a resurgence during the Rock In Rio DVD and album (with the amazing dragon drinking from a coconut cover). During this time I’m pretty sure the Toronto Star had an article calling 2112 the greatest Canadian album. For me, I cannot agree with that as we have Funeral, Day For Night or even Gordon.
I guess what is the greatest around this album is the mythology. That it’s dominated by a 25 minute anthology about some far flung sci-fi saga. Then you have the musicianship of these three guys completely on display here and it’s pretty unarguable this is their masterpiece.
I am also listening to this album on the day Taylor Hawkins died. The version I listened to on Spotify has the cover by Taylor and Dave Grohl. I saw Foo Fighters in 2015 and they played Tom Sawyer. My brother had years earlier seen Rush in Toronto and Foo Fighters came out for a song on that one too. Really appreciated having this one today on a day when we lost a legend. Likely one of his favourite albums.
4/5
Had tried years ago to get into this one when this was cited as one of the main influences on punk into grunge era bands. Liked the vibes and energy more than I liked most of the songs. Do appreciate what it did for popular rock over the next 50 years tho.
Iron Maiden
3/5
I really like Run to the Hills and Number of the Beast. The rest I can appreciate but overall Iron Maiden is not my thing.
Hanoi Rocks
2/5
This is music that a band would play in a cutaway gag from 30 Rock.
Gotta respect that man’s hair tho.
Sam Cooke
5/5
What can I say here.
Sam Cooke is the greatest singer of all time.
Bring It On Home to Me is the greatest song of all time.
Public Enemy
4/5
Bob Dylan
4/5
Bob Dylan’s fit on this cover still works in 2022
Elton John
3/5
I really like Elton John. I first came to him in the early 90s when they used the song I’m Still Standing for a show on City TV (I had thought it was Fashion TV but that was Obsession by Animotion). Really good music video and I’m disappointed they didn’t fully recreate it for the Rocketman movie, instead just green screening Edgerton into it.
I also grew up on the Lion King soundtrack he collaborated on. I think his versions of those songs were the superior ones, but the ones in movie are obviously more appropriate.
Really good few songs. I mean Tiny Dancer is an all timer. Levon is pretty good. I think a lot of the other songs kind of lack any hook or go on for too long.
Bert Jansch
4/5
The Band
3/5
I like The Weight. But could get into the rest of this album. Kind of sad boy folk music.
The Band is one I always thought I should be into but could never crack. I say this as a Canadian and from Peterborough, where Ronnie Hawkins who was a previous leader of the band is from. I even remember him doing radio commercials in the early 90s for local businesses.
Their other album has some songs I like but this I could not get in the same wavelength.
Fairport Convention
4/5
I was almost going to skip this album today.
Had a super stressful day and was burned by the last few folks albums I had got on this list.
This though? It’s an album that a bunch of hipsters could put out now and Pitchfork would go crazy for. This is really good. I’m amazed that it seemly is one of the freshest sounds I think I’ve got from this. Yes, it does start going into some songs about medieval-age battles (?) but the driving force behind escpecially the first few songs it’s so modern.
I put this on while walking around downtown Toronto for the first time in 2 years. Felt like a king.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Bobby Womack
3/5
Johnny Cash
4/5
I watched Walk Hard:The Dewey Cox Story this week and would have loved for Johnny Cash to have covered Beautiful Ride or Let’s Duet on American V
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
Back with another one of those Block Rockin Beats
The Hives
4/5
As everyone says, probably should have been Veni Vidi Vicious on this list.
I first heard The Hives from the Spider-Man soundtrack-which is some early 2000s ass music. I listened to some of it tonight after this, but most of the songs are not avalaible on Apple Music (incl. the Chad Kroger song Hero. What a crime)
I think the Hives are very good for a 2-3 song stint at a time. After that they seemingly start losing melody in their songs. Why don’t they try a slower or more downbeat song to mix things up?
Also did some Wikipedia research on the Hives. Apparently they formed under a different name in 1989? They would have been like 9 years old! Even when the band was started in earnest in 1993 they would have only been 14!
Hookworms
4/5
This one really took me off guard. I had never heard of this band and honestly thought they were electronic vs alt rock
Apparently now broken up after this one came out from accusations against their lead singer which is unfortunate.
Willie Nelson
2/5
Largely wasn’t into this
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
2/5
You got Relax which is more of a vibe than a song. The rest of this is barely an album
Michael Jackson
5/5
Jane's Addiction
4/5
I have love for this album. When I was getting into Janes Addiction in the mid 2000s I feel like the consensus was that this is their best album. I think it’s obviously Nothings Shocking. This one is weirdly more of its time than Nothings Shocking wave. Stop, Been Caught Stealing and Three Days are my favourites
4/5
The Byrds
3/5
Tangerine Dream
4/5
Bank robbing music
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Has some of their best songs, not quite their overall best album tho.
Foo Fighters
4/5
Who would have made the decision to have this be the Foo Fighters album on this list? It’s the Colour and the Shape that’s their definitive one. The rest of the ‘Foo Fighters’ aren’t even on this album
I listened to this record a few weeks ago when Taylor died (along with the other albums he played on). I think it’s really interesting as a fan of their work. It’s pretty scrappy compared the the relatively polished sound of what they do next.
Foo Fighters are one of my bands. I have heard every album, especially One by One, There is Nothing Left To Lose, Colour and the Shape and Wasting Light. I was lucky enough to see them twice, including in 2015 when Dave had broken his leg, and played from his Iron Throne of guitars.
I think Foo Fighters have been the most universally liked band over the past 30 years. Who else is there? U2 is one, but there’s enough people who actively hate them. Or Red Hot Chili Peppers but I don’t think they’ve been as consistent or have released music at enough of a clip. This band has Dave Grohl, one of the most most recognizable and affable front men of all time, Taylor an incredible drummer and occasionally Pat Smear from Nirvana. Along with their classic music videos this is just a band that has always seemed like they were having fun. They have always had respect for those that came before them, and all of the Foos have been involved with other legendary rock acts throughout the years. They are our generations North Star, you can always count on the Foo Fighters and they are a band that generally everyone likes.
It’s their choice now if they continue on given Taylor’s passing. I have to expect they’ll take a few years off then come back with a new drummer. If they decide not to, that’s ok too.
Rest In Peace Taylor
Aphex Twin
2/5
This album stressed me out
Tim Buckley
2/5
The Who
4/5
Should probably like Tommy more than I do. Like Pinball Wizard, Go to the Mirror and Tommy can you hear me. Feel like I should watch the movie to get it.
Songhoy Blues
3/5
This was fun!
Count Basie & His Orchestra
3/5
Pink Floyd
5/5
What a masterpiece. I have mostly heard The Wall growing up and have otherwise not really gotten into Pink Floyd. That one is one of the most bloated, indulgent albums of all time and is fantastic for it. Dark Side of the Moon while still pretty out there is pretty much stripped down compared to Wall. This is really 4-5 songs with interludes in between. Doesn’t overstay it’s welcome, gets to the point and leaves stronger because of it.
Time the ultimate mid-life crisis song hahaha
Red Hot Chili Peppers
5/5
This is probably my most played album of all time. My brother had got this CD in 1999 when Scar Tissue hit. This album had TV commercials that aired to hype its release. The next summer in 2000 we basically had this on repeat on our portable Panasonic CD player.
I personally can’t rate this album lower than 5 stars. It has so many songs that I’ve heard thousands of times and I still put on playlists to this day. Otherside is among my favourite songs of all time.
I knew in the 2000s this album lost it towards the end. Listening how this one way too long. They could have cut out most of the songs after Easily could have been cut out.
OutKast
4/5
Power
Music
Electric Revival
Goldfrapp
5/5
Of the albums I’m listening to for the first time on this list, this might be the best so far. I had only really known Goldfrapp from ‘Ooh La La’ being in commercials in the 2000s. This was fairly different from what I would have expected given what I knew of her (and upon listening to some of their other top songs, this was a different direction for them).
I was so surprised though on this that every song hit. I was expecting eventually there was one that didn’t work but right up until the end it was still working.
This album is going to stay in the rotation.
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
When I was started to comprehend pop music and rock music in the mid 90s, my recollection is that Smashing Pumpkins were a bigger deal than Pearl Jam or Soundgarden. However now they aren’t really mentioned in the same breath as them or other rock bands as the best of the 90s. I’m guilty of this too, if I had to list the top rock acts of the 90s off the top of my head, I don’t think I would have thought of Pumpkins.
It’s crazy too that given how good this album is that I can’t really point to any band that ripped them off. Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness is a record I’ve always meant to listen to, maybe I hadn’t because it’s a double album and over 2 hours long; it’s a big time commitment. I now wish I had jumped into it earlier, this thing is a masterpiece and I would have worn this out. I know most of the songs on its, from Zero to Bullet With Butterfly Wings. But the other songs in between really kill it. Like Jellybelly which is going into my current rotation.
Amazing work Corgan and company.
Peter Frampton
4/5
Can confirm he was alive
Lynyrd Skynyrd
5/5
The Smashing Pumpkins
4/5
The Stooges
2/5
I can appreciate Iggy Pop for his stage presence and how many acts he influenced.
This didn’t do it for me, mostly seemed like the same song over and over again
Portishead
4/5
Lightning Bolt
4/5
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
I want The Boxer played at my funeral
CHIC
3/5
Some good disco songs
John Lee Hooker
3/5
Chicago
2/5
I hate to say it, but I enjoyed the Documentary Now! sendup if Chicago- Blue Jean Comitee-than I liked this.
Fairport Convention
2/5
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
4/5
Eli is Costello is my guy
Beck
4/5
Guero is his album that I really got into. Didnt think I had heard Odelay the whole way through but I knew pretty much all of it. This has some really good tunes; Devils Haircut, Derelict and Where It’s At are my faves
Arcade Fire
5/5
Man this was a ride listening to today.
This album came out when I was finishing university and had no idea what to do next with my life. I was in that period where I was working full time and moving up at work, but still had so much free time and was still hanging around my hometown. I picked it up again in 2011 after they won the Grammy, and I was travelling around the country for work.
My interpretation of The Suburbs is all about nostalgia trying to get back home. I think this was my most played album of theirs and I could likely recite every word from it.
Now more than 10 years later I come to this album happily married, with a mortgage living in the suburbs with a cat and a job I’ve been at for 6 years. Then I had shaggy hair, now I’m contemplating shaving off what hair I have left. The nostalgia is so potent for that period in my life right before I became a real adult but more importantly before I had any real responsibilities. The Suburbs is looking back even further than the era I’m nostalgic for; before cell phones and the internet. When communication mead weight even when it’s inane. When we went on adventures and explored our surroundings. Had stupid conversations and acted smarter than we were.
Is this their best album? Funeral I can’t get through without tearing up. Reflector is real messy but has I think their strongest songs. The Suburbs though does the best job of creating a mood and tapping into a feeling. I think with the benefit of hindsight I think the argument could be made this is the definitive Millennial rock album. Like Nevermind for Gen X or Sour by Olivia Rodrigo will be for Gen Z. It’s so of it’s time and has only grown in power in the decade since.
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
3/5
Only really knew this guy from Bellbottoms. This was pretty fun
2/5
Listen, there’s already several studio Dylan albums on this list. This was put out in 1998, we couldn’t have picked another album from that year (Mezzanine from Massive Attack isn’t on this list, I though critics loved that one?)
I know why this is on the list too. This would have got a high rating from one of the boomer writers they had on staff at Rolling Stone, then every main stream publication from Entertainment Weekly to People magazine would have followed suit and reviewed it the same.
The Who
5/5
What a ride. This is probably the best album that’s going to be on this list. And to think this was leftovers from their previous record. Absolute legends.
Prince
5/5
The Who
3/5
I love the Who but the discussion about a A Quick One While He’s Asay is not only really long but SUPER creepy
Ray Price
2/5
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
I listened to Come On Eileen several times today. Didn’t vibe with the rest of this
TV On The Radio
4/5
I bought this album in 2008 from iTunes without hearing any song before from TV on the Radio. Crazy to think of in 2022, but such was the power of being promoted on the iTunes front page. Helps this is one of the best albums of the 2000s.
Sounds so incredible. First half is all killer. The second half when it slows down a bit I check out a little, but it does keep the quality all the way through.
*upon further research I think it may have been the glowing review in Pitchfork that drove me buy this. I actually thought they didn’t like TV on the Radio. Must have been someone else, I remeber reading in an article the author was talking about things that are garbage and they mentioned ‘TV on the Radio songs that aren’t about wolves’. What a weird dig lol
Jerry Lee Lewis
3/5
Elliott Smith
4/5
Real good
The War On Drugs
4/5
This is a perfect album for cruising around in the summer
Sonic Youth
4/5
Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore are divorced, and you're just the orphans left behind.
The Velvet Underground
2/5
Did not jive with
Koffi Olomide
2/5
Couldn’t vibe with this
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
The Byrds
2/5
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
Put me to sleep
The The
2/5
Dire Straits
3/5
Sultans of Swing do slap. The rest of the album sounds like the noodling you’d do to eventually reach writing that song.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
R
E
S
P
E
C
T
Frank Sinatra
2/5
Jeez have not got an interesting album in weeks
Yes
4/5
Seen all good people turn their heads each day
Roni Size
3/5
There was drum and there was bass
My Bloody Valentine
5/5
This is an album I have been dragging my heels on for nearly 10 years. I have no reason to have done so. I love Loveless. I knew MBV hadn’t made an album in a lifetime. I knew this album was getting rave reviews and appearing on year-end best of lists. What was I listening to instead in 2013? Mostly Foster the People, Naked and Famous and Two Door Cinema Club. I should have been listening to this, just vibe out to it in my old basement apartment.
My Bloody Valentine I started listening to in my early 20s. I was in my third, maybe fourth year of university and while already a scholar of Britpop, I started digging deeper into some of the other bands that preceded the 90s boom. I loved those Ride albums. I love only Just Like Honey by the Jesus and Mary Chain(I cannot with the rest of their catalogue. I’m likely going to have to face Psychocandy at some point on this list). Even the revivalists Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. But the top is My Bloody Valentine and that album Loveless.
I got into MBV most of all because their music weirdly sounded like music from Final Fantasy 7 (also had references with in game billboards) which I had been obsessed with 10 years earlier. I had also seen Lost in Translation during this period of my life and after that how could you not live shoegaze music.
MBV (the album) sounds like a companion piece to Loveless. It still has that beautiful noise-pop sound going on and still manages to have catchy songs even though there is nearly always a wall of sound coming at you at all times. The winners here are she found out and only tomorrow. Truly wild that this group makes one of the best albums of all time, make everyone of their contemporaries look like musical morons, their record label drops them because they spent too much money, then come back nearly 20 years later and pitch a perfect game.
I listened to this today while I mowed my lawn. I now have to schedule time when I can just lay on the floor, put this on an iPod, completely vibe out and become 24 again
Eric Clapton
3/5
Clapton is cancelled.
I’m going to use this space to bemoan the lack of Shania Twain on this list. Best selling country artist ever, radio staples that have somehow got better with age and a career arc for the ages. Show some god damn respect.
Beatles
5/5
When I started reading music magazines and criticism in the early 2000s, Revolver would be usually listed as the best Beatles album, and usually best album overall of all time. I think I still consider this my favourite Beatles album, but I’ll be listening to the rest of them during the list so I’ll follow up.
Really interesting now with the changing tastes in popular music criticism that I don’t think Revolver would be in the top 20 albums list in Rolling Stone. Further, that they would likely list something like Help! or Hard Days Night as their best. I think the notion was in the early 2000s that music that was difficult, non-populist was automatically graded better as the more straightforward, crowd pleasing fare.
Revolver is by no means a difficult album. It has Yellow Submarine on it for Gods sake. The deal is though that this is really when the Beatles started exploring what they could do beyond the confines of a record that would translate to being played live on tour. I also realized listening to this today for the first time in like 10 years that this record was so much more influential during the Britpop and post Britpop UK rock music. Oasis obviously, but as well as Kasabian, Coldplay and Keane. Now if younger artists are ribbing anything from the Beatles it’s likely from their first few albums.
Crazy how the circle of influence from one band continues going. In another 20 years Revolver will once again sit in the highest esteem of the Beatles output and likely at the top of the Rolling Stone album list. For now though we can enjoy this for what it is, a amazing constructed collection of songs from a band that is going in different directions and succeeding because of it.
Queen
3/5
Miles Davis
3/5
Christine and the Queens
4/5
Sheryl Crow
4/5
I am very pleased this album is a part of the list. I listened to the excellent episode of Bandsplained they did on Sheryl and I really came to appreciate her music and career arc. But I had assumed that this would be a situation of one of the best selling albums of the decade with inescapable radio play and music videos on all the time but not critically appreciated. Much like the situation in this book of Shania Twain.
Really like All I Wanna Do, Strong Enough and Can’t Cry Anymore.
While it’s not on this record, If It Makes You Happy is top 10 (maybe 5) of the 90s.
New York Dolls
5/5
So many of the albums on this list are just there for context; like to say ’this was the first time such and such was done’ but on their own they are not good albums.
It’s so good when one of these is super influential, but it still absolutely goes.
Crowded House
4/5
Had never heard of this band. Put this on during my drive home today and was enjoying it, but was trying to put my finger on why I recognized the sound. When the first second of ‘Weather With You’ came on it all clicked into place.
Enjoyable music. Don’t know that I’ll go back to it
The Byrds
3/5
The Fall
4/5
Based on the album art art, title and first song I was not interested in this.
Really good album afterwards though. Going to be listening to this more.
Funkadelic
3/5
Public Enemy
4/5
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
Rush
4/5
Gotan Project
2/5
Gran Turismo menu music
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Cant You Hear Me Knocking, while being on the best songs ever, is easy shorthanded in movies to communicate sleazy business goings-on.
Black Sabbath
5/5
Hell yea
Supertramp
3/5
Fela Kuti
3/5
Thank you to the person who wrote the review about 28 star for this album-one for every wife. Sent me on a very enjoyable Wikipedia rabbit hole.
Van Morrison
3/5
I have it a shot but Van Morrison is still not for me
R.E.M.
4/5
REM is another band I know enough about, and like we’ll enough, but haven’t owned any of their albums. Probably should given how much I like Tragically Hip and the comparisons people make about these bands.
This album is really good. Every song on the run from the start is so solid, up until The One I Love. Then. It looses steam a little bit and peters out to finish. But overall still really fun. Looking forward to listening to more of their albums now
Elastica
4/5
This album is great and lead to influencing some of my favourite acts.
The observation I have is well I think Connection is the song that has endured in pop culture longer, Stutter has been seriously underserved. I still hear Connection used in movies and commercials. I was of the opinion that the Captain Marvel trailer should have you Stutter in it instead of Connection. I realize why it wasn’t chosen, as being a song about male impotence. I would also probably would have made the movie seem more exciting than I actually was.
My question remains, though, why isn’t Stutter having a resurgence at this moment? Absolutely seems like a song that Olivia Rodrigo would cover on tour right now.
The xx
5/5
You know there’s a bunch of albums on this list I’ve had where there’s one iconic song and the rest is pretty forgettable.
The first 5 songs on this one are now all timers. Crystallized is about as perfect as a pop song can be. The rest of this record I feel looses steam in the second half. I can’t imagine eating this anything less than 5 stars. It’s an essential part of the 2000s alternative canon. (I might have only heard it first in 2011 but who cares)
I’m not going to find who to attribute it to, but I once read with The XX it’s more important the notes they don’t play (truly terrible take, up there with calling music life affirming). I’ve also heard this music called really simple. What it is is very precise, accurately built.
Have not given the other XX (or Jamie XX) albums a chance after this one. I suspect I’m going to be listening to them at some point either in this list or otherwise.
The Sugarcubes
3/5
Did not realize that this was Björk’s old band. Easy to see why she popped out of this, which sounds like Birthday.
LCD Soundsystem
5/5
I said a few weeks ago on this list that The Suburbs by Arcade Fire was the definitive millennial rock album. After listening to Sound of Silver today maybe 3 times I don’t think I was wrong, but I really had to give my statement some thought.
I had known most of the big LCD Soundsystem songs but had never listened to any of their albums all the way through. I think I had also maybe seriously started listening to them in 2010 when they were wrapping up the band for the first time. This was such a triumph to listen to. Starts strong, doesn’t ever lose steam and is the rare album that saves its strongest song for the end.
I’m not into dance or electronic music (although have dug some of the records on this list) but this just transcends a bunch of genres into its own thing. It has the elements of scrappy garage rock that make it so exciting and immediate, and the the repetition of rave and dance that just puts you in a higher state of being. This is the music of being a young dirtbag in the city, living away from home for the first time and feeling invincible before your back starts hurting.
Amazing supplemental material to this album: the Franz Ferdinand cover of All My Friends is so good. Amazing song for Franz.
In addition: the video on YouTube of New York I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down with Kermit singing. Seemingly the official video?
I would give 6 stars if I could.
Mike Oldfield
4/5
Sure! It’s good!
Lorde
5/5
Gen Z masterpiece. Can’t argue with this being on the top 10 of the 2010s.
So sick of music snobs who over the past few years discount anything Jack Antonoff has been involved with. This is her album, get over yourselves assholes.
The Modern Lovers
3/5
Only really know these guys from being name checked in LCD Soundsystem’s Losing My Edge
This was fine
Julian Cope
5/5
I was probably not going to listen to this album today. I have been jazzed about the last few albums. I got on this list, and I had a bunch of other stuff that I was going to spend my time listening to today. Also, this album was longer than an hour, which usually reduces my excitement to listen to it. I still give thid Hey a shot later in the afternoon at holy shit.
This was one of the biggest prizes on this list for me. Had never heard of this guy, he never seen this album. And I can’t find a lot on the history of this album, there’s a Wikipedia article, but it’s more about the political content that made its way into his songs. I’m finding it adjacent to Primal Scream.
It’s an album like this that makes me heat bands the call them self psychedelic rock. Because most the time they’re just fooling around on instruments and playing music that is intentionally obtuse. This kind of stuff though on Peggy Suicide is the real psychedelic as it has amazing, musical complexity, and structure, but while you’re listening to it, just transports your mind somewhere different.
I also thought that I was probably gonna drop this down star because it was going on for so long, and I thought it was going to overstay as welcome. But this thing keeps its flow, the entire way through, and wins a big finish, which I love to see on an album. It’s a strategy that basically dead tnow in 2022.
Amazing album and if anyone was thinking of skipping over it, I would advise against it
Elvis Costello
5/5
Elvis Costello is my guy and he sounds amazing on this.
Sade
4/5
Smooth operator
The White Stripes
5/5
Masterpiece
Meg White you are a master. Good for you for taking care of yourself.
This album contains some of my favourite musical moments;
-Seven Nation Army opening
-the sustained feedback on There’s No Home For You Here
-The solos on Ball and Biscuit
-I got a backyard with nothing in it, except a stick, a dog and a box with something in it.
We are poorer for not having the White Stripes in our lives anymore. The bands that followed in their wake never really reached their heights. Jack Whites fine on his own, but there’s something about the raw, deliberate energy the Stripes had.
I listened to this album twice today. Does not seem like it’s going to be 20 years old next year; most stuff on alternative radio hasn’t evolved since what these two put out.
Incredible lineup of music videos that went with this album too. Seven Nation Army is still incredible to look at.
Rage Against The Machine
4/5
I can’t deny this is one of the most influential albums of the 90s. I forgot how old this one actually is (33 in 2025!)
My only dig is this is way too long. Most songs only need to be like 3 minutes. But you have Zack trying to get in everything lyrically and Tom Morello has to do his thing every song.
Kraftwerk
2/5
Sorry wasn’t feeling this. Kraft week is a band I feel like I should be in and just have not cracked.
David Bowie
4/5
Young Americans is an all timer
Michael Jackson
4/5
Smooth Criminal is so good
Jamiroquai
2/5
Jamiroquai has some amazing singles (Virtual Insanity, Canned Heat, Deeper Underground) but then I listen to their albums and forget they’re a jazz-funk outfit. And the rest of the albums are digressions into that. Not for me
The Stone Roses
5/5
What can I say that has been said about the absolute piece of art?
I legitimately think this is the best British rock album ever. And I say this as a fan of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.
I hadn’t heard this album in full in a few years. I think I had listened to it in passing at the start of the pandemic. The thing that I forgot about it is how pretty much every song has some sort of change in direction that elevates them from pretty good to just amazing. Like in Shoot You Down the pause and then key change for the ‘I never wanted …the live that you gave me’ part. It’s such and amazing surprise after thinking I knew how this whole album goes and then realizing they still have more to show.
You can say the Stone Roses legacy is tarnished because they never reached this height again, but neither has anyone else.
Adele
5/5
Remember Duffy? The Welsh singer who popped up the mid 2000s? She has those songs Warwick Avenue and Mercy which got pretty big radio play and I’m pretty sure she was a musical guest at one point on SNL. I had stock in her as I was sure she was going to blow up. She seemed an obvious choice to do a Bond theme too.
Well she got market-corrected by Adele a couple years later and had this massive album and put out what many now consider the best Bond theme song.
This album is undeniable. Nearly every song became a radio staple, it plays like a greatest hits record.
Small Faces
3/5
The title track is the music from the excellent trailer to GTA 5. Everything else I really didn’t connect to.
Sly & The Family Stone
2/5
Man I really like so much of Sly and the Family Stone. This really didn’t grab me.
Boston
5/5
Weird detail but here it is.
Rock and Roll Band is my favourite song to play in Rock Band
U2
5/5
In 2005(?) I saw Pearl Jam in Toronto. The whole night Eddie Vedder was making jokes thanking U2 for opening for them, as they had done concerts the previous 2 nights.
At the end of the concert, they started playing Keep On Rocking in the Free World and a guy in a cowboy hat came out on stage and was dancing along. We at first thought it was Neil Young (we were sitting at the farthest seat at ACC, now Scotiabank Arena). Neil Young though had just had brain surgery so no doctor would have cleared him. We then realized it was Bono.
To my recollection, Eddie sang the first verse and corus alongside Bono, then Eddie passed the mic to Bono to sing the next verse. I don’t think Bono knew the lyrics to the song because he just started rambling sort of in time to the music? Then continued dancing. Great night overall.
This album is amazing. Not their best but an amazing and worthy follow up to one of the greatest records of all time.
Black Flag
4/5
The Smiths
4/5
David Bowie
4/5
Really good stuff. I remember when this came out and it was a complete surprise as he hadn’t hade an album for 10 years.
Bangs out 2 albums with 0 warning they were coming, then exits this mortal coil. Legend.
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
That’s the way it is
Steely Dan
3/5
Yacht rock
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Watch the movie Singles this week, so I was definitely in the mood for some Grunge
Madonna
3/5
POV: You installed Windows XP on your Compaq Presario
Bad Brains
2/5
I mean I wasn’t in to it but at least it was short
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Bonnie Raitt
3/5
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
I’ve complained that albums on this list have one song that is essential and the rest are pretty forgettable.
This is on where the first track is undeniable and gives the whole album enough power to be called essential, even if the rest of it is not great.
I can appreciate Psychocandy for the sound they pioneered, mostly for the other bands such as My Bloody Valentine and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club who went on to make better music.
Hüsker Dü
4/5
Really did not think I was going to like this but you know what, I was actually in to it.
I see people reviewing this saying they’re getting Barenaked Ladies vibes to this. I think we’re all picking up an early BNL vibe that may not have actually existed. I can see where they’re coming from though.
Taylor Swift
5/5
Early entry into best of the decade.
I definitely listened to this one around the time it came out as the province was going into another lockdown. Related so hard to these emotions, but also felt like it was so disconnected from our reality at the time; as in we didn’t have real experiences with each other anymore during covid.
Carole King
5/5
The Everly Brothers
3/5
If these two boys are calling you from a pay phone, hang up and call the police
The Temptations
2/5
Blur
5/5
Truly a formative album for me so it’s getting 5 stars.
By the time that I started getting into rock and alternative music, Blair, we’re on the self titled album add Song 2 was all over the place. As a Canadian millennial, blur his first and foremost, known for their inclusion on Big Shiny Tunes 2-a truly formative text for us.
I was unaware at the time that the direction Blur were heading in musically at that point was a departure from the previous sound. I started getting into this album Parklife when I started to do a real deep dive on Oasis and then by extension their Britpop peers.
I listen to this album today and felt like I needed to immediately follow it up with the first two Oasis albums. I hadn’t heard any of these in 10 years and wanted to see how time had affected my perception of them.
The Oasis albums are undeniable and have an amazing energy that even that band could not replicate. They are both masterpieces. Parklife though is so interesting. Lyrically it is so much more complex and actually dives into real subjects in songs instead of feelings, you can tell that these are very much more accomplished musicians working at the height of their powers.
I believe I talked about this during my review of the self titled blur album, but I was at what was at the time meant to be the last blur show during their late 2000s reunion at T in the Park in Scotland in 2009. They nearly had to cancel the show, because Graham Coxon had food poisoning, and apparently had come right from the hospital to the venue amazing euphoric experience, though, as that crowd was primed to see blur, I had brought a bunch of signs for them, including someone with one of the milk carton guys on a stick that he was holding up in the crowd.
The band did go on hiatus but then returned about five years later with a new album. But I was so proud that I had managed to see Blur before they had broken up. A few weeks earlier to the show, I had also seen oasis in Edinburgh. It was to be one of their last concerts before they broke up that fall.
This is going to seem inconsequential to most people, but I was given advice on concerts from a coworker, Jason I have never forgot. He had gotten tickets to go see Pearl Jam, and wanted to know if I wanted to buy one of the tickets. The day of the concert, I had class the next day and was not doing great in school that year. Jason told me that whenever I had an opportunity to see a band, I should always take it. He said you would never know if they were going to break up before you got a chance to see them again. Thanks to him, I got to see the two Titans of Brit Pop in the UK, something I would likely never gonna get to do again.
This is turned out to be the best advice in my life. Thanks, Jason.
Public Enemy
3/5
The Clash
5/5
Radiohead
4/5
An album I like but don’t love.
I remember in the mid 2000s feeling like I should love this album and was listening to it on repeat. Eventually it sort of clicked for me and I understood what they were trying to do. But The Bends, OK Computer and In Rainbows are still my top Radiohead albums.
If you have a PS5, that KIDAMNESIAC app which is basically a virtual art exhibit is essential.
The Monkees
3/5
5/5
Badly Drawn Boy
4/5
Knew the name Badly Dawn Boy but didn’t even know what type of music they played. Started out not liking this then eventually clicked with it. Apparently they had members of the band Doves play on this so I can see the lineage.
Teenage Fanclub
3/5
Eagles
4/5
Gary Numan
4/5
Listened to this at work on a rainy Thursday morning. Such a vibe.
Incredible Bongo Band
4/5
Go off, Bongo King 👑
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
Essential cooking music.
My Bloody Valentine
5/5
Masterpiece. Likely in my top 10 of all time.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
5/5
I have a lot to say about Maps although this album as a whole is absolutely essential.
Maps is the best song of the 2000s. Represents so much about the time with garage rock revival. The amount of power it outputs is incredible. All done by drums and guitar which (with all due respect) are not using too many notes and vocals which are sparse. The economy and precision are unmatched.
The music video is an essential part of this equation too. Bringing in my own baggage and knowing the story of the filming of the video and the emotional place Karen O was in, I have never been able to hold it together once she starts tearing up. Just incredible myth making stuff. This is what we come to music for.
Speaking of the video, it warms my heart to see so many of the YouTube comments talking about playing this song in Rock Band. Maps is really the essential song to the Rock Band experience. It’s simple enough that anyone can play along with it. Anyone who does though is just going to wail away on the instruments or vocals and unload all their angst and heartbreak into hitting those 5 notes. Stroke of genius putting it into the first game.
Maps. They don’t love you like I love you
Fiona Apple
5/5
Amazing stuff. Meant to listen to this when it hit and was getting widespread critical acclaim. This doesn’t sound like anything else. Has the charm of a homemade album (done in GarageBand) but has the precision and intent most studio albums can’t match.
Meat Loaf
4/5
Jeff Buckley
5/5
An album I’ve meant to listen to for years. I’ve seen this album cover in music stores for decades, seen it listed in music magazines but never gave it a chance. What a record though, so happy I have heard it in its entirety. But I would have been so in to this when I was in my 90s renaissance phase in my teens/early 20s.
I love Last Goodbye so much.
Kanye West
5/5
Can’t be random I got this album this week lol.
I was not into Kanye in 2010. I knew him from the songs that would be on the radio or MuchMusic but had never listened to any of his albums. I picked this one after hearing Ryan Davis (RIP) talk about this on the GiantBombcast podcast. His pitch was this album was justifying his craziness over the last year. This is also one of the last albums I’ve purchased on CD (I think I had later a Black Crows greatest hits once when I rented a car with no auxiliary port)
This is a massive accomplishment. It’s so aggressive and angry, and while the man might not seem it now, it’s all directed inward.
So many standouts but the one that has stuck with me over the last 12 years is Hell Of A Life. That bass hook and piano(?) run are just incredible. I really got into the album in February 2011 when I was in Vancouver, where it should be completely snowed in but it was mostly just foggy. I am always immediately transported back to that time and place whenever I put this song on.
I’m going to have to come to terms with these landmark records by problematic people as I get deeper into this list. I have Funeral by Arcade Fire I know will be coming up I’m going to have to tackle. Can we separate art from the artist? I don’t know if we can. I listen to Michael Jackson now and I feel guilty for liking it. In spite of this, I would still be putting this one on my top 10 albums of all time. It is what it is.
Maxwell
2/5
Hotel lobby music
Amy Winehouse
3/5
Rod Stewart
2/5
When you don’t really have a good hook for a song but you’re just gonna put more backup singers and different instruments on top, and you just shove it across the finish line.
And I like a lot of other Rod Stewart
Bob Marley & The Wailers
2/5
Sorry Bob wasn’t into this one
Steely Dan
2/5
Bodhisattva good but I could leave the rest
Animal Collective
4/5
Radiohead
5/5
I had this one on a few weeks ago and completely forgot Street Spirit was the cap to the record. I get people like OK Computer, but how do they not rank this just as high?
This is likely my favourite Radiohead album. Definitely my most played.
I think about this album cover image all the time.
Blondie
4/5
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
I want Homeward Bound played at my funeral
The Cars
4/5
Radiohead
5/5
One if favourite albums of the 2000s. On any given day I would change the order of my ranking this, The Bends or OK Computer.
I remember when this was announced with the pay what you want scheme. I was a piece of shit and paid $0 for this for the download. Quickly became one of my most played albums, and I eventually bought the physical special edition CD.
Bodysnatchers is the standout here for me and I always forget how hard it goes whenever I put on In Rainbows
The Reckoner cover by Gnarls Barkley is essential listening.
Sonic Youth
4/5
Beatles
2/5
I get it. The Beatles are slaves to the system at this point and have to crank out several records a year. So this is a pretty slight record. All My Loving is really good though.
This is also top tier Beatles album covers though
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
Pet Shop Boys don’t do it for me
SZA
4/5
Metallica
2/5
I like Metallica but the symphony was just doing too much
The Black Crowes
5/5
This is actually the last album I have purchased on CD. I had a rental car through work in 2011 and it didn’t have a auxiliary port and this was before Bluetooth was standard. I needed some music so found this at Best Buy.
AC/DC
4/5
The Undertones
4/5
The first Undertones records was one of my first big discoveries in this list. This one is really good too.
Syd Barrett
1/5
Nope.
Peter Tosh
2/5
Not for me
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Liked it a lot. I think I had this one built up too much from years of seeing it listed on top of greatest albums lists and such. Doesn’t quiet reach those heights for me. Pastime Paradise, Feel It All Over and Isn’t She Lovely are all timers.
Garbage
4/5
Pour your misery down on me
Alice In Chains
3/5
Alice is Chains is one of the bands I expected to fully appreciate from this list as I hadn’t really dove into them before.
I liked some some songs on this but mostly just couldn’t vibe with the singer.
B.B. King
3/5
Pretty sure I’ve heard this one played at my barber shop
The Velvet Underground
5/5
Never heard the whole thing but it’s apparent that pretty much all rock after this was just trying to recreate this album
Pulp
4/5
Love Disco 2000 and Common People. Just all timers.
This album goes on for way too long though
The Who
4/5
Neil Young
5/5
I’m going to be rating this one 5 by default. I’m from central Ontario and I’ve worked at a lumber yard when I was younger. What do you want from me.
Has some all time classics and some truly bizarre diversions. A Man Needs A Maid is so such a weird song with the orchestra and him singing about needing a cleaner for his house?
Joy Division
2/5
This just rolled right off me. Forgot I had it playing in the background.
And I love Unknown Pleasures
The White Stripes
5/5
Top 10 essentials of the 2000s
First heard of White Stripes from the Fell In Love With a Girl video. While I think I do like Elephant a bit better than this, this one is incredible for the energy and arrangements.
I watched a couple of videos breaking down Meg Whites drumming style and had a greater appreciation for her contributions to White Stripes sound. And I think it’s why I just haven’t connected with any other of Jack Whites projects.
Jurassic 5
4/5
Holding on to What’s Golden
The Cardigans
4/5
I knew this group had more in them than Lovefool but there are some real bangers on this one.
3/5
Metallica
3/5
I have kept trying to get into Metallica, and while Enter Sandman rips, the rest is just so plodding and repetitive. Can’t do it.
The La's
5/5
This was a big surprise. I thought they were a one hit wonder with There She Goes. But this sounds more at home on 2022 Indie Rock radio than 1990
Sarah Vaughan
2/5
The announcer really did Sarah dirty by announcing at the stop she would be using lyric sheets.
Otherwise all I’m hearing is Mya Rudolph doing scat improv here.
Adam & The Ants
2/5
5/5
Likely my most listened to and I’m pretty sure favourite album.
I started listening to Oasis seriously at the end of high school, but really in university. This was also in 2004, once they had gone through several lineup changes and pop culture had more or less moved past them. I think it’s because I was so into the Beatles in high school that I eventually migrated to Oasis.
I had a ton of memories come back today while listening, mostly playing this on my iPod on the city bus back and forth from university.
In 2009 before graduating university I went on a month long trip to England and Scotland, mostly on a self administered Britpop tour. I actually had never seen Oasis live up to that point, so my first day landing in Scotland I had a ticket to see them in Edinburgh, with The Enemy, Reverend and the Makers and Kasabian opening for them. That solo trip now seems impossible I did without a smartphone, but I landed in Edinburg, I think walked to my hostel (some student dorms in the summer) and then took a bus not knowing where it was even going and I guess just expecting I would end up at the stadium? Maybe I just followed the crowds of drunk hooligans singing Oasis songs. After the show, I walked back to the hostel, again not knowing where the hell I was going and not recognizing any landmarks. How did I do that?! I had also been up for 36 hours between flight time. I remember trying to use my calling card to dial back to Canada to tell my parent I had arrived, and crying that I couldn’t figure out the card. To be in your 20s in a pre smartphone age.
Anyways the show was amazing and they tore the place apart. Later when I was in London I took an afternoon to find the street this album shot was taken. Surprisingly not a lot of fanfare-there was one record store that had the Morning Glory record in their window. But compared to the current Abbey Road there’s nothing.
Some Might Say is just perpetually underrated.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
The Go-Betweens
2/5
Barely registered this was playing.
Prince
4/5
Price was just feeling himself on this and the grooves kept going.
Ash
4/5
So I was not going to listen to this today. I’ve been getting burnt out on pre-80s albums I have no context for and I misread and thought this album came out in 1977.
I know Ash because they’ve had a song or two in Gran Turismo. But that’s it.
This music I am such a sucker for; the noisey pop-rock. Adding this album to my regular rotation.
George Harrison
5/5
Just hands down the best thing produced between the 4 Beatles post breakup.
What Is Life in particular is such an incredible triumph. I realize its widespread usage in romantic comedy trailers, but somehow it’s only gained power over the years. I write this the week that the trailer came out for Are You There God It’s Me Margaret came out, which uses this song to amazing effect.
LCD Soundsystem
5/5
Sound of Silver was my number 1 discovery from going through this list last year. Jumped to my most played album of 2022. I had known LCD Soundsystem enough before, could likely name 5 of their songs and at least the name of their albums. I would always tune in whenever they were the musical guest on SNL.
2022 I really made LCD Sound System one of my bands though. I suspect part of it was that my favourite band (Arcade Fire) had some bad press this year and I haven’t sorted my feelings about following them.
American Dream is incredible. It sounds so much wider and deeper than their previous albums. Call The Police and other voices I think are my favourites. This one still has that LCD thing where a song is just grooving and pounding along for a while and the second they have a key change your head just explodes. Love it.
Really hope they put out a new album. New Body Rhumba they did for White Noise is incredible and deserves the Oscar.
Norah Jones
4/5
I was calm afterwards
I’m old enough to remember when this swept the Grammys seemingly out of know where. Thus I think I’ve heard most of this album in the ensuing 20 years from how much it was played specifically at Chapters.
Aerosmith
5/5
One of the first CDs I owned was the Armageddon soundtrack my parents got me for Christmas. I hadn’t even seen the movie. The album was mostly Aerosmith or Aerosmith adjacent bands.
Honestly didn’t expect this album to come up but it makes sense. This has all their second wave big hits.
I will say though listening to this album in the head of January winter makes no sense. This is made for June driving.
Adele
4/5
Nanci Griffith
4/5
More Than A Whisper just knocked me on my ass
Big Black
4/5
Had never heard of this band or album. Looked them up later and realized this is Steve Albini’s band so makes sense it’s on this list.
Pretty good noise punk
The Cure
2/5
I was here for the vibes…not much else
Pixies
5/5
It could be ten, but then again I can't remember half an hour since a quarter to four
Throw on your clothes, the second side of Surfer Rosa and you leave me with my jaw on the floor
Talking Heads
3/5
Ayayayayay
Queen
4/5
Remember how the surviving members of Queen made a movie about the band and made themselves look loyal to their families and threw Freddie under the bus.
The Streets
5/5
2004. What a time.
I listened to this album a bunch when it came out. Being Canadian there wasn’t much exposure on the Streets or Mike Skinner but I remember they played the video for Fit But You Know It on Muchmusic once and I had to find out who this was.
This thing is about being a cringy 20-something in the 21st century. I have to rate it 5 stars as I was one of these people!
Wilco
4/5
Pretenders
4/5
Fleet Foxes
4/5
Carpenters
3/5
Amy Winehouse
5/5
This is one of the rare records that feels like it’s been in my life forever and also is older than I think it is.
I remember this coming out and the first time I heard Rehab. I already knew about Amy Winehouse, and had heard one or two songs but mostly knew her from the tabloids already being obsessed with her.
Classic example of an artist making a splash with their first record, but then tightening everything up and just laying down a masterpiece to build on their previous LP. The production is so on point here and her vocals are just soaring.
Sleater-Kinney
3/5
Suede
4/5
Remember, the first time at heard about Suede I was watching a documentary on Brit Pop and Noel Gallagher said that when the song animal nitrate came out, he was pissed because he thought that he was about two weeks away from writing that song. I think about that all the time what a wild thing to say
Red Hot Chili Peppers
5/5
So horny
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
Going to rate this 4 stars purely for Zero (a song I still have on running playlists 14 years going).
The rest of this though is really trying to reach that height and just not making it. What else can I say.
The Boo Radleys
2/5
This was terrible
David Bowie
2/5
So I know why this is included on the list. But I was thinking; say I had to come up with a list of the 100 greatest Canadian albums, I likely would not put the last Tragically Hip album in there. Made under similar circumstances where they have a person involved who knows their time is up.
Anyways I really didn’t connect with any of these songs.
Cee Lo Green
4/5
The Allman Brothers Band
3/5
Good jams but I had my fill pretty quickly
The Verve
5/5
This album was a mainstay during my original iPod (technically 3rd Gen, blue screen, black text unit) in the late 2000s. Haven’t heard it all the way through since then. I read some of the other reviews before listening again and was surprised so many people were rating it pretty low. Came to the realization that Urban Hymns falls in the same category that I’ve read a bunch of different albums on this list as far as well too. Mostly songs go on way way way too long. I think it’s definitely I was grooving to it during that time because I would be listening with nothing else really going on. Maybe riding the bus home or something.
Bittersweet Symphony is obviously the centrepiece and main draw on this one. The lyrics, although pretty simple, are just purely elemental at this point. I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me.
I remember in the late 2000s when the Verge reunited and people were in awe of how good Bittersweet Symphony sounded after it, not really being in his eye guys for the past 10 years. I’ve always thought that that is the songs legacy, when you hear it for the first time in a while you’re bowled over by how big it is. I think the only song that’s come close in the past 25 years is The Mother We Share by Chvrches. Equally of a time and already nostalgia triggering.
Otherwise, Lucky Man is a song made for walking around during golden hour. And the drugs don’t work is an incredibly depressing song that still works.
The Verve are definitely a band You have to listen to more passively, in the background to truly vibe with I don’t know if this is a truly great album, but I am going to give it five stars. It’s firmly in the canon of my musical upbringing.
Coldplay
5/5
This is peak stereo-shelf system with 5 disc changer, AM/FM and dual cassette era music. If you know you know.
Definitely Coldplays best.
I did actually listen to X&Y afterwards thinking that was the inferior album. It’s just more of it’s time. Still pretty good though actually.
Neu!
3/5
Alice Cooper
5/5
This one was a surprised I really had fun with this!
Beck
4/5
An album I like but don’t love. Connected more to Becks next two albums
Pavement
4/5
Really enjoyed this. Currently listening to the episode of Bandsplain about Pavement and it’s giving me some good context.
Aerosmith
5/5
Great album with a bunch of hits on it.
I had given this one a listen nearly 20 years ago because I was reading that Kurt Cobain biography Heavier Than Heaven and this album was listed as one of Kurt’s favourite growing up.
Television
4/5
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
Basic restaurant music
Laibach
2/5
Sounds like those throat singers from Dune
Kraftwerk
4/5
What if I got really into Lraftwerk. Their fans seem really cool
Nas
4/5
I recognize this is a landmark album.
But I did not really even register this album. Don’t know enough about Nas or rap at the time.
The Police
4/5
Not my favourite Police album but still good.
Kacey Musgraves
5/5
I listened to this on my HomePod today and it’s in Dolby Atmos on Apple Music. The quality of it made me regret I started buying vinyl records. Truly reference level shit.
Spiritualized
3/5
I guess the vibes were good.
This is the most recommended album from all the music services algorithms I’ve had. Really had no idea what to expect on this one. I expect I should have just laid on my floor and listened to this instead. Maybe I’ll still do that.
Run-D.M.C.
5/5
No shame in saying my first exposure to this album was from SSX Tricky.
Pearl Jam
5/5
I was actually in a store deciding wether to buy this on vinyl or not.
This is one of those albums I’ve heard so much I barely process it as music anymore, more just a series of sounds. Especially with a bunch of tracks being used for Rock Band I’m more thinking about the individual notes and structure.
I hadn’t heard this whole thing through in at least 10 years. There really isn’t a lull, it’s maxed out all the way through.
The Verve
2/5
I’m sorry this album was never good
The Cure
4/5
Sex Pistols
5/5
I got super into this album in high school with my friend Alex let this be his copy on CD, and the DVD of the Classic Albums episode on this.
Haven’t heard this in probably 15 years. Every track still rips. I forgot how John Lydon just tries to stuff as much extra lyrical content in as a song is wrapping up.
The Notorious B.I.G.
3/5
I hate doing this but it’s not a good listen. These skits. I don’t know what they were thinking.
David Bowie
5/5
I mean Life on Mars is on this.
Living Colour
5/5
Wow what a record. I had known really only of Living Colour from Guitar Hero but this vibe of rock was just what I needed. Driving around in the first sunlight we’ve seen in Ontario for the last 6 months was 😘👌
George Michael
4/5
First two tracks are all timers. Father Figure is an incredible song. The rest: ah I didn’t dig. 4 stars tho still
Depeche Mode
4/5
Arctic Monkeys
5/5
Arctic Monkeys are a band that I bought stock in early. I had heard some of the demos that were going around before the album released, this was in the era of websites like Stereogum and other MP3 blogs. The narrative at the time was that this act was the next Libertines (who had flamed out like a year or two earlier). I also remember taking one of my friends to Future Shop for me to buy this album when it came out. A few weeks later the Arctic Monkeys gave one of the all time great performances on SNL (when Alex mid song calls out someone for yawning). I fully expected them to take over culture then and there and while they were known, they were never really huge.
They did however get huge when they changed their sounds by slowing down and dropping key. Those albums I really have never listened to. Perhaps I should give them a fair shake
Haven’t heard this album in whole for over 10 years. Every song hits completely. Mardy Bum especially is pop perfection.
Thin Lizzy
3/5
This guy has about the best voice and delivery in rock.
Radiohead
5/5
I’m on the side that this is Radioheads best work and the best album of the 90s.
I think I would have heard this whole thing first when my friend Alex (who I have to credit with so much musical influence on me and he had the best CD collection) lent it to me. Would have been around 2003-4. This is an album I come back to maybe every 2-3 years and am just completely bowled over by. What a journey.
Primal Scream
2/5
Really hate to rate this one so low as I think Screamadelica is in my top 10 of all time and I actually really like their more bluesy stuff they did in the early 90s and the 2000s. This was just a mess though of no direction. Just layering on sounds and expecting magic would happen in the final product.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2/5
I like Cinnamon Girl but wasn’t crazy about the rest
Pet Shop Boys
4/5
This is the kind of CD you’d get to show off your HiFi system in the early 90s
Pavement
2/5
Sorry I tried just not getting into Pavement
Bruce Springsteen
5/5
Unpopular opinion but I’m Going Down is my favourite Springsteen song.
Everything But The Girl
3/5
Crazy another album I don’t remember every hearing or seeing music videos for, but they ran ads for on MuchMusic all the time when it music have come out.
King Crimson
2/5
This cover is iconic
21st Century Schizoid Man rolls
The rest of this mostly stressed me out
Grizzly Bear
4/5
Two Weeks just pushes this whole thing to 4 stars at least on its own. Top 10 songs of the 2000s.
The Flaming Lips
3/5
Doves
5/5
One of my favourite bands. I know no one who knows them though.
I discovered Doves when I was on Oasis forums in the early/mid 2000s. What can I say I was a popular person in university. I had downloaded Some Cities off a torrent and it sat on my iPod for a few months until I remember I was in bed one night listening to music and a song from them came on and I was immediately hooked.
I had heard The Last Broadcast and the rest of Doves a ton in the 2000s (I actually saw them live in 2009 when I went to Scotland at T in the Park. Excellent show). This is their best album, although I still have a soft spot for the melancholy vibes of Some Cities.
I haven’t heard this one in probably 10 years though. I forgot how much Doves are a vibes and groove band. Very much like The Verve. The songs all do go on for too long, the vocals are really not great. Now that I have good speakers to listen on and not iPod earbuds I can hear the production on this really is not good. But I have enough nostalgia to carry me through.
Fleetwood Mac
5/5
I actually bought this on vinyl and listened to it this Monday. It’s an album made for vinyl.
This is just the best album of all time.
Ryan Adams
5/5
This album is phenomenal. I always knew I should listen to Ryan Adams as I had been recommended him from iTunes and such. I have also heard most of this album being played at restaurants and coffee shops. Every song is a winner and I was astounded he was keeping it up throughout.
But I also know this guy has had a messed past with women and he will likely never recover professionally. I don’t think I would feel good ever supporting this guy financially. Again, another album we have to evaluate our feelings about. I think criticism of him is justified. I think he deserves the hardships he seems to be experiencing. But this is obviously a great record and likely influenced a lot of artists. Still deserves to be on this list.
R.E.M.
5/5
I got my spine I got my orange crush
Also Stipe just makes a meal of the word ‘conscious’. Legend.
Iron Butterfly
2/5
An album just over 30 minutes in length it’s still about 15 too long
Astrud Gilberto
2/5
What the hell
Bon Jovi
4/5
So couple of stray thoughts on this one.
Genius inclusion of Wanted Dead or Alive in the original Rock Band game. You had to really explore the space while singing ‘I’ve been everywhere, still I’m standing tall!’
I was fully prepared to give this a 5 sight unseen but the non-single tracks are so forgettable.
Top 10 worst album covers for how many good songs are on this. I know the story behind why they had to change it last minute but come on.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Crazy that at nearly 500 albums generated this is my first Zeppelin.
This is my favourite album of theirs. I realized today when I had my CDs the only Zeppelin I owned was their 2 disc Early and Later days greatest hits album.
Sonic Youth
5/5
Hell yeah
Iggy Pop
5/5
This was so good
Hole
4/5
I have to confess I fell victim to the narrative around Courtney Love in the late 90s. Too young to really comprehend when Kurt Cobain died, by the time I was really aware of Love she was doing solo work. I remember the way MuchMusic was talking about her at the time was pretty rough. When I eventually got into Nirvana in 2001/2002 when they had the greatest hits I had read a couple of books about Nirvana and Kurt and they were pretty clear about painting Courtney Love as the villain. Heck, I even remember the PopUp Video episode that had the video for Doll Parts went into the rumours Kurt had written that album.
At least now the prevailing narrative is that Hole is one of the most important bands of the 90s and Courtney Love is a genius.
Anyways this thing is pretty much start to finish bangers. You got Celebrity Skin and Malibu. A few song in the middle fell slat for me but Boys on the Radio picked it back up.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
1/5
Couldn’t make it through this. Was so stressful.
Brian Eno
3/5
This was interesting. Don’t think I feel the need to listen to it ever agin though
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
2/5
Not into this. I have no interest listening these kind of curiosity. I don’t want to give it one star because it’s not actively trying to get me to hate it. It just sounds like someone falling sleep mid song.
De La Soul
5/5
Incredible stuff. De La Soul was a blind spot for me and I loved this start to finish. Now looking for this on vinyl
PJ Harvey
4/5
The Triffids
2/5
Terence Trent D'Arby
4/5
Yea man this was great. Wishing we’ll kiss and tell
N.W.A.
4/5
This one is tricky because I understand the context, I understand the historical significance and legacy it left. They were on the right side of history with the police in a conflict that still hasn’t been solved.
But outside if the police stuff, the hatred especially of women especially, but also the Hispanic community and the homophobia just really makes it hard to fully get behind what they were trying to say.
The Human League
2/5
Shows why album sequencing is so important. If you’re going to have Don’t You Want Me as the closer, the rest of the record has to be all bangers. This is not.
Fugees
4/5
Yes
TLC
5/5
It is wild that in the years since a bunch of TLCs music has become a comedy punch line. I’m thinking of Michael Keatons character in The Other Guys, Bill Murray singing to Drew Barrymore during the SNL 25th anniversary show. I don’t think any of it was malicious, just part of the legacy.
I haven’t heard Waterfalls in a long time and I think it’s one of the top songs of the 90s. I might even rank it #2 after Smells Like Teen Spirit.
This album is so incredibly horny as well hahahah
Common
4/5
Good 2005 throwback
Dusty Springfield
2/5
Cat Stevens
5/5
Shit man Father and Son
PJ Harvey
3/5
4/5
One of my favourite album covers
50 Cent
4/5
Can’t lie. I had a good time.
This was also status symbol if you saw this in someone’s car in 2003 they were a dirtbag hahahah
Linkin Park
3/5
Men will literally record Hybrid Theory before going to therapy.
System Of A Down
2/5
Couldn’t do it. I like Chop Suey but their stuff is just too aggro
AC/DC
5/5
Incredible collection of songs. Shoot to Thrill is their best song with Brian Johnson
Rod Stewart
2/5
I like Rod. Didn’t think this deserved a place in the 1001
Gram Parsons
2/5
Really didn’t like this at the start. Came around on it by the end tho.
Gorillaz
3/5
You know what? Was not into it this time I listened to it! Most of it just seemed aimless except for a couple tracks (Clint Eastwood, 19-2000).
I’m also very surprised to see that Demon Days is not on this list. I feel like that album was more popular at the time. Plus in the last couple of years everyone has rightfully evevated it to masterpiece status.
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Great Hendrix album. The title track is my favourite song of his.
Portishead
2/5
I know this album is supposed to be good. I remember all the music critics falling over themselves for this. Wasn’t for me.
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
This man killed our nations king.
Also this is in the canon of albums with way too long voicemails. Why??
Faith No More
4/5
I’ve been aware of this album and more specifically Epic since the early 2000s. I may have first heard of them during the VH1 top music videos of the 90s week long special they did. I remember the one critic describing the video and asking ‘why is there a fish flopping around at the end? It doesn’t matter!’. But I’ve mostly just filed it away as a curio from the 90s.
I have come to realize in the last couple of years this is actually one of the most influential albums of the 90s and is responsible for plunging us in to 1000 years of darkness as Limp Bizkit and Korn took their musical style largely from this record specifically.
This is still better than those guys though. Really evokes the stocky men in zip up-sleeveless hoodies and long basketball shorts vibe.
Liz Phair
5/5
This album turned 30 years old yesterday
The first time I encountered Liz Phair was in the 2000s and she had that song Why Can’t I come out and it was all over MuchMusic and the radio (seems like it’s her most popular song on Apple Music). All of the stuff I was reading about her though was about how she had sold out, wasted potential and now she’s just pop music. The other time I would hear about her (and this album specifically) is as a footnote in writing about Exile on Main Street. I’m pretty mute I had read in Rolling Stone or Spin a piece written by Phair about the Stones record and how much she liked it.
30 years on now, this is about the most contemporary sounding album I think I’ve heard on the list. If you listen to indie rock radio there are a ton of acts that are going after this lo fi, confessional style of rock. I’m thinking Courtney Bartlett, Phoebe Bridgers and Boy Genius and Lana Del Ray. Yet Phair is still more pointed in her lyrics regarding sexual relationships especially. This album sounds timeless, while even on her next album songs like Supernova are peak 90s production.
I’ve got to say this has been one of my great discoveries and one I think I need to own on vinyl.
Bee Gees
2/5
One of the most pretentious, overwrought and frankly misogynistic records I’ve heard. Crazy these guys change course and put out a 5 star masterpiece as a movie soundtrack nearly a decade after this.
Happy Mondays
4/5
Step On
Basement Jaxx
2/5
I remember when this album had a moment in culture. Don’t think this was good tho
Echo And The Bunnymen
5/5
This is incredible. I only really knew them from The Killing Moon (which I love). I hear where all my bands come from in this though. Like Arcade Fire, The Killers, Coldplay and Radiohead. This is of its time in the best way.
The Crusaders
2/5
They do love the Street Life
Aerosmith
3/5
Not their best but Back in the Saddle elevates this.
The Beach Boys
5/5
I listened to the Atmos mix of this they have on Apple Music on my Sonos today. The wall of music effect really suits it well.
The Sonics
3/5
I’m fascinated that record companies were just letting all these bands put out albums covering the same rock and roll songs. I guess this would have been before we took the idea of the album seriously.
Janelle Monáe
5/5
I have been meaning to give Janelle Monáes music for the last few years now. I heard a bit of her second album once and was really intrigued.
Crazy this is her debut LP. I know she has an EP and couple singles before this, but what a statement piece.
Massive Attack
3/5
First two tracks are essentials
The rest? Eh…
Michael Jackson
5/5
I have no problem rating this 5 off the strength of the first track
Nirvana
5/5
It’s been at least 10 years since I’ve heard this one. I had the memory that the back half was pretty abrasive and not very pleasant to listen to until the last song. I expected I would have given this 4 stars.
This one is not nearly as difficult as I remember. I don’t think the production actually does it any favors. Very good album with all songs firing.
Burning Spear
2/5
Sorry barely registered I had it on
Soundgarden
5/5
Timeless
Brian Wilson
3/5
So I had Pet Sounds a few weeks ago (which I had never heard before) and was completely bowled over. I have since been doing some Wikipedia dogging on Beach Boys and Brian Wilson and while I know the general strokes of their careers I thought now would be a great time for me to get into them. Especially since at the time my wife and I were planning a summer road trip in the US and I think Beach Boys are the quintessential American rock band.
However I don’t think they hold as much mystique as any other rock act in the ensuing 50 years as the Boys still are musically active and at this point most of what millennials would know about them is through parody in Walk Hard and The Simpsons.
I remember when Brian Wilson’s Smile came out
The Divine Comedy
3/5
A short album you say?….
The Who
4/5
I had a good time with this.
Wild the only version seemingly on streaming is a 4 hour version with just different takes of the same songs?
Public Image Ltd.
1/5
Straight up fuck this album.
Public Image was my first 1 star and this was worse.
The Fall
2/5
Run of the mill punk
Black Sabbath
4/5
T. Rex
3/5
The Libertines
2/5
Absolutely baffling the this one is on the list and the debut isn’t. This is just tabloid fodder for the 2000s.
I love the Libertines, their debut is actually timeless. This hasn’t held up
The Kinks
4/5
We are the Draught Beer Preservation Society
God save Mrs. Mopp and good Old Mother Riley
We are the Custard Pie Appreciation Consortium
God save the George Cross and all those who were awarded them
Frank Black
4/5
I really vibed out with this. His band is really tight on this one. Just too ling
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
I think I just like one song by My Bloody Valentine!
5/5
In my top 10 all time.
Red Hill Mining Town is underrated
Richard Thompson
3/5
Had some good songs. Like the title track
10cc
2/5
God I’ve had enough of this 70s/80s also-ran, extremely mid Brit rock off this list
John Prine
2/5
I often try to convince my wife the country is not all just ‘There’s a tear in my beer’ type songs.
But then some bullshit like this comes along
Raekwon
2/5
lol Tony Stark
Stevie Wonder
4/5
Not my favorite Stevie but still pretty funky
Cornershop
4/5
Well
it seems like the funky days
they're back again
Marilyn Manson
2/5
I’m OK I’m just gonna pass on this one
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
1/5
Hard pass on this one Nick Cave
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
I knew this was my least favorite of Jimis 3 studio albums but I actually could barely stand this one. Just so much noodling. Never been a fan of All Along the Watchtower either.
The Prodigy
5/5
Big Shiny Tunes-core
Breathe with me
Buena Vista Social Club
2/5
Sorry wansnt for me
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
So while I think Just Like Honey is seminal, I think the rest of Psychocandy is pretty middling.
This though I love. Doesn’t hit the heights of their biggest song but remains solid throughout
Robert Wyatt
1/5
Respectfully, fuck off with this shit.
The Go-Go's
4/5
They got the beat
Kraftwerk
3/5
I was thinking, while listening to this, if one of our Canadian bands pulled the same move, and just started writing music about the TransCanada Highway or the 401.
But I guess like the Barenaked Ladies and likely the Tragically Hip have already
Destiny's Child
4/5
I’m not going to dispute this albums place on the greatest list. I was there, this thing was huge. All the videos were on all the time. This is the lasting legacy from the Charlie’s Angels movie. 3 incredible bangers right off the top that no one is going to miss off biggest songs of the 2000s. Who among us can claim that? No one.
I was ready to hand out a 5 on this one but after Bootylicious the rest of the record is so aggressively mid it’s wild.
Also weirdly the next song is Nasty Girl which is hating on other women not wearing a lot of clothes. Such a bizarre heel turn.
Guided By Voices
3/5
I mean I live an album under 45 minutes. And it has nearly 30 songs? Incredible commitment to the bit.
Arcade Fire
5/5
I’ve bought this on iTunes when it came out. I don’t think I’ve ever listened to the whole thing through, but I’ve heard every song before just from shuffling.
This doesn’t hit the heights of Funeral, but it is more even throughout. Approaches some of the nostalgia that they master on The Suburbs. Doesn’t have a ton of songs they play live still. It’s kind of the forgotten middle child between one of the most important rock debuts and a surprise Grammy winning record.
This is still really good annd I would rank it aMing the best of the 2000s. Intervention just goes, I don’t get why it’s not a live staple for them. Windowsill is amazing.
Two observations about the context of this album.
- I didn’t realize how Springsteen this one is. Also strange considering at the time The Killers had their second album Sam’s Town which also went pretty Bruce. I can’t place why The Boss was in the zeitgeist in 2006/7?
-This was also Arcade Fire at the height of their cultural relevance with established bands. I remember Coldplay trying to make themselves more like Arcade Fire for Viva La Vida. U2 was always playing Wale Up before they came on stage. And the Foo Fighters covered Keep the Car Running.
I don’t know where this band goes from here though. They barely finished the tour for WE with their support dropping out. They’ve done a couple of festival slots where they have done amazing. A real shame given this was our best Canadian rock act going.
Tina Turner
4/5
I went to pick through some vinyl records from my parents old collection a few months ago before they got rid of it.
I stupidly passed this one over.
Tortoise
2/5
Was hyped for an under 45 minute album. But then the first track is the longest song in history and just goes no where.
Travis
3/5
As a Britpop scholar I found this so derivative of everything else. I know this one has its fans but it’s just lifting wholesale riffs from Oasis and Blur songs that were like 3-5 years old.
Why Does it Always Rain on Me is great though
Korn
3/5
Kind of let down honestly. I thought maybe if I revisit this for the first time in almost 25 years I might dig it.
I can’t deny their musicianship. These boys had a sound nailed down.
MGMT
5/5
True millennial-core
This was among the last albums I bought when they came out on CD even though I had an iPod for a few years.
Kids especially is in the top 10 of the decade.
Alanis Morissette
5/5
Has only grown in strength, and like Exile in Guyville is now about the most consequential album of the 90s outside Nevermind.
Also I only know my dad owning 3 albums since I was born. The Wall by Pink Floyd, Balance by Van Halen and this. Not sure what to make of that hahaha
The Killers
5/5
I said MGMT was pure millennial-core. I have have spoke too soon.
Killers one of our last great American rock acts. Most of this one is all-timers
4/5
This was fun!
Germs
3/5
This was ok. I’m not much for noise punk
White Denim
5/5
Can’t believe I had never heard of this. I listened to a ton of indie/alternative radio in 2011-14 and never heard is this group. Truly a failing of the machine.
I have also hated any psychedelic album that’s come up but this is an easy 5er for me.
Pixies
5/5
Just about the most important indie rock album of the last 40 years.
The Afghan Whigs
5/5
I had been meaning to check in on Afghan Whigs as they were the subject of Bandsplain this week and I had never heard them.
This is one of the most intense records I’ve heard and it absolutely rips. May not be a repeater for me unless I’m really in the mood but goddamn this is excellent
Queen Latifah
4/5
So I had never heard any of Queen Latifah’s music, dispute knowing that she was an artist before actor and maybe seeing one or two of her music videos. As an actor she is great anytime she pops up in anything.
This though was great. Totally my vibe of hip hop.
Peter Gabriel
2/5
I love Salisbury Hill, it’s an all timer. I like a bunch of other Peter Gabriel as well.
The rest of this did not click for me though.
Lana Del Rey
2/5
Weird choice, I thought this wasn’t a super well reviewed album of hers and kind of forgotten. Born to Die and NFR I thought were considered her at the height of her powers.
This was ok but I know there is better Lana out there.
Paul McCartney
3/5
The man has an entire album of half baked ideas and then finishes with one of his all timers.
You know what, The Faces are an amazing Greatest Hits band. Can’t put together a good album though.
Bob Dylan
5/5
You know, I was prepared to give this one 2 stars and concede Dylan is not for me.
This son of a bitch has a record that can’t be hated though.
I was prepared to give this one 5 stars off the bat. I remember this album coming out and how huge it was. With a catalogue as great as theirs was before this one was, they still would not make it out of a stadium alive without playing Beautiful Day.
I can concede most of these tracks are reworking of their classics and I was still prepared to give it a 5. But the back half of this falls off so incredibly hard. Needs 1 or 2 great songs to end it off.
Duran Duran
4/5
Incredible bass lines on this
The The
2/5
This Is The Day is pretty good. The rest I could leave.
Also Apple Music defaults to the album art from the 2000s reissue which is an all time downgrade from the original art.
Dennis Wilson
4/5
You know what?
Liked this better than Brian Wilson’s Smile
John Lennon
4/5
It’s good
Nirvana
5/5
I think the consensus on this is since Unplugged was so successful that Nirvana likely would have done something for their fourth. I don’t think they would have been an interesting thought.
I forgot how many Meat Puppets songs are on this. I had never heard the original songs and I listened to them afterwards. Such a weird choice to turn into basically country songs.
Ultimately in 2023 I don’t think I’ll need to keep replaying Unplugged like I did in the early 2000s when I got really into Nirvana. It’s more a curiosity of the Nirvana narrative. It’s also crazy they were only in their mid 20s at this point. The banter in between songs is just kids awkwardly playing to the tv cameras.
Coldplay
4/5
When Coldplay was at their peak around 2002-4, I had friends who told me Parachutes was their best album. I had never heard this one in full despite being very familiar with all the singles.
That was a bonkers take, and Rush of Blood to the Head is hands down their best record. Parachutes while it does have song absolute all-timers (Yellow, Shiver) it is way too acoustic guitar forward in the back half. I barely registered that songs were changing.
I’m still landing on a 4.5 stars though
The Residents
1/5
Straight fuck off with this art rock shit. I hate music that sounds like it’s intentionally obtuse just for the sake of it.
Queens of the Stone Age
5/5
So I was bemoaning that this was the only Queens album on the list, despite Rated R being one of the most well reviewed rock albums of the 2000s and Songs for the Deaf I think now generally considered a landmark.
This is great, I cannot deny. I don’t have the same love as their next two albums but I can’t disagree with it’s inclusion
Super Furry Animals
2/5
It’s ok I’m into enough British bands, I think I can let Super Furry Animals pass me by without feeling guilty. I tried
Blue Cheer
2/5
I get it, this is how we get to heavy metal.
But this is also the third album I’ve had where someone covers Summertime Blues
Cyndi Lauper
4/5
A classic. While before my time, I saw her videos all the time on Pop Up Video
Gotta say, the Dolby Atmos mix on Apple Music is not good
M.I.A.
2/5
Wasn’t so into this. She’s out here now selling 5G tin hats now
Klaxons
5/5
It’s been at least 10 years since I’ve heard this one properly. I still occasionally hear Golden Skans on the radio, but Klaxxons I think are a largely forgotten band (seems they’ve been inactive since 2014).
Before today, I don’t know if I would have thought to put this on a list of my top albums of the 2000s. Now I’m pretty sure I would have in the top 3 maybe.
Suede
3/5
Sure
The Strokes
5/5
I love the sequencing on this how it doesn’t really seem like the band is going to be able to keep their groove together the first few songs, and then when you hit Barely Legal and then Someday and realize they are in complete control.
I have to speak my truth, though, and admit that, while I knew them before, I only really came to the strokes because of their inclusion on the 2002 Spider-Man soundtrack
Gillian Welch
2/5
Could not stand this
I get it’s not for me.
Ride
4/5
In the minority in that I like Going Blank Again better but this is still very solid
Mj Cole
2/5
Asian-fusion-restaurant-core
Justice
4/5
The way you move is a mystery
Sepultura
2/5
They sounded great.
Still not into metal
Todd Rundgren
4/5
I only really knew Todd Rungren from that song in the Toyota commercials in the 90s.
This was great. I may even bump this up to 5 upon relisten. Wolfman Jack is my standout.
Kanye West
4/5
Realized it’s likely been 10 years since I heard the album in full.
I do really like it, a good companion piece to Dark Twisted Fantasy. Quick and angry.
Serge Gainsbourg
4/5
Listen this albums content is problematique.
But the music so so my vibe! Guitar riffing over an orchestra! Sounds a lot like Beck.
Al Green
4/5
fIREHOSE
2/5
I am struggling to say anything about this. Some of the riffs were good but no songs were memorable
Beatles
5/5
I go back and forth on this one being my favourite Beatles album. Had they included Day Tripper on it there would have been no question. I think these days I lean more towards Abbey Road or the White Album.
Sonic Youth
3/5
I was here for the vibes on sonic youth. But none of the songs really grabbed me. Love the albums after this though
The Clash
4/5
I have to give it up for the musicianship and the energy. My preference is London Calling but this is still great
Violent Femmes
3/5
Sure I like Blister in the Sun
The Dandy Warhols
4/5
Overstays its welcome by maybe 3 songs but I really dig this.
I’ve also been meaning to watch Dig! for like 20 years.
Hole
5/5
Truly the most ‘real’ grunge album I’ve heard. Incredible
Beastie Boys
4/5
Crazy I’ve had nearly 800 albums generated and this is my first Beastie Boys
This has two of the absolute top songs of the 90s on here in Sabotage and Sure Shot.
The rest of it, there isn’t really a song that doesn’t work. However this like most Beastie albums goes on for so long. At a certain point listening it’s just background noise and I go in and out paying attention. Would have benefitted so much from being 40-45 mins long.
John Lennon
2/5
I hate to say it but this is a case of people love his previous gig so they’re going to be all in on this.
I haven’t heard all of it, but Johns output is about the weakest post Beatles. I don’t know why people stand up for him. Working Class Hero is an actively bad song.
Eurythmics
4/5
Really enjoyed this.
Obviously Sweet Dreams is an all timer
The first song is really good too tho. Could be a great cover for LCD Soundsystem
Isaac Hayes
3/5
The Title track and last are icons.
I do like how the rest is just the score for Shaft just doing his daily business hahahah
Flamin' Groovies
2/5
Had fun, did t really stick with me
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Zeppelin 3 is my least favourite of their first 4 but this one is still solid. Can’t disagree with a record that has Immigrant Song and Celebration Song. Zeppelin II remains my favourite.
I have always found it so off putting that Plant frequently refers to the woman he’s singing to as a ‘child’. Rolling Stones do it too.
Beastie Boys
5/5
What a way to start off 2024
I have come to a realization about this album and its place in society recently. I came to Paul’s Boutique in the early 2000s, possibly when this album was having a cultural reassessment and being recognized as the peak of the Beasties powers, that this was heir apparent to Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. So ambitious and pushing the limits of what music could be (figuratively and legally). 35 (!) years on it still sounds ahead of its time and a miracle that it all works so well; never does it sound like all the samples are overused or out of place.
I think now though this is closer to Exile on Main Street, in a much as it’s such a ‘dude’ album that people (me included) take so much joy in explaining to people why it’s significant. Like where the samples are coming from, how unique this was at the time, that a song is made up of all Beatles samples. Like I believe that the next Liz Phair will be writing a song for song companion to Paul’s Boutique. Kicked Out of Lees Sportswear?
This along with Sound of Silver are on my essential New York record list I will be starting hahaha
Caetano Veloso
3/5
Not for me but good album!
The Beta Band
4/5
So I really liked this. I only know the Beta Band from The 3 EPs, obviously from High Fidelity. This one doesn’t really sound like that record though. I know Beta Band is an act many hipsters hold in high esteem, and apparently Radiohead and Oasis (at least Noel) said they wanted to make an album like Beta Band.
This sounds so much like Soundtrack of Our Lives though. And I find out this came out years after they were active and arguably at their commercial peak in 2002.
Queen
5/5
Pardon me,
Do you have any Grey Poupon?
Giant Sand
2/5
This was fine. Didn’t really grab me. I didn’t see the shifting tones of the record as a plus.
I also listened to this while playing DOOM (2016) which is an incredible mismatch.
Common
4/5
I listened to this on my HomePod and this album is in Dolby Atmos. Sounds amazing
Beatles
4/5
An album that always sounds great with every remaster.
Very solid collection of songs at the height of their popularity. Like the movie a lot, not as big on this album though.
Stephen Stills
5/5
This was a complete surprise. I knew Love the One You’re With and I thought the rest would just be him noodling.
This whole record maintains the heights of its first track. This is great 70s blues and keep an amazing momentum throughout
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
2/5
Eric Clapton I’ve really soured on the last few years.
This is another entry in the 50s/60s phenomenon of covering other popular songs that have already been done to death, then getting added to this book.
This act covers What’d I Say in just the most embarrassing way. I was giving this man the wrap it up signal 60 years in the future.
Def Leppard
4/5
Kind of wish now I had heard this before Hysteria. I knew the story of Def Leppard mostly from the episode of Classic Albums where they touch on this one a bit, then what happens with their drummer and how they had to adjust for the next album.
I enjoyed this a lot. Hysteria is still top though.
The Police
5/5
I come back to this album every few years. It’s truly a ‘they don’t make em like this anymore’ affair. It gives you some of the best songs ever recorded and the production is incredible.
I forgot how early Mother hits in the track list. I do concede it is the worst song by the Police and it’s absolutely bizarre to put this on an album that is going to include Every Breathe You Take. I do love it though.
This is one my all timers
Marvin Gaye
5/5
There’s a reason it tops Rolling Stones albums list.
Also the Dolby Atmos mix on Apple Music sounds incredible
The Rolling Stones
3/5
This was interesting to hear where the Stones started. Wasn’t offering much more than that.
Charles Mingus
2/5
Wasn’t for me
Eels
4/5
Don’t have much else to say about this one other that upon recognizing the first track I was positive this was also the band who plays ‘Pepper’
Of course that is the incomparable Butthole Surfers
Paul Simon
3/5
I like Paul Simon enough. I think this was ok, interesting this came before Graceland and he blows up again. Otherwise I didn’t think this offered much beyond being solid work.
Roxy Music
3/5
Amazing musicianship. I really didn’t connect with any of the songs though
David Bowie
4/5
Golden Years
k.d. lang
3/5
The rest of the songs on this aren’t bad, all well done songs. I just wasn’t connecting with any of them. And I knew what was coming at the end.
Constant Craving is an all timer.
William Orbit
4/5
I continue to be surprised I like 80s/90s eurotrash electronics
Christina Aguilera
3/5
The title is a misnomer. So over produced with the face 50s sound and other business going on.
David Bowie
2/5
A Bowie I didn’t connect with. I’ll have to give it another shot at some point
Robert Wyatt
2/5
Wasn’t sure what this was
Kings of Leon
5/5
Oh hell yea
Kings Of Leon were my band for while in the 2000s into the 2010s. Come Around Sundown was maybe the last new album I bought on CD (at my beloved MusicWorld). Wild how they were a band that didn’t really last past that era though, even though they are putting out new music and are seemingly trying to build an audience on TikTok.
This album is amazing. I go back and forth on which of their four albums are their best. This pretty much keep the momentum throughout so this is a likely winner.
Brian Eno
4/5
I dig this and will likely revisit. Reallly like I’ll Come Running
Beastie Boys
5/5
This was a high school mainstay for me (this is in the early 2000s). My friend Alex had this on CD and always played it in his car when we went out for lunch. Tons of nostalgia for Girls and Brass Monkey
The White Stripes
4/5
Tough to follow up one of the decades best.
I still love the drum work especially on this. The slow drumming is what makes White Stripes great. Jack White is free now to use whatever the most talented session musicians to make whatever music he thinks he couldn’t do before. I just do not care about it. Constraints breed creativity.
Beach House
5/5
This is extremely my shit.
Weather Report
3/5
Nice jazz album
The Electric Prunes
4/5
The vibes are immaculate. This is totally a record you throw on if you want to look hip to someone.
Pink Floyd
3/5
Still not a big Pink Floyd person
Fatboy Slim
4/5
Fun album. I always dig Fatboy
TV On The Radio
3/5
I like TV On The Radio a lot, but besides Staring at the Sun I wasn’t really feeling this
Led Zeppelin
5/5
It’s Zeppelin I. One of the greatest debuts
The Kinks
3/5
Like Sunny Afternoon, could leave the rest of this
Morrissey
4/5
Still don’t like Morrissy the person but this was pretty solid
Snoop Dogg
4/5
Mind on my money and money on my mind
Dolly Parton
5/5
Dolly just smashed it out of the park. Incredible album
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
Oh this was great. Totally my vibe of hip hop.
Can I Kick It all timer
Big Star
5/5
Oh this was great. This is always an album I had been recommended but never checked out. Right up my power pop alley.
Silver Jews
4/5
So I was completely wrong about who Silver Jews were. For some reason thought they were like White Lies or Interpol. Not alternative country.
This was pretty good though. Might revisit.
James Brown
2/5
Dire Straits
4/5
The first half is so amazing I could maybe squeak out a fiver just on its strength.
The back half though I think falls right off a cliff.
Kid Rock
2/5
First of all fuck this guy
Second the first two songs are not bad. Mostly because I’ve heard them so much on the radio.
But seriously get him off this list.
Frank Ocean
5/5
This is a knockout.
I’ve been meaning for nearly 10 years now to listen to Frank Oceans albums. This was amazing. Sounds great, every song is a winner, never drops the vibe.
Lambchop
2/5
I liked Up With People well enough. The rest I could leave honestly.
Kelela
4/5
This was great, never heard heard of her. LMK especially.
Jeff Beck
2/5
Great guitar work.
Wasn’t for me.
Method Man
2/5
Not for me
3/5
My least favourite of the early Blur albums. Damon is too whiny on this.
OutKast
5/5
Crazy given the ubiquity of Hey Ya, Andre’s disc is pretty weak. Has way too many interstitial skits, doesn’t really hit a good song for a while and overall goes on for too long.
Big Bois is incredible though.
Overall still an essential album
Eminem
3/5
The talent is there. I was the prime audience for this so while I didn’t own this CD nearly all my friends did.
It’s just the most hateful shit to listen to though
Billy Bragg
3/5
I like the first two songs a lot. Didn’t care much for the rest of it.
Morrissey
2/5
Nah
Hot Chip
5/5
I was miffed the album with Over and Over wasn’t on this list. I owned that album in the 2000s.
I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Seems like a cool record to put on to impress people with your indie cred.
N.E.R.D
4/5
Pretty good.
Just bout the worst album art of the 2000s
Earth, Wind & Fire
4/5
That’s the Way of the World. So good
Richard Hawley
2/5
Love Pulp. Did not care for this.
Bee Gees
5/5
All time divorce record
GZA
3/5
Wasn’t for me but I still appreciate these guys love of Tony Stark
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
2/5
I could appreciate their musicianship. But I’m never going to listen to this again
Sparks
5/5
Need to watch the Sparks Brothers documentary now
Digital Underground
2/5
I can appreciate the Humpty Song. Then most of the other songs go on 4 minutes too long just naming cities. Ya gotta cut it off.
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Yea still at the top of my all time list.
This time listening today I really was stuck by the horn section. The solo on Sweet Virginia is incredible.
Stan Getz
3/5
Smooth
Don McLean
4/5
Title track is one of the greats. Giving 4 stars purely on its strength.
The rest I honestly could leave out.
Moby Grape
2/5
The Auteurs
2/5
At this point there are too many British albums on here.
This was not needed. I don’t care if people think this is what shaped Britpop.
The Magnetic Fields
2/5
I can appreciate the ambition and commitment to the bit.
I did not like one song on this album though
Wild Beasts
4/5
This was good! I will likely listen to again
Talvin Singh
2/5
Wasn’t even good chill out music.
Brian Eno
5/5
Love the idea of this. Album definitely does what it sets out to do. The last movement is the most evocative of ‘airport’
Suicide
1/5
Nah I’m good
Dizzee Rascal
2/5
I was looking forward to this. I remember this album coming out and how much praise it was getting. And I really like Bonkers (not on this album though).
This didn’t really hit for me though. Listenable, but not for me.
Robbie Williams
3/5
I had purchased (the superior) Ego Has Landed album when it came out. Which is how they packaged this LP to North Americans. Life Thru a Lens has a couple of his hits, but there is so much filler.
Beatles
5/5
Considered the GOAT for a reason.
I actually only came around on this album in the last year. When I was in my Beatles era I always thought this one felt like a bunch of half baked ideas for songs. I guess knowing it only from CD/iTunes where songs are broken up will do that. I got it on vinyl last year and it really made sense.
Oh Darling is about my favourite late period Beatles tune.
I am very happy that Here Comes the Sun is the most played Beatles song on Apple Music and Spotify. With how much has been made of the Lennon/McCartney writing partnership it’s Harrison who has the standout.
Ramones
5/5
Incredible stuff, every song is a banger.
The Dolby Atmos mix they have on Apple Music is a war crime. Blitzkrieg Bop sounds so bad and echoey
Sugar
2/5
Helpless was good.
The rest was like Dollarstore Collective Soul
Simply Red
2/5
This is a completely forgotten vibe of pop music. Basically made for department stores.
Even the well known songs were very bad. I was relieved to find this album/artist is not secretly some majorly influential inflection point and this is just bargain bin fodder.
Do not recommend.
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
So I remember Ms Dynamite coming out in the early 2000s. I could not remember any of her songs.
This album sucked. I hate to be that guy but when the lead single is a named introduction to your stage-name, you’re already starting from 0 for me.
Fascinating artifact of the book originally being published in 2003 though.
Supergrass
4/5
Caught by the Fuzz is among their best.
Alright is pretty alright
The rest not so much. Still good overall tho
Sufjan Stevens
5/5
Tobeymaguriecrying.gif
Thundercat
5/5
I was not vibing with this.
Then he hits us with the Michael McDonald and Sonic the Hedgehog sample?
The vibes are immaculate.
The Charlatans
2/5
I realize these guys have been around since the late 80s but this just sounds like dollar store Oasis.
David Ackles
1/5
This is music made for getting old vegetables thrown at you.
Madonna
4/5
Top marks for Express Yourself alone
The Pogues
5/5
No one songs about a dirty old town like these boys do
Motörhead
3/5
All love and respect to the God Lemmy, but I would be checked out of a Motörhead concert after Ace of Spades
Goldfrapp
2/5
The other Goldfrapp album I had was the first 5 star first listen I had on this list. This one didn’t really speak to me
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Probably need some more time with this one but I can see why indie heads love this.
Ryan Adams
4/5
Sucks this guy is a creep because this album is good
Eagles
5/5
That’s a hell yea from me brother
Beyoncé
3/5
This one has some solid tunes but goes on for too long
The National
5/5
Boxer by The National was the only CD I ever bought without knowing anything about it or the band. It was in the rock section of Music World and I thought the cover was interesting. Pretty good album.
This was fantastic. I’ve heard the singles but this thing maintains through the entire runtime
Sad dad music at its best
U2
4/5
I had never heard this one front to back before. I dig the how new wave they were at the beginning, I feel like they often try to get back to this a bit in their post 2000s work.
LL Cool J
3/5
Some of the singles were good.
I don’t think this was an essential listen though.
Duke Ellington
3/5
There was trumpet playing
Dirty Projectors
4/5
Included in the late 2000s hipster starter pack
Pulp
2/5
I know I’m on the wrong side of history but I find this brand of navel gazing and mourning your own success so exhausting.
Van Halen
5/5
Most impressive part of this is David Lee Roth. At this point the charisma and the voice are yet to be matched.
Peter Gabriel
3/5
The singles are all timers. The rest of this I could leave.
Morrissey
2/5
Completely forgotten in 2024. I remember when everyone was falling over themselves to praise this though
Big Star
2/5
I loved the first Big Star record.
This I could not make it through. So plodding and boring.
The Vines
2/5
What a bonkers track sequence in this album. I had to back and double check I didn’t have shuffle on. This is The Vines. It should be
1. Slow song is acceptable
2. Increasing intensity track
3. Lead single
4. Slower but harder rocking song
5. Quick song
6. Slower song
7. 2nd single
8. Experimental track
9. Song that starts slow and comes back around quick.
Overall I was disappointed after knowing the singles for 20 years.
David Bowie
5/5
Heroes is his best song
The Psychedelic Furs
1/5
My body rejected this completely.
Annoyingly British garbage.
George Michael
3/5
Freedom is incredible and essential. The rest just doesn’t register
Slade
2/5
Not essential
The xx
4/5
Never got around to listening to this when it came out. I think their debut is just an all timer. Loved how it used silence and negative space to its advantage. This one is wider sounding and there’s more going on. Still really good though.
Fatboy Slim
4/5
Praise You is a top 10 music video
Elvis Presley
2/5
I love Elvis, but I generally wasn’t into this
Holger Czukay
4/5
You know what I enjoyed this.
Saw a straight line from this to LCD Soundsystem
Motörhead
4/5
Why yes I played Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3
Beck
5/5
Very likely my most played CD of the 2000s.
I’m not a Beck completionist but this is his favourite album of mine. Every song is a banger.
Doves
4/5
As a big Doves fan even I have to concede this is not essential listening.
Catch The Sun is great
The Cedar Room actually unlocked as a song when they did that BBC concert with the choir
The Mars Volta
3/5
I’m glad I finally listened to this after seeing it around so much in the 2000s.
I can appreciate the musical chops on display. I just find this so stressful to listen to most of the time.
Can
3/5
What the hell was going on here.
Didn’t hate it.
Barry Adamson
2/5
Nah I’m ok
Scissor Sisters
3/5
I enjoy this group enough. I think I Take Your Mama is a great song. The rest of this was kind of weak.
The Darkness
4/5
20 years later, it’s undeniable. Amazing execution on an idea
Cream
2/5
I was bored to tears
5/5
For a long time this was my favourite Beatles album. I think I switch every few years, I would have said the White Album last while here. I recently came around on Abbey Road after hearing it on vinyl and the album making so much more sense than listening on iTunes.
I picked Sgt Peppers up on vinyl a few months ago and may have to put this back at the top of my rankings. I also totally turned into that guy when A Day in the Life came on and I was trying to explain what each of the sections meant hahah.
When I got into the Beatles in the early 2000s Sgt Pepper was the Center of my fascination. I’ve read several books about this and seen most of the best documentaries about this period. The most impressive part is most acts going to make their ‘Sgt Peppers’ are going to take several years, use several different studios, pull in every musician and likely never complete a master to submit to the studio. Ask Brian Wilson how it went for him. The Beatles knocked this out less than a year after their last album and because McCartney didn’t want to tour. In 2024 parlance this is called ‘king shit’
Anyways I don’t think this is a perfect album. There are misses; With You Within You is a skip. For The Benefit of Mr Kite I’m usually waiting for what’s next. So I think in terms of what the ‘best’ Beatles album it’s gotta be Revolver, Abbey Road, White Album or Rubber Soul. But Sgt Pepper is their greatest because this cements their legacy and it’s honestly the reason we talk about which record is best. It’s such a swing for them and they are at the limits of what technology of the time came do for them. Usually when someone has the resources all available to them in the studio and they want to go for a reach it’s usually pretty messy, bloated, self indulgent. This record is why everyone think a they can succeed where others have failed.
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
I thought this was another one of these 50s/sarly 60s albums where the band just played a bunch of the same songs everyone else puts out.
Glad to see most of these are theirs.
Led Zeppelin
3/5
Love Zeppelin 1-4
I checked out for a reason after.
Daft Punk
4/5
Daft Punk is an act I like the vibe of more than I like their music. Love the costumes, the aesthetic, all the people they collaborate with.
I enjoyed this enough, even if I was just waiting for the singles to come around.
The Coral
2/5
Incredible lead single in Dreaming of You. They lost it after that though
M.I.A.
3/5
Wasn’t as into this as I thought I would be. Paper Planes is great though
The Prodigy
2/5
Wasn’t into this. Fat of the Land for me.
Soul II Soul
2/5
Asian restaurant music in the mid 2000s
Saint Etienne
2/5
Kind of music only played at restaurants for old people. Absolutely juiceless
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Amazing music for working at a shop on a rainy spring day.
The Icarus Line
4/5
Listen, I liked this.
But I recognize why this didn’t break out in 2004 and has to settle for critical praise. It’s not that different from most of the garage and dance rock we were getting in this era. I’m thinking Louis XIV, We Are Scientists or Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.
This album is crying out for 1 or 2 radio singles. If it had at least 1 I would be giving this 5 stars. Alas, 4 is all you’re getting
Stephen Stills
3/5
Some good vibes by ol’ Stephen.
Antony and the Johnsons
2/5
I’m sorry I could not do this voice
Death In Vegas
3/5
I wasn’t as much into this. Songs were too long. I prefer the other record they did with like Paul Welles and Liam Gallagher
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
Get Ry Cooder to sing my eulogy
Drive-By Truckers
2/5
No idea what was going on here
Fats Domino
4/5
Deep Purple
4/5
Highway Star is great
The Black Keys
4/5
Great album. This is a band people now love to hate, maybe because this album got so overplayed. Not deserved tho these songs are great.
If it was 10 minutes shorter I would have done 5 stars
Supergrass
4/5
This was good but largely forgettable. I find I only really like Supergrass for the singles that crossed over in North American (Caught By The Fuzz, Pumping on Your Stereo, Grace)
Tom Tom Club
3/5
Hey sometimes ya gotta noodle around and come up with Genius of Love and and d your kids through college
Django Django
2/5
Never like that Default song when it was out.
Joanna Newsom
2/5
I remember when every music magazine at the time was tripping over themselves to throw accolades on this record.
Not my thing
Boards of Canada
2/5
Was always curious about this one but was left cold
Radiohead
2/5
Could never get into this one
The Zutons
3/5
Pressure Point is a good time. The music video for it was on the UMD that came with the first run of the Sony PSP.
The rest of this was pretty unremarkable
The Rolling Stones
5/5
I go back-and-forth between this and exile and Main Street as their best. The former is more of a complete wide record, this one is just more straight hits.
I know I’ve said it about a bunch of list so far, but I think I have to land on Gimme Shelter is the greatest rock song of all time
Britney Spears
4/5
Crazy how long this album is
Pink Floyd
3/5
Outside of the title track I’m sorry this was mostly bullshit
Justin Timberlake
4/5
You know this is a good album. Doesn’t do the thing pop records in the late 90s/early 2000s where they have 18 songs.
Everyone is too hard on this guy. I get he doesn’t do himself any favours but he is talented
Fun Lovin' Criminals
3/5
Pretty sure I’m the only person who remembers Scott Snacks in 2024
The Jam
3/5
This was ok, All Mod Cons is my favourite of theirs
Lenny Kravitz
4/5
Solid record. Love Lenny Kravitz
The Stooges
2/5
wtf guys you have one of the most raucous songs ever on I Wanna Be Your Dog and then do a 9 minute chant to put people to sleep.
Radiohead
5/5
I’m currently reading Steven Hydens book on Kid A. So I’m deep into Radiohead lore right now.
I often forget about this one as it comes between what we now largely consider the best album of the 2000s and what now people call the album for millennials with In Rainbows. I didn’t even think I had heard this one all the way through before. Turns out though I know every song so I just have spun it back in the day.
This is really good, not any bad tracks on it. Certainly more of its time though than any Radiohead album between 1995 and 2007. Kid A especially just exists out of time. This though you have to understand he’s talking about George W Bush and the war on terror. Doesn’t make this any worse, just an outlier for them.
Kings of Leon
4/5
This is a good album, but out of their first 4 this is their weakest. I’m still going to give 4 though
5/5
This might be Radiohead for dumb people but it’s great
Kings of Leon
5/5
Such a time and place album of theirs. Not their best but it is crazy how their lead singer cut his hair shorter for this album and everyone was like when did this guy get hot? And then they became the biggest band in the world
Quicksilver Messenger Service
2/5
Yea whatever.
The Cult
5/5
That’s a hell yea from me brother
Love Removal Machine = A+++
Judas Priest
3/5
This was fine. I still don’t like metal and I’ve made my peace with that.
Donovan
3/5
Outside of the first track I could leave the rest
Massive Attack
3/5
I’ve never been able to get big into Massive Attack. Not for lack of trying. I liked Unfinished Sympathy and Karmacova, didn’t really connect with the rest
Jean-Michel Jarre
1/5
If this music was playing in a store I would immediately turn around and leave
Cheap Trick
4/5
Good live album. A bunch of Cheap Tricks songs are the definitive version for me because my local radio station played them exclusively.
A lot of this though needs a remaster.
Talking Heads
3/5
I Zimbra was good. The rest I could leave
Paul Weller
3/5
I like Paul Weller but this did nothing for me.
Janet Jackson
5/5
I have had a run of so many bad, unremarkable albums over the last several months.
This has given me energy to continue for at least a few more weeks
Franz Ferdinand
5/5
Hell yea love this album
Primal Scream
5/5
Easily in my top 10 all time.
Up until a couple of years ago I had only ever heard the original version of Come Together, but apparently the one with lyrics is the one that’s on all the North American versions of this album. I don’t necessarily prefer it as part of this album, but I will listen to it much more on its own.
Led Zeppelin
5/5
What a bunch of nerds
The Thrills
2/5
Completely unremarkable
The Rolling Stones
5/5
Yea this is great. Has some some of their most overused songs in movies
Le Tigre
5/5
Liked this one a lot.
Crazy this was 1999 as by 2010 all pop music was trying to be this.
The Monks
2/5
Not available in Canada so what do you want from me.
I’d I had to guess based on this book so far it’s probably guys playing ‘Summertime Blues’ and they played it heavy and people said this was the start of punk.
Brian Eno
2/5
I like both of these guys but this is just them insulting their worst tendencies.
Jack White
4/5
This albums is good, Jack White worked better with Meg though.
CHVRCHES
4/5
I think The Mother We Share is the heir to Bittersweet Symphony. A song you may hear every few years now and it’s just like holy fuck this song is massive.
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Never been a big Marley guy. noWoman No Cry is on here so this at least warrants 4 stara
Scott Walker
3/5
This guys out here typing to teach UK history 101
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
3/5
I never really got around to listening to this one despite liking most of Damon Albarns output. What put me off is I saw him on George Strombolompolus’ show and Damon was so pretentious I just had no interest in this.
This was fine. It was so low energy though.
Elbow
5/5
I thought before listening that only the singles were great and the rest was whatever. These guys never took off in North America, I think Grounds For Divorce doesn’t sound too different from Black Keys.
This whole thing though is great. I have no option but to give them their flowers.
Super Furry Animals
3/5
Can’t get this in Canada. I had about my fill of this band though.
Oasis
5/5
Probably still my favourite album.
I have this and Morning Glory I got on vinyl last year. Both ones have the bonus track placed bizarrely at the end of the second record. I know a lot of people love it, but Sad Song is one of the worst early era tunes they did. Putting it at the middle of this album kills the flow so hard.
Also I was able to secure 1 ticket to their reunion show in Toronto in 2025
Emmylou Harris
2/5
Nah.
Fred Neil
2/5
Nah
The Roots
5/5
Fuck I love The Roots
Elvis Costello
5/5
Hell yeah love this album
Arcade Fire
5/5
One of the greats. I could argue this is the best debut album from a Canadian act.
The incredible magic trick it pulls right off the jump with Neighborhood #1 is how it starts slowly and by the climax it sounds like it’s going to fall apart any second. Sounds amazing live.
Soft Cell
2/5
Tainted Love…sure great song
The rest of this is so off putting and goes on for so long.
Kate Bush
2/5
Kate Bush
3/5
Didn’t hate this. May listen again. But to British for me
Echo And The Bunnymen
5/5
Oh this was great.
Honestly sounds like the album U2 wanted to make
Dagmar Krause
2/5
Wtf
Siouxsie And The Banshees
2/5
Wasn’t into this
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
5/5
Hep yeah.
Was actually just thinking the other day about how good a song Woodstock is
Missy Elliott
4/5
Elvis Presley
4/5
Oh mamma
Willie Nelson
5/5
Very pleasant listen. Would make a great album to have on vinyl
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
Pretty sure I had bought this on CD when it came out. I was very into the Arctic Monkeys in their first phase. This is a fun diversion in their and Alex Turners history. Not at all essential though
Van Halen
4/5
Of Van Halens albums with David Lee Roth, this is always the one I’m least inclined to revisit. I get their most popular and they were operating at the top of their video game. I find most of this pretty tame for a band that constantly sounded so dangerous.
I did do the supplementary material and watched the music video for Hot for Teacher which I haven’t seen for like 15 years. Besides the teachers ripping their clothes off, was this the greatest music video in history?
Deee-Lite
3/5
The single is one of the top 20 songs of all time. The rest was so so
Lauryn Hill
4/5
This was recently named the best album of all time by Apple Music. I can get behind that. I like Lauren Hill enough. I remember how much her videos were on TV in the late 90s. I had been looking forward to listening to this one but I didn’t really vibe with a lot of it. I honestly like the Fugees album better.
The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy
2/5
This was exhausting
Madness
2/5
This isn’t available in North America. Our House tho
Fever Ray
3/5
Didn’t hate this. Most songs went on too long though
Mike Ladd
2/5
Nah
a-ha
3/5
This didn’t need to be on here
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
Really makes you feel like you’ve lost your job at the auto plant in New Jersey in 1974
The Beta Band
5/5
I’ve had some many albums that are just shruggs on this list. 2 or 3 star unremarkable stuff.
This was an absolute lock for this list.
Barry Adamson
2/5
Lounge music I didn’t hate during the first few tracks.
Then it completely lost the plot up its own ass