1001 Albums Summary

I know I should like Joy Division but the music just doesn't do anything to me. I know this is a seminal album but it falls flat to me and just sounds mediocre.

Another band I've never listened to but knew I should. Really enjoyed this one! A bit of an acquired taste sometimes, but I definitely will use this as a jumping off point into exploring more of Sonic Youth's catalogue. Not super into some of the noise rock stuff, but other songs more than make up for it.

I like Gorillaz but this album doesn't do much for me.

I hate Christmas songs.

I've never heard of the film but I liked this sound track. Some tracks with clear movie dialogue were a bit annoying but the others were great background music. Will add some of it into the rotation for calm background music.

A whole load of meh from me. I've never had any interest in metal and I appreciate the importance of Metallica but the music just sounds generic, dull, and uninspired. Found this album just boring.

I'm an absolutely massive swing-era jazz fan --I love swing dancing-- but as jazz moved away from the swing era to bebop, modal, and other genres I kinda lose interest since it just isn't for me. Nonetheless, I found this album did work for me, even if it's a bit more experimental, although I don't see myself returning to it any time soon. Solid jazz played by solid musicians.

I'm not a rap person and my years of French from high school are in the past. I enjoyed the beats of this and while I could understand parts of it, I feel I'm really missing the meaning. The music was a great mix of jazz and African-inspired stuff and I liked it. Very fun to listen to. 3.5/5

Unlistenable garbage. Maybe if they got rid of the shit singer this might have some redeemable qualities. The music itself borders on listenable at times, but then the horrible vocals come in and take destroy whatever good will the song had. Wikipedia mentions this album as post-punk and looking at some of the other bands that are classified in this genre, e.g. the Talking Heads, Devo, or Joy Divison, they had musicianship that made their weird shit listenable. Here it just doesn't work. Possibly the worst album I've heard so far.

It's okay I guess. I guess almost two decades removed from this album, this style is now pretty common. I'd never listened to Amy Winehouse before this album (I don't think I'd even heard a song from her) and I wasn't sure what I was expecting but given how revered she is, I was hoping for a bit more.

Another classic album that I have heard so much about but never listened to. I think a day isnt sufficient to digest this so I am going to relisten to it again over the coming weeks. Such an influential and important album that I am happy to have finally listened to.

Never heard of this group before and only saw that it was listed as neo-psychedelia which sounded interesting. After giving it a listen, I did enjoy it but it didn't sound really unique or ground breaking. Some songs are a little too long but overall the album doesn't out stay its welcome and I will be checking out some of the other albums from this band. Unfortunately can't give half stars so I round up to 4 stars.

I see why Disney brought in this guy, but the songs don't mean anything to me now. I like his voice but they all just started to sound the same.

The first album on this journey that I've actually listened to prior to seeing it on here. And I've listened to it a lot over the years and know all the songs by heart. What more can be said about it that hasn't already been said a thousand times about this album? This is considered Fleetwood Mac's magnum opus and one of the top 10 best selling albums of all time. All for good reason. Not a single dud on here. Absolute brilliance from start to finish.

Fun stuff.

Not a rap guy. This is fine. Nothing amazing, nothing terrible.

Never really been a Talking Heads fan.

Good stuff.

I realized after researching a bit that I was familiar with Gil Scott-Heron through The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. This is great stuff. Super jazzy and bluesy. Loved the piano.

I appreciate the importance of Nirvana but this album just doesn't work for me.

It was okay. Some songs are interesting but I think the album is a couple songs too long. Some good guitar work but it sounded a bit generic at times.

Okay, but kinda long 60s rock.

Kinda jovial music but ehhh.... sounds super cheesy. Does get a slightly better rating since it's from Africa and that is a nice change. 2.5/5

I am a swing dancer so I have listened to many, many, hours of Basie. I am very familiar with this album and it's a great one.

Not a rap guy. Doesn't do much for me.

Nice to see some non-English music.

It's fine.

Every song sounded identical and I don't think I could remember a single bit about any song.

It's okay, but not my jam.

Never heard of this band. After listening to the album it makes sense. Nothing excites me about this.

Ah Derek and the Dominoes. I've listened to this album many times over the years. The guitar work on this is superb and something I love yet over the years I just don't get into it as much as I used to. Saying that, this entire album is worth it just for the song Layla. I've been listening to that song for almost 2 decades now and hearing that opening riff always makes me want to crack up the volume.

Sounds super 90s and really dated. Songs go on way too long and probably could have cut a bunch of them. First time listening to Oasis and probably first time I've ever heard a full song by them and I'm not impressed. I'd give it 2.5/5 but I'll round up to 3 since for the Wonderwall meme and guitar players.

Never listened to Nick Cave before. Have heard his name here and there. This was my first time listening. It's okay.. but Scott Walker did it better. I did some research and found that Nick Cave was heavily inspired by Scott Walker and I 100% believe it.

A recent goal of mine is to properly go through the McCartney back catalogue since Band on the Run was the only one I knew. It's been hard to top it because Band on the Run is exactly the kind of album I love. So much so I listened to a lot of it yesterday after listening to the album from this site. I adore this album from start to finish. Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five is a top 5 McCartney composition for me, including his massive Beatles hits. Absolutely flawless album for me and learning about the whole recording story in Nigeria and them getting robbed during the recording is interesting too.

This isnt a great introduction to Beck. Songs started to sound the same about halfway through.

I'd heard of Sparks from time to time and with that documentary the past year, I saw the name a lot and yet I never checked them out since I always got the impression they were very art rocky and a band that would be tough to get into. I have to say, if the rest of their catalogue is like this album, I was completely wrong. This was absolutely right in my wheelhouse. The melodies were super catchy and I loved the instrumentation, especially those guitars. I will definitely be looking further into their back catalogue.

1969 was an amazing year for John Fogerty. He wrote hit after hit after hit. No exception here. A collection of great songs that is pure rock and roll.

I'd heard a few songs here and there from this album on Spotify playlists before but I'd never sat down and listened to it in full. I'm of a mixed mind. It's an interesting album but I don't think something I'd listen to in full. Also very concept-albumy to me and out of context the songs don't really work.

It's an interesting idea that this album is made entirely from samples and I appreciate the production expertise is requires to do that, but in the end I just don't care.

I dunno what Eminem had against this guy. This is just bland inoffensive stuff that runs on too long.

I've always been familiar with the band Jethro Tull and how it had lots of flute and how it is one of the prog rock bands. Beyond that I've never actually listened to any of it. Now that I have, it was 100% exactly what I think of when I imagined the term prog rock. I should enjoy this more than I thought but it was just okay. Maybe if I were younger I'd dig it more. No other rock bands feature the flute so heavily -- for somewhat obvious reasons -- and it definitely is something different from the sound everyone else had. I will always applaud bands who try something different, but in the end it's not for me.

I'm only familiar with Van Morrison hits of which two of them open this album. Then I heard the same songs over and over again. This album just doesn't go anywhere. It's the same sound for 10 songs and I got bored midway through. He just doesn't go anywhere new. For such a highly acclaimed album, I was expecting a lot more.

I live in the technno capital of the world and I've heard better techno through the wall from my neighbour. It's bland and boring, but it's saved in that regard. It could be a lot, lot worse, like the shitty looping on the first track which sounds neat in the first 15 seconds, then you realise it goes on for another minute and a half.

Once again, an album is hampered by poor vocals. The music underlying it sounds interesting enough and when the song doesn't feature the lead (?) singer it actually isn't too bad. Not great, but not crap and never really rises about middling.

This was interesting. The opening song, Amsterdam, I know from Scott Walker and I realised I'd come across the name a few times through that. I love that song and was hoping for more like it and the rest of the album kinda doesn't deliver. He is an absolutely amazing singer but musically it just doesn't work for me.

I've vaguely heard of this guy before and going in I had absolutely no idea what I would be listening to. It is definitely weird but it's the kind of weird that just works for me. I can't explain why. The vocals aren't that great, but somehow combined with cheesy at times and repetitive music, it just works. I also found out that a song I've loved for over a decade by a small indie band was a cover of Metal and I had absolutely no idea. I'd say this album is 3.5/5 so I have to round up. This is the kinda of stuff why I like this generator. I'd have never listened to this otherwise.

I'm a little familiar with Sly and the Family Stone but I've never really explored their discography too much beyond Dance to the Music. I was going in expecting some funky beats. While the beats are certainly funky, that magic touch just isn't there. Reading a little about the making I see there was lots of drugs involves. Also the social setting of the US played a roll too but being 50 yeads removed causes it to hit not as hard.

Elvis Costello is another one of those artists I just never listened to. I've heard about him my entire life and may have heard a song of his here and there but never investigated. I regret not doing it earlier. This is great music. Nothing much more to say. The vocals really fit with the music and listening to the 2021 remaster, the production sounds really fresh and great. I know there are more Elvis Costello albums on this list but I might go search them out myself. Also a personal touch is that he lives in my home town and my mother has seem and his wife shopping at the local grocery store numerous times. She's interacted with them a little bit since she is a huge Diana Krall fan and

This is a tough one. I am not a big rap person so the album isnt super appealing to me. Plus the whole gansta rap aesthetic is just nothing I relate to and this album is full of it. I dont think some of the lyrics have aged well and misogyny is pretty bad. Nonetheless the album is super influential and some of the beats are good. Happy to have crossed this off the list but I probably wont be returning to it again.

I do a lot of house dancing and thus have been exposed to hundreds of hours of house music. This means that my standards for great house music are pretty high and unfortunately, while this music is great, it just doesn't reach the heights of others in the genre do.

I'm not a big rap guy so getting rap albums is always tough for me here. So far all the rap albums mostly come from the US and represent a culture I did not grow up in and have never experienced. This makes it tough to judge these albums given how reflective they are of the society the respective rappers grew up in. However, compared to some of the previous rap albums I've gotten, this is more in my style. The beats are more jazzy and the flow is a bit more my style. Still the lyrics are a bit homophobic, which Common has admitted to saying he doesn't want to use any more which is always good to hear.

Karen Carpenters voice is divine but in the end the album just doesnt soar.

Meh.

What a great album. I never listen to reggae so this album was a great surprise. Good beats, good vibes, and great lyrics.

Ahh Nina Simone. What a godly voice. This album proves she is one of the best. Powerful songs and a powerful voice. 4.5/5

Ehh it's okay. I don't think I can remember which song is which since they all sound identical. The production reeks of the 90s and the album is 15 minutes too long. Not for me. 2.5/5

I know the Grateful Dead were famous for being a live band so I guess it's hard to evaluate their albums because this is just bland. Also the mixing sucks.

I like Different Class by Pulp and have listened to it in full numerous times, but I'd never really explored beyond that. I don't mind the vocals, but overall this album is just too long and doesn't have that song to bring you in like Common People.

A few years ago I was listening to spotify similar to playlists and songs from this album were on that list. Prior to this I was never really into any form of country music, but I enjoyed the songs and decided to listen to this album in full. It completely worked for me and introduce me to the genre. Lucinda Williams has led me to other country acts and it's a genre that has some really great music if you avoid the mediocre radio pushed country. 4.5/5

I had a passing familiarity with The Offspring as I do enjoy a few of their songs but have never listened to a full album. It really reminded me of playing Tony Hawk's Pro Skater games. It was fun although you aren't going to get a huge variety in terms of music as the songs do sound very similar. Yet, oddly it had this weird charm that just hit me in the right way although I don't think I'll be revisiting it soon though.

Perfectly average. Nothing special, nothing bad just pure middle of the road music.

Absolutely not my type of music. I really struggled to listened to this. At least it inspired a good Weird Al song. 1.5/5

What an awful album cover. The music is okay and I enjoy the 60s production but there is something missing that would make this album great.

A solid but not amazing debut by The Who. You can hear a bit of the direction they would go in, but this pales in comparison to what the band would become.

Hell yeah. I've listened to this many times before. I mean what do you expect? It's AC/DC. You know what you'll be getting. Is this the most intricate music every made? No. Will it rock you? Absolutely. This is just pure rock and roll and doesn't claim to be anything else. 4.5/5

Fun stuff but I find with Depeche Mode it really depends on how I am feeling that day and today I wasn't really feeling it. Loved the production on it. 3.5/5

This is a hard one. I liked it but at the same time it felt like a real chore to get through. Why did this have to be a double album? Feels like it's two separate albums just smashed together for fun. This is my second Nick Cave album and my previous opinion was low and this album improved it a bit. It's much more bearable this time around and it's certainly listenable to. But again, it's way too damn long. If it was split into two albums I'd probably like it a lot more.

Ehh it's okay.

I do a lot of house dancing so I'm very familiar with the genre. This is fine music but there is way better house stuff out there.

This is what this list is for. I'd never heard of this before and I'd probably have never listened to it otherwise. This is great. I've done only a minimal amount of salsa dancing in my life, but this music makes me want to get up and dance. This is great stuff.

I'd never actually listened to a Leonard Cohen song beyond Hallelujah. I know he was greatly revered for his music and I get it after listening to this. It's pretty good and I love his lyrics. Great stuff and very chill vibe. 3.5/5

This is the 2nd album by Air I've heard and honestly.. it wasn't that great. Just fine. Nothing to write home about. The other one I enjoyed much more than this. 2.5/5.

Ahh this album. I split it up over a few days listening sessions to make it easier to listen to since it's a lot of the same theme. I only really knew The Book of Love before and maybe had dabbled in a few songs from it here and there. It's ambitious but in that ambition you need to back it up with solid material and there just isn't enough here. 2.5/5

I only knew of the Hurt cover before listening to this. That cover is fine. The other covers are just bad. Bridge Over Troubled Water is especially grating. His voice just took the soul out of the song. Personal Jesus was also pretty bad since I just got the Depeche Mode album with that song on it a few days ago. When Cash isn't doing modern covers / his own songs, it's great. 2.5/5

I've never listened to Beyonce. I've heard a few songs from her via popular culture. Supposedly she is the queen of pop and is this super star. I don't hear any of that here. It's just fine bland rnb/pop. Nothing special and nothing that really pushes it beyond anything. It's just middle of the road average. 2.5/5

After finishing the album I realized I didn't even notice the album was over. I don't think I could remember a single song that stood out. It was just perfectly fine middle of the road stuff.

It was fine but quickly you realise he uses the same damn trick a lot so that takes a lot away.

I respect Tom Waits but that doesn't mean I like his music. Very grating and absolutely not for me. I had to break this album up over a few days because I couldn't take more than a few songs at a time. Never going to listen to this again.

All I knew about the band was the urban legend of their name, so I had no expectations. What an album. This sounds just so unique and different from what else was going on around the time. It feels like if you released this album today, it would do quite well since the music sensibilities just seem so modern. Kinda reminds me a bit of when Paul McCartney would go full on silly. 4.5/5

This is my first time listening to Van Halen. Sure I've heard songs of theirs over the years, but I've never actively sought them out to listen to. My expectations were far exceeded since this didn't really sound like the Van Halen I've heard before, which I guess is the 80s version of the band. I loved the sound of Eddie's solos here and it didn't sound like the wankery that it would eventually become (which while technically impressive sounds very stale to me). This is an absolutely great album and one I will be revisiting. 4.5/5

This is quintessential new wave music. I don't hate it but I also don't love it. It's missing something that would push it to greater heights. So it just sounds a bit middle of the road to me.

Wow. This was an ELECTRIC performance. I'd heard a few songs by Sam Cooke before, but I'd never given him a proper listen. This was outstanding. I love live albums and this must have been outstanding to see live. This entire album was absolutely rocking and Sam Cooke was a tour de force.

This is what this book is made for. I've never heard of this and would have never sought it out. I have absolutely no idea what any of the songs are about, but the vocals sound great. I really dig it, although it is a little long and feels repetitive which lowers the rating for me. 3.5/5

It's surprising that I've never sat down and listened to this album from start to finish in a single setting. It still sounds fresh as it does almost 60 years later. There is a reason that Hendrix is held in such high regard.

The epitome of boomer dad rock. It's fine but safe and never takes risks.

Leonard Cohen discovers a casio.

I think I've finally accepted that Talking Heads just isn't a band for me. I've listened to a bunch of their albums before and like songs here and there. Hell I loved the podcast U Talkin' Talking Heads 2 My Talking Head (which you should absolutely check out since Adam Scott and Scott Aukerman are amazing) but still just don't dig the band. This is a fine album but not for me.

So I get another Steely Dan record just two days later. Seriously why are there FOUR Steely Dan albums on this list? This is pure boomer dad rock material. It's not bad, it's not great. It's just fine.

Never heard of this band, but it was fun! The lyrics are not the best, but the music is rocking and it sounds like they are having fun with it and not taking it too seriously. Production sounds great too.

Ehhh..... the first half sucked. Second half was better. But I guess they were trying to make a point that was lost on me. Maybe it made sense in 1978 but in 2022 it makes none. 1.5/5.

This is the 2nd Bowie album I've listened to from start to finish (the other being his first). It was pretty good and I know this album is rated super high, but it's a 4.5/5 stars for me. Maybe it'll grow on me over time as I become more of a fan, but it's just not quite there for me.

I've never heard of this album or band and I had no idea what it would be like. Looking at the album cover, I took a guess at how this album might sound and it completely matches it. It was a fun romp and something that is definitely deserving to be on this list. 3.5/5

I discovered Christine and the Queens a few years back on spotify and fell in love. She has become an absolute favourite of mine and it was a delight to have to listen to this album again. I'm really looking forward to see where her career takes her.

Ive never heard of this. I loved this. Pure country that just sounds great. Love it.

It is really hard to rate this. Buddy Holly is so engrained in the history of pop music that it is unfair to judge without that lens. I appreciate it but since it set the stage for so much later that it sounds a bit quaint now. It is a shame we never saw him develop as an artist. 4.5/5

What a completely seemingly random assortment of musical styles. No idea what this film could be about. An interesting listen but I'll probably never listen again.

I'm a pretty big fan of live albums, but this one just felt lacking that special something that made it great. I did enjoy the longer extended versions of songs on the 2nd half of the album, but it wasn't anything to phone home about. 2.5/5

Pretty fun mid 80s pop. Sounds super 80s but that's the charm about it. 3.5/5

Not a big rap guy so it's always hard to judge a genre I don't really enjoy. Still this had good beats. Wasn't always a huge fan of the lyrics, but the production was good although it suffers from that 90s era run-time length. It didn't need to be 60

For my 100th album I get my favourite album of all time and I've listened to this album an endless number of times. If a doctor is giving me one hour to live, this is the album I want to be heard playing. To me it's completely flawless and I love every single song. Side 2 is possibly the best 22 minutes of music ever recorded. Here Comes the Sun is my favourite song of all time. There are so many other songs I love from so many artists, but Here Comes the Sun just taps into something so deep and it's to me it's the most perfect song ever written. I could talk endlessly about why I love this album, but it's pointless. It's the highest rank album on this site and always included in the top 10 albums of all time. It's there for a reason. The peak of creativity and mastery by one of the greatest bands of all time.

Lou Reed is one of those artists who is very hit or miss for me. Also depends a lot on my mood that day. Today I was digging this. Not the worst thing he has done but not the best either. 3.5/5

This is my first time listening to a Tina Turner album and given her reputation, I had high hopes. After listening I was sorely disappointed. I her vocals to be fine but the instrumentation on a lot of songs just reeked of the 80s and I think that spoiled it a lot.

Never listened to Motorhead but was familiar with them. Not the hugest fan of Lemmy's voice but the music makes up for it. Good old fashioned rock and roll fun. Lyrics are a bit amateurish at points.

I don't enjoy Metallica but I do enjoy symphonies. This was a mess where it sounds like Metalliac had a keyboard that would play a symphony only to be drowned out by their instruments. I found the symphony didn't add to the sounds of the song. 1.5/2

It's fine.

This was fun. Not the biggest fan of punk vocals sometimes, but this album had some rocking tunes and was fun through out it's very short length. Given I've gotten some really long albums recently, that's a huge plus.

Great stuff. I think I've heard of the name of the band in passing because of how silly it is but I completely dug it. Fun country-infused rock. 4.5/5

Great blues driven rock and roll. Some filler, but the rest were killer.

This is now my 2nd Costello album and it's fine. I don't get why this guy is on the list so much. The music is okay but it never really felt challenging at all. The songs just feel a bit bland and meld together.

What was it with rap albums and probably even albums in general in the 90s being 60 minutes long? So many of these albums are just full of filler to pad out the length to reach an hour length when they should have been 40 minutes. This one was too long and but it did feel chills. Definitely better than some of the other rap albums from the same era I've gotten.

I should have liked this a lot but I much prefer Rainbow which covers roughly the same sound but just rocked better. 3.5/5

Good stuff. Although I do get the sense after this album that once you hear a few reggae songs, you've heard all of them. Not that this is a bad thing, but it does get a little samey after a while.

Ahh the Red Hot Chili Peppers. A band that is so hard for me to judge. Some songs of theirs I love and other times I'm just like fuck off.

This is a tough one to rate. I absolutely love swing-era jazz and have danced countless hours to it. As jazz moved to other styles, it kinda lost me. I dig this album, but I have to be in a certain mood for it. Nonetheless, this album deserves its spot in history.

Middle of the road new wave. 2.5/5

It's really hard to give a Beatles album less than 5 stars. Of course it makes it hard to rank them since I love Rubber Soul, but it's maybe my 5th favourite album of theirs? I know every song without having to listen to it and hearing them again is always a treat.

I had heard of the Strokes but couldnt name a single song by them. Listening to the album I recognized one song. And then realised Id heard that song before in the previous track. And the next track. All the songs sounded identical like they found one thing and didnt bother trying anything new. A very one note album. 2.5/5

I only knew the title track and the reputation of Alice Cooper as a shock rocker but this was completely unexpected. A wide variety of music that was completely unexpected.

Love it. Afro-Cuban jazz is fantastic. This is what this list is all about.

Perfectly bland average middle of the road stuff. Never is bad but never really tries.

Why oh why did I wait so long to listen to this album? Growing up my father was always telling me I had to listen to this album and the whole story behind it but I never followed through. I should have earlier. I love Jarrett's piano playing here. To think it's all improvised. So fantastic.

Once again another 90s album that is way too long. I enjoy Tori Amos, but I felt like this dragged way too much in a lot of places.

Fun stuff. I need to explore him more. I know the Beatles really loved this guy. Also I learnt this is the source of that coconut song.

I read a bit about this album before listening to it and wasn't to impressed. However after listening to it, it just resonated with me a lot. I can't quite put my finger on it since I'm not a huge fan of this type of super sampled music (I got Endtroducing..... a while back and didn't like it) but this album seemed to avoid what I hate about the genre.

Not a rap guy and while I get Eminem is playing a character, I just can't stand the lyrics. It just hasn't aged very well in my view. 2.5/5

I'd never heard a single Rod Stewart song before listening to this album. It was perfectly middle of the road.

Really 90s alt-rock. Fun to listen to and each song is nice and short which is always a plus. 3.5/5

Never heard of any of these people. It felt quite epic. Good old fun.

I know of the tragic story of Syd Barrett so I had some trepidation listening to this album but honestly I didn't think it was too bad.

Perfectly bland middle of the road. 2.5/5

This album has two things I dislike: being a too long album in the 90s and lots of sampling. Just doesn't do it for me.

I've known the reputation of Brian Eno for making weird ambient music but this wasn't too bad. Definitely not a representation of what is to come.

I said on my other Pulp review that I hadn't explored much Pulp beyond Different Class. I really enjoy this album despite all the things I dislike about 90s music: too long albums and Britpop. Yet this album works for me. Maybe it's because it is anchored by the banger of a song with Common People.

I love this album. For four decades it was ABBA's swan song and it is fantastic. Such great tunes. When All Is Said And Done is my favourite ABBA song.

I try to approach each album with an open mind however this album has two things I absolutely detest: overly long 90s albums and nu-metal. I tried hard but this 100% is not music for me and is a complete struggle. The lyrics are just so pathetic and are meant for angsty teenagers. But I'm neither angsty or a teenager. I will never been listening to this again.

Ehhh it's fine. Really middle of the road stuff. Don't really remember much about it.

I do enjoy me some 80s new wave but this album just didn't click as much as the others. Still good even if the songs are a little long at points. 3.5/5

The 2nd ABBA album this week and I can't complain. I love their music and even when the songs aren't the best, they are still a joy to listen to.

I'd heard of the band but never a song so I wasn't sure what to expect. They were definitely ahead of their time since this reminds me of 90s alt rock but this was released in the 80s. Clearly they knew what was coming and anticipated it before everyone else. I will definitely be listening to this again. 4.5/5

One of my favourite albums of all time and my favourite Pink Floyd album. 45 minutes of great music.

Pretty run of the mill stuff. Sounds very 80s. Not too bad not too good. Album art looks like the cover of a bad 2000s YA novel.

My 2nd David Bowie album on this list and this one didn't connect as much with me. It's fine but it just didn't feel exceptional. Maybe I'm missing something with Bowie but I just haven't found that in yet.

Ehh.. it's fine I guess.

I'm a big swing-era jazz fan so I'm very familiar with many of these songs. This was a very interesting experiment. I think it worked sometimes and other times didn't. Can't stay I particularly enjoyed the country aesthetic to these jazz songs, but I applaud the effort.

Very Neil Young vibes. Doesn't surprise me since he was a member of the Byrds which weren't far away from Neil Young. Pretty middle of the road 70s stuff nonetheless. A few songs I liked but otherwise it does sound similar to other albums from that era.

The first album I got on this site was the first Joy Division album and almost 150 albums later I get their other album. In the time between my opinion on the band hasn't really changed. I think they are still quite mediocre and this album was perhaps worse than the first. I can't really remember anything about it after I just finished listening to it.

Never heard of this band before. Was quite nice mid-90s rock. Although once you've heard a few songs you've kinda heard them all.

I love the music on this and it's a really who's who of late 60s early 70s musicians. However the vocals are just bad. I've gotten a few Rod Stewart albums now and I've realised I just don't like his voice. He just doesn't have the power to really belt it out, which is required for these songs.

Never heard of this guy. Pretty chill vibes on this one. Not super amazing, but totally music I could relax to.

A great album and I'd love to give it a 5 but honestly, it's too damn long. So many great songs but it does start to get repetitive after a certain point. I feel like you could easily cut 20 minutes and still have the same experience. 4.5/5

This should 100% be right in my wheelhouse since I love this kinda music but this just wasn't scratching that itch. I found the album a little too long and a little too repetitive. 3.5/5

Ah Metallica. This is my third Metallica album and it's got a few songs I do know. Enter Sandman is just such a banger. The rest of the album isn't too bad either, but it does feel a bit repetitive. I'm struggling to remember anything other than the massive hits. 3.5/5

Good old fashioned hard blues rock. Like the other ZZ Top album I reviewed, there is some filler here but the rest is killer.

I've never really listened to Black Sabbath before and this was a great introduction to the band. I just love that late 60s early 70s blues rock sound. The guitar tones just tickle me in the right way. Yeah it's a lot of extended solos and guitar noodling, but I enjoy it. Gonna be putting this into the rotation for sure.

Enjoyed it. Nice and short and definitely dealt with topics very much ahead of the time.

I've only known Hole as being the band Courtney Love was in and had never heard a single song. I enjoyed it. A little repetitive and a little long, but I did enjoy that 90s alt rock feel. 3.5/5

Love it. Great old fashioned honky-tonk. Tons of fun.

I've known of this album for a long time but never given it a proper listen. I loved it. Taylor's voice is just fantastic and coupled with that lovely acoustic guitar playing. Such great stuff.

Ehh... pretty middle of the road 80s schlock. Not that great and sounds very dated. 2.5/5

Can't say I enjoy The Smiths. I find most of their music dull and uninteresting barring a few great songs. Definitely won't be listening to this again.

So this is my third Leonard Cohen album now and it's still just fine. I like it but don't love it. Obviously this album being recorded just before he died makes it interesting and his voice sounds actually really great and I quite like it. But again you kinda get the same sounding song repeated over and over again.

Love me some bossa nova. Such great stuff.

My standard rap disclaimer is that I'm not a rap person so I always listen with an ear from someone who doesn't listen to this genre regularly. I loved this. The beats felt fresh and the lyrics were great and Nas' flow was fantastic.

Enjoyed it! Loved the neo soul vibes. Although my only complaint is that it is a little too long and got repetitive. 4.5/5

Another day another long album. Like the other The Cure album I got, it's fine. Very bland middle of the road. Nothing exceptional except that's way too long. Seriously did the last 4 songs need to have a combined length of more than half an hour? Easily could have cut this album in half and gotten the same effect. 2.5/5

Ehh.. pretty middle of the road. Hard to really comment anything exceptional. Just pretty average music.

This is the first time I've ever listened to Prince and I think I may have heard a song by him here and there. Otherwise I just knew about him through popular culture. I liked it... but it's also too damn long. In recent days I've gotten so many albums that are great but just have too much filler. Easily could have cut down quite a bit from this album and achieve the same. Nonetheless it's quite fun and funky.

After a bunch of really long albums, it was nice to have some short easy listening rocky/popy songs. That's probably making me enjoy it a lot more since I don't think these are exceptional and just kinda straight forward covers of some good songs. 3.5/5

I saw another hour long album after so many in the last few days and thought god damn it. But this hit me in the right spot. I absolutely loved it. Heard the name but didn't know what to expect. This just scratched an itch that I absolutely love. Just some really great music and I'm going to explore the rest of the catalogue.

Ehh it's pretty generic pop RnB. You get the gist pretty much halfway through. Probably about 20 minutes too long. 2.5/5

I was hoping a lot more for this album given how good Al Green is for a singer. It just never soared when I thought it could. 3.5/5

I was lucky to see BB King live a few times near the end of his life. At this point he was quite old and couldn't really play as much as before but he still was able to make his guitar sing when he could. This album is a testament to his amazing blues guitar playing. 4.5/5

What can I say but I'm a sucker for this type of indie folk. I've always loved and it is just scratches an itch. Yeah there is a lot of similarity but I can't help it, I just eat this shit up.

Never heard of this band before and looking it up they sure are prolific. They have a very interesting sound and it sounds like they are inbetween the 80s and 90s. Really hard for me to decide but I enjoyed it enough. 3.5/5

I've never listened to Def Leppard before and this is my first exposure. If you asked me to name an 80s metal sound, this would be it. It just sounds so 80s. In short doses it is okay but 45 minutes is too much for me. 2.5/5

There is some good stuff on here, but the filler is pretty mediocre. Definitely could have cut a few tracks and it would have made for a better album.

Just two days ago I got my first Def Leppard album and now I get another. Once again, too long and just too bland. It's just boring forgettable 80s crap. 2.5/5

Like my Joy Division reviews, I found this also to be quite mediocre. Very bland, middle of the road and safe. It's not terrible music but it never goes beyond a certain point when it could.

Never heard of this band before, but I love me some Celtic inspired rock.

This reminded me a lot of British rock from the 60s/70s except missing the electric guitar. I also learnt that I had heard the singer before from The Battle from Evermore from Led Zeppelin IV which makes complete sense. After learning this I realised that this band reminds me a lot of Led Zeppelin but a folk version of them. Fun stuff. Also 2nd day in a row with the celtic inspired music.

This was an interesting listen. I have always been put off by the name of the band. I get what they are going for but it just didn't gel with me. Same with the title of the album. It's all part of it. Yet listening to the album, it was a mess and very hard to listen to, but yet there was something there. It had a certain charm that made it an interesting listen. Of course, I'll never been listening to this again, but that's the point of this list isn't it? 1.5/5

I have just accepted I do not find Radiohead all that interesting. I've tried to get into them and like the previous album I got on here, it's just boring. A good song here and there but otherwise nothing to phone home about. I did enjoy this more than The Bends.

Another band I'd heard the name of but never listened to. I loved it. I think today I realised that I absolutely love trip hop. Looking at the list on wikipedia a bunch of artists on there that I love: Moloko, Everything but the Girl, Goldfrapp, Gorillaz and now Portishead. I absolutely adored this and it will be added into my regular rotation. I will definitely be checking out their other albums.

I've known the name but never listened. This just sounded bland and very B-sidey. Just fine music but kinda long. Inoffensive stuff that I see no need to return to.

This is the most jazziest jazz I think I've heard. If you asked me to show someone what jazz sounded like, this would be it. I can't say I'm the biggest fan of this era of jazz and much prefer the swing era but it's fine. Bill Evans was an amazing pianist and this album does give chill vibes.

I love this album. I'm a swing dancer and have spent many hours listening to this and other works by Prima. Fantastic album and a brilliant mix of swing and jump blues.

I wasn't familiar with Elliot Smith's work before so I had no preconceived notion of what to expect. I did learn recently, however, that a favourite artist of mine, Phoebe Bridgers, was a huge fan. Knowing her music very well and listening to this I get it. I really enjoyed this album, although it could have been shorter to have a stronger impact since I felt it dragged a bit. Nonetheless, his music is interesting and definitely want to explore his discography a bit more.

I should liked this a lot more. The songs were short and fun but the vocals just didn't work for me.

Queen is my favourite band of all time. On my last.fm they are twice the number of my 2nd place artist. I could talk about every Queen album in detail for hours. I love this album. Of course the famous songs Bohemian Rhapsody and You're My Best Friend, but it's full of so much other great stuff. Brian May's contributions on this album are outstanding: '39, The Prophet's Song , and Good Company are brilliant and more people should know them. '39 is possibly my favourite Queen song, or at least in the top 3. This album is such an eclectic mix of songs it's always a joy to listen to.

I've never really got the hate that Coldplay gets. I've listened to a few songs from them here and there and it isn't bad. This was a fine album but definitely has a certain vibe that one has to be in the mood for. For me it would have been improved significantly if the songs were shorter since I find many go on a tad too long. 3.5/5

I love Ray Charles but this is a big miss for me. It probably sounded good at the time but 60 years onwards it just sounds quaint and old-fashioned.

I got into Goldfrapp last year and have gone through their entire catalogue once or twice since then. It was great to return to this album having become a lot more familiar with their music.

Standard rap disclaimer: not a rap person. This was fun and really great beats. The issues discussed didn't feel dated and more than 30 years later it felt as relevant today as it was back then. The production didn't feel dated either and it has aged really well.

I listen to lots of disco/funk outside of this challenge and this should be in my wheelhouse. Hancock is such a great pianist but this album just didn't do it for me.

This is a tough one because I can't find a complete version of the album anywhere and it made for a very disjointed experience. The songs were okay but a little all over the place for me. My rating would possibly be different if I could listen to the entire album in a single place.

I enjoy live albums and had heard songs from this here and there on other Thin Lizzy albums but it just doesn't do it for me. Also learning that there a lot of overdubs is quite disheartening. 2.5/5

It's fine but too god damn long. Did this need to be 75 minutes? You could have easily cut 30 minutes and made this a really great album. Instead it feels bloated by the 50 minute mark. It's interesting music for sure, but a lot of it could have been left on the cutting room floor without really changing the message. 2.5/5

This album is a reminder that I need to explore Fela Kuti so much more. I've listened to an album here or there but really need to dive deeper. This was fantastic.

I enjoy me some Paul Simon and had never heard this album before. It was... interesting? Knowing that Graceland comes next, which is such a great record, you can feel this is the step towards that at times. At other times it just is very 80s schlock... I mean he writes a song about allergies.

That was fun.

Never heard of this artist before, but this is the kinda music I'm really digging these days. Good vibes and great beats. Definitely will be checking out more from her.

I enjoyed this album, but it was mostly just background music. Harris' vocals are just nice and smooth and this was a perfect chill out and vibe album. 3.5/5

Never heard of the band before but I love it. Exactly the kind of music I love. Will be checking out the rest of the discography.

It was fine. Did sound a bit dated but I guess it was a step in the direction of where west coast rap was moving.

I only knew Brimful of Asha and love that song (although I love the fatboy slim remix more) so I was curious to see how the rest of the album played out. It was an interesting experience. It felt a bit disjointed to me and went through a variety of different genres and I love the Indian influence, but at the same time it felt bland. Something is missing here that would put this into a category which I would really enjoy. It just felt present. Like it always just stays in first gear or something. 2.5/5

I love me some country. This was a shock for me since I know the Byrds as a folk/rock band so I wasn't expecting this. I can't complain this really. I just love that country sound. 4.5/5

This is the perfection of hard rock. It's simple. It's loud. It fucking rocks.

First time line listening to this band and I dug it. However it does have that aspect of rock that I've kinda noticed has plagued many bands since the 70s that I just can't put my finger on but it just sounds off in places. Nonetheless, I enjoy many of the tracks and will definitely be checking out more. 4.5/5

I'd never heard of this band before and really liked it. Looking into it after listening, I found I was familiar with a lot of other artists on the 4AD label which explains why I really vibed with it. Very dream pop and will 100% be going through the other albums from this band.

I enjoy both Lorde and Antonoff. Any time I hear something I enjoy from new music from modern pop acts I think "did Antonoff produce this?" and many times I've been right and love it. Yet here... the magic is missing. I think another comment said it right: it's missing the bangers. This album feels 90% of the way there to being great, but it's just missing those one or two songs that, for me, take it to a 5/5.

I love this exact brand of music. Surprised I've never heard of this band before, although I am familiar with some of the names in the riot grrrrl movement but not this one. Absolutely will be checking them out. Also reminds me a ton of Neko Case's first band Maow.

Green Day is one of those bands that reminds me too much of my youth and my liking of them will always be judged through that. I remember American Idiot coming out in high school and I just never dug the pop-punk sound that was dominant at the time. Even though this album is from a decade earlier, it still reminds me of that pop punk sound from my youth that I, even after all this years, still have issues with. Still this isn't offensive and it is perfectly fine music with a few bangers here and there so I can't punish it too much. Plus it's short and doesn't overstay its welcome so that's always a huge plus for me.

Listening to this album I had this sense of I'd heard it before... and looking into my last.fm history I indeed had. I had completely forgotten I listened to this album a fair number of times almost a decade ago. It all came flooding back about how I loved this album and I'm not quite sure why it went out of rotation. This is great live blues rock jamming. The guitar tones just wail in a perfect way. Add in the extended jams and this what I want out of a live album.

I've been listening to this album for years now and it's always such a joy. Everyone knows Sweet Dreams, but there is a lot of other really great stuff on here (Jennifer, This is the House, Love is A Stranger). Really pure 80s perfection here.

This was a tough one... I liked some tracks but not others. Sometimes it was really easy to listen to other times I wanted to turn it off. I find shoegaze such an interesting genre and when the album was vibing I vibed. This might be another one to check out when I'm in a different mood.

Yet another band that I've slept on for reasons I don't know. This was a banger and now I have to dive deeper into their discography. A fantastic album from start to finish.

I only really know Stevie Wonder's really famous albums so this was a very nice pleasant surprise. Tells me I need to investigate his back catalogue a lot more since this went down easy.

Classic Chicago blues. Love it. Also during this set (but not on this album) he brought out some famous swing dancers (check out youtube). This is what I want in a live blues album. Top form from one of the all time greats.

Never heard of this band before this. Probably for good reason. It's just boring. Bland and boring and every song sounds similar. Completely forgettable. 2.5/5

Really, really 80s sounding synth-pop which I should love but I just couldn't get into it. 3.5/5

I've been a Swiftie for more than a decade now and have loved her evolution as an artist. 1989 represented a shift away from the country sounds from her earlier albums and was hinted at in Red. This is a direction I've absolutely loved as she matured as a songwriter. I love this album. The songs are absolute bangers and Style is a top 5 maybe top 3 favourite song of mine from her work. Yeah Shake It Off is silly and stupid, but she always has a few of those on her albums. Every time I relisten to songs from this album I discover some small new thing. Also, perhaps most important, I am the same age as Taylor so I really identify with her themes and topics that she explores in her songwriting. When this album came out, I could feel what she was going through in her life since I was going through similar things in my own life. I've always felt a very strong connection to her themes as she captures what it's like to be at that age.

The definition of bland to me. I didn't really find it all that interesting. Never seemed to go anywhere and always just felt present but not exceptional. 2.5/5

This is why I love this challenge. This is the kinda stuff I love listening to. I didn't really enjoy it, but I'm happy I listened to it since it's so outside my wheelhouse. It was a very interesting mix of genres that didn't feel very coherent. An experiment absolutely, but one that I don't think was a success. Too many things were tried to be done at once and it results in a confusing mess. But it was a really interesting listen to but I don't think I'll be returning to this. 2.5/5

What a fantastic and fun album. It sounded super modern and I can't believe this from 1969. Almost a 5/5 out from for me except for the last song which just I found couldn't justify its long length.

It was really interesting to read about the history behind this album and how it led to an attack on Kuti's commune. Still I liked it slightly less than the other Kuti albums I've listened to over the years (and on this challenge). Can't really say why but it just didn't click with me as much as the others.

I am not a big fan of Brian Eno or David Byrne and an experimental album full of samples was not something I was really looking forward to. And yet.. it kinda worked for me. Not by a huge amount but it wasn't as awful as I was expecting. It's albums like this that make me appreciate this challenge. There is no way I'd listen to this otherwise and I probably won't again, but I'm certainly happy I did.

A regret in my life is that I never saw The White Stripes live. I could have seen them a few times during their career but I never did. Obviously I can go see Jack White now but it isn't the same. Him and Meg were such a special union and it's a shame that Meg suffered so much from anxiety. The energy and music these two could make always impresses me and I'm always discovering something new I like about them even after 15 years. A fantastic album through and through.

What can one say? This has been a favourite of mine for some time now. It's crazy to think she was only 21 when this was recorded with so many absolute bangers. Many songs of this are in my regular rotation and it's a pleasure to listen to the album in full again since there are a few more songs I've forgotten about.

Some super funky and soulful jams. Love it.

I'd never heard of this guy (and yet he has the largest ever attended concert in history!?) and I always am sceptical of electronic music on this list, but this was okay. Not amazing, but not the worst thing. It has good production made for something in the 70s though. 3.5/5

I've written about how I'm not a rap guy on previous rap albums, but this is one of the few rap albums that I'd listened to a few times before this. I read that one of the members mentioned how at the time rappers were supposed to appear tough and how this album wasn't. I think that works a lot in its favour as it ages a lot better than that tough-guy rapper image which to me is very dated and part of my issue with a lot of the rap albums I've encountered on this list so far.

I'd never heard of this band before... I wish I had! I loved this. Short and catchy which satisfies that craving I have. Will be exploring the rest of their discography based on this.

I knew the opening song and that was it. I didn't really enjoy this album much. It felt musically very dated to me and just bland. 2.5/5

It's fucking Sgt. Pepper's. What the hell am I supposed to say. I've known these songs all my life and will continue to listen them for another 50+ years.

I feel like I should have enjoyed this a lot more. It's got a bunch of really interesting sounds, but yet something is missing for me. It's preventing me from really enjoying this album. 3.5/5

Uhh... I liked parts of it? Then it got fucking weird. I can enjoy weird but sometimes it goes in the direction of just fucking with you and I couldn't really stand that. It's certainly an experiment to say the least. I'm happy to have listened to it since I never would have but I don't think I'll be visiting this again.

Yawn. The worst criticism I can give an album is that it is boring. This album was boring.

It's fine. Pretty generic but not offensive. His voice is fantastic but the music is so bland that it doesn't really matter.

Belle and Sebastian is a band I should love, yet... I just don't care for them. I've tried to listen to their music and it just don't vibe. I like adjacent bands like Camera Obscura or The New Pornographers but B&S just don't vibe with me. Also they totally ripped off Queen for Funny Little Frog and I never seen this mentioned anywhere. 2.5/5

Ehhh it's fine. But sometimes I find with electronic music is that it ages poorly. Plus I listen to a lot of house and hear way better things all the time so I'm always quite negative to these types of albums.

Ehh it's fine. Got a kinda smooth quality that I don't like. But still it's Elvis so it isn't bad, but it doesn't impress me. 3.5/5

It's weird how these punk/new wave albums can be a complete hit and miss for me. Sometimes I absolutely love them, like I did with Wild Gift by X, which was released around the same time and is of very similar genre, but this I didn't find all that interesting. I can't explain it. Bizarre. It was fine, but a little bland for me.

This was blandest of the bland. Looking at some of the reviews here it seems like you had to be there to get this. Now 30 years later, it just sounds like one similar song and nothing very special. Could easy cut out about 20 minutes from this thing and lose absolutely nothing.

Well this was unexpected. I really dug these instrumental tracks and will enter my chill music to listen to at work playlist. This is the type of stuff the list is made for. I'd have never listened to this without it. A fantastic find and some really great tunes and musicianship.

Zappa is an artist I just have never listened to. I dunno why. I should listen to him since everything about him is what I like, but yet I never have. I think this was a fantastic entry into his - very extensive - discography.

As the follow-up to Rumours, Fleetwood Mac (well Lindsey Buckingham) wanted to create an album that didn't sound like Rumours. And boy does this album not sound like Rumours. And for me that's a big negative. Unlike the White Album, there just isn't enough there to make me really love this album. I don't particularly enjoy Buckingham's songs on this album and that really brings it down. Plus it's really long. As great as Fleetwood Mac is, they aren't as talented as The Beatles and can't full off this long length.

I enjoy some songs on this (although the 4 Way Street versions are wayyy better) but because I like many of the live versions, the album version pale in comparison.

Hell yeah. This is just good old fashioned country music. Loved it.

I've always heard that this is a definitive live album so my expectations were high. After listening to I wonder wtf the hype was about. This was bland and I've heard so many better live albums. 2.5/5

Ehhh... for such a lofty title it's got a lot of lifting to do although the title refers to the track that just lists rock and roll bands that are damned to hell (which is my favourite track). The problem I find with a lot of electronica / house / techno / EDM on this list is that since I am an active house dancer and club goer, I hear really fucking good EDM all the time which blows this crap outta the water. 2.5/5

I got another Zappa record a few days back and this is now my 2nd. In comparison.. this was an interesting experiment. I kinda dug the experimental nature, but it wore a little thin after a while. I think if the album cut out 15-20 minutes it'd be better since by about the 40 minute mark you kinda get the point and it gets a bit repetitive. Like you can be weird and experimental, but if you are just weird and experimental it loses the weird and experimental nature. It's about finding that line. 3.5/5

My first MJ. What a great start. I've danced to a bunch of these songs and really love the funky/disco beats. However the ballady stuff doesn't do anything for me and it does drag in the latter half. But still the highs are super high and make up for it.

It's fine, but this album just feels flat overall. Maybe it's the vocals just being a level below where they need to be. Just pretty forgettable 60s folk though. A curiosity but definitely not anything I'll need to listen to again since others did it better. 2.5/5

Another album I never would have listened to without this list. Saying that... it was bland. 2.5/5

Nice afrobeat by the son of the creator. Still it does get a little samey after a while since each song is so long you definitely felt a couple songs could be cute and not really lose anything. Nonetheless, the musicianship is fantastic.

I like me some Fats Domino but this album was lacking something. Maybe it needs to be heard loud on an old record player but it just didn't sound that great.

Well this was a pleasant surprise. Never heard of this artist before and it was fantastic. Reading about her I'm surprised the name doesn't ring a well since she was involved in the 60s British invasion. Definitely a great find.

If you've heard one Smiths song you've heard this entire album before. I'm not a huge Smiths fan and this guy really is one note in terms of music. Every song sounds the same and he can't seem to be diverse at all. But at least it's short and isn't offensive (unlike the man himself). Generic and bland. 2.5/5

Quite enjoyed it and I've learnt how to play funk guitar from the guitarist of this band (although he isn't on this one).

It's sad this album is no longer on Spotify since it's an absolute banger. Although I slightly prefer the live versions from 4 Way Street, this still absolutely rocks.

After getting a Morrissey album a few days back I get this. Of course, I got this on September 7th, 2022 but I didn't listen to it since I was travelling and what happens the next day? The actual Queen died. I saw it was given as an album for everyone the next day which is a fun little thing. As I wrote in my other Smiths review, I don't really care for this band, but relistening to this album after some time reminded me of all the songs of the Smiths I loved are on this album. So for that reason I enjoyed it a lot more.

I enjoy me some old fashioned country but I feel like I should have enjoyed this a lot more. I agree with a lot of the sentiments done by the other users written here. 2.5/5

Never heard of this guy before but it was quite soulful and funky. Not as funky as I like, but still a great listen.

I'd never heard of this group and started listening to it... then I found out this is the hiphop group that Michael Franti was in. I've seen Michael Franti live and had absolutely no idea he did this before his current projects. His music has definitely changed but his politics hasn't. It was an interesting listen but a little to on the nose for me.

I wrote last time that Lou Reed is very hit or miss for me. This album is the hit. So much great stuff here and Lou Reed at his finest.

I saw another Tom Waits album and was dreading the inevitable. I hated his first album as it was unlistenable. This one was way, way better. His voice was actually bearable and the music was listenable. It actually worked together as an album.

It's perfectly average middle of the road. Once you've heard one song, you've heard it all. 2.5/5

I enjoy Joni Mitchell and had heard this album had a huge influence on a lot of people. Unfortunately I don't quite get why. She is a super talented songwriter, but the music itself is pretty generic jazzy stylings and didn't strike me as all that inspired. I should like the jazz but it just didn't do anything for me. It sounded like a rock person trying to do jazz and not quite understanding what makes jazz jazz.

The 2nd Sly & The Family Stone album and this was a huge improvement over the other one (which is the follow-up to this record). Obviously in the follow-up they moved away from this sound, but this is the sound I love a lot. Super funky and just a blast.

Fuck yeah Fioana Apple. Love her and love this album.

This is now my third Brian Eno album and I just don't get it. This is pretty bland bad shit. It's not interesting and it's so boring musically.

It's fine. I can't stand I'm the biggest fan but I can't say I hate it. It's just present. Nothing wrong with that but this far into the list I'm starting to feel like I've heard this type of album a few times now.

Ehh it's pretty bland generic rock. Completely forgettable.

Ahh two things I really hate: britpop and long albums. Did this need to be 75 minutes for a bland mix of similar sounding songs? Besides the opening track which I'd heard around before, the rest sounded identical and I'm hard pressed to remember the difference between the tracks. And seriously 75 fucking minutes of this shit? Cut out half of it and maybe I'll enjoy it little more.

It was okay. Maybe I wasn't in a great mood but I thought it was just average.

Good stuff. I am a sucker for this kinda indie rock so of course I'll like it. Although it's great it doesn't soar as some of the other indie rock albums I love. Still a great listen. 4.5/5

Fuck yeah.

A couple of days ago I got another Verve album and I could not, for the life of me, distinguish them. Same complaints I have: long and boring britpop from the 90s. Seriously after listening to these two albums this band has like 1 song they've rewritten over and over again. I dunno why both of these albums needed to be here when clearly they are the same fucking album. 1.5/5

The 3rd of 4 (FOUR!!!) Steely Dan albums. This is the one I knew about the most and it's the one I actually enjoy. It's varied enough compared to the other albums it felt like they were actually taking risks before they became bland.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd5x9WEqGvM 3.5/5

Sounds really modern for being made in the late 70s. It's clear to see why Kraftwerk were so influential and this must have been a trip in the 70s.

Ehh it's fine. Clapton has better songs but these were just fine middle of the road old British blues.

Well this was interesting. I can't say I enjoyed it but I can't say I hated it, but at the end it's quite forgettable and more of a curiosity than anything. 2.5/5

It almost feels sacrilegious to not rate this 5 stars, yet... it just didn't feel as solid as other albums I love. The music is great and the guitar work is good, but it just lacks something. Compared with the other Hendrix album this just didn't speak to me. It's still good but I don't expect to be returning to it any time soon.

Some really great old school hiphop. I'm not a huge rap person but this kinda old school stuff speaks to me a lot more than a lot of the more modern stuff on here. It's kinda goofy but really fun.

It's perfectly acceptable middle of the road stuff. Only remarkable thing about this would be that around this time Mott the Hoople was touring with an opening act called Queen who would very quickly eclipse them in every aspect.

It's always a pleasurable day when I listen to Janelle Monae. I absolutely love her work and this debut album is only a taste of what is to come. It's just great fantastic music and if you liked this, check out the follow-up albums. They take this concept and get even better. Absolutely fucking banger and sounds so fresh.

The fourth and final Steely Dan album I'll get. Thank god. It's just bland shit. Like the other albums, this is just boring dad rock. Nothing special. They never tried to make their music interesting after the first album. It's just boring and unexceptional. They didn't need to be on this list four fucking times. One was sufficient.

Pretty good stuff although the songs are quite short and there is a lot of stage banter. I love stage banter but when the songs are so short it's a little bit too much banter. Nonetheless, Cash's voice really shines here and I thoroughly enjoyed the crowd reactions.

Never heard of this guy before. It was slick and 90s sounding production. Nothing to write home about. Pretty middle of the road. Completely forgettable.

Queen is my favourite band. I know every album and every song so it's going to be hard to say anything negative about them, especially for the Queen albums on this list since they are my favourites. I love Queen II since it improves significantly on the debut album and still has Queen in their prog-rocky/fantasy phase which disappears for the most part after this album. So much great stuff on this album but I have to say The March of the Black Queen is just such a fucking banger track and I wish Queen played more songs from this era later in their career since it was completely different from what came later.

In theory I should like this since it's trip-hop electronica, a genre I enjoy... but yet it's Madonna's version of it... and it's not great. Compared with other bands like Goldfrapp, Portishead or Moloko, this just isn't that great. It's passable but the ground has been trodden by better artists. 2.5/5

This was just a perfect pleasant discovery. I love my some singer-songwriter with fantastic finger-picking. It hits right in that sweet spot of relaxing music. A great discovery and what this list is great since I'd never have heard of this guy otherwise.

This is a tough one. I'm not a huge fan of the 90s era music and this one reeks of 90s production, but I understand how influential this album was and how well selling it was but it just sounds too aged for me. Plus it's overly long. There are some good songs on here but like so many albums from the 90s, it's 15 minutes too long. 3.5/5

Ehh.. I don't hate it but I don't love it. Like the other RHCP album, it's fine. The good songs are good the bad songs are bad. The album is quite one note and too long and by the 10th song they clearly ran out of ideas. Besides Californication I've already forgotten all the songs. At least it isn't offensively bad like some other albums.

Interesting listen. I'd heard the name of the band before but wasn't familiar with their music. It was interesting, pretty inoffensive stuff. Could be put on the background and let it fade. Nothing really stood out for me. Perfectly bland middle ground.

I feel like I should have enjoyed this more. It's listed as indie music and although it's 90s (my least enjoyed decade) I do like indie stuff from every era. Yet this felt very disorienting. It couldn't really decide what it wanted to be and as a result didn't feel cohesive. Also the lofi quality just didn't work.

I really enjoy Springsteen, especially his early stuff, and this album is fantastic. Knowing the history about how important this album was to his career makes it hit even harder. Of course, the live versions of these songs is always better since they become live epics (like Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out becoming 20+ minutes). A near perfect album and just fun to blast while driving down the highway.

I try and approach every album with an open mind and let the music speak for itself and avoid the misgivings of the artist in rating the music. Nope. This was torture and an absolute struggle. Like the other 1 star albums I have on this list, it has all the things I dislike: bad vocals, metal, stupid fucking lyrics, way too long, being from the 90s. It doesn't surprise me I hated this album since Trent Reznor is on it and I really do not care for NIN. Plus the whole thing with these artists in trying to be shocking or deep or some shit like that. Seriously it's so lame. Named after serial killers? I'm offended at how pathetic that is. It's very edgelord.

It's the same song over and over again. Fortunately it's short 30 minutes so you don't have to listen to it very long. But damn is Blitzkrieg Bop a fucking bop. Kinda goes downhill after that.

The third Smiths album on this list and thank god this shit is done and over with. I've concluded I just do not care for this band. They write the same damn song over and over again and Morrissey's singing never changes. Once you've heard a couple of songs you've heard them all. For such an acclaimed band I was hoping that maybe they had variety but they found one thing and did it pretty mediocrely. Only thing I don't look forward to is there are 3 more Morrissey albums. Seriously why do people fellate this group and members so much? They are one trick pony. I would give it two stars but Girlfriend in a Coma is a great Douglas Coupland book so that's a plus in my book. 2.5/5

I made sure to come with an open mind for this album since it came out when I was young and I didn't care for Britney Spears. Listening to it in 2022, it really starts off with a bang, before really becoming the same thing. Very front loaded and the rest of the stuff after the first couple of songs is disposable and forgettable. Better work was done by people like Max Martin later. The first couple of songs are bangers though. 2.5/5

I've never actually listened to a Rolling Stones album in full. This is a band that I've just never been a huge fan of in general for reasons I can't explain. I knew the hits off this album but the non-hits didn't do anything for me. It's still good music, but it just doesn't excite me much in any way.

Never heard of this band and I really dug the guitar work. Unfortunately the singer is just way too weak to lead this kind of band. His voice just wasn't powerful enough and it showed. 2.5/5

I'm ashamed to say that I'd never listened to this album in full before. I knew the hits, but I hadn't listened to it the full way through. I regret not doing it earlier. This was fantastic and lots of great stuff has been added into the rotation. Debbie Harry's voice shines throughout and the riffs just hit me in the right way.

I've heard of this band before because it was the band that Brian Eno was in. I don't particularly enjoy Eno's solo work (gotten 3 albums so far) so I went into this with a lot of trepidation. It wasn't too bad. I didn't overtly hate it but I didn't love it. The album opens with a banger but goes down hill after that.

Reading the reviews for this, I was expecting worse but it wasn't that bad. Nothing super special, but the reviews make it seem a lot worse than it is. There are much, much worse versions of this type of music. Saying that, it doesn't do anything for me. 2.5/5

This is my 2nd Sonic Youth album and I did not enjoy it as much as the first. Too long and not that interesting to me musically. Definitely could have been half the length and had more impact on me. 2.5/5

Never heard of this band before. Surprised since they aren't terrible, but definitely aren't amazing. I agree with a lot of the other comments about the comparisons to the Beatles. I'd say this is an interesting historical curiosity that deserves a listen since it is considered the first rock opera, but beyond that better musicians did the concept better.

REM is another band that I've never really been into and I just knew the hits. I dunno why I've never gotten into them, but they have this sound that represents a certain era of time that I can't always grok. Also all my knowledge comes of this band comes from R U Talkin' REM RE: ME.

I said in my other Randy Newman review, but I get why Disney hired this guy. His is the template of Pixar movies so this album, unsurprisingly, sounds like that. It isn't bad, it's comforting, but it isn't exceptional. 3.5/5

First time listening to Tom Petty and his band and this wasn't a great showing. It's perfectly bland middle of the road stuff. Never tries too hard and never fails, just bland. Middling stuff. Can't say it's horrible but just blah.

I knew Queen Latifah had a rap career before her career as an actor but had no idea what it was like. This wasn't bad. It's very dated in the sound, but it's a sound I like. Plus it has really relevant lyrics and I'm sure a female voice at the time was a good thing in a very male-dominated music.

This is the most Elvis sounding Elvis album I've heard. You can really how those early 60s British artists were ripping this off (which Elvis was ripping off from black artists). The harmonies are also super tight and sound fantastic.

Pretty run of the mill hiphop. Not much more to say beyond that.

Fantastic folk from the beginning of the 60s. It's easy to see where a lot of the singers who came after Baez took their inspiration from.

Problem with this type of music for me is that I go to clubs and dances where this genre of music is played a lot and I hear the top artists making it. This is fine but I've heard better. Sufficient music to throw in the background to do other tasks.

Never heard of this band before and the title was intriguing. This definitely is an interesting album but it really reeks of its age. It's pretty dull.

It's okay. I enjoyed some of the funk but definitely could have been funkier. 3.5/5

What a fantastic album. Unfortunately I don't think it's as good as the later stuff in their careers and there are some clunkers on here, but it's definitely a sign of things to come.

Again with these electronic albums, I live in the techno capital of the world so my baseline for good techno (a genre I don't particularly enjoy) is very high. This was fine. Nothing special and overly long. You get the gist of it after a few songs (which is my complain about all techno... I guess you need to be on drugs to enjoy it) 2.5/5

Great classic rock. I much prefer Blackmore's Rainbow over his Deep Purple stuff so this isn't as great as his other work. Still good stuff and of course, Smoke on the Water is a killer.

The third Elvis Costello album I've gotten now and like I said last time... why does this dude have so many albums on the list? This was by far the worst of the 3 I've heard so far. It's long and dull.

The problem with an album like this is that the opening track is so perfect that anything that comes after it pales in comparison. Respect is such a fucking amazing song that everything else just feels second rate after it.

Fun stuff. Not super complicated and each song is nice and short. Good fun.

The same song written 12 times. 2.5/5

Fun stuff. Only really listened to a few songs from this band but the whole album was a joy to listen to.

This is now the 4th (I think) album I've gotten that features Rod Stewart and it confirms my opinion of him. He just isn't that great of a vocalist. Technically he is sound, but he just doesn't have a powerful voice that is needed for these tunes. For example, on the 2nd track of the album It's All Over Now, his vocals just sound out of place on this. He should be belting out those lyrics but he doesn't and it suffers.

I should have liked this album. I like the first two Arcade Fire albums and I never really explored their discography after that. This just felt so long. Maybe I need to let it grown on me but I did not like this. 2.5/5

I'd listened to this album a few times, but mostly forgot the songs except Superstition. It's just another fucking amazing song it makes everything else on the list sound like crap. The other songs are fine, but pretty forgettable, but god damn is Superstition an amazing song.

Ehhh it was okay. Definitely different but wasn't as catchy as I was expecting from them. I know the 2nd album a little better and this wasn't as good as that.

Right... more Steely Dan. This was bland. Perfect background music for a restaurant or elevator or something. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great either. 2.5/5

First Radiohead album I actually enjoyed. It didn't all sound similar and the songs were more varied and sounded good.

This was unexpected as I had never heard of this band and didn't know what genre it would be. I loved the guitars but the vocals weren't completely up to snuff. The production also really sounded modern. Definitely will be adding some of these songs into my rotation since I enjoy me some old blues rock.

I'm a huge swiftie so I'm familiar with Musgraves, but I'd never actually had a reason to listen to her. I know people have tried to make up beef between these two (which I don't get) but I understand why. This album is very early Taylor before she went much more pop / indie. And I love it. I'm a sucker for stuff. Great country with pop infusion. Need to dig into her discography more.

I didn't know what to expect from this album and I was presently surprised. Couldn't say I was a huge fan of the 10 minute long dirge. It was interesting, but a huge shifting of gears.

This is what this list should be about. How else am I going to encounter Malian dessert blues? (Although I think I've seen this group on the NPR tiny desks concert list) I agree with the other sentiments here about how the language barrier is a bit tough. Normally that isn't a problem, but given the history of this band and the ongoing war, it's a shame I don't quite know what they are saying.

The 3rd (of 9!) Bowie album I've gotten and this is the first one that's really connected with me. It was really great and it sounded fresh to me. Maybe this is finally the entry into Bowie's catalogue I've been looking for.

Never of this artist before. Reading about it, it's another one that should be in my wheelhouse since it's indie folk but it was just long and bland. What a shame since it felt like it could have been amazing. 2.5/5

It's fine. Not really my musical style. Very old school. Not really a fan of the rap rock though.

Pretty average 90s alt-rock. Nothing special and some okay guitar work, but it does sound samey in the end. Nothing remarkable and at least it isn't 60 minutes long.

It's like if the Chilli Peppers didn't suck. Maybe I don't hate this genre as much as I thought if it was done by actually interesting people. 3.5/5

I'd only ever listened to the opening track before and was only familiar with the general character of Björk from impressions of her. This was great. I definitely have to dive deeper into her material. I know she just released a new album a few months back that has been on a couple of best ofs this year.

Hmm... I dunno where I stand on this. I love indie rock and I liked this album, but it didn't get its hooks into me as some other indie stuff. I think it'll grow on me over time. 4.5/5

Fine. Nothing special. Middle of the road. Not long which helped it a lot.