999
Albums Rated
3.33
Average Rating
92%
Complete
90 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1950s
Favorite Decade
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Favorite Genre
US
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Rater Style ?
146
5-Star Albums
65
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Two Dancers
Wild Beasts
|
5 | 2.75 | +2.25 |
|
Happy Trails
Quicksilver Messenger Service
|
5 | 2.8 | +2.2 |
|
Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge
Mudhoney
|
5 | 2.84 | +2.16 |
|
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
Raekwon
|
5 | 2.86 | +2.14 |
|
Gentlemen
The Afghan Whigs
|
5 | 2.9 | +2.1 |
|
Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes
TV On The Radio
|
5 | 2.94 | +2.06 |
|
Sunshine Hit Me
The Bees
|
5 | 2.99 | +2.01 |
|
The Who Sell Out
The Who
|
5 | 3 | +2 |
|
Get Rich Or Die Tryin'
50 Cent
|
5 | 3.05 | +1.95 |
|
Bandwagonesque
Teenage Fanclub
|
5 | 3.05 | +1.95 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Hybrid Theory
Linkin Park
|
1 | 3.39 | -2.39 |
|
Music for the Masses
Depeche Mode
|
1 | 3.38 | -2.38 |
|
25
Adele
|
1 | 3.36 | -2.36 |
|
The Downward Spiral
Nine Inch Nails
|
1 | 3.35 | -2.35 |
|
Cross
Justice
|
1 | 3.27 | -2.27 |
|
System Of A Down
System Of A Down
|
1 | 3.26 | -2.26 |
|
Being There
Wilco
|
1 | 3.23 | -2.23 |
|
The Boatman's Call
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
|
1 | 3.2 | -2.2 |
|
Exit Planet Dust
The Chemical Brothers
|
1 | 3.16 | -2.16 |
|
Trans Europe Express
Kraftwerk
|
1 | 3.15 | -2.15 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Beatles | 7 | 5 |
| Bob Dylan | 7 | 4.43 |
| Michael Jackson | 3 | 5 |
| Nirvana | 3 | 5 |
| Radiohead | 6 | 4.33 |
| R.E.M. | 4 | 4.5 |
| The Kinks | 4 | 4.5 |
| The Beach Boys | 3 | 4.67 |
| Elvis Presley | 3 | 4.67 |
| Oasis | 2 | 5 |
| A Tribe Called Quest | 2 | 5 |
| Coldplay | 2 | 5 |
| Elliott Smith | 2 | 5 |
| Supergrass | 2 | 5 |
| Aretha Franklin | 2 | 5 |
| The Smashing Pumpkins | 2 | 5 |
| Led Zeppelin | 4 | 4.25 |
| The Rolling Stones | 6 | 4 |
| Frank Sinatra | 3 | 4.33 |
| Simon & Garfunkel | 3 | 4.33 |
| Nick Drake | 3 | 4.33 |
| Beck | 3 | 4.33 |
| Marvin Gaye | 3 | 4.33 |
| The White Stripes | 3 | 4.33 |
| Jimi Hendrix | 3 | 4.33 |
| The Who | 5 | 4 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Sepultura | 2 | 1 |
| Slipknot | 2 | 1 |
| The Chemical Brothers | 2 | 1 |
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 5 | 1.8 |
| Kraftwerk | 3 | 1.67 |
| Bruce Springsteen | 5 | 2 |
| Orbital | 2 | 1.5 |
| Adele | 2 | 1.5 |
| Bee Gees | 2 | 1.5 |
| M.I.A. | 2 | 1.5 |
| Emmylou Harris | 2 | 1.5 |
| Madonna | 3 | 2 |
| Morrissey | 4 | 2.25 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Kanye West | 2, 5 |
| The Byrds | 4, 1, 5, 3, 4 |
| Pixies | 4, 2, 5 |
| Miles Davis | 5, 5, 4, 2 |
| Sonic Youth | 5, 2, 3, 5, 4 |
5-Star Albums (146)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
It’s pretty good but I feel like the intense popularity of this album has more to do with when it came out than it’s quality.
21 likes
Janet Jackson
2/5
I feel like her music really only belongs in the time it was created. It sounds out of place now
8 likes
The Mars Volta
3/5
I dig the music and the lyrics, but I really don’t like this guy’s voice
7 likes
Quicksilver Messenger Service
5/5
This album shouldn’t work as well as it does. I feel like if you asked anyone if they want to listen to a half hour rendition of Who Do You Love they would say no. But if you just put this album on without any context they’d think it kicks ass
5 likes
1-Star Albums (65)
All Ratings
Blur
3/5
First half of the album was good, tapered off in the back half
Solid classic rock throughout
Tom Waits
2/5
Interesting experiment but not something I would listen to regularly
Sufjan Stevens
3/5
Pleasant enough I guess but way too long
Tricky
2/5
A little too experimental and long for my tastes
Stevie Wonder
3/5
Can’t deny the quality of work that went into it and the influence it has had. But on a listening level I found the beginning of the album a little unenjoyable. I found the back half sounded better to my ear
Fugazi
4/5
Really good punk!
Frank Sinatra
3/5
A nice chill listen, but while I love Sinatra I’m not sure he was suited to this style of music. It’s still good, but it’s no Getz/Gilberto
Tangerine Dream
2/5
I’m sure this is a seminal album in the genre and pioneered new techniques, but if you don’t enjoy soundscapes you won’t enjoy this.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
3/5
Classic Chili Peppers. I like the harder funk style of BSSM better, but this is a close second
New Order
4/5
It just doesn’t get more 80s!
Adam & The Ants
3/5
I can see why it was exciting at the time, but it sounds pretty generic now.
The Charlatans
4/5
Aww yeah pour that BritPop on me!
Stevie Wonder
4/5
A true classic
Otis Redding
5/5
It doesn’t get more classic soul than this.
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Love these songs and this band in general, but they do NOT know how to end a song
Jungle Brothers
4/5
True classic hip hop in the vein of Earth, Wind, and Fire or Grandmaster Flash
Kendrick Lamar
3/5
I’ve struggled with this album in the past, but I’m glad I gave it another try. It paints a consistent picture of Compton and has strong lyrics. Musically I don’t enjoy it as much as some other hip hop.
Skunk Anansie
2/5
Not to my taste
The Band
4/5
Just some old-fashioned rock and roll. Love it
System Of A Down
1/5
Nope
Bad Brains
3/5
A fusion of a few genres, mostly hardcore punk and metal. Not bad
R.E.M.
4/5
REM is obviously iconic. This album was really good, and interestingly it felt more understated and consistent than their other ones. There were no standout tracks like their big singles later on, but that kind of made the album as a whole more listenable.
Mariah Carey
2/5
I appreciate her place in music, but I just don’t like divas
Elastica
3/5
Not the best of the 90s, but it’s still 90s so you can’t go too wrong.
Queen
4/5
So much more here than just Bohemian Rhapsody! What a great album.
Air
5/5
Love those chill vibes
Stan Getz
4/5
It’s not the incredible masterpiece that is Getz/Gilberto, but it’s still a great album
Queens of the Stone Age
3/5
Not as incredible as Songs for the Deaf, but you can hear where they are headed on this one
Talvin Singh
2/5
Not very interested in instrumental music
Judas Priest
4/5
I mean you can’t go wrong with Judas Priest, but why not listen to Screaming for Vengeance instead? It’s better pretty much throughout
Black Flag
3/5
Hardcore punk classic and fun to rage out with
Tom Waits
1/5
Some weird shit
Taylor Swift
3/5
It’s fine. I enjoyed the first half more than I expected, but it began to drag after that. Would rather listen to 1984
Kelela
2/5
It was fine
Michael Jackson
5/5
This deserves all the praise it gets
Sonic Youth
5/5
Really good album
Bob Marley & The Wailers
4/5
Classic reggae. The back half of the album is where all the famous tracks are.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
The melancholy, the rock sound infused with the tiniest bit of country, Young’s distinctive voice. It’s a solid album, but the guitar solos feel a bit indulgent.
The Black Crowes
3/5
It’s fine I guess. Was new at the time, now sounds a little generic.
The Kinks
5/5
Love that jangly guitar. These guys are right up there with th Beatles, the Hollies, the Zombies, etc. Love it!
Donald Fagen
2/5
I was initially excited for some jazzy pop, but unfortunately it’s not the good jazzy. It’s the bad 80s smooth jazzy. Pass
Amy Winehouse
5/5
She made an instant classic with those soul sounds and sultry voice.
5/5
How did an album with this many bangers get made?!
The Velvet Underground
3/5
Makes sense that this would be hugely influential, but I don’t know that I’d put it on to listen regularly.
Jazmine Sullivan
3/5
Unusual to hear a concept R&B album. It was pretty good, but probably not something I’ll come back to.
Morrissey
2/5
I’ve just never been able to get into Morrissey’s smarmy voice and slow burn songs.
Janis Joplin
4/5
Can’t go wrong with Janis Joplin. I like her work with Big Brother and the Holding Company better, but this is solid
Kate Bush
2/5
It’s not bad, but overall kind of meh
Hawkwind
1/5
Way too long for some unremarkable 70s stoner rock
Napalm Death
1/5
I’m just not interested in metal
The Jesus And Mary Chain
3/5
I love that this probably made no sense when it was released. Got those distinctive 80s vocals with shoegaze-style distortion sounds. Pretty good, but I do kind of like the listenability of Darklands better.
The Temptations
4/5
A true classic
3/5
Bowie is one of those where I see the influence he has but just don’t particularly enjoy him
Rage Against The Machine
5/5
Fuck you I won’t do what you tell me
Stevie Wonder
2/5
It’s okay, but not really what I’m looking for
The Undertones
5/5
This is one of the reasons I come to this site! An amazing band I’ve never heard of, becoming something I want to listen to repeatedly
Buena Vista Social Club
5/5
This album was such a revelation
Electric Light Orchestra
4/5
Chill vibes, pretty fun. But did it need to be a double album?
DJ Shadow
4/5
Chillhop before it was cool
Fleetwood Mac
2/5
Seemed just kind of generic in this day and age
I’ve never liked U2 and this album didn’t really change that situation
Patti Smith
3/5
I can see how this influenced a lot of music, but it just wasn’t listenable enough for me to come back to in the future
Iron Maiden
4/5
This kind of early metal is the only good metal
Jorge Ben Jor
4/5
This album is a lot of fun
Simple Minds
3/5
Forgettable 80s pop
Arctic Monkeys
3/5
It’s pretty good but I feel like the intense popularity of this album has more to do with when it came out than it’s quality.
Kanye West
2/5
The least listenable Kanye album. It shows genius, but I won’t be listening to it again
Radiohead
5/5
An immense, powerful classic!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4/5
They don’t love you like I love you
Super Furry Animals
3/5
Not bad, an eclectic mix that handles itself well but isn’t mind blowing
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
2/5
Meh
Eagles
4/5
A classic. Trails off a little there at the end, but still a good album
Butthole Surfers
2/5
Ah back when being young and angry was all you needed to have a band
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Reggae is always pretty listenable, but it never really grabs me
Laibach
1/5
Well that was awful
Leftfield
1/5
Just kind of annoying
Dexys Midnight Runners
4/5
Fun, but I see why they were one hit wonders in the States
Orange Juice
2/5
Started strong with the title track, but they lost me in the back half with the 80s sax
Hookworms
3/5
Not bad!
Joy Division
2/5
It was ok I guess, not really my thing
Miriam Makeba
3/5
Gorgeous Nina Simone-esque voice and it’s really cool to see how Africa pop was introduced to the US. I probably won’t listen if it regularly, but it was very interesting
The Electric Prunes
3/5
Solid old school psychedelic and blues rock
TLC
3/5
The really well known songs do a lot of the heavy lifting on this album. It rates well overall, but mostly because of them
Astor Piazzolla
3/5
Verra pleasant
The Soft Boys
4/5
Randy Newman
1/5
Boring af
Scott Walker
2/5
Kind of weird, didn’t wow me
Pink Floyd
2/5
Since it’s their first album I get that it was groundbreaking, but this is far from the best Pink Floyd
The Smiths
4/5
Pretty solid Smiths album. Great if you like the Smiths, not if you don’t.
The Crusaders
3/5
There’s a definite groove here, but it’s better background than it is sit and listen music
Fela Kuti
3/5
Not bad
Björk
2/5
Too experimental for me
Orbital
2/5
Just a load of uninteresting blips and bloops
CHIC
3/5
Some fun disco, I’m just not in the mood for disco often
Alanis Morissette
4/5
You oughtta know
Missy Elliott
4/5
Really solid album
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
So good
Neil Young
4/5
Great!
David Bowie
3/5
Still just can’t get past lukewarm on Bowie.
SAULT
3/5
A valuable, but pretty uneven listening experience
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Very much in the tradition of Simon and Garfunkel or Bob Dylan. But unfortunately there isn’t a lot of variety in his sound on this album, so I like it less than those other artists
The The
4/5
Enjoyed this more than I expected
Elvis Costello
2/5
I’ve tried with Elvis Costello a few times now but I just can’t get into his music. His melodies are just too jumpy and disjointed for me
The United States Of America
2/5
They almost made some really good music
Beth Orton
2/5
Not really a fan, feels like this style got played out in the 90s
Robbie Williams
3/5
I was close to loving this album but there’s something just not quite right about it
Suede
3/5
A little smarmy but ok
Adele
1/5
God damn that was dull
Deerhunter
4/5
Solid indie rock album with some interesting use of unusual sounds
Blur
4/5
A classic, but not all of it holds up. The singles still carry the whole thing though
Fishbone
4/5
RHCP out- Fishbone’d Fishbone, but they’re still fun to listen to occasionally
William Orbit
1/5
Just straight boring
Thin Lizzy
3/5
The epitome of 70s hard rock, so you already know if you love it or not
Sepultura
1/5
Metal 🤷
Janelle Monáe
3/5
Beautiful voice and creative music, but it suffers from the same problem all concept albums have. You have to buy into the concept in order to reconcile the sometimes wild shifts in style and feel. I had to take a couple points off for that
Nirvana
5/5
An absolute classic that will always rock
Nas
4/5
A classic but not my favorite type of hip hop
Venom
1/5
Metal 🤷
Spiritualized
3/5
Pretty decent space rock. Album starts off strong but gets a bit unremarkable about halfway through
Aerosmith
4/5
There’s a reason these guys got as big as they did
Herbie Hancock
3/5
First half is great, real funky. Second half doesn’t have quite the same charm
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
3/5
A new one to me. Nothing really grabbed me, but it was good overall
George Michael
3/5
Solid ballads
Nirvana
5/5
Crazy good album, just unreal
Public Enemy
4/5
Standard old school hip hop
Radiohead
4/5
A little experimental in the middle but less so than some other Radiohead albums. I’d rate it second best of their stuff.
Happy Mondays
3/5
Late 80s sound in the early 90s
Joni Mitchell
3/5
This is the female singer-songwriter album. If you like that you’ll love this
The Zombies
5/5
An incredible classic start to finish
The Style Council
3/5
First half was great jazz, second half was old school hip hop and new wave 80s pop. Both good, but the transition is very abrupt.
David Bowie
3/5
King Crimson
2/5
John Grant
4/5
Paul Weller
4/5
This was great
Les Rythmes Digitales
2/5
I’m sure it’s great if you like electronic music
Digital Underground
3/5
Old school hip hop, gets pretty goofy at times
New Order
3/5
Fine enough I suppose
The Who
4/5
Surprised to see this album of theirs - maybe Who’s Next is in the list too. Anyway, at this point they were mostly straightforward blues rock. My Generation is where you can see flashes of the brilliance they would get to. Still a strong album though.
The Velvet Underground
4/5
The Velvet Underground but not nearly so experimental. Some really nice ballads and classics on here
Cyndi Lauper
3/5
It’s so intensely 80s and the singles are so well known it’s hard to hear them as anything but your own preconceptions.
The Avalanches
4/5
While Wildflowers is definitely the better album, this one really showed what you could do with sampled music and set the stage for the future. And it’s still very listenable
Solomon Burke
4/5
So classic, so good
Van Morrison
3/5
Lacks the genius singles of some of his other albums, but is overall a decent Van Morrison listening experience
Weather Report
2/5
Not into this late stage jazz. Give me bebop or nothing at all
Meat Loaf
2/5
Too overwrought for my tastes
The Kinks
5/5
Absolutely classic, if you haven’t heard this you’ve been missing out
Talking Heads
3/5
The Talking Heads as they started to get their trademark sound down. In general it’s a fine album but lacks standout tracks
Slayer
1/5
I just consistently can’t stand metal
Neil Young
4/5
Heavily blues based, which is great. I could have done without some of the country touches, but I know most love that. Solid album all the way around
D'Angelo
4/5
Solid R&B
Jimmy Smith
5/5
What a great album! The organ gives it an extra R&B layer that works really well
The Youngbloods
4/5
Did not expect to like this as much as I did
Destiny's Child
4/5
An R&B classic
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
3/5
Better than I expected it to be. Maybe a little too experimental at times, but nothing ever really turned me off
Guns N' Roses
3/5
Mj Cole
1/5
Electronic garbage
Afrika Bambaataa
2/5
More of an inspiration for better music than something I enjoyed for itself
Ella Fitzgerald
5/5
Unbelievable
Super Furry Animals
4/5
A lot of fun. Got a little out there on one track, but otherwise a solid retro vibe from a modern band. Love it
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
5/5
Excellent UK blues
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Started out ok, got real tedious real fast
Miles Davis
5/5
George Harrison
4/5
Baaba Maal
3/5
Kraftwerk
2/5
Soundgarden
5/5
Can’t go wrong with classic 90s alt rock
Circle Jerks
4/5
Blast some punk!
Booker T. & The MG's
4/5
Green Onions is an unstoppable banger. The rest of the album is less inspired and a little too same-y, but still fun to listen to. I’d say the next best song is the surf-rock-esque You Can’t Sit Down
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
A bonafide classic
Fun Lovin' Criminals
2/5
Pretty mediocre
Massive Attack
2/5
It’s fine, just not a fan of electronica
The Clash
4/5
Oh yeah PUNK me up! That said, this album maybe didn’t need to be as long as it is
Big Star
3/5
I tried all of their first three albums and while I agree this one is probably the most intense and artistic, I like their first album best
John Lennon
3/5
It’s still good because Lennon, but in parts it just sounds like less good Beatles
Nina Simone
5/5
I had listened to some Nina Simone before and loved it, but a couple of the tracks on here were new to me. Particularly the opening blues number. She’s so amazing
Living Colour
4/5
The good kind of metal!
The Roots
4/5
The best rock rap I’ve ever heard
Simon & Garfunkel
5/5
Just incredible
Brian Eno
3/5
I’m not going to sit down and listen through it, but I kind of dig it
Silver Jews
2/5
Don’t much like the country influences or the singer’s voice. Lyrics are good though
Nick Drake
4/5
Really nice album. Pink Moon stands out above the rest of the tracks, which do start to sound a little same-y
Deep Purple
3/5
A classic of hair metal, fun but nothing something I’ll be coming back to a lot
Al Green
5/5
Oh god it’s so good
Ian Dury
3/5
Good sound, very British, a little too vulgar
Brian Eno
2/5
The Jesus And Mary Chain
4/5
The Sonics
4/5
Gimme that old time rock n roll
Rocket From The Crypt
3/5
It’s interesting - the music is pretty good, nothing really bothered me. But at the same time, it doesn’t jump out with anything special. I can see why they were signed but I can also see why they weren’t huge
Metallica
3/5
The only Metallica album I can stomach but still not very enjoyable
Stereolab
3/5
Better than I expected, still a bit weird
The Who
4/5
A great survey of their work, but I think I like the studio albums better
Goldie
1/5
I guess shitty electronics cliches have to come from somewhere
Prefab Sprout
4/5
I like this album a lot, but it does start to drag toward the end. Great jazzy pop sound though!
Wilco
1/5
Alternative music flirting with country makes me uncomfortable
The B-52's
4/5
Love the singles, rest of the album is fine
Orbital
1/5
This site has taught me that I just don’t like electronic music 🤷♂️
Eurythmics
3/5
I was excited to see this album pop up because I’ve always considered Sweet Dreams to be a top tier song. But the rest of the album was a little disappointed. That one song basically carries the whole thing
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
5/5
Easy five star, doesn’t get more classic than this
Television
4/5
Classic rock at its most classic
Peter Tosh
3/5
Big standard reggae. It’s not bad, it just doesn’t stand out
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
I love the stuff MBV influenced, but find them a little hard to get into
XTC
2/5
Honestly, they’re just kind of a mediocre Tears for Fears
The Only Ones
4/5
Pretty solid classic rock!
Kate Bush
2/5
I don’t really see the appeal
Brian Eno
3/5
Interesting. I don’t think I’ll come back to listen to it again, but I’m not mad at what I heard
Beastie Boys
4/5
Party hard for now guys
Soft Cell
1/5
I can see why Tainted Love was their only big song
Kanye West
5/5
Easy 5 star, this thing is a masterpiece
The Velvet Underground
2/5
I think I’m just not avant-garde enough
Le Tigre
4/5
Really liked this one!
Tim Buckley
3/5
Solid bluesy rock
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Solid CCR. Cosmo’s Factory is better, but this is a good second place
Billy Bragg
4/5
Music that captures the UK working class. Pretty good!
4/5
Is this the ur-rock opera? If someone asked me what a rock opera is, I would tell them to listen to this. Best one I’ve ever heard too!
Simply Red
3/5
I had heard Simply Red before but never this album. It’s ok, but never really reaches greatness
The Pharcyde
3/5
Classic old school hip hop. It’s amazing how many other rappers have borrowed ideas from this album
Sex Pistols
5/5
The godfathers of punk, gotta love it
Coldplay
5/5
Surprised to see this instead of Parachutes, but it’s still a great album
Fever Ray
2/5
While not as bad as most electronica, it still wasn’t that enjoyable
Bob Marley & The Wailers
2/5
Same opinion I have of the other reggae albums in this list: it’s fine, but only the really famous tracks stand out
Beck
5/5
Stone cold classic
John Prine
3/5
I went into this one expecting to hate it. But actually, the lyrics are compelling and incisive, and the music isn’t grating like most country. A welcome surprise! I think a lot of people need to hear that their flag decal won’t get them into heaven anymore
Lorde
2/5
It’s Lorde, you’ve already heard what she has to offer. Nothing on this album reaches the peaks of her big singles though
Femi Kuti
3/5
Some seriously great grooves on this. I don’t know if it will be in my regular rotation, but I’m glad I listened to it!
The 13th Floor Elevators
4/5
It’s like if The Doors’ cover of Gloria were an album long. Fun, but not incredibly deep
Norah Jones
4/5
It’s a strong album and hit SO big when it came out
Suicide
2/5
It’s incredible this is from the 70s and I can see how it influenced a lot of great music. Too bad it isn’t actually good music itself
PJ Harvey
4/5
Love that angry chick rock
The Go-Betweens
4/5
Really enjoyable
The Hives
4/5
Great collection, better than the albums it came from
ABBA
2/5
I mean you already know what it is
The Byrds
4/5
This actually wouldn’t be my first choice of a must listen Byrds album, but it was still great
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
4/5
Gentle but powerful, this was an excellent listen
Various Artists
3/5
There are definitely worse Christmas albums. True nostalgia for our parents here
The The
3/5
Not bad at all
Jefferson Airplane
4/5
Worth it just for the big hits on the album, but the rest just don’t stand up to Somebody to Love and White Rabbit
The Waterboys
3/5
I don’t generally enjoy folk music, even when mixed with rock. But this had a compelling aspect to it
Pink Floyd
4/5
While not my favorite Pink Floyd album, it’s a strong one
Kid Rock
2/5
Country rap? Nahhh
The Fall
2/5
Way too long
Muddy Waters
4/5
Extremely classic blues
Björk
4/5
You know what you’re going to get with Björk and it’s always at least interesting
Cheap Trick
4/5
A rockin good time
The Sabres Of Paradise
1/5
God damn this was terrible
Syd Barrett
2/5
Really liked the first half, but it felt weird listening to all the extra takes at the end
fIREHOSE
4/5
Alt-rock from before that was a thing
Morrissey
3/5
Very Morrissey
Shivkumar Sharma
2/5
I see why this was included since this music had such a huge influence on popular bands in the 60s/70s, but it just couldn’t hold my interest
Bruce Springsteen
3/5
Good album, but I’ve never understood the intense praise Springsteen gets
AC/DC
4/5
Solid!
T. Rex
3/5
Glam rock isn’t generally my thing, but this was a pretty fun listen
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
5/5
Uh, this was amazing
Gil Scott-Heron
3/5
Chill and definitely gets you thinking
Can
3/5
Pleasant, but I don’t think I’ll come back to it
Burning Spear
3/5
Yet another reggae album that is a fine example of the genre but nothing new
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
Just not getting this one
Jah Wobble's Invaders Of The Heart
2/5
Just incredibly mediocre
Sinead O'Connor
3/5
Nothing Compares 2 U is absolutely the standout track, rest of it just kind of meanders along
TV On The Radio
4/5
Good album!
Miles Davis
5/5
Just incredible, obviously
Spiritualized
3/5
This was interesting. It wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t great and in fact really just reminded me of other songs that are great
Gang Starr
5/5
Really excellent
The Gun Club
4/5
Solid, and I definitely see the influence on other artists. Probably won’t listen regularly though
Oasis
5/5
Excellent!
Stevie Wonder
2/5
I’ll be honest, I just can’t get in to Stevie Wonder
Blondie
4/5
Before this I had really only heard the singles. Whole album is pretty good, though those were the best songs
Deep Purple
4/5
Great live album. Got a little indulgent at parts, but the kickass parts made it more than worth it
N.W.A.
4/5
A legendary album
2Pac
3/5
I just can’t get into 2Pac
The Cramps
4/5
Psychobilly is fun, but it’s not an every day listen
The National
3/5
Good but a little slow and too long
Echo And The Bunnymen
4/5
I enjoyed this one
Thundercat
2/5
Very torn on this album. Parts are incredibly cool, and parts are just annoying and too long
OutKast
2/5
I know these guys are hugely influential, but I’ve never really liked their stuff
Wild Beasts
5/5
This was great!
Throwing Muses
4/5
Really liked the first 3/4th or so, then it got a little out there
Van Morrison
5/5
What a fantastic album
Dr. Octagon
3/5
Tough intro, some good stuff in the middle though
Erykah Badu
3/5
Effortlessly cool, but maybe a bit too long
Massive Attack
3/5
I continue to dislike electronica. I will say I liked this more than Mezzanine even though everybody says that’s somehow a perfect album
The Afghan Whigs
5/5
Fantastic album
Queen
4/5
Great album
Ice T
4/5
Great album, a little long
Gang Of Four
4/5
Solid little post punk album
Earth, Wind & Fire
5/5
Fantastic album
Talking Heads
3/5
A classic, but I’ve never been a Talking Heads fan
Siouxsie And The Banshees
3/5
Not bad, but a bit repetitive
Bauhaus
2/5
Like a less catchy The Cure
Mudhoney
5/5
Such a good album, easy 5 star
Mike Ladd
3/5
Started out pretty good, but way too long with little of interest
Beastie Boys
4/5
Even better than I remembered
Sparks
4/5
Surprisingly good!
The Stone Roses
4/5
Really nice! 80s but not too 80s, a little bit of a psychedelic feel in places, just overall fun
Sonic Youth
2/5
I really wanted to like this because I love Goo, but the abstract noises just weren’t doing it for me
The Pretty Things
2/5
Not bad, but suffers from the pacing and confusion issues all rock operas have
Einstürzende Neubauten
1/5
Hard no.
The Lemonheads
5/5
Man what a fantastic album. If you’ve only heard their cover of Mrs. Robinson you should really listen to the rest of the album
The Pogues
4/5
I liked this a lot, but it did go on a little long
Yes
4/5
Solid classic rock
PJ Harvey
5/5
PJ just knocks it out of the park every time
Beatles
5/5
One of my very favorites, a set of incredible tracks
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
4/5
If you like prog rock you should be listening to this album
Everything But The Girl
2/5
I feel like I missed something. It just seemed like easy listening soft rock crap
Rufus Wainwright
4/5
I really liked this!
Randy Newman
3/5
The songs are well crafted and he is hugely influential, but I don’t see myself ever listening to this
Leonard Cohen
3/5
Solid, and the contrast between Cohen and the 80s cliche instrumentation is kind of interesting, but ultimately it didn’t grab me
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
5/5
First Elvis Costello album I’ve really liked
Cypress Hill
4/5
Solid
David Holmes
1/5
Oh good another boring electronica album. Why does this list have so much electronica in it?
The Temptations
5/5
Fantastic funky soul
Django Django
4/5
I enjoyed this more than I expected to!
Led Zeppelin
4/5
A classic, but more chaotic than a lot of their later stuff so it loses a point. Also it’s hard to separate the music from what we’ve since learned about the band
Elton John
3/5
I don’t see the appeal of Elton John
Prince
3/5
A classic album and hugely important, but not one I really enjoy listening to often
Mercury Rev
4/5
I’d never heard of this, but I really liked it!
Elliott Smith
5/5
This was excellent, I am fast becoming an Elliott Smith fan
Isaac Hayes
4/5
A classic
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
I always thought of Belle and Sebastian as just light, fluffy, twee pop. And most of this album is that, but I was surprised to find a little more experimental sound in some of the middle tracks. Overall enjoyable and a little surprising, but I probably won’t be listening to this one often
Ute Lemper
2/5
What a weird, overwrought album. You can tell she does a lot of musicals
Quicksilver Messenger Service
5/5
This album shouldn’t work as well as it does. I feel like if you asked anyone if they want to listen to a half hour rendition of Who Do You Love they would say no. But if you just put this album on without any context they’d think it kicks ass
The Modern Lovers
4/5
Solid garage rock from back in the day
Red Snapper
1/5
The best electronica on this list so far. That’s not saying much
Cream
5/5
Truly classic
Alice Cooper
4/5
School’s Out is definitely the best track, but I did not expect as much variety as I got from the rest of the album. Show tunes? Jazz? What?
Parliament
5/5
Defining album for funk
Hugh Masekela
4/5
I don’t usually like 70s jazz, but this was a good album
Red Hot Chili Peppers
5/5
Tremendous
Steely Dan
2/5
I don’t understand why people call this a perfect album. The music is slow and overwrought
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
3/5
Cool to get something so different. I probably won’t revisit it, but it was a pleasant listen
Killing Joke
4/5
Decent but somewhat forgettable
Bonnie Raitt
2/5
Eh
Penguin Cafe Orchestra
2/5
Well that was freaking weird
Pavement
5/5
Amazing album
Talking Heads
3/5
Decent album, but I see why Once In A Lifetime is the only one that stuck around
John Lee Hooker
3/5
It’s fine, but he’s done better stuff
JAY Z
5/5
Great album, on a level with Reasonable Doubt if you ask me
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
4/5
Started a little disco-y, but settled down into some excellent Latin music
4/5
Quality prog rock
Machito
4/5
Fun!
The Kinks
4/5
The Kinks are always fun but this lacked some of the attention-grabbing of Village Gree Preservation Society
The Monks
4/5
What a weird album. Punk before there was punk, garage rock before there was garage rock. It’s rough around the edges but you can see how they’d be influential
The Birthday Party
2/5
I get it, but it’s not really something I’m going to come back and listen to again
Arcade Fire
3/5
That’s a lot of arena rock. Inoffensive, but it also didn’t grab me
The Beach Boys
4/5
The Beach Boys are great, but a lot of the lyrics describe unhealthy relationships
MGMT
4/5
Liked this more than I expected, a lot of interesting influences
My Bloody Valentine
2/5
Man I have tried with this album so many times. And I love a ton of other shoegaze stuff. But this one, I just can’t get into it
Everything But The Girl
2/5
They’re trying to recapture the magic of Missing but just don’t have it in them
Rahul Dev Burman
2/5
First song or two were awesome, very funky. After that it became clear this was less about the music and more about the movie so it wasn’t as fun a listen
GZA
4/5
Just awesome all the way through
Grateful Dead
3/5
You’d expect me to enjoy the Grateful Dead, but it’s just a little blah to me
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
2/5
Oh Elvis Costello I always want to like you
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
That sure was a Springsteen
Ministry
1/5
My ears hurt
Bruce Springsteen
2/5
On the one hand it’s nice to hear Springsteen get a little weirder. On the other hand I still didn’t like it
The Allman Brothers Band
4/5
I dig the sound, but maybe just a little too long on the jams. Still great though!
T. Rex
3/5
Pretty fun, I had only ever heard Get It On before this. I like the album but it’s a little long
Anita Baker
3/5
Short and sweet
Megadeth
4/5
This is the kind of metal I can get into, though the tracks did feel a little same-y toward the end of the album
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
1/5
Reminded me a lot of Leonard Cohen, who I don’t particularly like. And that last song, woof
Björk
2/5
Just sounded like more Bjork, seems the same as her other albums
The Byrds
1/5
Woof
Liz Phair
3/5
Great album, but not one I listen to often
Bruce Springsteen
1/5
More Springsteen, really?
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
An enjoyable enough listen but nothing jumped out at me as amazing
The Streets
2/5
I had high hopes when I read the album description. The story was interesting but I really didn’t like this guys flow and rhymes. Just grating and weak
The Verve
4/5
I’m pretty over Bitter Sweet Symphony, but fortunately the rest of the album is great
Madonna
1/5
Just not a dance music kind of person I guess
Funkadelic
3/5
Fun at a first but it got too long
Louis Prima
5/5
I used to listen to this kind of jazz all the time but never ran into Louis Prima. Great stuff!
Steely Dan
4/5
I’m not usually a Steely Dan fan, but this album had too many bangers to deny. Really great album!
N.E.R.D
4/5
This album has a lot of the same problems Pharrell’s later stuff has: weird awkward sounding lyrics. Otherwise pretty good though
The Specials
3/5
Like basically every ska album I’ve heard, it’s fun at first but grows a bit tiresome
Ryan Adams
1/5
No
The Strokes
5/5
Fantastic album, make sure to listen to the non-US release!
Roni Size
1/5
I just couldn’t do it, it just seemed like electronica to me
Stan Getz
5/5
The whole reason anybody has even heard of bossa nova, and still blows every other record in the genre away
The Rolling Stones
4/5
I like the Stones and know this is a huge album for them, but I expected bigger highs than I actually heard. It’s consistently really good, but I’m not hearing greatness
Nirvana
5/5
Powerful classic!
The Stooges
4/5
Good album, fun punky garage rock
Portishead
3/5
Probably the most palatable electronica tinged music. I really like a handful of their songs so I wish more of it did something for me
Arcade Fire
5/5
Excellent indie
Traffic
4/5
Some really great slightly country-inflected classic rock!
Ozomatli
4/5
Fun album, a lot to like here
Kendrick Lamar
4/5
Good album with some real bangers, but I always have a tough time getting through the whole thing
Japan
3/5
This is one of the most intensely 80s albums ever
808 State
1/5
Electronica garbage. Why is there so much of this crap on this list?
5/5
Classic album. Devo is practically their own genre
Suzanne Vega
3/5
Decent but didn’t grab me
Ananda Shankar
2/5
The original songs were better than the covers, but I’m not sure why we needed yet another sitar album in this list
Duke Ellington
4/5
Some great big band here
James Taylor
3/5
The big hits were fun, the rest was a little country for me
2/5
It’s cool stuff that I’m glad exists. Works especially well for things like soundtracks. But listening to a whole album all the way through is a bit much
Van Halen
4/5
Really good album
Sade
3/5
Decent album, but Smooth Operator is the only song that really shines
Gorillaz
5/5
Fantastic album
Björk
3/5
I like a good Bjork from time to time
Paul Simon
5/5
Really good album!
The Associates
2/5
2 80s 4 me
Marvin Gaye
5/5
Powerful classic
Cocteau Twins
5/5
A dream pop classic
Sonic Youth
3/5
I liked Goo better, but this wasn’t bad
David Crosby
5/5
This album deserves to be way better known, up there with his work with others
Led Zeppelin
4/5
If you can set aside what we know about the band members now this is a very good album, but not quite up there with Houses of the Holy or IV
The Cardigans
5/5
I had heard the tracks that get radio play before and really liked them, but it turns out the whole album is excellent
Count Basie & His Orchestra
5/5
Great album. Loved Joe Williams dropping in at the end as well!
The Prodigy
2/5
I’ve tried with Prodigy but damn this all just sounds like the same crap
Eminem
2/5
I’ve always been a bit iffy on Eminem, and this aged even worse than his other stuff
The Blue Nile
3/5
Decent, but I wish some of the melodies were less random and jumpy
Cornershop
3/5
Interesting. They definitely put their best stuff at the front of the album. The rest sounded more like it would be a good base for sampling on other songs. I did like the use of Hindi in some songs, particularly the cover of Norwegian Wood
Billy Bragg
3/5
Interesting choice. I liked it, but I don’t know that I’ll ever come back to it
Calexico
4/5
Huge mix of sounds here, which is really cool. I wish the vocals were a little less stereotypically indie, but otherwise a very good listen
Faith No More
2/5
I made it as far as Zombie Eaters before dropping out, which is maybe a personal record with nu metal? I credit the fact that this shows some other influences instead of being just straight trash
Dinosaur Jr.
5/5
Hell yeah Dinosaur Jr. Fantastic indie shit
Finley Quaye
4/5
The first half or 2/3rds of the album was great, but it kind of lost the magic toward the end. Overall solid though
Sister Sledge
4/5
Fun album, enjoyable the whole way through
Ali Farka Touré
4/5
This was great! Familiar but also very different, with a fantastic groove
The Incredible String Band
2/5
I wanted to like this, but all the pitchy tones and excessive jangle just wore on me
Van Morrison
4/5
Great album that includes some fantastic songs. Going to take away a star though because I don’t think it needed to be a double album
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
Pretty ok, very 80s
Dr. Dre
4/5
A classic, though like a lot of rap from this era not all of it has aged well. Personally I prefer 2001 as well
Fats Domino
4/5
We wouldn’t be where we are now without it
Kings of Leon
3/5
Like every Kings of Leon song I’ve listened, it’s fine but something about them just doesn’t grab me. They sound empty, like they’re all surface with little substance
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
Listenable and all, but didn’t grab me
The Band
5/5
Fantastic album, just great throughout
Miles Davis
4/5
While I prefer his hard bop stuff, this was surprisingly engaging and interesting throughout
Beach House
2/5
So I liked the vocals pretty well, but god dammit there are other ways to evoke an atmosphere than just bouncing on quarter notes every song. It started out pleasant and ended up just boring into my brain
Love
4/5
This album was a little odd, but there were some great grooves in it. I feel like repeated listens would actually improve this one
Drive Like Jehu
4/5
This album is definitely one that grows on you. I’d listened to it a couple times already thanks to a friend’s recommendation. First time it was too much noise rock for my tastes. Second time I started to see past that to how fired up it made me feel. Now I think it’s great!
Elvis Presley
5/5
Classic sound, still works today
Lana Del Rey
2/5
I was excited to actually listen to one of her albums after hearing some stuff I liked on the radio. Unfortunately I think she’s just going to be a listen to the singles artist for me. She’s at her best when she’s alternative and a little unexpected. This was mostly just plodding singer/songwriter ballads with no real spark. The exception is Dark But Just a Game, that was a good song
Boards of Canada
1/5
Weird ambient electronica bullshit. I was on board for the first couple tracks, but then The Color of the Fire killed all the momentum and I was done.
Leonard Cohen
4/5
This was the first Leonard Cohen album I really liked. The stripped down sound works well, and the lyrics are genuine and affecting
Madonna
2/5
Just not interesting
Spacemen 3
2/5
I generally like alternative stuff, but this was just so self indulgent!
Pentangle
4/5
Initially I thought this was just some ok folk rock, but then I got to Train Song and it blew me away. The rest from there on was fantastic as well. Great album!
Todd Rundgren
3/5
I listened to about half the album and was all in, great stuff. Thought this might be a 5 star. Then I saw how many more songs were left. Fuck me this album is long. Why do people do double albums? I finished it out and there was good stuff in the back half, but this would have been better as two separate albums
The Who
5/5
I knew the single and am a big fan of their later work, but never listened to this album. It’s fantastic, but maybe avoid the mono version; it sounds like it was recorded in a tin can
Tito Puente
4/5
Fun samba, great representation of the genre
Portishead
4/5
Sour Times is an undeniable banger. The album in general is stronger on the front half than the back half. The last track does make up for that some, though. Overall really good!
Santana
4/5
Great album!
The Stooges
3/5
A little self indulgent, but mostly fun
Elis Regina
3/5
Fun and good samba, but better as background music than something to focus on
Janet Jackson
2/5
I feel like her music really only belongs in the time it was created. It sounds out of place now
Dion
3/5
Hmmm, this is an interesting one. I love some of his other stuff but hadn’t heard this album. It’s good, but nothing really grabbed me
Gillian Welch
2/5
Too country for my tastes
Air
3/5
I don’t generally go in much for soundtracks, especially ones for something I haven’t seen. But I do like Air, so I went into it with an open mind. This album is pretty good, but I think I’d rather just listen to an actual Air album
The Beach Boys
5/5
Oooh the classic GOAT
The Fall
4/5
I started out a little unsure, but when I got to Spoilt Victorian Child and Guts of The Quantifier I was all in
Hot Chip
3/5
This was inoffensive, but nothing grabbed me. I can think of other similar albums I like more
The Magnetic Fields
2/5
Whew, just finished listening to this whole thing. It’s interesting, I’m glad it exists because I know some people really love it. And it’s a neat idea. But personally I find his singing and lyrics overwrought, and most of the songs just sort of blend together.
The Young Gods
1/5
I just don’t understand why people like this stuff
King Crimson
3/5
Decent, but it lacks any really killer tracks
Moby
4/5
It’s a little annoying how good this album is
The Offspring
5/5
Classic
The Darkness
4/5
This actually worked for me, nice one!
David Bowie
2/5
I did not need a Prodigy-styled rock opera
Elvis Costello & The Attractions
3/5
This is now the third Elvis Costello album I’ve on this list (I think). He generally is hot and cold for me. This one though I didn’t love but I also don’t hate
The Divine Comedy
3/5
Overall sound is OK, lyrics are not great
Dusty Springfield
3/5
I really don’t know what to think of this album. It’s pleasant and I love all the songs I knew, but I knew them from other artists.
Ray Charles
4/5
I had no idea Ray Charles started out doing big band standards. Wild
Steely Dan
3/5
Another Steely Dan album I just couldn’t get into. I don’t know why they don’t grab me, I guess they just sound kind of empty?
Michael Kiwanuka
5/5
Hell yeah, now we’ve got a surprise on the list. Great album, especially Hero and Hard to Say Goodbye
Wu-Tang Clan
4/5
So Wu-Tang is great, nobody’s arguing that. But I do feel like they get a bit overhyped and this album could maybe have been a bit shorter
Pulp
2/5
This is one where I don’t understand why it’s on the list. The music is fine but not terribly notable, and it’s way too late for it to have been influential on its style which is from at least a decade earlier. Weird pick
Bad Company
3/5
For a hard rock band this was less hard than I expected. Pretty good!
The Verve
4/5
It’s a really good album. I also see why none of these tracks hit big, none of them really stand out.
The Sugarcubes
3/5
I didn’t know Bjork did anything besides her solo work. It’s pretty good, but not amazing
Tracy Chapman
4/5
Classic album
David Bowie
2/5
I continue to not really enjoy Bowie
The Police
4/5
I love The Police and Message in a Bottle is a banger, but the rest of the album is a little weak
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Setting aside The Rolling Stones of it all, remarkably consistent album
Solange
4/5
I liked this a lot
Def Leppard
4/5
It’s exactly what I expected. Doesn’t make it bad though!
David Bowie
3/5
More Bowie? At least this one was decent
Deee-Lite
3/5
Gotta say this made me want to dance
Rod Stewart
5/5
Considering this is basically a Faces album I was always going to love it
Belle & Sebastian
4/5
I always liked this album pretty well, though there are just a couple standout tracks
The Clash
4/5
Funny how what was once so incendiary now sounds pretty normal. Good album still though
De La Soul
3/5
Good beats, but the skits were kind of weird and the album was way too long
Beck
4/5
Solid Beck album. I like Odelay more, but this is probably number 2
Bee Gees
2/5
I love old school Brit pop, but this was pretty dull
Public Enemy
4/5
Solid album with great head nodding beats and incisive lyrics. Could probably have been a bit shorter though
Supergrass
5/5
Wow I loved this. Sad I haven’t been listening to it since 1995
The Psychedelic Furs
3/5
This is maybe the prototypical 80s album. It’s be high on the list of albums to recommend when someone asks what 80s music is like
Bob Dylan
5/5
This or Blonde on Blonde, which is better? The world may never know
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Probably my third favorite Zeppelin album, but that’s mostly on the strength of Tangerine. There’s a lot better Zeppelin out there
George Michael
2/5
I’m just not a fan
The KLF
1/5
You know that episode of Friends with Ross’ “music”? Yeah
Aretha Franklin
5/5
A powerful classic
Pearl Jam
4/5
What can you even say about Ten? It has some incredible songs, some incredibly over played songs, and a couple forgettable ones. Great album though
The Specials
3/5
This was probably my first time listening to an entire ska album. It’s a bit much
Germs
3/5
Much punk
Pulp
3/5
I’m really just here for Common People, the rest was fine but nothing stood out as different
LL Cool J
4/5
Decent album, though Mama Said Knock You Out was definitely the highlight
Willie Nelson
5/5
I thought I knew Willie Nelson so this caught me by surprise. What a great album and interesting story about its making!
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
You always know what you’re going to get with CCR and that’s a good time. Not as strong as Cosmo’s Factory, but how could it be really
Lou Reed
3/5
As usual with concept albums I didn’t really like it much, though it wasn’t terrible
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
3/5
I kind of hate this but I kind of love it too. There’s some magic here, but a lot to sift through as well
The Killers
3/5
This is a tough one to rate. I know a lot of people absolutely adore this album. To me it doesn’t quite hit. I like it and have listened to it quite a few times, but nothing sticks hard enough for me to say I love it
Beck
4/5
Maybe my second favorite Beck album?
The War On Drugs
3/5
I liked this quite a bit at first, but it started to drag about halfway through. Ultimately I think it’s a bit too long and the songs aren’t distinct enough. I was also surprised to find it reminded me of Seal in some places, particularly during Disappearing
Roxy Music
2/5
This is not what I expected from the album title. Decent art rock but not to my taste
The Isley Brothers
5/5
Some stone-cold classics on here, I’m sorry I never actually listened to the album before
Joni Mitchell
2/5
Well I didn’t expect semi-psychedelic 70s tunes from Joni Mitchell. Ultimately I ended up being lukewarm on it
Blue Cheer
4/5
It’s wild to me that anyone considered this heavy metal at any point. That means such a different thing now, and this is very much in the mainstream blues/rock sound now. Good album though, very fun
The Damned
4/5
Pretty fun punk
50 Cent
5/5
Fantastic album with so many killer singles
The Stooges
3/5
I like garage rock so I was totally on board with this until We Will Fall. Way too long and indulgent. They bounced back to some degree with the rest of the album but still
The Byrds
5/5
Despite loving the song Mr. Tambourine Man I actually never listened to the whole album before. Really great!
The Rolling Stones
4/5
That whole Beatles vs. Rolling Stones thing makes a lot more sense when you look at early albums like this where they’re both doing a lot of covers. Team Beatles all the way, but this was a decent listen
4/5
I like Village Green better, but this was a fun album
Aerosmith
2/5
It’s fine I guess. You know what Aerosmith is about
The Everly Brothers
3/5
This album is just middling. The music is dated, especially the lyrics, but generally pleasant. No big hits or anything though
R.E.M.
5/5
This was even better than I remembered
Lynyrd Skynyrd
4/5
I didn’t realize all of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s really big hits were off the same album, that’s impressive.
Elvis Presley
4/5
I have to take a point off because of the legacy of whitewashing, but I don’t think anybody can deny the impact this album had
The Beta Band
3/5
This was better than I expected
The Mars Volta
3/5
I dig the music and the lyrics, but I really don’t like this guy’s voice
Iron Maiden
3/5
It’s classic metal, you pretty much know what you’re in for
Peter Gabriel
3/5
This feels like something more influential than something I’d want to sit down and listen to anymore
Pretenders
4/5
I’d never listened to a full Pretenders album before. I really liked this one!
Guided By Voices
4/5
I knew and loved Game of Pricks going into this, but never heard the rest of the album. Overall I really liked it. They’re at their best when they lean into their British Invasion interests, and the album does suffer the same way other ones with many very short songs do where they kind of bleed together
Radiohead
3/5
I love Radiohead but this album is a little too electronic influenced for my tastes in general. There are some fantastic songs on it like Pyramid Song and Knives Out, but if I want to listen to Radiohead I’m probably not going to put this album on
Taylor Swift
4/5
I guarantee the ratings on this are all either 1 or 5. I like the album a lot even though I don’t like much of Swift’s other stuff
Tom Waits
4/5
Turns out Tom Waits does jazz and blues way better than pop
Jeff Buckley
4/5
I felt the album kind of sagged in the middle, but overall liked it quite a bit
The Zutons
4/5
I liked this album a lot. I wish I knew why it was included in the list because it didn’t seem to have a lot of influence or broader significance. But it was good music
Suede
4/5
I liked this one
The White Stripes
4/5
This is a White Stripes album on this list??? Why? White Blood Cells and De Stij better be on here too or I’m going to flip a table. I mean this one’s fine, but the other two are masterpieces
Dr. John
4/5
Hey, something interesting and unique. This was a pretty fun groove
Nico
2/5
I’m not impressed unfortunately
Pink Floyd
5/5
What can I even add about this album? It’s fantastic, everyone should listen to it
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
A slightly mixed bag, has some unbelievably good songs and some that are good not great. Overall probably not where I’d start with Simon and Garfunkel but worth listening to anyway
Mekons
2/5
I don’t know, seemed weird and indulgent to me
Richard Hawley
4/5
I really liked about 80% of this album. Got a little too country for me at the end, but the rest was great
The Byrds
3/5
I think some of their experiments were a big miss, but there’s still a core of solid rock and roll there so it’s pretty good
LTJ Bukem
1/5
Interminable
Baaba Maal
3/5
I liked the music quite a bit, but the album was way too long
Prince
3/5
I know Prince is a beloved institution at this point, but he’s just never clicked for me. All his songs feel like they’re missing something
Keith Jarrett
4/5
What an incredible story and incredible piano work. Am I likely to listen to this regularly? No. But am I glad it exists and was recorded? Absolutely!
Pixies
4/5
Honestly I like this more than Surfa Rosa
The Byrds
4/5
A good album and hugely influential, but there weren’t any standout tracks
4/5
This was very unique and I liked it but didn’t love it
Fred Neil
3/5
More folk country than folk rock, and while I liked the two bigger songs, the rest of it wasn’t very memorable
John Martyn
3/5
Nice combination of folk with other genres. Not incredible, but pleasant throughout
Os Mutantes
1/5
I was interested from the description, but this ended up just being a lot of chirpy nonsense
Abdullah Ibrahim
4/5
I thought this was enjoyable post bop jazz but nothing incredible until I got to Tuang Guru, that song was fantastic
Ms. Dynamite
2/5
This seemed like pretty standard 2000s R&B. Fine, but not sure why it made this list
Sonic Youth
5/5
Every time I listen to Sonic Youth I think I should really listen to more Sonic Youth
10cc
3/5
This was a decent listen but nothing really jumped out as special to me
Tom Tom Club
2/5
I really don’t know what to make of this album. It’s weird and goofy but also serious?
Sly & The Family Stone
5/5
Hell of a groove!
Nick Drake
5/5
Truly lovely
Frank Black
3/5
I neither hated nor loved this until I looked at the length. Why is this an hour? I could have done with less
The Triffids
3/5
I don’t hate this album like a lot of the reviewers do, but man is it a wildly uneven album. Some of these songs are fantastic, notably Kelly’s Blues, Hometown Farewell Kiss, and Bad News Always Reminds Me of You. But around those you have mediocre to weak tracks. It’s a rough listen as a whole
Stephen Stills
4/5
Reading about the what seem like hellish recording sessions make this even more impressive. I do think it could have been shorter though
Neil Young
4/5
While the story behind the album is moving, I didn’t enjoy the songs quite as much as some of his other albums. Still good though!
Simon & Garfunkel
4/5
One of Simon and Garfunkel’s strongest albums
Supergrass
5/5
Wow what a fantastic album. I wish I had known about Supergrass years ago
The La's
3/5
It’s fine, but there are better 90s alt records out there. There She Goes will always be a banger though. And I will say Looking Glass caught me by surprise. Those two pull this up to 3 stars
3/5
Decent, but the early 70s is packed with incredible soul like Marvin Gaye, Sly and the Family Stone, or Stevie Wonder. I don’t think this quite stacks up against that
David Gray
3/5
Eh, pretty generic and uninteresting
Ramones
4/5
There’s something almost… quaint? About old punk like this. It was so rebellious at the time but now feels passe
Fleet Foxes
2/5
I want to like Fleet Foxes more, especially since they have a couple really beautiful songs like Sun It Rises. Unfortunately I always get tired of their schtick partway through
Frank Sinatra
5/5
One of my very favorite albums
Run-D.M.C.
3/5
I’m very distracted by the Richard Ayoade lookalike on the left, but the music itself was good. More rock influenced than I expected
Depeche Mode
3/5
I’ve never really liked Depeche Mode much. I’ve tried with this album before and didn’t dig it, but we can try again. And unfortunately it’s just as overwrought as I remember. Fine, just not my taste
Incubus
1/5
This freaking album. I remember when Drive came out I loved it, thought it was amazing. Checked out the rest of the album and hated every second that wasn’t Drive. Talk about a misleading single
Scritti Politti
1/5
Such generic, forgettable 80s pop. No thanks
Throbbing Gristle
1/5
I think there’s probably an interesting debate about if this is even music out there, but I don’t want to hear it or this
Soul II Soul
2/5
It’s fine, it doesn’t offend (except for Dance, which has some terrible lyrics). But it’s also pretty unremarkable. I’ll give it 2 stars for Back to Life
Sisters Of Mercy
2/5
While I didn’t hate this, I can’t imagine who is listening to this unironically or not as part of like a soundtrack to something
Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
3/5
You know what, I enjoyed this. There were some obvious 80s-isms, and I don’t know that any one song jumped out and grabbed me. But it was pleasant the whole way through and I would put it on again
Anthrax
2/5
Metal just isn’t my genre but this seems like good metal for those who like it
The Police
4/5
A classic. Not my favorite of the Police, but we got some solid bangers
Fela Kuti
4/5
I had listened to Kuti’s Gentleman before so I knew I’d be in for something good. Those rhythms with the soul horns, too good!
1/5
I know some people who love this kind of thing but it’s just not to my taste
The Mamas & The Papas
5/5
Great album, love that old jangle pop
Elvis Presley
5/5
Classic
The Flaming Lips
3/5
I know I’m supposed to love this album. I dig other Flaming Lips stuff! Clouds Taste Metallic? Fantastic! But this one has never worked for me. It always feels too gimmicky and uneven. Maybe it’s my general distaste for concept albums, I don’t know. Anyway I recognize this is a massively popular album, it’s just not for me.
CHVRCHES
3/5
Synth pop in general and CHVRCHES in particular are fine, but nothing here grabbed me. I don’t regret listening but I also don’t see me putting this album on any time soon. I wonder if their popularity says more about when it came out than anything else
The Rolling Stones
5/5
I’m not the biggest Rolling Stones fan, but this is a very fine album
Queen
4/5
Good album. It never reaches the genius levels of A Night At the Opera, but you can see them heading that direction
Julian Cope
4/5
Okay, so I recommend sticking with this past the first few songs. All the best stuff is in the middle of the album, starting with Hanging Out and Hung Up On the Line through Head. And that little run of songs is quite good. It’s an interesting choice putting your best work in the middle
CHIC
3/5
This is a fine album, but that’s about it. Their big hit, Le Freak, is really the only one that stands out. The rest is unobjectionable, and even had me bobbing my head at times. But ultimately I won’t be coming back
Pere Ubu
3/5
Most of this was decent proto-new wave. Cool to see some of the beginnings of that movement. But man Thriller! sucked
Lupe Fiasco
5/5
Great album, especially Kick Push. Love this era of sample heavy melodic hip hop
Tina Turner
2/5
I’ve never been a fan of Tina Turner, and this album is too 80s for my taste
k.d. lang
4/5
I always forget what a lovely voice k.d. lang has. Constant Craving is of course the highlight of the album, but it’s pleasant throughout
U2
2/5
I feel towards U2 the way a lot of people feel about Coldplay. They’re so middle of the road inoffensive pop rock. Nothing here to get excited or passionate about, but nothing to really dislike either. Which I kind of dislike
Beyoncé
3/5
I still don’t really understand the fanaticism. Blow in particular was a bop, but overall just fine
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
3/5
What a weird album. I don’t usually have a taste for anything this strange, but this one is strangely compelling. I doubt I’ll revisit it, but I really am glad I listened
Astrud Gilberto
2/5
Lacks the appeal of her work on Getz/Gilberto. That was genius, this is just meh
Dinosaur Jr.
4/5
Dinosaur Jr. always kicks so much ass. They were so far ahead of the curve. Don’t was the only rough patch on the album and the reason for 4 stars. Everything else was great
Black Sabbath
4/5
It’s wild how so much of what they do has become just standard rock now. It almost doesn’t read as metal today
Jeff Beck
5/5
Great blues rock here, just top notch
Eminem
4/5
I don’t have a ton of nostalgia for Eminem, he’s never been my favorite rapper. There are some standout tracks here though, the ones everyone knows. Those are worth the 4 stars, but this album definitely didn’t need to be this long
Big Brother & The Holding Company
5/5
Fantastic, legendary album. I feel like the combo of Joplin’s voice and those guitars rewire my brain every time I hear them
Leonard Cohen
4/5
Cohen tends to be hit or miss for me, but this one was a hit. His voice is peak deep and gravelly, and the instrumentation is beautiful without being intrusive. Knowing this was his last album before passing adds a lot of weight to the lyrics as well.
The Doors
4/5
I dearly loved this album (along with the rest of theirs) back in high school. Nowadays it’s not as captivating, but I still like it
Youssou N'Dour
3/5
Pleasant world music
Nightmares On Wax
3/5
There are some decent grooves on here, but it really didn’t need to be so long
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2/5
I don’t know why exactly, but I find Nick Cave’s music to be kind of empty and pointless
Mylo
2/5
While this isn’t unpleasant, I can think of multiple bands (Air, The Acalanches, Brock Berrigan) who do it better
Gram Parsons
1/5
Just sounded like country to me
Country Joe & The Fish
4/5
I’ll be honest, I pretty much always have time for some psychedelic music
Kraftwerk
1/5
I started off not thrilled at the idea of listening to Kraftwerk because I don’t generally like electronica. I was pleasantly surprised by the first track, Europe Endless. It was highly listenable and really raised my hopes. Then the next two songs ripped that away with boring nonsense
Miles Davis
2/5
Unfortunately I struggle to jive with Davis’ later, free jazz style
Jane's Addiction
3/5
This album is fine, but you see why they’re a one hit wonder
Nick Drake
4/5
I continue to really like Nick Drake’s music. I’m glad this site turned me on to his albums
Turbonegro
4/5
Nice find, liked this more than I expected. The punkier stuff was more fun than the glammier stuff, but it was all good
UB40
3/5
It’s fine, but not the best UB40 and not something you need to revisit
Gary Numan
3/5
I 100% believe this album should be on this list. New Wave was an important genre and has a huge impact on music to this day. That said, do you get anything more from listening to the album vs. listening to Cars on repeat 17 times? No. And that’s the flaw in New Wave. Still, glad I listened but don’t see a reason to return to it.
Songhoy Blues
3/5
Great grooves
Beatles
5/5
God what a great album. Just exceptional song after exceptional song
Harry Nilsson
5/5
What a great album. I feel like he should have been an enduring household name
Funkadelic
4/5
I like the more emblematic P-Funk sound, but a psychedelic rock album isn’t going to get a bad score from me. There is one standout track on this album, Can You Get To That. The rest of it is good too, but doesn’t really rise to the same level
Eagles
4/5
Simple, straightforward good-time rock. Nothing that blew my mind, but nothing I didn’t enjoy too
Bob Dylan
5/5
I don’t know how anyone would dislike this album, and I don’t want to know
Aerosmith
3/5
I mean I get why they’re on this list, but I just don’t have a lot of interest in hard rock
Green Day
4/5
Dookie is better, but there are some bangers here for sure
Marilyn Manson
1/5
I tried but I hate it so much
Duran Duran
3/5
I’m not a big Duran Duran fan, but this is definitely peak if you do. I see why the big hits are so big. Also Save A Prayer is low key one of the best tracks on the album
Tom Waits
3/5
This is my 4th Tom Waits album on this list. Two I really didn’t like, one I really did. This one kind of falls in the middle. There are some great songs on here, particularly Clap Hands and Time. But there are also some definite misses, and it probably didn’t need to be this long
Lou Reed
4/5
Pretty fun album!
Crowded House
3/5
I liked this pretty well, but nothing really stood out as exceptional
Terence Trent D'Arby
3/5
Pretty good album. I didn’t realize I had heard any of it until Sign Your Name. I also liked Dance Little Sister a lot, but overall I’m not sure why you wouldn’t listen to Michael Jackson instead
My Bloody Valentine
3/5
I love shoegaze but have never really enjoyed My Bloody Valentine. I don’t get it either 🤷♂️. Anyway, there’s some decent stuff here, particularly “if i am”, but not enough to say I liked it
4/5
It’s wild just how intensely 80s this album is. It’s so deep into it that it comes out the other side to be kind of awesome
3/5
On the one hand, I don’t much like U2’s music. On the other, it’s kind of incredible how many songs off one album penetrated the cultural zeitgeist
Violent Femmes
5/5
Such a great album, and so far ahead of its time!
Manic Street Preachers
5/5
Wow, this blew me away! Especially the back half of the album, Faster, This Is Yesterday, and P.C.P. are all killer songs. I’m sad I didn’t discover this sooner
Crosby, Stills & Nash
4/5
I like CSN in general. This was a pleasant listen, but only Teach Your Children stood out. It also could have been shorter. CSNY was the better group
Madonna
3/5
I’m not a Madonna fan but I can’t deny the cultural impact she, and this album, had.
The Cars
4/5
New Wave at its finest
The Notorious B.I.G.
5/5
What an album
TV On The Radio
5/5
I had heard this album once or twice before. I like it, it’s a nice blend of indie rock and experimental sounds
The Jam
4/5
Fine but pretty forgettable
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
While not as iconic as Are You Experienced, this is a great album. Beginning is a little weird, but once they get going they drop some bangers
Radiohead
5/5
That’s funny, I happened to listen to this just yesterday. What a fantastic album. Even the weird stuff doesn’t bother me because it adds to the other all atmosphere, and all the other banger songs carry you through
Paul McCartney
4/5
I’m a huge Beatles fan, but I’ve never really liked the solo stuff from any of them. It’s all fine, it just lacks the magic they had together
Linkin Park
1/5
Just the hardest no
Morrissey
2/5
Fuckin Morrissey. I like a lot of the musical elements here, but the lyrics are pretentious and the guy himself is a tool. If this album were by someone else I’d think it’s great. But it wasn’t 😩
The Flying Burrito Brothers
2/5
I had actually heard this one before thanks to some music nerd friends of mine. It’s just a shade too country for my tastes
Tom Waits
2/5
Why is there so much Tom Waits on this list? This is the 5th album I’ve run into! And Nighthawks was pretty good, but the rest of them (including this one) have definitely not been. Let’s trim this shit down already
Sabu
3/5
It’s fine but gets a little tedious after a while
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
2/5
Honestly I’m a little disappointed. I should love this album. Blur guy is great, Danger Mouse is great, drummer from Fela Kuti is great. But this just felt like a bunch of anemic Gorillaz b-sides to me. I really thought there would be some magic here
Pet Shop Boys
2/5
This started out pretty decent, but then slid into unremarkable and repetitive dance junk
Animal Collective
3/5
I was initially unimpressed with this album. The first 3 songs didn’t grab me. But then Summertime Clothes came in and I started feeling it. The rest of the album flowed by and while not something I love, was enjoyable enough. Pretty good!
Beatles
5/5
The White Album, one of their many masterpieces!
Foo Fighters
5/5
Man, turns out that Dave Grohl guy? Pretty good. Who knew? 😂
The Residents
2/5
Well it’s definitely art rock. I respect it, but I don’t have to like it
Steve Winwood
3/5
Okay I see why this is here, it represents a genre well. I just don’t really enjoy it
Chicago
5/5
Listen, Chicago is classic rock at some of its finest and I’m here for it
The Beta Band
3/5
Inoffensive, but nothing grabbed me either
Sheryl Crow
5/5
Great album, you can see how she got so big
ZZ Top
4/5
I never listened to much ZZ Top, so this was my first full album of theirs. I can see why it’s so iconic. It’s a strong album with some real high points. A couple less than great songs though
Billie Holiday
4/5
Billie does a Sinatra In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning here by making the focus how her voice has changed over the years. It’s a beautiful album, but not quite as effective because her voice is in worse condition
Haircut 100
4/5
This was better than I expected. I thought it was going to be one more unremarkable new wave album in a list already a little heavy with those. But this one has a lot more groove to it than most new wave, which kept me listening and enjoying
Eric Clapton
4/5
This is a baseline good album that is really elevated by I Shot the Sheriff, and to a lesser extent Let It Grow
Scott Walker
2/5
I found this a little tiresome. Jackie was a good song though
Elbow
4/5
I really liked this. It’s one of just a couple new to me albums that wowed me. They’re at their best when they’re basically trying to be Radiohead, and at their worst when trying to do some blues rock stylings. But overall strong album with Mirrorball as the standout track
Jimi Hendrix
5/5
A classic. Nobody else plays quite like Hendrix
Radiohead
4/5
Not my favorite Radiohead album, but still a good one
Buddy Holly & The Crickets
4/5
Extremely breezy listen. It’s nice to revisit these oldies on occasion
Peter Frampton
4/5
Fun album. Really sounds like they’re having a good time, and the music kicks ass in a chill kind of way
The Cult
3/5
Not really my favorite thing, but this was some competent hard rock
The Smiths
2/5
I mean it’s The Smiths. You know what you’re getting: Morrissey is annoying, the rest of it is fine, whatever
Public Image Ltd.
3/5
Public Image was the best track. The rest was fine. Except actually the bass is really good, I’ll bump it up a star just for that guy putting in work
Beastie Boys
4/5
I like a little Beastie Boys on occasion
The Divine Comedy
3/5
I don’t know, pretty unremarkable and obviously never made a big impact. A Woman of the World was good though
Madness
3/5
Not bad, but I can see why Our House is the only enduring song they had
4/5
You know what, this was a lot of fun. I liked the rockabilly influence. Sometimes you want some radio friendly rocking
Fatboy Slim
2/5
A little too repetitive, and some of it was basically chiptune before that was cool. I did like a couple tracks though
Tim Buckley
4/5
Overall I really liked this. Nice blend of folk rock and psychedelia, and his voice really stands out. Unfortunately it lost a little steam toward the end, particularly with the title track which just kills the momentum entirely
Curtis Mayfield
3/5
Decent, but not as solid as What’s Going On or some of Mayfield’s other albums that aren’t as social issue focused
M.I.A.
2/5
A little too experimental for my tastes, trying to sound unpleasant for a lot of it. Paper Planes is the only one that’s listenable, but it’s more suited for background on commercials or TikToks than actual listening
The White Stripes
4/5
I absolutely loved this album when it came out and for years afterward. Lately I’ve begun to feel like maybe I’ve moved past it, but I still think it’s great and deserves to be on this list. That said, I think De Stijl is better, so it’s a 4 star for this
The Cure
4/5
I came in here ready to make jokes about goth clubs, but actually there’s a lot to like on this album. Pleasant surprise!
Ali Farka Touré
3/5
It’s fine but all kind of blends together
Tears For Fears
5/5
Actually good music from the 80s? It’s more likely than you’d think
The Go-Go's
4/5
I had only heard We Got The Beat before this. Good song, but a bit cheesy. I was pleasantly surprised by the rest of the album though. Very listenable, and I could hear a direct line from The Go-Go’s to bands I love like Veruca Salt, Le Tigre, The Donna’s, and Sleater-Kinney. Especially on Fading Fast and Automatic.
Neu!
3/5
I guess krautrock isn’t what I expected. This turned out to be mostly inoffensive ambient music with a little bit of rock flavor
Girls Against Boys
1/5
Wikipedia says this is post hardcore, but it just sounds like nu metal garbage to me
Queen Latifah
3/5
She’s great for that early style of hip hop
Big Black
3/5
Kind of lost me in the middle when it gets more industrial tinged. They brought it back toward the end though
Slipknot
1/5
Absolutely not, instant 0
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
4/5
I had heard a little Beefheart before this. I like this, the blues foundation makes it all very listenable
Talking Heads
4/5
You know when you see Talking Heads come up you’re getting something pretty solid. Life During Wartime is definitely the highlight, and Drugs is the low point. But overall a strong album with a lot to like
Jamiroquai
4/5
You know what, I don’t seek Jamiroquai out, and I don’t think that’s likely to change, but I do always enjoy him when he shows up
Coldplay
5/5
Okay so it’s Coldplay and that’s going to stir up a lot of opinions. Personally I think their first two albums are fantastic, and everything else can be forgotten
Common
4/5
I dug this, real smooth
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
This is what you save your 5 star ratings for.
Genesis
4/5
I… had no idea Genesis did straight up prog rock. I thought it was all like That’s All. I have a lot of respect for this, it’s a good album!
Roxy Music
4/5
I liked this right off the bat, great sound and a lot of cool influences. It dips a bit in the middle/toward the end, but still overall a fun album
The Beach Boys
5/5
Quality album. A little on the nose in its messaging, but great musicianship throughout.
Bob Dylan
5/5
You can hear how he became such a cultural touchstone in this one, as long as you can let go of how it sounds to modern ears and try to imagine what it was like at the time
Mudhoney
3/5
Interesting album to see that very early start to shift from hard rock to grunge. That said, I like EGBDF a lot more
Flamin' Groovies
2/5
I love blues rock, so this was a good album to listen to. That said, I don’t know that it really belongs on this list. There wasn’t anything terribly distinctive, and the style is well represented by other albums from bands with a much more lasting impact on the industry. I say cut this for something underrepresented
Goldfrapp
3/5
I enjoyed that way more than I expected. Very chill listen, pleasant throughout but no big standout tracks either
Culture Club
3/5
Karma Chameleon pretty good, the rest of this was very forgettable
Ghostface Killah
4/5
Really good!
Joanna Newsom
2/5
I did not enjoy her wailing tone and interminable same-sounding instrumentation. I could see this being an acquired taste, but I don’t think I’ll put the effort in to acquiring it
Frank Ocean
5/5
Fantastic album, a real journey to listen to
The Pogues
2/5
This kind of shit is fun occasionally as a gimmick, but an entire album? No thank you
The xx
3/5
This ended up being a decent little listen. Didn’t blow my socks off, but I’m not mad at it
Travis
2/5
Oh Travis. I remember when I found this album, I really hoped I had stumbled across something special. Unfortunately it just doesn’t hold up all the way through. Writing to Reach You is great, and then it’s just a series of missteps
John Cale
3/5
Ah, it’s fine. Nothing really set me on fire though
Sleater-Kinney
4/5
Full disclosure I love Sleater-Kinney. I get why this album was picked, it’s a good one and brought in the excellent Janet Weiss. But I think All Hands On the Bad One is the better album so I would have picked that if I could have only one
The Jam
4/5
Fun, but nothing jumped out at me
Dire Straits
3/5
This is a tough one. Hugely popular, extremely influential. But it has not aged well, both because of the slurs in Money For Nothing and the sound in general. If feels very of its time rather than timeless
Todd Rundgren
4/5
I’m kind of amazed that this was good, with someone who didn’t know what they were doing an experimental album like this would fall apart. It was at its best when it skewed closer to prog rock, but overall enjoyable
Heaven 17
2/5
I don’t know, this is a tough one.
Fiona Apple
4/5
Great and powerful album, though it does start to drag a little at the end. The front 3/4ths more than makes up for it though
The White Stripes
5/5
I’ll say it, Seven Nation Army is overhyped. It’s a good song, but not better than the best of White Blood Cells or Destijl. The rest of this album, fortunately, is really good too. It’s perhaps their most consistent album, which makes it rank highly for me
Fairport Convention
4/5
This was a surprise and a lot of fun. I don’t know that I’ll revisit it a lot, but I’m glad I listened
Kate Bush
4/5
Pretty classic album
Khaled
3/5
Good but unremarkable Arabic music with an odd cover of Imagine stuck in the middle
Basement Jaxx
1/5
Why is there so much bad electronica on this list? This is the kind of shit that gets bad parodies made of it
Brian Wilson
2/5
So there are a couple iconic songs on here, namely Surf’s Up and Good Vibrations. But outside that, it’s pretty self indulgent
Tortoise
1/5
Too random and repetitive for my taste
Stereo MC's
2/5
Connected is a banger, but the rest just kind of blurs together
Barry Adamson
2/5
Hmm, this is an odd one. Some songs have a lot of groove, but the concept of it as a soundtrack to a nonexistent movie shows through very clearly with a lot of it too. I don’t think it’s something I’ll listen to again, but I don’t hate it
Jean-Michel Jarre
2/5
Moody and spacey and atmospheric. But am I going to listen to an entire album of this? No
David Bowie
4/5
I honestly never expected to like a Bowie album, but this worked for me.
Lucinda Williams
2/5
This walked the line of not quite too country for me to listen to for a while, but fell off about halfway through. I’m sure it’s influential but it’s not for me
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
3/5
I knew of this group from Graceland but never listened to a full album. It’s pleasant, but all relatively similar
Buffalo Springfield
4/5
I knew Buffalo Springfield before this but this was my first time listening to this album. I really liked it, though there weren’t any big hits on here. Expecting to Fly was the closest thing imo
Garbage
5/5
Great album overall with several breakout hits
The Human League
2/5
Don’t You Want Me is the only good song on here. The rest is extremely generic 80s pop. I could see how you’d need to listen to this if you’d never heard this kind of music before, but for the rest of us it’s nothing special
a-ha
3/5
Take Me On is a classic, but the rest of this album is just fine rather than amazing
Arcade Fire
3/5
A strange thing happens when I listen to Arcade Fire. Starting out I’m always like this is really good, I should listen to more of them! Then about halfway through the album I get really tired of hearing them. It’s the strangest thing, because I like their music
The Shamen
2/5
This is music that would be parodied on Portlandia
Genesis
2/5
There’s some decent prog rock in here when Gabriel shuts the hell up. When he is singing I feel like if I wanted to listen to Pinball Wizard I’d listen to Pinball Wizard. Ultimately I don’t know why I’d listen to this over Selling England by the Pound or basically anything by Yes
4/5
I love the rawness of her other albums like Dry, but turns out I also love her being a little more polished like this. And Thom Yorke is always welcome. Great album!
Frank Sinatra
5/5
While personally I like Wee Small Hours more, this is the next best Sinatra album. Pure classic
Run-D.M.C.
4/5
Yeah classic stuff
The Adverts
4/5
Punk-y vibe-y goodness
PJ Harvey
2/5
PJ tries Bjork but it doesn’t grab me
Method Man
4/5
Bring the Pain and All I Need are great, and the rest is pretty solid
Nitin Sawhney
4/5
I didn’t except to like this much, but it actually really worked. A mix of genres that flow really well
The Rolling Stones
4/5
Couple classic bangers, couple that haven’t aged well, and some solid stuff in between. That’s pretty much the Stones in a nutshell
Faust
3/5
A fun but ultimately sort of plain mishmash of genres
Ravi Shankar
3/5
I liked the instructional parts, that was really cool. The rest was enjoyable too
Dagmar Krause
1/5
Like a shitty, badly sung musical. Why is this here?
Jane Weaver
3/5
Nice chill vibes, nothing magical but nothing bad either
Dirty Projectors
3/5
They reminded me a lot of White Denim. And much like them it’s interesting stuff but not something I’ll listen to often
Shack
3/5
I liked this, and with it coming out in 99 they were just slightly ahead of their time. But it reminds me very much of Starsailor or Travis, where it’s good but nothing is great or special enough to endure
4/5
If you only listened to the first half you might think this is pretty basic Dylan stuff. But the back half is where things get exciting. I’m not a big Dylan fan, but I had some vague idea that he had some big controversial concert - this is that concert. He changes up his sound pretty distinctly, including probably the best version of Like. A Rolling Stone out there
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
5/5
An incredible classic
Minor Threat
4/5
Ah to be young. Good stuff
Jeru The Damaja
4/5
Initially I thought this was fine but nothing special. But somewhere around Can’t Stop the Prophet I got into it. This album isn’t a masterpiece, but it’s really good
Serge Gainsbourg
3/5
I was very excited about this album because one of my favorite artists frequently references Serge Gainsbourg. I came away a little disappointed. It’s basically French Leonard Cohen, talking over some repetitive but admittedly pretty kickass backing instrumentals
The Mothers Of Invention
3/5
Interesting because they completely subvert tropes of both classic and psychedelic rock, but as an album to just listen to and enjoy it kind of falls flat
David Ackles
2/5
I was hoping for magic and got a very mediocre card trick
Doves
4/5
I liked this album a lot. It was like a more normal Everything Everything? Nothing quite brought it to a 5 star level, but it got close
Beatles
5/5
Obvious 5 star, I mean come on
Wire
4/5
Fun punk sounds. I couldn’t point to any one particular song that stood out, but it worked really well as effectively one long track
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
I prefer Are You Experienced, but this has some real bangers on it too
Aretha Franklin
5/5
Good blues throughout, with a couple enduring bangers to open and close the album. It’s great!
Carpenters
2/5
It’s just SO saccharine. It’s hard to imagine anyone in this era wanting that. Even the covers are like that. Close To You retains some of its power to cut through the clicheness it has now, but only if you are close listening. It’s hard to recommend this as a listen
Sepultura
1/5
While not as awful as other nu metal I’ve heard, I still don’t like this
X-Ray Spex
3/5
Punk fun, and a nice forerunner to the later riot grrl era
R.E.M.
4/5
Okay, here’s my controversial opinion: Man In the Moon isn’t very good.
Other than that, great album with some enduring classics
Justin Timberlake
3/5
You can really hear the Pharrell all over this, it’s kind of wild how distinct that sound is. Anyway, I don’t now that I needed to hear this before I died. Cry Me A River was the only song that stood out and even that was ehhh
1/5
Turns out electronica drags jazz down hard
Prince
2/5
As usual with Prince, I just don’t understand the fanaticism
Pixies
2/5
There are a couple bangers on here. Gigantic, Where Is My Mind, hell I’ll even give them Tony’s Theme. But the rest just shows why the Pixies are overrated
Hanoi Rocks
2/5
I could see this being a big influence on other bands, but it’s not something I’ll listen to again because I’ve heard it done better elsewhere
Traffic
3/5
Decent, a bit self indulgent especially at the start, but it ends up in a solid place
Ice Cube
4/5
Pretty classic, and sad that things haven’t changed all these decades later
Christina Aguilera
3/5
Wow, too bad about the second disc of this album. First disc is probably 4 stars, but it gets so bad after that
The Who
2/5
Impactful, and a lot of people hardcore love this album, but I’ve always felt it was overrated. Bits and pieces are catchy, but I’m just not into the concept
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
3/5
The title track is a stone cold classic, but the rest kind of flails around. It makes sense being the cutting edge of hip hip
The Beau Brummels
3/5
This was constantly right on the verge of loving it. There just wasn’t a single stand out, capture my attention track
Hole
4/5
She may be a mess, but she was one hell of a rock star
The Yardbirds
3/5
I like the Yardbirds, but this album doesn’t include any of their really great songs. It’s just solid psych rock through with no standouts
Supertramp
3/5
This feels a little like prog rock lite. I’ve heard more edge from the other prog rock albums on this list
Scissor Sisters
4/5
I didn’t know this existed and it was pretty fun. I call that a win
Lenny Kravitz
3/5
Fine, not amazing
Billy Joel
3/5
I never really liked what I had heard of Billy Joel. The first couple tracks really pulled me in, I started thinking maybe I’d been wrong about him. Then we hit the overwrought middle part of the album and he lost me again. The album rallies a bit at the end, but ultimately there were only 2 or 3 songs I really enjoyed
Pantera
1/5
Just not into it
Justice
1/5
More dull electronica, why is there so much of it on this list?
The Young Rascals
4/5
A solid example of its genre, though not the most famous. I had already heard How Can I Be Sure and Groovin, so I was glad to hear the rest. You Better Run was the biggest surprise, some welcome hard rockin
3/5
Kind of a hard rock/punk mixture. Not bad and probably influential, but I didn’t love it
Ride
4/5
I love shoegaze and listen to a lot of it, but I will say I tend to like where it, and its twin sister dreampop, went more than where it started. This album’s good, but I’d rather listen to Hum, or Blankenberge, or Ovlov, or Stove.
Manu Chao
3/5
Decently fun multilingual world music, but nothing really grabbed me
Beatles
5/5
A classic of early Beatles. Yeah it’s not as amazing as their later stuff, but it’s nostalgic and fun
Korn
1/5
Just say no to nu-metal
The Chemical Brothers
1/5
What’s that? I’ve said there’s too much electronica on this list too many times? Well maybe that should make you think about how much electronica is on this list
Small Faces
4/5
Solid psychedelia. I enjoyed Lazy Sunday the most
Antony and the Johnsons
4/5
I liked this album. It’s amazing for a trans artist to get this level of attention and songs like For Today I Am A Boy and Bird Guhl are amazing. Personally I thought her signature vibrato can be amazing, but it can also be a little much at times. Wainwright’s song was also one of my favorites. Overall a strong album!
The Rolling Stones
3/5
As time has gone on I’ve found the Stones less appealing. There were a couple interesting songs on here, Paint It Black and Out of Time come to mind. But that’s about it
LCD Soundsystem
3/5
I expected to hate this, and it’s better than that. But it is just so repetitive I can’t say I liked it either. New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down is good though, might get to 3 stars for that
Dennis Wilson
3/5
Pretty chill, pretty smooth. I thought Time was the standout track
Doves
4/5
A friend turned me on to Doves like a year ago. Great album, experimental without being indulgent, big full sound, I dig it. Also listen to The Last Broadcast if you liked this
Thelonious Monk
4/5
While Monk has never been my favorite jazz pianist, this was a solid album with some fantastic horn work from Rollins
Paul Simon
4/5
Even the not so great Paul Simon albums have a couple bangers, namely Train in the Distance and Rene and Georgette Magritte in this case
Motörhead
3/5
They’re not incredible lyricists, but if you want an album that makes you feel like a badass this will definitely do it. Ace of Spades is the best song, but there aren’t really any clunkers either
Cocteau Twins
4/5
It’s good, but it’s no Heaven or Las Vegas
Michael Jackson
5/5
So many iconic songs from just one album. Even the clunker (Dirty Diana) has some good stuff to it
U2
4/5
One thing I have gotten out of doing this 1001 albums generator is a little more respect for U2. I still don’t love them, but at least I see they have some decent records
Joan Baez
3/5
I’m not a big fan of folk music, but I recognize this as very well executed folk music
Iggy Pop
4/5
Not my favorite, but it has a ton of infectious energy that really carries it through
Iggy Pop
2/5
Way too Bowie. I’m glad he got to do his own thing more with Lust for Life
New York Dolls
4/5
The march of time is crazy; it’s hard to imagine this being terribly inflammatory now. Still rocks real hard though!
Dizzee Rascal
1/5
Argh, this was really annoying to listen to
The Black Keys
4/5
Great album. Not as good as The Big Come Up in my opinion, but still absolutely worth listening to
Green Day
5/5
Easy 5 star are you kidding
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Album gets 4 just on the strength of Son of a Preacher Man, and not blowing it with the rest of the album. But I also didn’t hear anything that would elevate it to a 5 star
Missy Elliott
4/5
Solid album but it goes too long
Stephen Stills
4/5
While not as mind blowing as some of the stuff Crosby, Stills, and Nash (and Young) did together, it’s a solid album. The closing of Go Back Home in particular great
Morrissey
2/5
Why is there so much Morrissey on this list? He’s just so overwrought and sludgy
Hole
5/5
Great album, anchored by the fantastic Doll Parts. She may be crazy, but she’s definitely a rock star
Drive-By Truckers
1/5
Vapid, unpleasant, and way too long
Joni Mitchell
3/5
Her voice is lovely and the instrumentation is great, but I do find the songs a little meandering and similar to each other
Franz Ferdinand
3/5
I loved this album when it came out. Now it feels a bit dated though
Mike Oldfield
3/5
It’s incredible in its detail and singular vision. I’m never going to be sitting around saying “you know what I want to listen to right now? Fukkin Tubular Bells!” But I’m glad it’s out there and it’s worth listening to
Goldfrapp
3/5
I’m surprised to see a second Goldfrapp album on the list. I really liked the other one (Seventh Tree), but this one didn’t blow me away. It’s fine throughout, just nothing magical
American Music Club
3/5
It’s fine but I don’t know why it’s on this list. If you want a good example of a band in the 80s being ahead of their time you can listen to Violent Femmes and have a way better time
Incredible Bongo Band
3/5
My first thought when I saw the album was oh no. But Apache started changing my mind, and the rest of the album was pretty decent. It’s definitely background music, but it’s fun background music
Röyksopp
5/5
I don’t like electronica, but this is the one exception. I found this album years ago; it was the first time I heard something playing overhead in a record store that I had to ask the clerk what it was because I wanted to buy it so badly. Melody A.M. is what I consider fantastic chill out music. Each track is distinctive, but they also blend into a laid-back whole. They put some of my favorite songs at the top, “So Easy” and “Eple.” Both feature a fantastic sense of balance where the song moves through these complex sections without any one part overpowering the others. They also avoid the intense repetition I find grating in other electronica. There are some songs with lyrics, such as “Remind Me,” but that tends not to be the focus. Instead it’s about the moment to moment sounds.
Aimee Mann
4/5
Solid album theoughout. There wasn’t any one song that really blew me away though. Say Anything probably came closest
Sarah Vaughan
5/5
Great fun!
Jane's Addiction
3/5
A classic case of we have one great song but we have to make a whole album
Brian Eno
4/5
Enjoyable album, more so than I expected actually. But nothing jumped out at me as incredible
Sly & The Family Stone
3/5
Unfortunately I just don’t like this album as much as a couple other Sly & TFS albums
Happy Mondays
3/5
Fine, not amazing
Marianne Faithfull
4/5
Interesting album. Nothing rose to the 5 star level, but I did enjoy her voice and intensity
Daft Punk
2/5
When I saw this pop up I wondered if we needed another Daft Punk album on this list. We do not, especially one this long
Ray Charles
4/5
Turns out the way to make country music good is change the style completely
The Icarus Line
3/5
Decent, but I’m not sure why it’s any different from Queens of the Stone Age or Them Crooked Vultures
Lightning Bolt
3/5
I have some friends who will absolutely love this, but it’s a little much for me 😅
Hüsker Dü
4/5
I always forget I like Husker Du until I listen to them, then I always really enjoy. Anyway, this album was very solid but slightly long
Grizzly Bear
4/5
Enjoyable lush indie rock. I’m not running out to tell all my friends about it, but I’ll probably listen again
Boston
5/5
I mean there’s a reason multiple songs off here are overplayed. I can’t blame them for that, they just made an album people loved
Neneh Cherry
3/5
Incredibly of its time, probably too much of its time
Cee Lo Green
3/5
Good album, but fuck Cee-Lo Green
Koffi Olomide
3/5
This one just didn’t hit for me. It’s fine, but nothing jumped out
Muddy Waters
5/5
No tricks, no gimmicks. Just incredibly well executed blues
Bon Jovi
3/5
Argh, it’s so big and overdone, but at the same time there’s no denying it had a huge impact
Pere Ubu
3/5
You can’t debate their influence - a lot of this sound carried forward. You can’t tell me the big New Wave acts had never heard this singing, for example. But the grating noises are just too unpleasant for repeat listening, so while it has my respect it doesn’t have a high rating
Derek & The Dominos
4/5
It’s interesting reading that this was not received well on release considering it has 3 enduring classic Clapton songs on it. The only real problem I had is it didn’t need to be so long. Trim some fat and this is a 5 star album
Bob Dylan
5/5
Probably the best Dylan album? Yeah
Deep Purple
4/5
Stands well as some just straightforward rock with remarkable consistency across the album. It was all enjoyable to listen to, but there also wasn’t anything that stood out as memorable
Eels
4/5
I’d heard Novocaine For the Soul before, but that was about it. Solid album, good sound throughout. Got a little pretentious at times, but I can forgive it for that
Metallica
2/5
I’m sorry Metallica heads. Bringing in a symphony was a good try, but I just don’t enjoy this
Teenage Fanclub
5/5
One of my favorites!
Alice In Chains
4/5
A classic
The Smiths
3/5
Okay, so I have to say there’s way too much Morrissey on this list. Setting that aside:
Good album, and and important one for The Smiths. I liked it way more than Strangeways, but less than The Queen is Dead
OutKast
3/5
Did this have to be a double album? Other than that it’s the best of Outkast
4/5
I never listened to much Blur, basically just Song 2 and Beetlebum. This album was some solid fun britpop, no real standouts though
Magazine
4/5
Fun album. I don’t think it’ll be in heavy rotation, but I’m glad I listened
The Chemical Brothers
1/5
I just can’t get into this stuff, too repetitive
Death In Vegas
4/5
This album was so close to being something I loved. Dirge and Broken Little Sister are great, I love when they lean into their shoegaze urges. But then sometimes it’d be a little too electronic for me, or I wouldn’t really notice the music at all. So good album, so close to being a great album
David Bowie
3/5
I continue to kind of not really get Bowie. It was all fine, but something just doesn’t sound right to me
1/5
Nope, awful
Raekwon
5/5
Great album, probably my favorite of the Wu-Tang associated albums honestly
The Saints
4/5
I could see where someone might say this is a little soft and the musicality too good for true punk, but it hit the right spot for me. Good album!
Little Simz
4/5
First half I thought her flow was great but the beats were pretty weak. Then the second half it flipped, the beats were great but the flow wasn’t as good. Overall it’s a strong album but not top tier for me
Joni Mitchell
3/5
A little meandering for my tastes
Slint
4/5
As far as mopey guy with a guitar music goes it’s pretty good
The Replacements
5/5
I liked this a lot. It feels fresh despite being 40 years old
ZZ Top
3/5
Yes it’s very obvious and straightforward. That isn’t always fun or interesting, but when it works it really works
Primal Scream
4/5
It’s an interesting mix of sounds and pretty decent throughout. It’s kind of amazing that it came out in 91, it feels a lot more recent on some of the tracks. I didn’t hear anything that really blew my mind though. It’s also way too long.
Tori Amos
4/5
I love her piano work, and her songwriting is lovely
Richard Thompson
4/5
Folk isn’t generally my genre, but a lot of this worked for me. Good album
Pet Shop Boys
3/5
This was considerably more gentle than I expected. Sort of a precursor to Air in my opinion. Pleasant, but always right on the edge of being outdated and a litttle dull. I wonder how many more years this will be listenable
Joy Division
3/5
I only really knew Joy Division from Love Will Tear Us Apart. I had no idea they could be pretty experimental. Unfortunately it didn’t really hit for me - I can see where someone would like it, just not me
The Stranglers
4/5
This was a surprisingly fun album. A little bit The Doors, a little bit punk, a little bit New Wave
The Bees
5/5
Genre bending and eclectic while also being tuneful and approachable. This is the reason you do this list, for when you find an album you’ve never heard of that blows you away
Saint Etienne
3/5
I’m actually not sure how I feel about this album. Parts were good, parts dragged on. Overall decent I guess, but maybe better background music than anything else
Joan Armatrading
4/5
Nice, but something didn’t quite grab me
Soft Machine
2/5
If you have a LOT of patience for repetition and noodling you’ll probably enjoy this
Ash
4/5
I see why these guys toured with Weezer, they definitely have that early Weezer sound in some parts. That’s fine with me though, and their other influences (punk and Sonic Youth being the strongest) are fun too. I’ll listen to this again, though it didn’t blow my mind
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
This is the third Echo & the Bunnymen album I’ve hit on this list. They’re good, I like them fine, but there is no reason to include this alongside the others. Just do Ocean Rain and call it good
Talk Talk
3/5
Good but nothing jumped out at me. Glad I listened though
Manic Street Preachers
4/5
It’s not absolutely incredible the way The Holy Bible was, but it’s a fun listen and something I’ll definitely come back to
Jurassic 5
4/5
Really good, maybe a little long
G. Love & Special Sauce
3/5
I haven’t thought about G. Love and Special Sauce since hanging with my stoner hippie friends in college. That’s really the right crowd and environment for this. Listening to it now while at work doesn’t quite hit the same way. Overall pretty decent but too long
Christina Aguilera
2/5
This is the sound of early 2000s pop. Probably should have been shorter
Giant Sand
3/5
I have to imagine this is about as obscure as this list gets. It started a little rough, but I was on board by X-Tra Wide. There are some standouts here, like 1972, Temptation of Egg, and Shiver. Sometimes he tries too hard to be Leonard Cohen, but overall I’m glad I listened even though it’s not a favorite
Metallica
3/5
It’s Metallica, you already know if you’re into it or not. I will say the Cthulhu song was pretty sick
Pink Floyd
4/5
While personally I prefer Dark Side of the Moon, this is an excellent album with some enduring, timeless hits. It just also has some filler, which keeps it from being a 5 star for me
Bob Dylan
3/5
I like the instrumentation, but don’t really the effects on his voice on some songs
The Fall
2/5
This Nation’s Saving Grace was better
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Not used to Marvin Gaye being this raw and vulnerable. Good album, but not one you could just throw on any time
Jethro Tull
4/5
Somehow despite knowing of this album and that it’s considered a classic I’ve never actually listened to it. Turns out I like this album a lot. I don’t know why everyone in the reviews is bitching about the flute, seemed good to me!
Radiohead
5/5
Weird Fishes/Arpeggi is obviously the highlight, makes the whole album worthwhile, but the rest is fun too
Caetano Veloso
3/5
When you think of Brazil you probably think of either this music or the Getz/Gilberto bossa nova. It’s good and worth listening to, but not going to be in my regular rotation. Also why did this guy choose to put himself looking like a serial killer dead center of his album cover?
Dire Straits
3/5
I’ve never really understood why Sultans of Swing was so popular. It’s fine, just never grabbed me. The rest of the album is similar. Dire Straits just always sounded kind of… hollow? Like they’re missing something, at least until Brothers in Arms
Primal Scream
2/5
I vacillated between not liking this and liking this almost every song. In the end I think I land on not liking it much
Elton John
3/5
I’ve always been lukewarm on Elton John. This album brought me around a little bit, though there were some songs that could be trimmed
Black Sabbath
2/5
I keep trying but it’s just not my genre
Tim Buckley
3/5
I really liked this album until he completely killed the momentum with Dream Letter. He tries to compensate with Gypsy Woman, but it just doesn’t work, and so by the time you get to Sing a Song for You you’re pretty ready to be done even though that song is decent
Motörhead
2/5
So the problem with Motörhead is all their songs sound like Ace of Spades. It’s a good sound, but I don’t need a dozen of it
Black Sabbath
4/5
Well this is timely since Ozzy just died yesterday. I’m not really a Sabbath fan, but Paranoid has some really good songs on it. So how does this album stack up to that? Not as many iconic, undeniable songs. But also it’s way more of a psych rock sound, which I like more than metal. So on a personal level I enjoyed it a lot
M.I.A.
1/5
I can’t imagine this was popular or influential enough to justify including two of her albums in this list.
The Auteurs
2/5
Musically this is serviceable but nothing special. The lyrics are pretty weak though. Ultimately I love brit pop but there’s a lot of other acts I’d rather listen to in the genre
Led Zeppelin
5/5
Absolutely iconic album that was a part of my personal musical discovery road in high school. Unfortunately we now know some unsavory things about the band, but I don’t think you can undersell this album’s influence on rock and roll
White Denim
4/5
If I had found White Denim through this album instead of Fits I’d probably like them a lot more. This is fun garagey prog rock. Fits was that but weird and unlistenable in a lot of places. I liked this one a lot more
Grateful Dead
2/5
I don’t have a big problem with the Dead, but it is more noodling than I care to listen to
Public Image Ltd.
2/5
Thank god for the bassist, he’s the only one making music here
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
3/5
I absolutely love a bunch of Young’s earlier albums, but never tried any of his more recent stuff. I guess I was afraid he would have lost the magic over time. Unfortunately that might be true - nothing in this album is as, but nothing had the spark that makes his other albums repeat listens for me. Days That Used to Be was pretty good though
Carole King
5/5
It may feel a little dated these days, but the sheer concentration of zeitgeist-penetrating bangers on this album is incredible
Jacques Brel
3/5
This is basically Ne me quitte pas 8 times in a row. It’s a fun musical style for a little bit, but you don’t really need this many songs for it
Frank Zappa
3/5
Some pretty great noodling here, but I would have liked some more vocals
Snoop Dogg
4/5
An absolute classic of rap in the 90s. Unfortunately that includes a ton of misogyny. It makes it hard to listen to these days, which is a shame because the beats and flow are impeccable.
Bob Dylan
4/5
I kind of wish I had heard this sooner! I never really branched out past Blonde on Blonde before, and this was great
Sugar
4/5
I feel like this album is almost there. It could have been fantastic, but something just never quite clicked to make it really special.
Pavement
4/5
An indie rock classic. Personally I like Crooked Rain more, but this is still a kick ass album
5/5
My actual favorite album. The easiest 5 star ever given
Rush
3/5
This was how my friend in high school tried to get me into Rush. It was not effective, and while I respect their music I don’t particularly love it
Ice Cube
3/5
Like all 90s rap the machismo and misogyny is tough to take now, but it’s a classic of the genre and Ice Cube’s flow is solid. I don’t like this album as much as some of his contemporaries though
Robert Wyatt
2/5
Woof, those vocals at the end of Sea Song. The jazz fusion really shows up in Red Riding Hood, but unfortunately the rest of the album didn’t get any more consistent or listenable
The Dandy Warhols
3/5
Fine, but a bit forgettable. I don’t know that this really deserves a place on this list. Interestingly the best songs, Good Morning and Whipping Boy, were not the hits from this album
Skepta
1/5
Why is British rap always so shit?
Bobby Womack
3/5
It’s unusual to hear a decent soul album from the 80s. There are some missteps, like the countrified cover of Just My Imagination, and in general it can’t stand up to the classics of the 60s and 70s. But it’s not a bad listen and I think I’ll be exploring Womack’s earlier stuff
Yes
3/5
Roundabout is the obvious high point of the album. But just like with other Yes albums, it’s all solid and makes fantastic background music
Emmylou Harris
2/5
Okay the instrumentation got a little interesting in parts, but that didn’t outweigh the country
Dexys Midnight Runners
3/5
Decent though a little smarmy at times. At its very best it reminded me of the Violent Femmes a little bit. But ultimately I don’t see why I’d listen to this over Too-Rye-Ay
B.B. King
4/5
Love me some BB King, especially at his peak. Now while I think Cook County is the better live album, this one still kicks ass
Coldcut
2/5
Okay, it’s wild that this was made in 1989. It’s very ahead of its time. That said, it’s not terribly listenable for me, someone who doesn’t really dig electronica. I respect it and see why it’s here though
Badly Drawn Boy
3/5
This was an unknown album to me. I like it a lot, though there are some missteps (looking at you This Song), and like most hour+ albums you could trim 15-20 min pretty easily. It’s questionable how much lasting impact this had to say the least. But overall this was a gentle, enjoyable album and I’ll probably revisit at least the first half in the future
Maxwell
4/5
I tend to like classic soul more than neo-soul, but this was a very solid album. It opens very strong with some extremely groovy bass, which I love. It starts to drag a little toward the end, but still, quality album!
David Bowie
3/5
This is probably the closest Bowie has ever gotten to hitting for me. I really liked the soul influence and heavy use of horns. But partway through the I’ll-advised Beatles cover on the album I realized, I just really don’t like how Bowie sings. That’s what’s turned me off all these years. Fame is a banger though, so we end up landing middle of the road with this one as a whole
James Brown
5/5
A stone cold classic and one of James Brown’s best works
Kraftwerk
2/5
This is what, the third Kraftwerk album on this list? I don’t think they warrant that large a space here. It’s impressive to do this in the 70s and not aggressively unpleasant though, so it’s saved from a 1 star rating
Metallica
2/5
It’s Metallica. Yet another of their albums isn’t going to convince me
The Mothers Of Invention
2/5
You have to expect weird when you go into a Zappa album. But also some really excellent music. This one skews more to the weird, and so while there are some enjoyable sections, and I got a laugh out of some of the attacks on flower power hippies, the random noise making and whispering didn’t do it for me. Ultimately I’d point you toward other “weird” works like Captain Beefheart before this
Holger Czukay
3/5
I was ready for the experimentalism and found sounds. I was not ready for the groove. Way more groove than I expected. It’s still probably not something I’ll revisit simply because I prefer shorter songs with more vocals, but it’s good!
Robert Wyatt
3/5
Prog-y and pastoral. The first two tracks are very strong, as are Free Will and Testament and September the Ninth. The rest doesn’t quite measure up, but overall a solid album I enjoyed
The Dictators
4/5
It’s kind of hilarious how tame this feels now, but you can see how it inspired the punk scene. Regardless, the album itself shows off musicality and technical skill, while also being a hell of a lot of fun
The Smashing Pumpkins
5/5
One of the greats, though I always end up dropping off toward the end. Still, so many bangers on here it has to be rated highly
Bee Gees
1/5
Man, that was a lot of warbling. Vocals seemed to have trouble staying on tempo too. I’m sorry, but this was not fun to listen to
FKA twigs
3/5
It’s distinctive, but feels more like a flash in the pan than something that will endure
Britney Spears
3/5
This is a weird one to listen to now. I don’t have the nostalgia for it a lot of people do. I also don’t completely hate it the way I did when it came out. It feels so manufactured and corny now that it’s hard to listen to, but at the same time it was massively influential at the time. I think I just have to go middle of the road
Emmylou Harris
1/5
I’m sure this was very influential because it sounds like literally all country music but was made in the 70s. It’s still country though so no thanks
Can
2/5
First three tracks were great, I was fully on board. Then Halleluhwah was long as fuck, and Aumgn was indulgently weird instead of interestingly experimental. And then we just never recovered
Steely Dan
2/5
I’ve always been unenthused by Steely Dan, and this album didn’t change that
Milton Nascimento
3/5
When I saw this come up I was a little concerned it would just be another basic album with that characteristic Brazilian sound. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that fused with other styles, particularly Britpop sounds that would be at home on a Zombies album. This was a very enjoyable listen
Sigur Rós
5/5
Remarkably well done album. There were moments when I’d start to think it was a little too ambient and then it would change and draw me back in. Really happy this was on the list!
A Tribe Called Quest
5/5
One of those rare undeniable albums that live up to the hype
Bebel Gilberto
3/5
Pleasant enough bossa nova, though there wasn’t anything that elevated it
Public Enemy
3/5
Personally I like my hip hop a little more jazz influenced instead of just over drums and record scratches, but there’s no denying their influence or their cultural impact
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
3/5
The kinda sleazy blues rock/hard rock sound was good, loved that. Hated the lyrics though
k.d. lang
3/5
Only knowing k.d. lang from the 90s and Constant Craving, I didn’t know she did country. I guess it’s probably good country? I did like Black Coffee and Busy Being Blue though
Slade
4/5
Not a lot of complexity or deep emotion. But it is a lot of fun!
The Undertones
4/5
Fun and a little goofy. I was tapping my foot to the beat the whole time, but I do kind of feel like the wiki entry for this kind of oversold it
The Cure
3/5
Tap into your goth side and this is a pretty decent listen. I probably won’t be back to it again, but I’m glad it’s out there for the folks who need it
Iron Butterfly
2/5
I mean, there’s a reason In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida is the only song by them anyone knows. It’s a good song though. The rest was fine, but not at all memorable. Not sure we needed a one hit wonder on this list.
Beatles
5/5
Not my favorite Beatles era, but I suppose we had to include an early album and this is probably the best of those
Buzzcocks
4/5
Some good old punk fun
Rush
3/5
If you like Rush this is their crowning achievement. If you don’t like Rush you can probably get down with Tom Sawyer and YYZ and the rest will kind of bore you. That’s pretty much where I sit
The Libertines
3/5
Throwback britpop, but lacking heart or something unique to grab attention
SZA
4/5
I had only heard SZA before on that song she did with Doja Cat. I’m really glad this album was on this list. It’s great!
The Teardrop Explodes
2/5
This was middling 80s rock until the end, when they fell off into some really uninspired BS
Shuggie Otis
3/5
I was hype for this album because I’ve heard other stuff I really love from Ahuggie Otis. Unfortunately this album never really soars. It’s fine, but I’ve heard much more exceptional soul
Dexys Midnight Runners
2/5
Why are there three Dexy’s Midnight Runners albums on this list? This just sounds like a very slow windup to Come One Eileen, the only album that should have been included. I think about other exceptional albums that aren’t on the list because of this crap and I get mad
John Lennon
2/5
The Beatles are my favorite band, and I always kind of instinctively avoided all their solo stuff. I feel like that was a good call. Lennon clearly needed someone to rein him in a bit
3/5
Is “maximalist pop” a subgenre? I feel like that’s what Muse are doing. Nothing here really grabbed me, but it was listenable the whole way through. I can’t really imagine someone feeling strongly about them though
Neil Young
4/5
Southern Man is easily the standout track, but the album as a whole is still very good. I’d rate it immediately below Everybody Knows and Rust Never Sleeps
John Coltrane
4/5
I was worried this might be a little avant-garde for my tastes, but once we got to Resolution the entire rest of the album was gorgeous. Love it
Gene Clark
3/5
Mom: “We have Neil Young and Bob Dylan at home”
Neil Young and Bob Dylan at home: This album
It’s a fine album, but I’ve heard others do the same stuff much better
Common
4/5
I knew what to expect going into this having listened to a decent amount of Common’s other stuff. I liked this album a lot, but there wasn’t anything truly iconic, and the Ye collab has aged poorly unfortunately
The Doors
4/5
We’re going back to my high school days with this one. Not the best Doors album, but a bluesy classic that is still fun to listen to
Nine Inch Nails
1/5
Nope, hate it
Dead Kennedys
5/5
This is the way punk should be. Shocking titles with awesome messages once you read the lyrics, played with a ton of bombast
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
I knew and liked Yeah Yeah Yeahs from Fever to Tell. This album didn’t stand up to that one, though. The only real standout was Dragon Queen, and that didn’t reach the same peaks. Overall good but not spectacular
The Who
5/5
Some of these songs are a bit overused, but only because they are stone cold bangers. This album is just packed with rad songs
Elvis Costello
3/5
Elvis Costello is interesting. I like his overall sound, but I feel like there’s an ironic detachment between him and the music. Something about it feels… constructed? Inauthentic? I don’t know exactly how to describe it, but I feel it in basically every song. Allison still a banger though
The Last Shadow Puppets
2/5
I’m usually a sucker for modern bands doing an older style of music. But this didn’t grab me. It’s better than the Arctic Monkeys, but not by much. I think maybe I just don’t like that guy’s voice
Laura Nyro
4/5
Pretty great in a old school kind of way
Paul Revere & The Raiders
4/5
I already knew Kicks and Not Your Stepping Stone, but had never actually listened to this album. Good stuff here, emblematic of the era. There are some others that do it a little better, but not many
Meat Puppets
3/5
Imagine having all of your best songs be more iconic when someone else does them. That has to sting a little, right? Anyway, assessing just this album, I can see where you could be into them but I find it a little too messy
Donovan
3/5
Decent representative of the era. There are a couple bangers here, but for the most part better version of the same sounds have been done by his contemporaries
Adele
2/5
I really dislike Adele’s music. It’s alternately boring and annoying. There’s one decent song on here, Someone Like You, and that’s mostly because I find it funny to imagine the guy’s wife in the background taking out her earrings and putting up her hair before she takes this stalker chick out
Depeche Mode
1/5
I have never understood the appeal of Depeche Mode, and this album didn’t help any. C’mon, Little 15? Woof
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
1/5
Why are there 5 Nick Cave albums on this list? This band is not that important. This is easily the worst of them too. Nah.
Alexander 'Skip' Spence
4/5
This kind of stuff is why you do this list. Totally unknown but interesting and powerful. While I didn’t love every song, the story is fascinating and there were a couple that grabbed me, so I have to rate it overall a good album
Pixies
5/5
I’m not generally a Pixies fan, but this album is pretty undeniable. The impact it had certainly is. It drops off a little in the back half, but nevertheless it has to stand tall
Peter Gabriel
4/5
Solsbury Hill was good, but the rest was somewhat forgettable
Peter Gabriel
4/5
If you don’t like Sledgehammer you are lying to yourself and others. The rest of the album is fine to good, with a low point at This Is the Picture. Overall strong but buoyed up by the one indelible banger
Isaac Hayes
5/5
Classic soul
Sonic Youth
4/5
I continue to love Sonic Youth. Thanks 1001 Albums for teaching me this. This one gets a little self indulgent in the middle, but overall a strong album
Elliott Smith
5/5
Great album, no notes
R.E.M.
5/5
Man, imagine dropping a series of albums like REM did. Unreal
Christine and the Queens
4/5
I started off not sold on this, but it won me over. Definitely don’t need to listen to both discs though, just pick the language you like more and roll with that
Marvin Gaye
4/5
Despite loving some other Gaye albums, I’d only ever heard the title track on this one before now. Solid overall, not as good as What’s Going On? I did really like You Sure Love to Ball though
Slipknot
1/5
Ughhhh I hate it
Charles Mingus
5/5
Mingus isn’t always my favorite jazzman, but this is stunning. Not only is it fun to listen to, but imagining the band working on and refining it is inspiring.
Sebadoh
4/5
Good album! A couple of tracks get a little wild for my personal tastes, but most of it rocked and it’s fun going back to the early days of indie
Michael Jackson
5/5
Multiple all-time bangers and a pretty decent rest of the album make this an easy vote
Kings of Leon
2/5
This is the second or third Kings of Leon album I’ve listened to now. I think I’ve realized that while they play well I’m just not interested in their musical sensibility. I find it a bit dull
Devendra Banhart
3/5
As far as new folk goes this is better than many. But the ceiling on this is pretty low
Fleetwood Mac
4/5
I’ve never been a big Fleetwood Mac fan, but Dreams and The Chain are undeniable. The rest of the album is solid, so basically it has to rate pretty high
The Flaming Lips
4/5
I actually think I like this better than Yoshimi