50 years later and it still sounds like the future.

So good I listened to it twice in a row. Easily my favorite Wu-Tang related project. GZA sounds so smooth in his flow, everything is kind of lo-fi and straight to the point and I think that's what I like about it. Nothing but great rap songs.

Mom, can we have David Bowie at home? No, we already have a David Bowie at home The David Bowie at home:

For an album that spawned one of the most vicious music ever created under its name, Black Metal is a lot of fun. Maybe it's because we have a lot of hindsight on it, but it's kind of surprising how seriously this album was taken by the generation that would create the second wave of black metal. To me it's just a fun metal album with great riffs and some clumsy execution. But since BM is my favorite metal subgenre, I can only be thankful that Venom (and Bathory) helped creating some of the best music out there.

The best part about Jane's Addiction is Dave Navarro's eyeliner.

It was a pleasant listen but I don't remember any of it to be honest. I guess I'll have to go back to it to have a real opinion about it. Spoiler altert: I probably won't.

I'm beyond tired of hearing the singles and I felt that the other songs were mostly fillers, but the truth is that I'm not a fan at all. 40 minutes of AC/DC is just way more than I can take. Maybe one day I'll become some 55 years old dude having fights in dive bars and then I'll change my mind about them.

My knowledge of country music is close to none. Even the ones I know and like (Townes Van Zandt, Johnny Cash) has more folk in them than Emmylou. This is country front to back, and while I can't say that I was crazy about it, it's easy to see why people would like that one. Emmylou has a great voice and most of the songs have a bright, uplifting vibe that is comforting. From what I gather this is mostly covers, but I didn't really recognize the originals except for For No One, which was kinda nice.

Meh Charles

Close to perfection. Pink Moon gets all the praise but I'd say that it's just as good in many ways. It has the beautiful arrangements of Bryter Layter and the automnal, introspective mood of Pink Moon. Best of both worlds, really.

Starts and ends in a perfect way. There are some fillers along the way but the good tracks are strong enough to warrant a 4 overall.

Nothing mindblowing, but I understand why it became an important piece of the cultural landscape in hip hop. I'm glad I heard it, but I doubt I'll ever return to it.

Very good and obviously an important record for trip hop, if not the first one. There are a few weaker spots here and there, but it's mostly solid. I'm glad I listened to something else than Mezzanine for once.

Let' get this out of the way: I am an unabashed Radiohead fanboy. So it might not come as a surprise that I'm giving their first classic album a perfect score. But the truth is, how was I supposed to give it a lower score with songs like Fake Plastic Trees and Street Spirit?

I feel that giving it 2 stars might be a bit harsh, but at the same time I thought it was really boring overall, save for one or two songs. They've done much better before and after that album so it's a bit surprising to see this one here.

I can hardly justify whi this album is included in this list when their two previous albums are already featured. It's a good album, but it brings absolutely nothing new to their sound. To me this was a diminishing return and I'm sure there are far more deserving albums that could have been representend in the book instead of this one.

Such a fun and varied album. It loses a bit of steam in the last half but there's no real bad moments here.

I love that kind of music. Nothing truly stands out for me after the first song, but it's all about that nostalgic, deeply American atmosphere anyway.

I love this band and this is a good album, but there's just no reason for it to be included here when Lost Souls exists. There are far more deserving albums out there.

Not a huge fan of live albums in general, but this one feels special.

I get it, it's a pretty daring record for 1985 and I can see why it's praised. But even at under 40 minutes, it got a bit tiring and samey in the second half.

Possibly the best album featuring a toilet seat on its cover. Huge classic nad much more than just California Dreamin'.

Another masterful album by Nick Drake. It's easy to see why he cared deeply about that one. People always rave about Pink Moon (and rightfully so) for its mystique and melancholic feel, but this one's just as important. This is what he wanted to do. The lush arrangements and warm production makes it something really special.

This shouldn't work as much as it does, but it does. What a trip. Playground love is the obvious highlight, very Air-esque in its sexiness, but all the other songs have that hypnotic patterns that are way more dark and anxious than anything else they've ever done. Great stuff.

Those orchestrations are miraculous. No one sounds like Mingus and his blend of experimental big band, classical music and the so-called world music. Most importantly, he kept pushing the jazz genre forward while still bopping hard. This album is a testament to his genius.

Really great stuff. I don't listen to Zappa/Mothers as much as I should. I think that's because I find his vast discography a little bit intimidating. I'll get to it eventually.

The Thing That Should Not Be indeed

I don't know about this being one of their most essential releases, but it's still great. I feel that giving it a 4 is a bit much, but since there's no half stars I feel that it's closer to my appreciation than a 3.

To me, this is the quintessential rock album. This is the album that broke with Zeppelin's epicness and glitters to go back to its basic, more dangerous roots.

A good album with a few real standouts but with some weaker spots here and there. Still, it's easy to see why it's considered a classic.

Jumping Jack Flash with sitar is still Jumping Jack Flash.

Not bad, but as a newcomer I failed to see what is supposed to be so exciting about Alice's music. I'll try again with another album.

First real discovery that I make with this challenge and it's a real good one! Quite atmospheric synthpop with post-punk undertones, I love it and I need it on vinyl now.

All six first Sabbath albums are absolute classics in my book.

Hey, I don't hate Pearl Jam as much as I thought I did!

There's only a few Iggy albums that I really like, and this is one of them. Turn Blue is the only low point here, the rest of the album is filled with bangers!

Not one of my favorite bands by any stretch of the imagination, but there are some really good moments here. The last three songs prevents this from getting a 4.

50 years later and it still sounds like the future.

It was not offensively bad, but it was offensively boring, juste like everything else I've heard from this guy so far.

Not bad, there was some nice songwriting here, but I doubt I'll ever return to it. Still better than Springsteen.

In equal parts quirky and unsettling, this sounded like what I thought industrial music from the early 80's would sound like. I'm not sure if this was an essential listening, but you can't try to get this book's logic.

The White Stripes are the kind of band that a greatest hits would be more than enough for me. Some really great songs mixed with some rather dull ones.

Not my favorite from them, but it's a great feel-good album. Lots of Dylan covers as usual, so that doesn't hurt. Nothing groundbreaking, just great rock music.

I'll have a glass of whiskey with my cigar, please.

AN album that made history blablabla don't let me hear this ever again.

Great, great country album that mixes humor, politics and melancholy without falling into the cheesy category that so many albums of the genre gets trapped in. And to think this was his first album is quite impressive as well. I have to check out his later stuff.

Way better than expected. Shirley Manson has a lot of charisma and Butch Vig does a great production with this more electronic approach. I think it's the kind of album that I would have on rotation if I had known it at the right time, but it's still cool to discover it now.

Rudimentary folk/country music from the late 50's. As a whole, this felt like a mess and even at 30 minutes it was a bit of a drag to get through. Sorry Jack. I do love your 2009 comeback though, so I'm still willing to hear your other albums.

Never really understood why people love that band so much, and I still don't. Some good songles here and there, but mostly boring in the long run. Maybe a greatest hits would be more suited for a casual like me.

I will give this a 4 despite the second half being much weaker than the first. "Girlfriend" and "She's Out of My Life" kills the mood a bit for me, but I have to concede that the first side is some of the best disco pop you'll ever hear in your life.

Our House and 12 Other Boring Songs

One of his best, that's for sure. Mark Garson's playing steals the show on this one, especially on the title track. Honestly, this would be very close to a perfect album if it wasn't for that uneventful Rolling Stones cover.

I guess I'm not the one to judge of her work because I'm not part of her fanbase nor am I a fan of this kind of pop, but I found this album painfully linear. Well produced but very cold in her delivery. It's just not for me, at least I can confirm this now.

Really fun album

Well, I've listened to Stand! a few times and liked it a lot, but I was surprised to see how this one is different, especially considering it only came out two years after it. Riot is much more hypnotic than Stand!, it's also more serious. I'm used to hear funk that's uplifting and optimistic, but this one's feel cynical, and that gives the album an emotional depth that I've rarely heard in that genre before. This is a unique album that is fully deserving its spot in this list.

The thin line between listening to music and falling into a coma.

It sure is a country album made in the 60's.

One of the great "I'm an angry white American young man" albums out there. "I Will Dare", "Unsatisfied", "Androgynous" and "Answering Machine" are absolute classics, but the whole album is great. It was also ahead of its time both for the lyrics and the music. Grunge bands obviously took notes from The Replacements. I could go on for hours about that album, a real gem.

Considering that I've never been a fan on his singles that I would catch on the radio sometimes, that was way better than expected. You can see that this had a lot of influence on Kanye and that he indeed surpassed the master pretty quickly, but the beats are still great for the most part.

Great britpop album with a bit of a theatrical delivery. In that way they are closer to Blur than Oasis, which might explain why I enjoyed it.

Huge classic, there's no doubt about this, but it's never been one of my favorites to be honest. It sounds good obviously and there are some awesome tracks here, but as rappers, Dre et Snoop both sounds a bit too lazy to keep me interested for 1 hours straight.

I wish I enjoyed her music, I really do. But I can't stand her voice. I totally understand why people find it beautiful, like I said I hope I can get my head around it someday, but for now now her tremolo and use of dynamics are just giving me a headache. I'm sorry Joan.

Great voice, subpar songs. Also that laughing guy in One More Dance was unbearable.

Well, that was incredible. I knew other Siouxsie albums and really liked them, but I had never really heard this one before. This has to be her best album, great goth/post-punk with menacing riffs and of course haunting vocals. This one goes in my wantlist.

I don't know what to make of this. This wasn't bad but I already can't remember any of it. I kinda just felt like 40 minutes of Van wailing. I'll get back to it eventually, but my first impression isn't that convincing.

The Byrds are the kind of band that I like but from which there's no albums I'm totally crazy about. This one's a good example, extremely pleasant and a really nice transition from their more psychedelic first years, but in the end nothing from it will really stick with me. I'll be really glad every time I hear it, but it won't become a personal classic.

Shut up Elvis

Better than Elvis Costello

A few good songs here and there, especially on Wilco's side, but I find most of the album to be pleasant but uneventful. The idea of giving old Guthrie songs to younger musicians is really great, and Wilco are obviously having fun with them, while Bragg mostly sticks to his usual serious "union on strike singer" delivery.

Admittedly, I'm not Stevie's biggest fan. I mean I love his music and hearing his big singles is always fun, but on whole albums I tend to find his brand of smooth soul a little too... smooth. Or gentle, let's put it this way. That's why I prefer the tracks that has a little more edge, like Living for the City. But having said that, it's obviously a classic and I can only admire his work even if it's not the first thing I'll want to hear when I want some soul.

Some good tracks, some boring ones. Nothing bad, nothing extraordinary either. Just there.

Great soft rock album full of energy and humor.

That's a cute little blues rock cover band you've got here, do you often get requests for "Freebird" when you play weddings?

Swing the pain away

I've listened to this album 10 000 times and I still can't remember anything about Long, Long, Long.

Much more rhythmically driven than what I remembered. It's crazy to witness how that guy was ahead of its time at such an early stage of its career. He would release a lot more challenging records in the future but this one's too cool to be ignored.

Don't tell Alex I didn't enjoy as much as he wanted me to. I just don't think that the slick production goes really well with the "world music" it wants to incorporate, but maybe it's just me. There are some solid compositions though, but considering its reputation, I gotta say that I was expecting more from that one.

Started really strong but I thought it was quite spotty after that. This is the kind of album where I'll choose 2 or 3 songs to put in playlists and be happy with just that.

Never understood the hype around this one, still don't.

This is not the album that will make me a Who fan, that's for sure. A few good tracks here and there, but also a lot of filler, which is to be expected for an album that long. I guess seeing the film would help, but I'm not in a hurry to hear those songs again.

One of the most consistent Doors albums, I think. But while it has no real filler, it also kinda lacks in truly glorious and magical moments, save for the two first songs.

Pretty good, pretty smooth. I don't have much to say about this. Obviously it's good music it all kind of blends together for me at one point.

Great soul album, incredible soul singer. I should check her other albums one day.

I thought it was better than Supa Dupa Fly. The feats were more interesting and the more modern production by Timbaland suits her music best. But for the love of our Lord the Rock Lobster can you tell me why there are two of her albums in this book? This is ridiculous.

Comparing T. Rex to Bowie is futile because they just weren't going for the same thing. Bowie was using glam rock as a tool in a far wider musical spectrum that he had in mind. T. Rex embodied glam rock with a sense of sensuality and a grittiness akin to Iggy Pop. This guy just rocked with passion and that's precisely why I love him so much.

I'd write something about this album but I'm way too busy dancing to its amazing beats! No ok, I'm not really dancing. I'm not even standing up. I'm on a chair, I'm always on a chair. My back hurts.

For something called "outlaw country" I thought this was pretty soothing, which is not a bad thing. I actually liked it. It started to feel a little bit samey during the last half but the overall mood was really pleasant.

Maybe I'm too harsh with this album? I don't know. Just give us better albums and it won't happen again.

My favourite. Pompous but with a purpose. I think they really did it right with that one. No dead weight like on the other albums that would follow.

The dreamiest of the dream pop albums. The washy guitars hovers over the dreamlike production while Elizabeth Fraser's voice carries the whole thing. I suspect that some compositions would reveal to be weaker than it seems if they weren't drenched in such a soothing atmosphere. But for each song that may be a little less memorable, there is one absolute classic like Cherry-Coloured Funk, Frou-Frou or the title track.

I had high hopes for this, but it turns out that it's just pointless guitar loops drowned in delay. I try to avoid that term when I talk about music but I think this one's massively overrated.

Started really strong and it stays pleasant all the way through but some songs are sadly more uneventful than others.

It's nice to see where Björk comes from and this is rather good but let's be honest, nobody would care about it if it wasn't for her. Musically, this is standard post-punk that owes everything to Björk's fabulous voice and personality. More of a "for fans only" album than an essential one, me thinks.

I don't know what to make of this album. On one hand, I quite like the idea of having a patchy album from Fleetwood Mac. It gives us the chance to hear them stretch out a bit. But on the other hand there are a lot of filler in there, and not the funny filler kind. Maybe I'd enjoy it more with subsequent listens, but I doubt I'll ever return to it.

Great psychedelic pop mixed with britpop. And Gruff Rhys was in that band?! I didn't even know! I will definitely check out their later albums.

Decades might be the saddest song of all-time. Of course I'm giving it a 5.

It was alright I guess. I'm just not a huge fan of that kind of funk.

Entertaining!

I like Parachutes quite a bit, but I never took the time to listen to their followup outside of its singles. One could argue that it's just as good as their first album and I wouldn't say a thing, but I personally prefer the more stripped back version of the band. Not to mention that I am absolutely sick of hearing Clocks, so that doesn't help. I know it's cool to hate on them but this is pretty good for what it is.

I guess it's good for what it is, meaning 90's techno with a larget-than-life bass sound and a sh*tload of breakbeats. But turns out I'm really not a fan of 90's techno with a larget-than-life bass sound and a sh*tload of breakbeats.

I may have been a bit overenthusiastic while listening to that one. It's really good and it makes for a nice surprise since I didn't know Mike Ladd at all, but there are some flaws. The MC is rather generic and the album os too long for its own good. The last 3 tracks were a bit too much for me. Still, there are some really great ideas on that album, the atmosphere is great, really reflective of the 2000's sound but with a jazzy touch, thanks to the cello parts. So yeah, I like it, it's good abstract hip hop that certainly deserves more recognition, but I'm not sure if I would say it's an essential listen.

I really feel like britpop has little to offer outside of the big classics (and Doves' Lost Souls). I mean, this one's not bad, it even has some great tracks. At their best, they channel the baggy sound of the Stone Roses. At their worst, they sound like they're aping Oasis, which is something nobody should ever do under any circumstances.

Very good electric country, really dynamic, thanks to its backbeat.

Yeah, it has that hit that you always hear in your grandmother's basement during Christmas parties. You're probably sick of it, I know I am. But the album as a whole is much more than that. It has really nice grooves and the instrumentals are really impressive. This is pure disco but with some funk and soul undertones. Next time ask your grandma to put another song from that album instead of Le Freak.

Old school hip hop doesn't get any better than this.

First two songs are nice and I suspect they're the only reasons why the album is in that book. The rest of the album is not that bad but most of it sounds really generic and surprisingly limp for a new wave album with so much percussions.

In one hear and out the other

Some nice songs, some boring ones. Johnny Marr and Badalamenti are on this?

They have only made two albums, but it was two perfect ones.

"I got two turntables and a microphone". Iconic line for an iconic album. So much creativity and energy. It still feels fresh more than 25 years later.

There's a few real standouts on this, but certainly not enough to justify its length. Half of the tracks could have been easily removed and it would have made a much stronger album.

One of my most cherished albums. The bittersweet emotions you feel when you're going through a nasty breakup are perfectly balanced on this album, linking it to Dylan's Blood on the Tracks in some ways. The Go-Betweens were one of the greatest jangle pop bands to come out of Australia, and people like Courtney Barnett clearly owes to them. I'm glad this album was included in this book because it's a perfect case of a somewhat less known album that actually deserves attention.

1, 2, 3, 4!

One great album of a genre that I generally despise. There are some undisputed classics on this though, as well as some tasty deep cuts like Nightrain and It's so Easy. But this album has also its fair share of fillers, much more than what I remembered to be honest. The B-side is basically useless, save for the overplayed Sweet Child O' Mine and Rocket Queen. So yeah, it's a classic and it's by far the best Gn'R album, but its impact is greater than its content.

Yeah, take this 3 and get out of my way.

I have a lot of respect for Elvis, but I can't say that I'm a big fan. This is really fun to listen to, but I feel no real connection to his music. It's more like something I will enjoy hearing as background music than an artist that I will obsess over. But yeah, this is pretty good and this is freakin' Elvis so I can't give him less than 4 stars.

Whatever indeed

Great art pop album with a tasteful production that is leaning on the atmospheric side of the spectrum. I was thinking of Arca while listening to it and I wasn't surprised to learn that he produced this. I wish it went harder a little bit and used Arca's weirdness to its full potential, but I get it that it's not what she was going for, so it's a minor complaint. Her second album is even better apparently, so I'll make sure I check it out shortly.

Everybody's first jazz album. And for good reason! That's also how I've discovered Bill Evans, my favourite jazz pianist. This isn't the Miles album I'd put at the top my list, but that's only because he's made so much and that I'm more attracted by his adventurous side. This one feels like a standard now, and its constant mellow rhythms makes for a good introduction to accessible jazz with great dialogues between musicians. This is the quintessential jazz album in many ways

Way, wayyy too long for its own good. Billy must have thought he was a genius after Siamese Dream because he went all in and did a two-hour album about... I don't know about what. Now, I think this album has a lot of great songs. The singles are incredible and shows Billy's talent (see what I did there) for writing engaging songs. Their mix of alternative rock, dream pop and heavy metal is rather bold, especially considering it was rather uncool to be this pompous and metallic at that time. When the magic sticks, this album becomes one of the best of its era. But it's two hour long. Of course there's gonna be fillers. And while there are no really bad moments to be found, there's plenty of unremarkable songs though. Which makes me wonder why Billy thought it was a great idea to put out an album this long. For that reason, I prefer Siamese Dream (and even Adore), but there's no denying this is one of the most iconic alternative rock album of the 90's.

I love Rush. I rarely see a band live more than once but these guys, I've seen them 3 times and I regret not seeing them more often. It's really easy to see why this is this album is one of their biggest hit, if not the biggest. It has an arguably perfect A side filled with immortal classics. I'm not as enthusiastic about the B side to be honest, but it's still very good. Just not as legendary as the first one. Rush forever.

Great mix of post-punk and new wave. It's really dynamic, most of it sounds playful but there's a subtle eerie vibe that goes through it that I really appreciate. Nice discovery, I'll certainly go back to it.

Rednecks was a good song but I kept wishing the album would finally end right after that one.

This one has a bigger sound than I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, thanks to the addition of horns and strings, but I think it's really similar in terms of quality. The songs are great and Arethas's voice is phenomenal, what more could you ask for?

Out of the first five Beastie albums, this has to be the one I like the least, but I like it very much nonetheless. This one sets the table for what was to come so yeah it's a bit primitive compared to the incredible talent they would display in the next few albums, but it's still really fun and it's definitely one album everybody should hear once in their lives.

Kanye has never been an impressive MC but man, those beats are great. And this album is so much fun, full of life and ambition. In my book it's way better than anything Jay-Z ever produced, that guy must have been in shock.

As in a lot of revered prog bands/albums, I seem to have a problem with the theatrical and high pitched singers they often end up with. I have to get used to Jon's slick vocals, which are sometimes impressive but they also sound cold to me at times. Anyway, what they do have going for them though are, other than the expected virtuosity, some hard hitting beats that merges so well with the complex song structures they adopt. I find them to be at their best when they let it all out.

An album that I've seen so many times in thrift shops and used record bins but somehow its content never made its way to my ears. I'm glad it's done now. Feel-good soft rock with folk undertones that is just as good as any of the great records of the same genre that were released around that time.

I'm not a swingin' lover and even I could appreciate this album.

Right when big beat was the thing in France and the UK with acts like The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers and of course Daft Punk with their electro-disco, Air offered a more mellow version of electronic music, more in line with Portishead or Massive Attack without the darkness. It's great, the first half is arguably flawless and even if it gets kind of blurry near the end, it remains enjoyable all the way through. I know this one's their classic, but I personally prefer their Virgin Suicides score and particularly their Premiers Symptômes debut, which remains my favorite.

Have I listened to this? Because if so I already forgot all about it.

Beck is sad so he trades his two turntables and his microhpone for an acoustic guitar and lush string arrangements. Nigel Godrich does an outstanding job behind the board, to the point where his production actually outshines Beck's compositions on some of the last tracks of the album. Up to that point, this was the first time that Beck showed a more personal side of him so Sea Changes is notable for that. Also the songs are mostly really good, particularly the first five.

It has a lot of that tropical instrument that I can't name but that is often featured in comics or whatever.

Born to avoid this album.

In the End is a great single and some other songs has that crossover potential that other bands like Evanescence exploited to great effect, but all in all I think the album is really weak and hasn't aged well at all. I guess you can see value in it if you were into them when you were a teen, but listening to it out of its time context is just awkward.

So good I listened to it twice in a row. Easily my favorite Wu-Tang related project. GZA sounds so smooth in his flow, everything is kind of lo-fi and straight to the point and I think that's what I like about it. Nothing but great rap songs.

Really beautiful indie pop with lively orchestrations. I feel like cutting it to a 45-50 minutes album would have given it much more impact, but maybe a few more spins and I'll get why it needs to be one hour and fifteen minutes long.

Look, I love Afro-Cuban music and percussions in general, but that one in particular got tiring real fast. Sounds like they had a lot of fun doing it, but it also sounds like I had no business listening to it.

Good jazz fusion but it's too damn long. I completely lost interest along the way but it's still quality music.

I love Bob Dylan and I love this album. Very much.

Eternally Good

I'm not sure what the hype is all about for that one. Sure, this is some competent modern glam rock carried by the beautifully melodramatic voice of Brett Anderson, but most of the album feels clogged with syrupy ballads that you can't easily distinguish from one another. Also the last three tracks are weak and that's all I can remember about that album now.

Great old school hip hop album with lyrics charged with politics and anger. The beats and use of samples are also great, it almost sound like industrial hip hop at times. That guy isn't the best rapper around though, his monotonous delivery drives the album a little on the linear side, but all in all this is good stuff.

Probably my favorite album coming from Brazil

Sounds like The Rolling Stones for retired people

Awesome album. Sounds like Talking Heads mixed with Bowie and John Cale. What more could you possibly want?

I actually enjoy Bollywood music and I was excited to hear this because... well, if I'm supposed to hear it before I die it must be good, right? But I was disappointed. The score was good, but it was to a drag to get through the rest of the album.

I liked this a lot, can't believe I didn't listen to this before.

I used to hate this when I was a teenager, but that was just because I was a stupid metalhead that was too stubborn to give it a real chance. This slaps, of course, and this was pretty much my real introduction to hip hop. I think it holds perfectly well to this day, a timeless classic.

Blur goes Pavement, kinda, and like most of their albums, the highs are great but there are too many lows for me to really enjoy this. I think this is the kinda band that owning their greatest hits would be more than enough for me.

French Chanson always gets me nostalgic of an era that I haven't actually known. This music smells like drama and wine, but this particular album didn't do much for me. I mean it's good but this is far from being one of my Brel favorites.

Better than what I remember, but the vocals still grates me. I understand the cultural shock it must have been at the time, but musically speaking I'm more interested in US punk or stuff like Wire and The Clash. But yeah, it sure sounds like a revolution and I respect the album for that.

Really strong first half, more pop but they do it really well, but unfortunately the albums starts to drag in the second half. It felt like I was listening to bonus tracks near the end. Not bad, but clearly not as good as ATLiens and Aquemini

I like The Smiths, but I've never been a huge fan either. Listening to Louder Than Bombs from time to time is more than enough for me. That being said, it's still a great album, no real flops and some incredible highs.

Like most musicians of their generation, Buddy Holly & The Crickets were geared towards singles much more than proper albums and it shows here. Four great timeless singles, some really good deeper cuts and a B side (minus the first song on it) that is still good but far less exciting than the rest of the album. This is still really pleasant to hear, but I'd rather spin my greatest hits than this if I have the choice.

Incredible album, incredible band, incredible everything

Good old school hip hop that gets kind of samey as the album unfolds.

What a badass classic this is. This must have been so exciting to hear this right when it came out. This was, and this is, the pinnacle of NWOBHM, I think. It's not even my favorite album by them, but I recognize it as one of the most important pieces in heavy metal's history

I find Moby to be at his best when it does that atmospheric synth thing over some gospel samples or whatever, but some of these songs are not aging so well, I think. Th emore upbeat stuff sounds out of place for me, and the album is kind of messy because of it.

Graveyard Train kills the momentum built by the first two tracks, but it picks up again for the last two songs. I'm not a huge CCR fan and this isn't one of my favorites by them, but it's still enjoyable.

That was good, thanks.

Out of all his biggest classics, this must be the one I like the least. Let's be honest here: Are You Ready for the Country and There's a World brings this thing down a bit. Also, I'm not the biggest fan of the orchestral tracks, I can see why people like them but songs like A Man Needs a Man ends up getting on my nerves. I'd rather hear acoustic versions of those tracks. This is still a great album obviously, I just don't think it's one of his best.

For a pop album, I thought this one was painfully boring. I have nothing against Beyoncé but holy sh*t that was a chore to get through that one.

I just don't love ska. Just like the other Specials album that we had to listen to from this book, first song was alright and then it got boring until the end.

The Beach Boys are so much more than just Pet Sounds. This one and Sunflower might be less recognized as classics, but I think they both have some of the best music they've ever recorded.

I mean, it's Nick Cave and it's nasty post-punk/punk blues played in the noisiest style, so of course it's good. Not to mention that it largely paved the way to so many bands in Australia so there's no denying that this and Prayers on Fire are essentials. It's not the biggest classic for me but I have a lot of respect for it and when I need dirty post-punk this certainly gets the job done.

Pretty good. Kinda reminds me of Television and Modern Lovers a bit, but in a more new wave way.

I just don't like Aerosmith at all. They have a few good singles here and there, but they don't have an album that I'd recommend listening all the way though

Admittedly, this isn't my favorite Beach Boys release but you have to recognize the genius of it. The vocal layers and sound samples are absolutely magical. Sometimes they overrun the song itself but most of the time it's perfect.

It took me a while before I could appreciate Cohen's work, and this is the album that finally made me a fan. Avalanche is one of my favorite songs of all-time and the whole album has a dark and cynical feeling that I really like.

This is undoubtly one of the album of all-times.

It's all about the first side, of course, but the side B shouldn't be slept on. It has a lot of good moments. Last song is bad and kinda makes me wonder if everything that came before was just a dream, but that's the only real low point.

Yeah, it's good. Pop baroque with some country undertones from time to time. It's not amazing or anything like that but I could see myself returning to it from time to time.

I wasn't expecting anything but this was great. Now I need to check out their other albums.

Tony Dancer is a huge classic obviously but nothing comes even close to it on the album. Levon and the title-track is cool, but that's about it. Nothing bad either, just unremarkable.

Woke up wanting to listen to that album again. That's a good sign. Oh yeah and there's some tasty organ in there.

Mom, can we have David Bowie at home? No, we already have a David Bowie at home The David Bowie at home:

Classy synthpop, not a lot of standouts but I had a good time nonetheless.

Great voice, boring songs. It all blends together in a kinf of unpleasant way in the end.

Yeah, I'm sorry but I can't get into that album at all. The production is surpringly cold for an album that seemingly wants to show a lot of depth. The fretless bass doesn't help with that. I'm still giving it a 3 because it's Joni and the compositions are mostly good, but I hate how this album sounds.

Amy had a great voice obviously and some of these tracks are really outstanding. For something that was clearly meant to showcase Amy's voice, the instrumentation is often impressively deep. Not something I would necessarily return to, but it's a fine album.

hahaha

Some songs are rather nice, if not a bit faceless. Others are deep in generic blues rock structures and that bores be to death. I just dont' care for that genre at all.

Bad blues, bad raggea, bad everything. I honestly can't understand why people actually put up with that guy's solo work. One of the most annoying albums I've ever heard.

Not as bad as I thought it would be. Yes it's blues rock but it's so energic that it finally gets to you.

Nothing fun or lovin' about this, but they sure are criminals for wasting my time like this.

Really intimate americana with a live feel that is pretty engaging. Not something I'll necessarily go back to often, but at least I'm glad I know who she is now.

"Ninwouuuni chaba chaba tolseeeee" Beautiful.

Biggie had a really great flow, really convincing in his stories about death and sex. He also likes to talk about his penis a lot. Unlike it though, the album is just too long and there are 4 or 5 tracks that could have been easily removed to keep the album tight.

This had so much influence on the 80's that I must agree that you have to hear that album at least once in your life. As with most single-driven pop artists, there's a fair share of filler here, mainly in the latter half, but that's part of the game.

World in My Eyes is very good and Enjoy the Silence is a masterpiece, but I gotta say that I didn't really care about that album outside of that. I respect them and all, but I don't really enjoy listening to them that much. Maybe the older albums will be more in line with my taste.

I love Teenage Fanclub. Their updated version of Big Star appeals to me and I just think they're a great power pop band. That being said, this isn't my favorite album by them. Sure, it has The Concept which is a fabulous track, but the rest of the album isn't as strong as Grand Prix, in my opinion. Still a good album, I was glad to see it here.

For an album that spawned one of the most vicious music ever created under its name, Black Metal is a lot of fun. Maybe it's because we have a lot of hindsight on it, but it's kind of surprising how seriously this album was taken by the generation that would create the second wave of black metal. To me it's just a fun metal album with great riffs and some clumsy execution. But since BM is my favorite metal subgenre, I can only be thankful that Venom (and Bathory) helped creating some of the best music out there.

Lots of hits on that one, but I can't stand these guys. Their sound and attitude are annoying me to no end. I kinda enjoy their later albums more, mostly because their blue rock schtick is kept under control. But this one's not it.

The band that put an end to cheesy 80's rock and made things dangerous and funny again. The album takes a dip in quality right after Cactus but the first half is classic after classic. Not my favorite Pixies album, but there's no denying everyone should hear this at least once.

Music from the future, even to this day

Many will say that this is where Björks music started to collapse under the weight of her concepts/character and I can see why, but I think this one still has a lot to offer, both musically and emotionally. The album was made to explore the possibilities of the human voice and as such, I think it succeeds to demonstrate how strong, fragile and diverse our voice can get. It's also less catchy than anything she'd done before, but I think this one is supposed to talk to the heart instead of the feet.

I thought this wa svery good, but a bit too long for my taste. The last 2 remixes are completely useless and they drag the album down a little. But yeah, their sound was really interesting and somewhat innovative when that first album came out. They would do even better with the following one, Demon Days.

I honestly have no idea why this album was included in this book. Is it because Abba were a europop band that "matured" into a more adult contemporary pop trajectory? I don't know. All I know is that it was boring.

Really good neo-soul album that has an excentric edge like Flying Lotus, but much more focused on the grooves. I really like this kind of deconstructed music where parts of many styles are glued together in a more or less chaotic way. This feels highly satisfying to me.

The idea of having a modernized funk album in the early nintenies is rather bold and refreshing for the time. My problem with Jamiroquai is that he sounds phony, you never know if he takes his approach seriously or if he's tongue in cheek, and that bothers me. That and the fact that his compositions gets redundant after a few songs. Always the same melodies, rhythms, this album could use of some dynamics.

You have to take it for what it is, a fun an flashy album yhat doesn't take itself seriously. The title track is the most over the top of the album and by far the best one. There are some other good moments on it too but honestly we're here for that bombastic rock opera schtick

She made good music after that one, but this was her last (and arguably her best) masterpiece. Immensely touching, with a deep, warm and detailed production that makes you go back to it and discover new things after each listen. Vulnicura wishes it was as intimate as this one.

Another great album from Neil, kinda underrated if you ask me. But maybe not since it's included here. Albuquerque, Mellow My Mind and Tired Eyes are my favorite songs on this, they're all really touching, but I also like the rawness of the more rock songs. So yeah, great album.

Music to sell aluminium to.

For some reason, I haven't listened to that one as often as the other big Neil classics of the first half of the 70's. That's certainly not because the album isn't as good. On the contrary. There are no lesser moments on this, this is Neil Young at his absolute best. The onyl reason why I wouldn't spin that one all the time is because he has so much great material to choose from. Flawless.

Trip Hop is a genry that got old pretty quickly and most of it was kind of just forgotten by everybody, except for the real masterpieces that struck out like that first album by Tricky. Like Portishead and Massive Attack there's a certain sexiness to Tricky's music that contrasts with the dark, sometimes industrial beats that goes with it. It's like you're neevr sure if you're on the verge of getting some sexy time or just about to die in a horrible manner. Maybe it's both.

A logical successor to Morrison Hotel, L.A. Woman brings the blues a notch further and adds a more contained, mature sound. There are some absolute gems on that album: The Changeling, Love Her Madly, Hyacinth House and L.A. Woman are all really strong and has nothing to envy to the rest of the Doors' discography, in my opinion. Riders on the Storm is their best album closer since Five to One and still sounds magical after all these years. Unfortunately, some other tracks brings the album down a bit, like Car Hiis By My Window and particularly The WASP with its clunky drum solo. The dark, jazzy live version that can be found on In Concert is way better and would have fitted perfectly on the record.

This ain't Pharcyde

"And you may tell yourself, this is not my beautiful new wave And you may tell yourself, this is not my beautiful afrobeat"

Well that was long

Realy good funk/soul album with some really interesting instrumental parts. I will definitely listen to that one again.

Kind of a crossover between Velvet Underground, The Doors and New York punk from the 70's. Of course it's good! Jonathan Richman sounds like an addicted crooner that longs for its past glorious days. Awesome.

Awesome psychedelic rock album. White Rabbit and Somebody to Love are the biggest tracks on this but it would be a mistake to think that they're the only ones worth hearing.

It's near impossible to listen to this album without thinking where Jeff would have gone from there, had he lived longer. But all we have as a completely finished product is this, and this is frankly enough to give him is place in rock's most important artists. He's been influential for many bands like Radiohead and Coldplay, Jeff himself apparently wanted to go a "dirtier" and more lo-fi road after that first album, so he might have fitted perfectly in the 90's indie rock scene that was shaping up. The album's not perfect, but it does contain some perfect songs, as well as the best Hallelujah cover ever.