The album starts off okay, a reasonably decent instrumental to kick us off followed by Afterglow (Of Your Love) which is great. The next track is filler, feels a lot longer than two and a half minutes (partially because it does that thing where it fades out and fades back in again). Then Rene, a song about a prostitute at the docks which if you'd told me was from a Monty Python sketch I would've 100% believed you... at least until it spends a couple of minutes at the end in a long, drawn out, instrumental finish. Song of a Baker is better, great guitar in this. Lazy Sunday is next, this is the one that is miles ahead in the Spotify listening numbers, but it's like Madness trying to do prog rock. Kinda catchy, but not great. Then we change tack completely. I had a quick google and this is the other side of the album, which I guess gives them an excuse for a stylistic change. Lots of narration, and the worst of prog rock weirdness. It's a gibberish fairy tale about someone looking for the other half of the moon, consulting a fly and a tramp. There's the odd interesting instrumental bit, but it's 50% narrative and just strange. Just about squeaks a 2 for me on the strength of the first couple of tracks.

Fine, but a bit dull. Very long first track, which isn't a crime in itself, but it felt like four or five different tracks needlessly stitched together (although it is telling the one story). Other side of the album is a bit more accessible, but nothing that really stands out. I do like a bit of prog rock, but it needs to be a bit tighter and a bit cleverer than this. I came into this not knowing Rush at all, but am not particularly minded to investigate further. 2/5.

Top end of a 3, this one. Really liked the energy and had a bit of edge to it. I really don't like Alright though, find it really grating despite its popularity!  Can definitely tell that loads of the indie bands from the early 200s listened to stuff like this, it's definitely got more attitude and oomph than most Britpop (but it's not as catchy as Oasis or as clever as Pulp).

Had never listened to a Blur album before (although obviously know quite a few of the singles). Song 2 always transports me back to 1998 and playing the world cup Fifa game (think that was the one where they had the indoor mode too)? Overall, though, decidedly underwhelmed. Maybe there's a better Blur album out there (there must be, surely?), but if there's not then I've no idea how Blur vs Oasis was even close. 2/5.

2/5. Not great, but better than I expected given some of the reviews here! No real standout tracks, angry, mostly tuneless grunge without much to say really. Can't imagine I'll ever listen to it or any song on it on purpose, but wasn't offensive enough to give a one.

So this album came out when I was 16, and I remember being really disappointed with it then :( feels like their attempt at doing a Night At The Opera that just falls a bit flat. The lyrics aren't as clever as they think they are, and it's super overengineered. Forced myself to relisten to it this morning though. First track is really quite dire, don't want to sound too much like a grandpa but it's just noise, isn't it? Starlight is decent twinkly pop, Supermassive Black Hole is less good twinkly pop. Map of the Problematique is ok, but it'd still be one of the worse tracks on the previous albums. The next one is a floppy wander with no energy. I like Invincible at the very end, when it sounds more old school Muse, but it spends way too long getting there (and the lyrics are SO cheesy). Assassin sounds like a proper Muse song and is probably the second best song on the album. The next two I have no proper opinion on, they are in the old Muse style but just doesn't really get going at all and are in no way memorable. One after is half Muse, half theme tune to a Western and it is not a combination that works. Then Knights of Cydonia - the only song on this album that actually achieves the level of theatre that they're going for. Almost prog-rocky, I do like this. Should have left it at that, would've been a nice closer, but they added on another track at the end that is similar to the 8 and 9 in that I am utterly indifferent to it.

Very different vibe for this next one, particularly after doing them back to back :D Feels very much like the sort of thing that I've quite enjoyed, but will almost certainly never listen to again... I don't know the R&B scene at all, but this is a lovely gentle intro to it, very relaxed in terms of the style of music (even if the first track is about someone getting shot!). Also, at 35 minutes it doesn't overstay it's welcome, only 7 songs too. Not normally a God fan but Jesus is class... Spotify listens suggest a big drop off after the first three songs, but that's not the case in terms of the quality. Tracks 2, 3, and 7 my faves.

Not really my thing, to be honest. 2/5. The song with Beyonce was probably the one I enjoyed the most, which is pretty telling given it's quite different in style to most of the others. Generally, I tended to enjoy the bits that weren't Missy Elliott rather than the bits that were, which isn't great. I just don't get on with her style of rapping for some reason, Play That Beat (which was much more R&B but still just her) was quite good.

The Massive Attack one is my favourite so far. 4/5, will be listening to it again. Very chilled, electronic plus gentle hip hop. Opening track is super, quality stays high until you hit Unfinished Sympathy (the one track I knew before today), then drops a little but the last track is great again.

The album starts off okay, a reasonably decent instrumental to kick us off followed by Afterglow (Of Your Love) which is great. The next track is filler, feels a lot longer than two and a half minutes (partially because it does that thing where it fades out and fades back in again). Then Rene, a song about a prostitute at the docks which if you'd told me was from a Monty Python sketch I would've 100% believed you... at least until it spends a couple of minutes at the end in a long, drawn out, instrumental finish. Song of a Baker is better, great guitar in this. Lazy Sunday is next, this is the one that is miles ahead in the Spotify listening numbers, but it's like Madness trying to do prog rock. Kinda catchy, but not great. Then we change tack completely. I had a quick google and this is the other side of the album, which I guess gives them an excuse for a stylistic change. Lots of narration, and the worst of prog rock weirdness. It's a gibberish fairy tale about someone looking for the other half of the moon, consulting a fly and a tramp. There's the odd interesting instrumental bit, but it's 50% narrative and just strange. Just about squeaks a 2 for me on the strength of the first couple of tracks.

I always like the idea of jazz more than I do actually listening to it. I don't think I'm sophisticated enough for it. This is very easy listening, gentle stuff, but it doesn't really grab my attention.

A real mixed bag, very top heavy. Running Up That Hill is a gem, Cloudbusting, The Big Sky, and Hounds of Love also good (but better when done by the Futureheads). Then it gets worse from there. Just sneaks into the 3/5 range.

This is good. Not quite enough oomph and energy to warrant a 5, but a really nice listen. Went back and played it again straight after I finished it the first time around. Her voice is incredibly soothing, it's a nice, gentle listen. Don't know if I've heard the album as a whole before, obviously knew the opener and a couple of others sounded familiar. In contrast to the Kate Bush album, it keeps up the quality right the way through - although it is a little bit same-y. Reminded me a lot of an Eva Cassidy album that my parents used to have on all the time.

Not my favourite this. Think it makes the list by virtue of being seminal in doing something first (or almost first) in 1979, but a lot of people did similar stuff better. A couple of decent tracks (the opener grew on me after the first listen and Fall In Love With Me is good, very Duran Duran-y), but nothing else grabbed me.

Again, not one for the ages. Miserable subject matter, in a musical style that isn't my favourite. Just getting to the end of this now, and been tempted to tell him to pull himself together at least four times over the last half hour. This is my first 1.

This is just a bit dull. Saccharine country female voice, nothing that I can put my finger on as being particularly wrong (other than the lyrics getting quite kitschy every now and then), but nothing that's particularly stand out good either. This feels like the sort of thing that Taylor Swift has been doing for 15 years, but it doesn't have the oomph or the sass. 2/5, marginally better than yesterday.

This was good, but not spectacular. Two songs I knew before (It's The End Of The World As We Know It and The One I Love), both I like. Nothing else really stood out - although Exhuming McCarthy was a fun listen for the lyrics. Would I turn this off if it was on in the background? Probably not. Will I ever think, "you know what, I really want to listen to Document right now"? Probably not.

Yeah, this is excellent. 4/5 for me. Opening track is really fun, then Paranoid is a classic. Planet Caravan (Track 3) is really odd - feels completely out of place on the album and isn't interesting at all in its own right for me. Back to form on Iron Man, then a couple of good but not great songs before it perks up again at the end. Only critique of the album as a whole is that the songs drag a little bit, could maybe do with shaving 30 seconds to a minute off a few of them. Paranoid really leaves you wanting more, but some of the others go on a bit too long.

Lovely stuff. I didn't enjoy quite as much as the rest of you, but it's definitely a 4, particularly of the context of when it came out. Did feel a bit same-y on occasion, but Tutti Frutti and Rip It Up are absolute delights.

This is.. fine? Had some rave reviews in here, and I don't think I quite get it. There's a decent energy to it, particularly if you play it loud, but it's not a top scorer for me. White Riot and Police & Thieves the standout tracks for me, but even after a couple of listens it's not getting past a 3.

Lovely bit of yacht rock! Do It Again is just brilliant, love that song. A couple of other really solid tracks (Midnite Cruiser, Reelin' In the Years, and Change of the Guard). Suffers a bit from a few tracks that slightly overstay their welcome (despite not being that long), and is a bit too middle of the road to get a top tier score, but an enjoyable listen nonetheless.

This is great - had never heard of the band or the album (but do know their other work as Funkadelic). Not a bad track on this album, but none that are absolutely stellar, stand-out individually either - that's why it only gets a 4 for me even though I really like it and will be listening again. It has great energy, a bit of attitude, and a really cool sound that fits beautifully with the zany track titles, lyrics, and broader theme of the album.

This was good, but not quite as good as I expected it to be. I love the wit in Johnny Cash's music, and his voice is incredible, but this album was missing some of the soul and emotion that you get from his other work. Give My Love To Rose has it in buckets, but there's not so much other than that. Also, I thought it could done with a bit more of the back and forth with the crowd - the big thing about this album is that it's recorded live at the prison, but you lose a lot of the interaction and the energy from that. There's a recording of A Boy Named Sue that he did at San Quentin Prison which captures that perfectly - this album doesn't reach the same heights as that. 4 on 5.

Dry by name, dry by nature. Felt like the sort of thing that I should have liked more than I did, it sounds like things I like a lot more except that it's missing something. Sheela-na-gig was excellent though.

3/5 for me, pushing a 4. This is a really cool sound, on my second listen of it now whilst I'm working. I'm not a fan of what's traditionally referred to as 'world music', but this is a really fun fusion of bits of that and rock and roll guitar. Would thoroughly recommend the deluxe edition, which has three extra songs, all covers. The fact they did Should I Stay Or Should I Go? and Kashmir says something about their inspirations (they also do Soul Makossa, which a quick Google tells me is originally by a Cameroonian sax player). I listened to it cold first, and enjoyed it, then had a quick read up on the story behind it (they are Malian, from a region that got taken over by fundamentalist Islam, so they had to flee to the capital). If I could speak the language, I think this would push up to a 4 or maybe even a 5, would be interested to understand what they're actually saying.

4/5 for me. I agree with the rest of you that it was way too long, and would add that it was too sprawling in terms of what it tried to cover. you've got: - big instrumental hovering between rock opera and prog rock (Funeral For a Friend) - ballad types (Candle in the Wind, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, This Song Has No Title, Grey Seal, I've Seen That Movie Too, Danny Bailey, Roy Rogers, Harmony) - Elton with attitude (Bennie and the Jets, Saturday Night, Social Disease) - reggae Elton (Jamaica Jerk-Off) - smutty Elton (Sweet Painted Lady, Dirty Little Girl, All The Girls Love Alice) - Elton the Beach Boy (Your Sister Can't Twist) Would have worked better as a double album, with the ballads on one disc. As it is, it doesn't really feel like an album, there's not much connecting the songs and the styles. That being said, there are some phenomenal songs on there, those first four is probably the best start to an album that we've had so far. Then you've also got Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting, which I knew coming into this and a couple of others (Roy Rogers and Sweet Painted Lady) which I didn't know before but really like.

Not for me, this one. Not awful, but doesn't say a lot to me. I feel like this one must be something that inspired people rather than being brilliant in its own right? Does definitely sound later than 1977, more so the instrumental than the vocals (which are very punky and of their time). About the same number of tracks as Elton yesterday, but half the length in time - only two of the tracks are over 3 minutes long. There are a couple I enjoy in there - Ex-Lion Tamer being my favourite - but I can't see myself listening to this ever again. 2/5.

A mixed bag. I was expecting to like this more than I did (obviously I know a fair few Bowie songs, but I don't think I've actually listened to an album before). Definitely front-loaded, Changs, Oh You Pretty Thing and Life on Mars the highlights, (3 of the first 4!), but did also quite like Quicksand as a slower one, and then it picks up at the end with the last two tracks. 3/5, probably would've been a 4 without tracks 7 thru 9.

This is bizarre. Not unenjoyable, but very unlikely to listen to again. The first track was really good (in a peculiar way), and built my expectations up a bit too much - the rest of the album only hit that again in fits and starts. A real mix of styles and genres, but it does have something that I can't quite put my finger on that holds it together. Panis Et Cercenses, Baby, and Ave Genghis Khan my favourites. Think it fits in at the very top of 2 out of 5.

A bit disappointing, to be quite honest. I knew nothing other than California Dreamin' (which is spectacular), and the rest of the album couldn't live up to it. It's perfectly acceptable folksy pop music, but it doesn't offer much more than that outside of a track or two. They don't make the most of the girls' voices (which are stronger than the guys). The very last track is great because of this, it's much more powerful and has some proper oomph. Also, the out of place apostrophes on the album cover annoy me. 2/5.

This is really, really good. Best we've had so far, I think, comfortably a 4 but not knocking on the door of 5. Really powerful stuff, stories that resonate now as I'm sure they did in 1988. Those first two tracks are amazing, it can't maintain those heights the whole way through but it comes surprisingly close. It feels like a coherent set of songs whilst still giving a bit of variety in theme, mood, and style, and there's not a bad song on the album. What a voice as well, not many singers who could pull off a track completely a cappella like Behind The Wall as well as her.

Fine, but a bit dull. Very long first track, which isn't a crime in itself, but it felt like four or five different tracks needlessly stitched together (although it is telling the one story). Other side of the album is a bit more accessible, but nothing that really stands out. I do like a bit of prog rock, but it needs to be a bit tighter and a bit cleverer than this. I came into this not knowing Rush at all, but am not particularly minded to investigate further. 2/5.

This was fine, pleasant enough to listen to (although I didn't think there was any need for two parts to the Mojo song), but not spectacular. Tiger in Your Tank and Soon Forgotten are the highlights. 3/5.

Was expecting to enjoy this more than I did. Scrapes a 3/5 really. It's too long, and a bit too bland, not an unpleasant sound but not particularly striking. Very bluesy and not as energetic as I'd hoped for.

Top end of a 3, this one. Really liked the energy and had a bit of edge to it. I really don't like Alright though, find it really grating despite its popularity!  Can definitely tell that loads of the indie bands from the early 200s listened to stuff like this, it's definitely got more attitude and oomph than most Britpop (but it's not as catchy as Oasis or as clever as Pulp).

This is fab, really like this. Almost falls out of the 4 category because it does get a bit self indulgent - to a lesser extent at the end of Light My Fire, and definitely on This Is The End. It's amazing that this album is 55 years old, there are bits of it that sound so fresh, and it keeps up the quality pretty well throughout. Some really nice changes of pace, too.

2 4s in a row! This is really fun, bags of energy and some cracking songs. Like the Doors, the psychedelics probably led them to be just a smidge overindulgent (not sure we really needed 11 minutes of Heard It Through The Grapevine), but there are some really good tracks in there. Up Around The Bend the stand out for me, but there are no bad tracks on it (although Ooby Dooby is not my thing).

Too long (20 tracks is obviously too many), too many instrumentals (that's not really what I listen to the Beastie Boys for). Sabotage obviously a stone cold classic, and a couple of other decent songs, but no more than a 2 for me.  Does get some bonus feels for reminding me how much I like Q-Tip's voice though.

Pretty middle of the road 2/5. There's the odd bit of cool sound in there, hints of Stone Roses type music, but nothing particularly notable. Probably would've been better with the original, shorter version than the remastered one that Spotfiy hoists upon you, but can't say I was ever hooked.

3/5. Solid, but unspectacular. Preferred it to the last couple of albums, but not by a huge margin. I really liked the opener, but it's all a little bland afterwards. Not awful, but not one that I'll listen to again. Sneaks into the 3 category as it all fits well together as an album.

This was fun, quite jolly for a few songs, but I wouldn't want a whole one! I enjoyed listening to it, very upbeat, but I'm not going to rush back to it. First track in particular has such a strong start. 2/5.

This is the opposite of most of the albums we've listen to - the first few songs are fine, but nothing special, and then it kicks up a gear or two when you hit the middle of the album. Exodus - Jamming - Waiting In Vain - Turn Your Lights Down Low - Three Little Birds - One Love/People Get Ready is as good a run as we've had so far. 4/5. Not something I'll listen to regularly, it's not really my style of music, but of the limited amount of reggae that I'll listen to, most of it is on this album.

Definitely doesn't hit the heights as regularly as the previous Elton album we had, but is a lot more focused (and more like a normal album length at 45 minutes). On the flipside, each song is probably a bit longer than it needs to be; only the last track (which is more a vignette than a song) clocks in at under 4 minutes. Tiny Dancer is a wonderful song (although I need to keep listening to it more to cleanse the memory of that awful remix that was everywhere 11-12 years ago when I was at uni), but it's a bit weaker after that. Fun to discover Indian Sunset (that's the one 2pac used for Ghetto Gospel!), but there's not a huge amount of depth in quality. No songs other than Tiny Dancer that I'd go back to, so it's a 2/5 for me.

This is cool, did enjoy this a lot as a whole. Not that many tracks that really stood out individually, but it comes together really well. Locked Inside, Cold War, and Come Alive probably my highlights. Couple of bits of odd sounding filler in there which cut the rating down a bit (and it's over an hour which also doesn't help), but a comfortable 3/5, getting close to a 4 but not there. She has an absolutely wonderful voice which I think she doesn't quite make the most of on this album? There are some moments, but could push it a little further I think?

Christ, this is dire. Feels like they were just mucking around in the studio being silly and decided to release it. There's a song written from the point of view of a time bomb on an airplane... Completely disjointed. Felt like getting to the end of this 38 minutes was a real challenge. There are a few of these songs that could have maybe gotten away with being the quirky song on an album, but this is packed full of them and it becomes an exercise in 'how are 10cc going to try and piss me off next?'. 1/5.

Upper end of 2/5. Really didn't like it at the beginning of my first listen yesterday, but it definitely grew on me towards the end and on a re-listen. The first few tracks are a bit tuneless and shouty, it gets much better later on when she sings rather than shouty. I'd heard Maps before (but didn't know the name of the song or that it was by them), didn't know any of the others. Not really for me, but not awful.

3/5 for me, this one. Leans pretty heavily into the breakup theme, gets a little wearing after an hour and a quarter. Irritated me that he had three versions of the same song, too. But, it's beautiful, soulful singing with a shitload of emotion. A pleasant listen that is gentle from a pure musical perspective, but harder work from an emotional perspective. I think we'll have better Marvin Gaye albums to come.

Not a disco fan, but this is class. This was an absolute delight. Some classic disco here mixed in with some really lovely, soulful ballads. Nice and upbeat, will be listening to this again when I need a pick-me-up. 4/5, maybe deserves a 5 but I don't like disco enough for that.

Mid to upper range 2/5. Not awful, but not particularly memorable. Neil Young's voice is a bit ropey for someone so successful, isn't it? Very much a downer after Sister Sledge on Friday, not a bad album but not one I'll be revisiting.

This is quite cool, but not as memorable as it should be to get anything more than a 3/5. Aisha probably my favourite track. Probably not what they'd want, but it serves as excellent background music for working - not so distracting that it captures your whole attention, but enough going on that it keeps your mind moving. I guess that's why their music is used a lot in soundtracks?

Probably not an album best appreciated sat at my desk working, but quite enjoyed it. Felt that it took a while to get going - I wasn't a huge fan of Break and Enter, and Their Law wasn't much better, but it does pick up through that middle section. There is no need for this to be so long, more than an hour is very rarely necessary, particularly when it's relatively intense music like this. I expect there should be another Prodigy album on this list, which will be better than this? Just scrapes a 3/5.

Not great. When the album finished on Spotify, it autoplayed the first track of the Massive Attack album we had a few weeks ago, and I realised that there's a lot of similarities between that and this, except that the Massive Attack album is basically better in every way. The songs with the woman singing in Spanish are generally OK, the ones with the bloke chuntering on generally aren't. However, the title track (particularly at the end) is so peculiar that I actually quite liked it for its bizarreness, 'oh look, a fragment of plastic! Oh look, a sports commentator. Or was it a disused railway line?' 2/5. Just.

Better than the last Neil Young album, but still not great. I still don't like his voice, but these songs seem to fit it a bit better than the previous album. Not something I'd listen to again. Upper end of a 2.

Don't actually have a huge amount to write about that one. Opening track is good, but goes a bit beige after that. Not unpleasant to listen to, but in no way memorable. Could have waited until after my death. 2/5.

A mid-range 2. It sounds so miserable, without the jaunty bits that make Joy Division / The Smiths more bearable. I wouldn't say there was a standout song. Not going to listen again, but not the worst we've had.

Absolutely dire, this. Not a massive fan of this kind of music, and for it to work it needs to have a lot more energy than it does. Also, almost two hours long???

Too screamy for me, really, but I enjoyed it a lot more than I was expecting after the first minute or two. Won't listen to it ever again, but glad that I did. Top end of a 2/5.

This was good - the two songs I knew before (One Day Like This and Grounds for Divorce) are really, really good, and the rest of the album is pleasant to listen to. Not mind-blowing by any stretch of the imagination, but a comfortable three out of five.

I like this - 3/5, pushing a 4. Feels quite ahead of its time. Wouldn't complain if this came on, have listened to it a few times now ahead of moving on to the next one. Good energy, nice mix of songs and sounds, a couple of more ballad-like songs, some cracking guitar (Steppin' Out in particular). Folksy Beatles, very pleasant.

I quite enjoyed this - seems to have sparked some pretty strong opinions both ways here, but it's a middle of the road 3 for me. Quite gentle, picks up the pace on a couple of the tracks. I know the name Belle & Sebastian, but couldn't name a song of theirs. It's perfectly pleasant, there are a couple of tracks that remind me of the Shins, quirky lyrics and some odd messages.

Best we've had in a long time - 4/5. Bags of energy, witty lyrics. Still has enough of that rawness that keeps it edgy and punky, but is probably a bit more refined than others in the genre? Definitely preferred it to that early Clash album we had (which if memory serves was from the same year as this). 

It's good, and you can easily see what kind of music it comes from and where that genre's headed since, but it's not particularly remarkable on its own. Bottom end of a 3 for me.

This is really, really good. Wouldn't have been able to name any of the songs ahead of time, but definitely a couple that seemed familiar. Runnin' with the Devil, followed by the guitar solo in Eruption (which is enough to show that these guys are great with their guitars and love pushing them to the limit but not so long that it gets nauseatingly self-indulgent and overstays its welcome), and a rocky cover of the Kinks is an amazing way to start, and the quality stays high right the way through. Also seems pretty well put together, tracks flow nicely and it's nice and snappy, doesn't overstay its welcome. 4/5, will listen again, loved this.

3/5, just. Came out the same year as the Little Richard album we had a few weeks ago, and it just isn't as good. This album is a little bit twee, a bit too soft, and doesn't really have the oomph that even the Little Richard album did. I don't know fifties music well at all, but this embodies what I think of when I think of middle of the road towards the end of the decade. Maybe this is a bit unfair, but I feel he'd be much less well-known know had he not died in that tragic plane crash.

I am a huge Pink Floyd fan, so this is totally biased, but this is an incredible piece of music. We've had some prog rock on our list already, which was average at best, but this showcases what you can do with the genre. That being said, it's still probably only my third favourite Pink Floyd album  It's not as iconic a sound or as tightly crafted as Dark Side of The Moon, but it tells this wonderful story that is comprehensible and relatable (two things which prog rock normally struggles with), and has this amazing haunting sound throughout. It flows perfectly between tracks, managing to switch the mood several times without it feeling jarring; it's clearly one piece of work rather than an assortment of tracks. And it does singles way better than almost any prog rock (Dark Side of The Moon included) album I've heard. Another Brick In The Wall, Run Like Hell, and Hey You are all brilliant standalone songs that you can take out of this.

Just a bit beige. Some really nice songs in there, particularly in the first half, but the album really dragged. Had it been ten minutes shorter, might have snagged a 3, but as it is it only merits the top end of a 2. Weather With You is lovely though, and I did know Fall At Your Feet before (but only because James Blunt covered it). 

Given the reviews above, I thought it'd be worse than it was, but I think we'll get a lot better hip hop than this. Mixes in some interesting social commentary that would've been pretty inflammatory in 1990 (but feels a bit stale now) with a lot of lines that made me wince pretty hard. It's pretty crude in a lot of places - 'Get off my my dick and tell your bitch to come here' as the title of a song sounds like a bad parody of rap, and the attitude towards women in general is pretty grim. Also, I'm not a prude, but the unrelenting tide of bitch/nigga/dick is pretty wearing and it loses its edge by the end because you're so worn down. 2/5.

This was mixed. Some really good songs in there, mixed in with some slightly tedious dirge. I much prefer their other album. This one just sneaks a 3.

OK. Young Americans was a good opener, then it builds up nicely through the middle of the album, and I was really enjoying it by track 5. Then the cover of Across The Universe comes along. I really like the song, but this cover is just not very good, it doesn't add anything to the original and he just uses increasingly sillier voices through the song. Took the edge off the album for me, the track after that isn't great and I never really liked Fame. 2/5.

Dross. Boring, beige synthesiser stuff which has been done so much better by a lot of other people. Opening track is the best of the bunch, which isn't saying much. 1/5.

This is... strange... A particularly weird start, and roughly alternates between mostly short, punky songs that are kind of cool and weird instrumental breakdowns that are just strange. 2/5, would've been higher if they'd have skipped a load of the particularly peculiar stuff. Won't listen again.

This is cool. Not 5/5, but I think a solid 3, pushing a 4. His voice is obviously really weird, but I do like it, and there's a really nice variety in the song mix, from blues to full on crooner. All with a lovely helping of gravel.

This is a bit dull tbh. Slightly elevated lift music. Not unpleasant to have on in the background, but it didn't grip me at all. 2/5.

Short and sweet(ish). Just squeaks over half an hour, but nothing particularly memorable. Like Tim said above, I knew a fair few Aerosmith songs before listening, but none of these. Won't listen to many again, but I did like the last one (I do have a weakness for schmaltzy cheesy rock ballads though). 2/5.

This is really fun, great beat and energy to it, little bit corny but not too much. Bit too long, could've stripped it back a little and pushed it higher, but 3/5 seems fair.

Started off thinking 'this is really cool', but it's just too long (both the album as a whole and most of the individual songs, particularly when you get to the second half of the album). That said, I'll definitely be listening to a few of these songs again - Pictures Of You, Fascination Street, and the title track my favourites. 3/5, too long and samey for a 4 but it's just too good to be a two.

Started brightly, sounded like a good Elton John album, but fell away pretty quickly into saccharine ballad territory. Not one for the ages, 2/5.

Really like this. One of the few albums we've had so far that I've actually listed to from start to finish before, but it must've been at least a decade since I last heard it all the way through. That beginning section is wonderful, it tails off a little in the middle, and then picks up again at the end with that closer. Just squeaks a 4 for me.

Fine, but a bit dull. Gentle, smooth listening with a bit of soul, a couple of stand out songs that elevate it to a 3, but mostly background music really.

This is really, really good. One of the best we've had, comfortable 4 and not far off a 5. It flows really nicely (like a proper album), there are quite a few really good songs on there (it'd still be a decent album even if you only had 2 out of I Wanna Be Adored, She Bangs The Drums, Waterfall, Made of Stone, and I Am the Resurrection, let alone all 5), and there's not a lot of filler. It does dip a bit briefly in the middle (the main culprit being the weird reworking of Scarborough Fair into Elizabeth My Dear), but not a lot. Without a couple of those tracks, it'd be close to a 5; if you tightened it all up and took 30s to a minute out of most of the tracks, it'd comfortably get a 5.

Not great, but not actively offensive either. Fine background music, the kind of thing you'd expect to hear playing in a hotel lobby, but no edge or interest. The penultimate song (You Didn't Have To Be So Nice) has a child singing on it and is vomit-inducing. Sits at the bottom end of a 2.

Definitely better than the Brazilian album we had yesterday - has a lot more edge to it, and attitude. Think it just sneaks a three, although not sure I'd ever listen to it again.

I like this much less than the previous TW album we had. In places, sounds like a parody of himself - the opening track in particular is pretty painful to listen to. That said, I do really like his voice when he doesn't try to go too fast/jolly with the music. Hang Down Your Head works nicely, and Downtown Train is superb. There's too much weirdness on this album for me, which keeps it firmly in the 2 category.

His voice is gorgeous, and some of these songs are really pretty. However, there's nothing here that really elevates it. I think it just scrapes a 3, it's a perfectly pleasant listen but doesn't hit any real heights.

Fine, but not particularly mind-blowing. A bit too angry and shouty for my tastes at the beginning, but settles down a bit without losing its energy. Nothing that really stands out, bottom end of a 3 I think.

I love this kind of music, a kind of fusion between Irish folk and punk (hope we get some Dropkick Murphys on this list too), and this is a really clever album in the way it incorporates both of those and a load of other influences. That said, the quality of this is pretty variable, a lot of ups, but a lot of mediocrity there too. I think it's the top end of a 3 for me, doesn't do quite enough to get into a four (but a lot of the reviews on the site say that there's a better Pogues album out there, fingers crossed it makes the list).

I was hoping this would be an album called Sepultra by the Roots. It wasn't. I'm not a fan of screaming metal at all really (although one of the plus points of this singer was that it was relatively easy to understand the lyrics). Still, this genre of music has never done anything for me really, and this album has done nothing to change that. 1/5.

Dull as ditchwater. I looked it up afterwards, and there's a host of really interesting musicians on it (Joni Mitchell, Jerry Garcia, Santana, Jefferson Airplane, Neil Young), but I barely noticed any of it because it offered almost nothing. It's fine background music I guess, but without anything to lift it above a million other similar albums, despite the stellar cast. I finished listening to it about an hour ago... if only I could remember a single song... 2/5, only getting that because it's not actively unpleasant to listen to.

This album ends up being a bit dull - it can't decide whether it wants to be soul or disco. It ends up not having the richness and depth of a good soul album, and not being as fun or as energetic as a good disco record. Nothing on there that I'll ever seek out to listen to again. Feels like what Magic FM probably plays at 3 am. 2/5.

This is not particularly gripping. I'm pretty busy at work today, so maybe not giving it the attention it deserves, but it's quite formulaic I think. Nothing really stood out to me, once the album was over I went back and listened to the most played songs to see if I'd missed something. If I had, it didn't reveal itself to me on a second listen.

Good energy to this, but ultimately not that interesting. Brass in Pocket the clear standout, but I did like the sass throughout. 3/5, just.

Quick re-listen, as I listen to this quite often anyway. It's really, really good - crackles with energy, switches moods all quite smoothly, and there's not a bad song on it I don't think? 4/5, great stuff.

Yes? No! Well, not really. I quite enjoyed the first track, felt very Genesis, but it doesn't quite have the energy to get you through 18 minutes - it's got some at the beginning, and kicks into gear at the end, but slows down a bit too much in the middle. I think I will listen again, feels like the sort of thing that will grow on me, but the thing really putting me off is the nasty Simon & Garfunkel cover (the original is a song that I really like). I think I'll give it a 3, just.

This is really fun - loses its way in places (the lowlight was the 45 second 'He's So Unusual' which sounds like a super saccharine 50s musical song), but generally bustling with energy, good bit of attitude, and a couple of all time classics. Time After Time beats Girls Just Wanna Have Fun for me, but the Spotify listener numbers have it the other way round. Just falls short of a four, but not by a lot. 

Never heard of them. I don't think that there's much that really stands out here, but it's a really well put together album, the sound is good (if a little generic rock), and it's a fun listen. Wikipedia says that they're a grunge band, but I don't get that at all? Comfortable 3 for me, could've made a four if there had been a bit more to make it unique.

This was quite nice - perfectly pleasant to listen to, but not particularly exciting or gripping. Wouldn't switch it off if it came on, wouldn't choose to switch it on either. 2/5.

It is outrageous that this was created in the mid-60s. I find the Beach Boys in general a bit schmaltzy, but this is really well put together, and Wouldn't It Be Nice / God Only Knows are all-time classics (God Only Knows being the better of the two). Could get a 5, but I just don't like their type of music enough to put it up with the best albums I've ever listened to. 4 it is.

There were parts of this that were fun, interesting sounds - these guys can clearly play their instruments - but they didn't take it anywhere worth listening to. Very little coherence, nothing behind it. Noise rock is a very apt name. 2/5 as it had quite a few moments of interest, but definitely nothing more than that.

BORING! Having had Pet Sounds a couple of picks ago, this one was so much less interesting (despite being just a year earlier). Saccharine pop, very twee, nothing really to recommend it at all, and the lyrics are so bland. Scrapes a 2.

This was... okay... Everyone obviously knows Immigrant Song, Since I've Been Loving You is a great slower song, and I really like the gentle sound on Tangerine. But, as a whole, it's not super gripping - I expect we've got better LedZep to come... 3/5.

Listened to this without really concentrating yesterday, didn't enjoy it particularly. Listened to it again this morning, and have completely changed my tune. We had that Rufus Wainwright album a week or so ago, and this feels like what that could have been - both have wonderful, haunting voices, but JB is just better at imparting energy and emotion into the music. There's a great variety here, from slow, almost creepy sounds to proper rock music (often within the same song!). Solid 4/5 for me. The Hallelujah cover is obviously amazing (but I've heard it so many times that the effect is starting to wear off), and the title track is also brilliant.

It's quite fun for a while, but I lost interest in it pretty quickly - an hour of this stuff is just too much. Probably would've stepped up to 3 had it been a tighter 35-45 minutes, but there's too much filler (both in the album as a whole and within a lot of the individual tracks), so it's a 2. Won't ever put it on again, I imagine, but don't regret listening to it.

One of the few albums on this list that I have listened to the whole way through a load of times before. This is proper nostalgia for me - I would've only been 5 when this came out, but my dad loved it so it was on in the car all the time. In retrospect, the lyrics are really inappropriate for a five year old to be listening to, but I don't think it's messed me up too badly! I can't give it anything other than a 5, the combination of some proper singalongs (Common People & Disco 2000 the most obvious) with a few of their hallmark album tracks (the slightly creepy, slower songs like I Spy and Live Bed Show) with a proper ballad (Something Changed) and some really clever social/political commentary. Fits together really well as an album, and closes nicely with the energy in Monday Morning into the drunken ramble of Bar Italia. Mile End (which is only on the Deluxe Edition) is also well worth a listen (and not just because I live just round the corner from there).

Think we can file The Clash under 'bands I don't like as much as everyone else'. This is definitely better than the other one that we listened to, but it's not a showstopper for me. Title track is a classic, but it's pretty much all downhill from there (although Train In Vain is also great to finish it off). A lot more variety than the previous album (which is good) and it hangs together quite nicely, but loses points for being too long with too much filler. 3/5.

I like this - it's gentle, easy listening in the most part. It's aged pretty well (other than the odd lyric that is slightly iffy in its attitude to women), but it doesn't offer anything particularly spectacular or lifechanging. 2/5.

Just a bit dull, really. Inoffensive, and a bit one-paced. No stand out tracks (unlike the last Steely Dan album we had), but it's well put together. 2/5.

Listened to this for the first time yesterday, and didn't get it. Saw all the love it was getting on here, so listened to it again this morning, and... still don't get it. It's clearly cleverly put together, but the resulting sound isn't one that particularly appeals to me. 2/5.

Enjoyed this, more so on the second listen this morning than my first yesterday. Hadn't heard of them before really, but do remember Connection. It's a good sound, and keeps the quality pretty high all the way through, although was a bit samey bar a couple of tracks. 3/5, not miles off a four.

It's perfectly pleasant and competent from a musical perspective, but not really challenging. The themes / subject matter are interesting, but the music doesn't change enough to tell the different stories in a particularly interesting way. Re: the confederacy stuff, it does get dangerously close to tipping into longing for the good old days of slavery etc. - apparently the writers did try to make sure that it was telling the story from the perspective of one non-slave owning Southerner who lost his brother in the war, but they didn't clarify that until 2020... 2/5, not miles off a 3 though.

Listened to this on Friday and thought it wasn't great then, flicking through it now and I don't disagree with past me. Not awful, but not particularly good either. Not my favourite genre, and I don't think a particularly good example of it. 2/5.

Had never listened to a Blur album before (although obviously know quite a few of the singles). Song 2 always transports me back to 1998 and playing the world cup Fifa game (think that was the one where they had the indoor mode too)? Overall, though, decidedly underwhelmed. Maybe there's a better Blur album out there (there must be, surely?), but if there's not then I've no idea how Blur vs Oasis was even close. 2/5.

Listened to this not long after the generator first gave it to us. Clearly didn't generate a huge amount of energy in me! That said, listening to it again now, it's decent - not outstanding, but fits together nicely, doesn't outstay its welcome, and Walk This Way / Sweet Emotion elevate it a level. 3/5.

I think I liked this more than most of you, but it's got some pretty big flaws. It's far too long (both some of the tracks on their own and definitely the album as a whole). Lazarus is great, and if you skip the first minute then so is the opening track. The rest of it is fine, but nothing else really stands out. 2/5.

Really like bits of this - Brown Sugar a classic, and Wild Horses is even better. Then it starts to go a bit downhill. Can't You Hear Me Knocking is overblown and self-indulgent, You Gotta Move carries on in the same vein, but it picks up again after that with Bitch and I Got The Blues. Nice, slow, really bluesy sound carries on a little, then gets more upbeat in style for Dead Flowers and Moonlight Mile is a nice chilled ending. Comfortable 3 for me, probably would've made a 4 without the two tracks that annoyed me in the middle.

I thought this would be pure crooning before listening, but it's got a fair bit more energy than I expected, which is great. Short, sharp, and snappy songs, that blend into each other quite nicely with a couple of changes of pace. No particular standout, but nothing unpleasant either (although he crosses the line into crooning on Alison). Just fails to squeak into 3/5 territory I think, so a gentleman's 2 for me.

Liked this a lot - it's a bit miserable and definitely not an album for all times and moods, but it's done really well and consistently good all the way through. Not often that an album ends with its best song, but this one did. Just falls shy of a 4, but not by much.

Suffers a bit from coming straight after Portishead - just not quite as good as that. But, the music is a bit more upbeat (even if the songs aren't really). I like the title track, but not much of the rest is super memorable. Yesterday was the top end of a 3, this is the bottom end.

I'd never heard this album before, but it definitely felt like I had - feel like it sounds like a genericised version of a lot of the much better music that was coming out around that time. No real standout tracks, not unpleasant to listen to but not deserving of any more than a 2.

I can't decide whether this is complete pseudo-nonsense or whether I really like it... there are some really creepy lyrics in it, the style is all over the place, and it's all a bit mad, but there's something about it that's really interesting. I don't think I'll ever listen to the whole lot again, but there's a couple of tracks that I'll stick on a playlist somewhere. A fair 3 - could've been a 4 without the aggressive creepiness.

4/5, but a low 4. Starts really well, the opening couple of tracks are great, then fades a little before the two absolute classics, Back In Black and You Shook Me All Night Long. Then fades again at the end. Won't come back to it as an album, but happy to have discovered the first two tracks.

2/5. Not great, but better than I expected given some of the reviews here! No real standout tracks, angry, mostly tuneless grunge without much to say really. Can't imagine I'll ever listen to it or any song on it on purpose, but wasn't offensive enough to give a one.

Started tedious, and got worse. I did laugh when he did an intro spiel about how people often seek solace in sleep, but that it sometimes made it worse, before launching into a song about bed bugs :D then we have what sounds like a hostage situation with Woody Guthrie to start track 5. Now he's quacking at the end of track 6 (which is about geese, who don't quack. They hiss or honk). Next track wasn't offensive until he started yodelling midway through. Back to inoffensive but interesting for the next couple, then whiny, and then a song that is better than the others but still not good. He just really can't sing very well. 1/5, but only because I can't give a 0. Probably the worst thing we've had so far, but at least he had the good manners to stop after half an hour.

This is... not what I expected... but really quite good. Very easy, gentle listening in general, and he takes it up a notch every now and then. It's an interesting sound, somewhere between crooner and the slightly arch conversational style (you can tell he was in Pulp for a bit!). I'm coming into this after a little run of really dire albums, so resisting the urge to overrate this one because it's not them, but it comfortably merits a 3. The Ocean in particular is a great song, title track is good, and none of the rest are bad.

Meh. Not unpleasant to listen to but, despite the punchy subject matter, the musical style is pretty slow and gentle which doesn't really work. Veers into being preachy and self-righteous. 2/5.

yay, more Brazilian stuff. 2/5 this, we've had worse Brazilian music and this was a bit funkier and cooler than the previous. Still not of huge interest.

This is beautiful, very gentle, folksy music. There aren't many cleverer lyricists than Paul Simon, but this is all a little bit too gentle for me. Homeward Bound is the best of the bunch, and Scarborough Fair / 59th Street Bridge Song not too far behind, but it doesn't have enough bite. 3/5.

Mad. Absolutely mad. There is so much going on that is absolutely bonkers. I think this'll need another couple of listens at least to properly appreciate, but I think it might be a bit too out there for me. Starts really well, but the descent into madness of the two 17 minute songs is a bit much. I think someone mentioned they have some slightly more accessible stuff? Well up for that, 3/5 for this though, just about. Definitely want to try some slightly less intimidating krautrock though.

This is fun, nice and jolly and easy to listen to. Not much that elevates it though - Sunny Afternoon is superb, but not much else that I think I'm likely to go back to. Just squeaks a 3 as well.

Not for me, Clive. A couple of good moments - more towards the end of the album than the beginning - but not my cup of tea. It mostly fits well together (although there are a couple of jarring moments), and there's a bit of variety in there, but it's a bit too grim. There are a couple of tracks on there which are really unpleasantly sexual, and the guy needs to pick and choose where to swear better. I imagine NIN don't get compared to Ice Cube much, but I felt similarly after listening to his album - a bit gross. 2/5. Did like Ruiner though.

Mixed on this - it flows together beautifully, it shows off Freddie's voice beautifully, and it's a really fun concept. But, it's so overblown (probably at least a bit deliberately?) that it takes some of the shine off, and there are some bits that don't work very well (I'm In Love With My Car is not great, and The Prophet's Song is a bit too prog-rocky in a bad way). Doesn't quite make a 4, even with Bohemian Rhapsody in it.

I don't think I'd ever listen to a single track of this on its own, none of them particularly stand out. But, together, it kinda works? 28 songs in 41 minutes is completely mad, but it's good fun, the fact you change tracks every 90 seconds or so means it has this manic energy to it which I like. But don't think I can give anything more than a 3 to an album where I don't really like any of the tracks individually! 

Nice, gentle, country folk style stuff. A couple of recognisable songs (Friend of the Devil and Ripple), but was all a bit chilled. 3/5, pleasant enough to listen to but not particularly memorable.

It's a bit twee, isn't it... At least it would be if the lyrics weren't so casually chauvinistic. You can miss that quite easily given the nature of the music, but it feels so dated because of that. It's well sung and performed (and nice and short), but can't give it any more than a 2.

4 for me. Had heard of The Fall (almost entirely due to the big fanfare of publicity they got when Mark Smith died), but never knowingly listened to any of their stuff. I started out thinking that it wasn't really my thing, it's almost a bit too noisy and jarring, but after a few tracks I started to get properly into it. Really solid quality all the way through, I thought, didn't really tail off in any way. It's all a bit weirk, dark, and quirky, but it fits together really well and I like it a lot.

More obviously my kind of music than most we've had recently, but not one I'd heard before. This is a really nice sound, something in between Bloc Party and M83 in that it's quite synthy indie stuff. Will listen to this again for sure, but I don't think it offers quite enough to make a 4 (although I'm sure it would if I'd come across it back then).

A cosy, pleasant enough listen with a nice big band sound, and I like the sax that pops up in most of the tracks. But as others have said before me, it's all just too much, the songs are almost all too long, and it is very self-indulgent. Just squeaks a 3, would've been edging close to a 4 if it was 20% shorter.

Perfectly fine background music, quite a pleasant listen if you're not really concentrating, but doesn't offer a huge amount beyond that. A step above lift music, but only a small step. 2/5.

A comfortable 3, pushing a 4. Really strong, consistent album with some solid tracks right the way through (and a couple of less good ones like the one about Gary's Boner!). But, there's nothing there that elevates it to the level above, nothing that  which is why it stays at a 3.  Could do with sanding off the rough edges a little, but did enjoy listening to it.

This is great. 4/5. Seven Nation Army has been done to death and beyond, but it's still an amazing song, and what a way to open an album! The energy is really high right through (even though the pace changes a bit). Falls away a little towards the end (no need for the little monologue about squirrels or the weird last track), but a proper banger. Well worth the listen, will revisit for sure.

Didn't look at the release date for this initially (although you'd have thought I'd get a clue from the first song!), but was very impressed when I did - this feels very ahead of its time (actually in places sounds really similar to the White Stripes album that I just listened to before this). Do I actually like it though? Not massively... can see that it's totally trailblazing, but didn't actually enjoy listening to it that much. The 11 minute track is absurd, even the first two tracks could probably have benefitted from being a bit shorter (but are still pretty good), and after that it's fine but doesn't below me away. 3/5 overall.

She's got a great voice, and it doesn't sound dated despite being 60+ years old. That said, I really didn't enjoy it, it's not my style of music at all, so it gets a 2.

This was fine. I'd listened to a bit of Manu Chao before when I was a teenager (it was the exotic international stuff that you listened to because you thought it made you look sophisticated rather than because you actually enjoy it). It's great background music for a bar somewhere where it's sunny, the sea isn't far away, and you're sipping cocktails. Unfortunately I'm in my home office in Bethnal Green and I'm sipping a cold coffee (cold because I made it about an hour ago, not because it's supposed to be). Sun's shining though... Still, not really for me, fine to stick on the background but nothing more. 2/5.

Loved this, it's the best punk album we've had so far IMO. Given it's a punk record, goes without saying that it's full of energy and edge, but they hold it together really well. It teeters on the edge of being a bit too sleazy, but just stays on the right side of the line and is all the better for that. Solid consistency all the way through, it's a few yeras after the Stooges record we had recently and it seems to have taken that sound and refined it to make something that bit better. 4/5.

So much better as an album that the previous Beastie Boys one we had, fits together much better and it's much more consistently good throughout the album. I do find them hard work to listen to for more than a couple of tracks at a time though. I think this is the high end of a 3 from me - a couple of good songs (Shake Your Rump and Johnny Ryall my favourites), but I just don't like their style enough to rate it higher than that.

This was not for me. Did quite enjoy the track where he explained how it all worked, but the actual sitar music itself is just so dull. The intro track saves it from being a 1, but only just. 2/5.

This is good, but not great I think? I don't know the Chemical Brothers album by album, but I don't think that there's quite enough here to excite me compared to some of their other work. That said, it's definitely not a bad listen - the fact that I was happy to listen to an hour of dance music at 7.30-8.30 on a Monday morning suggests it must be pretty good - but there weren't any tracks that really stood out. I tend to prefer their more psychedelic stuff, so the end of the album was more me than the start, but still a good album. Top end of a 3. 

I actually enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would... Basically, it's better than the previous Neil Young albums because there's a lot more to hide his voice than usual (the songs suit it better, there's more backing vocals, and there's much more weight given to the instrumental parts). Still not exactly mind-blowing, but scrapes a 3 as I'm in a generous move and it is better than the two other Neil Young albums we've had.

Not listened to this before, I knew one of his songs that wasn't on this album, and don't have any nostalgia for this at all. Not particularly fond of it to be honest, it's fine background music but doesn't offer a lot more than that (although it goes a bit weird sometimes). Voice sounds quite similar to Maverick Sabre, but compares unfavourably I'd say? Can't give this any more than a 2, there's a couple of good tracks (I liked Sunday Shining most) but nothing much more.

I've seen the Eagles live, and they weren't very good. Played their guitars and sang beautifully, but there wasn't any stage presence or much in the way of energy. I went into this with quite low expectations, but it was a lot better than I expected. Hotel California is at that stage where it's a great song that I've heard so many times it takes the edge off, but there are plenty of other good songs on this album too. Lots more edge in the lyrics than I expected, I came into this thinking it would all be kinda kitschy country-ish (and New Kid in Town doesn't do much to disabuse that), but there's plenty of variety and a decent bit of wit too. 3/5, top end and not far off of a 4.

This is one of those albums that I'd be shocked by anyone giving it a 1 or a 5, it's middle of the road, slightly tarted up gentle pop with a couple of stronger songs. I quite enjoyed this, an easy three. Straight down the middle, more or less like the music.

This starts off OK, feels like a nice entry to what'll turn into a Creedence Clearwater Revival type album, but loses all it's energy pretty quickly and never really gets it back. It's too long, too meandering, and too boring to get anything higher than a 2. It's fine background music and not actively unpleasant, but nothing more.

Not as good as the last Doors album we had, but still a really good listen. Strong 3 out of 5, just shy of a 4. It's a good album, the quality keeps up the whole way through, but I don't think there are individual songs that really lift this up to a 4 or 5. Will probably listen to this again, it's good music both for working to and for active listening.

This is brilliant. Knows exactly what it is, doesn't try to be anything more than anthemic stadium rock that is of its time, and totally nails it. Can see how people would dislike the style (and if the album was 15 minutes longer it would definitely get a bit too much for me), but I love the exuberance and the energy. Is it the most musically sophisticated album we've listened to? No. Are the lyrics particularly insightful? No, it's Springsteen without the depth. Is it the most fun album we've had so far, 130 albums in? Probably, yeah. 4/5.

Also like this - I knew Hoover Dam (think the Spotify algorithm recommended it to me a couple of years ago and it stuck), but nothing else by Sugar, and it's good fun. An easy three, doesn't do enough for me to lift it above others of its type and get into the 4/5 range, but a pleasant listen. Might not ever go back to the full album again, but if it comes on I certainly wouldn't be switching it off. It's pretty consistent the whole way through, wouldn't say there's a bad song on it, and a good bit of oomph to it. I had the remastered edition on, and it's clear to see that the real sound they like is a bit more raw than this. Unlike Tim, I prefer the recorded version of Hoover Dam to that live one, it's too scratchy and raw for me.

This is a really interesting listen, but I don't really like it. Must've been groundbreaking in 1977, and probably was the grandfather of a lot of music that I like more than this, but it's just a bit too weird for me. It's all very repetitive, and really creepy. I did quite like The Hall of Mirrors for its over the top creepiness, that felt quite clever, but the rest is just creepy without being OTT. 3/5 for me, it's clever, well-done and clearly groundbreaking, but not that enjoyable.

I see no way to differentiate this from the fifty million other Brazilian albums that we've had. Honestly, I'm baffled by the reviews on the site being able to go into so much detail about it, I listened to it twice yesterday and have already forgotten almost everything about it. 2/5 as it was perfectly fine to have on in the background.

Completely different to the album yesterday, but somehow exactly the same. Some very nice sounds that are gentle and easy to listen to, but nothing that is in any way memorable. Just read the Wikipedia page, and I know that album sales aren't everything, but it reached 184 in the album chart at its peak and the single hit number 56. It's not particularly influential I don't think, there's certainly nothing new here as far as I can tell. Literally no idea why it's on this list. 2/5.

Couldn't get into this at all. Listened to it the first time last week, thought it was dull, then listened to it again when a couple of you thought it was really good and still didn't get it, then listened to it again this morning and still find it dull. Too beige for me, doesn't do enough to elevate it above background music. 2/5.

This is decent - the start of the album is great, and the guy's voice is great for this kind of music, sounds like the lovechild of Jon Bon Jovi and Axel Rose. But, it goes a bit downhill after the first four tracks to be honest. Gets a bit too long, drawn out, and self indulgent in places and doesn't quite have the same pizazz as the first section.

Simon & Garfunkel always seem to have one foot in the too twee camp and one in the beautiful, brilliant folk song camp. This is no different - the first few tracks illustrate this perfectly, Bridge Over Troubled Water (brilliant), El Condor Pasa (weird and incredibly twee) and Cecilia (great). The Boxer and The Only Living Boy in New York are also super songs, which gets this album a squeaky 4 - just about.

This was nice, easy listening stuff but with a little more oomph than most easy listening. Lovely background music, there's a bit more there if you choose to listen to it, but not a huge amount. Just scrapes a 3. 

Doesn't even scrape a 2. It's really dull musically, and the lyrics are both cliches and throwbacks to the creepy lyrics you'd get in 50s/60s music but without the innocence that gave the oldies a bit of an excuse. Would've got a 2 had I only been half listening to it, but the lyrics drop it down to a 1 as it made it actively unpleasant to listen to.

This is class. I always get nervous about metal because I hate screamer songs, but this is not that at all, I'd barely class it as metal really. Little bit cheesy in places, but it stands up forty years later and I will definitely be listening again. 4/5.

Expected a bit more from this - it's all a bit too gentle for my liking. There are a couple of songs that step it up a bit (Beginning To See The Light probably my favourite), but tough to give this any more than a 3.

Not quite sure what I think of this. A little bit overblown - despite not even being 35 minutes long, each of the tracks felt a bit longer than they needed to be. That said, other than that there's nothing bad about it, but there's not really anything that makes it stand out either. A bog standard, middle of the road 3 for me, Clive.

Not for me. This is one of those albums that is trailblazing and influenced loads of other groups, but it's just not that interesting in the context of knowing what comes after it. It sounds so dated, both the style and the lyrics. Rock Box the best of a bang average bunch, 2/5.

This is some reasonably pretty but unexciting folksy music punctuated with a couple of brilliant songs. America is possibly my favourite S&G song, it's much closer to most of what they do than Bridge Over Troubled Water or Mrs Robinson, and it really shows off how good Paul Simon is at telling a story in song.  Then towards the end of the album the pace picks up, about thirty seconds into Mrs Robinson, that and Hazy Shade of Winter would've made a wonderful climax to the album, but they then inexplicably put a song about going to the zoo at the end  It's not awful, and would have fitted nicely a bit earlier in the album, but feels a bit jarring here. 3/5 for this one, really not far off of a 4 though.

I was not expecting to like this having read the description that 'because Hot Rats largely consists of instrumental jazz-influenced compositions with extensive soloing, the music sounds very different from earlier Zappa albums', but actually it's really quite good, isn't it? Suffers from the same issue as almost every instrumental album in that it goes on a little too long and gets repetitive in places, but the sound is great and it's a super background soundtrack to get some work done to. Loses it's way a little towards the end, but I think it gets a comfortable 3.

Pretty beige in the most part. Alanis Morrissette without the anger, pain, and lyrical cleverness. Run Baby Run and All I Wanna Do are good enough pop songs, but it's all a bit bland with a couple of real stinkers in there (yes, I'm looking at you, Solidify and The Na-Na Song). 2/5. 

This is fine, perfectly pleasant to listen to but not a whole lot more than that. Jingly jangly and a bit dull, takes a lot of the energy out of their covers and don't add much else. 2/5 for me.

I love this - really not far off getting a 5. I knew a few of the songs, but never listened to the album from start to finish. What elevates it from other S&G stuff is the quality of the album as a whole - all the albums we've had from them have had a least 1 or 2 really good songs, but amongst a sea of mostly forgettable folksy stuff. Graceland and You Can Call Me Al are the two standouts on this album, but the rest is much much stronger. Have listened to this 3-4 times over today and yesterday already in the background whilst working, and will happily listen to it again. There's so much variety in the album (with a clear African flavour to it).

This is a good listen, but definitely fades towards the end. Don't quite understand how they got so popular tbh - it's not super accessible, and it's quite laid back and chilled out. Not my favourite, but a comfortable three heading in the direction of (but not reaching) a four. Probably would have made 4 if it had stayed at the level that the first three tracks set.

Well, this is odd. I'm kinda glad that I've listened to it, it's definitely interesting, but I can't imagine ever going back to it again. It's very much harking back to ages past, the style is very folky (with a strong hint of Celtic in there) and the stories the songs tell feel almost medieval. The singer's voice is fantastic, haunting when it needs to be and gets mroe upbeat to. Overall a 3/5 - it's definitely worth a listen but I'm not going to rush to seek out more of their stuff.

These guys are great - distinctive voice and sound, great energy, and really fun songs. 4/5, last track of the original 7 drags it down. Born On The Bayou and Proud Mary are super songs.

Really not much here. Jane Says is a really good song, but other than that there's not much to recommend it at all. 2/5, pushing a 3 because of the strength of that song. Quite cringey in places.

Was expecting a lot more from this than I got. A really strong start with those first three tracks, but even those are a bit elongated and could've done with shaving off a minute apiece. The rest is just a bit dull. Middle of the range 3, really all because of the beginning.

This is great - a solid 4 which is impressive given that so many of the songs are covers. Will very happily listen to it again, a great bunch of songs although it plays more like a collection of hits than it does an album. The opening track definitely my favourite, but it's a great opening 3 songs in particular.

This hasn't aged as well as a lot of the other Beatles albums (or maybe I've just grown out of this sort of thing), it's a bit too saccharine. The opener / title track still hits reasonably hard, but any edge that had is very much filed down through the vast majority of the rest of the album. That said, it's a really solid pop album that keeps up the pace through a tight 30 minutes with a couple of really big hits, so it's a comfortable 3.

This was a big old bucket of not very much. Sounds ahead of its time, but not in a particularly interesting or exciting way. There's a lot of talk in the reviews and wikipedia about similarities to The Who's Tommy - by all accounts Tommy is a lot better. This doesn't really have any memorable tracks, the story of the album isn't particularly clear and it just all sounds a bit beige. 2/5

Not for me, this one. I think I don't really like Bowie as much as most people do, we've had a couple of his albums now and I haven't really gotten along with any of them. I've read that this album is really influential etc., but I didn't find it a particularly enjoyable listen. It doesn't feel like it's finished, loads of the songs either drift out or end a bit abruptly. Sound and Vision is the best of a pretty average bunch (but even that feels like it's missing something despite a really good hook). 2/5.

Listened to this first last week, and didn't get it at all. Listened again this morning and get it a little bit. I do want to give it another listen to see if it keeps growing on me, but need to move on to catch up with the rest for now (and also to give my ears a bit of a rest, that album is quite hard work!). It's too long, but there's some glimpses of gold in there once you dig a bit deeper, it's not accessible by any means but I will certainly go back to it. 3/5 for now, may well update to a 4 in a few more listens time.

Can't give this anything more than 2, there really isn't anything of particular interest. Janky synth notes, uninteresting lyrics, feels incredibly dated. Best bits are when they relegate the synthesiser to the background and let the guitars play, but those are too few and far between.

I shouldn't like Janis Joplin's voice, it's way too gravelly and it feels like she pushes every note too hard, but I really do. There's so much energy to this, and a couple of real stand out songs - Piece of my Heart is the best, with Summertime not far behind. Solid 3/5, but it's not consistently good enough for a 4.

I liked the title track on this, but not much afterwards tbh other than Sweet Thing. 2/5. I like the type of music that this almost is, when it has a bit more energy like Dropkick Murphys or a bit more soul like the Pogues, but this doesn't quite reach the heights of either except in the odd place.

Feels quite dated to me - religion and holy war plus nuclear armageddon is so eighties... I can appreciate that it's technically really good, and well put together, but it doesn't grip me at all. Lyrics are a bit too cheesy, and it doesn't quite work for me. Not unpleasant to listen to, but not one I'll ever go back to. 2/5.

This sounds so tired, it's like you've taken a Duran Duran album and sucked out all of the energy. It's super generic and really long, it's only 10 am, I've had a strong coffee, and I still feel like I'm struggling to stay awake during it (although tbf the heat probably doesn't help). Only the first 12 tracks are on the original release, and I have no desire to listen to any more of this than I absolutely have to. 2/5 - just. It is not actively repulsive, just dull as hell.  Actually, that seems harsh on hell.

Might be the best electronic album of all time, but it still isn't for me. Maybe my musical ear isn't sophisticated enough to tell the difference between good electronica and bad, but I just don't get that much out of it. It can just scrape a three based on its wider contribution and because it's perfectly fine to have on in the background whilst I work, but I can't justify giving it anything more than that.

Oh good, more electronica  this is way more accessible than Aphex Twin, but what it gains in accessibility it loses in interest. I've heard the second track somewhere before, but can't place it. Everything is a bit too long and rambling, most if not all of these songs could've been a minute shorter and been much better for it. 2/5, nothing to raise it above pleasant background noise.

I have never listened to anything that has made me so completely sure that the person responsible for it is a total c**t. It's like the Beastie Boys, mixed with the worst of early 90's rap/hiphop, with any charm or nuance stripped out. Lyrics are a mixture of generic self-promotion that regularly turns into breathtakingly unself-aware arrogance, and lazy misogyny.  But, there are bits of it that are quite catchy  Nearly burst out laughing with Only God Knows Why (a self-pitying song lamenting how people don't understand him and like him) after ten songs of this, and then immediately followed by a song titled 'Fuck Off'  Pretty much every song is at least a minute too long (and there is a line in one of the songs where h talks about the producers telling him this and him ignoring them). 2/5, because it was quite entertaining in places.

Underwhelmed by this to be honest. I'm sure we'll get more Iron Maiden in the next 900 albums, but this just didn't have as much to offer as the Judas Priest and Black Sabbath albums we've had. Maybe that's unfair (as I think this is older than both of those), but it just didn't grab me in the same way that they did. Nothing really wrong with it, but nothing particularly exciting either. 3/5, would've considered giving it a 2 but it definitely doesn't belong with Kid Rock!

I... really liked this... After the Can album (which was a bit too much for me) and Kraftwerk (bit too repetitive and creepy), I thought that Krautrock probably wasn't for me, but this was great. Lovely transition over the course of the album from some really mellow electronica to something approaching heavy metal at the end - I liked it all, but definitely enjoyed the second half more. Sounds incredibly modern for something made in 1975, certainly feels fresher than the Kraftwerk album which came out a couple of years after it. 4/5, really strong.

This was really underwhelming - I wasn't super excited by the prospect of it, but it's got 2 songs on with 100m+ plays on Spotify so I figured it must have some interest to it. It really doesn't, it's pretty bland, not really sure what the genre is but it's not tuneful enough to be poppy or loud and energetic enough to be rock/metal. And it all sounds more or less the same. Not bad enough for a 1, but not close to getting 3. 2/5.

There are a couple of different versions of this on Spotify - the one it linked me to was the British release, which was 10-15 minutes longer and didn't start with Paint It, Black (which is a real loss). The start of the British version of the album sounds very different to the rest, if it wasn't for Jagger's voice being pretty distinctive it could quite easily have been a Kinks track. Quickly slips back into more American sounding folky rock, which is not unpleasant but not outstanding either. Gets a three, not close to getting a 4 but comfortably above a 2.

This was not close to being as good as Blue Lines - Blue Lines seems to have a much more developed sound, despite being three years earlier. This feels more focused on reggae/ska, early tracks very reminiscent of the Specials, and it's just a bit too slow for most of it for me. 3/5, disappointing.

No one had any thoughts on this on Friday, and I can understand why! Starts off quite cool, that opening track sounds like what you'd imagine CCR would if they were a bit less Southern in style, but quickly fades in interest from there. Unoffensive and uninteresting. Decent enough for background listening, but it's nothing more than that. 2/5, but a high 2.

Never heard of this before, but quite liked it. The overall sound is interesting, nice gentle electro atmosphere, quite low impact but just enough there to keep me listening. I saw MO at Glastonbury a couple of years ago and that felt very similar to this (albeit a bit more upbeat and with some extra oomph). Would I actually go out of my way to seek this out? Probably not, but it's a perfectly pleasant listen. 3/5

45 minutes of the Beastie Boys is just too much. All the songs sound way too many similar, the slow rapping passed back and forth with the extended notes at at the end of every few lines gets grating after a while. This album takes a while to get going as well, not a great first few tracks, but then a couple of their best songs about halfway through. This gets a 3, relatively high 3 because it's got a couple of their best songs on it but it's really hard work to get through a whole one.

I always confuse Nick Cave and Nick Drake in my head, so the first ten seconds of this really shocked me before I twigged :D It's dark, heavy, and not an easy listen by any means, but I really enjoyed it anyway. It's a double album, the first half (Abattoir Blues) much more rocky and full of energy than the second half. Don't really understand why they released them together tbh, it's a very different vibe and both are plenty long enough to be an album in their own right. I think the first album is a comfortable 4, the other is a middling to high 3, so it's a scraped 4 for the pair together.

I do not like this  Their two voices mesh together very well, but neither is actually particularly pleasant to listen to so the overall effect is not great. Definitely lives up to what it says on the tin re: tragedy - there are some pretty grim songs on there, the single is about beating a woman to death and getting arrested for it. Other themes include the death of a brother and the subsequent discovery that his sweetheart had been playing away, and a whole lot of Jesus towards the end. 2/5 for me, not far above a 1.

Yeah, this is class. Doesn't quite make a 5 because there's a bit of filler in there, but it'd have to be quite bad to stop an album with Welcome To The Jungle, Sweet Child O' Mine and Paradise City (my personal favourite) getting a 4. Their ballads are much more hit and miss - My Michelle works but a couple of the others don't really. That said, it's a long album at 53 minutes so does need some variety. Would probably have been better at a tight 40 mins with 3-4 tracks fewer, but even as is it's a comfortable 4. 

Only one track on Spotify, and a few more songs on YouTube. I quite enjoyed what I heard tbh, and would be quite happy to listen to a whole album.  Really fun mix of genres, hiphop base with a few different latin influences. 3/5 (on the basis that I think this is what a whole album would've got).

Quite enjoyed this, although it seems like most of the songs are covers. That's a shame really, because their original stuff has a lot more edge to it than the covers that they do (which are by and large inferior to the originals). All sounds quite raw, it's almost like a precursor to punk, and they sound much better without the very sixties backing vocals they have on most of their covers. 3/5, won't listen to the album again but will add Strychnine to a playlist.

Not a lot to say about this album, except that it suddenly grabbed me with the last track. There's so much menace in that, it really suits her voice (which sounds exactly like you'd expect someone who's been through all the things she had to sound), but it doesn't work so well for the rest of the album. Working Class Hero is one of my favourite Lennon songs, and I really didn't like the cover of it, not quite sure why but just had something missing. 2/5 for the album, but the last track is worth a listen.

More world music. This is not interesting at all, fine to have on in the background but doesn't really offer much and gets very repetitive very quickly. Bland and uninspiring, 2/5. Just.

Felt like this album just got better and better as we got through it - wasn't convinced at the start but it really grew on me towards the end. It's lightyears ahead of some of the other stuff we've had from that era, and it's so influential on basically everything that comes after it. But, am I going to be listening to it a lot? Probably not, it's not really my kind of music and it lacks a bit of variety in the style - Scenario (the last track) changes it up a bit which is good, but I think it falls short of a 4.

Big fan of Arcade Fire, but hadn't listened to this full album in a long time. It's really, really, good - I love the almost orchestral sound they create - and there aren't many bad songs on this. Definitely a little pretentious when it comes to song titles (I'm inherently sceptical of most albums that have songs split into different numbered tracks) but there's so much depth to the record that I can move past that. There's also tonnes of energy, coming at you in slightly different ways, and the album if anything gets better than worse as you get towards the end. I've always found that I can take or leave their albums after the first listen or two, but they really grow on me. 4/5, not far off a 5.

A little underwhelmed by this - Here's Little Richard came out a year after this and feels so much fresher and full of energy. There's tastes of it here - Blue Suede Shoes and Tutti Frutti have that oomph - but it's a bit too croonery for my liking. Doesn't feel like a revolution. 3/5, closer to a 2 than a 4 though.

This was exactly as I expected it - something that really needs a proper listen to and tough to appreciate on the first way through. It's slow, emotive, and often pretty miserable, but his voice just makes you need to listen and the lyrics make it worthwhile. It's a tough listen, and probably not something I'll be revisiting regularly (it's not good background music at all!). A comfortable 3.

I don't really know Talking Heads, and this doesn't really grab me to be honest. It feels like it's almost something that I'd really like, but never quite gets there. You can see that the style is a big influence on later stuff though - Modest Mouse, that kind of thing. I don't think I'll ever actively seek out a song from this album again (apart from maybe Take Me To The River), but interesting if not mind-blowing. 3/5.

Not as unpleasant as I had expected - this seems like an attempt to move a bit closer to the mainstream, after the first couple of tracks most of the lyrics are sung rather than screamed. That said, it still isn't very good - it's loud but a bit dull. Not sure why it's made this list to be honest, I get that people like Slipknot but surely you should include an album of Slipknot doing Slipknot things rather than a pretty lacklustre attempt to go more poppy? 1/5, might've got 2 had it not been so bloody long.

What a start to the album! The title track has tonnes of energy, then leads off really nicely into With a Little Help From My Friends and LSD which is great, but from there it loses its way a bit. It's all quite disjointed - the songs all sound very different and don't fit together particularly well as an album. The next three are a bit fluffy, then we go back into the psychedelic stuff with Mr Kite and a strange sitar interlude, before two more very nice but very twee ballads. Then we go back to the energetic and psychedelic stuff from the beginning. 4/5 for me, there's so many good songs on here, but it doesn't quite fit together well enough and there's some filler.

Just a bit dull and repetitive. Good Times is a classic but it needs a radio edit, absolutely no need for eight minutes of it. Not the best disco record that we've had, it's fine but just a bit too slow and all sounds quite similar. 2/5.

This was really fun! I struggle with live albums a bit - and this one (like many others) is cut from a few different shows. There's a bit too much instrumental (which works when you're there, but not so much when you're listening to it on your own at 9.30 on a Wednesday morning!), but that doesn't mark it down too much. Phil Lynott's voice and attitude is great, would've been great to actually see them live I reckon. Good, but not great. 3/5.

Second CHIC album in 3 days... not ideal, but not bad. This one is definitely the better of the two, but it still suffers from being pretty repetitive and each song being at least a minute too long. But, it's got a bit more energy, I enjoyed the instrumental Savoire Faire a lot, and that elevates it to a 3/5.

The album art has them doing their best to look hard, but it's a pretty twee, janky, pop rock album that doesn't offer an awful lot. Think the Lightning Seeds or The Magic Numbers but with a bit less oomph. Synths sound very dated, it's all a bit cheesy. Will gladly never listen to a song from this album again. Not painful on the ears though, so it squeaks a 2.

Expecting this will get lots of 1*s on the site (assuming everyone gets it today rather than it being a ridiculous fluke), but I think it's brilliant. Ticks every box that you need for a 5/5 - quality songs throughout, a really recognisable sound, quirky, clever lyrics, properly memorable stand out tracks (There Is A Light That Never Goes Out in particular), a range of styles that blend together nicely, and NOT TOO LONG! 5/5.

Tough one to rate, this. There are some brilliant songs there, really good bluesy-rock, and Kashmir just sounds incredible. On the other hand, almost every track is long-winded to the point of self-indulgence, and an hour and 20 is just too long for an album. There's a fair bit of variety in style from song to song, which in most places works well but occasionally feels a bit jarring. Loses its way towards the end as well, not much there after Ten Years Gone. Despite all those flaws, I think it does just about merit a 4 - the highs are so high.

Again, it's just too long - if an album is over an hour long, it really needs to justify it and this doesn't quite manage it. The opening 5 tracks are brilliant, it flows brilliantly, there's some real changes of pace and style, Andre 3000's rapping in particular is brilliant. But then it starts getting a bit scrappy, it doesn't flow as well, and there's some weaker songs. The interludes work when there's a really good song either side, but not so much when it's their less good stuff. 3/5 for me, would easily be a 4 if they trimmed it to a tight 45.

Love this. I knew the title track and Frontier Psychiatrist from before, but never listened to the album. This is one that is very much an album rather than a collection of songs, it flows so well and it manages to be a really easy listen to have on in the background whilst working and worth delving into deeper for a proper listen. 4/5, will definitely listen to again. Amazed by the complexity of it too.

A mixed bag. And that's four in a row that have been over an hour. Amazing amount of variety and range in the type of music, but I don't think it all quite works? A couple of tracks really hit home (The Seed in particular), but most of it washed over me really, and the second half is quite a bit weaker than the first. 3/5.

I actually quite liked this, unlike most of you it seems. Was refreshing to have a nice, tight, short album with all the songs between 2 and 3 minutes. The opener is great, if it had been released by a band with a slightly less silly name it might be better known than it is, and there's a couple of other really good tracks on there. But there are also a couple of stinkers, particularly towards the end. So it's 3/5.

Not sure why they bothered releasing this as a live album - if there was an electric atmosphere, they certainly haven't captured it, and the live versions of the songs they do are elongated worse versions of the original recordings (which I don't rate that highly anyway). 2/5

This is really good - it's Cohen's first album and his voice hasn't developed the gratingness that makes his later stuff harder to listen to. The songwriting is great, and it's very relaxing to listen to. The album fits together well - a little too well, to be honest, it's all a little bit the same, and that knocks it down from a 4 to a high three.

This is really good, and miles ahead of its time - if you don't listen too hard this could very easily be mid 2000s indie rock (a la Maximo Park, Franz Ferdinand etc.). Don't think there's a huge amount of filler in this either, punchy, gritty not quite punk music. Top end of a 3/5, really enjoyed.

Meh. Title track is good, as is Political Science, but I don't like the songwriting enough to overcome the sketchiness of his voice (which is great at within a pretty small range and not great otherwise). It's pleasant, but not a lot more than that. Squeaks a 3.

Apparently this album is called Cross if you buy the actual record/CD, but Justice in digital format. That's odd. Anyway, to the music - was much much better than I expected, a French dance duo who I hadn't heard of. Very listenable, not overly repetitive (which is how I find most dance/electronic stuff) and most importantly not too long! Each track was 3-5 minutes, nothing really outstayed its welcome and the album didn't either. Think it deserves a 4, really good.

This is consistently very very good, but not quite great - lacking really memorable standout tracks. But, blimey, what a debut! Not a bad song on there, although it does suffer from the same issue as every Led Zeppelin album imo, it's almost all a little bit too long and drawn out, could be a bit tighter. Otherwise, it's great, like the bluesy style, feels very much like a British CCR. 4/5.

Did not enjoy this really, it washed over me with a pretty heavy tinge of melancholy. Musically not particularly exciting, lyrically pretty miserable. There are better miserable albums out there, can't imagine myself ever revisiting this. 2/5.

This is a bit mad. Very funky sounding, a lot going on from all sorts of different directions, and some clever layering. But, for the most part, the sound that comes out isn't something I actually like that much. It's not unpleasant, but it's not something that I find particularly memorable for anything other than 'that was a bit weird'. Top end of the 2 range. 

I quite like this, but feel like it's missing something... mainly a decent middle... there's some good stuff at the beginning and the end, but they go a bit into prog rock without the sophistication in the middle. The proper glam rock songs are pretty good, would happily listen to those again. If It Takes All Night takes the pace down a bit, which is fine, but then leads into Bitter Sweet and Triptych which are utter dross. Gets a bit better towards the end, but not more than a 3 overall.

Wasn't convinced by this at first, but it did really grow on me. Only know a couple of Specials songs (Rudy and Ghost Town). Surprising amount of variety, good to hum along to, and really works as an album together. Someone mentioned that it sounds a bit dated, in places I agree but in others it sounds totally fresh. 3/5.

Knew the name, didn't know the album or indeed any of the songs on it. Totally up my street, really liked this. Really good background music for working, beautifully atmospheric, but I did also listen to it with much more attention whilst I was having my lunch and it's got a lot more to give. Not an album with many real individual standout tracks, but the overall sound is one that I really like, will listen to this much more regularly and seek out their other stuff.

This is really good, it's been on my work music rotation playlist for ages. People (rightly) mock Coldplay for becoming very middle of the road, crowd-pleasing, and a bit bland, but this is before that happened when they still had some edge (even if it is a little blunt). The quality and consistency is really good throughout. Is it the most exciting? No. Is it very listenable and one of the best examples of dinner party pop rock? Yeah, it probably is. 4/5 for me.

This is quite boring. Obviously know the title track, but thought given their reputation the album might offer a bit more than it does. There's a good patch (My Generation / The Kids Are Alright / Please Please Please) but nothing more than that. Not far off a 3 on the strength of that burst, but it's just a bit dull.

This is fine. Not quite as exciting as you'd expect from a Kinks album, it's more of a concept album focusing on the end of the British empire. Maybe it's a bit unfair, looking back on it from almost 60 years later, but it doesn't really tackle any of the interesting themes around the end of empire. The musical style is all a bit twee, nothing particularly striking. An underwhelming 2/5.

This is really cool, I definitely prefer this older style of ambient to stuff like Aphex Twin (which I tend to find a bit more jarring), and also to Kraftwerk, which is just too robotic. This is way smoother (probably shouldn't go too heavy on the French vs German stereotypes, but fits well here!) Feels very 'old sci-fi' in its vibe, which isn't a bad thing, could quite easily get lost in this and would imagine it is excellent fun to listen to whilst tripping. 4/5.

This is fine... I like that it doesn't take itself too seriously, but it does feel a bit lightweight. I don't see what makes this stand out as particularly memorable, if it was the first of its kind (which surely it wasn't in 1992?) then maybe you could class it as innovative, but I don't think it particularly stands out. Beginning of the album sounds like the kind of rap that a GTA character would make. The guy's got a good flow though, shame he didn't make more interesting music. 2/5.

There are moments in this when I think that it's about to be something that is really really good, but it never quite makes it there. He's clearly having a bit of fun making it, trying out all sorts of different styles, but the overall effect is a bit of a mish-mash that never nails even one of the genres that he's playing to. Also, it's so long, Disc 1 of the deluxe edition (which I imagine is the original release) is well over an hour. Not for me, Clive, 2/5.

Wasn't expecting much when the intro rolled in, but actually this was pretty good. Hadn't heard it before, but it captures that era of early-2000s rap/hiphop really well, a bit more accessible and commercial than most of what you got in the nineties but still keeping some edge. Quite refreshing subject matter too, only a bit of it about the streets/conflict with the police and a lot more about the broader culture of that area of American life. 3/5, none of the tracks really stood out for me.

Not really my type of music, but this is really good. I like the more psychedelic stuff more (think Climbatize was my favourite), a bit less aggressive big beats than most of it, but the rest of it still works really well despite being 25 years old. Consistently good, three instantly recognisable tracks, 4/5 for me.

Wow. This is I think the best album we've had of the 230 odd that I've reviewed so far. Never listened to this start to finish before, and it's mindblowingly good. Energy, pathos, a really interesting window into a side of America that I don't think anyone's captured as well as he has (definitely not musically). Was umming and ahhing about buying tickets for his Hyde Park show this summer, but so so glad I did it now! 5/5.

Album title exactly reflects how I feel about it (Waterloo Sunset aside). It's decent, definitely more coherent than Arthur, but not a lot better. Scrapes a 3 on the strength of Waterloo Sunset, the rest is fine but easily disappears into the background.

I liked this, having not heard anything of them other than All The Young Dudes. You can very much tell that they were friends with Bowie, the influences here are really obvious. It's good and fun, but misses something to really take it to the top level. 3/5.

Pretty bland. At least it was short! Jazzed up rock, easy listening but doesn't really offer anything more than that.

I really like the idea of Talking Heads, and want to like their music, but just can't get properly into it. Suspect it is one that requires more listening than I'm able to put in at the moment given how far I am behind! Nothing really stood out for me in terms of individual tracks, the sound is not unpleasant (although David Byrne's voice is a bit jarring), but there's nothing that I'm particularly excited about going back to. 2/5.

Now this I enjoyed much more than I expected. Had heard of McLaren because of the Sex Pistols and Vivienne Westwood stuff, but didn't know that he'd released anything under his own name. Not sure how much of this is actually him, but it's a bizarre mix of sounds and styles that fits together pretty well and is a really fun listen. The radio presenter schtick is a nice touch the first time, but it gets a bit wearing after 40 minutes... Does not sound British at all, he's borrowed sounds from everywhere (sometimes without crediting the people he's borrowed from). 3/5, it's really fun.

Not far off of a 5. Three really really good songs (Free Bird, Tuesday's Gone, and Simple Man), a couple of okay to good ones, and then Mississipi Kid and to a lesser extent Poison Whiskey towards the end which drags it down from a 5 to a 4. Won't listen to the album again, but will be picking out those three songs and listening to them over and over.

Pretty unremarkable punk record. Maybe I'm being harsh, it's not unpleasant, but it's a bit less raw than the rest of the punk we've had, particularly from that era. It doesn't sound as angry and lashing out in the same way that the best punk albums do - you can't listen to them without feeling a bit of that emotion, but this didn't move me at all. 2/5.

Haven't listened to this album for ages, and it's a mix between some really quite good songs (generally the ones with a bit more emphasis on the music - Ragged Wood, Your Protector probably my favourite 2), and some vocal arrangements that are perfectly pleasant, but a bit twee. Listening to it back in 2008, it felt very different from anything else that I was listening to then, the sound isn't quite as unusual now but it's still a decent listen. 3/5. 

Sounds like a 2000s girl band with some edge, which isn't bad for a record from 1994. Chasing Waterfalls is the song that everyone will know, but the album as a whole has a fair bit more edge to it. Flits between R&B and hip hop, does both of them pretty well. 3/5, annoying amount of interludes that never really hit.

Really underwhelming. I mean, it's not my type of music anyway, but this is held in such high esteem by metal people and I don't really know why? We've had a few metal albums over the course of our 250 albums so far, and the Judas Priest one was streets ahead of this. Don't particularly like the guy's voice (yeah, I know metal is supposed to have an edge to it, but it's always better when they actually sing as well), it's long, repetitive, and convoluted. 2/5.

This is so dull. Only 31 minutes, but still really dragged for me, little energy to it and nothing particularly worth listening to in the lyrics. I don't mind country, but this is pap. 1/5.

File this away with Manu Chao in the 'things that I only ever listened to to impress girls' cabinet. Not memorable in any way, can appreciate that there's a range of styles there, but don't particularly enjoy any of them. Not unpleasant background music, so it can sneak a 2.

Not as good as Rush of Blood to the Head, but still some really good tracks on it, and fits well together. That opening couple of tracks (I really don't like Yellow, the success of that followed by The Scientist on the next album sent the band down a direction that I really didn't like) is great, Shiver being my favourite. There's not a bad song on the album, but there's not as much that elevates it as Rush of Blood to the Head. 3/5.

I love Pink Floyd, but I don't love this. Syd Barrett gets a lot of love, but the band made much better music without him - this is too out there for me (although every album should have a song with as silly a title as Take Up Your Stethoscope and Walk). Interstellar Overdrive is a very cool instrumental that loses its way and drags, there's no song that obviously appeals, and then you have stuff like Bike which is just too weird. 2/5.

Not a lot for me here, it's gentle 90s electro / D&B with a haunting female vocal over the top. Nothing really grabs me, it's all a bit bland tune-wise, the lyrics are pretty miserable in general. 2/5

This is good, but doesn't quite get really good. The middle section is the best bit, good bit of energy, but I think Paul Weller's voice is too polished to make a properly rough album, and too rough to make a properly polished one, so it sits kind of uncomfortably in the middle.  Doesn't stand out enough to get a 4, but comfortably too good for a 2.

I think I've come to the conclusion that I like Bowie songs, but don't like Bowie albums to the same extent. This is OK, but never quite works for me - there are a few tracks on it that are good (and it does sound very modern for the early seventies) but also a lot that I don't like. Drive-In Saturday is good, Jean Genie is Bowie at his glammiest, but I don't particularly want to listen to this again. Just scrapes a 3 because I'm feeling generous, and Drive In Saturday is great. 3/5.

Not unpleasant, but very strange. Can't justify giving it any more than a 2, really don't get the purpose of it. A film soundtrack is supposed to elevate and add to the film it's supporting, how on earth are you supposed to judge it if there's no film attached to it? 2/5.

I like Tom Waits when he does his spoken word stuff, I like him when he sings properly, I really really don't like where he does something in the middle. The first track on this is exactly what I don't like. I love his lyrical style, and when he describes these almost film noir scenes it works beautifully with his gravel voice, but the faster and more upbeat stuff just doesn't do it for me. I'll be generous and give it a 3, because when it hits it hits really well, but there's a couple of tracks on there that I'd barely give a 1.

This is perfectly fine, but I don't think it's outstanding. Quite similar to the Alanis Morissette album that we had, but without the same level of energy or raw anger, this is a bit more reflective throughout. It does suffer for that a bit, and the quality fades away at the end. An easy 3 though, a pleasant listen with some really soulful lyrics underneath it.

Not my cup of tea. Feels like one of those bands who are more famous than they should be because of tragedy? Too scratchy and tuneless; the music isn't great and you can't really hear much of the lyrics. Apparently it's the first hardcore punk album, but I don't think there's much there that we haven't heard from other artists recording earlier in the seventies? 1/5, it's just not nice to listen to and has very little in the way of redeeming features.

This is good. Really strong, haunting voice, with a lot of range in the songs. Nothing Compares 2 U is the one that everyone knows, but there's a couple of others that are worth listening to as well - Black Boys On Mopeds is one for the anti-English, and The Emperor's New Clothes is much more upbeat in Tempo (and a bit less bleak!). 3/5, not a showstopper but really good.

Just completely beige. Musically has no edge, lyrically even less. And it has the Jesus element.  It's a pleasant enough sound, so it gets to a 2, but doesn't warrant anything more, there's nothing of interest there.

Don't get it. The version of No Woman No Cry is way weaker than what he produces later on, and there's not much else on this album that excites, it feels a bit light somehow. Them Belly Full is good, but I don't think I'll be listening to much else of this again. Expect we'll get better Marley albums on our list. 2/5.

I liked this more than our last Bjork-based adventure - felt like there was a bit more depth to it. It's quirky, it's odd, but in places it's really really good. Pagan Poetry is brilliant. Some people seem to find her voice/singing style really offensive, but I certainly don't on this album. Very chilled out soundscape with a lot of nuance on top of it, it's great to work/write to. 3/5, could do with another stand out track to get it up to a 4.

Not sure about this, it's almost like two different albums in one. First half is pretty standard post-punk, except the music is all a bit too jolly. Nothing from it grabs me like 'Jane Says' did from the other album of theirs that we had. Been Caught Stealing is apparently their big hit from this album, but I don't think I can forgive it for starting with the dogs barking... Second half is completely different, it's quite prog-like, very long tracks, and much more introspective. If you could combine the two halves (literally blend them, not just stick one half in front of the other), then it might make for a decent album - as it is, the first half is too lightweight, and the second half is too faux-serious. 2/5.

Another good album, and one that I hadn't heard of. Equally good for having on in the background during work and for actively listening to. I don't quite get why I like it, it's definitely an overall construction thing rather than any specific part of the music or individual track being out of this world. Her voice is nice, the stuff behind it is verging on psychedelia. And it's really consistent, solid tracks pretty much from start to finish. Top end of a 3, missing a standout element, but I will be listening to this plenty more.

This was not as bad as I expected it to be, particularly after the first two tracks (which are basically the same but one happy and one sad). Also, Black Rose probably crosses the racist line about being ashamed of an interracial relationship. Apart from that, it's not a bad album (for country, anyway). I really want to find some country music I like (other than Johnny Cash), but this isn't quite it. It's a bit more rock and roll than pure whining country music (which is why I like it a bit more I think), there are some decent songs in there, but it's not anything I'll go back to. 2/5.

This album starts off brilliantly - that first five tracks is really, really good, she has a fantastic voice and the storytelling is great. But, it loses its way in the second half, there's not really a track that stands out. Definitely someone who's reputation benefited from dying young, not as good as a lot of people think but still really strong. 4/5.

What a disappointment. After the first two tracks (which are a big old bombastic prog rocky style intro) followed by Relax, I was expecting a proper concept album. What you end up with is a couple of their songs mixed in with a lot of really underwhelming covers. It's overproduced to the point it sounds like it's done on purpose - might've worked quite well had they properly leant into the Pleasuredome theme, but it's just a bit of a mess. 2/5, credit for The Power Of Love completely cancelled out by the painful cover of Born To Run.

Every song is basically the same, but it's pretty fun. Some really dodgy lyrics in one of the songs in particular (Jailbait) which is a bit grim. It's an odd kind of music, it's simple like 50s rock & roll (Dance in particular sounds like this) but with louder guitars. Not really for me, one track of it is fine (particularly when it's Ace Of Spades), but it gets very samey very quickly. 2/5.

Not particularly memorable - that said, I thought it was early 2000s indie and it's actually early 90s, so probably gains some bonus points for being ahead of its time. Title track is decent, and their Mrs Robinson cover (which I knew already) is great, but otherwise there's not much here to recommend. 2/5, nearly a 3 but just not enough depth.

Had this on in the background whilst working, and the first time I listened to it made no impact on me whatsoever. The second time I tried to listen a bit harder, and it still didn't do a lot for me. The site describes it as 'never commercially successful and critically ignored outside of its release', and that seems fair to me. The folk isn't done artfully enough to be properly good, there's not enough cleverness in the lyrics, and when they add the brass backing it just sounds a bit comical. 1/5.

I struggle with entire instrumental albums at the best of times, and this was no exception. Freeform, improvised jazz is not my cup of tea, there's not enough structure to this and IT'S NEARLY TWO HOURS LONG!!!! There probably is an album that I'd be quite happy to listen to in there somewhere, if you cut out a decent chunk of the repetition and twiddling around that slows everything down, but it gets lost in the mess. 1/5.

I really like this, it's a really nice blend of electronica and 'real' music, somehow peaceful, ethereal, and haunting at the same time, and her voice is amazing. The opening track and Utopia are the standouts, the rest is good but not top drawer. 3/5, comfortably.

Liked this, didn't love it. She's clearly a really talented rapper technically, the flow is really quick where she needs it to be and she controls the pace really well. There are some really good beats in there too, and it's a tight, coherent album, so this should be something I really like... but I just don't. 3/5.

This is somewhere between folk and rock & roll, similar to the Eagles in style. It's good - a perfectly pleasant listen without a really bad track on it - but doesn't hit any particularly great notes. Feels pretty ahead of its time for 1968, holds together really well as an album. 3/5, quite comfortably. Will be listening again.

I like this way more than I did the 'real' Metallica album that we had before, which I guess shows that I'm not really a proper metal person (sorry @Hector). Feels like they've taken their previous work, listened to a load of Bon Jovi, and set this new record about half way in between. Agree with Joe on this version of Nothing Else Matters, but it's still a brilliant song and so different to what they've done before. Also agree that it's a bit bloated, but it's still pretty listenable. 3/5, has its flaws, but I do like it.

Again, I really struggle with Bowie albums. This is really experimental, a bit odd, and nothing about it really grabs me, other than the title track. I read that he put out 11 albums in the seventies and, based on the handful that we've had, I think he would've been better working a bit harder on 6... There's clearly shedloads of creativity and innovation here, just needs a bit more of a filter because a lot of this stuff really doesn't work. Still a Bowie singles fan, but we haven't yet had an album that I think is really good. 2/5.

Another underwhelmer, although I went into this with lower expectations. Nothing that stands out at all, it's not awful but it's not something I'll ever be tempted to come back to. Falls somewhere in the cracks between punk, glam, and new wave without seriously troubling the best of either. 2/5.

This is quite fun, but too meandering to get a really high score. Can just about scrape a 3, would probably have been a comfortable 3 without the SIXTEEN MINUTE drum solo track at the end. Fun sound, strays into the overly experimental at times but not too often. Probably won't listen again, but glad I listened once!

I think a low 4 for this. It's lyrically very nice, tells some great stories, and is wonderfully haunting, but doesn't do enough musically to elevate it further than this. Not a lot of variety in it, other than the harmonica (which I don't particularly like).

First porn music album we've had for a little while. Doesn't do anything for me at all, it's not unpleasant to having washing around you whilst you get on with something else, but no real appeal. 2/5.

This is really good, way ahead of its time and well worth a listen. Definitely better than the Pink Floyd of its era, but not as good as later Pink Floyd. I still find that prog rock albums set in fantasy world albums are a bit cringey, and this has its cringey moments, but it mostly manages to overcome them. 3/5

This is really patchy. I really like it in places, but really don't in others. Starts off very bland, has some really interesting bits interspersed with some dross in the middle, then bland again towards the end. Just didn't fit together very well (did they decide to make an experimental album or is the album referred to as experimental because it's an incoherent mess?). 3/5, just.

Fine, nothing more, nothing less. Perfectly serviceable 90s rock, but nothing stands out to me on this, won't listen again, and it drags towards the end. 2/5, not unpleasant but nothing worth recommending.

Really disappointing, this. Superstition is a classic, most of the rest is very basic saccharine stuff, not particularly interesting lyrics over the top of mostly lift music. Stevie is much more interesting when he gets the proper slap bass going, a bit of sass and rhythm, rather than crooning. 2/5.

I liked this, but not quite as much as the rest of you did. The lead singer's voice probably stops it from being a 5, and it does drag a little, but it's still a great listen. Can tell that it's a good album by pretty much everyone having a different favourite song from it  A really good sound (love the ever so slightly self-indulgent guitar solo in Soma), could probably criticise the lack of variety but it's all pretty good so I don't want to! 4/5.

This is a really tidy, really tight 35 minute album. Everyone knows Last Nite, I didn't know anything else other than that and Someday, and really enjoyed this. Another 4/5 (not sure I've given 2 in a row before!), missing a bit of variety that might lift it up to a 5 but it's really good 2000s guitar music and clearly an inspiration for a lot that came after it in the mid-00s.

Oof this is good too. An easy four, could well have been a five without the flight into Tolkein-y fantasy in the Battle of Evermore. Starts and ends with brilliant songs, and of course you've got Stairway to Heaven in the middle. Lovely stuff.

Didn't do an awful lot for me, this. Mostly washed over me, occasionally caught me with an interesting lyric or two but musically it's pretty bland. 2/5.

Not quite as good as The Wall, or Dark Side of The Moon (certainly in terms of storytelling), but still very very good. Shine On You Crazy Diamond is the best bit of proper prog (i.e. long songs with lots of instrumental) that they've done (and possibly that anyone has done?), the title track is superb, and there's some really great caustic lyrics about the music industry in particular (by the way, which one's Pink?). It's an incredible soundscape with a few bits that make you really listen - DSOTM and The Wall don't really have those lulls, so that's why this only gets a 4 rather than a 5, but it's very very close.

Queen are a band that I liked more going into this process than I do 300 odd records in (of which I think 2 have been Queen?). I'm getting a similar feel to Bowie - I love a lot of the individual tracks, but there's a lot of dross on the albums. Unlike Bowie, I'm not convinced that I'll like this more with repeated listens. Sheer Heart Attack is a really disjointed record, the transitions between songs are so stark, the pacing is completely varied, it's mad. I love Killer Queen - Queen do big, melodramatic, and either super emotional or (more often) OTT camp glam very well. When they stray from that, they don't offer an awful lot. The more I listen to their albums, the more I feel like they wasted Freddie's incredible talent for showmanship. 2/5 for this, Killer Queen almost drags it up to a 3 but can't quite manage it.

Never heard of Ute or this album, but obviously do know a lot of her contributors. It's been absolutely trashed on the site, but I really quite like it. It's not exactly groundbreaking, but it's lyrically clever, her voice is beautiful, and she tells some really fun stories. The people who compare this to hotel background music clearly haven't been listening properly, it's way too hard-hitting for that. Shades of musical theatre and bombastic Bond theme tunes in places, pretty melancholy in others, I think this is great. 3, pushing close to a 4.

Much better than our previous New Order album, but still doesn't massively grab me. Didn't know any of the songs, but the hook on Love Vigilantes is somehow familiar. It's a nice listen, but there's not a lot there that I'll remember. 3/5.

I think maybe I'll like later Blur albums better? This is fine, but a bit dialed back and bland compared to what they'd become later on. Opening track is good (but not great), but the rest fades a bit into beige. 2/5.

This is a really nice listen - good amount of range, amazing voice, and I do like the big band sound on occasion. But, it feels much more like an anthology than an album, and I get fed up of the style after about 45 minutes. Scrapes a 3, no more than that.

Dreamy, on the verge of porny, but with slightly too much energy to be either. Not unpleasant (although his voice sounds like Louis Armstrong has stopped taking Strepsils and lost a decent chunk of musicality), but not super interesting either. Started badly, got better as it went on, but still not really enough to elevate it above a 2. Did enjoy the final track though.

I was quite excited when we got Fiona Apple again - I hadn't heard of her before listening to her earlier album through this - but this was a bit disappointing. Went a bit too heavy on the 'all men are bastards' theme with not much subtlety or cleverness, and musically it feels a bit weird - can't put my finger on why, but doesn't work for me. Nothing anywhere near as gripping as Sleep To Dream from Tidal. 2/5.

This is quite fun, a quick, tight half an hour of blues rock with a few changes of pace. As has been mentioned a few times, it's very similar to the Rolling Stones. I like it but don't love it, it's all good but there's no standout track. 3/5.

A Bowie album by another name, so I don't really like it  I've given this a few goes whilst I've been working today, and it's not growing on me at all. Not awful, but I just don't really like it. 2/5.

Enjoyed this a lot, in patches. The guy is clearly really talented when he wants to be, the flow and rhythm is amazing and the stories are really well-crafted in patches. But, the skits are generally pretty awful (as they are pretty much invariably on any rap album), and there's a bit too much rapping about his dick for my liking... 3/5, 5/5 for his ability and most of the gang-related song, less 1 for the skits and another 1 for the really crude sexual stuff.

This is quite odd, but I actually quite like it. Really janky changes in styles. Backwater is a bizarre song, but weirdly catchy, there's an instrumental, Here He Comes sounds like it could be off a Jarvis solo album, and the sound of By This River is great. Not a worldbeater, not coherent, but a pleasant enough listen and I'll go back to several of the songs. 3/5.

I don't generally like live albums, and a grungey rock band doing a gig without the ability to go loud on the instruments didn't exactly fill me with excitement. But, this is really, really good. Hearing some of these songs stripped back shows the underlying talent there without the protective layer of being loud and full of energy. The album also manages to capture (in a way that most live albums don't) actually being there, and some of the character of the band. 4/5.

This is pretty beige. Weird staticky start into some drums which sounds interesting, but it really fades into background music pretty quickly. Vocalist is crap, production mix is a bit weird so you can't really hear them anyway. The overall sound is actually quite good (if not that exciting) but the vocals really break it and don't seem to fit well with the rest. 2/5.

This is cool, bounced off me a bit the first time I listened to it but I've enjoyed it a lot more coming back to it now. It's consistent all the way through - a good pace with enough variety that you don't get into your comfort zone - with a handful of really good songs (Someone Great, All My Friends and New York). The album as a whole doesn't seem to drag, but most of the songs do; you've got to be questioning yourself when your average song is over 6 minutes long! Doesn't quite merit a 4, but it's not far off - 3/5.

Have listened to this plenty of times before, and it's just brilliant for what it wants to be. It's musically pretty simplistic, but it's a perfect platform for the snarling rage and caustic lyrics that go over the top of it. Does it merit a 5? Not quite - it gets a bit lazy lyrically on a couple of the tracks - but it's definitely a 4. God Save The Queen, Anarchy In The UK, and Pretty Vacant are all incredible songs.

Bit of a comedown after the Sex Pistols - this is much more charming but lacking a bit of energy. Not sure that it merits being on this list to be honest, there's nothing about it that particularly grabs me, it was never particularly popular, and it just doesn't stand out at all. 2/5, not unpleasant but no reason for it being on this list.

I've ended up listening to this loads - not because I massively like it, but because I keep listening to it and then not actually writing anything. It's quite nice, not unpleasant to listen to, somewhere between rock and country. The kind of music you'd get if you put a cowboy hat on one of the lower energy REM albums, or if you dialled down the talent from the Eagles by 10-15%. Much more country at the very beginning and the end than it is during the middle. 2/5, fine.

Underwhelming. Although I had pretty low expectations anyway. It's pretty bland disco rock, there's nothing here that I'll ever deliberately listen to again. 1/5.

This album is not how I remember it from when it first came out. Did they really combine so many tracks? Weird. The political stuff felt a bit lightweight and simplistic when I was 14, and hasn't aged particularly well - but musically it's still really fun, varied, and got a lot going on. And I'm a sucker for a good rock opera. Can't remember how many of these they released as singles, but could easily have been American Idiot, Jesus of Suburbia, Holiday, Boulevard of Broken Dreams, St Jimmy, and Wake Me Up When September Ends - although none of those songs are lifechangingly brilliant, it's rare that you get six single-worthy songs on a single album. 4/5.

This is... really, really bad. One of those albums which inspired other people to make much better music. The Spotify link takes you to the 2 hour megadeluxe version, the actual one is only 6 tracks and 22 minutes long. It's loud, thrashy, guy with a rubbish voice oscillates between singing and screaming, the odd song with religious influences, a lot of anger. 1/5, will actively avoid in future rather than merely not seeking it out.

This gets stellar reviews on the site, but I prefer her later stuff - to me a lot of the sound here sounds very dated. Her voice is amazing, but the music behind it is a bit too disco/electro in a lot of places for it to work for me. 2/5.

Quite enjoyed bits of this, but did feel that it dragged (although it's less than 40 minutes long). It's fun, synthy pop music - not a huge amount of complexity, nuance, or variation. I didn't know any of the tracks apart from Take On Me, they're all in the same vein as that but without the same levels of catchy energy. 2/5.

This isn't great - I've listened to their slightly later stuff and it's a fair bit more tuneful than this. Full of energy, which is a positive, and you can actually hear the lyrics, which is unusual for this type of music and another positive, but ultimately it's just not a pleasant or particularly interesting listen. 2/5.

I like this, I really do, but there's no need to make it a double album - there's not enough variety there to keep me engaged for over an hour and a quarter, and there's a fair bit of filler. That said, the pace changes a bit, there are a handful of good songs scattered through it, but it's not something I'll come back to in its entirety. 3/5.

Don't think this was as bad as a lot of you are making out - although it isn't great. I'm not going to listen to it again, but it isn't unpleasant. A bit corny, a bit cheesy, overproduced, but not awful. 2/5.

Sounds quite pretty, but it's pretty bland and doesn't evoke much emotion. A 36 minute album shouldn't drag, but this one did. 2/5.

I do like Genesis, but not so much a fan of Peter Gabriel's solo stuff. First track of this is quite Genesis-y, then Solsbury Hill is very different but good, but the rest of the album disappears into mediocrity (aside the end track which is quite cool). 2/5, just falls short of a 3.

This is a really good album. There aren't really standout songs in the same way there are on Funeral, but it all flows together beautifully and shows you a world in a way that very few bands can do (particularly more modern ones). The bonus tracks (not on the link that the site gives us) are also really good, the one with David Byrne in particular. 4/5.

Didn't listen to this on Christmas Eve, based on the feedback in here, and I'm glad I didn't! Utterly miserable, this - so much pain, from so many different perspectives. That's what keeps this record really interesting right the way through though - normally when you get a misery album it's very 'woe is me' and that gets wearing, but this is much much broader. I don't think I'll be listening to this much again, purely because it's so miserable and angry, but it's really really good. 4/5.

This was an absolute delight - packed full of Christmas classics and perfect for Christmas morning. Just the right amount of saccharine, but not too much, with a bit of reflection in there to. 4/5.

First half of this album is really really good (although part of that is probably nostalgia from when I listened to it a lot as a teenager). It's so catchy, mix of some classic indie and more funky stuff, very easy to listen to. Unfortunately, the second half of the album really brings it down; there's nothing there really worth listening to after track 7 (out of 15), which brings my rating down to a 3.

This is the closest we've got so far to a full-on spoken word album. That's really difficult to make work, the lyrics have to be so good and so tight, and for the most part this album doesn't get there. The TV song is great - it's focused on one theme (unlike some of the others that really wander), and it's got some very pithy lines in there - but there's not enough else there that gets close to that level. It also drags - could really do with losing a track or two and focusing the rest in from 6/7 minutes to 4/5. 3/5, some great messages that really resonate 20 years on but needs a bit more polish and refinement to make it truly great.

Nicely put together, short and relatively punchy crooner songs. Does all blend together a bit though, a couple of vaguely memorable tracks but that's not particularly impressive out of 15. 2/5.

Not as good as I remembered it being back when it came out. A couple of great songs in there, a bit mad, felt very out there for 11 year old me but in retrospect it probably wasn't as weird as all that. A lot of filler in there too. Hopefully we get the next couple of Gorillaz albums in here too, they're definitely better than this (but maybe a bit less significant?) 3/5.

I struggle to get Led Zeppelin the same way that some people do - particularly when listening to a whole album. Their songs are always just a little bit too long, and often a bit too waily - don't particularly like Robert Plant as a vocalist and it's just a bit too tortured (and creepy in places). That said, Whole Lotta Love is a great song, but the album is no more than a 3/5 for me.

That opening is absolutely iconic - Right Here Right Now with the radio bit at the end into Rockafeller Skank - but overall the album is a bit of a disappointment. I came into it knowing those two plus Gangster Trippin and Praise You, and I don't think there's another song on there that I'll ever actively listen to again. That said, those 4 alone are enough to get this album to a 3, but no higher.

This is definitely a better album than the previous one(s?) of his that we've had. Not really a standout song, but a much more coherent album with a bit more edge than the lift music that he can sometimes drift into. Happy to give this one a 3, it still doesn't excite me any more than that and I probably won't go back, but glad that I've listened to it.

Preferred this album to the other efforts of the contributors that we've had - they hide Neil Young's voice really well in this one - and it's not a bad listen, if a bit bland. Beautifully put together, some nice harmonies, and nicely sung. If it was on Spotify I'd probably revisit it, as it isn't I won't. 3/5.

Not come across this before, but lots of the sounds are very familiar. Feels like it's probably on the list by virtue of what it inspired and what has borrowed from it, rather than on its own merit. Sounds very dated, lacking a bit of energy, not really my cup of tea. 2/5.

Had never listened to this as an album before, but put it on and was amazed at how many of the songs that I recognised. I don't think it's as high a 5 as some we've had previously, it's maybe a little too middle of the road for that in places, but there are so many good tracks on this that you'd be a fool to give it anything less.

Not as good as his other post-Beatles album - although there are a couple of really good songs on here. Imagine I've heard so much to the point it hurts, so not really a net positive, but Jealous Guy and Gimme Some Truth are fantastic songs (but probably both better when covered by others), and the McCartney diss track is also decent. Not great aside of that, it merits a 3 but no more.

The album art is by far the best thing about this album, it is marvellous. The music's not brilliant though, it's relatively inoffensive but doesn't do much to spark any emotion whatsoever. Hotel lobby / dinner party background music - perfect for that, but nothing more really. 2/5.

A mixed bag - a lot of beige music with a couple of tracks that stand out - the opener in particular. It's easy listening indie stuff, would've been very generic had it have come out in 2006 but the fact that it was 7 years before that shows that it was a bit more unique for its time. Voice gets a bit strained at times, but it's generally a set of quite pretty arrangements that excites in places. 3/5.

This is fine, decent rap but nothing special - the storytelling that makes really good rap great just isn't here (although it gets close in Just To Get A Rep). A lot of filler in this album, only really a couple of tracks that are really worth listening to (the title track is decent, a bit faster paced with a bit more funk than most of the album). 2/5.

Another live album - JC does these much better than most, as you can actually hear the atmosphere and enjoy the back and forth with the audience (rather than the usual poor recording quality and a few screams). This is really good - not sure the music deserves anything more than a 3, but the way it captures an event elevates it to a 4.

More enjoyable than I expected. A bit repetitive. and doesn't have as much character as others in a similar vein, but it's not unpleasant to listen to. 2/5

I love Q-Tip's voice, and his flow, and there's some stuff that works really nicely here, it's really smooth. But nice is all it is - it doesn't bite lyrically and there's not enough punch to it. Not an unpleasant listen by any means, but not a great one. Just about scrapes a 3.

Minus points for album name originality! The album is good, but could have a bit more to it - seems to sit about half way between Springsteen and Bon Jovi without quite getting the lyrical storytelling of Springsteen or the catchiness and infectious energy of Bon Jovi (aside from American Girl). 3/5, hoping we get some more of them later in their career when they've refined their sound a bit.

This is really miserable, but really good. Hard work to listen to, definitely less approachable than their other album, but probably the better for it? Not a bad song on it, good changes of tempo, sounds, and style. Probably won't go back to it as a full album unless something really unpleasant happens to me and I need to misery out, but there are plenty of tracks that are worth having on a playlist. Isolation and 24 Hours probably the highlights, but not by a lot. 4/5.

A perfectly pleasant listen, but feels very dated - big band swing/blues stuff. Nicely arranged, all very smooth, but lacks a bit of grit  for my tastes. 3/5.

This is full on beige - Take It Easy is a decent enough song, but not particularly memorable, but the rest of it really doesn't inspire much of anything. Perfectly pleasant to listen to in the most part (Chug All Night feels very weird and out of character for them), but it's pretty unambitious given how good their voices are. Should be doing a lot more (and did so with some later albums, much better than this). 2/5. 

I struggle with Radiohead a bit, to be honest. Find it very up and down, a lot of miserable dirges with a few real highlights where things come together for me. Unfortunately, on this album, they don't really. There's a decent little stretch from You and Whose Army to Knives Out, but other than that not a lot that works for me. That said, I probably will listen to it a bit more - I haven't heard this one before, and it does feel like the kind of album that's a grower rather than a shower. Feel a bit mean giving it a 2, but doesn't do enough for me to get to 3.

Not for me. Sounds a bit quirky, and not much like almost anything we've had on here, but it doesn't do it for me, it's a bit too raw and doesn't have enough to really hook me in the way that Paper Planes does. 2/5.

Great first track, really catchy pop song, but descends into mediocre schmaltz very quickly. Lyrics go from cheesy to painful throughout most of the rest of the album, it's like ABBA but without the catchiness or the charm. 2/5. Probably a 1 without the single.

This grew on me the more I listened to it - stuck the album on again after I got into it more towards the end of my first listen, and I like this. Maybe it's a bit too clean and smooth for its message and style, but it's still a good listen. 3/5.

Do you remember a few months ago we had the album that was a soundtrack to a film that didn't exist? This is a soundtrack to a film that does exist, which is an improvement on that. I was sceptical going into it - haven't seen the film, so didn't think that it would really add much. It is background music, but it's very listenable, feels like it could definitely be one of those movies where the soundtrack is front and centre. 3/5.

I don't really know what to make of this. And then I look to see that it's from 1973 and I'm really impressed - it sounds much more modern than that, although there is the odd place where it shows its age (the Flamingo synths is where it sticks out the most). It's somewhere in the prog rock / psychedelia mix, and I really like it. Doesn't have the drama or compelling story telling of really good prog, but has a wonderful flow to it and is really nice and light hearted. Just about squeaks a 4/5. 

Didn't enjoy this, despite the excellent track names. Felt very lightweight, fine for background music but didn't engage me much at all. Quite janky and repetitive in places. 2/5.

Much better than our previous PJ album. Doesn't feel like it overstays its welcome even at 53 minutes, got some punk energy too it but some tuneful melodies and thoughtful lyrics too. This Mess We're In with Thom Yorke is a really lovely song, I like A Place Called Home too. 3/5.

Perfectly pleasant to listen to as background music, fun, jazzy stuff but not something I'll likely go back to. 2/5.

Did not enjoy this for the first five minutes, then got way more into it as I listened. Does the album get better as it goes on or did I just get into the groove better? I'm not a massive fan of dance music, but this is way more listenable than a lot of it - still suffers from a lot of the songs being overly repetitive, but it's good. Open Up is wonderful - I definitely prefer their music with lyrics over the top of it rather than the purist dance music. 3/5, verging on a 4 but a bit too repetitive a bit too often to get there.

Pleasant, vanilla, bluesy folky stuff. Pretty voice, nice gentle guitarwork behind it, but not cutting in any way, doesn't really say much, until he goes amusingly off the rails for the last few tracks of the album. 2/5.